Jun 25, 2021

Welcome Letter 2021

Hello parents, families, and staff! I hope you are having a wonderful week and looking forward to our first day on Monday, June 28th!

This is an example of the weekly “newsletter” you will receive from me via email throughout the program. This one is a bit on the long side ;-) I apologize, but it includes a lot of key information. Much of the information will be included at the bottom of every weekly email to keep important reminders up to date!

Please note that this email is separated into the following categories:

Personnel
First Day Protocol
Volunteer Lunch (if applicable to your student)
Scripts
Important Notes
Important Dates
Important Links
Important Names

Thank you very much!

Personnel

Jenny Cort (admin@slsummerenrichment.org) - Program Coordinator

Jenny is our head honcho and overseer of the program. Her mother, Debbie Little, founded Summer Enrichment in 1988 (read more about our history here.) She communicates with Youth Assistance on our behalf, and handles the background mechanics that keep the program running. As this role is time-consuming, she is only present with us during program hours for a couple days per week. Any questions regarding the inner-workings of our organization, payments, and overall board-related issues can be directed to her.

Marcie Kryka (director@slsummerenrichment.org) - Program Director

Marcie (that’s me!) is our direct supervisor and point person for both the Elementary and Mid-High sessions. I am present during program hours daily to oversee activities, make schedules, manage staff and student concerns, and communicate with parents. If you have any questions regarding the program’s day-to-day activities, I am the person you will reach out to. Please note that I will be sending out a weekly email “newsletter” with information like this email. Please keep an eye on the key dates at the bottom of each email.

Program Staff/Activity Leaders

Our staff is who keep the activities and fun rolling! These individuals will be in charge of running activities, writing scripts, and directing shows. They are the people your students will have the most interaction with this summer. There may be some names you recognize, and there may be some new faces! These are the folks you will talk to before/after your student’s session if you have questions about scripts, costumes, etc.

Joey Abate (Elementary)

Ayana Ihara (Elementary)

Ben Machesky (Elementary & Mid-High)

Grace Mosher (Mid-High)

Ethan Ponsock (Elementary & Mid-High)

Cooper Schultz (Elementary & Mid-High)

Miranda Stepchuk (Elementary & Mid-High)

Jake Werner (Elementary & Mid-High)

Hannah Willett (Elementary & Mid-High)

You can find more information about our amazing staff at the following links:

First Day Protocol

If you are new to the program (or need a memory refresher), this is how the first day works.

You will report to the 6th Grade Entrance off of Nine Mile Road (Door #7) at Millennium Middle School (61526 Nine Mile Road), and we will have staff outside and inside the building to direct you to where you need to go.

Elementary Students

Many parents opt to stay for the first few minutes to hear our introductions to the program. You may do that if you wish, but it is not required.

After introductions, we will do a roll call of sorts to tell your student who their teachers will be for the summer. Then they will split up and go to their individual classrooms to get to know their teachers and hear about their classroom rules and plans!

Mid-High

This is much more informal. Mid-High is not split into individual classrooms, and we spend a lot of time together as a big group. Once students are cast to their plays, they will have smaller group time to work on their shows. But all other activities are done as one unit.

Both Groups

After getting acclimated to our routine, please be mindful of your student's timetable. Elementary runs from 10:00-12:00, and Mid-High from 1:00-4:00. Please be respectful about these times. Our staff has work to do both before and after your student's respective session. We humbly ask that you do not drop them off too early, or pick them up too late, as this disrupts our staff's other job responsibilities. Emergencies and accidents happen, and that is okay. But overall, please help us follow our schedules as closely as possible.

Volunteer Lunch Protocol

Parents of middle- and high-school volunteers who eat lunch with us at noon:

We are doing lunch a little differently this year. In previous years, students were able to leave campus to get lunch with written notes from their parents. This will still be allowed—however, we now have an official permission slip and students will need to sign out and in if they leave for lunch.

We will pass out permission slips during week 1, but if you would like to fill it out now so your student can go get lunch on the first day, I have attached the form to this email. Please print and fill it out and have them bring it on Day 1 :-)

Scripts

Due to our limited access to facility equipment such as printers and copiers, this year we will be administering all scripts via Google Docs. Please have your students print these at home and bring them in every day to practice! If you have any difficulties opening the documents or do not have access to a printer, please let us know and we will be more than happy to provide further guidance.

Scripts will be separated into two folders: one for Elementary, and one for Mid-High. Elementary students will be responsible for one script each, and Mid-High students will each have two. Please keep in mind that Middle School volunteers should also print a copy of the script for the Elementary classroom they are a part of. They may have a small role in the show or need a script to help others practice lines.

If you are unsure of which scripts your child(ren) need to download when the time comes, please feel free to email me and I will direct you to the correct shows.

As of now, we plan to have scripts available to download and print on Tuesday, July 13th. I will continue to keep you apprised if this estimate changes.

You can access the folder via this link.

Important Notes

Please remind your students to adhere to standard school dress code. We also ask that all students wear close-toed shoes. We will be having games and activities that involve extensive movement (cardio and dance, for example), and close-toed shoes are the safest option to avoid any potential injuries.
Please also note that it is important to let your student’s teachers know about scheduled absences. If they need to miss some time due to illness or emergency, this is no problem! (And there is no need to “call them in” absent in these cases.) But if they will be absent for an extended period of time for camp, vacation, etc., having advance notice helps our staff prepare activities accordingly. If you included these dates in your registration already, I have those records and you do not need to inform us again.
Our annual Tricky Tray fundraiser will take place on performance nights. We collect various donated items between $5 and $10 from families to raffle at the end of each performance night. We will be searching for parents to help with asking for donations from local businesses (most businesses have worked with us in the past and look forward to participating). Please let us know if you’d be interested in lending a hand in this task.
If you would like to volunteer in any way, please let us know! We are asking for parents to help visit businesses in the South Lyon Area, and sell Tricky Tray tickets on performance nights. We would love and appreciate any help you are able to provide, and your dedication contributes to the longevity of our program!
If you know of any additional fundraising opportunities, please let us know!

Important Dates

Monday, June 28th: Our first day!

Tuesday, June 29th: We will be starting our Penny Drive fundraiser! More details to follow, but if you are familiar, feel free to have your student start bringing in coins whenever you wish :-)

Saturday, June 29th: Car Wash Fundraiser in the Dairy Queen parking lot 10:00AM-1:00PM

Monday, July 5th & Tuesday, July 6th: No Program. Enjoy your holiday!

Tuesday, July 13th: Scripts go live to download/print on our Google Drive folder, which you can access here.

July TBA: Aubree’s Fundraiser

Thursday, August 5th - Elementary Performance: No program for Middle School. Elementary dress rehearsal will take place 10:00AM-12:00PM, and our final performance will be held at 7:00PM. Please note that students will be asked to arrive early in order to prepare for their shows. This typically means between 6:30-6:45. We will keep you apprised with an exact time as we get closer. Please note: there is no admission fee for the shows! Coming to watch is completely free. Please invite friends and family to join the fun!

Friday, August 6th - Mid-High Performance: Mid-High dress rehearsal will be held from 9:30AM-1:00PM, and our final performance will be held at 7:00PM. Please note that students will be asked to arrive early in order to prepare for their shows. This typically means between 6:30-6:45. We will keep you apprised with an exact time as we get closer. Please note: there is no admission fee for the shows! Coming to watch is completely free. Please invite friends and family to join the fun!