Yake Elementary School

Good afternoon, Please take a moment to click on the link below to learn about events coming up next week and during the month of March. You will learn more about our Reading Month Spirit Week, Reading Across America Day with Woodhaven's Mayor Odette, our Rev'D Up Fun family night, our always popular Winter Carnival and more. You will also see some great pictures of our Spirit Squad and a "Thank you!" from our Student Council. https://secure.smore.com/n/nyx0f Please enjoy reading our newsletter and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

Good morning, Please join me in congratulating the Woodhaven Theatre Company and the Play Production class on winning their third straight state championship (and fourth in the last five years). The company of The Price was tremendous throughout the competition at Wayne State University last weekend. The WTC also brought home trophies for the Golden Truck (best load in/out), Black Gaffe (best backstage execution), Fitz Class Act (for behavior, courtesy and kindness), People's Choice Award (voted on by the other participating schools), and many individual, ensemble and crew awards . Former Yake Gators were recognized and received awards in many categories. Yake father and Watch D.O.G., Mike Clemons was honored as 2024-25 Michigan Theatre Teacher of the Year. He has won this award at least four times in his illustrious career. The WTC students are simply outstanding and deserve every accolade that they received. Way to go, Mr. Clemons and the Woodhaven Theatre Company! You make our whole community proud!

Good afternoon, I hope that your Valentine's Day and Mid-Winter Break is off to a great start. Take a peek at our Gator Bites for the upcoming week. You will find information about events coming up in February and the always super busy month of March. You will learn more about our Reading Month Spirit Week, Reading Month activities and reading incentives and more. There is also information about our Rev'D Up Fun outing on March 4th, our Winter Carnival on March 7th, Penny Wars and more. We even have a date for Kindergarten Orientation for the incoming Classes of 2038 & 2039 and the WBSD's Calendar at a Glance for the 2025.26 school year. https://secure.smore.com/n/bnac4w So, there is a lot packed into this newsletter. Happy reading! I will look forward to seeing many of our Gators and their families at Kalahari on Monday. Have a great extended weekend! Tim Podlewski

What is WIN Time? Listen to the most recent episode of the Warrior Way Podcast to find our more about this program which is coming soon to Woodhaven High School and Brownstown Middle School. https://rss.com/podcasts/thewarriorway/1897841

📢 Plan Ahead for the 2025-26 School Year! 📢 The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District Calendar-at-a-Glance for the 2025-26 school year is now available! 🗓️✨ Stay informed about important dates, including conferences, breaks, and more. #WBSD #PlanAhead #202526SchoolYear

Good Evening, This is Mr. Podlewski writing to remind all of my Gators that we will have a half-day of school tomorrow to begin our mid-winter break. We will then be off of school on Monday and Tuesday to complete our mid-winter break. I will look forward to seeing all of my Gators when they return for a full day of school on Wednesday. I hope that all of our families enjoy the mid-winter break. Thank you, and have a great evening. Tim Podlewski

🚨 SCHOOL CLOSURE ALERT 🚨 Due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions, all Woodhaven-Brownstown School District schools will be closed on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Stay safe, stay warm, and enjoy your snow day! ❄️☃️#WBSD #SnowDay #StaySafe

🚀✨ Innovation is in Session! ✨🚀 Our new SMART Lab at Woodhaven Upper Elementary is sparking creativity, exploration, and hands-on learning like never before! From 3D printing to robotics, our students are diving into the future—one project at a time. And the best part? More SMART Labs are coming to WBSD! 🎧 Tune in to the latest episode of The Warrior Way Podcast to hear how these high-tech learning spaces are preparing students for success. 🔗 Listen now: https://rss.com/podcasts/thewarriorway/1886379 #WBSD #TheWarriorWay #SMARTLab #STEMEducation #FutureReady #WhyWBSD

Good afternoon, I hope that you are enjoying the first week of February.  Please click on the link below to learn about dates and events during the month of February.  The calm before the very busy "March is Reading Month" series of events. https://secure.smore.com/n/hpqm2 Please take a moment to review and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Mrs. Crane, Mr. Crane and I look forward to seeing many of our 3rd & 4th graders at the WUE tomorrow morning for Kids Against Hunger.  Always a wonderful experience to help our kids learn about rolling up their sleeves to help others. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

Due to predicted extreme weather that could bring ice and hazardous conditions, all Woodhaven-Brownstown School District schools will be closed on Thursday, February 6, 2025. Please stay safe!

Happy Friday! Our food service provider, Sodexo selected Yake out of all of their schools to film a promotional video/commercial. They loved Yake and our Gators. Take a peek at the Sodexo Bright Bites Kitchen video! This will be a feature of Sodexo's national promotion. https://sodexo.showpad.com/share/nCkbLV5F4VVRfAF1KrrzJ Enjoy! Tim Podlewski

📚❄️ Reminder - NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22, 2025. ❄️📚 Due to dangerously cold temperatures, all Woodhaven Brownstown School District buildings will be closed on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Take a cue from Sidney, who can usually be found at Bates Elementary School, to snuggle up, grab a good book, and dream of warmer days ahead. Sidney has the right idea, bundled up and enjoying a story! 🐾📖

All Woodhaven-Brownstown School District schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22, 2025 due to extreme temperatures and wind chill. Please stay safe and warm!

Good afternoon, I hope that you are managing to stay warm as we prepare for the cold stretch ahead. Don't forget to text WBSD to 888777 to sign up for alerts from the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. Please click on the link below to take a peek at our Gator Bites for the upcoming week. We have some special upcoming events including a Yake Family Dinner Night at Francesca's Brick Oven Pizzeria on January 29th (the Woodhaven Warrior is my favorite pizza!), Kids Against Hunger for our 3rd & 4th graders on February 8th, the Future Chefs Cooking Challenge, the Yake Family Fun Night at Kalahari (we are up to 118 rooms booked!) and more. https://secure.smore.com/n/hs4tkf Please take a moment to review and let me know if you have any questions. I hope that our Gators enjoy the three day weekend and the celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. day on Monday. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

WHS Dance Team is hosting their Annual Winter Junior Warrior Clinic - the time is NOW to register! See the photos above for the details and the link/QR code to register. Register to secure your spot, as registration closes on 1/17 at 3 p.m. or when all spots have been filled.

Good morning! I just received a notice from Kalahari that we are down to only 6 rooms left for our Yake Family Night at Kalahari. Don't miss out on your chance to book your room for the special rate of only $154. This rate includes water park passes for the 17th & the 18th. Please click on the link below to book your room to join me and almost 100 Yake families for some water park fun. https://book.passkey.com/e/50882668 As a note, our event is so popular that other downriver elementary schools are trying to book their own events on President's Day (Wegienka joined in last year). Since they can only book four schools on a date each year, I booked us through 2028 to keep our event and to lock in the $154 rate for the next three years.

Join WBSD's Early On team for a special event, Diapers to Wipers to learn how to "potty like a rockstar!" Please RSVP for the event as space is limited. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemyuHdcyH7Ujavenhg_HlfBebhXTfZ3ZXeBoTddNo24MO6zg/viewform

Good afternoon, I hope that 2025 is off to a great start! How are those resolutions coming along? Please click on the link below to take a peek at our Gator Bites as we charge into the New Year. You will learn more about dates and activities coming up as we move into January and February. https://secure.smore.com/n/mzbnd I look forward to seeing all of my Gators when they return for a full day of school on Monday. I am also looking forward to an evening of Music BINGO fun, karaoke and dancing with some great Yake families and friends next Saturday night. Have a great weekend! Tim Podlewski

Good afternoon, There is such a buzz of joy and happiness throughout the building today. I love all of the memories that our Gators are making as they prepare for the winter break. I know it seems odd to share our newsletter when we will be off for the next two weeks, but I wanted to share a few pictures, remind families of upcoming dates and wish all of our Gators and their families a warm, safe and joyful winter break. https://secure.smore.com/n/rd6sv Have a great weekend and a wonderful Holiday break! Tim Podlewski

Good afternoon, I hope that you are enjoying your day. Please click on the link below to to learn more about the week leading up to the Winter Break. A week often referenced by kindergarten teachers as being filled with "Good Times!" In the Gator Bites you will see the dates for Winter Break, MLK Day and more. You will also have a chance to book one of the last 20 rooms that are still available. https://secure.smore.com/n/972jf I want to give a huge "Thank you!" to our PTO and the volunteers who made our Santa's Secret Shop possible this past week. The amount of time and effort that goes into preparing for this event and buying up, sorting and storing items for Santa's Secret Shop 2025 is significant. I appreciate all of the hard work that goes into making this event possible every year. Please review our Gator Bites for the upcoming week and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I will look forward to seeing many of our Gators and their families for Breakfast with Santa tomorrow morning. Have a great day! Tim Podlewski