Newsletter Volume 43, Number 36

May 29, 2025 | Volume 43, Issue 36

Table of Contents

Buzzing for Bee Days! Last Week of School Mon., June 9th & Tue., June 10th
🌿 Save the Date: Year-End Field Trip to Matthaei Botanical Gardens! 🌿Wed., June 11th
Games & Read-A-Thon Last Week of School Thursday., June 12th
Year-End Picnic & Awards Thursday, June 12th 6 pm
En Garde for Excellence: Celebrating Our Young Fencers!
And They All Butter-Few Away
Read About Activities in "GOAT" (Goings On At Tollgate)

Upcoming Events

MON, June 9

9 am - 4 pm, "Bee" Day

TUES, June 10

9 am - 4 pm, Class "Bee" Day

WED, June 11

10 am - 2 pm, Field Trip to Matthaei Botanical Gardens

THURS, June 12

NO PM EXTENDED DAY

9 am - 4 pm, Board Games and Read-A-Thon

6 pm- 9 pm, Year-End Potluck, Graduation & Awards Ceremony

FRI, June 13

NO SCHOOL

Teacher Workday

BUZZING FOR BEE DAYS!

Last Week of School

Mon., June 9th & Tue., June 10th

Monday Morning, June 9th, will be Clean-Up Morning when students will clear out everything from their desks and do a deep-clean of their desks, cubbies, shelves, and drawers. We will thoroughly dust, sweep, and vacuum the entire classroom space in preparation for summer camps.

As soon as the cleaning is done, we begin our first Bee Day! Classroom Bees (science, social studies, math concepts) will be held.

Tuesday, June 10th is our day for whole-school bees (spelling, math facts, language arts). The only items students need for these days are themselves, their brains, lunch, and a Power Reading book!

Certificates will be awarded to each of the Bee winners at the Awards Ceremony and Potluck, so don’t miss it!

There will be one winner for Foreign Languages. There will be one additional whole-school winner for each of the following bees: Language Arts, Math Facts & Spelling.

For the Social Studies, Science, Spelling, Math Facts, Language Arts, and Math Concepts Bees, there will be winners for each classroom: (1) Gr. K-2, and (2) Gr. 3-4.

Good luck to all of the students!

🌿 SAVE THE DATE: YEAR-END FIELD TRIP

to Matthaei Botanical Gardens! 🌿

Wed., June 11th

We’re wrapping up the school year with a breath of fresh air! Our year-end field trip will take us to the beautiful Matthaei Botanical Gardens for a day filled with nature, exploration, and fun.

🕙 Schedule for parents driving their student(s):

10:00 AM Arrival: 1800 N Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
10:15 AM - 2:00 PM: Participate in planned outdoor activities & lunch *Please bring your own sack lunches
Departure: Free to go home after planned activities

🕙 Schedule for all other students:

9:00 AM Regular School Day Arrival and 4:00 PM Departure

This memorable experience is made possible thanks to the generous support from our Winterfest Raffle Fundraiser — thank you to everyone who participated!

👋 Parents, we need your help!

If you're available to chaperone, please let Mr. Liou know as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly.

📬 More details coming next week – including finalized schedule, lunch plans, transportation, and what to bring. Stay tuned!

GAMES & READ-A-THON

Last Week of School

Thursday, June 12th

On Thursday, June 12th, our last day of school, our students will spend the morning playing board games and card games. We may even have a chess tournament if there is enough interest. We have plenty of games at school but if your child has a favorite they'd like to bring, they are welcome to do so. Please be sure to label with your last name.

The afternoon will be a relaxing time with a Read-a-Thon. Students need to bring plenty of books to read. They may choose any books to read throughout the afternoon, but please no magazines, comics, or graphic novels.

Students may bring in sleeping bags, blankets, and/or pillows. They may bring one SMALL stuffed animal if they choose. Please make sure that all belongings are clearly labeled with your child’s name so we can be sure all items get back to their owners. Please do not send in more items than your child can carry in one trip.

4PM Dismissal ... NO EXTENDED AFTERNOON PROGRAM

YEAR-END PICNIC & AWARDS

Thursday, June 12th 6 PM

CLASSROOM and/or TEACHER: Whole school

ACTIVITIES & HOW THEY ENRICH THE CURRICULUM: Year-end potluck is a chance for families to have a meal together while celebrating student achievement. The Awards Ceremony will follow the potluck and students will receive recognition for their contributions and hard work this year. Bee winners will receive their certificates, and students will be performing some final songs.

DATE: Thursday, 6-12-25

ARRIVAL TIME: 6 pm (although families are welcome to come earlier to play)

DEPARTURE TIME: 8 pm

ADDRESS: 46640 W. Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth, MI 48170

DIRECTIONS: Located on Ann Arbor Trail between Beck and Sheldon Roads and directly across from McClumpha Road.

SHELTER: We have reserved the main shelter, Shelter 2, which is the first parking lot on the right and closest to the Splash Park.

CONTACT: Mr. Liou

PHONE: 248-894-5655

APPAREL: There is a Splash Park so if you’d like to play in that, swimwear, towels, sunscreen may be suitable. However, students will also be performing so should bring a cover up or change of clothes as well. There is also a playscape, play structure, bike and hike trail and a stream that runs through the park so play clothes and close-toed shoes are appropriate.

POTLUCK ARRANGEMENTS: Each family should bring a dish that serves 10-12 people to share. All families should bring their own beverages and picnicware (plates, bowls, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, etc.). Suggested contributions are:

Engerer family: Salad or a large veggie tray
Kemp & Hyun families: Side dish
Schiff, Styke, and Nehme families: Main dish

Keep in mind we have seafood & nut allergies, so any food with tree nuts, peanuts, or seafood should be avoided.

OTHER NEEDS: Parents are responsible for the safety and chaperoning of their own children at the park, especially the Playscape. Teachers will be focused on events and programs. Bathrooms are available right by the shelter.

PARK RULES: No pets are allowed at the park or in the shelters, no adhesive attachments (to put up signs), glitter, streamers, confetti, silly string or any items that contain glitter and/or confetti. No bull horns, radios, PA systems, alcohol, or smoking are allowed.

EN GARDE FOR EXCELLENCE:

Celebrating Our Young Fencers!

As the school year winds down, we’re proudly wrapping up some of our exciting enrichment classes—starting with fencing! This week, our students concluded their fencing curriculum with an in-house exhibition that showcased their growing skills, focus, and sportsmanship.

The exhibition featured friendly competition between two groups: our Early Elementary Boys and Girls. After some thrilling bouts, here are the final standings:

Early Elementary Boys Division

🥇 Gold – Owen Engerer [Gr. 1] (pictured second from the left)

🥈 Silver – Finley Styke [Gr. 2] (pictured far left)

Early Elementary Girls Division

🥇 Gold – Cassie Schiff [Gr. 1] (pictured third from the right)

🥈 Silver – Aliya Nehme [Gr. K] (pictured second from the right)

🥉 Bronze – Vera Engerer [Gr. K] (pictured far right)

A special thank you to Maestra Lana for guiding our students through the fencing program with skill and patience, and to Francis Hyun (pictured center) for stepping up as referee during the exhibition!

This exhibition is just one of the many ways our enrichment programs support well-rounded development. Bravo to all our fencers—you’ve earned your medals and your cheers!

AND THEY ALL "BUTTER-FLEW" AWAY

On Tuesday afternoon, it was time to release our butterflies! During the Memorial Day break, all the remaining butterflies had emerged from their chrysalises. We counted 42 butterflies!

When we stepped outside, the butterflies got VERY excited and were all fluttering around inside their enclosures. We released two sets at each of our two butterfly rain gardens in the parking lot. The students may have been more excited than the butterflies! We were able to see a few of them land on our irises and enjoy some nectar. During recess, we saw a couple more had flown to the gardens next to the tennis courts.

We wish our painted lady butterflies a happy life and hope they lay eggs in our rain gardens. Maybe we'll see the next generation of butterflies at a summer camp next month.

READ ABOUT ACTIVITIES in “GOAT"

(Goings On At Tollgate)

MSU's Tollgate farm has a lot going on, and here are some of the highlights:

Did you know you can get MSU Dairy Store ice cream right at Tollgate Farm??? They're starting off the ice cream season Saturday, May 31st from 3 pm to 7 pm.
Fridays at the Farm return in June, with the first weekly evening on Friday, June 13th from 4 pm to 7 pm. Go have a picnic, enjoy some ice cream, and make new summer memories with family and friends!
Enjoy a night hike with "The Science of Twilight", a program at Tollgate on June 20th. To sign up, visit https://www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate/Program-Event-Calendar/night-hikes-on-the-farm.
Save the Date! the Tollgate Spring Plant Sale is coming on June 7th, between 9 am and 2 pm. For more details, visit https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/tollgate-spring-plant-sale.

There's a lot more from Tollgate and we just gave you the highlights, but if you'd like to see their full newsletter, please visit their homepage at https://www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate/ and click the "Newsletter Signup" button to get started.