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.

September 12, 2025

Dear Holbrook Families,

Homecoming
Today marks a special occasion as we celebrate Homecoming! It's been a delight watching our students showcase their school spirit throughout the week with our fun theme days. The creativity and enthusiasm have truly brought our school together!

As we gear up for the parade and homecoming game this evening, we want to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable time. Let's continue to show our pride for GLPS and cheer on our Comets! 

PTO Fundraiser
Thank you to all families and community members who have supported our Holbrook students through the PTO fundraiser. Our young comets are excited for the Day of Awesomeness on October 1st! 

Drop-Off
As a reminder, Holbrook staff supervision begins on the playground at 8:40 AM each morning. Students may head to the playground or into breakfast at 8:40 AM. At 8:50 AM, students are released to their classrooms. The instructional day begins for all students at 8:55 AM. Please note, students must be with parents prior to 8:40 AM and school begins at 8:55 AM. 

Drills at Holbrook
Safety is a top priority at Holbrook Elementary, and to ensure the well-being of all our students and staff, we will continue conducting regular safety drills throughout the year. These drills are designed to ensure swift, coordinated responses in the event of an emergency. We may also have the support of local emergency responders during these drills to provide expert guidance and enhance our preparedness. During these drills, we pause entrance and exit of students and families in order to practice all safety protocols. This week, Holbrook conducted their first fire drill. Discussing and practicing drills such as fire drills and severe weather drills at home is a great way to help your child understand these procedures.

Thank you for your continued support in getting our Comets to school on time and ready to learn!

Kat Farr, Principal

Small Group Counseling
Small-group school counseling sessions for the first trimester will begin in the coming weeks. These groups will meet one day a week for 30 minutes during the school day. The sessions will take place for approximately 6-12 sessions, depending on the topic of the group. 

Parents, teachers, and students are welcome to make referrals. Please note, a referral does not guarantee that the student will be placed in a small counseling group. Group demand must allow for placement in a group.

The Small Group Counseling topics available are listed below.
*Building Resilience (identifying stressors, coping skills, social support, positive thinking)
*Changing Families (dealing with divorce and separation)
*Executive Functioning Skills (planning, organizing, self-control, focus)
*Emotional Intelligence (identifying, understanding, and managing emotions)
*Friendship/Relationship Skills (problem solving, I-messages, boundaries, encouraging others)
*Healing Hearts (grief recovery)
*Social Skills (depending on the needs of the group)
*Worry (emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety, coping skills, reframing thinking)

If you feel that your child may benefit from participating in one of these small groups, please complete this google form at your earliest convenience.

If you have not already filled out the Holbrook Parent/Guardian Needs Assessment, you may access it here.

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.

The next PTO meeting of this school year, will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2025. 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 (except for January due to winter break, March due to conferences and April due to spring break) ... 10/2, 11/6, 12/4, 1/8, 2/5, 3/12, 4/9, 5/7, 6/4.

First Popcorn Friday will be September 19th, 2025, they will be the third Friday of the month. New online payment option for popcorn!

You can pay for the day or the year! You can even sponsor a child for popcorn Friday! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/popcorn-fridays-2025--26

Sign up to volunteer to help with popcorn here! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0F4AABAD2BA7FAC34-58219042-popcorn

A huge shoutout to everyone for helping make our Pop for kids fundraiser so successful!! Donations will be accepted until 9/16/25! Cash/check donations can be made out to Holbrook PTO and sent in to the office.  Congratulations to Mrs. Kruse's and Mrs. Mena's classrooms ... Day 4 & Day 5 Rice Krispie winners!!

Reminder the top earner for each class will get to have popsicles with Principal Farr! The top 10 overall highest earners will get to attend a pizza party with principal Farr on their lunch! 

Holbrook's Picture Day is Tuesday, September 16. EVERY student will have their picture taken that day. Order packets were sent home with students this week. If you prefer, you can order online at geskusphoto.com/fallorders and use code 4849KIUGZBPCEZ. Please note that packages 1-5 will receive a yearbook at the end of the school year. Yearbooks may be ordered individually (item 14).

Daily Choice » Blueberry Muffin with Yogurt, String Cheese & Goldfish
Mon., Sept. 15 » Popcorn Chicken
Tue., Sept. 16 » Personal Cheese Pizza
Wed., Sept. 17 » Mac & Cheese with Breadstick
Thu., Sept. 18 » French Toast Sticks & Sausage
Fri., Sept. 19 » 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.

Please remind your children that EVERY book that they check out from the library has to come back EVERY week!  This means that even if they aren't finished reading their book and/or want to read it again, they must bring it back on their library day to renew it!  There is also a library collection basket in each classroom where students can put their library books as soon as they finish with them - even before their library day!  

During library time, we talk about the best place to keep a library book when it is taken home and not being read - that place is in the student's backpack.  That way, it is safe from pets, younger siblings and food/water, and it also will not be left at home on library day!

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!

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

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.