Concord Academy Petoskey News

Hello Concord Petoskey Students and Families,

As we move beyond the summer months into fall, school is in full swing! This month's newsletter provides you with information regarding school safety, parent-teacher conferences, upcoming concerts and performances, and so much more. Our hope with these newsletters is to share important information, resources, and more with our school families. It is our goal to keep you informed and engaged in your child's education. We look forward to working together with you to have an amazing school year!

Cell Phones/Electronic Devices:

Students may access their phones before and after school, during passing times, and during lunch. Students must come to the office when contacting parents/caretakers to leave prior to the end of the school day. Knowing who is in our building at all times and visitor management is part of our school safety procedures. Thank you for your cooperation!

Recess:

Please ensure that your child/children have the appropriate clothing for break and recess especially as our temperatures continue to drop and our days get colder. Barring a medical condition, all children will participate in outdoor recesses. If wind chill conditions cause temperatures to feel 10 degrees or less, students will remain inside for recess.

PowerSchool:

Parents/Caregivers of 5th - 12th grade students are strongly encouraged to utilize PowerSchool to monitor their student's academic progress. This will give you a current picture of how well your child is doing in school. Teachers do their best to keep you informed. Please do your part and log into PowerSchool. If needed, contact your children’s teachers. They are available via email, and by phone as well.

Please feel free to contact me anytime by email at kmcnamara@concordpetoseky.com.

"Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen." ~Conan O'Brien

We are sending out a BIG thank you to The Kenifeck Family for their donation to our new library space! Tyler organized for muralist Laura Johnson to paint a beautiful storytime tree in our new library. He also supplied a new rug and countless books plus he even moved all the books and shelving units to the new library himself. We also want to extend a big thank you to Laura Johnson for creating the beautiful mural that our students love looking at each week during library time!

November 1:

• NO SCHOOL - Area-Wide Professional Development Day

November 3:

• Quarter 1 Ends

November 4:

• 7 pm High School Masquerade Ball

November 8:

• HALF DAY (ALL Students dismissed at 11:30 am)
• 1-3 pm/4-6 pm Parent-Teacher Conferences *More information below.

November 10:

• 8:15-10:45 am 3rd/4th Grade Field Trip to Emmet County Recycling Center

November 16-17:

• High School Theater Fall Performance

November 22-26:

• NO SCHOOL (ALL Students) - Thanksgiving Break

November 27:

• ALL Students Return from Thanksgiving Break

November 30:

• 7 pm Band and Choir Winter Concert *More information below.

Did you know October 15th - 21st is America’s Safe Schools Week? This week is marked to bring attention to schools and communities about creating safe and positive educational environments for students and staff. As we continue to prioritize school safety, we are working with our partners at the Emmet County Sheriffs Department and the Emergency Management Coordinator to improve our safety measures. This year, Concord's lockdown procedures include Strategos Training and Nightlock Barricade devices.

Strategos Training will assist us in our ability to prevent, report, and protect our students and ourselves from an active shooter during the critical moments when we are waiting for police to arrive. We learned the 3 Out Response Model: Lock Out, Get Out, Take Out. which included learning how to secure multiple types of doors (locking, layering, and reinforcing).

Nightlock Barricade devices to secure classroom doors have been installed. This door-stop door jammer is used to prevent an active shooter from gaining entry into a classroom. Students and staff are trained to use these devices during lockdown procedures. These devices are used in over 4,000 schools, universities, and government facilities across the USA.

In addition, we will be changing our Drop Off/Pick Up Procedure. Starting Thursday, November 2nd ALL students will enter and exit through the main doors at the front of the building, allowing for better access control and visitor management. We ask for your patience and understanding as we adjust to this change.

Over the next couple of months, we will be submitting various applications to be able to receive state funding for school safety. We would like for you to share your suggestions on what additional measures you feel could be made to our building that would help us to improve the safety of our students and staff. Input will be used to develop the district’s 31aa grant application for the 2023-2024 school year.

Please contact kmcnamara@concordpetoskey.com with any recommendations.

November 3: End of Quarter 1

November 6: DK-4th Report Cards will come home in your student's Monday folder.

November 8: 5th-12th grades are available on PowerSchool. If you would like a printed copy of your student's Report Card you can request one from the front office and Mrs. Merrill will print one to send home with your student.

Conferences are a great opportunity to talk with your child's teacher(s) in regard to their academic progress. Conferences will be held IN-PERSON on Wednesday, November 8th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm and 4:00 - 6:00 pm. If you are unavailable to attend in person or you would prefer a virtual or phone conference please contact your child's teacher to request one. Our school-based therapist will also be available during conferences. Our Special Education and/or Title One teachers are available via email should you like to speak with them. If you are a DK-4 parent/caregiver and you would like to talk with please send him an email at pdesimone@concordpetoskey.com.

Sign-up will close at 12 pm (noon) on Tuesday, November 7th. Click on the link below to sign up now for a time slot!

High School Theater Presents Beowulf and the Bard

This well-known tale is presented with a new and comedic twist that tells the "true" story of how Beowulf became a staple of High School English Classes.

• Thursday, November 16th and Friday, November 17th
  
• 7:00 pm at CAP Performing Arts Center
• Admission: FREE

5th-12th Grade Band and Choir Winter Concert

• Thursday, November 30th
  
• 7:00 pm at Petoskey High School
• Admission: FREE

DK-4th Grade Presents Cinderella If The Shoe Fits Winter Musical

Elementary students will present a musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Order forms for show shirts went home in Monday folders this week. More information on rehearsals and the performance will come home in December.

• Thursday, December 14th and Friday, December 15th
  
• 5:30 pm at Crooked Tree Arts Center
• Admission: FREE

The Board of Directors requires the regular attendance of students. Concord Academy Petoskey will follow the steps below as outlined in the Emmet County Truancy Protocol in order to initiate court proceedings for truancy (the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will file charges against the juvenile in Probate Court for this offense):

1. 5/five (excused or unexcused) = a letter will be mailed home to discuss and determine the reason for the absences.

2. 10/ten (excused or unexcused) = written notice to the parent/caretaker by registered mail, requiring the child to appear at school on the next regular school day. The parent/caretaker will be contacted to schedule a meeting if the child does not appear. If truancy is not resolved, the school enlists assistance from an alternative agency to help create a truancy contract plan.

4. 15/fifteen (excused or unexcused) = the school will then contact the ISD’s attendance officer to make a delinquency complaint for truancy, a criminal complaint for truancy, and/or a complaint for educational neglect as appropriate.

The Board recognizes that the presence in the classroom enables the student to participate in instruction, class discussions, and other related activities. As such, regular attendance and classroom participation are integral to instilling incentives for the student to excel (Board Policy 5200).

As an added incentive, each quarter students without any absences will receive a certificate and an entry for a "grand prize" drawing at the end of the year. Each quarter without any absences is another chance to win. The more quarters you have without absences, the more chances you have to win!

Native American parents, Native American students, and the general public are invited to share recommendations regarding programs and services to meet the needs of Native American students. Input will be used to develop the district’s Title VI application for the 2023-2024 school year.

Please contact lwagner@concordpetoskey.com with any input and/or recommendations.

Help your kids find a successful career opportunity with Pathfinder. The recently updated Pathfinder provides personalized career and education data to fit your kids’ needs. Get started at Pathfinder.MiTalent.org. #Pathfinder #MiTalent

We will provide an inspiring and challenging K-12 educational environment conducive to the development of critical and creative thinking through the integration of the fine arts into the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM), utilizing project based instruction and multi-age experiences.

Email: info@concordpetoskey.com
Website: https://www.concordpetoskey.com/
Location: 2468 Atkins Road, Petoskey, MI, USA
Phone: 231.439.6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/concordacademypetoskey

4-H is the largest youth development organization empowering youth with the skills to lead for a lifetime. Come have fun with kids from age 5 to 18 years of age. You’ll learn life skills such as leadership and responsibility all while learning how to raise/show and sell many different types of farm animals. Even if you live in town, there are opportunities for you to raise an animal but house it elsewhere.

You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in craft activities, hayrides, corn mazes, and

Exploration Days at MSU along with many other activities.

If you are interested in joining our club or just curious and just have questions, please contact Mrs. Coy at lcoy@concordpetoskey.com.