Yake Elementary School

Good afternoon, I hope that you are having a great day!  Please take a peek at our Gator Bites for the upcoming 4-day week.  In our newsletter you will learn about our upcoming Yake Family Dinner night taking place at Bierhaven on Tuesday, M-STEP testing for 3rd & 4th graders, Kindergarten Orientation, the Gator Family Fun Run and more. You will also find information about our Teacher Request policy and request form (due by May 1st), a link to have your child join you for work and have the absence excused for Take Our Daughters & Sons to School Day and more.  We will share information about Bike & Roll to school day on May 7th where Mr. Crane and I will be riding our bikes to school and hope to meet up with some Gators along the way. https://secure.smore.com/n/6y2dq Please take a moment to review and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

📣 We're Hiring! The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District is looking for passionate, dedicated professionals to join our team! 💜If you love working with students and want to make a real difference every day, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. Come be a part of the WBSD family and help shape the future—one student at a time. ✨📚 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/3d35h52f #WhyWBSD #NowHiring #JoinOurTeam #EducationCareers #MakeADifference

Good Morning! Please see the message below from Coach Hammerle. Yake has a history of performing really well at the fall and spring track opportunities. Please see the attached flyer and click on the image below if you would like your Gator to join Mr. Crane and our team at the Jim Bigham Mile at WHS on Saturday, April 12th. We hope to see many Gators and their families there! Tim Podlewski We are less than 1 week from registration closing for this year's Elementary Mile Championship. Registration will close at 11:59 on Wednesday April 9th. As of right now, the registration numbers are as follows: BATES - 10G/9B ERVING - 2G/6B GUDITH - 9G/15B WEGIENKA - 4G/5B YAKE - 12G/24B Thank you for your support! Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nyz9TZlkiPjqOretlr0r0aW8M0t0uraXPVIHeZpzmNs/edit?usp=sharing Jake Hammerle Varsity Cross Country Head Coach Varsity Track & Field Head Coach Woodhaven High School 24787 Van Horn Rd. Brownstown MI 48134 Mobile| 734.673.1557 Athletic Office| 734.789.2077

📚 Join us for the final "The Anxious Generation" Book Study Discussion! Whether you've been part of the journey or want to jump in now, we’d love to have you! 🗓 When: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 7 PM 📍 Where: Woodhaven High School 📖 What: A discussion on The Anxious Generation—exploring the impact of social media on children’s mental health with parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators. Light refreshments and small appetizers will be provided. Please RSVP to help us plan accordingly! https://tinyurl.com/2p9unwrt #WhyWBSD #TheAnxiousGeneration #ParentEngagement #MentalHealthMatters

Let's get ready for school! The latest episode of the Warrior Way Podcast features GSRP teacher Jennifer Danosky and Young Fives teacher Kara Hool as they talk about some of the things that families can be doing at home to prepare students for when they come to school in the fall! Remember, GSRP, Young Fives and Kindergarten enrollment is happening now! Listen to the episode here https://rss.com/podcasts/thewarriorway/1952155/ or on Spotify, Tune-In or many other podcast platforms!

Good afternoon, I know that tour staff members, Gators, and their families are all all excited to begin Spring Break.  Please click on the link below to take a peek at our Gator Bites for the week that we return from break.  You will find information about our next Yake Family Dinner Night, which will be at Bierhaven on April 16th, M-STEP testing, our Kindergarten Orientation for the Classes of 2038 & 2039 and more.  You will also find links to order your yearbook (before March 28th, request a teacher for the 2025/26 school year, a form for Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day and more. https://secure.smore.com/n/tcd7n  Please take a moment to review and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.I hope that all of our families enjoy a warm, safe and fun Spring Break! Tim Podlewski   

Summer EBT is Back! What are SUN Bucks? SUN Bucks is the new name for Summer EBT. Eligible families of school-age children will receive $120 per child for qualifying groceries. Who Should Apply? Families that are not automatically enrolled should apply for SUN Bucks directly. APPLY HERE: https://newmibridges.michigan.gov/s/isd-landing-page?language=en_US Note: Families will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks if they are already enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations) benefits or meet the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. In other words, keep an eye out for $120 per child at the beginning of summer! Where to Find the Application: This application is available online! Deadlines: Apply by April 15, 2025, to be eligible for the first issuance of benefits in May. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 31, 2025. https://newmibridges.michigan.gov/s/isd-landing-page?language=en_US

REMINDER: (As IF students need a reminder!) Spring Recess is coming up next week! School resumes on March 31.

Good afternoon, Happy  or π Day!  Also Happy 120th Day of School for our First Graders!  What a week!  I can't tell you how blown away I was by our PTO, parent volunteers and staff members yesterday.  The Mario Kart track was amazing and our staff members just crushed their roles.  16 years at Yake and I have never heard the gym that loud.  If you haven't seen the video from the race, click on the link in our Gator Bites for a good laugh and a gym filled with Gators smiling, laughing and cheering.  Our staff and parents truly are second to none! Click on the link below to peek at our newsletter to learn more about events coming up the rest of this month and into April.  There is also a link to enroll our next class of Gators as the Classes of 2038 & 2039 (Young Fives) prepare to join us in the fall.  Please don't forget to order your yearbook!  All sales end on March 28th.  Don't be one of the families scrambling to try and buy a yearbook in May and June.  We run out every year.  You will also find links with information about our Teacher Request policy for the 2025.26 school year and Take Your Sons & Daughter to Work Day.  https://secure.smore.com/n/4z3qge  I hope that you enjoy taking a peek at our yearbook and are excited about Spring Break being just around the corner.  Please review and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

Good Evening, Yake Families, As you are aware, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon and evening. Conferences will run between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and again between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. As a result of Parent-Teacher Conferences, our students will have a half-day of school tomorrow with a 12:00 p.m. dismissal. During Parent-Teacher Conferences, your child’s teacher will share current assessment data, information pertaining to your child’s progress in the classroom, and observations of your child’s social interactions with their peers. If your student has been identified as being below grade level benchmark in reading, the teacher will also share your child’s Individualized Reading Intervention Plan (IRIP). Each conference will be limited to ten minutes (unless they are 4th grade student-led conferences, which may take longer). If, after that time, you feel you need additional time, we may arrange an appointment for another conference. Our goal is to have 100% parent attendance at conferences. Following your conferences, please take a moment to complete a Parent-Teacher Conference Experience survey. These surveys can be completed in an online version by clicking on the link below. https://forms.gle/6NucDTqSzDRNm5NV8 Your feedback will be very valuable to our ongoing school improvement efforts. Then, please stop by our Scholastic Book Fair. There isn't a better way to reward a child's academic efforts than by giving them a good book to read. I hope that all of our families enjoy having a positive parent-teacher conference experience tomorrow. Take care and have a great evening! Tim Podlewski

Youth Dance Team Classes are forming NOW! The deadline to register is April 4th, or when all the spots are filled. This program is open to students in first through sixth grades. If you have questions, please email lintonc@wbsdweb.com

🔔 Time to Spring Forward! 🔔 Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead tonight before you go to bed! ⏰ Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Longer days & more sunshine ahead! ☀️Let’s make sure everyone is on time for school and activities on Monday!

Good afternoon, Our volunteers are hard at work preparing for our Winter Carnival which will be opening at 6:00 p.m. this evening. We have new games and lots of prizes and baked goods to win. Click on the link below to learn about the events and activities that will carry us through to Spring Break at the end of the month. https://secure.smore.com/n/dk0qza Don't forget to order your yearbooks as sales end on March 28th. I hope that you enjoy peeking at the newsletter. I look forward to adding pictures from Spirit Week, our author visit with Lisa Wheeler, Winter Carnival and more during the upcoming week. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! I hope to see many of my Gators and their families tonight. Tim Podlewski

🎙️ The Warrior Way Podcast: Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences In the latest episode of The Warrior Way podcast, Superintendent Mark Greathead speaks with Wegienka Elementary Principal Michelle Briegel about how parents can make the most of their elementary parent-teacher conferences. They share helpful tips, key questions to ask, and ways to collaborate with teachers for student success. Listen now here https://rss.com/podcasts/thewarriorway/1908972 or on Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Sirius, or at mywbsd.org!

Good Evening, Yake Families, This is Mr. Podlewski writing to remind all Yake families that we will have a half day of school tomorrow for Record’s Day. As with all half-days, our Gators will be dismissed at 12:00. Also, please be sure to mark your calendars for parent-teacher conferences that are scheduled for next Wednesday, March 12th. We will also have a half day of school on that day. Thank you and enjoy tomorrow afternoon with your Gators. Tim Podlewski

Good Evening, This is Mr. Podlewski writing to remind all of our families about our annual Winter Carnival scheduled to run from 6:00 until 8:00 on Friday evening. Parents, we are in need of donations of baked goods for our cake walk. Please send donated baked goods in with your Gator on either Thursday or Friday morning. Your donations are greatly appreciated as the more baked goods we have, the more Gators will win, which they love doing. Even more important is the request that you bring your whole family for an evening filled with fun, games, and treats. From Carey Ann, our clown, to the cake walk, the duck pond, our photo booth where you can have your picture taken with your best friends, and much, much more. If you did not buy your tickets in advance, they can be purchased when you come to Yake on Friday evening. Caren Ann and I will look forward to seeing all of our Gators on Friday night. Thank you, and have a great evening. Tim Podlewski

Good Evening, This is Mr. Podlewski writing to remind all Yake families about our family fun night that will be taking place on Tuesday evening at Rev’D Up Fun from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For the price of only $14.00 pe-purchase or $19.00 at the door, your Gator(s) can get a luxury wristband. These wristbands are usually $42 and include Ballocity, XD Dark Ride, Spin Zone, Laser Tag, Ropes Course & the Zip Line. Families can also order Arcade Play Cards and Food and Beverages. Click on the link below to pre-order for the event. https://shop.revdupfun.com/retail/items/298b774b-cac6-4624-aced-66ba8b35aad9 We hope to see many of our Gators and their families for a night of fun at Rev’D Up Fun on Monday evening. Tim Podlewski

The Woodhaven Theatre Company would like to share their love of theatre with the elementary students of the WBSD with our annual Drama Llama Day. Each year, the WTC hosts students grades Young 5's through 4th grade for a day of workshops, games and performances at WHS on Saturday, April 26th. Final day to register is March 18. Use the QR code or register here: https://tinyurl.com/3vuvsj2y

Good afternoon, I know families are anxiously awaiting the results of the Penny Wars. As far as I know, the money is still being counted. I feel pretty confident that we will cross the $5,000 goal for the Mario Kart Race!. I will add updates to the newsletter as soon as they are available. In addition to the Penny Wars and the pending Mario Kart race, we have lots going on during the month of March. We start off strong with Mayor Odette and city officials and staff members on Monday who will help us kick off Reading Month. We then have a Rev'D Up Fun Family Night, Reading Month Spirit Week, our Winter Carnival, BINGO for Books and more. Please click on the link below to learn more. https://secure.smore.com/n/zgpf70 Enjoy reading the newsletter! I will have it updated with Penny Wars totals and pictures from the Lumber Jack & Jill breakfast later this afternoon. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

Good morning, The online yearbook ordering for Yake Elementary school is ready! Please click on the link below to access your online yearbook storefront and order your yearbook for $12.00! https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/yakeelementary IMPORTANT: All yearbook sales must conclude on March 28th! Please note that yearbooks aren't included in picture packages, so don't forget to order yours today! Tim Podlewski