We Are... Wildcats!
1/12/2022
A Message from the Principal
Good Evening Wildcat Families,
BRRR! Michigan winter is upon us for sure! Thank you for working with your child to dress in layers, bring their winter gear and being prepared if we go outside for recess. Please always keep in mind, we have extra gloves, hats, coats, etc... should your child ever forget something. Our Lost and Found is completely overflowing so if your child is missing something like a coat, hoodie, hat, glove, etc -ask them to check the Lost and Found as it may be there. Remember we do check the wind chill temperature every day and if it is 15 or above, we try our best to go outside.
Your partner in Education,
Mr. Bezeau
Principal
Downriver STEM at Weiss
Arrival Update
Our Arrival process has been so good that the majority of our students are in the building by 8:50. Because of this, we are going to start closing exterior doors as soon as our drop-off line has been emptied. This will allow our staff helping outside to start their day with students sooner. If you see the exterior classroom doors are closed, please have your child come into the school through the main office area. This will also help minimize distruptions of morning routines in the classroom.
Science Alive
Social Media
Downriver STEM at Weiss Elementary School prides itself on providing a safe learning environment for its students. An emerging national concern is the inappropriate use of social media by students. This problem has the potential to be harmful in many ways, and we ask your support in assisting us with this challenge.
Across the nation, schools have seen an increase in negative student behavior as a result of student use of popular social networking websites and applications (apps). Many sites and apps contain instant messaging components that allow students to chat with other students and to post statements and videos that ordinarily would not be said in a face-to-face conversation.
The popularity of these social media platforms only seems to be growing. SnapChat, for example, is said to have over 200 million members and has become one of the most popular “message exchange” sites among students nationwide. In fact, we are noticing that while there are age restrictions on many sites, this does not seem to be a deterrent to student use at younger and younger ages.
An unfortunate reality is that our students are at an age where they do not fully understand the full extent of the consequences that come with the choices they make online. Students view these platforms as a natural way of communication, forgetting the permanence that comes with what they express online. One of the biggest challenges for this generation is students learning to navigate these sites appropriately as some students use these platforms to bully or threaten harm to others. This type of behavior has been well documented as causing long-term negative consequences for the student who posts this communication and those who are the target of the communication.
It is imperative that parents are aware of what their children are posting online and what others are posting in reply. These sites and apps are public domain, and anything posted there can be seen by anyone who has Internet access.
Helpful Tips and Resources
We encourage you to talk with your son or daughter about appropriate use of social media and the potential dangers that exist with online use. Ask if they have an account with Facebook, Tik Tok, SnapChat, Discord, Gaming systems, or similar websites and apps. If your child is using such a site with your permission, you may want to review his or her profile to ensure that no personal and identifiable information has been posted.
We also encourage you to establish rules and guidelines to ensure the safety of your child while on the Internet. Some websites offer parental or family guidance for Internet safety; for example, SafeKids.com, located online at http://www.safekids.com.
Downriver STEM at Weiss Elementary will continue to provide Internet security within our schools. It is important that parents also monitor Internet/Social Media use at home.
Thank you for your support and cooperation in keeping our students safe. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me in the Weiss main office at 734-379-7060.
Family Health Screener
All students (to be completed by parent or guardian), will use the daily self-screening checklist everyday before attending school, or any other activity on District property. Please do not send your child to school if they are not feeling well. The self-screening checklists can be viewed here:
If your student is experiencing one of the symptoms below that is unrelated to a known pre-existing condition, they will need to stay home. They can return to school with a Doctor's note stating that their symptoms are not COVID-related or with a negative COVID test, or they will follow quarantining protocols.
- Fever (100.4 or greater)
- Cough
- Shortness of breath?
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of smell or taste
If your child is experiencing one of the symptoms listed below and has not been exposed to COVID, your child must stay home for 24 hours and be symptom-free without the use of medication to reduce or minimize the symptom before returning to school. If your child is experiencing two of the symptoms listed below, they can return to school with a Doctor's note stating that their symptoms are not COVID-related or with a negative COVID test, or they will follow quarantining protocols.
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Headache
- Sore Throat
- Runny nose and/or congestion
- Body aches and/or tiredness
Champions - Before/After School Childcare
Now Hiring- Guest Teachers
Gibraltar School District is always looking for amazing guest teachers! We have new incentives!
We have started a new incentive for our amazing guest teachers called Very Important Teacher (VIT). Simply put, all guest teachers will now qualify for the following incentives:
- Work 10 days in a calendar month, get a $100 bonus
- Work 15 days in a calendar month, get a $225 bonus
- Work 20 days in a calendar month, get a $400 bonus
If you have at least 60 college credits and are interested in becoming a guest teacher in GSD, please go to www.edustaff.org and click on Apply Now!
Upcoming Dates
January 17th- MLK Day- No School
Janaury 28th- Half Day for Student. End of the first semester
Feel free to add this "Weiss Families Calendar" to your Google Calendar to help easily keep track of upcoming Weiss events: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=gibdist.net_ra1jclsqrn76kim9gv4kj4jsb4%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York