BROWNING BEARS BEST NEWS

Our mission in Utica Community Schools ignites a passion for learning in all students. We strengthen our community by welcoming all learners, honoring culture, and inspiring remarkable growth and achievement.

SCHOOL HOURS: 9:05-3:55 DAILY

HALF-DAY HOURS: 9:05-12:09

BREAKFAST OPENS @ 8:45-9:05

email: mailto:officebrowning@uticak12.org

website: https://browning.uticak12.org

Location: 12400 19 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48313

Phone: 586-797-4000

Attendance Line: 586-797-4099 (24 hours)

AUGUST

20: TEACHER ASSIGNMENT available in PowerSchool after 3pm

20: CASHIER TRAINING 8-11 AM Administrative Services Center

21: USPBL/UCS Back to School Night

21: CLASSROOM TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS available in PowerSchool APP after 3PM

24: Dekeyser Open House (See Below)

25: NO SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

25: BROWNING BEAR DAY (OPEN HOUSE-5:00-6:30)

26: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL & HALF-DAY

26: HALF-DAY DISMISSAL 12:09PM

29-SEP.1: NO SCHOOL-LABOR DAY WEEKEND

SEPTEMBER DATES:

1: NO SCHOOL-LABOR DAY WEEKEND

5: Technology Insurance DUE

17: NO SCHOOL-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Browning Bears-

We had a change in dates per district language that was communicated to you on August 14th. Please be sure to note that our original BROWNING BEAR DAY scheduled for August 21st, has been cancelled. The NEW and UPDATED date for our Browning Bear Day/OPEN HOUSE event will be on August 25th from 5-6:30pm. During this time, we will not have a formal gymnasium presentation this year but will instead have it as a chance for your child to meet their teacher, see their classroom, and drop off materials/supplies. Any important curriculum information will be shared with you, formally, in our SMORE newsletter and from your own classroom teacher.

*NEW KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES*: If you have updated medical forms, immunizations, or any other form that still need to be submitted, please free to bring those forms on August 25th!

Please see the emailed notification below that was sent to families on August 14th.

2025-26 School Calendar Update

Dear Families,

We are pleased to share an update on the 2025-26 school calendar.

The school calendar is a negotiated item with Utica Community Schools and the Utica Education Association. While the parties are continuing to work collaboratively and productively toward a successor agreement to their Collective Bargaining Agreement, an agreement has been made to share the full calendar with families so they can make plans through the school year.

The new calendar has an important change to strengthen the partnership between our school and parents. The change will give our students a stronger start to the school year by creating an opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher prior to the start of school.

This year, parents will have an opportunity to meet their teachers before the first day of school. As UCS continues to implement innovative approaches to enhance community engagement, traditional mid-September Open House events will be replaced with an earlier, before-school event so that

students and parents can meet their teachers prior to the first day of school.

This year, our school will be hosting a “Meet the Teachers” event at all 25 elementary schools on Monday, August 25, 2025 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

At these events, families will be warmly welcomed to their school and classrooms, suggested school supplies may be dropped off, and students can meet other classmates. Additionally, information previously communicated to parents at Open House will be made available to parents by the end of the first week of school through electronic communication, class newsletters, and/or printed handouts.

The goal of this change is to create a positive experience for families prior to the opening of school. It also provides parents with important class and curriculum information more efficiently and earlier in the school year than ever before.

PLEASE NOTE: Our previously scheduled BROWNING BEAR DAY on THURSDAY, AUGUST 21st has been CANCELLED. We will now have it on MONDAY, August 25th from 5-6:30 in the form of our open house.

A positive strength of our school is the effective relationships that our teachers and staff create with our students and their families. With these changes, we begin building those relationships at the very start of the school year.

Finally, we recognize families are anxious to make plans for the upcoming school year. While UCS and the UEA continue the bargaining process, an agreement was made to release the 2025-26 UCS vacation calendar for everyone’s planning purposes.

• Monday, August 25, 2025 Teacher First Day Full Day DPPD

• Monday August 25, 2025 Elementary Building “Meet the Teacher” 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Students 1st Day of School – Elementary Half Day; Secondary Full Day

• Labor Day Holiday No School Friday, August 29, 2025 – Monday, September 1, 2025

• Wednesday, September 17, 2025 No School; Teacher Full Day DPPD

• Wednesday, October 22, 2025 No School; Teacher Full Day DPPD

• Election Day Tuesday, November 4, 2025 No School; Teacher Virtual DPPD Day

• Thanksgiving Holiday No School Wednesday, November 26, 2025 – Friday, November 28, 2025

• Winter Holiday Break No School Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026

• Wednesday, January 14, 2026 No School Teacher Full Day DPPD Day

• Monday, January 19, 2026 No School MLK, Jr. Holiday

• Mid-Winter Break No School Monday, February 16, 2026 – Friday, February 20, 2026

• Spring Break No School Monday, March 30, 2026 – Friday, April 3, 2026

• Memorial Day Holiday No School Friday, May 22, 2026 – Monday, May 25, 2026

• Last Day of School Wednesday, June 10, 2026

More information on our calendar is available at this link.

We look forward to a great 2025-26 school year.

Dear Families,

This year, your child’s teacher will be shared with you through your PowerSchool account. This will provide a more secure means of sharing this information and will use the same process used for report cards. The name of your child’s teacher will be available after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

Here are the top three things you need to know:

• 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.

We are looking forward to a great school year.

Families-

Although our Free School Meals will continue for a few months, we are urging all families to please complete the following EDUCATION BENEFITS FORM. Completing this form also help UCS receive state and federal funding that directly benefits our schools. To support your child's school by completing the EDUCATION BENEFITS FORM, visit www.uticak12.org/familyportal and click on APPLY FOR BENEFITS.

Are you looking for an opportunity to give back to our BEAR Community? We would love to have you into our building to volunteer for LUNCH and RECESS duty. We also have some PAID positions available. If you are interested in becoming one of our LUNCHROOM and/or RECESS SUPERVISORS, please be sure to have your EDUSTAFF paperwork completed and complete a volunteer form as well.

As a reminder, all volunteers must have an approved background check completed and on-file every year. Please note: ALL FORMS ARE DIGITIAL THIS YEAR-no paper copies.

Are you interested in signing up to SUBSTITUTE TEACH? You can begin the process through EDUSTAFF BELOW!

Utica Community Schools has partnered with the Chaldean Community Foundation to host a back-to-school event on Tuesday, August 19 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Chaldean Community Foundation (3601 15 Mile Rd. Sterling Heights, MI 48310). The event features a free backpack giveaway and UCS personnel to answer attendees questions.

Attention UCS families-

The 2025-2026 Parent and Student Handbook has been posted and updated. Please be sure to review some of the updated information.

We are encouraging interested Browning families to take a sneak peek at our future at the DeKeyser Elementary Open House on Aug. 24. The improvements made at DeKeyser represent our district’s long-term vision for elementary schools. While each school will have will have their own unique design and look, the changes at DeKeyser – particularly those related to safety and learning communities - are a model for what we can expect for our students after the attendance area transitions in fall, 2027.

The DeKeyser Ribbon Cutting/Open House will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 24 at DeKeyser Elementary, 39600 Atkinson in Sterling Heights. The ceremony will begin with a ribbon cutting followed by self-guided tours that display the unique features of the school. The playground will be open and free food trucks will be available through the generous sponsorship of our construction team, Barton Malow Co., Anderson Eckstein & Westrick, and Integrated Design Solutions.

For those interested in attending, we strongly encourage using a shuttle that will run regularly between 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. from Browning Elementary. Parking will be limited at DeKeyser Elementary and roads into the subdivision will be closed to reduce traffic congestion. The shuttles are expected to run every 10 minutes from Browning.

More information on the open house is available at www.uticak12.org/dekeyseropenhouse.

MANDATORY TRAINING on AUGUST 20th: 8-11AM at the Administrative Services Center

Calling all returning and NEW cashiers!!

Are you interested in working for UCS and BROWNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for a Breakfast and/or Lunch cashier position? If so, please see below for our upcoming cashier training!

Please see the attached flyer regarding purchasing the optional Device Insurance Program.

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.

Families that wish to put money in their students’ Meal Magic account(s) via credit card will need to create a Family Portal account. Please go to https://utica.familyportal.cloud to create the account. This is also where parents can fill out the Educational Benefit Forms (EBF). Menus can still be found online at https://uticak12.nutrislice.com.

Browning Bears-

Did you know that this newsletter has a translation feature? Check out the HOW-TO video below!

Principal of Browning Elementary School

Email: browningquestions@uticak12.org
Website: https://www.uticak12.org/Browning
Location: 12400 19 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI, 48313 USA
Phone: (586)797-4000