615 Jones St., Grand Ledge, MI  48837  |  Phone: 517-925-5480  |  Fax: 517-925-5483
Holbrook Website

September 3, 2026

Dear Holbrook Families,

9/11
Today we recognize those who were impacted by 9/11 25 years ago. We honor the service of those who have protected and continue to protect our country.

Curriculum Night 
Curriculum Night is Wednesday, September 23rd from 5:30–6:30 PM. Information sessions will be in each classroom teacher’s room; every teacher will offer two identical sessions (5:30–6:00 PM and 6:00–6:30 PM). This event is geared toward guardians to share curriculum, grading scales, and learning targets for each grade level. Please join us for this information event.  We look forward to seeing you and answering your questions.

Slime Time
This past week students had the opportunity to slime Mrs. Huard, Mr. Stevens, or myself as part of the PTO fundraiser. It was a fun start to the year that brought lots of laughter. Fortunately, the green slime washed off easily!

Volunteer Opportunities 
As the year progresses, there will be many chances to volunteer during the school day. All volunteers must have an approved background check and be listed on our volunteer roster. This includes GLPS staff when they are supporting as a volunteer rather than a school employee. Please take a moment to confirm that your required documents are current so you’re all set when opportunities arise.

I appreciate your involvement and generosity; it makes a real difference for our students and Holbrook community.

Kat Farr, Principal

Small Group Counseling
Small-group school counseling sessions for the first trimester will begin in the coming weeks. These groups provide students with an opportunity to develop skills, build confidence, and connect with peers who may be working on similar areas of growth.

Groups will meet once a week for approximately 30 minutes during the school day. Depending on the topic and needs of the group, sessions will typically run for 6–12 weeks.

Parents/guardians, teachers, and students are welcome to make referrals for small-group counseling. Please keep in mind that submitting a referral does not guarantee placement in a group. Student needs, group availability, and the number of referrals received will be considered when determining group placement.

Small-Group Counseling Topics
*Building Resilience – Identifying stressors, developing coping skills, building social support, and practicing positive thinking
*Changing Families – Coping with divorce, separation, and changes within the family
*Executive Functioning Skills – Developing skills for planning, organization, self-control, and focus
*Emotional Intelligence – Identifying, understanding, and managing emotions
*Friendship & Relationship Skills – Problem-solving, using “I” messages, establishing healthy boundaries, and encouraging others
*Healing Hearts – Coping with grief and loss
*Social Skills – Developing social skills based on the needs of the group
*Worry – Understanding the emotional and physical signs of anxiety, developing coping skills, and practicing ways to reframe unhelpful thoughts

Interested in a Small Group for Your Child?
If you feel your child may benefit from participating in one of these small groups, please complete the Small-Group Counseling Referral Form at your earliest convenience:  Small-Group Counseling Referral Form

Parent/Guardian Needs Assessment
If you have not already completed the Holbrook Parent/Guardian Needs Assessment, we encourage you to do so. Your feedback helps us better understand the needs of our students and families and plan appropriate counseling supports.

Holbrook Parent/Guardian Needs Assessment

Thank you for partnering with us to support the social-emotional growth and well-being of our students!

We had a BIG week at Holbrook! From our first PTO meeting of the school year to a very messy (and very fun!) Slime Time celebration, there’s lots happening with PTO — and we’re just getting started!

OUR FIRST PTO MEETING IS IN THE BOOKS!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first PTO meeting of the 2026–27 school year! We loved seeing familiar faces and welcoming new ones as we talked about what’s ahead for our Holbrook community.

Save the date for our next meeting:
Thursday, October 1, 2026 - 6:00 PM - Holbrook Library

Everyone is welcome! You don’t have to be a PTO member or commit to volunteering to attend — come hear what’s happening, share ideas, and get involved in whatever way works for your family.

FINAL WEEKEND OF OUR SCHOOLWIDE FUNDRAISER!
We’re in the home stretch! Our fundraiser continues through this weekend, which means there’s still time to collect those final donations and help Holbrook finish STRONG!

If you haven’t already, register your student at app.PoP4Kids.org using Group Code: VVU6T, add your contacts, and share your student’s fundraising page with family and friends nationwide.

Every donation helps PTO provide activities, events, programs, and special experiences for our Holbrook students throughout the year. Let’s see what our Comets can do in this final push!

SLIME TIME SUCCESS!
Our students crushed their first-week fundraising goal, which meant it was time to bring out the SLIME!

A HUGE thank-you to our brave staff volunteers Mr. Stevens, Ms. Huard, and Principal Farr for being such great sports and letting our students celebrate their hard work by covering them in slime!

And thank you to every family who donated, shared fundraising pages, and helped make this reward possible. We couldn’t do it without you!

POPCORN FRIDAYS
Popcorn Fridays are back! Families can purchase popcorn for the school year here:

Pay for Popcorn:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/popcorn-fridays-2026–27 

POPCORN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Want to spend a little time at Holbrook and help make one of our students’ favorite days happen? We’d love your help with Popcorn Fridays!

Sign up to volunteer:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0F4AAEAB2FA3FCCE9-64605668-popcorn?useFullSite=false 

STAY CONNECTED WITH HOLBROOK PTO!
Make sure you’re following the Holbrook Elementary School PTO Facebook page so you don’t miss important updates, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, fundraiser news, photos, reminders, and all the fun happening throughout the year!

Follow us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CLvg34vEc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Whether you can volunteer at an event, attend a meeting, donate, share a post, or simply help us spread the word — every bit of involvement helps make Holbrook an even better place for our Comets!

Picture day is Tuesday, September 22.  Look for order forms in today's Friday Folders. 

Orders can be placed online with a credit card.  You may also send cash or check with the order form. 

Please send the order form to school with your child on picture day - Tuesday, September 22!

Daily Choice » Blueberry Muffin with Yogurt, String Cheese & Goldfish
Mon., Sep 14 » Mac & Cheese
Tue., Sep 15 » Personal Cheese Pizza
Wed., Sep 16 » Chicken Nuggets
Thu., Sep 17 » French Toast Sticks & Sausage
Fri., Sep 18 » Chicken Sandwich

Students who bring lunch from home may purchase milk for $0.50 if they choose.

Please note that students do not have access to a microwave for lunch.

Students began checking out books from the library this week!   Please remind your child to bring their library books back to school on or before their library day so they can check out new books!  If they have not finished reading their library book by their library day, they still need to bring it with them during their library time to renew it!

Almcrantz
Arbour - TBD 
Barnhill
Houdek (formerly Boots)
Browning
Cano
Carver
Davis
Diaz
Diller - does not have one
Fender
Ford
Griffin
Haney
Harvey
Herington
Kowalesky
Kruse
Long - TBD
Mena
Miller
O’Neill
Priese
Sherman
Stevens
Vanderlaan
Warren
Werner

*compiled by the PTO

Attendance Reporting
There are several ways to report an absence at Holbrook. When using any of the options below please include the following information; Child's full name, teacher and the reason for their absences. We keep track of all illness for the Barry-Eaton Health Department.  If your child is going to be tardy please let us know what their choice for lunch is before 9:15 am. Thank you!
1. The fastest way is using the online portal at ps.glcomets.net. Once you have logged in, select “Attendance Monitor” from the left navigation menu. Then, click “Report New Attendance.” After you have entered the date, reason, and explanation, click Submit. Please note: online attendance reporting is not available in the app; it is only available on the website.
2. Email hirschmana@glcomets.net or edgettt@glcomets.net.
3. Call the main office at 517-925-5480. Feel free to call anytime day or night and if you need to leave a voicemail message, please include your student's full name, teacher and the reason for the absence.

Update Contact Information
Do you need to update contact information (email, address, name, emergency contacts, etc. for you, your child, or people associated with your child? Please visit www.glcomets.net/ourschools/holbrook-elementary.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up
When dropping off your child in the drop off line, please make sure your student is able to exit the vehicle themselves with their belongings, otherwise please park and walk them to the crosswalk.

Late Arrivals
If your student is going to be late and needs school lunch, you must call the office by 9:15am to order lunch for them.

Medication Drop Off
If your student will require medication during the school day, you will need to provide the proper paperwork.  All medications must be turned into the office by an adult.  This includes over the counter medications, any ointments, and cough drops.  Medical paperwork can be found on the district website under Parent Resources Medical Paperwork

Blessings in a Backpack
If your student needs additional food at home, the Grand Ledge Blessings in a Backpack program is here. For over a decade, this program has provided bags of food for weekend meals at no cost to hundreds of students in the Grand Ledge area. For students attending school in-person, a bag of nourishing, kid-friendly food will be placed discretely in their backpack or locker at the end of each week during the school year (except during school breaks.) Examples of some of the food items distributed are: macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, soup, oatmeal, granola bars, fruit cups, and beef ravioli. If you would like your student to participate in the program, please fill out the permission form that went home or request one from the office.  Return the form to the school office by Wednesday, September 9th, for your student to receive the first bag on September 17th.

Lost and Found
The lost and found is located near the gym in playground vestibule. If your student is missing something, please have them check the lost and found. Labeling clothing/items will also help us to return things to students.  

Need Hats or Gloves?
Please call the office (517-925-5480) and let us know.  We have a supply of donated items that we'd love to get to your child if needed.

End of the Day Changes
If you need to change end of the day plans for your student, please contact the office prior to 3:30 pm so proper notes can be delivered to classrooms. Thank you so much!!

Illness Reminders
We ask that your child be 24 hours free of fever (without fever reducing medications), vomiting or diarrhea before you send them back to school after they have been out sick.  We appreciate your cooperation with this!

Need Shoes or Boots?
The Old Newsboys Association of Greater Lansing is a nonprofit charitable organization whose sole purpose is to provide footwear to needy school children. This includes well fitting school shoes, warm boots and socks. For, assistance and to obtain a request for footwear form, please contact our office (hirschmana@glcomets.net).

Change of Clothes
Please send in a change of clothing with your student to be left in their locker. Students have spills during lunch or get muddy/wet on the playground. The office supply of clothing is very limited and students are often more comfortable in their own clothing.

Student Birthday Policy
To ensure every child can participate safely, please do not send edible items for birthdays due to allergies and dietary restrictions. We will celebrate students with songs, books, and other classroom activities. If you would like to send a celebration item, please choose a non-edible item such as stickers, pencils, or small fidgets that can be shared and sent home. This is optional — we will happily celebrate every student who wishes to be recognized on their special day.

Raptor Visitor Management System Starting
Grand Ledge Public Schools will continue using the Raptor Visitor Management System to enhance the safety of our school buildings. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen school visitors, providing a safer environment for our students and staff.  School visitors will be screened during the school day before being allowed to leave the main office and enter the school building. School visitors will be asked to present a valid, government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license), and it will be scanned or manually entered into the Raptor system. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of the visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary to drop off an item in the main office or to pick up paperwork from there.

Volunteering & Chaperoning
Persons wishing to volunteer for Grand Ledge Public Schools are required to complete the Volunteer Registration Form and be approved prior to serving as a volunteer.  All volunteers MUST check in at the office to receive a BADGE prior to proceeding to any other area on school property.  Please visit District Volunteer Application to complete the process.  If your student will be moving to a different school next year, be sure to select both their current school and the school they’ll be attending.  For example: If your child is currently in 4th grade at Holbrook and will attend Hayes next year, select Holbrook and Hayes on the application. This ensures you’ll be cleared to volunteer at both locations when needed. Applications are valid for one calendar year.