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

Note ... next week's newsletter will be delayed until Monday, March 16.  Thank you!

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

March 6, 2026

Conferences
Thank you to all the families for collaborating with us during conferences this week. I appreciate the time you took to discuss your student's progress and goals. We are excited to continue working with your student(s) on their essential learning targets and social‑emotional wellbeing. If you have any questions or would like to follow up, please reach out. Thank you again for your partnership.

Enrollment
I am hoping you can help relay some important information regarding Holbrook Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year. Do you have a child at home who will be ready for Kindergarten/Begindergarten next school year? Or, do you have a neighbor, relative, or friend with a child who will be ready for Kindergarten next school year? Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2026 in order to attend K next school year. Children who turn 5 between September 2 - December 1, 2026 may be eligible for BK. Please visit the following link or pass along to someone you know who may need it to begin the enrollment process here.

March is Reading Month
March is Reading Month, and this week we read chapters 1–14 (pages 1–68) of Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. Students engaged in meaningful conversations about the characters and themes, and as an interactive snack activity we learned a game called “cereal ball” that was referenced in chapter 4 of the book.

RAMP Certification
Congratulations to our Holbrook counselor, Nicole Conner, on her accomplishment of leading Holbrook to becoming recognized as a RAMP certified school. This recognition affirms that Holbrook’s work aligns with the ASCA National Model and meets the highest national standards for supporting student academic achievement, social/emotional development, and college and career readiness. Nicole has spent countless hours training, working with students and collaborating with families and colleagues to meet the requirements of this certification. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support!

Kat Farr, Principal

Couldn’t make it to the in-person Book Fair?  No problem! You can still shop online.  Online shopping is available from 3/2 - 3/15.  Thank  you for  your support!

March School Counseling Lesson: Calming Down Strong Emotions
The focus of this month’s school counseling lesson is calming down strong emotions. Your child is learning that if you’re feeling strong feelings, it’s important to calm down. In this lesson, students practice using belly breathing to calm down. Belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) helps lower blood pressure and heart rate, both of which calm the body.

To help support your child in using these skills every day:
*Have your child ANTICIPATE when they might experience strong emotions.
*Notice when your child calms themselves down, and REINFORCE the behavior with specific feedback: “I noticed you were disappointed about your spelling test. Now that you’ve calmed down with belly breathing, you can think about ways to practice your spelling words to do better.”
*Model calming down with belly breathing when you’ve made a mistake.
*Remind your child to use belly breathing to help them calm down.
*Have your child REFLECT on how calming down helped them with their learning.

Here is a worksheet that you can work on together at home to reinforce what your child is learning this month: Home Link
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.

If you ordered a picture package in the fall, you should be receiving a yearbook at the end of the year. If you didn't order a picture package, you can still order just a yearbook.

To place an order for a yearbook, please visit [https://store.geskusphoto.com/](https://store.geskusphoto.com/).

If you are uncertain, please call the Holbrook Office at 925-5480 to confirm you are on the list to receive a yearbook at the end of the school year.

Daily Choice » Soybutter & Jelly Sandwich with Cheese Cubes & CheezIts
Mon., Mar. 9 » Pizza Bites Crunchers
Tue., Mar. 10 » Chicken Drumstick & Biscuit
Wed., Mar. 11 » Grilled Cheese
Thu., Mar. 12 » Waffles & Sausage
Fri., Mar. 13 » Cheeseburger

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 next PTO meeting of this school year will be held, Thursday, March 19, 2026. Please note the date change!! Due to the Mother/Son dance the PTO  meeting was pushed back a week!! All meetings are held in the Holbrook Library at 6pm. There is a virtual option to attend posted on the PTO Facebook page the day of the meeting. Any staff member, parent, guardian, caregiver or grandparent of a student at Holbrook is automatically a member of the PTO at no cost or obligation. Even if you do not have a lot of time to volunteer, there are many ways to help contribute to the PTO.  PTO meetings will be on the first Thursday each month, unless otherwise scheduled ... 4/9, 5/7, 6/4.

Stay Connected with Holbrook PTO!
Please like and follow the Holbrook Elementary PTO Facebookpage for PTO updates and volunteer opportunities. 

Help Fuel Our Students! 
We’ve updated our Holbrook Elementary Snack Wish List and could really use your support! Every donation helps keep our students energized, focused, and ready to learn. Let’s come together to make sure every child has access to nutritious snacks! Your generosity truly makes a difference!  https://a.co/4Hv8Pq4

Box Tops
Don’t forget to scan your Box Tops to help support with your normal weekly grocery purchase! It is quick and easy! Sign up today! https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/get-the-app

Conference Meal Donations Needed! A big THANK YOU to the wonderful families who donated items to help us Stock the Lounge for conferences this week! Your generosity helped keep our teachers fueled and feeling appreciated during long days. We are so grateful for your support!

Popcorn Fridays
We also still need volunteers to keep popcorn Fridays possible! Please consider volunteering to help support this student loved event!  https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0F4AABAD2BA7FAC34-58219042-popcorn

Glow Dance! Save the date! 
Mark your calendars the annual Glow Dance will be Friday March 20th in the Holbrook gym!  More information coming soon! We are also looking for volunteers to help the Glow Dance go off without a hitch! Sign up here to volunteer at the dance! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0F4AABAD2BA7FAC34-62296413-2026

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 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 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!

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 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.  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.