Aug 23. 2024
Hello Hayes Families!
It was amazing to meet so many of you at the Preview Day and/or Open House events this week! We are thankful that you were able to come and help make the first day of school that much smoother for your student.
Meet the Principals
 | Principal Eric Leopold - This will be Eric’s sixth year at Grand Ledge Public Schools and second year as Hayes Intermediate Head Principal. Prior to Hayes, he was Assistant Principal at Beagle (and the former Hayes) Middle Schools and was also an Assistant Principal and Teacher in Florida for many years. |
 | Assistant Principal Scott Millbrook - This will be Scott’s fourth year at Grand Ledge Public Schools after working as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director for five years at Lakewood Middle School. Prior to that, he was the Dean of Students at Grand Ledge High School as well as a classroom and physical education teacher at Potterville Elementary. |
Schedules/Class Lists
Due to tremendous growth in enrollment at Hayes Intermediate this school year, students will not be able to switch home rooms or enrichment classes unless they have extenuating circumstances. Classes are full and there are simply no seats left in many classrooms. There are some exceptions to this if your student is on the Brunk/Palacios team in 6th grade as another teacher will be joining us to make that a team of three teachers. Families with students impacted by this change will be notified via email over the next few days.
Medication Drop Off
You may bring in your student’s medication and medical paperwork(signed by their physician) to our Medical Paraprofessional Lisa Bentley during normal school hours (7:15am - 2:25pm)
- Over the counter medication has to be prescribed by a physician to be kept and administered at school.
- All medication must be in its original packaging.
- If a student requires over the counter medication please bring in an unopened bottle or package of said medication. Also we do not have the room to store large bottles of medication so please purchase the smaller quantity packages.
Main Office Open
The Hayes Office is open every school day from 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
School Hours
To alleviate morning carline congestion, students may be dropped off as early as 7:15 a.m. We will supervise them in the gym or the cafeteria until they are released to class at 7:30 a.m. If you can wait until 7:30 to drop them off, this is preferred. The wait in the gym or cafeteria can get boring. The school day starts with students at their desks by 7:40 a.m. The school day ends at 2:25 p.m.
PM Parent Pickup
In the morning, all student drop off should happen in the front of the school with all students entering at the main office. In the afternoon, however, there are two separate carlines. 5th Grade students are picked up in the front of the school. 6th Grade students should be picked up behind the school in the back carline. To access the back carline, enter the back of campus at the Operations sign at the North end of the Baseball field. Drive into the back driveway of Hayes and wait at the sign until students emerge. When you pick up your student at the back carline, please follow the traffic cones in a roundabout to exit the campus. Staff will be available to assist with both carlines until the routine is established. If you have students in both 5th and 6th grade, please direct them to wait at the front of the school so you don’t need to drive to both spots. Please see the Back Carline Overview Map for the exact location. For a zoomed in view, click here .
School Supplies
Your student’s teaching team will communicate about school supply needs. IIf your family has school supply or clothing needs, please reach out to secretary Lisa Nelson at 517-925-5740 so we can make sure that your student starts school fully equipped.
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
We have an outstanding joint PTO with the Beagle Middle building! Our PTO has provided several incredible opportunities for our students, staff, and facilities over the past few years. This work is accomplished through the support of our community and family members. We always encourage our family members to attend our PTO meetings whether it's one time, intermittently, or consistently--all participation is helpful and impactful to our school culture and benefits our children. Here are some important updates from our PTO:
- The first meeting of the year will be Tuesday, September 10 at 6:30pm in the Beagle Media Center or you can attend the first meeting virtually at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82744686994.
- Stay connected with PTO news and events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hayesbeaglepto
- Hayes Stock the Lounge link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4AADAE2CAAFC1-50378524-beagle
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Site Based Mentoring
We are proud to announce that we are partnering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to help mentor students at Hayes Intermediate this school year. Per parent request, students will be matched with an adult mentor from our local community. Students will meet with their “Big” during the school day one time per week during the school year. Students in the Site Based Mentoring Program are only permitted to see their Big at the school. If you would like to get your student started with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, please click here: https://bbbs.tfaforms.net/f/bbbsmcryouthapp
Construction
Hayes Intermediate School is scheduled to begin construction during the 2024-25 school year, with completion scheduled for August 2025. The construction will focus primarily on security and safety upgrades as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning updates. Additionally, there are plans to construct a safer driveway. While most of the construction will take place during the summer of 2025, some projects will start during the school year. Specific timetables and any impacts to the overall flow of the building will be announced before they are to happen.
Please do not hesitate to contact the office at 517-925-5740 if you have any questions. We are looking forward to meeting your family!
Looking Ahead:
August 30 - No School (Friday before Labor Day)
September 2 - No School (Labor Day)
September 12 - Picture Day (During the school day)
September 12 - PTO Fundraiser Kickoff
Take care,
Eric and Scott
Eric Leopold, Principal
Scott Millbrook, Assistant Principal
Hayes Intermediate School
