It's cold and flu season, so make sure to wash those hands and contact the Whitmer Health Center with all your sickness concerns. There is help!
Please call 567-389-4796 to schedule a medical sick visit today!
1. https://drugfree.org/article/signs-of-drug-use-in-teens/
2. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/Pages/Drug-Abuse-Prevention-Starts-with-Parents.aspx
3. https://jedfoundation.org/nurturing-mental-health-in-2024-your-guide-to-connected-conversations/
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257
STAFF SHOUT:
"Double shoutout to two of Jefferson's newest staff members. Cassi and Ally have jumped right into the dynamics at Jefferson with ease. They were quick to create lasting relationships with our students and the students enjoy them being a part of Jefferson. They fit right in with their hard work, bright ideas, and dedication to our students. We are so lucky to have them!"
Ms. Waggoner and Ms. Evanoff are such wonderful additions to Jefferson AND our district as a whole!
STAFF-TO-STAFF SHOUTOUT:
"Brooke is always SO positive, has the cutest, creative ideas and is truly here for what's best for kids. She did an amazing job with our after-school boxing club last year & the students just absolutely loved having that time with her! She inspires us all in and out of the classroom and we are her biggest fans at Shoreland!"
Snagging this alumni back as an employee was a HUGE Panther FLEX for WLS! Ms. Jacob is the GREATEST!
PARENT-TO-STAFF SHOUT:
"I wanted to send a parent-to-staff shout out for Suzi Leone. She coordinated everything for my daughter who has special needs to stay and participate at Girls Rock at Washington. This is truly touching and heartwarming. Because of Suzi’s hard work and caring spirit, Emily was able to attend her first-ever after school activity, doing crafting that she absolutely loves! Suzi also did a remarkable job with my son (who has very unique needs) and has supported me as a parent. She is a true gem and I appreciate her so much."
Ms. Leone continuously goes above and beyond to include all students and we couldn't be more grateful to her.
FROM SHORELAND ADMIN :
A very BIG shout to our Shoreland Car Loop Teams for their dedication and hard work in keeping our students safe every day! Their commitment to ensuring a smooth and secure drop-off and pick-up experience does not go unnoticed. Their friendly smiles help our students start and end their day positively. Neither Rain, Wind, nor Shine keep these staff members from their daily posts!
THANK YOU TO: Katlyn Fritch, Tammy Conlan, John Rybarczyk, Hope Pawlaczyk, Chris Becker, Judy Morse, Rachel Miller, Taylor Wietrzykowski, Brooke Jacob, Heather Rotunno, Jeremie Forche, Sue Krecioch, Jaime LaPoint, Tiffany Algarin, Erika Jackson, Kelsey Arps, Cindy Perlowitz, Rachel Henke, and Emilie Ponke!"
PARENT SHOUT OUT:
"I would like to thank Whitmer Hockey Head Coach, Kevin Brown, for checking on my son about his injury, and then checking in on him while he was home recuperating from shoulder surgery. Although Cole's injury didn't happen on the ice and has sidelined him for the entire season, he took time out of a Saturday afternoon, (on a game day) to stop by and drop off a care package of goodies to Cole and check on him. We're looking forward to being back at the rink with the team, as soon as possible!"
STAFF SHOUT:
"Chelsey creates the best activities- themed days for students to have one-of-a-kind experiences - like a Disney visit day, with virtual rides! How lucky are we to have a creative brain AND heart at Shoreland!"
Ms. Emahiser makes memories kids will NEVER forget!
PARENT-TO-STAFF SHOUTOUT:
"We'd like to Recognize Madame Angela Hetrick-Goff. She has been checking in with us after our son's shoulder surgery to see how he was doing. She even took time on a Saturday afternoon to stop by and bring Cole a care package from her French Class - Period 2, to let him know that they were thinking about him.
It is the little things like this that make us proud to have our kids in Washington Local. The kindness and compassion we are experiencing is second to none."
Going the extra mile to make a student feel cared about and special is just another reason we are SO LUCKY to have Ms. Hetrick-Goff in WLS!
STAFF SHOUT:
"McGregor is so lucky to have Alexis Green! She always comes to school with a smile on her face and goes above and beyond for our students. She has a big heart and always puts the kids first. Our students are grateful for Mrs. Green ♥️"
Thank you for ALL you do!
STAFF-TO-STAFF SHOUTOUT:
"Paige Bacon at Shoreland is a secret superhero. This grade level of students has a lot of needs, and Paige creates a welcoming classroom for each and every one of them- even students that are not "hers". She is patient, fun, and kind, and she gives everyone space to feel their feelings and be themselves. She makes learning FUN. On top of being an amazing educator, she's an even better mom, friend, and coworker. Plus, she's always down for some matching teacher t-shirts! ;) Someone you can always rely on, Miss Bacon makes coming to work everyday truly enjoyable, even when life outside of school is hard. "
It is always a GREAT day when we can get our AWESOME Alumni to come back and impact future generations and Ms. Bacon is among the BEST!
Bus #60, driven by Cari Lawecki, had enough donated toys for the Shoreland toy drive that EVERY student had a toy to donate. The students were inspired to be Santa's Little Helpers due to the enthusiasm of Wyatt, a second grader at Shoreland! This driver has kids on the road to success and what an awesome gesture from these families!
PARENT TO STAFF SHOUT:
"I want to shout out Ms. Biegajski at Greenwood. My son's jacket came up missing Monday after he wore it to school and then didn't come home with it. She went above and beyond, searching different classrooms, the school's lost-and-found and even made a post on class Dojo in an attempt to find his missing jacket and get it back. Sure enough- she informed me that another student wound up bringing it back as they took it home by mistake, thinking it was theirs. I just really want to thank her and show my appreciation for all of her help and assistance in recovering the missing jacket. I am so grateful for her."
Helping families is just part of what makes Brittany so special!
We are so lucky to have her!
PARENT-TO-STAFF SHOUTOUT:
"I really want to show appreciation & recognize one of our phenomenal Washington Local teachers at Shoreland, Tiffany Algarin. I don’t know where to begin because the list is so long on how amazing she is! Tiffany has attended after school functions and participated in supporting school activities and helps whenever she can. She also is a teacher who gives her heart to everything she does. She looks forward to helping all students no matter what grade they are and if she can help she will. She encourages everyone to be the best they can be. She gives her spare time up to help with all the school tik toks that are shared to make everyone laugh. Tiffany will reach out after school hours and weekends to make sure kids are succeeding and families are okay. There is never a class dojo she doesn’t respond to, or a phone call she ignores. She just simply brings a smile every single day & her positive energy lights up The school like a field of sunflowers!"
Nothing better than hearing right from a parent - what kind words!
Thank you, Ms. A!
Shout out an outstanding WLS employee by emailing: kpeters@wls4kids.org!
STAFF SHOUT:
"I would like to nominate Angie Jacobiak in hopes she is recognized for her outstanding work ethic. If you have met her, then you know: she is phenomenal. Angie is the most genuinely kindest woman on earth; she is extremely funny with her TikTok Tuesdays and supporting social media page for families. She is the backbone of Shoreland Elementary. Some know her as the secretary, but she is really the heart of Shoreland. She goes over and beyond every single day to ensure the safety of all children/staff and keeps it all together with emails, phone calls, PikMyKid app and whatever it takes to keep the school running. She attends school events to support students, she makes sure our team mascot is taken care of, and helps even on her days off or after hours- making sure all questions/ concerns are met. She doesn’t think twice about helping people, no matter how busy her day is or what she has to do. She gives her help & heart to every family making sure that no family goes without help if they need it. If she is aware of resources to make a family’s life easier she will freely reach out to help them. Most importantly she believes in the children at Shoreland and she never comes across as dismissive. She is genuine about her care! The school would fall apart just having her gone one day."
WOW. These words are so heartfelt - and that's because Ms. J is too. We are so lucky to have her!
McGregor lawns are festively adorned for the season!
Thank you to all who sacrifice their time, money and energy for our schools! Washington Local is so grateful for you!
STAFF SHOUT:
"Kevin had piano lessons and he did so well at his lesson his piano teacher asked him how he learned his notes so well and he replied, "I have an amazing Music teacher at school" and she asked where he went to school and he told her Greenwood Elementary. Diana Cicerella is incredible!"
Nothing better than hearing the impact from the kids themselves. What an awesome legacy. Thanks for all you do, Ms. C!
As we get into colder weather, please remember: any weather impact to our school day will always be posted on our district social media pages AND the district homepage (wls4kids.org). Social media posts can be copied, changed and shared out, so always double check your source - and go directly to our official pages!
