Dear Glengary Families,

It is hard to believe it is already mid-March and that we are two weeks away from Spring Break. We sure do feel LUCKY to partner with such an amazing community! Thank you for your continued partnership.

As always, the Glengary Staff is here to support you. Should you have questions or if concerns arise, please reach out to your child's teacher or myself and we will work together to find a solution. I can be reached at rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org or at 248-956-3100.

Here's to a GREAT week ahead!

-RosaLeigh

Below you will find the topics of focus for the next 2 weeks. I strongly encourage families to click on the links below and use the family resources to reinforce the learning at home! Once you click on the P2 for Families, you’ll find 1 quote, 1 video, and 3 questions to help you and your children discuss The Positivity Project’s character strength of the week. Please join us!

This week our school community will be focusing on the Other People Mindset of Identifying and Appreciating the Good in Others. It’s important to deliberately work to identify and appreciate others’ character strengths.

Identifying and appreciating the good in others is a core tenet of the Other People Mindset. This isn’t always what comes naturally. Often, it’s easier to blame others for our problems or find flaws in others to use as excuses for our own jealousy, bitterness, or resentment. The problem is that this negativity usually leads to problems -- for ourselves, for the other person, and for our relationships.

Identifying and appreciating the good in other people helps you see the world through a more positive -- and less threatening -- lens. If you’re constantly seeing the negative traits of people, you’re going to think the world is comprised of bad people -- and you’re going to operate from a defensive posture. This isn’t to say that we should be naive or see the world, and its people, through “rose-colored glasses.” It’s just that we should strive to understand people’s intent. If you see the good in another, they are likely to see the good in you.

Perspective means you appreciate when people see things in different ways. You have the ability to understand the world from multiple points of view.

Perspective is also referred to as wisdom and is distinct from intelligence. People with this strength are sought out for advice because they see the big picture and can make sense of the world’s complexity. This strength of perspective gives individuals the ability to see to the heart of difficult matters and achieve clarity. Most importantly, they are honest and behave in an ethically consistent manner.

Perspective helps an individual make sense of the world. It provides clarity on what matters and what does not. Being able to see things from multiple angles helps individuals remain calm and learn from mistakes; they are typically highly self-aware. Reflecting on their own feelings, thoughts, and motives helps them understand and empathize with other people. These individuals are strong listeners and ask great questions. Individuals with the strength of perspective help their group get through difficult or uncertain circumstances because they’re poised and can identify opportunities for success.

Zoom in on the Red Zone

In this edition of the Gazette, we will focus on the Red Zone. The Red Zone – used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.

When a child is in the red zone it is important to understand:

- This is not a teaching zone! When in the red zone you have very little control over your behavior and will struggle to think clearly. This means it is not a good time to try to teach them calming strategies etc. this needs to be done at another time.

- Reduce all verbal language: The ability to process language will also be affected and is likely to increase the energy levels even higher. This is why it can be great to use visual strategies such a choice boards.

- Try to reduce stimuli in the environment e.g. move to a quiet space

- Emotions are catching! How you feel will reflect so it is super important to stay calm!

- Try to avoid power struggles; It is best to give some in the red zone time and space to calm down before addressing what the issue was

There are multiple tools and strategies that our students can use to self-regulate – and they will be individual to each child. However, it may be useful to think about the types of activities that will help our children to regulate in each zone.

Red Zone Tools: 

• Calming techniques: taking deep breaths, taking a break/calm corner, listening to calm music

• Sensory support: hugs, shoulder rubs, weighted blanket, sensory toys, go for a run

• Thinking strategies: size of the problem, choice board of activities

This is an important reminder that Tuesday, March 14 is a half day of school with a dismissal at 12:25 PM.

Please refer to our tiered dismissal times below:

12:15- APU and Walkers

12:20 -Prime Time Care

12:23- Begin loading busses

12:30-12:32- Departure

Attention Future Glengary Gators! Any child that will be five years old before September 1, 2023, is eligible to enroll/register for Kindergarten. If you have an incoming kindergartner, please contact our main office so we can add you to our email list. We will send out important information about our 2023-2024 incoming kindergarten events throughout the Spring. Call 248-956-3100 or email melissaroth@wlcsd.org and cherylmaten@wlcsd.org.

If you are interested in having your child attend a Walled Lake Preschool Program for the 2023-2024 school year, please complete the form linked below.

Contact Sarah Davey, Director of Early Childhood Education at sarahdavey@wlcsd.org with questions. You can also visit our preschool program website for more information.

Join us for the Glengary vs. Loon Lake Staff Volleyball Game this Thursday, March 16th!

Location: Walnut Creek Middle School

Time: Games begin at 6:30 (doors open at 6:10)

Details are linked in the flyer below! You don't want to miss this exciting game!

The spring flower sale has been extended! All orders must be in by next Tuesday, March 21 at midnight.

We have chosen once again to partner with Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse to help us raise funds for Glengary while offering high quality and value rich plants and pots that are grown without any toxic chemicals. Here is a great video that provides more information about the flowers the PTA is selling: https://youtu.be/NZ1u_-EUEf8

You can place your order here: https://www.fundraiseit.org/

-Select Online Shopping

- Enter: last name, first name and Glengary Elementary as your group name

-Follow the onscreen prompts to obtain your student's shopping cart URL link. The URL link is unique to each student. Your child’s personal URL will be emailed to you.

Flower delivery will take place on Monday, May 1. Please reach out to Cara Richards with any questions (carayeager319@gmail.com). Thanks for your support!

Registration for Summer Care through Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is now open. Please see the link below for all information.

Our Gators did an amazing job embracing the Waste Free Lunch Challenge! Thank you families for helping making this happen and for reinforcing Glengary's green efforts! Let's keep up the great work!

Walled Lake Schools offers an opportunity for Math Course-Skipping. Click on the link below to learn about the Math Course-Skipping process and procedure and feel free to reach out to Mrs. Johnson and/or Ellen McDonald, WL Math/Science Coordinator (ellenmcdonald@wlcsd.org) with any questions.

Registration window: February 27th – March 24th

March Theme: Gnomies and I Are Ready to MARCH Into Our Lessons

March Competition Dates: Monday, 2/27-Sunday, 3/26

Week 3: 3/13 - 3/19 - Report totals on 3/20

Week 4: 3/20 - 3/26 - Report totals on 4/3

Purpose: To increase student engagement with the i-Ready instructional lessons which target specific focus areas for each student based on their individualized fall diagnostic. i-Ready is research based and while it does not replace the core, quality instruction happening in the classroom, it certainly serves as a great way to close gaps and enrich our learners that are ready for the next challenge.

Competition Focus: Each grade will earn 1 coin for every 10 lessons passed.

How Can you Help?

Encourage students to take their i-Ready lessons seriously. Teachers will do their best to ensure students have the appropriate number of minutes built into their weekly schedule to complete the recommended number of minutes per week at school (30 minutes for K and 45 minutes for grades 1-5). If students have not been able to complete the recommended amount of time on their i-Ready lessons at school, please encourage them to complete them at home if possible. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have Chromebooks available to send home with students.

Our super exciting March is Reading Month continues! Click on the link below to check out the March is Reading Month Smore with the exciting information about the plans for the month. Additionally, feel free to check out the second link which includes a copy of the letter that went home with students on 2/28. Happy Reading!

A big thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who helped donate items and transform Glengary into Will Wonka's Factory!

Greetings Class of 2030!

All parents/guardians of current 5th grade students are invited to the 5th Grade Information Night at Walnut Creek Middle School on Wednesday, March 15th, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This event will be held in-person. The information session will be held in the Walnut Creek cafeteria from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We look forward to welcoming all families to Walnut Creek!

Please park in the East side lot (second entrance if coming from Haggerty Rd).

We are so excited to welcome your children to Walnut Creek in the fall! To help prepare our parents for the middle school transition, we are looking forward to our 5th Grade Parent Information Night on March 15th. Our event will begin promptly at 6:30 PM on March 15th. Doors will be open at 6 PM.

*Note: The Creek counselors and administration will visit your child's 5th grade class to discuss course choices for next year on Thursday, 3/16.

If you have any questions, please feel free to browse our Walnut Creek Website, or reach out to the Creek Administration or Counseling staff:

Seth Taboh, Principal: SethTaboh@wlcsd.org

Kyle Pipkin, Assistant Principal: KylePipkin@wlcsd.org

Amanda Berman, Counselor: AmandaBerman@wlcsd.org

Heather Thomas, Counselor: HeatherThomas@wlcsd.org

We have a team that is working diligently on the 22-23 Glengary Yearbook but we need your help! We are asking for families and staff to email pictures that could possibly be used in the yearbook to glengary.yearbook@gmail.com and label them in the subject line! (i.e.-Fun Run, Trunk or Treat, Read-A-Thon, etc.) if possible. The deadline is quickly approaching and we do not want to miss out on any great shots! All photos MUST be submitted by Monday, March 20th

Thank you for sharing the memories you have captured!

The Shining Star Award recognizes an outstanding individual who has supported the special needs community within Walled Lake Schools. Some of the qualities of the nominee might include: a positive attitude, dedication, dependability, self-motivation, helpfulness, etc. Nominees can be anyone associated with the special needs community: teacher, para, bus driver, aide, parent, volunteer, etc.. Nominations accepted via this google form only.

All nominations must be received on or before April 6, 2023. Questions? Contact: WalledLakePAC@gmail.com

Please save the date! We are super excited to once again host Glengary STEAM Night and we will host a TON of engaging stations! More info coming soon!

Who wants a chance to win BIG money through our Tuition Expedition 50/50 Scholarship Raffle?

50% for you and 50% to support our classroom grant program.... it's win-win! $50 per ticket or 3 tickets for $100.

Grand Prize: 50% of proceeds when electing the Scholarship funds option. In 2022, the scholarship amount was $10,321.

Secondary Prize: $1000 Purchase tickets: All tickets are being sold through in-person sales (no online orders). Tickets are available at the Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union at 3095 S. Commerce Rd. OR at Glengary Elementary! You may also fill out the contact form below to have someone contact you to arrange your ticket purchase.

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities. Please complete the form below and contact Dan Durkin (danieldurkin@wlcsd.org) with any questions you may have.

Check out the resources below from our school social worker, Ms. Abbo! It contains a lot of resources to support families in need.

School Portraits and Yearbooks go hand and hand, order your Glengary Elementary YB today! This special collection of school year memories can be treasured by your student for a lifetime! Friendly Reminder: New this year, yearbooks are no longer provided through the school picture program. Yearbooks must be purchased separately to receive one. Be sure to place your yearbook order!

In years past, yearbooks have been given to all students at no cost to families. These books were provided by Lifetouch, the company contracted to provide school pictures. Unfortunately, due to a significant decline in families purchasing individual student pictures, Lifetouch can no longer offer yearbooks at no charge.

In an effort to offset the cost of the yearbook for families who may not have the means to purchase one, the Glengary PTA is selling advertisement space in this year’s

yearbook. Each ad will be in color and consist of ⅛ (or the size of a business card) of a page at the conclusion of the book. The cost per ad is $50.

If you would like to purchase advertisement space, please do the following:

1.Complete the form linked below

2. Provide Andrea Halimi with the ad (exactly as you would like to be printed in the yearbook)

3. Submit payment, either cash or a check made out to Glengary Elementary PTA. All items can be sent to Glengary Elementary School PTA, 3070 Woodbury St, Commerce, MI

48390 (℅ Andrea Halimi).

This year, the PTA is excited to use their own communication platform to help organize important information all in one place. The Glengary Gazette is often loaded with info and sometimes the PTA updates can become buried. The link to the first edition of the PTA Post is linked below and will be regularly blasted out via Skyward and linked in the Glengary Gazette! Be sure to check it out!

Please check out some awesome activities below being offered through Walled Lake's Community Education Program.

Spring Leagues

• Gladiators Lacrosse - Available Now!
• WLCE Basketball Mini League - Registration Begins March 1st
• Spikers Girls Volleyball - Registration Begins March 1st
• After School Soccer - Pilot Program

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District, following the guidance of the Oakland County Health Division, requires individuals that are positive for COVID-19 AND individuals that exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, (one symptom from the top section or two symptoms from the second section), to follow certain steps before they can return to school. The link below contains a symptom screener as well as the options a family can take for their student to be eligible to return to school when a student is suggestive of COVID.

Many symptoms of COVID overlap with symptoms of other common illnesses and seasonal allergies. Current guidance requires us to follow COVID protocols for individuals that cannot pass the health screener until COVID is medically ruled out or a certain period of time has passed.

At this time, communication to families regarding COVID-19 cases at school is the same as it was at the end of the 2021-22 school year. When I learn of a positive case, I will send a letter to the classroom of the positive individual, as well as a letter to the entire grade level, to notify families of a possible exposure. For privacy reasons, names and identifying information will not be disclosed.

If you have any questions or need additional guidance regarding a sick child and school attendance, please contact our GLE Main Office. We recognize the added layer of responsibility on parents and school staff when an individual presents with symptoms during the pandemic and appreciate your partnership.

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, it is critical that the office staff and classroom teacher are quickly informed.

Please send an email to:

RosaLeigh Johnson - rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

Melissa Roth - melissaroth@wlcsd.org

Cheryl Maten- cherylmaten@wlcsd.org

Your child's teacher

In the email, please include ALL of the following information:

Your child's name

Your child's grade

Your child's teacher

Your name

Your contact phone number

The date of symptom onset

The date your child was tested

The last date your child was in school

Type of test that was given (Home test, Rapid test at a testing site, PCR test at a testing site)

Name of testing site, if tested in a facility

*Note: Once staff are informed, the following action items occur.

1. Office reports to WL Human Resources Department

2. Families receive quarantine timeline via email from WL Human Resource Department

2. Office alerts custodians who deep clean the impacted classroom

3. Office sends a letter to the classroom of the positive individual & a letter to the entire grade level, to notify families of a possible exposure. Individual's names and identifying information is NOT shared.

There has been an influx of students wearing Apple Watches to school. Apple watches should not be worn during the school day. Just like cell phones, if it is absolutely necessary for a student to have an Apple Watch at school, please note that students will be asked to keep it in their backpack until the end of the school day. Watches can cause major distractions during the school day and are not a necessary resource for our K-5 students in the school setting. Thank you for your help and understanding.

Please note that our office is open from 8:30-4:30 daily. At times, we have families come to the building to retrieve missing snow gear, homework, etc. This is permissible if it is before 4:30. Please simply ring the doorbell and an office staff member will assist you. If it is after 4:30, you are welcome to call the office at 248-956-3100 and if an office staff member is still present, they may be able to assist you.

Important: Although our Prime Time Care staff is at school prior to 8:30 AM and after 4:30 PM, they are unable to allow entry into the building to anyone other than families picking up for Prime Time Care. Thank you for understanding as we work in partnership to keep our students safe and building secure.

Consistent, on-time attendance is a key component to school success. Over the past few years, it has been a challenge to prioritize school attendance while also following COVID protocols. This letter is to inform families of the District’s attendance procedures and COVID protocols. Please click on the link below to read the full letter.

We have had an increase in the number of Gators bringing electronic devices and toys to school. Students should refrain from bringing toys, Pokémon cards, etc. to school. These items can get lost, broken, and cause arguments amongst students.

Additionally, students who bring electronic devices to school should leave them in their backpacks until they leave for the day. Smart watches have been a distraction for some students as well. Students should not be using cell phones, smart watches, or other electronic devices during the day to make phones calls, access the internet, apps, pictures, etc. If a student needs to communicate with their parent/guardian or vice versa, that communication MUST be done by calling the office. Thank you for your support with this.

Winter weather is here and we are asking families to please take a moment to review the recess wear guidelines.

Please make sure your child has an appropriate coat or jacket for the weather. Many classes have an early morning block recess and we are looking ahead at some chilly mornings.

Hopefully we are still a ways away from snow, put please note that IT IS ESSENTIAL that students have boots and snow pants when there is snow on the ground.

If you need help providing winter wear for your child, please reach out to me and we will help you! We want all of our Gators to have the items that they need!

New for the 2022-2023, families can only access iReady lessons at home through the Classlink website. If connecting with iReady has been a challenge, please check out the one minute video tutorial below.

i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that diagnoses the just right next steps for students. It is one tool that your student’s teacher will use to guide class and small group instruction. iReady lessons support classroom instruction and are designed to meet your student’s specific needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. It is a great tool to fill gaps and support classroom learning.

Your child's teacher can provide his/her login information if your child chooses to practice iReady at home.

Attention families! We are now offering a free ink cartridge recycling drop off at Glengary! There will be a bin where cartridges are collected inside the main vestibule; Glengary will return these recyclables to Empties4Cash. Empties4Cash will send a check to Glengary's PTA once they receive our donation. Thanks for supporting Glengary, and "going green"!

A strong home/school partnership is one of our core values at Glengary Elementary. As parents or guardians, we welcome your engagement and collaboration. When concerns arise, we ask that you assume positive intent and seek information first, before drawing conclusions.

When you have a concern specific to your child:

1. Contact the teacher or staff member involved first.

2. Ask for information, express a concern, suggest a solution through a respectful conversation or meeting.

3. Collaborate to generate a plan and agree to a timeline for resolving the issue.

4. Monitor and evaluate the success of your plan and make adjustments as needed.

After genuine collaboration and open communication with your child’s teacher, if resolution cannot be reached, it is then appropriate to contact the principal. Working with the teacher and principal, generate a plan that meets the situation’s needs and agree to a timeline for trying the solution. If you are unable to agree to a solution at the building level, the principal will invite the next most appropriate administrator to join the process.

The Student Pantry is a local resource we have available for any families in need. If your family has a need for basic school supplies, clothing, or food, please email RosaLeigh Johnson, Principal, Kristen Abbo, Social Worker, or Laura Locke, Teacher Liason. We will work in partnership with the Student Pantry to get you resources and supplies at no cost while respecting your privacy.

rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

kristenabbo@wlcsd.org

lauralocke@wlcsd.org

Those who are interested in volunteering or making a donation should visit the Student Pantry website, www.thestudentpantry.weebly.com.

The Glengary Staff is truly something special! Per the request of several parents, we are sharing an updated list of Favorite Things for each Glengary staff member. If you are ever looking for ideas for how to say thank you, please feel free to click the link below and take a look!

During the 2022-2023 school year, breakfast and lunch will NO LONGER BE FREE for ALL students. It will only be free (or reduced) for those who qualify.

Congress voted not to extend the waiver which provided free breakfast and free lunch for all students. The waiver ended June 30, 2022.

Your family may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. You can complete a free and reduced lunch application during registration in August.

If you do not qualify for free or reduced meals, you may begin depositing money into student accounts at any time to prepare for the cost of school lunches next year. Information on meal prices for the 2022-2023 school year are listed below

Breakfast costs

• $1.50 for Elementary
• $1.75 for Middle/High School

Lunch costs

• $3.00 for Elementary
• $3.25 for Middle/High School

If your student has a negative lunch account balance, we encourage you to pay it off as soon as possible and then begin depositing money into the account to prepare for the 2022-2023 school year.

Your family may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. Reduced-price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. Completing an application is the only way to be considered for free or reduced meals next school year. Please take action now. You can complete the online free and reduced meal application located in Family Access once registration is open.

This free and reduced meal application information is critical in determining the amount of money that the District receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc.

These supplemental programs have the potential to offer supports and services for our students including, but not limited to:

• Instructional supports (staff, supplies & materials, etc.)
• Non-instructional services (counseling, social work, health services, etc.)
• Professional Learning for staff
• Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities
• Technology
• Pandemic-EBT

Our food service department is asking families to complete and submit the free and reduced meal application as soon as possible to ensure that additional funding for our school is available to meet the needs of our students. All information on the application submitted is confidential.

Please contact Anne Merchant at 248-956-3081 or at annemerchant@wlcsd.org with questions.

Glengary Elementary welcomed Romeo, our therapy dog, in the fall of 2021. We are thrilled to welcome Romeo as therapy dogs provide a host of benefits to students and staff.

Our program would not be possible with the support of many donors and sponsors. If you are interested in making a donation for Romeo's ongoing care, you can contact lauralocke@wlcsd.org or rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org.

Thank you to our AWESOME sponsors below!

Communication is important to us at Glengary. Parents will be notified and updated in a variety of ways throughout the school year. The majority of information for parents will be available on our school and District website and through email.

SKYWARD FAMILY ACCESS

It is critical that parents keep an updated email address and let us know if it changes as soon as possible. Parents may update this information for us on Skyward Family Access. All teachers at Glengary utilize Skyward Family Access to communicate with parents.Report cards, lunch account information, progress reports, attendance, and other important information will always be posted on Skyward Family Access. If you are a new family to Walled Lake Schools or have misplaced or lost your Family Access ID and password, please click HERE to get connected.

Glengary Gazette AND School Web Page

Our Glengary Gazette newsletter will be sent electronically to families. This is typically a bi-weekly communication filled with all important school and PTA updates. As we begin the year, the communication may be sent on a weekly basis if needed. An archive of newsletters will be posted to our school website. Please visit this page often for information about our school. You will find links to important documents, websites and blogs from your child's classroom, PTA forms and information, and important updates and forms that you will need to access.

PTA Post & Website

Our PTA will share updates via a PTA Post. Additionally, the PTA has an excellent website with upcoming events, fundraiser information, PTA membership links, and other pertinent information and forms.

Social Media

Glengary Elementary also has a Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter which are linked below!

RosaLeigh Johnson

Principal: rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

Cheryl Maten

Principal's Secretary: cherylmaten@wlcsd.org

Melissa Roth

Building Secretary: melissaroth@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-3100

Fax Line: 248-956-3105
Attendance: 248-956-3190