Yake Gator Bites

I can hardly believe we have reached the beginning of the 2024.25 school year. I hope that all of our Yake families had safe and relatively enjoyable summer vacations.

I am looking forward to seeing all of my Gators when they return to school on Tuesday!

I am especially looking forward to meeting all of our new Gators and their families. I know they will all be outstanding Gators!

We are going to have a fantastic year!!

• September 3rd - First Day of School! - a full day for all students!
• September 18th - Our first PTO meeting of the year staring at 6:00 p.m.! - details coming soon!
• September 19th - Watch D.O.G.S. Dads & Kids Pizza Night starting at 6:00 p.m. in our cafeteria
• September 22nd - Fall Festival from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the Yake grounds
• October 3rd - Picture Day!

Please take a peek at the script for a phone message that will be going out to all Yake families on Friday evening. The call will note that Tuesday morning will be a Kiss & Go morning as families will drop their children off at their classroom doors starting at 9:00 a.m. Parents wishing to drop their children off in the loop will be asked to start doing so at 8:50 a.m. Please make sure that your Gator(s) are ready to exit the car as you pull up. We need to work together to keep that loop moving starting at 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Please note that if you are in a hurry on Tuesday morning, Yake is not a place where you will want to be. Our parking lots will be full of happy Gators and patient families.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

I can't wait to see our Gators when they come to school on Tuesday morning. We are going to have an outstanding year!

Tim Podlewski

Good evening, this is Mr. Podlewski calling with a message for our Yake families. I can hardly believe that we are down to our last weekend of the summer. All students begin with a full day of school starting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Please note that all students will arrive to and be dismissed from their exterior classroom doors on Tuesday. Starting on Wednesday morning, parents with children in Young Fives and kindergarten are asked to park in the visitor’s lot and walk their children to the main doors where they will be escorted to their indoor morning line-up locations by their safeties or their teachers. Parents of 1st graders are asked to walk their children to the exterior classroom doors until they are comfortable finding their exterior classroom doors on their own. Please do not drop students off in grades 2-5 before 8:50 a.m. Please feel free to contact our main office if you have any questions about our morning drop-off procedures. Please be patient during morning drop-off, especially on the first day and first week of school. If you are in a hurry in the morning, waiting in the morning drop-off loop on the first day of school is not the place where you will want to be.

Children wishing to come in for breakfast may enter through the front doors starting at 8:40 a.m.

As a reminder, outside visitors are not allowed in our school without an appointment or unless they are scheduled to work as a volunteer. Any parent or visitor wishing to drop off or pick up a child, drop off a backpack or a lunch, etc. will need to call our office at (734)692-2230 or press the Ring Doorbell for assistance. Staff members will welcome students in, assist them in getting to class and/or pick up backpacks, lunches and/or similar items as needed.

If parents wish to pick students up prior to dismissal, our office must be called before 3:20 p.m. Children will not be walked out to parents after 3:20 p.m.

I hope all of our families have a great evening and a wonderful Labor Day weekend! I will look forward to seeing all of my Gators when they return to school on Tuesday morning. Remember, Tuesday morning will be a kiss and go morning as parents will say goodbye at the classroom exterior doors starting at 9:00 a.m.

I wanted to welcome some new faces to Yake Elementary School.

• Lisa McMahan - K-2 ASD classroom Teacher

• Sarah Stahl - Social Worker
• Lisa Rinker - Student Advocate
• Shelbi Atwood - GSRP Teacher (not new, but officially on board!)
• Abbey Pratt - Speech (filling in for Amanda Campeau. while she is on maternity leave to start the year)
• Deborah Childress - Independence Paraprofessional
• Morgan Dziendziel - Independence Paraprofessional
• Amy Martin - Early Elementary Paraprofessional
• Lindsay McGarry - Early Elementary Paraprofessional
• Pam Sabell - Uper-El ASD classroom Paraprofessional
• Mary Weimer - Uper-El ASD classroom Paraprofessional

Please join me in welcoming our new staff members! We are fortunate to have such great additions to our team at Yake Elementary School.

I wanted to thank Rachel Speck, Lead Pastor of Daily Church who continued the work on our playground that was started by Colston Copeland and the Church of the Way! Our playground equipment looks brand new and will be such a treat for our Gators returning to school.

Big "Thank you!" to the Daily Church and Church of the Way volunteers who spent so much time on our playground. We appreciate you!

When dropping off and picking up students, we ask you observe the following safety procedures:

Drop Off:

• The drop-off lane is open.

• This is our KISS & GO ZONE. Pull up next to the sidewalk to let your student out of your vehicle from the passenger side ONLY.

• Please do not drop off your students in the parking lot or in the second lane of traffic.

• If your student needs assistance exiting the car, you MUST park your car in the lot and walk your student to the front of the school to ensure a safe crossing from the parking lot.

• Students should not be permitted to walk past parked or moving cars unescorted.

• All students will line up outside at their classroom doors.

Pick Up:

• Y5 & K car rider parents will pick up their child from their classroom’s exterior doors at 3:25pm.

• 1st grade car rider parents will pick up their child from their classroom’s exterior doors at 3:30pm

• 2 - 4 grade walkers / car riders will be released from their classroom exterior doors at 3:45pm

• You may meet your child at their classroom doors and escort them to your car.

• Do not call your student to your car if you are parked in the main lot

Parents and visitors are asked to park in the Visitor's Parking lot, especially before 8:50 a.m. Staff members need to be able to park in order to get to their classrooms. Please assist us in keeping the spots in the staff parking lot open for staff, at least until 8:50 a.m. each morning.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Please click here or on the image below to see this year's bus routes. They should be the same as last year.

Please click here for more information about our Transportation Department as listed on our District website.

As a reminder, no outside visitors will be allowed in our school unless they are volunteering or have an appointment. Any parent or visitor wishing to drop off or pick up a child, drop off a backpack or a lunch, etc. will need to call our office at (734)692-2230 for assistance. Staff members will welcome student in, escort students out and/or pick up backpacks, lunches and/or similar items as needed.

Yes, volunteers are welcome. However, they must be i-chat approved and the application is due one week prior to volunteering. To assess an IChat form, (Click here) and then click on the IChat form.

If parents wish to pick students up prior to dismissal, our office must be called before 3:20 p.m. Children will not be walked out to parents after 3:20 p.m.

Every Gator in grades 1-4 will be issued touch-screen Chromebooks. The Chromebooks will usually remain in the classrooms, but damages can occur and repair charges can range from $25 to $200 or $300 for a full replacement. For an annual cost of $20, your Gator's Chromebook will be protected!

To enroll in the protection plan for 2024-2025, you can enroll by submitting payment through Parent Connect, available within the WBSD app. Here are the step-by-step instructions at bit.ly/WBSDhelp on how to make payment via Parent Connection. Alternatively, if online payment is not possible please print and complete the form from bit.ly/protectplan and send it with a check made payable to WBSD to the address below. Contact the WBSD Central Office at 734-783-3300 for any questions or concerns.

*Please address checks/cash to the Technology Department, 24821 Hall Road, Woodhaven, MI, 48183.

The Technology Protection Plan must be paid by September 30th of each school year or two weeks after your student(s) enrolls at WBSD Schools.

The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students once again this year thanks to the Michigan Healthy School Meals Program!

New this year, all breakfast and lunch menus are available for families to view through the Nutrislice app. View menus online or with the Nutrislice app.

mywbsd.nutrislice.com

Children who are coming in for breakfast will be allowed to enter Yake through the maind doors at 8:40 a.m. and head to the cafeteria for breakfast. All other Gators in grades 1-4 will enter their classes through the exterior classroom doors at 9:00 a.m. Young Fives & kindergarten Gators will be allowed to enter through the main doors at 8:50 a.m. and line up outside of their classrooms.

Calling all Dads!

Mark your calendars to help us bring Watch D.O.G.S. back to Yake Elementary School!

Yake was the first school to establish a Watch D.O.G.S. program in Southeast Michigan when we got started on May 17, 2010.

Starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 19th. We will have our Dads & Kids Pizza Night. This introduction program is for all new “Dads” and veteran “DOGS” to learn more about the program and to sign up for the 2024.25 school year.

For more information about the Watch D.O.G.S. program, click here.

For a copy of the Dads & Kids Pizza Night flyer (to RSVP), click here.

To access the ICHAT (background check and volunteer waiver form) so that you can volunteer as a Watch D.O.G., click here. By bringing the completed form and a copy of your driver's license to the dinner, we can get you up and running as a Watch D.O.G.

I am very excited to see Watch D.O.G.S. get back up and running this year!

A flyer and a link to book your room can be found below! You don't want to miss out on a great deal for a room and a few days of waterpark fun with some great Yake families at Kalahari on President's Day, which will be on Monday, February 17, 2025! The rooms sell out every year. Be sure to book early to reserve your room.

All about i-Ready for parents! Please see the videos below for information about the i-Ready diagnostic and the i-Ready program.

Additional information will be coming throughout the year. i-Ready is a great resource for tracking your Gator's academic growth in Reading and Math, particularly when reviewing initial (September), mid-year (January) and end of the year (May) data.

We will all work diligently to help our Gators demonstrate academic growth throughout the year.

Click here to access a FAQ parent guide which will be updated throughout the year.

Your one stop quick reference!

Home of the Gators!

Where our Gators "Give and Expect the Best!" everyday!

Email: podlewt@wbsdweb.com
Website: https://www.mywbsd.org/yes
Phone: (734)692-2230
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yakepto
Twitter: @YakeGators