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.

December 6, 2024

Recess Behavior 
We want to share some thoughts about recess, which many students look forward to every day! It’s a time for fun and play, but it can also come with some challenges for our staff who are supervising. Sometimes, disagreements or problems can arise during playtime, such as arguments over games, hurtful comments, or a student feeling left out.

These situations, while difficult, give us a wonderful chance to teach our kids valuable lessons about kindness, sportsmanship, and resolving conflicts. We believe it’s important to address these issues as soon as they come up, so they don’t carry over into the classroom.

To help us with this, we would greatly appreciate your support in reinforcing some key playground guidelines and conflict resolution strategies with your child:

*Follow adult directions the first time.
*Use kind words with friends.
*Recess ends at the whistle (3 whistles = time to line up, 1 whistle = freeze and look to the adult).
*When entering the building, please use a level 0 voice.
*Hold on to and return equipment, and remember to pick up personal belongings.
*If there’s a problem, please report it to an adult ASAP.
*Share equipment and include others in play—let’s all practice being good sports!
*Stay safe with contact-free activities and line up in a single file when entering the building.

If conflicts do arise, encourage your child to consider these three good choices for problem-solving: walk away, talk it out, or use rock-paper-scissors to decide. In any situation, seek adult support if a situation cannot be safely, quickly and kindly resolved. 

Thank you for helping us create a fun and safe recess environment at Holbrook!

Kat Farr, Principal

Supporting Kids With Executive Functioning
Executive functioning (EF) refers to the cognitive skills controlled by a part of the brain called the frontal lobe. These skills help us plan, organize, focus attention, remember details, and manage multiple tasks. EF skills develop over time as a child’s brain develops and they use the skills.

Children use executive functioning in their daily lives by doing things like making sure they have everything they need in their backpack before school (planning), using a coping skill to calm down when angry (self-control), adapting when there’s a substitute teacher (flexible thinking), continuing to work on a math assignment even when other kids are talking (focus), or keeping their rooms clean so they can find things easily (organization).

EF Challenges
Children with deficits in executing function may:
*Have difficulty paying attention
*Display impulsivity (acting without thinking, lacking patience)
*Display hyperactivity
*Face organizational challenges
*Struggle with emotional dysregulation
*Struggle with changes or transitions

Tips for Developing Your Child’s Executive Functioning Skills
Schedule & Routine
Establish a regular routine for daily activities such as waking up, meals, homework, and bedtime. Ensure that each day follows a similar pattern to create predictability. Use visual schedules to outline the day’s activities. For example, you can use a whiteboard in a common area with the day’s tasks and times clearly marked. Additionally, use checklists for daily tasks, such as a morning routine that includes brushing teeth, getting dressed, and packing a school bag.

Management Skills
Help your child organize their schoolwork (or toys!) by using labeled bins or folders for different subjects. For older children, teach them to use a planner or digital tool to keep track of homework assignments, due dates, and test schedules. Introduce the concept of using timers to manage time effectively. For example, set a timer for 20 minutes of focused homework time, followed by a 5-minute break. You can also use timers and clocks to help your child better understand how long different tasks take to complete.

Books for Parents to Read:
Smart But Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
Taking Charge of ADHD by Russell Barkley
Late, Lost, and Unprepared by Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel

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 » Cereal Fun Lunch (Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, String Cheese, Strawberry Yogurt & Goldfish Crackers)
Mon., Dec 9 » French Toast Sticks & Syrup
Tue., Dec 10 » Galaxy Cheese Pizza
Wed., Dec 11 » Chicken Patty Sandwich
Thu., Dec 12 » Macaroni & Cheese with Breadstick
Fri., Dec 13 » Turkey Corn Dog on a Stick

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.

A big THANK YOU to everyone that visited the Spring Book Fair in person and online.  The book fair is a great fundraiser for the library, and with the purchases everyone made, it was a big success!  A special thanks to those of you that purchased books from the teacher and library wish lists.  With the proceeds from the Book Fair, we look forward to filling the library with the books your children love to read.

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.