Volume 5, Issue 1

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! Between Summer Academy and a slew of conferences and trainings, our staff has been incredibly busy working to ensure that this will be one of our strongest years both culturally and academically.

Mrs. Lane has been busy scheduling classes and updating curriculum offerings with Mrs. Paprocki and Mrs. Gardella, while Mrs. Paprocki has also been coming up with fun new activities for the houses with the House Ministers, Mr. Johnson has been sprucing up our athletic offerings, and I have been doing all of the above while making sure the kids have a playground and our families aren’t driving in the mud. We’re going to have new field trip adventures, extracurricular groups, and will continue with our afterschool tutoring opportunities. In short, we are inching ever closer to our vision of leading local charter schools and developing the character of our students in a way that makes them strong and productive citizens.

Despite all of the happenings in our school, we remain focused on academic excellence. We will begin NWEA testing the very first week of school so we can establish a baseline of performance and identify areas to focus on with our students. Additionally, you may have heard about some of the reading updates that the Department of Education has been rolling out. Our school is committed to providing high-quality literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Because the rollout happened so quickly, our current comprehensive reading curriculum is not on Michigan’s approved list of evidence-based, state-aligned curricula; our foundational literacy program addresses the essential reading skills and Michigan academic standards.

We were ahead of the rollout in that all of our K–5 teachers have received, or are currently completing, Science of Reading training to ensure students receive strong, research-based instruction. To further strengthen the literacy programs, some grades will pilot the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum, an approved evidence-based program aligned to Michigan’s literacy standards, to evaluate its effectiveness for our students and staff. Based on the results of the pilot, we anticipate adopting and implementing CKLA schoolwide beginning in the 2027–2028 school year to ensure our literacy curriculum is fully aligned with state requirements and supports the best possible outcomes for all students. Sorry, as I know this topic can be dry, but the state wants all schools to relay this information this year!

Many of the other pertinent updates for the first few weeks were previously shared in the Welcome Back letter, but as always, the big reminder we share with families is to be patient in the parking lot during the first few weeks of school! We will have plenty of staff outside guiding you during the first few weeks, and remember – in the mornings, pull up and don’t let your kids out until a staff member opens the door! I know sometimes it may seem like a good time or opportunity to let your kid out, but unless it’s done staggeredly by staff, it will cause a traffic backup, which is what we’re trying to avoid!

For Open House, families should enter the parking lot using the north entrance, which is closest to the main doors of the school. Please park in the side lot and exit using the south driveway.

Please note that this traffic pattern is for Open House only. Once the school year begins, families will return to the regular traffic flow, entering through the south driveway and exiting through the north entrance.

Please take a look at the attached map for a visual of the Open House parking and traffic flow. We appreciate everyone’s help in keeping traffic moving safely and smoothly!

We are so excited to have you return for another great year!

Sincerely,

Joshua Sobczak,
Superintendent