Updates for Elementary Families

October 4, 2026

Hello WMAES Families,

I hope your family has enjoyed the weekend! We’re looking forward to connecting with you during parent-teacher conferences this week. Virtual conferences will be held Wednesday, October 7, and in-person conferences will be held Thursday, October 8, both from 5:00–7:00 p.m. If you haven’t scheduled a time yet, the sign-up information is included below.

Wednesday is also Picture Day and Count Day, so please keep both in mind as you prepare for the week. As a reminder, there is no school for students on Friday, October 9.

We also have several October events to look forward to, including Pink Out, Popcorn Day, and Treats on the Trail. Please take a few minutes to review the information below for full details, dates, and reminders. Thank you for your continued partnership, and we hope your family has a wonderful week ahead!

Warmest regards,

Nathan VanDuinen

Elementary Principal

Parent-Teacher Conferences Are Coming Up This Week!

We look forward to connecting with families to discuss your child’s progress and celebrate successes. Scheduling is still available! If you haven’t signed up yet, please visit myconferencetime.com/wmaes to choose a time with your child’s teacher.

Wednesday, October 7: Virtual conferences, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 8: In-person conferences, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

As a reminder, there is no school for students on Friday, October 9. Thank you for your partnership—we look forward to meeting with you!

Order School Pictures Online

Picture Day is Wednesday, October 7! Families can order school pictures through GPI using the link below.

Click here to order school pictures

Online order code: 3780LDPJYQAXCM

The ordering link opens two weeks before Picture Day and remains available for 24 hours afterward.

Scheduled Lockdown Drill

We completed a lockdown drill on Thursday, and our staff and students did an excellent job following directions and practicing our safety procedures.

WMAES uses the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which provides consistent language and clear actions for responding to emergencies. During a lockdown, we follow “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.”

We are especially mindful of how we explain these drills to young students. We use calm, age-appropriate language, explain that the drill is practice, and focus on listening to their teacher and following simple safety steps. We respond to questions with care and reassurance. Our goal is to help children feel prepared and supported, knowing that the adults at school are there to help keep them safe.

Required Student & Family Handbook Updates

We want to make you aware of an update to our Student & Family Handbook and to share an important annual reminder.

E-Bikes, Electric Scooters & Motorized Devices

The handbook has been updated to provide additional clarity around e-bikes, electric scooters, and other motorized or micromobility devices, including the types of devices that may be brought to or operated on school property, safety expectations, and licensing requirements.

In particular, any device that requires a driver’s license under Michigan law may only be operated by an individual who holds a valid driver’s license. Licensed drivers must also follow all applicable school policies related to the use of the device.

We encourage families, particularly those whose students ride a bicycle, e-bike, scooter, or other motorized device to school, to review the updated policy together.

Annual Firearm Notice

As part of our commitment to student and community safety, and in accordance with Michigan law requiring schools to share this information with families, we are providing our annual reminder regarding Michigan’s Safe Storage Laws.

Michigan law requires that when minors may be present, firearms must be stored in a locked box or container and/or unloaded and secured with a locking device. Failing to follow the law may result in criminal charges and penalties if a minor gains access to a firearm. Taking simple steps to safely store firearms can help prevent firearm-related injuries and support the safety of children and families.

We ask all families to review the annual Safe Storage notice included in the Student & Family Handbook and discuss applicable safety expectations with their student. The most current Student & Family Handbook is available on our school website. Additional information is also available on the Safety and Security page of our website.

Please refer to the version of the Student & Family Handbook currently posted on our website for the most up-to-date school policies and information.

Thank you for your continued partnership in maintaining a safe environment for our students, staff, families, and community.

💗 Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness Tuesday, October 13

We’re teaming up with our Varsity Volleyball Team for a Pink Out on Tuesday, October 13! Join us in supporting breast cancer awareness during the school day and at the volleyball game.

Students who donate $1 or more may dress out of uniform that day but must wear pink to participate. Participation is entirely optional, and students may wear their regular school uniform as usual.

Thank you for helping our school community show its support!

Popcorn Day – Friday, October 16

Popcorn Day is coming up on Friday, October 16! Popcorn is 50¢ per bag, and students are welcome to purchase more than one bag. Families may also sponsor popcorn for an entire class.

Thank you to our WMAES Parent Team for making Popcorn Days possible and to our families for their support!

Treats on the Trail – October 29 | Candy Donations Appreciated

We’re looking forward to one of our favorite annual community events, Treats on the Trail, on Thursday, October 29! Families will enjoy a fun, safe trick-or-treating experience along the beautiful trails at WMAES.

Donations of bags of individually wrapped candy are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off in either the elementary or secondary office. Thank you for helping make this a special evening for our families!

Event Details

Trails open at 5:00 p.m. Families may begin entering at that time.
Last entry is at 6:00 p.m. Please arrive in time to begin the trail by then.
Costumes are encouraged but not required. Costumes must be appropriate for school (no weapons, blood, etc.)
Bring a bag or bucket for each child who will be collecting candy.

We hope you’ll join us for this fun family event!

Medication and Cough Drop Reminder

We'd like to remind everyone that medication, including cough drops, should not be sent to school in your child’s backpack or carried by your child. If your child needs medication at school, please contact the office. We’re happy to help with the necessary paperwork and arrangements. Thank you for your support with this.

The Mobile Dentist is coming to WMAES!

The Mobile Dentist will be on campus Monday, October 20 – Wednesday, October 22 to provide convenient, in-school dental care for students.

Registration forms were sent home with students, and families may also sign up online at www.MySchoolDentist.com.

This is a great opportunity to ensure your student receives important dental care.

October 2026 Breakfast Menu.pdf

October 2026 Lunch Menu.pdf

Landscaping Work

Exciting changes are coming to the landscaping in front of our elementary and secondary buildings! We’re looking forward to working with our own school team to create interactive outdoor spaces featuring native plants and opportunities for student engagement, exploration, and hands-on experiences. These spaces will offer new ways to bring learning outdoors and help students connect with the natural world right outside our doors.

As we prepare for this work, you may notice things looking quite different as much of the current landscaping is removed. This is the first step toward creating new spaces for our students to learn and grow!

Dismissal Procedure Reminder

To ensure every student is safely accounted for, students must remain in line with their class and teacher until they reach their assigned dismissal location and are released by the teacher.

When picking up your child, please wait for the teacher to communicate with you individually before your child leaves the group, even if your child sees you along the way. We greatly appreciate your patience as our teachers carefully release each student. Following this process helps dismissal remain safe and orderly for everyone.

WMAES Parking Lot Reminders

WMAES strives to provide a parking lot environment that is as safe, courteous, and orderly as possible during student drop-off and pick-up. Your adherence to the following guidelines is greatly appreciated and serves as an important example of cooperation, patience, and respect for our students.

Parking Lot Guidelines

Enter only through the east drive.
Exit only through the west drive.
When exiting campus, vehicles must turn left or right onto Leonard Street. Do not proceed straight across Leonard Street or use Leonard Gardens as a turnaround. Walker Police Department monitors this area and will enforce traffic regulations.
Drive slowly and stay alert. Watch carefully for children who may emerge between parked vehicles.
If you plan to leave your vehicle for any reason, please park in a designated parking space.
During morning drop-off, the inside lane closest to the school is for vehicles actively dropping off students.
Drivers using the drop-off lane must remain in their vehicles and merge carefully into the outside lane after students have exited.
Students should exit the vehicle on the passenger/school side and as close to the sidewalk as possible.
The outside lane is for continuous traffic flow. Please do not stop or leave your vehicle in this lane.
Pets must remain inside vehicles at all times. Pets are not permitted on campus.
Carpool whenever possible to help reduce traffic volume.
Please be patient. Our parking lot serves a large number of families in a short period of time, and traffic may move slowly at times. Patience, attentiveness, and cooperation from everyone help keep arrival and dismissal safe and efficient.

Thank you for helping us provide a safe and positive arrival and dismissal experience for all WMAES students and families!

Important Dismissal Traffic Reminder

Thank you for your continued cooperation as we work to keep dismissal safe and efficient each day. We need your support in one specific area to ensure traffic continues moving smoothly and does not negatively impact our surrounding community.

When exiting campus during dismissal, all drivers must turn either left or right onto Leonard Street. Please do not continue straight across Leonard Street or use a neighboring driveway to turn around.

For families turning right, please continue west on Leonard Street to 8th Avenue. This route provides easy access to major thoroughfares: drivers may travel north toward I-96 or south toward Lake Michigan Drive/M-45. These convenient connections make it easy to continue toward destinations throughout the area without turning around along Leonard Street.

Following these expectations helps prevent traffic backups, protects our neighbors’ property, and creates a safer and more predictable traffic flow for everyone. Walker Police will be monitoring the area and will issue citations for inappropriate or unsafe turnarounds.

We greatly appreciate your cooperation and your help in keeping dismissal safe and running smoothly for all.

Gently Used Uniform Top Donations Appreciated

We are currently accepting donations of gently used WMAES uniform tops to help support students and families in our school community.

Items we are seeking include: Kids’ uniform shirts, hoodies, or fleece jackets.

If you have gently used uniform tops your child has outgrown and would be willing to donate, they may be dropped off in the Elementary Office.

These donations make a meaningful difference for our families. Thank you for supporting WMAES!

Sync the WMAES Calendar with your Phone or Device

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!

Uniform Apparel Online Store and Uniform Policy

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!

PBIS AT WMAES

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, is our schoolwide approach to creating a safe, positive, and successful learning environment. Just as we teach academic skills, we intentionally teach, model, practice, and reinforce the behaviors students need to succeed in classrooms and throughout our school.

At WMAES, our shared expectations are represented by SOAR:

S — Be Safe
O — Own Your Behavior
A — Act Responsibly
R — Be Respectful

When staff members see students demonstrating SOAR, they provide positive recognition and award digital Eagle Bucks through PBIS Rewards. Students can use their Eagle Bucks during school store opportunities, while additional classroom and schoolwide recognitions help us celebrate their positive choices and growth.

PBIS is more than a reward system. It gives students clear expectations, provides adults with consistent language, strengthens relationships, and ensures that students know their positive choices are noticed. Together, we help every WMAES Eagle learn to SOAR!

CONNECTING WITH THE PBIS REWARDS FAMILY APP

Information for connecting to the PBIS Rewards Family App will be sent home by your child’s teacher. This information will include the unique QR code or link needed to connect securely to your child’s account.

For families, the app provides a window into the positive choices your child is making at school. When a staff member recognizes your child for demonstrating SOAR—being safe, owning their behavior, acting responsibly, or being respectful—the recognition and Eagle Bucks can be recorded in PBIS Rewards.

Once connected, families can view their child’s Eagle Bucks balance, see details about positive recognitions, and follow how Eagle Bucks are used through our school store. This creates opportunities to celebrate successes and continue positive conversations about SOAR at home.

At WMAES, PBIS Rewards is primarily a tool for recognizing, reinforcing, and celebrating the behaviors we want to see more often. We hope the Family App helps you stay connected to the many great things your child is doing each day!

UNDERSTANDING STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOL

At WMAES, safety is strengthened through preparation, clear communication, and a shared understanding of what to do in different situations. We want students, staff, and families to be familiar with the common language used in our Standard Response Protocol, or SRP.

The five SRP actions are:

HOLD — Remain in your classroom or area while hallways are kept clear.

SECURE — Bring everyone inside and lock exterior doors. Activities may continue inside the building.

LOCKDOWN — Locks, lights, out of sight. Students and staff remain quiet and follow established safety procedures.

EVACUATE — Move safely to a designated location and follow instructions.

SHELTER — Follow the announced safety strategy for a specific hazard, such as severe weather or a hazardous-materials concern.

Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, Michigan law requires schools to adopt and use standardized response terminology. WMAES has the benefit of having trained our staff in these protocols for years. We will continue reviewing and practicing them with students in calm, age-appropriate ways so the actions become familiar and can be followed confidently when needed.

We are sharing the attached PDF poster so families can also become familiar with this common safety language. We encourage you to review the terms with your child and discuss what each action means. Each term communicates a specific response and does not necessarily represent the same type or level of concern.

Having a shared understanding helps students, staff, and families communicate clearly and respond calmly and confidently when a safety protocol is used. This familiarity is an important part of our continued focus on safety, preparedness, and practice at WMAES.

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.

Assistance Program INFORMATION

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.

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