Dear Families:

Welcome to Whitmore Lake Elementary School, where we meet the individual needs of all 400 of our kindergarten through fourth-grade students in a variety of ways. What ways, you ask? Well, our special programs include music, technology and physical education. Our media center offers children additional activities to support the curriculum, including international studies and literacy skills. We have a federally funded Title I program for children who are not in special education but need extra support to achieve at grade level. Motor Moms and Dads are available to our youngest students to help develop large motor skills. And after school we offer Chess Club, Drama, and a summer camp (MARS) for remediation in math and reading. Children can also participate in many community recreation activities such as after school sports.

Elementary aged children are a unique group of individuals. During this time period they are learning to become independent learners. They are reading and writing for the first time and also realizing they can master these skills and grow. They are learning how to make friends and get along with a classroom of other students. Peer interactions are extremely important when developing the self esteem of a child. This is a happy time for most students, however it can be scary for parents to let go of their little ones. Please know that when your child is in our hands, we will work together with families to develop the educational and social/emotional needs of every child. Students will always come first at Whitmore Lake Elementary.

We take pride in the academic and social successes of our students, so our instructional practices make sure that every child is taught at his or her ability level and excels throughout the school year. Teachers use differentiated instruction and educational families to make that happen. Our school appreciates all of our parent volunteers and our active PTA (Parent & Teacher Association). PTA focuses on family activities that include North Pole Night, a Valentine’s Day Dance, a field day, and several fundraising projects. Meetings will be the third Thursday of the month for the 2011/2012 school year, except for the months of December, February, and June.

Our media center also functions on a tremendous amount of volunteer support. A volunteer schedule is set up and monitored by our district media center director. This speaks volumes about the community support for our school district.

Our dedicated teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff believe all children can be successful. We faithfully support the district mission to provide an exceptional, personalized education to each child in the building. Our goal is to make sure that students leave our building every day feeling smart, kind, and important. We are here for the students. Every decision and choice made is with our student’s well being in mind first and foremost. We make decisions for every child as if they were our own.

Please feel free to contact our office if you would like to arrange a tour or if we can assist you in any way. Thank you for your interest in Whitmore Lake Elementary!

Respectfully,

Krista Bethke
Proud Principal of Whitmore Lake Elementary
Krista.Bethke@wlps.net