DR. CARLA HARTING                                  DOUGLAS KELLERMAN                                                 DR. PATRICIA COLE

Principal of Special Education                          Program Administrator                                         Superintendent of Schools

PARENT BULLETIN   

Traditional Events This Week

Two events will be held this week that have become traditions at the Skills Center and are looked forward to by both students and staff.  On Thursday afternoon the Jazz Band from Roosevelt High School will entertain Brighton students with a seasonal concert.  Parents are welcome to join us.  The 30-minute concert will be held in the Auditorium starting at 12:45 p.m.  Friday morning students from our Special Olympics basketball teams will go up against a team made up of staff from Jo Brighton and The Lincoln Center.  Again parents are welcome to join us.  The game starts at 9:30 a.m.  Students are given Friday afternoon “off work” to enjoy classroom holiday parties.

Student Council officers were elected on November 14^th  following an assembly in the Auditorium where the candidates gave “campaign speeches.”  Students elected to leadership positions were: Eddie Ruolo,  President; Alicia Powers, Vice-President; Madison Wallace, Secretary; Christina Taekens, Treasurer; and Chris Gilbride, Historian.  The Council’s annual Penny Drive, “Pennies for Patients,” ended on the 14^th. The class bringing in the most pennies will be treated to a pizza party.  A check will be presented to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during halftime at the Student-Staff Basketball Game.   In addition the Student Council is sponsoring a mitten tree and are participating in Xerox Corporation’s “Let’s Say Thanks” to our troops in Iraq.

November was School Safety Month in Michigan.  Students practiced new procedures for shelter-in-place drills.  These drills will be used in the event there is a chemical spill or similar emergency in the local community.  Staff and students signed banners pledging to keep their school safe.  And teachers emphasized safety in their classroom instruction.  We continue to do many things, in conjunction with The Lincoln Center, to make everyone in the building feel safe.  Suggestions and feedback from parents are always welcome.

Our monthly Friday night dances have been very well attended so far this year.  The next dance is January 18^th.   Additional dance dates are February 22^nd  and March 28^th .  The Prom is scheduled for May 15^th.  Dances start at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Please do not drop off your student earlier than 7:15 as your student will have to wait outside.  Dances end at 10:00. 

August 23, 2007                                                                                                           

Dear Parents/Guardians:

 I hope you and your family have had a pleasant and enjoyable summer vacation!  The Brighton Skills Center is reopening, and we welcome back all returning students and those entering for the first time.  Our staff is looking forward to the challenge of providing each student with a successful and rewarding educational experience.

 The first day of school for your student is Tuesday, September 4, 2007.  This will be a half day of school in the afternoon (11:40 a.m.-2:48 p.m.) Wednesday, September 5 is a half-day in the morning (8:10-11:00 a.m.). The first full day of school is Thursday, September 6.  Our hours are the same as last year 8:10 a.m.-2:48 p.m. for full-time students and 8:10 a.m.-11:10 a.m. or 11:40 a.m.-2:48 p.m. for half-day students.

An annual calendar and updated copy of the Student Handbook were mailed to you.

Questions about your student's assigned classes should be directed to the coordinator. 

Enclosed is an emergency card.  This card MUST be completed and turned in the first day.  A new card is needed every school year.  Students cannot be transported to sites in the community without an emergency card on file. Students should bring a lock to secure personal possessions.  A duplicate key should be left with the classroom teacher.

 Full day students eat lunch at the Skills Center.  The lunch period is from 11:10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.  Hot lunches are prepared at Roosevelt High School and shipped to the Skills Center.  They will be available starting September 6.  The cost is $2.65 and includes one milk.  Students who wish to brown bag their lunch may purchase milk for 40 cents. Applications for free/reduced hot lunches are enclosed for your consideration.  Those who qualified during the 2006-2007 school year need to respond within ten days of the school year to remain qualified.  Breakfast will be available beginning September 10.  Cost of breakfast is $1.50.  Students qualifying for a free/reduced lunch also qualify for a free/reduced breakfast.

 Wyandotte School Board policy and procedures need to be followed for students taking medication in school.  They are outlined in the Student Handbook.  Contact the school nurse, Mary Beth Scavone, at 734-759-6448   for assistance. 

Transportation to, and home from, the Skills Center is provided by local school districts.  All students are expected to use this transportation on a daily basis.  Alternative arrangements are permissible. Advance written approval must be given by the parent/guardian, Skills Center Program Administrator and local school district.  Driving one’s personal automobile to the Skills Center, however, is not an option.

 Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions about the information in this letter. 

Sincerely,

Douglas Kellerman

Program Administrator