Welcome back! It was far too quiet in the building last week. I am excited to see students once again filling our hallways and classrooms with their energy and smiles.

East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation
Wealthy Elementary will be hosting a NOW&FOREVER get together this Thursday, February 7 from 8:30 - 9:30 AM and 6:00 - 7:00 PM. We encourage all our families to come hear about this historic effort to raise a sustainable source of funding for critical programs, supports and enhancements for our schools.

Kindness Month
February is Kindness Month and at Wealthy Elementary students have a special opportunity to recognize one another for being TEAM leaders. Typically, staff members pass out TEAM Recognition Cards (TRCs) to students who display our expectations in classrooms, hallways, the playground, etc. This month, students are empowered to pass out special Traveling TRC's to one another. This extra dose of kindness is especially important during what is typically a cold and gray time of the year. I look forward to seeing how our students celebrate and recognize one another all month long!

Safety Reminders
As we head into the month of February, it is also important to review and remind our children of important safety precautions as they walk to and from school. Please take this opportunity to discuss safety procedures with your children, including:

• Whenever possible, use a buddy system while walking to and from school

• “No, Go, Yell, Tell” - Teach children to say no, run away, yell as loud as they can, and tell someone they trust right away if they think they are in a dangerous situation and not to worry about feeling embarrassed or hurting the other person’s feelings

• Walk directly home after school to check in before playing with friends

Many resources on keeping children safe are available online that you may want to include in your discussions. One site that is appropriate for elementary students may be found here.

Remember,  report any  suspicious activity directly to  the East Grand Rapids Public Safety Department immediately and, as always, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Yule Ball
Wealthy Wizards had a wonderful time at the 7th Annual Interscholastic Yule Ball this past Saturday. Thank you to many of our district staff members for providing this unique experience for our students!

      

Warm Regards,