Pembroke Press

Hello Families,

Last week was a great week at Pembroke! It is always energizing to have our kindergarten and junior kindergarten students in the building for full days. We also had our very first Respect Circle and it is a true joy to have everyone all together to kick off the year. Seeing so many families at Curriculum Night, and excited to get involved, is a great reminder of the strong community at Pembroke.

This week we are looking forward to continuing to see students digging into learning, collaboration, and problem solving. We will also practice a safety drill this week. Please make sure to read the information below regarding the ALICE drill we will be doing this week. On Friday, this week we have our Fun Run kickoff. The Fun Run is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we appreciate all the support from families to make this event a success.

Wednesday night is our first PTA meeting of the year. We hope to see you there!

Colleen Hoyne

Arrival and dismissal can be a busy time at Pembroke, while we always strive for an efficent process, our top priority is the safety of students, staff, and families. Please read the reminders below to ensure you are aware of the important reminders for keeping everyone safe. We appreciate your support.

• If you want or need to get out of the car with your child for any reason, you will need to park in a spot and walk your child to the building. This applies to all drop off areas, including the Witherbee loop. Please cross at the crosswalks with your children.
• No families should be pulling into the staff lot behind the building during drop off. Entering and exiting that lot is very disruptive to the drop off line.
• If you picking up or dropping off in the drop off line please pull as close to the main entrance as possible to drop off. Please do not drop off near the staff lot or flag pole.
• There is no supervision until 8:35 am. Students should not be dropped off or at school without supervision tbefore this time. We ask that if you arrive before 8:35 and utilizing the drop off line, you do not let your child out of the car until you see staff out front at 8:35.

Wednesday, 9/17

• September PTA Meeting, 7pm in the Media Center

Friday, 9/19

• Fun Run Kick Off event

Wednesday, 9/24

• Flu Clinic at Pembroke

Thursday, 9/25

• Bagel Sales Begin!!

Monday, 9/29

• Picture Day! Details below

Friday, 10/3

• Fun Run Event!

Hello Pembroke Families,

Your child’s safety and security is a top priority, and Pembroke staff, along with the district and local authorities, are continuing to review and improve our crisis response plans. Throughout the school year, we practice school safety drills to include fire, tornado, and lockdown.

As we look ahead to next week, I want to make you all aware that we will be having our first ALICE drill of the school year on Thursday, September 18th. Prior to the drill, teachers will be reminding students of the upcoming drill and reviewing drill procedures in their classrooms. In addition, before starting the drill, I will make an announcement that we are about to begin an ALICE drill and remind students that the purpose of the drill is to keep us prepared and safe if there were ever an emergency.

The purpose of this plan is to eliminate any fear or anxiety related to the drill. I will continue to share information with parents during the weeks that we have ALICE drills in hopes that you can also discuss these drills at home with students as well. If you would like any additional information, I encourage you to use the link https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/programs-services/safety-security for resources and further information. The PowerPoints are posted on this site for you to view as well.

If you have questions about any of our district safety procedures, please contact me.

Colleen Hoyne

Picture Day at Pembroke is Monday, September 29, 2025.

Pre-Orders may be placed by clicking the following link:

Click here to order 2025/2026 school pictures from Kaiser Studio

Parents may also place their Pre-Orders by visiting our website at www.kaiserstudio.com and entering your school’s Online Code: 2526PEMBROKE

Pembroke is partnering with Bloom Pediatric once again for our annual Flu Clinic on Wednesday, September 24th from 3:30PM to 6PM. Sign up today by following the link below.

https://www.jotform.com/.../241645218.../pembroke-elementary

Bagel sales begin on September 25th! Bagels will be $1 each (Plain or Salt available) - each child is allowed one bagel. Bagels will be sold in the main lobby and at the Witherbee loop entrance. Thanks to all our 4th grade parent volunteers!

It’s time to showcase our All-Stars with a picture of your kiddo(s) for the bulletin board in the Gym!

Purpose: Students, faculty, staff, and visitors will all be able to view the pictures in the gymnasium and see all the fun and exciting activities that these kids are participating in outside of school. The goal of this assignment is to help promote all different types of physical activity to our youth, in hopes they will participate in DAILY exercise!!!

Task: If you wish to participate, please have your child bring in a picture where they are engaged in physical activity that they love to do. The activity can be anything from walking their dog, to running a 5K race. Most students bring in a photo playing on a sports team, but it can also be an individual photo of them biking, rock climbing, dancing, swimming, etc. *Please do not bring in large pictures.

Dear Pembroke families,

Join us each morning in September from 8:00-8:35 for a running club where your child will improve their running ability, train for our annual Pembroke Fun Run and 5th grade race among all BPS elementary schools. Starting on Monday, September 8th and going each morning until the last day Tuesday, September 30th. Any Pembroke student may join and it is completely optional. We will always meet and run on the blacktop and for rainy mornings we will move into the gym. If you wish to participate, just show up any morning you’d like and drop off your child, as they will stay with me, Mr. Fulkerson, until it's time to enter the building at 8:35. At that time, students will go to their designated entry point and line up with their class.

For more information please email Mr. Fulkerson

RFulkerson@birmingham.k12.mi.us

Free breakfast and lunch for all students will continue through September 30th, 2025. Funding beyond that date has not yet been finalized. If state funding ends, families who don't qualify for free/reduced price meals may need to pay starting October 1st, 2025. We'll keep you updated as soon as more information is available. Click here to apply for free/reduced lunch. We strongly encourage all families who feel they may qualify to apply. This application also provides funding for additional services for the school and families.

Access your BPS meal account to make payments, deposit funds, review activity, place restrictions and much more. Please note that you will need your child's student I.D. to access their account, this can be found on the PowerSchool application. If you are unable to find this on PowerSchool please email bchernoff@birmingham.k12.mi.us for assistance.

The Durham “Bus Zone” app is replacing the Durham Bus Tracker app.

This flyer outlines the new app and provides a QR coe you can use to learn how to download and work through the functions of the new app.

The flyer also provides the school “Access Code” (4061BPS) which will be required to gain access. If you have any questions or may want additional information you can contact, BUSZONE4061@NELLC.COM.

Transportation is still in the process of finalizing route schedules and that information will be available to view on the Bus Zone App as of August 21st, 2025.

If your child will be absent for any reason, please call the school before 9:00 a.m. at 248 203-3888, then press #2 for absence reporting and leave the following information:

• child’s name
• grade & teacher’s name
• brief reason for absence

The office records absences from the call-in messages and checks them against the teacher attendance lists. If a child is not in school and the parent has not called, the school will need to call your home or place of work. Please be sure to call, otherwise, the school office must follow-up on absences not reported.

Tardiness

All students arriving at school after 8:49 a.m. are to report to the school office before going to their classroom. They must take a green tardy pass to their class. It is very important that students maintain good attendance and arrive at school on time. Excessive absenteeism and tardiness are detrimental to a student’s ability to achieve his/her very best.

Please contact the Pembroke Attendance Line if your child will be late or absent. You can leave a message at 248-203-3888 Option 2. Or email Tracy Longe at tlonge@birmingham.k12.mi.us.

If your child will be absent for 4 days or more - please complete an extended absence form and submit to the Pembroke Main Office or email to Tracy Longe.

Friendly reminder on the Pembroke Sickness Policy:

• 24 hours Fever & Vomit Free with no medications!
• If your child has cold symptoms and requires cough drops, please send cough drops to the office with a note giving permission to provide them to the student.
• Absences with a doctor/dentist note are excused

• Purchase a PTA membership on Membership Toolkit

○ There is no time commitment or volunteer requirement with your membership. The funds raised through your purchase of a membership directly supports our students and teachers.

○ Cost is $35 with other add-on options for direct financial support

• There will be NO printed directory this year. PTA membership includes access to the online directory.
• Please update your contact information and your student’s grade/teacher in Membership Toolkit.
• Room Parent Sign up is open until 9/19/25 - link below.

Each classroom has volunteer Room Parents that act as liaisons between the teacher, parents and PTA team. Room Parents need to be members of the PTA to be reimbursed for any expenses. As a Room Parent, you have the opportunity to build a strong relationship with your child’s teacher and support the classroom overall. Once finalized, the PTA will provide a Room Parent contact list and email distribution which can be used to share ideas, ask questions, etc.

Primary responsibilities include:

● Point of contact for teacher/ classroom parents

● Coordinate classroom parties and events with direction from teacher

● Communicate school programs, events and important information via email

● Advocate for the classroom needs if required

We also welcome and strongly encourage all Room Parents to attend any/all PTA meetings as their schedule allows.

If you are interested in becoming a Room Parent, add your name to the Sign Up Genius here.

Two parents from each classroom will be randomly selected. If you are not randomly selected as a room parent there will still be other volunteer opportunities in the classroom and school.

**This year we are NOT going to produce a printed directory. The online directory through Membership Toolkit will have all the information for Pembroke parents and students.

**Please UPDATE your information for the 2025-26 school year

Our online directory platform is up and running! Please follow these easy steps below to update your directory contact information and join the PTA in one easy step. At the beginning of each year, we raise initial funds for our school through ‘memberships’ in line with the Michigan and National PTA organizations. This is simply a structure for tracking general donations to our school and allows for each family to determine if/how they want to be involved any further. As a benefit of making a membership donation, you will have the opportunity to join meetings, make motions, run for board, vote and receive direct updates from our administration and teachers. That said, you do not have to volunteer if you donate/join...we realize how busy everyone is!

https://pembrokepta.membershiptoolkit.com

● Click on the Log In button or the Registration button.

● If you already have an account with another organization that uses Membership Toolkit you can use the same email and password to login. You can then proceed to the numbered steps below.

● Select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.

● Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.

● Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.

1. Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information forms.

2. Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences.

Once these forms are complete, you will be presented with optional forms for 2025-26 PTA Membership and Boosters.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for Committees this year! We are still in need of some volunteers to chair and/or be a part of a few more. Please click here for more information and to sign up.

🎉First PTA Meeting of the school year! Wednesday, September 17th at 7pm in the Media Center.

👟 Fun Run! Friday, October 3rd

🥘New Family Dinner! Wednesday October 8th in the Cafeteria

Camp Dates: September 20 - 21, 2025
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 am, both days

All participants will receive a T-Shirt.
Registration Instructions - Please read all instructions in detail.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0ErH5lk0XGfSnv0M1KyN1lNqq1RU-wwuCyvDCg4JUO1RwzA/viewform