SLCS District Update

Dear SLCS Families and Staff Members,

It has been a very busy summer in preparation for the 2022-23 school year. We have added several dynamic educators to the SLCS staff family. Many of them are pictured below and all of them are excited to begin working with our amazing students and families. Together we look forward to advancing the SLCS community values of providing quality educational experiences in a positive and safe learning environment for all of our students.

A list of summer bond projects is provided below in this communication. Over ten million dollars in bond work has been underway during the past few months. Some will be completed before school starts next week and other projects will continue into the fall as scheduled. None of this would be possible without the support of our community who voted overwhelmingly in support of the bond initiative in August 2020. Special thanks to the members of many municipalities coming together to support one outstanding school community.

Across the district, our staff members have been working very hard in preparation for the start of the school year. We are ready and anxiously awaiting the students' return on Tuesday, September 6th. Together let's make it a phenomenal school year!

Please have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

Steve Archibald

Superintendent

We are looking forward to our new staff (pictured below) joining the SLCS team! Check out @SLCSD on Twitter to see more information in the coming days.

Erin Lawson is joining SLCS as a Coordinator of Special Education. Erin comes to us from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools as a school psychologist serving in many leadership roles. She has earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati, a Specialist degree in School Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy, and her Masters of Education with Leadership Emphasis in Special Education Administration from Grand Valley State University. Ms. Lawson brings a wealth of knowledge from her twenty plus years as a school psychologist and her years as a clinical psychologist.

Alex Agius is joining SLCS as the Director of Elementary Programs. Alex comes to us from Birmingham Public Schools where he served as the principal of Harlan Elementary School. He also previously served as an assistant principal at Birmingham’s Derby Middle School and taught 5th grade at Doherty Elementary School in the West Bloomfield School District. He has earned a BA and a Masters of Education from Wayne State University. Alex and his wife, Jessica, reside in our district with their three children. Mr. Agius brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience and a great deal of excitement about joining the South Lyon administrative team!

Please join us in welcoming Alex and Erin to the South Lyon Community Schools.

South Lyon Community Schools is committed to the safety and security of our students, staff, and families. We employ a number of safety and security measures to help ensure the safety of all who learn, work, and play within our buildings.

Some of the measures we have in place include the following:

• Safety Advisory Team (includes members from local law enforcement)- Reviews safety related practices/procedures and makes recommendations to the administration to add to, revise, or refine as may be appropriate or necessary

• Emergency Operations Plan- Developed in partnership with local law enforcement and contains standard procedures to respond to numerous emergency incidents

• Annual ALICE review and table-top exercises with staff and law enforcement

• Review and practice safety procedures with students and staff throughout the year

• Secured entryways (require key or fob to access)

• Controlled entrances (buzzer, camera, electronic latch)

• Secure vestibules (in several buildings, others being added)

• Thumb locks (ability to lock classroom door quickly w/o key)

• Surveillance cameras

• South Lyon Police Department present before/after school and perform walkthroughs of Elementary/Middle Schools located in South Lyon

• Three full-time School Resource Officers from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office

• Coordination with each law enforcement jurisdiction serving the district (Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, South Lyon Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Green Oak Police Department)

"Nightlock" door barricade devices were purchased this summer and are being installed throughout our school buildings. Installation will be complete before the first day of school. These devices are to be engaged during a lockdown/ALICE event (when individuals are not escaping through the door equipped with the device) and will increase the security of our classrooms, offices, and other lockdown locations throughout the district.

Also this fall, we will be contracting with a safety/security consultant who will perform an assessment of each of our facilities. The assessment will include a review of existing physical and technical safety measures as well as safety related policies and procedures. Following the comprehensive assessment, we will receive feedback on existing security measures and cost-effective strategies to improve safety and security. The Safety Advisory Team will review the findings and recommend actionable next steps for the district. The 2022-23 Michigan School Aid budget includes funding for school safety. We will look to maximize available funds to enhance the many security measures already in place throughout SLCS.

We take all incidents involving student and staff safety seriously and appreciate our partnerships with local law enforcement officials. We ask students, parents, and community members to report all suspicious or threatening activity to law enforcement and/or school/district administration immediately. Information can also be shared using the OK2SAY hotline by calling 1-855-565-2729 or texting to 652729.

Over the past two years, we have become much more alert as to when someone is sick. Please use these three basic categories as to why you would keep your student home:

• Anytime they do not feel well enough to be able to effectively learn and participate in the normal activities that take place at school.

• If their illness will be a disruption to the rest of the class and/or teacher.

• If their illness is contagious and would be harmful to the health of others around them.
  
  

See this link for some specific reasons and tips to help guide you in making the tough decision as to whether to keep your student home or send them to school.

The South Lyon Police Department is in need of two crossing guards. These individuals serve an important role in helping elementary students cross the road safely on their way to and from school. Please contact Lt. Baaki at baakid@southlyonpolice.com or 248-437-4193 for more information.

We ask that at school arrival in the mornings, elementary parents say goodbye to their children at the school doors. Arrival is a busy time for students and staff. For security purposes, we want to limit free access to the building at arrival. This includes the first day of school.

If families have a prearranged meeting with staff in the mornings, they should check in at the front office before proceeding to their meeting.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law for special education. The IDEA includes protections for parents and students. These protections are called the procedural safeguards. The Procedural Safeguards Notice is a document that describes in detail the rights and protections afforded to families. Take a moment to review the safeguards as we begin the 2022-2023 school year. If you have any questions, please call the SLCS Special Education Department at 248-573-8220.

All are welcome to a morning of inspiration and fun on the gridiron for individuals with special needs (ages 6-21) who live in the South Lyon Community School district. Participants will enjoy a full game day experience with football drills, cheer activities, refreshments and more! This event is hosted by South Lyon High School’s Varsity Football and Cheer/Pom Teams and Marching Band. Please register by September 1st by contacting Gina: gglaszek@gmail.com. For more info contact: gglaszek@gmail.com , fitchamanda@gmail.com or Coach Henson at (734) 777-3626.

Please make sure to double check Skyward for updates regarding 22-23 school year bussing information. At this time the Transportation Department is not accepting route changes or day care requests. If you are inquiring about a stop change, you can send your request to the dispatcher email @ dispatcher@slcs.us and we will review the first week of October.

If you have any questions or concerns you can email @ dispatcher@slcs.us or call our dispatch line 248-573-8900.

Thank you and we look forward to a wonderful school year.

The Food Service Staff in each school would like to welcome you and your child(ren) to our kitchens for breakfast and lunch daily!

Our Food Service Department offers breakfast and lunch, daily, at each of our schools. Menus are created to follow the USDA guidelines providing an assortment of fruits and vegetables at all meals.

Each student is assigned a number when enrolled in the District. The number remains the same until they graduate or leave the District. Please work with your child to learn this 5 digit number. The number can be found in Skyward Family Access under the Food Service tab. Middle and high school students can also use their ID card at the register.

We use Skyward as our tracking system for payments and purchases. Parents may make payments and monitor their student's purchases through Skyward Family Access. Payments cannot be made on a computer or mobile devices. Payments can also be made by cash or check made payable to “South Lyon Community Schools” and reference your child on the envelope or check. If you prefer, you may mail your payment to Food Service, 22727 Griswold Road, South Lyon, Michigan 48178.

Each student has their own meal account, so a single payment can be made for a child or one payment can be made and divided by the children. There is no cost in making an on-line payment. Funds are made available once the transaction is complete.

Free and Reduced forms are available throughout the school year. A new form is required for each school year to represent the benefit for School Year 2022-2023. Benefits are not carried over from year to year.

We look forward to serving your child(ren) this school year!

If you haven’t already, be sure to complete the Skyward Online Back-To-School Process by logging into Skyward and following the steps, which can also be found here. All current SLCS families complete this registration process each year for each of their students. Families need to complete the process to access their child’s elementary classroom placement or their secondary child’s schedule.

If your child requires a Medical Emergency Care Plan or requires medication to be administered at school, please visit our webpage to access the required paperwork: SLCS Medical Information. Please note that the forms require both a doctor’s signature and parent’s signature in several places dated on or after July 1, 2022.

“988” is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

South Lyon High School

- Existing air handling units were demolished and two mechanical rooms became 1large mechanical room to house the new air handler unit that was installed in place of the previous 3

- Main corridor terrazzo and walk-off carpet Installation

- Tennis court reconstruction is ongoing, with tennis court surfacing to start next week

- Drainage improvements surrounding JV and Varsity baseball fields are ongoing in preparation for turf installation to begin in September

- Demolition has started on the Varsity Softball field, which will also receive drainage

improvements and turf installation

South Lyon East High School

- Auxiliary gym construction ongoing; Brick is going up, metal panels and roofing to follow,

concrete slabs being prepped

- Two new classrooms created within the previously occupied food lab

- Renovations to two of the existing planning studios

Millennium Middle School

- New asphalt parking lots and select concrete improvements

Bartlett Elementary School

- Office renovation to create a more secured entry

- Media Center flooring replacement, as well as new entry into media center due to the creation of the secured entry

- Gym hallway upgrades

- Storage room created off the gym

-New double set of doors for entry from exterior into gym storage.

- Outdoor basketball court installation

- New addition work for the 4-classroom addition is underway

Sayre Elementary School

- Office renovation to create a more secured entry

- Flooring replacement within the main office

- New collaboration room within the Media Center

Dolsen Elementary School

- Window replacements throughout the building

- Sill and roller shade Installation at all new windows

- Office renovation to create a more secured entry

Early Childhood Center

- Parking lot replacement has already been completed

Kent Lake, Bartlett, and ECC

- Removal of select playground equipment, and installation of various new playground equipment across all three sites

Upcoming in 2023…

- Turf practice field Installation at both high schools

- Varsity Baseball and Softball turf Installation at East HS

- Parking lot replacements at East HS and Kent Lake Elementary School

- Site athletics at MMS

- SLHS pool addition

- SLHS science room renovations

- Playground improvements at Hardy and Brummer

Please see the this link for important information regarding the following topics.

Disclosure of Personal Information-Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA

Contingency Plans

District Policies and Procedures

Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

Project FIND Special Education/ Section 504 Notice

Title IX Policy

Requirements for Student Immunizations-More information from OCHD

Pest Management

South Lyon Community School District Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)

Management Plans

Periodic Surveillance

Section 504 Notice of Nondiscrimination

Nondiscrimination Policy

Stormwater Management

Search and Seizure

Solving school-related problems

Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Drug-Free Environment/Protection

Personal Curriculum

Programs for English Language Learner Students

Title l Funds: Parent Involvement

September 2-All Building Closed

September 6-First Day of School-1/2 Day for Students

September 7-First Full Day of School

September 8-Millennium Middle School Curriculum Night

September 14-SLHS Curriculum Night

September 15-Centennial Middle School Curriculum Night

September 21-South Lyon East Curriculum Night