I have heard so many great things about this first week, and I am eager to get back into the building and enjoy time with our students. I have missed them so much! We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we worked to establish routines related to transportation.

As a friendly reminder, to allow for the safe arrival and dismissal of all Meadowbrook Elementary students, we will be limiting the number of cars in our carline each day. All students and families designated as bus riders will be asked to utilize our transportation services both in the morning and afternoon. The Saddle-Up registration is currently closed and has been limited to the total number of participants designated as School of Choice students or walkers on a first come, first serve basis. Saddle-Up number signs were delivered to eligible students today. Please check your child's backpack and ensure your Saddle Up Pick-Up name sign is displayed in the driver's side window. It must be clearly visible to the staff member on duty beginning next week.

We recognize that this is an inconvenience for some of our families but we deemed it necessary to ensure the safe arrival and dismissal of all of our students. I cannot thank you enough for your continued support and partnership. Together, we can do hard things.

#mustangproud

Sincerely,

Jennifer VanWagnen, Principal

• Children must exit their car on the driver's side unassisted. They must be able to unbuckle their seat belt/car booster and open and close the passenger door independently. This may mean that you need to disable child safety locks and/or practice learning these skills at home.

• Staff will monitor the drop-off line each morning and there will be staff to help your child (both outside the building and in the halls as they find their classroom).

• Your Saddle Up Pick-Up name sign must be clearly visible in the driver's side window to the staff member on duty. The staff member will alert the classroom that you have arrived for pick-up at the end of the day.

• Your student will then be dismissed and will exit the doors through the gymnasium. Under the direction of a staff member, your child will be permitted to enter your vehicle on the driver's side. Please do not get out of your vehicle to assist. We will have staff members on site who are able to assist if needed.

• Please arrive promptly to pick up your child. Students that are not picked up at dismissal (by 4:05 p.m.) will go to Prime Time Care and you will be billed accordingly

In an effort to keep the students safe and keep traffic moving, we ask that if you are driving your child to school, you utilize the drop-off loop rather than walking your child to the front door.

Failure to follow the established guidelines may warrant a special meeting with Principal VanWagnen.

September

9/2: No School

9/5: No School-Labor Day

9/6: Superintendent Finalist Meet and Greet at 7pm (rescheduled from Aug. 29)

9/7: PTA Meeting @ 6 PM (Meadowbrook Media Center), Childcare Provided

9/7: Board of Education Special Meeting - Superintendent Finalist Interviews (rescheduled from Aug. 30)

9/13: Curriculum Night @ 6 PM, Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten | 6:30 PM, 1st grade | 7 PM, 2nd grade

9/14: Curriculum Night @ 6 PM, 3rd grade | 6:30 PM, 4th grade | 7 PM, 5th grade

9/20: Half Day of School, Staff Professional Development

9/20: LAYA Taste of the Lakes @ 5:00 PM

9/23: Walled Western Homecoming, Meadowbrook students invited

9/26: No School- Rosh Hashanah

9/28: No School for Meadowbrook Students-Staff ALICE Safety Training

October

10/4:PTA Meeting @ 9 AM (Meadowbrook Staff Lounge)

10/5: No School-Yom Kippur

10/6: Student Count Day

10/6: Picture Day

10/14: PTA Sponsored

10/19-10/21: 5th Grade Overnight Camp

10/21: Walled Western Annual Pink Out Game, Meadowbrook students invited

10/28: Trunk or Treat

10/31: Half Day of School (Staff Professional Development)

As a friendly reminder, parents are not permitted to enter the building or classrooms during drop-off/pick-up or throughout the day. All visitors must report to the office should you need assistance. Thank you for your help to ensure the safety of all staff and students.

Also, Door Dash is not permitted for students. Students may bring a lunch from home or purchase school lunch from the cafeteria. We simply do not have staffing available to deliver Door Dash items to students during their lunch time. Please refrain from ordering. Thank you.

If you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday at school, arrangements must be made with your child’s teacher in advance. Students will have an opportunity to choose a special class activity during their classroom celebration.

Please adhere to the following guidelines regarding birthdays :

• Food items are not permitted.

• Flowers, balloons or other personal items may not be delivered to school.

• Pencils, stickers, a game or book are each suitable options that may be donated to the class to honor your child.

• Children should not distribute party invitations at school out of respect for the feelings of others who are not included.

As parents, you play an important role in ensuring strong attendance in school. Research has shown that excessive absences and tardies can negatively impact academic and social progress in school. Extended vacations when school is in-session are discouraged. The district attendance policy is as follows:

• 5 or more absences: 1st parent contact

• 7-10 absences: 2nd parent contact including meeting with principal

• 11-24 absences: Legal “Notice to Parents or Guardians with Non-Attendance of Children in School” sent to parent/guardian and referral to local agency

• 25 or more absences: School district takes legal action through the Juvenile Court system to return child to school

The goal of this policy is to support families, provide support services as needed, and ensure consistent attendance in school. We sincerely appreciate your support in this matter.

If your child is going to be absent, the following procedure should be followed:

• A parent must call the school absence line: 248-956-2790.

• Please leave a message with the following information: your name, your child’s name, teacher, date and reason for absence.

The absence hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call and leave a message as early as possible.

If a child is absent and no message was left on the absence line, our secretaries will contact parents using the phone numbers entered in Skyward Family Access.

It is an expectation that our students arrive at school on time and are in their classrooms prepared to learn at 8:55 a.m. every day that school is in session. Students that are not in their classroom at 8:55 a.m. will be marked tardy and must be signed in at the main office by an adult.

The school day ends at 4:00 p.m. It is an expectation that students attend for the entirety of the school day. Children picked up early will be given an early dismissal, which is equivalent to a tardy on their attendance.

We do ask that students are free from fever (without medication) and free from vomiting for 24-hours prior to returning to school to prevent the spread of potentially contagious illness.

Additionally, please be sure to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and keep your child home should they experience any of the following symptoms:

Fever or chills

Cough

Fatigue

Shortness of breath, rapid or difficulty breathing

Muscle or body ache

Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion

Runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

We look forward to in-person instruction and in-person events as we start the 2022-23 school year. We will continue to work with the Oakland County Health Division on their recommendations for schools and evaluate their continued guidance.

The District will not be requiring universal masking in our school buildings and offices. Individual decisions related to continued masking in our school buildings and offices will be left to the discretion of students, families, and staff members. It should be noted that any bullying, harassment, or discrimination related to a student’s masking choices will not be tolerated. Any individuals engaging in such acts will be subject to the Code of Conduct.

Following guidance from the Oakland County Health Division, individuals that test positive for COVID-19 are required to stay home and isolate a minimum of 5 full days, with symptom onset date or test date, if asymptomatic, being Day 0. If, after 5 full days have passed, the individual has been fever free for over 24 hours and any other symptoms they have had are improving, the individual can resume normal activities provided a mask is worn through Day 10.

Personal or household contacts are not required to quarantine, however it is recommended and encouraged, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask and monitor for symptoms for 10 days. Test 3-7 days after exposure or if symptoms develop, and avoid unmasked activities or activities with higher risk of exposing vulnerable individuals.

All other contacts are not required to quarantine, however it is recommended and encouraged to monitor for symptoms for 10 days, test if symptoms develop, and consider wearing a mask around others for 10 days after exposure. At a minimum, wear a mask in settings with higher risk of exposing vulnerable individuals.

Symptomatic students/staff will continue to be required to meet one of the following prior to returning to school/work:

• Provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test.
• Provide documentation from a physician indicating a clear alternative diagnosis.
• Exclude from school for minimum of 5 days, mask for 10 days – must be fever free for over 24 hours, with other symptoms improving, prior to returning.

Students and staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 and return on Days 6-10, are required to wear a mask around others in accordance with Oakland County Health Division Guidance.

When in doubt, please contact our Meadowbrook Main Office team for additional guidance.

Our beloved Brook is currently needed to assist in other buildings this year, and though we will miss her tremendously, we are so proud to watch her lead elsewhere and will welcome her back when the time is right. #mustangproud

All parents are invited to join us for the first PTA meeting of the year! The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 7th beginning at 6 pm in the Meadowbrook Media Center. Childcare will be provided. We hope to see you there!

What is Youth Assistance?

Youth Assistance is a non-profit organization that offers professional counseling services and conducts programs for youth and their families who live within the Walled Lake School District. Our mission is to strengthen youth and families through volunteer involvement. LAYA is one of 26 programs of the Oakland County Circuit Court-Family Division.

If I need Youth Assistance services, how much will it cost me?

LAYA services are free to residents of Walled Lake School District. Non-residents will be referred to the appropriate Youth Assistance office.

What are Youth Assistance services?

• Referral services
• Youth and Family Counseling
• Family Education programs
• Summer Camp
• Skill Building Scholarships
• Youth/Adult Mentors PLUS program
• Youth Recognition

LAYA has a been a great resource for WLE families and continues to provide a variety of supports for our students. Please consider supporting them by attending the Taste of the Lakes fundraiser at Edgewood Country Club!

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.

A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our District newsletters can be found below.

Not receiving district and/or building communications?

If you are not receiving emails from Mrs. VanWagnen, including the Mustang Express, District Weekly Updates, please use the link below to double-check your preferences are correct.

Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

• Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org

Kellan Watkins

Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Schloegl

Building Secretary: jenniferschloegl@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-2700

Attendance: 248-956-2790