DeKeyser News

Principal: Mrs. Shannon Hathcock

Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Lisa Russo

Clerk: Mrs. Heather Mansour

Location: 39600 Atkinson, Sterling Heights., MI 48313

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Office Phone Number: (586)797-4400

24 Hr Attendance Line (586)797-4499

Fax (586)797-4401

Email officedekeyser@uticak12.org

Website: DeKeyser Elementary / Homepage (uticak12.org)

Facebook: DeKeyser Elementary School

School Hours: 9:05 AM - 3:55 PM (full days) and 9:05 AM -12:09 PM (half days)

Morning SACC (DeKeyser): 6:45 am - 9:05 am

Afternoon SACC (Messmore): 3:55 pm - 6:00 pm (Students bussed from DeKeyser to Messmore)

Breakfast Hours: 8:45 - 9:05

Now - September 5th

• Complete PowerSchool annual update https://www.uticak12.org/domain/1821 (see below)
• Purchase Device Insurance - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (see information below)

August 24th - 2:00 - 4:00

• Join the staff at DeKeyser's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - (see information below)

Before August 26th

• Update / return all health forms to office - physician signature required on ALL health plans. (see information below)

As we get ready for a great year, please take a moment to review our Elementary Handbook, available on the district website. It includes key information about attendance, behavior, and school expectations.

📱 PowerSchool App – Stay connected! Use the PowerSchool app to view your child’s grades, absences, and other important updates.

✈️ Planning a Vacation? Families may request up to 10 days of pre-approved vacation time using the proper absence request form. Anything beyond 10 days will be marked as unexcused, and students may be dropped from enrollment if more than 10 unexcused days occur.

💳 Fines & Fees – Any school-related fees (such as lost books or materials) can be viewed and paid online through the web version of PowerSchool.

AUGUST 2025

• 24 - 2:00 - 4:00 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - Meet the Teacher
• 26 - Students begin - 1/2 day - 12:09 dismissal
  
• 27 - First Full Day - Breakfast and Lunch served
• 29 - No School

September 2025

VIP Parking: Amy Nowaczok

• 1 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
• 5 - FINAL DAY to purchase device insurance
• 9 - PTCG Meeting 6pm
• 13 - Family Wellness Fair @ Henry Ford High School 10:00 - 1:00
• 17 - NO SCHOOL – Professional Development
• 26 - Fun Run
• 29 - Picture Day

The cost of device insurance is $20.00 per student.The initial fee to purchase device insurance can be paid online using your checking account, debit card or credit card through PaySchools. The link to PaySchools is the same for ALL schools: https://www.payschoolscentral.com/.

• (Important - it is not recommended to NOT use the app as it does not properly support UCS content).
• Search for Technology Device Insurance

Note to new kindergarten families and families new to the district - You will need to first create the PaySchools account for your family.

• Complete the account registration by selecting register, enter your profile details, setting up your password via the email link that will be sent to you, then logging in.
• Add your children to your account using their student ID numbers. ID numbers are found in PowerSchool, and on their report card available through PowerSchool.
• If you like, enter credit card and/or banking information as forms of payments to use with your PaySchools account.

Please note that the final date to enroll in the optional device insurance plan is Friday, September 5th.

SEE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER ATTACHED AT THE BOTTOM FOR MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO PURCHASE DEVICE INSURANCE.

We are asking for your assistance to ensure that our security procedures during the school day are effective and efficient. When you wish to visit DeKeyser Elementary, please come to the front entrance door. At this door we have a security camera, intercom, and buzzer. To help us assist you when you would like to enter our school:

1. Please press the buzzer to speak with our office staff
2. You will be asked to state your name and reason for visiting
3. You will be asked to show your photo id into the security camera
4. Office staff will buzz the door for you to enter the building
5. Please pass through the lobby and enter the office
6. Office staff will help you with your request

In addition, we are asking you do not let any visitors in the door as you enter (as they come up behind you) or as you exit the building.

The teachers and staff are committed to student safety and security, and we would like to thank you for your assistance with these procedures.

Utica Community Schools is now using the Raptor system for all volunteers. This process is only for individuals who are not UCS or Edustaff employees, as background checks have already been completed for those employees.

Everything is now completed online – no more paper forms. To apply, please visit www.uticak12.org/volunteer or use the QR code provided in the attached flyer.

A few reminders:

• Please have all required documentation ready before you begin.
• The application must be completed in one sitting.
• One application can be used for multiple schools
• Once approved, you will be cleared to volunteer in UCS schools

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the DeKeyser Office: OfficeDeKeyser@uticak12.org or 586-797-4400.

Thank you for supporting our students and school community through volunteering!

• Teacher assignments will not be available through the PowerSchool app. Your child’s teacher is available by logging into your PowerSchool account through your favorite browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).
• We strongly encourage you to make sure you can access your account by a web browser. If you need technical assistance, please contact our school office.
• You must have a PowerSchool account to see your child’s teacher. If you do not have an account, please follow the instructions at this link. For more information on how report cards will be shared, where to access the report cards, how to request a new password or set up a PowerSchool account, please see this link.

The first day of school is on Tuesday, August 26th. This will be a half day of school for all elementary students. DeKeyser Elementary half day hours are 9:05 am - 12:09 pm. Breakfast will be served on the first day of school. All students wishing to receive breakfast will enter Door 1 at the front of the building. This door will open at 8:45 for breakfast only. Please note that parents are not permitted to enter the building for breakfast.

Utica Community Schools is pleased to provide an opportunity for School Age Child Care (SACC)!

DeKeyser Options are as follows:

Morning SACC: Monday - Friday 6: 45 am - 9:05 am (Currently registering on a waitlist)

Afternoon SACC: Monday - Friday 3:55 pm – 6:00 pm at Messmore Elementary

Students will be bussed to this location after school.

Please click on the link below for more information and the opportunity to register your child for SACC.

We will provide a colored bus tag for all students riding the bus. DeKeyser staff will attach these colored bus tags to your child's backpack on the first day of school. This color-coded system helps us quickly identify students in each bus line. It also helps us when bus numbers change throughout the year. Please make sure you and your child know the bus color that they have been assigned. These colors may have changed from the color they were assigned last year due to route changes.

Bus 4 - Green

Bus 28 - Orange

Bus 90 - Pink

Bus 315 - Yellow

PM SACC - (TBD)

General Information

• All students enter through Door #1 (front entrance) each morning.

• Students will NOT enter through exterior classroom doors, except for kindergarten students (see below).

• DeKeyser staff will greet all students upon arrival.

• Students purchasing breakfast go directly to the cafeteria upon arrival at 8:45.

• Students not purchasing breakfast enter Door #1 (front entrance) at 8:55 and go directly to the gymnasium where they will line up with their class until escorted to their classroom by the classroom teacher.

Arrival Exception – Kindergarten Students Only

• Kindergarten students accompanied by a parent may enter through their classroom’s exterior door at 8:55.

• Kindergarten students requesting breakfast my be dropped off by a parent at Door #1 (front entrance) at 8:45.

• We are allowing our Kindergarten students to have direct door access to help them feel comfortable with their new setting. This also helps with the separation anxiety that these students often feel the first few weeks of school.

Morning Arrival

Door #1 opens at 8:45 a.m. for students receiving breakfast

Door #1 opens at 8:55 a.m. for students NOT receiving breakfast

Parent Drop-Off –

· Enter at the BLUE Parent Drop-Off

· Parents must pull all the way forward.

· Parking is not permitted in this lane.

· This lane is intended for parents who wish to drop their 1st – 6th grade student off at the front of the building.

· Keep the line moving and crosswalks clear.

· Students must be able to exit the car on the passenger side of the vehicle independently. Parents are not permitted to get out of the car in this lane.

· Students unable to exit independently from the passenger side of the vehicle are not permitted to use this lane. Student safety is our priority. Students exiting the vehicle on the driver’s side is not permitted in this lane.

· Parents wishing to provide students with additional help such as unbuckling children, getting backpack out of back of car, etc. will need to park the car and walk the student to the front door for arrival.

· Students will be allowed to exit vehicles at 8:45 for breakfast when using this lane.

· Students will be allowed to exit vehicles at 8:55 for arrival if not eating breakfast when using this lane.

Walkers

· Do not arrive before 8:45 a.m. (no supervision is available).

· Enter through Door #1.

Bus Riders

· Buses arrive through the back of the building using a dedicated bus loop.

· Students getting breakfast will exit the bus at 8:45 or upon arrival and enter through Door #1.

· Students not wishing to receive breakfast will remain on the bus until 8:55.

Full Day Dismissal: 3:55 p.m.
Half-Day Dismissal: 12:09 p.m.

Parent Pick-Up

Name and Number System

· The system used at Rose Kidd will NOT be available due to DeKeyser’s parking lot configuration.

· All parent pick-up will be at classroom doors at 3:55 (full day dismissal) or 12:09 (half day dismissal)

Parent Pick Up Procedure

· Park and walk to your child’s classroom exterior door.

· Students exit classroom doors at 3:55 (full day dismissal) or 12:09 (half day dismissal)

· Teachers ensure students are released to a parent or prearranged family member.

· A transportation survey will be sent by each teacher before school starts.

Walkers

• Grades K–1: Must be picked up by a parent at the classroom door (students may not walk home alone).
• Grades 2–6: May walk home if prearranged with the teacher via the transportation survey.

· Walkers exit through their classroom doors at 3:55 (full day dismissal) or 12:09 (half day dismissal)

Bus Riders

• Students walk through the inside of the building to the gymnasium and line up in a designated area for each bus color.
• Staff will assure students are in the correct colored area; students will be called to enter the buses one bus at a time.

• Buses are identified by color — ensure your child knows their bus color.

• Students receive a colored bus tag for their backpack during the first week of school.

• Kindergarten and 1st grade students have bus helpers to guide them to the correct bus each day.

• Please try to complete all early dismissals prior to 3:30 pm (full days) or 11:45 am (half days)
• For safety reasons, early dismissals are difficult to accommodate between 3:30 p.m. and 3:55 p.m.

Breakfast will be served daily from 8:45 - 9:05 am in our new cafeteria. If your child would like to eat breakfast, they will enter the main door at the front of the building. Students will give their name to the cashier, select their breakfast, and then sit at a cafeteria table. Students will remain in the cafeteria until they are released to their classroom between 8:55 - 9:05.

While we understand the appeal of having fast food delivered to school, we prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our entire student body. Allowing outside food deliveries creates logistical challenges, disrupts the school environment, and can lead to unfair advantages for some students. For these reasons, fast food deliveries during school hours will not be permitted. We encourage all students to either bring a packed lunch or enjoy the meals provided in our cafeteria.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Students with food allergies that wish to use school meals must have a Special Dietary Needs form filled out and signed by a physician. Forms must be submitted to the office of Food and Nutrition Service. Accommodations can only be made through this form. This form must be updated every year to ensure accuracy. Since all schools have vegetarian options available, parents do not need to fill out a form for this option.

Utica Community Schools are committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for each of our students. A health plan is required to be completed at the beginning of every school year. For your child's safety we ask that all health forms are turned in prior to the first day of school, August 26th, 2025.

Health plans should be completed for any condition that may involve special dietary considerations, activity levels, medications, or treatment of urgent problems. Completion of health plans allows our staff to take the best possible care of your child.

A physician's signature is required on all health plans. Any medications that are to be distributed by school staff or used by student at school must have an Authorization for Medication Form completed and signed by a physician, including any over-the-counter medications.

Students will have the opportunity to go outside with their classmates during designated times throughout the day. Recess helps to promote social and emotional learning and development for all children. Allowing time for our students to engage in peer interactions allows them to role play essential social skills. Recess also benefits our students by increasing their level of physical activity improving their memory, attention, and concentration. Each class will have a recess attached to the lunch program. We go outside whenever possible and stay inside if it is raining or the temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Students will have an optional second recess each day with their classroom teacher. Please have children dress for the weather.

The DeKeyser Parent Teacher Communication Group (PTCG) welcomes all our dolphins back to school! We are excited to kick off another amazing year together and begin our new adventure at the NEW DeKeyser. PTCG is a collaborative group of dedicated teachers and parents that work together to make our school the best community for students, families, and staff. We want to keep you informed about all events and happenings here at DeKeyser so please be sure to follow us on Facebook and visit us at our PTCG booth on Sunday, August 25th at the Open House event for some important handouts and a free PTCG fridge magnet!

Please take a peek at our August/September calendar for the month ahead as well as an updated Calendar of Events, a save the date for our first PTCG meeting on September 9th, reminders on how you can help with PTCG fundraising, and our Stock the Lounge donation event for teachers and staff. Here is the link if you'd like to sign up for items to bring to school on September 2nd or 3rd before or after school to show our appreciation for all the back-to-school efforts from our incredible school community:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B49A8AE2AA1FEC61-51012244-stock

As we prepare for the 2025 - 2026 school year, keep your eyes open for sales on these suggested supplies for your child's upcoming grade level. Individual classroom teachers may request a few more things once the year starts.

Consider signing up for Utica Community Schools texting service. This is a service for parents who would like information texted directly to them. The texting service provides school news and announcements, district information such as emergency school closing situations, or updates issued from UCS departments, such as transportation. To join this system, please text “Y” to 67587

Utica Community Schools has a new mobile app! Search for 'Utica Schools' in your phone's app store and download the free app to stay up-to-date on district and school news. The old mobile app 'Utica Community Schools' is no longer supported and should be deleted from your devices. Download at the App store here and Google Play here.