The Kurtz Connection

5-4-26 -- 5/8/26 Staff Appreciation Week

5-5-26 No school for students - Teacher PD

5-5-26 KDAY!

5-5-26 Hungry Howie's Pizza Night!

5-7-26 Middle School Orientation for 5th graders

5-13-26 PTO meeting in the cafeteria at 4:30

5-29-26 Field Day

6-4-26 Unified Track and Field event (Lakeland High School)

6-11-26 Last day of school - half day - students dismissed at 12:40

The first week of May was Staff Appreciation week. We wanted to thank our amazing PTO and every parent and student that made it a wonderful and memorable week for the entire staff. From the coffee truck to the amazing lunch to the fun and kind notes and the superhero themed posters, we all truly feel loved and appreciated. Kurtz is a wonderful place, not just during staff appreciation week, but each and every day because of the people that make up our amazing community.

KDAY was a blast for the students that will be joining us in the fall. Teachers met with students and spent quality school time with them for their first Kurtz school experience. We are always excited to get to know them and get them excited about coming to school in the fall. If you our someone you know missed the KDAY experience, please reach out to us and let us know so we can get you up to speed.

Our Student Profile process for the 2026-27 school year has now concluded. As your child's principal, I want to say thank you to the many parents who took the time to share important information that we will consider as we place students for the new year. Remember, you are all a part of the Kurtz team. We will be working hard to create those balanced classes for the new school year.

Parents should note that we would love to be able to honor every consideration shared in this process, but with only two or (at most) three classroom options, honoring all considerations is truly an unachievable task. I can say, without reservation, that we work hard to make sure all aspects are considered in this process. Although the information in each Student Profile is shared with each classroom teacher, I still strongly recommend sharing the information you have shared in the Student Profile with your child's current classroom teacher, as he or she is the one who knows your child best and will be able to insure all considerations are reviewed. As stated before, parents are a valuable part of the Kurtz team. We appreciate your thoughts and your understanding and acceptance of placement decisions as they are announced in August.

All students had the opportunity to personalize their very own pizza box in April. All boxes are available at the Milford Road / GM Drive location when you purchase a pizza through May 31st. Don't forget to pick up your child(ren)'s box!

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Alex Delgado and Reina Roybal for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Alex is a first grader in Mrs. Zimmerman's class. He always works hard in class and has grown as a reader this year. We are so proud of him because he makes the classroom a better place each and every day.

Reina is a fifth grader in Mr. Phillip's class. She was new to Kurtz this year and has worked very hard to become a leader in her classroom. We are so proud of her for the strong effort she puts into growing as a learner.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

School Age Care (before and after school care) could be available at Kurtz next year. Please click here to check out the updated page on the Huron Valley website for more information.

Click here to fill out the 2026/27 Interest Form. If we have enough interest, we will be able to host a program next year.

The Oakland County Enhancement Millage is a proposed countywide property tax on the August 4, 2026 ballot that would provide additional funding for public schools and eligible academies. If approved, the 1.5-mill tax would last six years and generate about $781 per student each year, distributed equally across districts. All revenue would go directly to local schools, allowing each district to decide how to best support students, staff & programs.

For more info click here LINK

I have also attached a graphic you can use but will need to add Learn More www.hvs.org

4-7-26 School resumes

4-7-26 Hungry Howie's Night - 11:00am - 11:00pm - make sure to add the word DONATE to your order

4-8-26 PTO meeting at 9:30 in the cafeteria

4-14-26 Early release - student dismissed at 2:37

4-24-26 Breakfast with a Buddy (see info below)

4-24-26 -- 5-1-26 PTO Winter Gear Drive

Each year, the staff at Kurtz completes a comprehensive student placement process. Our focus is on looking at all kinds of information, including data and parent input, in order to make sure our class rosters are thoughtful, intentional and set up to ensure the highest degree of success possible for each and every Kurtz Cougar. As valued members of our team, we are asking parents of students that will be attending Kurtz Elementary School in the 2026-27 school year to consider sharing placement thoughts with your child's current teacher. Their understanding of parents' thoughts is the best way to ensure thoughts are thoroughly considered in the placement process.

Our Student Profile form is also a way to get thoughts across to the sending team before rosters are created. It is very important to understand that we do not take requests, but are diligent about trying to create the most balanced classes possible at Kurtz. Filling out a form or communicating with a teacher or staff member should never be considered the end of the rostering process for any child or children. It is also very important to note that once rosters are created, we do not make changes to the thoughtful rosters that have been established. We believe that our process has lead to outstanding experiences for our students and does lead to well balanced classrooms that our students thrive in. We thank you in advance for your input and for your support of our comprehensive process.

Click here for the Student Profile Form.

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Kallie Dinverno and Luke Raupp for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Luke is a first grader in Mrs. Rupp's class. Luke consistently leads by example, setting a wonderful tone for our class with his kindness and dedication. He is a truly great friend to his peers and is always willing to help others and works hard to do his best in everything he does. Whether he is taking the initiative to help out or showing responsibility during group work, Luke makes the classroom a better place.

Kallie is a third grader in Mrs. Shaw's class. Kallie Dinverno shows up to school with a bright, big smile on her face and is always ready to learn. She sets the tone in our learning environment. She is always participating in class and encourages others to do the same. Kallie steps up when she sees a problem arise in the classroom or with classmates and is the first to offer her help and assistance. She leads without expectation of a reward and is a cheerleader of others' accomplishments. She is also very creative and helps others to see their own creativity.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Last month, all of our students at Kurtz designed their own pizza box. Our friends at the General Motors Drive/Milford Road Hungry Howie's are presenting each student with a coupon and their pizza in their very own box through May 3rd. Parents, please feel free to share a picture of your child and their pizza box if you are interested in Mr. Chisik posting it on the Kurtz Instagram/Facebook feed! Pictures can be emailed to Mr. Chisik @ steve.chisik@hvs.org.

Click here to see our livestreamed footage!

Each year we have parents ask us about the lack of a before/after school program at Kurtz. We would love to hold a program, but need about twenty students who would be participating in order to run a program. Please check out the flier below and email Mr. Chisik directly at steve.chisik@hvs.org if you would be interested in your child(ren) participating in a program next year.

3-3-26 No school for students - Teacher PD

3-11-26 PTO meeting in the cafeteria at 4:30

3-12-26 JK/Kindergarten Orientation in the cafeteria from 6-7

3-20-26 Half day for students. Release is at 12:40

3-30-26 through 4/1 - Spring Break - no school in session

A special thank you to the Kurtz community for participating in the Kid's Healthy Heart Challenge this year. Our community donated a whopping $11,300 that will be used to support families, research and heart health. One hundred thirty-three students registered on the program app and over 60 students and staff members attended the district event at Lakeland High School. Thank you Mr. Brugger for organizing and carrying out this event and for making such a positive difference in the Kurtz community.

In April, all students in grades three, four and five will be participating in MSTEP testing. This standardized test offers data for teachers and parents, related to their child(ren)'s understanding of grade level content. It is our hope that parents make note of the testing schedule and avoid absences on the testing dates, in order to provide students with the best opportunities possible, to complete their testing within the testing window. We also encourage parents to chat with their child(ren) about doing their best on the test, taking their time and even making sure that kids get a good night sleep the night before their assessments.

Revised 3-12-26

Last month, each of the three Milford schools participated in a contest designed to name three of Milford's snow removal vehicles. Kurtz students participated by voting for the name they felt was most fitting to represent the Kurtz community. Of course, students chose to name the vehicle Six Seven. The students had a blast participating and seeing their votes actually result in the naming of a vehicle.

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Ellie Blattert and Skyler Gotts for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Ellie is a first grader in Mrs. Rupp's class. She is a positive student who always has a smile. She is always ready to help anyone who needs an extra hand. Ellie is a hard worker who always does her best. She is a leader and role model in every way.

Skyler is a fourth grader in Mrs. Peterman's class. She is a fantastic leader at school. She has done a great job in her role on our school's leadership team. She loves to help others whenever she can. She is always kind and patient with peers. We are lucky to have her at Kurtz!

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Get ready to turn the page on a brand new adventure! At Kurtz, we are excited to celebrate March is Reading Month and watch our students’ imaginations bloom. We have a month packed with stories, surprises and a whole lot of fun to celebrate the magic of literacy.

What’s Happening This Month?

You will find our official March Reading Calendar below. Each day features a fun reading suggestion and a creative dress-up theme.

A Note on Dress-Up Days: Please remember that these themes are completely optional! We want this month to be stress-free and full of joy. There is no need to buy anything new. We encourage students to "shop their closets" and get creative with things you already have at home. Whether your child participates every day, once a week or not at all, the goal is simply to have fun together!

Special Highlights

Hundreds of New Books: Our library is blooming! We are thrilled to reveal hundreds of brand new books just in time for March. Your child will have first dibs on these exciting new titles during their library visits.

Guest Author Day (March 25th): We are hosting professional authors to inspire our students! They will be giving special presentations and signing books. Keep an eye out; order forms for book pre-orders will be sent home directly with students soon.

Read-Aloud Moments: From silly books to books that challenge you, our calendar is designed to spark great conversations at home.

How You Can Join the Fun

The best way to participate is simply to read! Whether it’s a bedtime story, a recipe or a graphic novel, those minutes spent together make a world of difference.

Thank you for helping us foster a love of reading that lasts a lifetime!

Happy Reading,

The Kurtz Elementary Team

2-3-26 Hungry Howie's Night (11:00 - 10:00 ADD DONATE in your order!)

2-3-26 Burger Joint Staff Takeover (5:00 - 7:00)

2-10-26 Early Release (students released at 2:37)

2-11-26 Student Count Day

2-11-26 PTO Meeting (9:30 in the cafeteria)

2-16/18 Winter Break

2-20/28 Book Fair

2-25-26 STEM Night

2-28-26 Kids Healthy Heart Challenge

Click here to get more information on how to best understand and navigate your child's report card.

The 2026 Kurtz Talent Showcase was another huge hit! Our students had a blast showing their talents. It was a wonderful experience for everyone!

My name is Sara Hockstad and I am the new ELL teacher here at Kurtz. I want to introduce myself and share just how excited I am to start working with you and your students! I am a recent MSU grad (Go Green!) and grew up in the district, so I'm ready to be back in Huron Valley, now on the teaching side!

I will be at Kurtz on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and look forward to my time in the classrooms and with students! I have heard many wonderful things about Kurtz and am very excited to be a part of such a great team and community!

Welcome Christina Banks and Karma Vansteinburg to our lunch/recess team! Christina is a new member of the Kurtz community this year and Karma is a recent HVS graduate and Kurtz alumni. They are both wonderful and have fit right in with the team.

We are still looking for lunch/recess supervisors. Although the ideal team member would be here five days a week, some of our team members work a staggered schedule. At Kurtz, lunch and recess supervisors work from 11:15 - 2:00. We offer training and support to our team members. Contact Mr. Chisik or the main office team if you have any questions.

Click below for the post.

BIG NEWS KURTZ FAMILIES! The Scholastic Book Fair is Back!

Mark your calendars! Our second and FINAL Scholastic Book Fair of the year is officially happening from Monday, Feb 23 through Thursday, Feb 26! This is your last chance to grab some amazing reads before March is Reading Month kicks off!

The Schedule

Mon, 2/23 – Wed, 2/25: Students will purchase their new favorite books during their normal class library time.

• Wednesday, 2/25 (4:10 PM – 4:30 PM): Join us for a Flash Parent Shop! Directly after dismissal, parents can head to the media center to shop with their kids.

• Thursday, 2/26: Our Last Call day! We will be calling down all students who still have remaining funds in their account for one final shopping trip.

The Payment Details (Important!)

We are keeping it simple and CASHLESS this year!

• For Students: All school day purchases must be made via Scholastic eWallet.

• For Parents (Wed 4:10–4:30): You can use the eWallet you already set up OR your Credit/Debit card.

• Share the Fair: Please consider a donation to our Share the Fair fund when setting up your eWallet so every student has the chance to bring home a book!

SET UP YOUR EWALLET & GET INFO HERE

Let’s get our Cougars ready for a month of reading magic!

The Kids Heart Challenge at Kurtz Elementary School is underway. With help from this year’s Heart Heroes, we’re learning all about keeping our hearts healthy through movement, kindness, rest and knowing when to ask for help.

We hope all students will participate in this program and join us at Milford High School's Field House on 2/28/26 at 2:00.

Visit:

http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=12398&pg=company&co

mpany_id=526147 or download the AHA Schools app to join

the fun.

Bonus: Students get a free wristband just for signing

up!

In the state of Michigan, we follow the resource known as the Michigan Model for Health. Within this resource, there are several topics covered. This year, each elementary grade level team participated in formal training on the Michigan Model in order to review content together and discuss implementation. At Kurtz, our social worker attended all of the trainings as the topic of safe touch was covered in detail. The focus of the lessons is to ensure that students are able to designate 5 "safe adults" (both at home and in school) as their safety network and understand the concept of an unsafe touch. It has been our goal as a district to ensure the lessons reflect the appropriate content, and are all grade level and age level appropriate. As educators and parents, we are very pleased with the outcome of these lessons and are looking forward to completing these lessons after our work preparing for them.

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us to recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Colton Cohorst and James Davis for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Colton is a first grader in Mrs. Rupp's class. He always has a positive attitude and is kind to everyone. Whenever there is an opportunity to help, he is often the first to step up and help. He doesn't wait to do the right thing, he looks for opportunities to help even when he is not asked. Colton has been such a great addition to his classroom and to Kurtz. We are very lucky to have such a great leader at Kurtz.

James is a fifth grader in Mrs. Fontaine's classroom. He has taken on the role of Lunchroom Manager in the cafeteria. He takes this role very seriously and works hard to make a difference and support his peers and the cafeteria staff. Not only does he do a great job, but he supports others who may not be meeting expectations. He just wants to make sure the job gets done quickly and correctly. Not only is he a hard worker, but he is such a kind and positive demeanor about him. You can't help but have a better day when James is around. We are very fortunate to have James at Kurtz.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

If you have not already filled out the Education Benefits document, please be sure to do so. We need your help!

This document was previously called the Free and Reduced Lunch application. However, because all students get free meals, the data from this form determines vital funding for schools that benefit ALL students. The form unlocks benefits like reduced fees for families who need it (test fees, activity costs).

It helps our schools qualify for additional federal funding for support programs rather than using the general fund.

Fill out the form below. Completed forms should be returned to Christa.Odett@hvs.org

Parents, our 2026 MSTEP schedule is now established. It is our hope that all students are present and working hard to show what they know in the MSTEP process. Please avoid unnecessary pulls during their scheduled testing dates.

The kids had a blast learning about science topics together. Thank you PTO for making this great opportunity happen for all of our students.

Last month, fourth and fifth graders participated in OK2SAY assemblies. The program is focused on internet safety. The students did a great job learning from the speaker. They asked great questions and demonstrated understanding of some of the real world challenges that exist in 2026. Check out the OK2SAY website (click here) for more information about the program.

As we know, lice are considered a nuisance rather than a communicable disease and where many children are together, the chances of sharing lice increases. While we recommend all parents regularly check their children for head lice, studies show that it is most common in the winter months among girls 5-12 years of age with fine hair. Should you find lice on your child, please use the Oakland County Health resource link: https://www.oakgov.com/health/information/Pages/He ad-Lice.aspx

Should you have questions, reach out to your child's office staff. Please note, we are required to maintain confidentiality and we may only inform the adults directly educating your child. If there are multiple parent reports of lice in the same classroom, or multiple cases across the same grade, parents in that classroom will be informed by the school.

1-5-26 School resumes

1-8-26 4th grade visits the DIA

1-9-26 Wacky Winter Assembly

1-13-26 OK2SAY! assemblies for 4th and 5th grade

1-14-26 PTO meeting in the cafeteria at 4:30

1-16-26 Half day for students

1-29-26 Kurtz Talent Showcase

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us to recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Caston Conahan and Mya Dinverno for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Caston is a fourth grader in Mrs. Tabert's classroom. He is a hard worker in school every day. He inspires others with his focus on learning. Caston enjoys laughing and making others laugh whenever he can. He is a kind and caring friend to others.

Mya is a leader at school. She is kind, hard working and just an amazing person. She is a confident and caring student who is a strong collaborator in and out of class. Mya is creative and always does her best in everything she does.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Hopefully you have been able to review the changes that are being implemented in the world of personal technology in the public school environment in our Huron Valley Schools. There has been a great deal of research that has been conducted and reviewed by our district teams. It is no surprise to us that a connection has been made to the way young minds are impacted by the increase in screen time. At Kurtz, for many years, we have been working hard to separate personal device usage from the landscape. Our policies have always been focused on personal devices being turned off and stored in order to avoid distractions and even physiological/negative impacts. Our focus has always been centered on explaining “the why” behind our policies. We emphasize the importance of spending time connecting with each other IRL (In Real Life) and learning how to engage appropriately with others, setting each student up to thrive in school and into adulthood. Just like before, we will continue to ensure that all devices are powered off and stored at the elementary level. Students not complying with this expectation will be sent to the office to turn the device in to the principal. The principal will then call home and give parents/guardians the opportunity to come to school and pick up the device. Our goal is to use the opportunity to remind parents/guardians with perspectives on our policy and further promote the partnerships we have in place at Kurtz Elementary School. More information can be found on the Huron Valley website that will further explain the protocols that are in place K-12.

Your Kurtz team has spent a good deal of time researching and discussing the changes in both teaching and learning in our community. We have always tried to manage the use of technology in our school. We have worked hard to make sure technology usage is appropriate and meaningful for students. It is our hope that parents understand our goal is not to judge technology practices or expectations at home, but are committed to try to support an overall limiting of technology usage during the school day. We believe that partnering with parents/guardians in this way of thinking will have positive implications in student achievement in the future. We encourage the use of more analog options whenever possible. Using verbal reminders instead of device-based notifications, playing more traditional board games and other more traditional options provide children with experiences they will utilize in processing how they engage with others and support positive cognitive development in many ways. We ask parents/guardians to examine technology utilization practices at home in order to align with the work we are doing at school. Our partnership matters and parental support increases our ability to achieve our goals in the school setting. We value all of the work parents/guardians are doing at home to limit technology and for either deciding not to send in devices with students and for limiting usage at home.

Click here to review the district's website and further information.

12/9 - 12/12 Holiday Shop

12/9 Early release (Dismissal is at 2:37.)

12/17 PTO meeting at 9:30 in the cafeteria

12/18 Coco and Crafts (6:00 - 8:00)

12/22 - 12/31 Winter break (School resumes on January 5th.)

Hopefully you have been able to review the changes that are being implemented in the world of personal technology in the public school environment in our Huron Valley Schools. There has been a great deal of research that has been conducted and reviewed by our district teams. It is no surprise to us that a connection has been made to the way young minds are impacted by the increase in screen time. At Kurtz, for many years, we have been working hard to separate personal device usage from the landscape. Our policies have always been focused on personal devices being turned off and stored in order to avoid distractions and even physiological/negative impacts. Our focus has always been centered on explaining “the why” behind our policies. We emphasize the importance of spending time connecting with each other IRL (In Real Life) and learning how to engage appropriately with others, setting each student up to thrive in school and into adulthood. Just like before, we will continue to ensure that all devices are powered off and stored at the elementary level. Students not complying with this expectation will be sent to the office to turn the device in to the principal. The principal will then call home and give parents/guardians the opportunity to come to school and pick up the device. Our goal is to use the opportunity to remind parents/guardians with perspectives on our policy and further promote the partnerships we have in place at Kurtz Elementary School. More information can be found on the Huron Valley website that will further explain the protocols that are in place K-12.

Your Kurtz team has spent a good deal of time researching and discussing the changes in both teaching and learning in our community. We have always tried to manage the use of technology in our school. We have worked hard to make sure technology usage is appropriate and meaningful for students. It is our hope that parents understand our goal is not to judge technology practices or expectations at home, but are committed to try to support an overall limiting of technology usage during the school day. We believe that partnering with parents/guardians in this way of thinking will have positive implications in student achievement in the future. We encourage the use of more analog options whenever possible. Using verbal reminders instead of device-based notifications, playing more traditional board games and other more traditional options provide children with experiences they will utilize in processing how they engage with others and support positive cognitive development in many ways. We ask parents/guardians to examine technology utilization practices at home in order to align with the work we are doing at school. Our partnership matters and parental support increases our ability to achieve our goals in the school setting. We value all of the work parents/guardians are doing at home to limit technology and for either deciding not to send in devices with students and for limiting usage at home.

Click here to review the district's website and further information.

Our staff is always very focused on making sure students have access to fun and creative materials and resources for learning and for play. It is our expectation that toys, including sleds and other larger equipment items, are left at home as they often become a distraction in the learning environment. Students bringing toys, stuffed animals and even Pokemon cards often become the focus of their attention. Items are sometimes lost, traded or even damaged, and can be a distraction during learning time. Our staff regularly reminds students to leave toys at home for these reasons and the staff often communicates a similar message to parents in their communications. Supporting this objective is an easy way to support student achievement and your Kurtz team!

Who Are the Email Angels?

At Kurtz, we are fortunate to have a caring parent and community group known as the Email
Angels. This group is made up of supportive, compassionate people who are ready to lend a

helping hand whenever a need arises.

How It Works

Our school social worker, Leah Smith, and the Kurtz office team identify families who may need
support. All information is kept confidential and handled with discretion. Once needs are shared
with our liaison, Jenny MacDonell, an email goes out (with no names attached) asking if an
Email Angel can help. If someone is able, they simply reply and fulfill the request.
This process has quietly made a meaningful difference in our community for many years. If
you’d like to be added to the Email Angels list, please reach out to Jenny at
kurtz.email.angel@gmail.com. Participation is always voluntary—no obligation required.

Need Assistance?

If your family could use support, you can:

Email or call Leah Smith (School Social Worker) at leah.smith@hvs.org | 248-684-8080
For Spanish-speaking families, contact Itzel Gutierrez-Montes at itzel.gutierrez-

montes@hvs.org

The Email Angels can help with things like gently used clothing, holiday support and food. For
larger needs such as housing, financial help or therapy resources, our school social worker can
connect you with additional resources. All requests are confidential and judgement-free.

Holiday Season

As the holidays approach, the Email Angels also help connect generous families with
opportunities to “adopt” a child or family for Thanksgiving or December celebrations. This
tradition brings joy and makes the season brighter for many in our Kurtz community.

Join the Email Angels Today!

Email kurtz.email.angel@gmail.com to be added to the list.
Volunteers are always needed—and deeply appreciated.

Thank you for helping us spread kindness and care!

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us to recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Ava Cory and Egan Goldberg for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Ava Cory is a third grader in Mrs. Boom's classroom. Mrs. Tyler nominated her this month because she is "ROCKING IT" in music class. She is really working hard, especially when it comes to playing the drums and learning new things. She is always so excited when we do anything with musical instruments. We are lucky to have her at Kurtz!

Egan Goldberg is a first grader in Mrs. Zimmerman's classroom. He is a leader in the class. He is kind and helpful with others and is always smiling. He is always working to level up his learning. He is an important part of the classroom family in Mrs. Zimmerman's classroom.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

A special thank you goes out to our community leaders in Girl Scout Troop 78137 and 77594 for their hard work this fall collecting food items so our own Kurtz families could have an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. The troop's dedication brought a great deal of happiness to our families that were able to participate. Each recipient shared their appreciation and gratitude with our team members as they were able to pick up their packages. This is a great reminder of just how important our partnerships with each of our families is at Kurtz Elementary. Being a part of a strong community makes all the difference, especially during the holiday season.

Girl Scout Food Drive

The Huron Valley MLK Day Committee

Details of 2026’s Art/Essay/Multimedia Contest and MLK Day Celebration

The Great Force of Nonviolence - Art/Writing/Multimedia Contest

Submissions due Friday, January 10, 2026

The Huron Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (HV MLK Day) Committee has announced the details of its 21st Annual MLK Day Celebration, including an Art/Writing/Multimedia Contest for area residents of all ages. The theme of 2025’s contest is “The Great Force of Nonviolence,” allowing artists and writers to take inspiration from Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement’s envisioning of nonviolence as the most powerful weapon to counter societal violence, whether politically motivated or otherwise. Participants in the contest can turn the theme into a new creative submission, whether it be a painting, photograph, speech, song or another medium.

Prizes will be awarded in three age categories (11 and under, 12-17, and 18 and older), and submissions will be displayed at The Suzanne Haskew Arts Center (The SHAC) during the week before and during the March on Main Street which falls on Sunday, January 18. In addition, winners and other selected submissions will be highlighted during the march’s concluding ceremony. All entries will be judged based on overall quality and interpretation of this year’s theme, and submissions are due by Friday, January 9, 2026. For more details or to submit your work, visit

www.hvmlk.org. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to share your talents with the community and be a part of MLK Day 2026.

This year’s March on Main Street from Prospect Hill to The SHAC is being held on Sunday, January 18. Line up for the march starts at 12:30, and the ceremony commences at 1:00 p.m. with a brief presentation and National Anthem performance. The march travels through downtown and ends at The Warehouse (the former location of The SHAC) for the concluding ceremony, where there will be hot beverages and refreshments, a presentation of awards for the contest winners, as well as music in celebration of the holiday. The HV MLK Day Committee will also provide information on how to be a part of upcoming community service projects in its efforts to continue Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community where citizens of all ages and backgrounds donate time, effort, and energy to promote peace and unity. The 2026’s celebration will also feature Film Appreciation Night at the Milford Independent Cinema, a meal drive to support Community Sharing Outreach Center starting after the December holidays, as well as a meal assembly event on Monday, January 19 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Warehouse. In addition, the community can support the HV MLK Day committee’s efforts to sponsor the hearty soup shelf at Community Sharing’s food pantry. The meal assembly event occurs every year on the MLK Day National Day of Service to support local families experiencing financial need.

For more information, please visit www.hvmlk.org or like “The Huron Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee” on Facebook and Instagram.

We are always looking for lunch/recess supervisors at Kurtz. Please reach out to Mr. Chisik if you would like to hear more about this opportunity to join the Kurtz team!

Click here to view the post.

THIS IS YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR THE VALUABLE INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED TO ACCESS, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

11/4 - No school for students

11/5 - 11/13 Book fair

11/6 - Fall conference night #1

11/7 - Picture retakes

11/11 - Veterans Day celebration (breakfast 8:30 / ceremony at 9:45)

11/11 - Fall conference night #2

11/12 - PTO meeting in the cafeteria @ 4:30

11/14 - Kindergarten dental screening

11/17- 11/20 Vision screening

11/18 - Report cards posted after 3:00

11/26 -28 - Thanksgiving Break

We're pleased to share that the Elementary Report Card Guidance documents are now available on the HVS website. These resources were created to provide families with clarity and support in understanding the elementary report card.

On the site, you’ll find both the Family Guide to the Report Card and the Term Reference Guides for each grade level. Please visit the link on the HVS website to explore these materials.

These are our 2025-26 Trash Talkers. This group of students is focused on making our school look great. They all have responsibilities. Some of their jobs are include picking up the recycle bins and cleaning and helping Mrs. Oates around the building. They are a great group of students!

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us to recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Brianna Cullen and Emily Stoll for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Brianna is a second grade student in Mr. Jennings' class. She is a hard worker who understands the importance of doing her best in school every day. She prioritizes completing her work and being a role model to her peers. She is a very positive and trustworthy student. She is a valued member of the Kurtz community.

Emily is a fourth grade student in Mrs. Peterman's class. She loves learning and is always putting in her best effort. Emily is a kind student and leader to her peers. She has been a wonderful addition to our community.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Thank you Milford Hungry Howie's (General Motors Drive/Milford) for donating a free junior pizza.

10/1/25 Student Count Day

10/3 - 10/8/25 Hearing Screening (K, 2, 4, SE)

10/7/25 Early Release Day (Students dismissed at 2:37)

10/8/25 PTO meeting in the cafeteria @ 9:30

10/10/25 Fire Prevention Assemblies (K-2)

10/17/25 Breakfast with a Buddy at in the cafeteria (8-9) / Mobile Dentist

10/31/25 Fall Costume Parade @ 9:45 / Student 1/2 Day (Students dismissed at 12:40)

10/1/25 Student Count Day

10/3 - 10/8/25 Hearing Screening (K, 2, 4, SE)

10/7/25 Early Release Day (Students dismissed at 2:37)

10/8/25 PTO meeting in the cafeteria @ 9:30

10/10/25 Fire Prevention Assemblies (K-2)

10/17/25 Breakfast with a Buddy at in the cafeteria (8-9) / Mobile Dentist

10/31/25 Fall Costume Parade @ 9:45 / Student 1/2 Day (Students dismissed at 12:40)

Thank you to the Huron Valley community for voting for the bond that has supported so many wonderful things within our district. Of the many things that the district was able to do, an instrument update was one of them! We have new drums, new xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, ukuleles and piano. The students have been so excited to add these new instruments into the mix!

Each month, our friends at the Milford Independent Cinema help us to recognize two students for their creativity and/or leadership at school. Each recipient is given a certificate explaining why he or she is nominated and also two free tickets to a movie of their choice at the cinema. The tickets also come with free popcorn and a free soft drink. This month we are recognizing Charlie Bottomly and Gracie Lafave for the outstanding impact they are making at school.

Charlie is in Mrs. Fontaine's fifth grade classroom. He works hard in class every day and is a dependable volunteer in both our Kats (Mrs. Kleepack and Mrs. Tabbert's) classrooms and with our friends in Mrs. Felt's room. He values inclusivity and goes to great lengths to make all students at Kurtz feel good about being at school. He is a role model to his peers.

Gracie is a fourth grader in Mrs. Hathaway's classroom. She consistently demonstrates remarkable creativity through her colorful and detailed work. In addition, she makes sure to go out of her way each day to make new students feel welcome and included at Kurtz. Above all, Gracie shines in her everyday kindness and shows compassion and respect to everyone she encounters. Gracie makes her classroom and the entire school community a better place.

These students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Each year, all of the public school districts in Michigan are allocated a budget by the state. For the past few years, additional funding has been dedicated to our school district in order to ensure free breakfast and lunches would be provided to each and every student. That funding has not yet been approved or allocated at the point this article was written. This has left our Michigan school districts "in limbo" regarding what to do about the costs related to continuing to provide breakfast and lunch to students at no charge to families. Huron Valley Schools has made this practice a priority and will continue providing free breakfasts and lunches to all students until further notice. Our district believes that providing meals to our students is not just our responsibility—it’s our priority. We know how important proper nutrition is to their well-being, focus, and success throughout the day, and we are fully committed to ensuring no child goes without a meal. We are excited to be able to continue to provide free meals to all of our students at Kurtz and hope the state budget will reflect a similar commitment to our students when they finalize our budget for the 2025-26 school year.

With that said, we greatly appreciate parents filling out our Free & Reduced Meal Applications as usual. These applications help secure future funding and allow us to continue offering services like these. Click here for a direct link to the application.

Due to increased dairy costs from our vendor, the price of milk for students who are not purchasing a full lunch will now be $0.65 per carton. There is no change for students who receive milk as part of a complete reimbursable meal — it will still be included as usual. This change applies only to students who choose to buy milk separately, such as those bringing lunch from home.

Click here for the link to our Food Services page on the district website.

Thank you to the entire Kurtz community for making the 2025 Kurtz Color Run such a HUGE success. The shared focus our school leaders and our PTO group has in place is to make sure we are able to minimize fundraising throughout the school year, expecting students to sell things or parents to purchase items like magazines, wrapping paper or other items. The Color Run has become our greatest focus on funding our PTO for an entire school year because there is a short time commitment and HUGE interest for students. Each year, our families seem to support our initiatives because they understand that our fundraising does indeed circle right back to Kurtz. Our PTO supports classroom projects, initiatives, assemblies, student needs and so much more. Our PTO supports classroom teachers and the entire staff at Kurtz in so many positive ways as well. Setting financial goals for the year is so greatly appreciated by the entire Kurtz team. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for seeing the opportunities that will come directly from your financial support of the Kurtz Color Run.

The addition of our Sensory Friendly Color Run, this year was such a point of pride for our entire community. Students in our categorical programs were able to maximize their Color Run experience by participating in a more sensory friendly option. Students in our general education classrooms were given the option to participate in this program. Our student volunteers were able to enhance their experience by using streamers instead of chalk. Students in the programs seemed to have a blast without the chalk. This new addition seems like a no brainer by all members of the Kurtz team and look forward to it being a regular part of our activities including the Color Run and Field Day.

We are absolutely thrilled to share the incredible results of our biggest fundraiser of the year — the Color Run! With your support, we surpassed our $25,000 goal and raised a record-breaking $38,784.82! We are now able to cover our entire proposed budget and add additional experiences to enrich our students' education at Kurtz!

This amazing achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the entire school community. Thank you to:

• Our community and family t-shirt sponsors and classroom sponsors

• The families who helped students collect donations

• Our dedicated teachers and team leaders who kept the excitement going in their classrooms and beyond

• And our amazing volunteers, especially those who weren’t afraid to get messy and colorful so the kids could have an unforgettable time!

To ensure fairness, winners were calculated based on the percentage of the fundraising goal met, rather than the total dollar amount raised — since class and grade sizes vary. This allowed every group a fair shot at the fun rewards! Leaderboards were closed at 10AM on Friday, but FundHub will remain open and accepting donations through Friday, October, 3.

Classroom Winners:

• 1st Place: Mrs. Latimer – Silly String Mr. Chisik at the Color Run!

• 2nd Place: Mrs. Fontaine – Glow in the Dark PE Class with Mr. Brugger

• 3rd Place: Mrs. Hathaway – Mini Air Dry Clay Club with Mrs. Kaczor

Grade Level Winners:

• 1st Place: Fourth Grade – Pizza Party

• 2nd Place: First Grade + Mrs. Tabbert – Cider & Donut Party + Extra Recess

• 3rd Place: Third Grade + Mrs. Felt – Popcorn & Movie Party

Individual Student Winners:

• 1st Place: Edith S. - Principal for a 1/2 Day!

• 2nd Place: Kallie D. – Principal for a 1/2 Day!

• 3rd Place: Meredith K. – Gift card from HVS Rec and Ed!

Whole School Prize for hitting our goal: Whole school recess!

Team Leader Winner: Mrs. Gerwolds. - $100 Amazon gift card

Top-Earning Teacher: Mrs. Latimer - $100 Amazon gift card

Top-Dollar Shout Out: Mrs. Peterman – A week of VIP parking in Mr. Chisik’s spot!

Top School Spirit Award: Mrs. Shaw - $50 in Novella's gift cards

Last month, Mrs. Zimmerman and Mr. Chisik had the opportunity to present the Watch D.O.G.S. program to our positive male role models. Our prospective Watch D.O.G.S. were able to learn about the program and even sign up for their special day at school. We greatly appreciate our community partners at Hungry Howie's in Milford for donating the pizza and bread sticks for the event. We also greatly appreciate our PTO for consistently supporting the Watch D.O.G.S. program.

Click here to see all open positions at Kurtz and in Huron Valley.

This year, we are welcoming a number of new team members to Kurtz. This gives us a great opportunity to re-establish some of the expectations we have in place at school. We are working very hard to always provide consistent expectations in every space of our great school community. One of our goals this year is to really "LEVEL UP" our focus on engaging with students in consistent ways. This means staff members at every grade level will be working together to rollout and maintain the expectations we have for our students in the classrooms, in the hallways, in the cafeteria and on the playground. With the support of each and every stakeholder at Kurtz, we can "LEVEL UP" the quality of the experiences everyone has at Kurtz, every day. Please take the time to review our Student Behavior Matrix and talk with your child(ren) about how they are going to "LEVEL UP" at school this year.

Below is an excerpt from the HVS Student Code of Conduct:

DRESS - A student shall not dress or groom in a manner, which in the judgment of a building administrator or school personnel, may be harmful to the student or others or disruptive to the educational process.

Students should dress in a manner that is appropriate for the weather and conducive to the learning environment.

Important Guidelines:

• Shorts and skirts must be long enough for all school activities. This includes: PE, recess, sitting on the floor and all types of movement.

• Shoes should be safe for all school activities such as PE and recess. Closed-toe shoes are highly recommended. Flip flops are not conducive to school activities.

• Midriffs should not be showing.

• Tank tops may be worn, but should have thick straps, not spaghetti straps.

• No hats or hoods will be worn in school, other than Hat Spirit Days.

• Makeup should not be worn to school.

• Clothing with inappropriate or disrespectful sayings, logos, or images are not permitted. This includes but is not limited to: alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, or profanity.

School begins at 9:15 AM and ends at 4:08 PM. Doors open at 9:05 AM.

• Early dismissal days end at 2:37 PM

• 1/2 Day dismissal days end at 12:40 PM

Please SAVE our 24-Hour attendance line number in your phone contacts: 248-684-8026 for all attendance related calls. Attendance is an important component in a students education. If we do not hear from you, it is our policy to call to verify your student's absence.

If your child will be absent for an extended period of time, please make sure to complete a Pre-Arranged Absence Form found HERE and return it to the front office prior to the absence.

In the past few years, we have experienced a significant rise in what the state refers to as chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined as students exceeding 10% of days attended for any given school year. Letters are sent to parents of students who typically have missed 10 or more days of school.

Parents may not be aware of the implications related to excessive days missed from school. You should be aware of the issues related to missing portions of learning in multiple academic areas. Students who miss topics are expected to play catch up when they return. Students miss collaborative work and the important scaffolding that occurs in classrooms each day.

With that being said, sicknesses, family emergencies and/or special circumstances are a part of the landscape in schools. We understand that things do happen, but hope parents go to great lengths to make sure students are at school each and every day, from bell to bell.

Late drop-offs and early pick-ups should also be avoided whenever possible. We strongly encourage parents to work hard to get students to school by 9:15 and allow them to finish the day at 4:08. Parents should know that we are very proud of our pick-up and drop-off process at Kurtz. We have a solid, average time of about twelve minutes for parents to drop off and pick up their child(ren). We work very hard to make the process safe, quick and run as smoothly as possible. If the bus is not a possibility for your family, please work with us to get your child to school on time, and to keep the car loop line moving smoothly. Remember to respect the parents behind you by getting kids in and out of the vehicle quickly and safely and always moving forward in order to get the maximum amount of students in and out of cars. Our hope is that we always work together as a team, in order to ensure the highest degree of success possible for every student at Kurtz.

Kurtz staff members make it a priority to start each day connecting with students. Our team members meet students outside at their designated doors at 9:00. Parents should note there is no supervision of students before 9:00, so students should not be released from cars until that supervision is in place. The first bell rings at 9:10 and the tardy bell rings at 9:15. If your child arrives after 9:15, parents must escort their child into the building in order to sign him/her in.

Where should your child meet their class each morning?

Kindergarten: Meets under the awning near the main entrance.

First Grade: Meets at the door labeled A5 (in front of the building/orange hall).

Second Grade: Meets under the awning near the main entrance.

Third Grade: Meets at the door labeled B6 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / green hall).

Fourth Grade: Meets at the door labeled B3 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / blue hall).

Fifth Grade: Mrs. Fontaine's class meets at the door labeled A5. Phillips & Spurlock meet at the door labeled A8 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / purple hall).

Teachers will have signs outside, with their name and grade level, during the first week of the school year!

Parents picking up their child(ren) should start a line-up on Kurtz Drive (before the island with our school sign) in order to allow for our special education buses to load and depart each day. This process will be in place throughout the school year and staff members will be on hand to remind drivers to get in the line up. We appreciate your patience and support as visitors become acclimated to our processes and protocols. You can read more about our process below.

Students who are allowed to exit the building through the playground, reside in the neighborhoods surrounding our building. Although we do not monitor or enforce traffic in that area at the school level, car riders are expected to drop off and pick up students from the front of our building in the pick-up drop-off lane. Please consider using our formal pick-up and drop-off loop instead of the adjacent neighborhoods. If you do, please be safe, follow posted signage and do not block driveways.

Milford Police have been alerted to address concerns related to Kurtz community members picking up or dropping off students from the neighborhood side of our campus. We understand that parents may be using that area to avoid waiting in our formal car loop in front of the school. Our neighbors indicate that cars regularly block driveways and/or narrowly avoid accidents trying to navigate the narrow connecting road just behind our playground. Milford Police has informed us that they will be monitoring that no parking zone between Hill and Noble Street during pick up and drop off times. They have made clear that improper parking citations will be issued to parents parked on that street starting in September.

We are very proud of the pick-up and drop-off processes we have in place at Kurtz. We work hard to make this daily routine safe and effective. There are Kurtz staff members assigned to ensuring our systems work effectively, while still making sure to use the time to connect with students and provide support when and if support is needed. We assure you that our system works and is most effective when visitors follow our plan. We are always focused on getting you in and out of the parking lot as quickly as possible. Visitors can help us make pick-up and drop-off times flow best by not parking on the curb during pick-up and drop-off times.

· Mind the 15 MPH speed limit on Kurtz Drive.

· Vehicles should be pulling all the way up and quickly getting child(ren) in and out of the car. Please do not get out and help children in or out of the vehicle.

· Utilize pick-up and drop-off Kurtz staff or park if your child requires extra support.

· Visitors should never pass in the left lane of the loop because it is not safe for our students and could (and has) resulted in damage to vehicles, adding unnecessary stress on individuals. We feel strongly that passing really only has the potential to save a few seconds on your commute and strongly expect you not to do it.

· If you are planning to park, please park in a designate parking space. Kurtz staff members park in the back of the lot in order to make it as easy as possible for parents to find a parking space in our small parking lot. Also, students should never be walking through the parking lot without an adult. Parents, please observe the posted speed limit sign on Kurtz Drive.

· We ask parents to respect our neighbors and never block driveways when you are picking up or dropping off. We have also been contacted by our neighbors at the Document Store to ask parents not to use their parking lot as a pick-up space.

Parents are not to escort their child(ren) to their classrooms for various health and safety reasons. Teachers meet their students outside each morning to start the day in a positive and personal manner. Your participation in this process is both expected and appreciated. Please feel free to share ideas and suggestions in writing with me, Mr. Chisik, at your earliest convenience

We recognize that parking at Kurtz is a challenge, especially during those special times of the year when we invite family members in to school. Another way of showing support to your Kurtz team is to refrain from parking past the stop sign to the left of the gym. The area in the back of the building, by the cafeteria door, is considered the staff parking area. The exception to that designation is the signed handicapped parking spots. Thank you in advance for making sure your Kurtz team members have easy access to the school at all times during the school day.

Students requiring medication at school must have an Administering Medication Plan of Care form. There are also plans of care for: allergies, asthma, seizure , and topical medication. These forms need to be completed by both a doctor as well as a parent or guardian.

You can access plans of care HERE.

All medication, including over-the-counter must be dispensed through the office and needs completed Plan of Care Forms. All medications must be in their original packaging with prescription sticker.

Please inform the office and your child(ren)'s teacher of any health concerns including allergies (food, insects, or seasonal) or any special needs your child may have. Your child(ren)'s records will be kept confidential and are crucial in an emergency situation.

At Kurtz, each WATCH D.O.G. must complete a CRC (criminal background check) and agree to following the expectations we have in place for them each day. We are very proud of our program as it provides our volunteers with a clear schedule for the day that get's them into their child(ren)'s classrooms, specials, have lunch and go out to recess with them. Our volunteers understand they are here to support students and to be visible on campus. WATCH D.O.G.S. walk the exterior of the building making sure doors are secured and that students are safe. They help out in classrooms, in the lunchroom and on the playground. Our WATCH D.O.G.S. know that their day is about students and not about them.

This year we are asking WATCH D.O.G.S. to sign up for one school day. This change is taking place this year in order to create opportunities for our positive male role models to lock in a day at school. We believe that doubling up on WATCH D.O.G.S. takes away from the special experience our volunteers experience on their day, so we are focused on continuing to have one WATCH D.O.G. at a time on duty during the school year.

Stay tuned for information on our WATCH D.O.G.S.' pizza kick-off night when Mr. Chisik and Mrs. Zimmerman will be presenting more information to new and interested members of the Kurtz community. Volunteers will be able to sign up for their day starting at the pizza kick-off. The calendar will be displayed in the main hallway, across from the main office, for parents and kids to review.

All visitors to Kurtz must enter through the main office where they will be required to sign in and present identification. If an individual is interested in volunteering in a classroom at Kurtz, he or she must have a completed CRC (Criminal Records Check) on file here at the building and have their visit scheduled with the classroom teacher. A CRC is good for the school year that it was completed in, so it is important to make sure you complete the process if you would like to volunteer in the building in the new school year.

A CRC is not required for guests to attend large events or classroom parties where there is a teacher or designated staff member supervising students. We do encourage all parents to complete the form in order to help ensure our ability to maintain a safe and secure environment at school.

All families with emails entered in Skyward should have received a message directly from Droplet inviting you to complete the CRC form. If you have not received your email, please check your spam folder. You can use the link emailed from Droplet for multiple CRC applications.

Click here to complete a CRC form.

During the school day, if you need to drop off something that was forgotten by your child, we have a procedure in place. When you come in through the main doors at Kurtz, you will find a black shelving unit that is set up for each grade level. There is always a stack of Post-it notes that parents can use to identify their child and teacher. Leave the item, with the Post-it note attached, in the designated space on the shelf, according to grade level. Visitors do not need to buzz the office in order to let the team know. Our amazing office team sees you on camera and checks the shelves throughout the day to make sure each child gets their lunch, backpack, water bottle, etc.

Keeping our students hydrated throughout the school day is very important, however current trends with water bottles has led to some issues within our classrooms. Very large and/or metal water bottles are taking up a lot of space on desks or in designated water spots in classes and often fall to the ground creating a very startling distraction. If you choose to send a water bottle in with your child, please consider purchasing a light weight, plastic bottle that is 20 fluid ounces or less. As a side note, we often have a limited number of plastic bottles that are often donated to us through community partners for children who lose or forget their water bottle, there are also water fountains (that are attached to the same filtration system as our bottle fillers are) that students can have access to. If you are interested in donating unused water bottles to Kurtz for students, please contact Mr. Chisik directly. Rest assured that water breaks, movement breaks, bathroom breaks are all a part of daily routines at Kurtz Elementary School.

It is important to know the role of the traditional school social worker has evolved over the years. At Kurtz, our social workers do a lot to support what we refer to as social emotional learning or SEL. SEL is a big part of our work together and can be observed in every corner of the school, in the cafeteria an on the playground. Our full time building social worker, Mrs. Smith leads our Positive Behavior Intervention system and the paraprofessionals that work with our staff and students to make sure they have the tools they need in order to solve problems and navigate issues with others. Our social workers are a part of our BEST process where we support students by implementing systems that are designed to make every child thrive, regardless of obstacles. Mrs. Smith often tells children that she is the feelings teacher at Kurtz in order to help them to navigate issues and learn about how to utilize tools like deep breathing, taking breaks, talking things out or just encouraging the children to connect and share "worries" at school with their family members. If you hear that your child has gone to see Mrs. Smith or our part time social worker Mrs. Mattingly, know that they have been able to work with them to solve a problem, which has been a part of the way we have serviced students for years at Kurtz. Please know that our social work team reaches back out to parents whenever an issue occurs that is larger than a disagreement or misunderstanding between students. Our SEL team wants you to know that they are here to provide support to family members looking for creative ways to solve problems and are very much plugged in to the community. Their community connections make them the best member of your community based support team to help parents navigate difficult situations when they need it most.

Our social workers work hand in hand with the principal in order to make sure that all community members are supported appropriately. As many of you know, every staff member at Kurtz is a mandatory reporter (click here to read more about mandatory reporting) and is expected, by law to report issues to the state when he or she suspects the possibility of neglect or abuse. Our teachers and social workers do everything in their power to understand that children often say things that are questionable and even false.

Kurtz Elementary has and will continue to follow the district policy on electronics. To ensure that no misunderstanding occurs relating to this issue, we consider a Kindle, Nook, tablet, smart watch or even a cell phone to fit into the district’s set position on the student’s use of electronics. Please check out the district’s policy.

As technology is becoming more and more a part of our lives, we at Kurtz realize that many devices can be used in the classrooms to enhance the educational experience for our students. We are moving forward with the integration of technology while limiting the amount of distractions that may be created in the learning environment. We are a one-to-one district. This means we have a Chromebook for each student to access during the school day.

Parents are asked not to give in to sending students with cell phones, smart watches or other devices as our focus is on maximizing positive social experiences for our students. We find that students with devices often choose those devices over interacting with friends. Also, students are often tempted to take and send pictures of one another that might not be approved or appreciated. We have protocols in place for parents to use in order to communicate with their children without calling or texting them directly during school hours.

Student possession of an electronic device in the building is allowed and subject to the discretion of the classroom teacher. The administrative staff, along with the classroom teacher, reserves the right to define the educational value of any new electronic devices that may become available in the future, and to prohibit or allow their use accordingly. Possession of an electronic device by a student is a privilege and will be forfeited by any student not following school policies and/or classroom protocols. If a parent chooses to send a child to school, the device must be off and in a backpack or pocket. A student using a device without permission or in an inappropriate fashion will result in the device being turned in to the principal. Parents will be called and will be responsible for picking the device up in the office. Please ask your child’s teacher for more information regarding classroom expectations if your child is interested in bringing a device from home.

If a teacher allows students to bring in a device that teacher must provide a secure location in the classroom. The student is personally responsible for the safety and security of their electronic device when it is not secured by the classroom teacher.

Students may not text, email, take pictures or otherwise use a personal device on school property during school hours. Please note, if a parent allows their child(ren) to bring in a device to school, the device must be turned off and put away. All communication during the school day should be through the teacher and/or main office in order to avoid distraction during learning time or confusion related to messages that are not communicated to all parties.

Click here to download a BYOD permission form.

Kurtz Elementary School strives to create a safe zone for all students, staff members and visitors. During the school day, we do not allow dogs on our school campus. As the weather starts to warm up, we understand the interest our families may have in bringing the dog along to drop off or pick up Kurtz students from school each day. We recognize and appreciate how well trained and/or well behaved your dog may seem, but we also respect the fact that all parents expect their child(ren) to be safe at school each day. Even well-trained/behaved fury friends can have unexpected responses while out in public. This means parents, guardians, and visitors should not bring their four legged family members to the school at drop-off or pick-up time under any circumstances.

It should be noted that you may hear about visits from Rosie, the district’s resident therapy dog. Rosie has had extensive training and is a certified therapy dog and is recognized by the State of Michigan as a certified therapy dog. Rosie also carries liability insurance as a part of the partnership agreement we have with her owner.

OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials, about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.

Facebook: KurtzSchool

Instagram: @kurtzelementary

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Youtube: Kurtz Elementary School

Email: steve.chisik@hvs.org
Website: http://www.hvs.org/schools/elementaryschools/kurtz/
Location: 1350 Kurtz Drive, MI, United States
Phone: (248) 684-8250