Bobcat Innovation

Bobcat Innovation Families,

October is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month at Bobcat Innovation! With field trips, family events, and parent-teacher conferences ahead, there are plenty of opportunities to learn, connect, and support our school. Please mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Tuesday, October 13 — ParentVue and StudentVue Workshop
4:00–6:00 p.m. | McGrath Elementary

Grand Blanc Community Schools has moved grading, report cards, attendance, and other school information to Synergy, which families can access through the ParentVue and StudentVue mobile apps. If you have questions about accessing this information or using the apps, stop by for support! The workshop is drop-in style, so you can arrive anytime between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 15 — Aubree’s Dine to Donate Night
11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.

Enjoy a meal at Aubree’s next Thursday while supporting our students from open to close! Proceeds benefit the Bobcat Innovation PTO and help fund field trips throughout the year. Invite your family and friends to join you for delicious food and a great cause. Thank you for helping make these learning experiences possible! Make sure you tell them you are there to support Bobcat Innovation. The flyer is also below!

Friday, October 16 — Elementary Camp Field Trip

Our elementary students are heading to camp for a day of adventure, learning, and connection! We look forward to students building friendships, practicing teamwork, and exploring together. Please watch for details from your child’s teacher about how to prepare.

Wednesday, October 21 — Grades 5–8 STEAM Field Trip

Students in grades 5–8 will visit the U of M College of Innovation for a STEAM day focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. This experience will give students opportunities to explore their curiosity, think creatively, and connect classroom learning with new possibilities! You will be seeing several permission slips coming home next week with your kids. Please make sure to fill them out and send them back in with your child as soon as possible.

Wednesday, October 21 — Trunk or Treat and PTO Meeting
Trunk or Treat: 4:45 p.m.
PTO Meeting: 6:00 p.m. | Perry Cafeteria

Join us for some seasonal fun at our annual Trunk or Treat! We look forward to bringing our Bobcat Innovation families together for a festive evening. Afterward, join us at 6:00 p.m. in the Perry Cafeteria for our PTO meeting to hear updates, share ideas, and help support our school community. We are looking for volunteers to enter their cars, as well as donate candy. If you can do either please sign up at this link.

Week of October 26 — Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences are a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress, discuss goals, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. Look for conference sign-up information from teachers next week. See below for dates and times for our different programs.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to a month full of learning, adventure, and community at Bobcat Innovation!

Warmly,
Zach Hamilton
Director of Innovative Programs
(Daily Oversight of Bobcat Innovation In-Person and Hybrid)
📞 (810) 591-6077
📧 zhamilton@gbcs.org

Kevin Keilitz
Assistant Director of Innovative Programs
(Daily Oversight of Bobcat Innovation Virtual)
📞 (810) 591-6375
📧 kkeilitz@gbcs.org

• Thursday, October 15th - Aubree's Dinner Night - 11:00am-10:00pm

• Friday, October 16th - Elementary Camp Field Trip

• Wednesday, October 21st - Trunk or Treat 4:45, PTO Meeting 6:00 (Perry Cafeteria)

• Monday, October 26th and Tuesday, October 29th - Secondary Virtual Program Parent Teacher Conferences (virtual-4:00-7:00 - Must have scheduled appointments).

• Wednesday, October 28th (3:30-6:30) and Thursday, October 29th (12:00-3:00 and 3:30-6:30) - In-Person Program Parent Teacher Conferences

Dine to Donate Night at Aubree’s on October 15! Flyers below with more information.

When ordering, be sure to mention Bobcat Innovation! Aubree’s will give 20% of qualifying sales back to our school. Any sales made between 11:00 AM and 10:00 PM will count as long as Bobcat Innovation is mentioned.

Students can also participate by signing up to be a host/hostess and help seat customers! Please note: Elementary students MUST have a parent visibly present with them for the entire time they are volunteering.

We hope to see lots of Bobcat families at Aubree’s on October 15! Thank you for supporting our school!

🌟 Positivity Project: Integrity

Next week, our Positivity Project character trait is integrity! Integrity means being honest and doing what you know is right—even when no one is watching. Students will explore how telling the truth, keeping promises, and taking responsibility for their actions help build trust and strengthen our school community.

Families can help practice integrity at home by:

• Talking through everyday choices: Ask, “What could you do if you saw someone drop money?” or “What should you do if you accidentally break something?”

• Practicing follow-through: Encourage your child to keep commitments, such as completing a chore or returning something they borrowed.

• Recognizing honest moments: Acknowledge when your child tells the truth, especially when it is difficult. Discuss how to take responsibility and make things right.

• Sharing your own examples: Talk about a time you chose to do the right thing, even when it wasn’t easy.

Together, we can help our students understand that small, honest choices each day build strong character!

We can't wait to practice this important character strength together next week! 🐾

Mrs. Bowling and Mr. Leverette teamed up to do a SamLabs STEAM project with our 3rd graders. Students have been learning about friction in the classroom, so in Tech Ex they built cars using SamLabs and coded them to move. Then, they tested the cars on different types of surfaces and collected data to determine the different levels of the friction, and the affect it had on movement.

The kids had a blast and learned a ton!

Hybrid and virtual elementary classes went on a field trip to Porter’s Orchard. This correlated with many concepts within the science and social studies curriculum including: living and non-living things, life cycles, and locally produced goods. The families had a lovely time together.

Our 4th and 5th grade students learned a lot and had a blast at For-Mar Nature Preserve on Friday!

Help Support Our School Store!

We’re looking for parent volunteers to help in the school store! Volunteering is a great way to get involved, connect with our school community, and support out students.

All proceeds from the school store go directly to the PTO and help fund field trips, supplies, and other opportunities and resources that support our amazing program.

If you’re able to lend a hand, please sign up using the link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054FACA829A6FAC43-66143490-bobcat

Want to help support the school store but unable to make it in to volunteer? You can donate items directly from our Amazon Wish List! Simply choose an item from the list, place your order, and it will be shipped directly to the school – It’s an easy way to give back and support our students.

Every donation, big or small, helps us keep the school store stocked.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/37PNI0Y7G7EE7?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_NTAANMC6ZB451EH13SQM

Thank you for supporting out school community!

GBCS’s Early Childhood programs are looking for Substitute Teacher Assistants and Latchkey Teachers! If you or someone you know might be interested in filling in for our amazing staff on a flexible, part-time basis, please contact (810) 591-6083 or email childrensgarden@gbcs.org

Posting: https://app.redroverk12.com/admin/1419/job-posting/205841/details

Here is a year at a glance of Bobcat Innovation Events. This is being provided so that you can save the date for important events. However, please be aware that events are subject to change, so please take watch for updates throughout the year!

As you may have noticed, schools across the state are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers. With such a large number of district buses on the road every day, the need for new drivers at GBCS is almost continuous. We are currently hiring and provide free training and licensing. There are full and part-time opportunities available! If you have ever considered becoming a bus driver, we would love to talk to you! Please call 810-591-8965 or stop in to 2500 E Maple Ave, Flint, MI 48507 and talk to Bonnie or Adam at GBCS Transportation or apply online!

Follow us on Facebook and reference information on the website including the most recent minutes from the PTO meetings.

All PTO fundraising activities raise money for the engaging and educational field trips, guest speakers and activities students enjoy at Bobcat Innovation throughout the year!

Important September PTO Dates:

• Thursday, October 15th - Aubree's of Grand Blanc Dine to Donate - All Day! Mention BI when you order. Student host signup.

• Friday, October 16th - Elementary Camp Field Trip

• Wednesday, October 21st - Trunk or Treat 4:45, PTO Meeting 6:00 (Perry Cafeteria) Sign up for Trunk!

Please reference the teacher favorites list if you're looking to add a little welcome back gift for your teacher this fall! It will stay live on the website throughout the year whenever you'd like to send them a little thank you or pick-me-up.

Questions or comments? Email bobcatinnovationpto@gmail.com

Our first News from the Nurses for the school year is all about when students should stay home from school following the Genesee County Health Department guidelines.

• Severely ill:
• Lethargic, difficulty breathing, or rapidly spreading rash
• Temp greater than 101F
• Student should not return until 24 hours of no fever without the use of medication
• Diarrhea:
• 2 or more loose or watery stools not due to underlying chronic condition
• Student should not return until no diarrhea for 24 hours
• Vomiting:
• Vomited 2 or more times not due to underlying chronic condition
• Student should not return until no vomiting for 24 hours
• Abdominal Pain:
• Stomach pain continues for more than 2 hours or intermittent pain associated with fever or other symptoms
• Rash:
• Rash AND fever or change in behavior without documented noninfectious cause
• Exclude until rash subsides or a healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious
• Skin Sores:
• Weeping sore on an exposed area that cannot be covered with a dressing
• Respiratory Symptoms
• Worsening symptoms not explained by noninfectious cause
• Communicable Diseases
• Consult Nurse
• Michigan Communicable Disease Guidelines for Schools
• Lice
• Office staff check head, Call home if lice is suspected or confirmed
• Student is allowed to stay through the end of the day and even ride bus
• Confidential - notify teacher so extra care can be taken to avoid head-to-head contact
• Office Send home Lice Checklist Lice Home Checklist
• Office Send Home instructions for lice removal How to Remove Lice
• Cannot return until treatment is done and inspection in office
• NO live lice AND no nits within ¼” of scalp
• 2 or more cases in classroom from different families notify Nurse for letter

🌐 Helpful Links

• Bobcat Innovation Athletics Website: https://bobcatinnovation.gbcs.org/for-students/pic-athletics

• EMS Athletics Website: https://ems.gbcs.org/for-students/ems-athletics-fall-spring-25-clone

If you have any questions about athletics participation, tryouts, or paperwork, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school office by e-mailing Mrs. Olmsted @ holmsted@gbcs.org. We look forward to a great season of sports and school spirit!

Email: zhamilton@gbcs.org
Website: https://bobcatinnovation.gbcs.org/
Location: 11920 South Saginaw Street, Grand Blanc, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 591-6078
Facebook: Visit us on Facebook at: Bobcat Innovation