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.

March 7, 2025

March is Reaching Month
We have kicked off March is Reading Month with reading the first 99 pages of The Wild Robot. Please feel free to reach along at home, or listen to the chapters from one of our Holbrook Staff. We look forward to reading the next 103 pages next week! 

Drop Off & Pick Up Updates
When dropping off and picking up your child, families have two preferred and safe options; use the loop or park in the lot and walk up via the crosswalk. Families are not to park in Jones St. and cross the road to pick-up students. Signage has been added to the bus loop sidewalk and Green St bus entrance. This signage is to prompt families to walk around the building and down Jones St. for drop-off and pick-up. Holbrook has worked with our safety department and transportation to ensure all students are safe during drop-off and pick-up. It is our understanding the city is addressing the need for buses to be able to easily pass while turning in and out of the school. Again, we request that the car loop and or front parking lot are the only two methods used for pick-up and drop-off. Thank you for your collaboration.

Kat Farr, Principal

The Holbrook PTO has worked wonders and turned our library into "The Wild Robot" reading space. THANK YOU! We all love it.

March School Counseling Lesson: Calming Down Strong Emotion
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.

We are beyond grateful for the amazing support from our sponsors who made Holbrook Elementary's Glow Dance last Friday an unforgettable event! Their generosity and commitment to our students and staff truly made a difference!

Thanks to their contributions, we were able to host a fun and exciting silent auction while keeping event costs low through monetary donations. The Glow Dance was an amazing success, not only bringing joy to our school community but also creating future financial support for Holbrook's students and staff.

Holbrook families, we encourage you to support these businesses that are so deeply invested in education and our future leaders! Let's show them the same care and support they’ve shown us! 

Spring conferences will be in person on Tuesday, March 11th (5-8pm) and Thursday, March 13th (5-8pm) and virtually Tuesday, March 18th (5-7pm). To schedule a conference for your student(s), click on the picture above or go directly to:  http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Holbrook_Elementary

Daily Choice » Soybutter & Jelly Sandwich with Cheese Cubes & CheezIts
Mon., Mar 10 » Pizza Bites Crunchers
Tue., Mar 11 » Chicken Drumstick
Wed., Mar 12 » Grilled Cheese
Thu., Mar 13 » Waffles & Sausage
Fri., Mar 14 » Popcorn Chicken

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.

SPRING BOOK FAIR!!
We invite you to visit our Scholastic Book Fair during conference  week and check out hundreds of fun, engaging, affordable books for the whole family to enjoy.

FAMILY SHOPPING HOURS will be:
Monday, March 10th, 4pm - 6pm
Tuesday, March 11th, 5pm - 8pm (during conferences)
Wednesday, March 12th, 4pm - 6pm
Thursday, March 13th, 5pm  - 8pm (during conferences)
Friday, March 14th, 8am - 1pm

Scholastic continues to offer ONLINE BOOK FAIR shopping too!  Beginning March 10th, you can log in to: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/holbrookelementary to preview the Fair and shop online from the comfort of your own home!  Purchases will be shipped to the school for you to pick up.  The online book fair will be available from March 10th - March 23rd.

We are again offering the option for an eWallet for students to use for book fair purchases.                   

Families can set up an eWallet at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/holbrookelementary

Please note:  any eWallet funds NOT used during the book fair will NOT be refunded, but will be turned into a gift card that can be used online with Scholastic or to fund an eWallet for a future Book Fair.

Plan to come and enjoy the Book Fair and help our library grow with the profits we earn from the Fair.  

Thank you for your support for our school!

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 one proof 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.