The Priest Press

As we enter November and Thanksgiving draws near, I find myself reflecting on the many things I am grateful for. At the very top of that list are our incredible students and their families. I feel so fortunate to be part of the Brick Elementary community!

Our students bring so much joy, personality, curiosity, and potential into our building each day. They remind us why the work we do matters and inspire us to continue showing up, growing, and giving our best. Every child who walks through our doors is a gift, and it is our privilege to be part of their journey.

To our families, thank you for trusting us with your most precious gifts. Thank you for partnering with us, supporting your children, sharing your thoughts, celebrating their successes, and working alongside us through challenges. The partnership between home and school is powerful, and we are better because of the families who make up our Brick community.

What makes Brick special is not simply what happens inside our classrooms. It is the people who fill our hallways, the relationships we build, the encouragement we give one another, and the way we come together to help every child feel valued, supported, and capable of success. We are more than a school; we are a community, and I am incredibly grateful to be part of it.

Strong communication is the foundation of a successful school community. As principal, one of my goals is to ensure that our families feel informed, connected, and included in all that is happening at Brick Elementary. I want to make sure the information we share is meaningful, timely, accessible, and reaching you in ways that work best for your family.

Your feedback helps me better understand what is working well and where we can improve. By taking a few minutes to complete the communication survey, you are helping me identify ways to strengthen communication between home and school and better meet the needs of all our stakeholders.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already taken the time to complete the survey! Your input is valued, appreciated, and will help guide our efforts moving forward. If you haven't had a chance yet, I encourage you to share your voice. Together, we can continue building a strong, connected Brick community! ☀️

We are excited to introduce a fun new way to celebrate attendance at Brick Elementary!

Each month, we will have one Surprise Attendance Day! On these special days, two of our Brick ducks will make their way around to every classroom to celebrate students who are at school.

Here's how it works:

• Every student will receive an attendance punch card.

• On each Surprise Attendance Day, students who are in attendance will receive a punch on their card.

• Along with their punch, students will receive a small duck to add to their collection!

• We will have one surprise attendance day each month, so students will have multiple opportunities to earn punches throughout the year.

The Year-End Goal: Students who earn at least 8 punches on their attendance cards will receive a special certificate at the end of the school year!

We can't wait to see those ducks traveling around Brick and celebrate the importance of showing up every day. Every day at school is an opportunity to learn, grow, connect, and be part of something special!

Let's make attendance something to quack about! 🦆☀️

We are also kicking off a friendly grade-level attendance competition! Each month, we will track the percentage of students in attendance for each grade level. The grade level with the highest monthly attendance percentage will earn the opportunity to choose a special spirit day for their entire grade level!

We can't wait to see which grade level takes home the monthly attendance bragging rights!

Why Does Attendance Matter?

Every day at school is an opportunity to learn something new, build friendships, strengthen skills, and be part of our Brick community. When students are here, they are part of the learning, laughter, and experiences that make our school special.

Let's work together to make every day count! We can't wait to see those ducks traveling around Brick and find out which grade levels will rise to the top!

Let's show up, Brick! Every day matters! ☀️🦆

Brick Elementary is excited to celebrate Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and we invite our families to join us in recognizing and honoring the brave men and women who have served our country!

Veterans Wall of Honor – Help Us Build It!

We are creating a special Veterans Wall of Honor in our school hallway to recognize the veterans who are part of our Brick community. We invite every family to participate by creating a special Brick to honor a family member who has served in the military.

Each family may create one Brick per veteran or combine multiple veterans onto one Brick. Be creative! Your Brick may include:

• A picture of your veteran along with their name, military branch, years of service, rank, or other identifying information.

• A special thank-you message expressing your appreciation.

• Pictures or details highlighting your veteran's service.

• Decorations that make your Brick unique!

Construction paper will be provided to ensure all Bricks are the same size. Please create your Brick horizontally and return it to your child's teacher no later than October 30, 2026. The sooner we receive your Brick, the sooner we can begin building our Wall of Honor!

Veterans Day Assembly – November 11

We will also host a special Veterans Day Assembly in the Brick Auditorium on Wednesday, November 11. We would love to welcome veterans from our students' families and community to join us as special guests. We are hoping to have some of our veterans share a little about their service and experiences with our students.

If you have a family member who is a veteran and would be interested in participating, please reach out to Michelle Cox via her email (coxm@lincolnk12.org).

Wear Red, White & Blue!

On November 11, students and staff are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue in honor of our veterans!

At Brick Elementary, we want our students to understand the meaning of service, sacrifice, courage, and gratitude. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community and show our appreciation to those who have given so much for our country.

Thank you for helping us make this a meaningful celebration! Let's fill our hallways with gratitude and create a Wall of Honor our veterans will be proud to see! ❤️🤍💙

• Tuesday, November 3, 3036 - Election Day - Please Vote!
• Tuesday, November 10, 2026 - PTO Meeting - 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 11, 2026 - Veteran's Day Celebration - Look for more info soon!
• Thursday, November 12, 2026 - Picture Retake Day
• Tueday, November 24, 2026 - End of First Trimester
• Wednesday, November 25 - November 27, 2026 - Thanksgiving Break - Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am asking once again that NO VEHICLES ENTER THE BUS LOOP BEFORE 9:30 A.M.

This is an extremely important safety expectation. Our buses are still actively unloading students during this time, and the bus loop must remain completely clear of other vehicles to ensure the safety of every child.

Unfortunately, we recently had a very close call in which a student was nearly struck by a vehicle. This is a serious safety concern, and we cannot allow something like this to happen again.

Beginning Monday, our School Resource Officer will be stationed in the bus loop to help ensure that vehicles are not entering before 9:30 a.m.

Please understand that this expectation is not optional. We need everyone's cooperation to keep our students safe. No appointment, convenience, or time-saving measure is worth putting a child's safety at risk.

Thank you for taking this seriously and helping us keep all of our Brick students safe. Their safety must always come first.

Our October Brick Buck Cart was a fantastic success! Students loved shopping for prizes with the Brick Bucks they earned by demonstrating our school expectations:

Be Respectful • Be Responsible • Be Safe • Be Kind

It was wonderful to see our Bricksters excited to shop and celebrate their positive choices! However, we have run low on supplies and would appreciate help restocking the cart with new and exciting prize options for November.

Shop our Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/27BTDT0JS3RS3/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2?utm_source=chatgpt.co

Thank you for supporting Brick PTO, keeping our Brick Buck Cart stocked, and helping us celebrate our Bricksters for making positive choices! Every donation makes a difference.

At Brick Elementary, we truly believe that many hands make light work! The more people who get involved, the more we can accomplish for our students. ❤️

We would love to see more families participate in our PTO! You don't have to commit to everything—even a little of your time can make a BIG difference in our school community.

Please join us for our next virtual PTO meeting on November 10th at 7:30 p.m! We have several exciting events coming up and will need volunteers to help make them successful.

Your ideas, your time, and your involvement matter. Together, we can create amazing experiences for our Bricksters!

PLEASE CLICK THE PICTURE TO JOIN OUR MEETING!!

We hope to see you there!

Have you had the chance to meet Michelle Cox? Michelle is our Title I Parent Coordinator, and she plays an important role in supporting the families of Brick Elementary.

Michelle has a genuine love for our Bricksters and is passionate about making sure our students and families feel welcomed, supported, and connected. She works hard to help families access resources, navigate challenges, and find the support they need to help their children succeed.

Whether she is connecting families with resources or finding ways to lend a helping hand, Michelle's heart for our Brick community shines through in all that she does.

We are so fortunate to have someone who cares so deeply about our students and families. Michelle truly helps make Brick a special place! ☀️❤️

The Brick Food Pantry is open to all families and community members who may need additional food resources. The Pantry is open Monday–Wednesday from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., and Fridays by appointment.

For questions, appointments, or to sign up for Food Gatherers, please contact Michelle Cox at 734-484-7000 ext. 7829 or coxm@lincolnk12.org. Additional food resources are also available through Food Gatherers at 734-761-2796.

We are looking for volunteers to join Men of Lincoln!

At Brick Elementary, we know that strong schools are built through strong partnerships between families, staff, and our community. The Men of Lincoln program provides an opportunity for men to get involved in our schools in a simple, meaningful way and make a positive impact on our students.

One of the ways Men of Lincoln supports our school is by helping with morning parent drop-off on the second Monday of each month at Brick Elementary. Volunteers greet students and families as they arrive, help create a welcoming atmosphere, and assist staff as needed during the first few minutes of the school day.

You don't have to commit to volunteering every week or take on a big responsibility. Sometimes, a friendly face, a warm greeting, and a few minutes of your time can make a world of difference!

We would love to have more fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other male role models join us. Whether you can volunteer regularly or occasionally, your involvement matters!

Interested in joining Men of Lincoln? Please reach out to Jason Moore via email at moorej@lincolnk12.org to learn more about the program and how you can get involved.

Let's work together to show our students that their community cares about them and their success. Many hands make light work, and together we can make Brick an even more welcoming place for everyone!

Thank you for supporting our Bricksters! ❤️

Email: priestv@lincolnk12.org

Phone: (734) 484-7031