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

School hours are 8:55am-3:55pm.  Please do not drop students off before 8:40am.   Students must be picked up by 4pm.

October 25, 2024

Dear Parents,

As we celebrate School Bus Safety Week, it's important to remind our children about the essential practices for riding safely on the bus. During this week, we conducted evacuation drills to ensure that students are prepared for any situation while on board. To ensure a safe bus experience, it’s vital for children to stay seated at all times, keep their belongings secure in their backpacks, and maintain a quiet voice to avoid distracting the driver. Additionally, we remind families to never walk or ride their bikes in front of the buses. Instead, please utilize the Jones St. and Green St. sidewalks  and crosswalks, especially when a crossing guard is present to assist them. By reinforcing these safety tips at home, we can work together to create a secure environment for our children during their daily commutes. Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in keeping our students safe!

Important Halloween Info
Holbrook staff and students that choose to celebrate Halloween will do so on Thursday, October 31. If your family participates in Halloween celebrations, we ask that you please keep our costume guidelines in mind, as we believe that the following will promote a fun, positive climate to the afternoon’s activities:

*Costumes promoting violence, blood, indecency, or involving weapons are not allowed.
*Be original, creative, and/or funny!
*Costume masks are allowed, but there is not enough staff or time to help with make-up. 
*Students must be able to get into their costumes with minimal assistance. 

The school "Halloween day" is mostly a typical school day, with academics and a regular schedule in the morning and afternoon until the parade at 2:00pm and class parties following. As such, please send your child’s costume to school in a manner that will allow your child to put it on over their school clothes. Here at Holbrook, we strive to meet the needs of each student. If your student(s) will not be participating in the costume parade, please communicate this with your teacher so we can make proper arrangements. 

We welcome guests to view our outdoor costume parade down the sidewalk of Jones St and on Green St (toward our bus loop entrance) at 2:00pm! If the weather does not permit an outdoor parade, we will alter the parade route and keep it indoors. Holbrook is requesting to reserve the classroom party time as a time for your student to enjoy with their peers. 

Lastly, your child's classroom teacher will communicate with you on specific donations or needs for classroom Halloween parties. We always welcome the donation of children's costumes.

Kat Farr, Principal

Supporting Kids With Healthy Screen Time Habits
Statistic 1: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children aged 2 to 5 years should have no more than one hour of screen time per day.

Statistic 2: A 2023 report by Common Sense Media found that children aged 8 to 12 spend an average of nearly five hours per day on screens for entertainment.

Statistic 3: Research from the National Institutes of Health indicates that children who use screens more than 2 hours per day are twice as likely to experience sleep difficulties.

Statistic 4: A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who spend more than seven hours per day on screens are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression compared to those who spend an hour or less.

Statistic 5: Research from the National Institutes of Health showed that children who spent more than 2 hours per day on screens scored lower on language and thinking tests.

Tips for Helping Your Child Develop Healthy Screen Time Habits
*Establish consistent rules for when and how long your child can use screens.
*Create house rules that include screen-free times, such as during meals and before bedtime.
*Consider designating certain areas in your home, such as the dining room and bedrooms as screen-free zones.
*You might create rules in your home where certain things have to happen before screen time starts, such as responsibilities (cleaning room, homework) or non-screen time activities (playing outside, building with blocks).
*Demonstrate healthy screen habits by limiting your own screen time and modeling for your child how to balance screen use with other activities. This might be a real challenge! Many (if not most) adults aren’t aware of how many times they pick up their phone each day.
*Use parental controls to block inappropriate content.
*Regularly review what your child is watching or playing to ensure it is age-appropriate.
*Teach your child about online safety, including the importance of not sharing personal information.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To access local resources visit the Tri-County Community Health Guide.
To access social-emotional learning resources for home, visit Holbrook’s school counseling website.
To book a phone appointment with Mrs. Conner, visit Mrs. Conner’s booking page.

Daily Choice » Soft Pretzel Fun Lunch (soft pretzel, yogurt, string cheese)
Mon., Oct. 28 » Chicken Tenders
Tue., Oct. 29 » French Bread Cheese Pizza
Wed., Oct. 30 » French Toast Sticks
Thu., Oct. 31 » Ham & Cheese Bagel
Fri., Nov. 1 » NO SCHOOL

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.

The Holbrook Little Comets' Library (located in front of the school) is filled with lots of new and gently used books!  The Little Comeets' Library is a free book sharing box - you can take whichever book or books you would like to read and then return them when you are finished reading them, or add a different (new or gently used) book to the collection.  It is a great way to get new books to read in between scheduled library days!  If you are looking to donate more new or gently used books than will fit in the Little Comets' Library, please feel free to bag them up and bring them to Mrs. Morgan in the library.

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.

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 11th, for your student to receive the first bag on September 19th.

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 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).

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 3pm 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!

Covid Reporting
To report a positive Covid case, please complete the Covid Reporting Form.

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 Treat Policy
Student birthday treat policy will be up to each individual classroom teacher. Communicate clearly and often with your student’s families regarding your specific policy so they know your expectations. Keep in mind that not all students celebrate birthdays, and not all birthdays are positive for students. Also be sure to be mindful of allergies. Food must be store bought & prepackaged. Encourage healthy snacks at all times.

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.

Updating Student Contact Information
Click this link to update your address, name, phone number, email, emergency contacts, medical updates.  To change an address we need two proofs of residency. These are the only forms that we can accept.
*Property Tax Statement (the taxes you pay on your home twice a year)
*Lease/Rental Agreement (with your name, the address, and the signature pages sign by both the lessee and lessor)
*Utility Bill
*Mortgage/Home Closing Documents
*Cable/Internet Bill
*Home/Renter's Insurance

Driver's licenses and voter registration cards are NOT acceptable for this purpose.

You can email the documents to hirschmana@glcomets.net or edgettt@glcomets.net.  If you have questions please contact our office at 517-925-5480.