Allyson Smith, Principal at Wacousta Elementary
February 20, 2026
Important Upcoming Dates
March 3: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00 - 8:00 pm
March 5: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00 - 8:00 pm
March 6: Half Day for Students - Dismissal at 12:10 pm
March 6: Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00 - 3:00 pm Virtual Only
March 13: Snack Shop 9:00-11:00 am
March 27-April 3: Spring Break
April 6: No Students - Staff Professional Development
April 7: School Resumes
Highlights and Happenings from Ms. Smith
It’s been an exciting week at Wacousta. Our construction project is moving along nicely, and our four new classrooms are really starting to take shape. It’s fun to see the progress each day, and everyone is excited to think about the additional space these classrooms will provide us for learning next year.
Inside the building, we’ve also begun instructional rounds. Instructional rounds provide teachers the opportunity to observe one another and learn together. This practice, often used in the medical field, has been adopted by educators as a powerful way to share strong instructional strategies and continue growing collaboratively. It has been fun for teachers to see their colleagues in action and to learn from each other.
Lock-Down Drill
Today, our students took part in a lockdown drill to practice our safety measures. This was only a drill. As a school, we are required to practice at least three of these each school year. At Wacousta, we work closely with our Student Safety Supervisor, Christopher Chester, to make sure our staff is trained and prepared with best practices to keep students safe.
You might want to consider checking in with your child about the drill. Let them know the school shared that a safety drill took place so they feel reassured that families and schools are working together. Some children may want to talk about it, while others may process it in quieter ways through play, through spending time with you, or not talking about it at all. All of these responses are normal.
If your child shares that they felt comfortable with the drill, remind them that the purpose of practicing is to be prepared and stay safe. If they express that it made them feel nervous, acknowledge those feelings and help them think of what makes them feel secure. It might be knowing their teacher is there, remembering the steps they took during the drill, or hearing about a time when you felt nervous and what helped you through it.
Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s sense of safety and well-being. Together, we can help students feel both secure and confident while they learn at school.
Parent Teacher Conferences - Registration
Please click HERE to sign up for a conference with your student(s) teacher(s). You’ll need to check your email after completing the first step, then select a time slot and finalize registration.
Our Specials team of teachers for Art, Music, Physical Education, and STEAM, will be meeting with parents in the art room during conferences. You can sign up for a time slot with the team in the Parent Teacher Conference Registration site, or you may stop by to check-in with all of our Specials teachers the night of your conference(s). To reserve a time slot in advance, go to the PTC Registration site and select “Specials” to sign up.
Specials Spotlight
Click here to learn more about what is happening in STEAM this month!
March Book Madness
As part of our March Book Madness celebration and Reading Month, we are teaming up to support our local Believers Food Pantry with a schoolwide food drive March 2–6. While our students cheer on their favorite books in tournament-style fun, we’ll also be building community by collecting much-needed items for local families. Please see our themed flier here for suggested daily donations — items may be sent in throughout the week or brought with you to Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Save the date: Wacousta Family Fun Night on Friday, May 1
Click here for more detail.
Wacousta Spirit Wear
Looking for some Wacousta Spirit Wear? Check out our Wacousta Spirit Wear page for some new gear!
Save the Date for the Comet Chase
The Grand Ledge Education Foundation Comet Chase 5K returns on Saturday, June 13, 2026, right here in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and it’s shaping up to be our biggest and best year yet!
Whether you run, jog, or walk, this event is for everyone. You don’t have to be a runner to be part of the fun — just bring your Comet pride and join the community celebration!
Why participate?
100% of proceeds support the Grand Ledge Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that provides extra funding for innovative classroom projects across Grand Ledge Public Schools.
Staff Participation and School Spirit Awards are back — rally your building teams and show your pride!
Every participant scores awesome shirts and finisher medals, plus age-group awards for our competitive racers.
Over the past two years, the Comet Chase has welcomed nearly 600 participants and grossed more than $20,000 for local classrooms. Let’s come together and make 2026 the most memorable year yet! Lace up, team up, and be part of something that truly makes a difference. Register now for Early Bird Pricing - rates increase April 4th!
Outdoor Recess Reminder
I want to take a moment and iterate our outdoor recess policy, which is briefly explained in the elementary handbook on page 2. Students will be going outside during the day unless it is raining or below zero degrees with the windchill. Please ensure your child has the appropriate winter attire to enjoy the season. The school does not have a plentiful supply of winter gear, so be sure your students are bringing those items to school. If you are a family in need of winter gear, please reach out to our counselor, Margo Hazelman.
February’s Lunch Menu
Check out the February lunch menu at grandledge.nutrislice.com. This website is helpful to check the breakfast and lunch menus of any building in the district. You can check for nutritional information, filter allergens, and translate the menu into 50+ languages! It's a very helpful tool for parents and staff members.
Snow Day Menu Changes: In the event of a snow day, the menu for the day students return will be what was planned for the snow day. The scheduled menu will resume the day after we return. This is done to have the least amount of waste.
Attendance Reminders
In following standard practices across the district, we notify parents by letter when their student has reached the 6 and 10 whole-day thresholds of undocumented absences.
A documented absence consists of a physician's note of excusal. Physician excused absences do not count towards truancy days. Also note that only the dates listed in the excusal will be recorded as documented absences. Please always request a doctor’s note from your student’s physician that covers all the dates of the student’s illness-related absence. File a copy of the physician’s note with our office staff so that we can update your student’s attendance record. Documented absences will be identified in your student’s attendance as AD - Absence Documented.
The district acknowledges that a student may be sick and may not need to be seen by a physician for an illness related absence. We respect that parents make choices based on the best health outcome for their student, as well as for the general student population. We also recognize that there may be life events impacting a student's attendance. In these instances when you call your student’s absence in with an explanation for the absence it will be identified as AE - Explained Absence in your student’s attendance record. AE dates will count towards truancy days, but the explanation provided by the parents for the absences will be highly considered before a 15-day truancy referral would take place. If you have any questions about our attendance policy, feel free to reach out to the front office.
Upcoming Events, District News, & Community Information
Please review what the school district shares in newsletters about events, news, and information, please visit http://glcomets.net/Upcoming
Allyson Smith
Principal, Wacousta Elementary School
9325 Herbison Rd., Eagle, MI 48822 (517) 925-5940 FAX (517) 925-5970
