Carpenter Happenings

We have made it to June! As we wrap up this school year, please take time with your children to recognize and celebrate the success they have experienced this year, the growth they have made, and the great things they have accomplished. We have all come a long way since September!

We have many wonderful end-of-the-year events and happenings occurring at Carpenter this month. I look forward to seeing many of you at these events. Please make sure to check out our June calendar below, as well as the information and flyers for the individual events. Please also remind your children to end this year on a positive note by continuing to meet the daily expectations at Carpenter for behavior and academics.

A reminder to all that we have a half day dismissal on both Friday, June 2 and Friday, June 9. Dismissal will occur at 12:05 p.m. on both days.

GO DRAGONS!

Mr. Weldon

Full day of school 8:50 a.m.-3:50 p.m.

Half day of school 8:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m.

Report cards will be emailed home to families after 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 12. If you have not received your child’s report card by Tuesday, June 13 at 2:00 p.m., please let Ms. Valentine and me know via email.

Families will need to pick up any student medications located in the main office at Carpenter by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 12. Any medications that are not picked up will be disposed of over the summer. Please contact the main office with any questions.

In May, we finished studying our 24 character strengths through the Positivity Project. Next year, we look forward to continuing with our student leadership group for P2 to create more opportunities to help maximize the influence of P2 for Carpenter. If your child is interested, please be on the lookout for the student application for this opportunity for leadership. We look forward to partnering once again with all Lake Orion elementary schools next year for P2!

Kindergarten and New Student Enrollment for 2023-24 is now open!

What qualifies as a new student? Any incoming kindergarteners (and DK) and any student that was not enrolled with us for 2022-2023. This would include a returning student, private school 8th grade students enrolling for high school, new residents, etc.

Please click here to visit our central enrollment webpage and to learn how to begin your enrollment for the 2023-24 school year.

To start the online registration, click on New Student Enrollment 2023-24. You can access this page by clicking here.

Step by step instructions are provided during the registration. Complete all fields and pay close attention to formatting. Once all the fields are complete, click on Submit. You will then receive an automated email from the online system confirming your enrollment submission.

Attached below are general enrollment instructions and kindergarten/DK instructions. Always refer questions to the website or Central Enrollment, directly.

Helpful tips:

• Enrollments are not first come, first serve. Certain programs such as DK, Dragon Virtual or SOC will have separate applications or registrations.
• Residents can enroll at any time of the year.
• Non-residents must wait to enroll and instead, apply for the Schools-of-Choice enrollment which opens March 6 and closes April 4, 2023. SOC information is posted at lakeorionschools.org/SOC.

DK and kindergarten information is available at lakeorionschools.org/kindergarten.

A reminder that families can order supply kits for next year by clicking here. School supplies can be ordered through this site until July 25, 2023. Early bird pricing ends on Friday, June 9; prices increase by $5 on June 9. Please look for additional communication to be sent out from the PTC.

Attached below is a map with information on the arrival process. Please observe the following notes on our arrival process. In an effort to minimize backups and improve on the speed and efficiency of our arrival process, families are strongly encouraged to turn right when exiting the Carpenter parking lot to keep the flow of traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

• School begins at 8:50 a.m.
• Students can be dropped off anytime between 8:40-8:50 a.m.
• Please do not drop students off earlier than 8:40 a.m. unless they are being signed in to attend SACC, which begins at 6:30 a.m.
• Students will not be allowed to enter the building until 8:40 a.m.
• Students who ride the bus will exit their bus at 8:40 a.m.
• For families who drive their child to school, please pull as far forward as possible in the drop-off lane, up to the flagpole, and have your child ready to exit the vehicle (i.e., seat belt unbuckled, backpack on, and child has already started the goodbye process with the driver). Your child should exit on the passenger side and parents should stay in the vehicle.
• Do not use cell phones once you have entered the Carpenter parking lot.
• Upon entering the building, students will report directly to their classroom.
• School support staff will be on hand at all entrances to assist students in getting to their classroom. This will help to ensure the health and safety of all staff and students and also to establish an independent routine for all students starting on day one. Please do not plan to accompany your child into the building. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this protocol.

Attached below is a map with information on the dismissal process. Please observe the following notes on our dismissal process. In an effort to minimize backups and improve on the speed and efficiency of our dismissal process, families are strongly encouraged to turn right when exiting the Carpenter parking lot to keep the flow of traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

• Students will be dismissed at 3:50 p.m.
• Students will be stationed in designated grade level areas and separated by classroom cohorts. Families will follow the loop around to the pickup area just outside the main entrance where staff will be waiting to assist with getting your child(ren) to your vehicle. Families will remain in their vehicle the entire time to assist with the efficiency and speed of the pickup line. Your child should enter on the passenger side of the vehicle. Please pull as far forward as possible in the pickup lane, up to the flagpole.
• Families who are walking up to receive their child(ren) will be required to stay in a designated spot just outside the exterior gymnasium doors while students are identified and released to them. While students may exit the building from different doors based on their grade level, this helps us to prevent parent foot traffic from interfering with getting students to their appropriate vehicle and ultimately helps with the speed and efficiency of the entire pickup process for everyone.
• On the first day of school, each child will receive two laminated name cards per child from their teacher. Please place these name cards in plain view on your dashboard as you enter our parking lot for any children you may be picking up. This will help expedite the process in having your children ready to board your vehicles as you pull up to the front. If you did not receive these cards, please communicate this with your child's teacher.
• Do not use cell phones once you have entered the Carpenter parking lot.
  

• Contact the main office at (248) 391-3500 or send in a handwritten/signed note if there is a change for how your child is supposed to go home. If your child does not have a note or the office doesn’t receive a phone call, they will be sent home following their daily routine.

For our families who park in the neighborhood during arrival or dismissal, please be respectful and courteous to our neighbors by not blocking any driveways and staying off lawns as you park, and by recognizing and following all traffic laws for student safety.

Mini camps at the CERC building will be offered for families when students are scheduled to be off school for either a half day or full day this school year. Bussing and childcare will be provided in both instances. Please see the flyer below for more information on dates, fees, and how to register your child for the camps.

Please see the flyer below for additional information and how to register.

OK2SAY is available state-wide for public and private schools in Michigan; anybody can submit a confidential tip. Specially trained technicians receive the tips and filter the information to the appropriate agency to provide a timely and effective response. Please see the attachment below for more information.

Please see the flyer below for information on the Level Up Camp this summer and how to register.

The Internal Revenue Service wants to remind families about the 2021 Child Tax Credit payments, which could be up to $1,800 per qualifying child and the 2020 & 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit (also called stimulus payments or Economic Impact Payments), which is $1,400 per qualifying child.

As families are now filing their 2022 tax returns, the IRS wants them to know, along with eligible families that normally don't file a tax return (i.e., low-income families) that it's not too late to claim these pandemic-related tax benefits. Information is available in flyers from the IRS linked above.

Email: adam.weldon@lok12.org
Website: https://www.lakeorionschools.org/carpenter-elementary
Location: 2290 Flintridge Street, Lake Orion, MI, USA
Phone: 248-391-3500
Twitter: @Carpenter_LO