What's Happening at MA?

Dear Griffon Families,

As we move to the end of the month the season brings chilly mornings and frosty afternoons! Please make sure your students are dressed warmly with coats, hats, and gloves so they can stay comfortable during recess and arrival times. This is an exciting time of year with lots of new experiences and learning opportunities, and we’re so proud of the growth we’re seeing in our students! However, we kindly ask that all phones and electronics stay home or be in student's lockers till the end of the school day to avoid distractions and ensure a positive learning environment for everyone. Thank you for your continued support in helping us create a safe and focused space for learning!

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are next week! We hope to see parents/guardians come and meet with teachers to learn more about what is happening in your student's classroom and how to best support your child in their academic progress. We will have conferences on Wednesday, October 22 from 4-7 pm and then again on Thursday, October 23 from 4-7 pm. Forms for elementary sign-ups have gone home. MS and HS are open to come when you can.

Don't forget - there is a 1/2 day of school October 17th and no school on Friday, October 24th.

Assure you arrive 10 minutes before arrival and drop off times at the correct bus stop.
An adult is required at the bus stop to receive students under 10 years and/or in 5th grade.
Contact the school no later than 2 p.m. for any and all transportation changes.
Parents are NOT permitted on the bus for any reason, if there is an issue that needs to be addressed please contact or visit the school.

Bussing Changes If your child will need to ride a bus other than the one to which they are assigned, please call the office so the office can communicate with our transportation director to make certain that there will be room on that bus for your student. You are required to sign and date a note outlining bussing arrangements, which your student will take to the school office. Office personnel will initial the note and write a bus pass that your child will need in order to get on the bus. Your child or the office will need to hand the bus pass to the driver. No child will be allowed to ride another bus to a different bus stop without a bus pass. Following this procedure helps school staff members to know where your child is in case of an emergency and ensure safe transportation for all.

Bus Stop Times & 1/2 Day Dismissal Drop Off Times

Blue Bus

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qF3rsjzcfebw_vjXfii7kYuSo75rIkDGZui_JDNW67U/edit?usp=sharing

Red Bus

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwK91BsQyQyxaUnLcjksbKL8S4JUBI2qQqC7H0ULN5w/edit?usp=sharing

Green Bus

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iht3W5RsjxrklhaCm18CAi3UziYL3qm_jlRbU3RtTUc/edit?usp=sharing

10/17- End of 1st Marking Period PBIS day- All students dismiss at 11:30am/Records Day

10/22 & 10/23- Parent/Teacher Conferences 4pm-7pm in the MA Gym

10/24- No School 😎

10/27- Honor Roll Ceremony at 8am in the MA gym 🏆

10/29- Marshall Academy's Trunk or Treat 5:00-6:30pm 🍭🍬🎃👻👹

- 8th grade Career Quest at the Kalamazoo Expo Center

10/31- Happy Halloween! 🎃👻👹

MAPA (Marshall Academy Parent Association) MEETINGS 💛💙 will align with Coffee with the Director

FUNdraiser Fridays! 👖🥒🍿

Every Friday for the rest of the school year students may wear jeans (no holes/rips) and gym shoes with a spirit wear or uniform shirt for $1. All proceeds will benefit the MA Sunshine fund!

It's also Popcorn & Pickle Friday! We are now introducing large size pickles to our Popcorn Friday For $1 students may purchase a bag of freshly popped popcorn and/or large size pickles, all proceeds will benefit our MAPA group. *Please note there will be no popcorn or pickles sold on half-days.*

Thank you for supporting MA!

MA Trunk or Treat

This year, our trunk or treat will be held on Wednesday, October 29th. That seems like a long way away, but MAPA is collecting candy donations NOW! ! All candy donations can be dropped off at Marshall Academy office or you can contact Mrs. Clark at (269) 781-6330 or clarkb@marshallacademy.org for more information on ways to donate. All donations are greatly appreciated.

School districts in the State of Michigan are required to provide information to parents and caregivers on the safe storage of firearms. This is in accordance with the “Safe Storage Laws,” MCL 28.429, MCL 380.1313a, and MCL 380.1313b. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provided this information to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for distribution. To meet the requirement of the law, please see the information in the graphics below. Links are also provided to the following documents:

Additional resources and information can be found on MDE’s Safe Storage Law webpage. Questions may be directed to MDE’s Office of Health and Safety at MDE-OHS@Michigan.gov.

Calhoun County Health Department Resources

What is CCPHD doing to help?
The Calhoun County Public Health Department is handing out FREE gun locks to anyone who has both a child and firearm in the home. Free gun locks are available at both CCPHD locations:
Albion
115 Market Place, Albion, 49224
Battle Creek
190 E. Michigan Ave. Battle Creek Michigan, 49014

Why a gun lock?
As of February 13, 2024, Public Act 17 of 2023 went into effect. The storage law requires people to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked in homes with children present. One storage option is a gun safe and another is a gun lock. If the person fails to store the firearm safely and it is used by a minor, that person could be found guilty under Public Act 16 of 2023. Starting October 1, 2025, school districts must educate parents about this law and provide gun lock information. This legislation aims to prevent accidental shootings and make homes and schools safer for children.

Quick facts:

Firearm-related injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and teens under the age of 18 in the United States (AAP, 2024).
4.6 million kids live with unlocked, loaded guns (AAP, 2024).

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Free Gun Locks & Resources

Free Gun Locks Available!

In an effort to prevent accidental firearm injuries and promote responsible gun ownership, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is distributing free gun locks to Calhoun County residents who have firearms in their homes and children residing with them.

Gun locks are available at our main Marshall Office and the Springfield and Pennfield substations.

Secure your firearms. Protect your loved ones. Stop by and pick up a free gun lock today!

Remember that communication with the school and your student's teacher is very important! Here are two great ways to contact your student's teacher:

E-MAIL & ROOMS - The most efficient way is to send an email or contact teachers on rooms. This allows teachers to respond when they are available. A good reminder to update your MA app if you don't see your student's teachers in rooms, your app will need updated. All MA staff have an email address that is available on our website at https://www.marshallacademy.org/staff?page_no=1
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT - Call our front office and request a parent meeting. Mrs. Clark will communicate that with the teacher. This allows the teacher to contact you back and set a time that is convenient for both parties. Please remember that drop in visits to see teachers are not allowed. This disrupts important educational programming.

All parents/students have a skyward account, parents/guardians can access grades and attendance on skyward at any time.

In order to protect the safety of all students, we want to remind parents that no individuals other than students and school employees should be in the school hallways, before, during, or after school. Any visitor to the school MUST check in to the office, and must be escorted to their destination. Thank you for helping keep our students safe.

Accessing the Parent Portal on Skyward

One of the best ways to stay informed on your child's progress in school is to have an active Parent Portal Account on Skyward! Skyward is our student information system that we use to track your student's demographic information, attendance, behavior referrals, and grades! As a parent, you can review this at any time. This can be accessed from the Marshall Academy website https://www.marshallacademy.org/Quick Links - Skyward Family Access.

Username

Your username will be your last name and initial of your first name.
Example: John Doe would be doej

Password

If you have never logged in before or if you have forgotten your password, please click on "Forgot Login/Password" and it will send you a reset password link to the email address that we have on file for you from your child's beginning of year enrollment paperwork.
If you are getting an error message that your email is not recognized, please call Marshall Academy's front office or email clarkb@marshallacademy.org so that they can get the email updated in our system to get you connected!

Stay connected to Marshall Academy, download our MA app today!

Do you have the MA app? If not please use the QR code below to download the app. The app is everything Marshall Academy from mass notifications, urgent alerts, attendance notifications, teacher and classroom communication.

What if I don't register or download the MA app? Those who do not register or have the MA app may miss communications!