Delta Center Elementary Newsletter
305 S. Canal Rd. Lansing, MI 48917 | Office 517-925-5540 | Fax 517-925-5579 | Attendance 517-925-5581 | glcomets.net
Friday, December 13th, 2024
Upcoming Dates
Dec. 23 - Jan. 3 No Students - Winter Break
Jan. 6 No students - Teacher PD
Jan. 20 No students - MLK Day
Feb. 14 No students - Teacher PD
Feb. 17 No students - Presidents Day
Mar. 7 Half Day - Dismissal time 12:10 pm
School Hours 8:55 am - 3:55 pm
Please do not drop off before 8:40 am
Pick up no later than 4:05 pm
Please call before 3:00 pm if you have a transportation change
Thank you!
From Our Principal
During Monday's Board of Education meeting, the GLPS Board approved the district's SMART goals as part of our strategic plan. These ambitious objectives, developed in collaboration with our District School Improvement Team (DSIT) — including Delta Center staff — focus on enhancing teacher development and improving the educational experience for all students to drive student achievement.
Delta Center 2024-2025 SMART Goals are as follows:
- Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, teachers will engage in the Teacher’s Learning Together (TLT) model, observing a colleague at least three times to enhance instructional strategies and integrate the use of scales with students.
- Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, teachers will use formative assessments, best practices, and diagnostic tools weekly to tailor and differentiate core and small-group instruction to meet diverse student needs.
- Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, teachers will deepen their core understanding of effective reading and math instruction to drive higher student achievement.
- By the end of the school year, kindergarten and first-grade students are expected to increase their composite scores by 3% as measured by Acadience.
- By the end of the school year, second through fourth-grade students are expected to increase their core scores by 3%, measured in one or more Instructional Area Standards on NWEA Growth and Achievement.
Part of the success that we have had at Delta Center is getting feedback and ideas from all of our stakeholders - parents, students, and staff. We value your input! Please take a few minutes to complete our Family School Climate Survey. Your feedback will directly inform our Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP), which guides our district’s efforts to create effective strategies for student success. Thank you for partnering with us to make our school even better!
Our Twelve Days of Giving has been a tremendous success thanks to your incredible generosity—thank you! To date, we’ve collected 980 items. With three days remaining next week, there’s still time to contribute! Feel free to bring in any previously requested items. Once again, thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing the final totals with you next week! The money raised from "spare change to make change" on the 12th Day of Giving will be donated to a DC family whose beloved father passed away over the Thanksgiving weekend. Any extra change you can donate would be extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. Please know that your generosity and kindness means so much to this grieving family. Thank you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Teresa Dyer
If you would like to sign up to help us out during our 12 Days of Giving, please use this link: 12 Days of Giving Volunteer Sign Up
Thank you for your support!
The Delta Center Holiday Shoppe starts next Tuesday and goes through Wednesday.
Please refer to the flyer we sent home for more information. We are looking forward to this fun shopping event for the kids!
Please use the link below if you would like to volunteer to help at the Holiday Shoppe!
12/17 Morning 9am to 12pm - Shepard, Wheat, VanVliet, Ward, Bradley, Riekse, Tropf
12/17 Afternoon 1pm to 3pm - Hogan, Sellers, Moon, Gasch, Simon
12/18 Morning - Carter, Moore, Veloz, Justice, Borgman, Hull-Scarpelli
12/18 Afternoon - Sheldon, Salmon, Gibson, Fox
Music News from Mrs. Lore
Are You Shopping For A Ukulele?!
I have had a few people contact me asking about ukuleles for the upcoming holidays. Yes, there are a million choices, and it is very overwhelming! I can tell you that you will for sure want a soprano uke (not concert, tenor, or baritone size). When purchasing for a child, there are really three things you will want to focus on: durability, brand, and price.
Do you have younger children who might get their hands on it? Do you think you may take it with you on trips? How much would your child take care of their instrument? Will it potentially be left outside? If you tend to really relate to these questions, I would recommend a plastic soprano ukulele. They are more durable than the wood, tend to stay in tune a bit better when faced with the outdoors, and if it happens to be left outside, it will probably withstand the elements. However, if you do not think those questions really apply, then definitely go with a wood one; they sound better because the sound is able to resonate in much nicer ways, and if it is not spending a lot of time outside, it will stay in tune well (once the strings have stretched).
As for brand, Kala is really king. I own four Kala ukes, and have yet to be disappointed. Companies such as Fender and Ibanez (known for guitars) produce models, but they tend to be more expensive (and I think you are really paying for the brand name). There are other cheaper ones you could get (such as from Walmart or other locations), but in my experience they tend to go out of tune quickly because the pegs or overall design is poorly made.
Now for price. The Kala Waterman (plastic) tends to be fairly cheap and comes in a ton of colors (including see-thru and glow-in-the-dark). If you go with this one, I would advise to stay away from the ones with lighter colored necks (like the translucent clear) because the strings are harder to see. Our DC students are playing on this plastic model at school. These cost around $40.
The Kala Wooden Ukulele is a basic model that (I believe) is wood or fabricated wood-like material. I do not own one of these, but they would be a fairly basic alternative to the plastic model. These run around $60-$80 depending on where you can find one.
May I also suggest a tuner? We will be learning how to use these tuners in January. A Ukulele Clip-On Tuner around $12 will save your ears a lot of hassle.
Let me know if I can help you or clarify in any other way. Also, the links here are from West Music, which is usually the company I go through for most of my elementary music supplies, but you can get Kala brand a lot of other places, including Amazon. If you find something and want to send me a link to check it out, I am happy to as well. Reach out with questions!
Mrs. Lore- lorea@glcomets.net
Greetings and Salutations!
THEY'RE FINALLY HERE!!! If you made an order during the first ordering window (by Nov 18th), then your keepsakes have arrived from Original Works and are ready to go home with you .
We will be having a PICK UP NIGHT on MONDAY, December 16th from 5-7pm. To participate in this pick up time, simply:
head on over to Delta Center
locate/follow the signs to the Art Room ( RM 401) in the new wing.
find your student's art on the grade specific color table (BK/K = red, 1st = orange, 2nd = yellow, 3rd = green, 4th = blue)
That's it! Any orders not picked up will be delivered to your student's classroom the following morning to be taken home by students at the teacher's discretion.
If you have any questions or need other arrangements, feel free to email me: belldeann@glcomets.net.
Remember! You can also continue to order online until the end of the day on Friday, December 13th! These orders arrive in January.
Dates to Remember:
"SECOND CHANCE/LATE" DUE DATE (ONLINE): Friday, December 13th @ 11:59pm!
1st ORDER PICK UP: Monday, December 16th from 5-7pm.
DELIVERY DATE (“second chance” deadline): TBD. Current estimated arrival January.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me: belldeann@glcomets.net. Don't forget to check out our Delta Center art room facebook page (Mrs. BellDean's DC Art Room) for important updates and amazing art! Thank you for your continued support in our students and our school!
Additional Office News
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 reiberm@glcomets.net or conatyk@glcomets.net.
If you have questions please contact our office at 517-925-5540.
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.
Lost and Found
The lost and found is located near the gym. 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. Thank you!
Delta Center PTO
Our PTO provides support for teachers, academic materials for students, and fun activities for students and families. We are in need of volunteers to continue to run!
Please see below our meeting schedule for this school year and a list of our members. We would love to have you join us. We have free childcare during the meetings!
What is a makerspace ? It is a place where students can build, create, innovate, and explore with tools and STEM based activities. The goal is to be able to provide this learning experience to ALL of our students.Any questions please reach out to Brooke Ward.
We are looking for parent volunteers to help run
makerspace on Monday’s during lunch recess!
Physical Education News
If you would like to help with P.E. equipment, please use this link
We apprecitate your generosity!
Mrs. Watters
Delta Center PE Teacher
District & Community News
- Dec. 15 » Bill of Rights Day
- Dec. 20 » International Human Solidarity Day
- Dec. 21 » First Day of Winter, Winter Solstice, Yule
- Dec. 25 » Christmas
- Dec. 25-Jan. 2 » Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
- Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 » Kwanzaa
- Dec. 27 » International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
- Dec. 31 » New Year’s Eve
- Jan. 1 » New Year’s Day
- Jan. 6 » Epiphany
- Jan. 7 » Orthodox Christmas
- Jan. 15 » Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Jan. 15 » Sankranti
- Jan. 15-18 » Pongal
- Jan. 21 » World Religion Day
- Jan. 24 » International Day of Education
- Jan. 27 » International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
- Jan. 28 » Christa McAuliffe Day
- Jan. 31 » International Day of the Zebra
Is something missing? Please share with John Ellsworth, GLPS Director of Communications, any additional Recognitions & Acknowledgments you think we should include on this list or upcoming lists – email him at EllsworthJ@GLcomets.net.
The Board of Education approved a letter of agreement between the school district and the teachers' union regarding the calendar for the next school year. Here is the 2025-2026 GLPS District Calendar. Our website now has two school calendars, one for this this year and one for the next year.
This year's school calendar is here:
2024-2025 GLPS District Calendar
Next year's school calendar is here:
2025-2026 GLPS District Calendar
12-13-24
GLPS Families,
As required by state law, we are working closely with the Barry-Eaton District Health Department (BEDHD), and they recommended we provide all our school district families with some important information about pertussis / whooping cough so you can make informed decisions regarding your family’s health. The recommendation was made because multiple students in our school district have been officially tested and diagnosed with cases of pertussis / whooping cough (the increase in cases prompting this recommendation is currently limited to Hayes Intermediate School). District custodial staff continue to clean frequently, and the GLPS Health Team is coordinating with them to do additional, targeted deep cleanings.
Pertussis can be a very serious illness, especially in the very young who haven’t had the opportunity to be completely protected through immunization. Here is more information about pertussis:
- The disease is caused by bacteria spread through sneezing and coughing. The time between exposure to the bacteria and disease symptoms is usually between 7-10 days, but in rare cases, it can take up to 3 weeks.
- In the early stage of illness, pertussis can resemble a common cold. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, mild dry cough, and low-grade fever. The disease is most contagious at this time.
- After about 1 to 2 weeks, more serious “coughing spells” develop that can last for more than a minute and result in difficulty breathing. At the end of a coughing spell, the child may make a high-pitched “whooping” sound as they try to catch their breath. Sometimes the coughing will cause vomiting. Coughing in this latter stage of pertussis tends to be worse at night. Between spells, the child usually feels well.
- Vaccinations against pertussis have made it a rare disease. The majority of children have been protected against it through their routine childhood immunizations. However, protection from the vaccine tends to fade over time. If your child is older than 10, you might ask your healthcare provider whether a booster vaccine is appropriate.
- Please inform the school of any updates in your child’s immunization record.
- Pertussis can be treated or even prevented with antibiotics if detected early or before the disease has started. If your child has been exposed or is not fully protected against pertussis, please contact your healthcare provider for medical guidance.
- If your child does develop any of the symptoms described above, keep them at home (do not send them to school) and contact your healthcare provider immediately. Please also inform the school of any illness.
- Genesee County Health Department saw an increase in whooping cough / pertussis earlier this school year, and they put together this Flow Chart for Recommendations After Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Exposure.
If you have any questions about this issue, please contact your family’s healthcare provider or the Grand Ledge Public Schools Health Team at (517) 925-5725 or health@glcomets.net. More information is also available from the Barry-Eaton District Health Department at 517-541-2641. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information here: cdc.gov/pertussis.
Sincerely,
Grand Ledge Public Schools Health Team
Cindy Brummette, BSN, RN – District Nurse
Lanta Winn, MSN, RN – School Nurse
Richada Brown, BA - Health Resource Advocate BEDHD
Delta Township District Library
School Closing Protocol
It is that time of year again... here is 2-page "School Closing Protocol" document.
This year, we will communicate about school closings using our SchoolMessenger system and by placing a District Alert on our website's homepage: GLcomets.net. For school closings, we create an automated phone call, a text message, and an email that is sent using SchoolMessenger. We also post a District Alert on our website (see example below). Finally, we will reach out to local TV stations, but we encourage you to rely on the school district's communications – GLPS is the best source for closing information and details.
Please be sure your phone number and email address are accurately recorded in SchoolMessenger so you get communications about school closings. You can use the "SchoolMessenger Settings Guide" and follow the instructions to view the contact information in our system. If you want to get text messages from the schools, be sure to opt in by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. If changes are needed to the contact information, legal parents and guardians can communicate with the main office of the school or use this Contact Information Update form.
If you have grandparents, daycare providers, etc., who need to be kept in the loop, please let them know they can sign up for school district communications about school closings, and more, by following the instructions at GLcomets.net/Connect.
An example of what the District Alert looks like on our website is below.
GLPS International Night is January 24, 2025, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Sign up to participate: share a cultural display or exhibit, to walk in the fasion show, or to do a cultural performance
Volunteers are needed to make International Night go well, so please sign up to volunteer.
988 offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more.
Text, call, or chat 988.
