Updates for Elementary Families

Important dates for the coming school year have been added to our school calendar on AddEvent—including breaks, early release days, family events, and more! We encourage all families to follow the calendar to stay informed and organized throughout the year.

You can follow the calendar by clicking “Follow Calendar” above this post or by visiting:
https://www.addevent.com/calendar/MF615307

Our calendar is hosted through AddEvent and is fully compatible with:

• Apple Calendar (iPhone, iPad, Mac)

• Google Calendar (Android devices and Gmail accounts)

• Outlook

• Office 365

• Yahoo Calendar

• Any calendar app that supports iCal or .ics feeds

Once added, all events will sync directly to your personal calendar—and any updates we make will automatically be reflected on your end. It’s a simple, reliable way to stay connected and never miss an important date! 

The final lunch menus for the 25-26 school year are available below. 

Breakfast: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13WnY8PN4JE8LlaowfeFubrxaiJCKPvuG/view?usp=drive_link 

Lunch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-AeWgATrR0Fn8muSbiWkxeOfMBOGvmJV/view?usp=drive_link 

We are so proud of the welcoming, supportive environment we've built together. At WMAES, students don't just learn, they grow, explore, and thrive through hands-on environmental education.

We’d love your help in welcoming new families to our community:

• Enroll Siblings: Have a younger child ready to start? We can't wait to officially welcome them to the WMAES family! You can submit their application now.

• Spread the Word: Know a family looking for a unique, nature-focused school? Share this post with them!

Let’s welcome more families to our amazing school.

We value your input and feedback!

We use the results of this survey to guide our planning and actions in order to provide the best educational experience possible for our students.

Take the Spring Family Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNSiBk2MsmUp18Zt_KwkubmExz7oFdQ3ybqRupaQ4sGWEfmQ/viewform 

At WMAES, spring assessments play an important role in how we support student learning and measure growth. Students participate in two key assessments during this season: NWEA MAP Growth and Acadience Reading.

NWEA MAP Growth

Purpose: This assessment measures a student’s academic progress in reading and math, allowing teachers to tailor instruction based on individual needs.
Why It Matters: MAP Growth identifies what students already know and what they’re ready to learn next, helping us provide the right level of challenge and support.

Instructional Areas:

• Math:

  • Operations and Algebraic Thinking

  • Number and Operations

  • Measurement and Data

  • Geometry

• Reading:

  • Literature

  • Informational Text

  • Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Learn more: MAP Growth Parent Toolkit – NWEA

Note: MAP Growth is never used for grading. It is a tool to inform instruction and celebrate academic growth.

Acadience Reading

Purpose: Acadience Reading is a brief assessment used to screen and monitor the development of foundational reading skills in students from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Why It Matters: The results help teachers provide targeted reading support to ensure all students are building the skills they need to become confident, successful readers.

Key Areas Assessed:

• Phonemic Awareness

• Phonics

• Fluency

• Comprehension

Note: Like MAP Growth, this assessment is not used for grading. It supports effective instruction and early intervention.

How Families Can Help at Home

• Ensure your child gets a full night of sleep and eats a healthy breakfast on testing days.

• Encourage a positive mindset—remind them that their job is simply to try their best.

• Reinforce that these tests are just one way we learn how to best support them as learners.

We’re proud of our students and all the progress they’ve made this year. Thank you for being a continued partner in their success.

Dear Families,

At WMAES, we are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where every student can thrive. A major part of how we achieve this is through our PBIS framework.

As a reminder, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is our schoolwide approach to promoting positive behavior. PBIS helps us proactively teach expectations, recognize kids for making good choices, and provide extra support where it is needed.

Because a strong partnership with our families is essential to making this work, we want to hear from you! We have put together a PBIS and Family Engagement Survey to help us understand what is working well and how we can better partner with you to support your children.

Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts by completing the survey at the link below:

Take the PBIS Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsDRg2caTwN7wPgmJTiwsBWQ1SsbwI6VL_S4Wr13X1XK5rzg/viewform 

Thank you for your time, your input, and your continued support of our school community!

All pets must remain safely inside your vehicle at all times while in the school parking lot, including during arrival and dismissal.

This policy is in place for the well-being of our students, staff, and your pets:

• Safety First: Busy parking lots, moving vehicles, and large crowds can easily spook or overwhelm even the calmest animals.

• Student Comfort: Some of our students have severe allergies or a genuine fear of dogs and other pets.

• Smooth Traffic: Keeping pets securely in the car prevents unpredictable situations and keeps our drop-off and pick-up lines moving safely.

If your pet is joining you for the ride, please ensure they stay in the car with the windows rolled up high enough so everyone is secure. Additionally, with warm afternoons approaching, please consider if it might be best for your furry friends to stay comfortably at home rather than waiting in a potentially hot car.

Thank you so much for your understanding, cooperation, and for helping us keep WMAES safe!

We are pleased to share the family calendar for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year!

View the Printable 1-Page Calendar List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15o00wAVezkVFZXjMuwr2Ekw2L-E8cV-i-LCLXILlWBs/edit?usp=sharing 

We are pleased to continue our efforts in supporting our students through our assistance programs. Our resources have expanded this school year, and we want to ensure you are aware of the benefits available to our entire community.

Our new counseling service, the School Assistance Program (SAP), is offered through Pine Rest, a professional mental health service. This program provides five free, confidential counseling sessions per episode of care and is available 24/7 to anyone in the student’s household.

To access this service, simply call 800.442.0809, press 1, and follow the prompts. Be sure to mention, “I have an SAP with West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science.”

To learn more about all the benefits provided by this program, please watch the introduction video. Click the link below or paste the URL into any browser:

SAP Video – Password: SAPOrientation
URL: https://vimeo.com/video/956870695?share=copy

Please note that all services provided through the SAP are 100% confidential. We hope this resource can support you and your family whenever needed.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Many WMAES families have already signed up to receive text updates from our school, and families are welcome to join at any time.

Text updates give us another convenient way to stay connected with families by sharing newsletter links, reminders about upcoming dates, weather-related closing notifications, and other important school information.

To sign up, text Y or Yes to 67587 from a phone number you have on file with the office.

Thank you for helping us continue to keep WMAES families connected and informed.

We are excited to share our new Elementary Enrichment Google Site—a central place to learn about each enrichment teacher and stay connected to all of the great things happening in Art, Technology, Physical Education, and Spanish.

On the site, you’ll be able to:

• Get to know each enrichment teacher

• Learn about what students explore, learn, and create in enrichment classes

• Access helpful class information and resources

Visit the site here:
https://sites.google.com/choiceschools.com/wmaeselementaryenrichment/home

We’re pleased to share that our uniform provider has all WMAES uniform apparel available for online ordering—with free shipping to your home!

Just click the link below and click “Shop Now”—then navigate to the Uniform category to explore all that’s available. We’re especially excited to let you know that several new, lower-cost uniform t-shirt options have been added for your convenience.

Shop Now: https://wmaesapparel.secure-decoration.com/

As a reminder, here are our uniform policy guidelines:

Uniform requirements include:

• A WMAES uniform top

• Solid color pants or shorts, or solid jeans or jean shorts

• Closed-toe shoes

Please note:

• The WMAES top must be the outermost layer

• All clothing must be free of writing, adornments, and rips/tears/holes

• Uniforms with the old logo will be fully grandfathered in. Students may continue wearing their previous uniform items. 

Thank you for partnering with us and for your continued support of our uniform policy!