10.16.26 Collins Connection

Hello Collins Families,

What a great week at Collins! Between connecting with so many of you during conferences, celebrating Apple Crunch, and learning about fire safety with a special visit from our local fire department, there was so much to enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with our teachers during conferences. It was wonderful to see so many of you in our building and connect around your child’s learning, growth, and goals. These partnerships between home and school are so important, and we are grateful for the time you invest in being part of your child’s educational journey. When we work together, we can ensure every student feels seen, heard, and cared for.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful fall weekend with your families! Take some time to slow down, enjoy the fall colors, and make some special memories together. Thank you for being such an important part of our Collins community!

Natalie Bice
Principal

This afternoon teachers will engage in professional learning focused on the mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment, designed to help educators better understand student literacy development and make data-informed instructional decisions. Teachers explored how to use assessment results to identify individual student needs, monitor growth over time, and adjust instruction and interventions to support continued literacy development.

You can learn more about mCLASS by visiting the mCLASS Caregiver Site.

Special area groups met to discuss pacing, unit collaboration, and district-wide alignment.

A huge thank you to our amazing PTO and generous families for providing the delicious meals during conference nights this week! Having a warm dinner waiting for us, to kick off an evening of conferences meant a lot. We also want to extend our gratitude to the volunteers who took their time to run the Book Fair. Your constant support and hard work make our school community truly special!

Monday, October 19th - No School

Tuesday, October 20th - Comfy Cozy Day

Spirit Sales - Please reference your teachers email as to when their class will be visiting the spirit store

Wednesday, October 21st - Wacky Wednesday

Spirit Sales - Please reference your teachers email as to when their class will be visiting the spirit store

Thursday, October 22nd - Tie Dye or Neon

$1 Husky Hike Fundraiser at Lunch

Friday, October 23rd - Husky Hike at 2 PM

Our fourth grade student council is off and running with our monthly bulletin boards. We wanted to represent all the staff at Collins with their own acorn. Great work Student Council!

With our routines and procedures in place, it is full steam ahead with exploring many multiple musical concepts! Some highlights include:

• 4th Graders are diving into learning how to play the recorder. This means they also are working hard at decoding music notation–both pitch and rhythms on the treble staff.

• 3rd Graders are focusing on rhythm reading and instrument timbre. With timbre, they are exploring the sounds of specific instruments through pieces that highlight these sounds.

• 1st and 2nd Graders are experiencing songs and listening pieces in both major and minor, familiarizing themselves with the differences between the two tonalities. They also are beginning to explore the instrument families of the orchestra.

• Jr Kindergarteners and Kindergarteners are exploring the concept of music going up high and down low (pitch). Brief listening pieces, singing, whole body movement, and instrument exploration are all vehicles for exploring this concept.

Hi Huskies!

We are excited about the Husky Hike on Friday, October 23! We need many hands to help with all of our fun Collins Traditions: please take a look at this Sign-Up Genius and volunteer to help!

Please reference the image above for the fun activities happening next week. Your child should have brought home a manila envelope for fundraising. You can return this envelope to the classroom teacher by Thursday, October 22. Please return the manila envelope even if there is no donation. Classes who return ALL of their envelopes will receive a class prize!

Schedule for Husky Hike Festivities

• 2:00 families arrive outside the building. Feel free to park in the lots, neighborhood, etc. Please ensure to not block any driveways
• 2:20 HUSKY HIKE BEGINS! Reference the walking map below
• 3:00-3:20 Classes gather on the field for snacks and drink
• 3:40 Dismissal will remain the same as any Friday dismissal. Please notify the office if your child will have a change in pick up.

Thank you for your support!

Collins PTO

Select the image below to view our Arts In Our Schools newsletter!

Get ready to celebrate 20 years of Disney's High School Musical! Forest Hills Northern's talented students are bringing this fan-favorite musical to life November 19–21 at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center! Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Saturday at 3 PM and 7 PM. Don't miss this high-energy show filled with music, dancing, and Wildcat spirit!

Tickets are on sale NOW at FHFAC.Ludus.com or at the FAC Box Office, Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4:30 PM.

GO WILDCATS!

The COMETS, your Forest Hills high school FIRST Robotics students, are again seeking donations of adult bicycles (26" or larger wheel) in almost any condition. We have supported Upcycle Bikes, a Grand Rapids non-profit organization, since its founding. (See the following stories: Robotics is about building community, FHS robotics team continues giving back, and Robotics students provide smooth bike rides for refugees and youth in need). Bicycles are refurbished and then provided by Upcycle at no cost to those in need of transportation. Help us help Upcycle by bringing your bikes to the Fine Arts Center on Saturday, October 17 (1:00 - 3:00) or Sunday, October 18 (3:00 - 5:00). If you can't make it on those dates but have a bike to donate, please email marti.atwater@fhrobotics.org to arrange a pickup time.

• All student after school changes in transportation must be communicated by the parent/guardian. Please email your child’s teacher and coattendance@fhps.net.
• Keep in mind any phone calls or emails made past 2:30pm may not be delivered before the end of school.
• If your student has a fever or vomits, they must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Heather Lane is always a 2-WAY Street.

• Hand2Hand Sign Up Form
• Drop off and pick up map
• Volunteer form (this must be filled out every school year)
• Medical form
• Transportation My Ride K-12
• District Website
• Collins Calendar