December 7 Update for Elementary Families 

Sobie Meats & Dave & Buster’s Gift Card Fundraiser

Information was sent home with your child about our latest Parent Team fundraiser—Sobie Meats and Dave & Buster’s gift cards!

If your family would like to participate, please return the completed order form and payment to the school office by Tuesday, December 10. Gift cards will be sent home with students on December 15 or 16, unless you indicate on the form that you'd prefer to pick them up from the office.

Checks can be made out to WMAES. All payments must be turned in with the form.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Parent Team at parentteam@wma-es.com.

Thank you for your support!

Popcorn and Dollar no uniform day Dec 12

The WMAES Parent Team has once again made it possible for us to host a popcorn sale for students. Bags of popcorn are 50 cents. Families will still be able to sponsor an entire class for a donation of $12. Students are able to purchase multiple bags of popcorn if desired. 

Friday, December 12 is also a Dollar No Uniform Day for students. 

Five Below fundraising shopping event for WMAES! 

From November 28–December 24, 2025, a portion of your purchases at the Five Below on Alpine will be donated back to our school.

📍 Location
Five Below
3330 Alpine Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49544

🕒 Time
See the Five Below website for store hours.

💚 How it works

• Shop at the Alpine Five Below anytime between 11/28 and 12/24

• At checkout, tell the cashier you’re supporting West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science

• 10% of your pre-tax purchase will be donated back to WMAES!

👉 You do NOT need the flyer to participate—just mention our school at checkout.

Thank you for supporting our students and school community!

Spirit Days: December 15–19

We’re excited to celebrate a fun Winter Spirit Week with our students from Monday, December 15 through Friday, December 19. Participation is encouraged, but completely optional.

Here’s the schedule for the week:

Monday, 12/15 – Merry Monday
Wear your favorite holiday color.
Examples: Red/Green, Blue/White, Silver/Gold, Black/Red/Green

Tuesday, 12/16 – Twinkling Tinsel Tuesday
Be festive! Wear your favorite holiday gear.
Examples: Holiday hats, headbands, scarves, earrings, socks, etc.

Wednesday, 12/17 – Winter Character Wednesday
Dress as your favorite winter character from a holiday movie
— or wear a t-shirt with the character on it.
Examples: Frosty, Rudolph, Grinch, Elf, Home Alone, Scrooge

Thursday, 12/18 – Tacky Tidings Thursday
Wear an Ugly Sweater.
The uglier the better!

Friday, 12/19 – ’Twas the Night Before Winter Break
Wear your comfy clothes (school appropriate).

We’re looking forward to a fun week of celebration before winter break and can’t wait to see our students’ creativity and school spirit!

Stay Informed: Weather-Related Updates

As we enter the season of inclement weather, we want to remind you of the ways we will keep you informed about weather-related school cancellations. Your convenience and access to timely updates are our priorities! If you haven't already done so, now is a great time to opt in to receive text updates using the information below.

We communicate weather-related information through:

• School Messenger: Automated phone calls to the primary numbers on file with us.

• Email Notifications: Delivered directly to your inbox.

• Text Messages: If you’ve opted in to receive them.

• WMAES Social Media: Updates posted on Facebook and Instagram.

• Local News Outlets: Tune in to WZZM, WOODTV, and FOX 17 for closure information. 

Toy DONATIONS Appreciated 

We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots from November 4 through December 12.
If your family would like to participate, toys can be dropped off in the following locations:

• Elementary: At the entrance each morning

• Middle School: Any Math Classroom

• High School: Any Math Classroom

Thank you for helping us support children and families in our community this season. Your generosity makes a difference.

Elementary Enrichment Update

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

Dollar Day Punch Cards Are Here! 

No more digging for $1 bills—Dollar Day just got easier! Students can prepay for Dollar Days and you will be able to save a little cash.  It's a simple, convenient way to join in the fun! 

• The Punch Card is not a physical card but a subscription (No worries about misplacing the card)

• The cost is $15 (for 25-26 school year) and will include participation in all Dollar Days

• A student who purchases one will no longer need to remember cash for each Dollar Day

• This process will help make it easier for families and staff

• Participating supports our school events/clubs/programs

• Subscriptions can be purchased in the Secondary Office. (Cash or Card)

New WMAES Uniform Items Now Available Online – Free Shipping!

We’re pleased to share that our uniform provider now has items featuring the new WMAES logo 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!

Stay Connected with WMAES!

Please take a moment to add our school’s phone number to your contact list: 616-791-7454. This helps ensure that you recognize calls coming from West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science.

We also kindly ask that you make sure your phone is set to allow calls from the school. It’s important that we’re able to reach an adult family member during the school day if needed.

To make it even easier, you can use the QR code below to quickly add our contact info to your phone:

Stay Up to Date with the WMAES Calendar

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! 

A printable version of our calendar is also available below for your convenience. 

Assistance Program INFORMATION 

We are excited 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.