Updates for Elementary Families

February 1, 2026 Update for Elementary Families 

Dear WMAES Families,

As we head into a new week, please take a few minutes to review the information below with your family. A key reminder: Intent to Return begins Monday, February 2 in PowerSchool Parent Portal—completing this quick form is essential to reserve a space for your student for next year and helps us plan ahead. Thank you for your continued partnership. We truly look forward to the opportunity to continue serving your family.

Warmest regards,

Nathan VanDuinen

Elementary Principal

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! 

Intent to return begins February 2

We’re thrilled to begin planning for another great year at WMAES and are excited for your family to continue being a part of our school community. Ensuring your student’s space for the upcoming school year starts with completing the Intent to Return form, available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal beginning February 2.

Completing this quick and simple online form is essential, as we cannot guarantee a reserved space for your student without it. Your timely submission helps us plan ahead to deliver the best educational experience possible. If you have multiple students enrolled, please remember that a separate form must be completed for each child.

We’re honored to partner with you in your child’s educational journey and are grateful for the trust you place in us. By submitting the Intent to Return form, you ensure your student remains part of the dynamic, supportive WMAES community.

As the Intent to Return window approaches, we’ll share additional reminders to help ensure you don’t miss this important opportunity. Thank you for helping us plan for another fantastic year at WMAES!

Grand Rapids Griffins Night at Van Andel Arena 

WMAES families—join us for a fun night out at the hockey game!

WMAES Night at the Grand Rapids Griffins
Game: Grand Rapids Griffins vs Iowa Wild
Date: Saturday, February 28
Location: Van Andel Arena
Doors open: 6:00 PM
Puck drop: 7:00 PM

Our Parent Team has reserved a special WMAES seating section—Section 207—so we can fill the stands with WMAES family and friends!

Tickets: $27 each (a portion of all sales benefits our school!)

Bonus: It’s Princess Night with character appearances!

How to get the special pricing (no extra fees):
Go to: griffinshockey.com/promocode
Use promo code: WMAES

Dollar No Uniform Day Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that our next Dollar No Uniform Day is Friday, February 6th. Thank you for your support!

No School Feb 13 (Staff Professional Development) and Feb 16-17 (mid-winter break)

Please take note of a few upcoming days off for students. There will be no school on Friday, February 13th, as our staff will be engaged in professional development. Additionally, we will have Midwinter Break with no school on Monday, February 16th, and Tuesday, February 17th. We hope this provides some time for families to refresh and enjoy time together!

Don't Miss Out on the 2025-2026 Elementary Yearbook!

There is still time to capture this year’s memories! You can purchase your Elementary Yearbook right now using the link below.

Pricing & Options:

• Soft Cover: $20.70

• Hardcover: $27.58

This year’s book features 54 pages of memories from around the school.

Special Feature: 2 Free Custom Pages Every order comes with 2 free custom pages that you design yourself! These pages will appear only in your copy of the book.

• Custom Page Deadline: Must be finished and submitted by April 9, 2026.

Order Here: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=101682541599482

Winter Assessment Updates

Winter assessments play an important role in how we support student learning at WMAES. This winter, students are taking part in two key assessments—NWEA MAP Growth and Acadience Reading—which help us understand each student’s progress and learning needs. These assessments allow teachers to monitor growth over time, identify strengths and areas for support, and plan instruction that meets students where they are. The information gathered is used to guide teaching and provide targeted support; it is not used as a grade.

NWEA MAP Growth

• Purpose: Measures academic progress in key areas to tailor instruction to each student's needs and celebrate their growth over time.

• Why It’s Beneficial: MAP Growth helps teachers understand exactly where each student is in their learning journey. By identifying their strengths and readiness for new challenges, we can ensure that every child is supported in reaching their full potential.

• Math Instructional Areas:

  • Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Understanding mathematical operations and their properties.

  • Number and Operations: Grasping number concepts and performing accurate calculations.

  • Measurement and Data: Measuring and interpreting data.

  • Geometry: Recognizing and analyzing shapes and their properties.

• Reading Instructional Areas:

  • Literature: Understanding and analyzing literary texts.

  • Informational Text: Comprehending and evaluating non-fiction texts.

  • Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: Understanding and applying vocabulary in context.

• Note: This assessment is never used for grading purposes. It provides valuable insights to help us tailor instruction and support your child's growth.

Acadience Reading

• Purpose: A universal screening and progress monitoring tool that measures the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade.

• Why It’s Beneficial: Acadience Reading allows teachers to personalize literacy instruction for every student. By focusing on key foundational skills, this assessment helps ensure that each child develops the tools they need to become a confident, successful reader.

• Key Areas Assessed:

  • Phonemic Awareness: Recognizing and manipulating sounds in spoken words.

  • Phonics: Understanding the relationship between letters and sounds.

  • Fluency: Reading with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.

  • Comprehension: Understanding and interpreting what is read.

• Note: This assessment is not used for grading. It helps us target reading instruction to support the growth of every student.

These assessments provide valuable information to guide instruction and ensure that each child is on a path to success. We celebrate your child’s progress and look forward to sharing their results with you soon. 

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. 

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:

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.