WEEKLY UPDATE – MIDDLE SCHOOL 11.23.2025

Dear Greenspire Community,

As we head into the upcoming holiday season, we know schedules at home can shift and routines may look a bit different for many of our students. With next week’s shortened school week, some students may be feeling the impact of these changes more than usual. The adolescent mind is already navigating so much; rapid growth, emotional development, and constant transitions. Small disruptions can feel big.

Here at school, we will continue to provide as much consistency, stability, and support as possible. As families adjust routines during this time, it may be helpful to remember that research consistently shows how a few key habits can make a meaningful difference in students’ well-being and success. Regular sleep routines support memory, focus, and emotional regulation. Nutritious meals and proper hydration help maintain steady energy and mood throughout the day. Physical activity strengthens the body, reduces stress, and enhances learning readiness. These small daily practices can help students feel more grounded now and build healthy habits that last a lifetime.

We are also continuing to nurture a culture of compassion and awareness here at Greenspire. This time of year offers a valuable opportunity to help students think about others in our community who may be in need of basic essentials. Our giving season initiatives help students connect their learning to real-world kindness and understand how even small efforts can make a meaningful impact.

We also recognize that members of our own school family may be experiencing challenges or need additional support during this season. Please know that we are here to help. If there is any way we can support your child or family, please reach out to office@greenspireschool.org.

Important Upcoming Dates:

November 17-December 17: The Giving Season Donations and Coin Competition

The Giving Season:

We invite you to join us by donating new personal hygiene products, warm winter items, or monetary contributions. Suggested donation items include:

On Wednesday, all of our donations will be set up at the Community Center on Barlow, where anyone needing supplies can come pick out what they need. Thank you for sharing in the spirit of kindness and helping us make a difference in our community this holiday season.

The Giving Season Coin Competition: 

In the spirit of generosity and a little friendly competition, Greenspire is excited to kick off our Giving Season Coin Competition between advisory classes!

Here’s how it works:

Bring in your change and help your advisory class rise to the top, or use paper money to give another class a fun challenge!

The advisory with the highest total will win a sweet treat party!

Let’s make this Giving Season one filled with kindness, laughter, and generosity. 

Sports Collaboration with The Children’s House:

Girls Basketball (6th-8th) Navigators
Registration deadline:  Friday, December 12, 2025
Registration: FinalForms
Cost: $140.00
Season:  January – March, 2025
Practices:  Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30pm-5:00pm, TBD
Games:  Mondays and Wednesdays, TBD
MHSAA requirements: all athletes must have their  24-25’ sports physical form on file from an examination on or after April 15 of the previous school year.
COACHES NEEDED! Fill out this form if you are willing to coach or assist.

Conference Survey: 

We would love to hear your feedback about our recent student-led conferences. Your insights are incredibly valuable and help us continue to create meaningful and enriching opportunities for our students and their families.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts using this link. We truly appreciate your time and partnership.

New Success Lab 

Success Lab is a space for students to catch up, get organized, and strengthen their understanding in classes where they need extra support. Each week, students who are failing one or more classes will meet on Thursdays to complete missing assignments. This will take the place of one of their weekly electives until they achieve a passing grade in the course(s). The goal is to help every student feel confident and back on track in their learning.

Homework Policy

Please use the link below to access important information about Greenspire’s Homework Policy: Greenspire Homework Policy

We encourage all families to review the policy to stay informed and support student success.

Career Fair Presenters Needed! 

Greenspire is excited to host a Career Fair to help students explore the many diverse career opportunities within our community. We’re looking for community members who are interested in sharing their professional experiences and inspiring our students to think about their future paths.

If you have a career or trade that you believe students would enjoy learning about, we’d love for you to join us on Friday, December 12, from 8:45–10:00 a.m.

To sign up or learn more, please contact claire.alexander@greenspireschool.org. 

Willy Wonka Jr. Update: 

Not going to lie – practices last week and this week are showing a tremendous amount of talent and effort, and I am so proud of my Cast.  Lots and lots of goosebumps.  I cannot wait for you all to see this show! We have a lot of work still to do, so please make sure to help students run lines and listen to songs to learn them.  

I met with the Crew hopefuls on Thursday and told them what expectations will look like for their work.  I have a list of those who think they are committed to being backstage for the show and I will start sending out tasks to them soon.  The numbers for the Crew are going to be smaller than I originally anticipated, but I am running a lot of this alone right now, and with 28 Cast members, I cannot take on 30+ Crew.  Everyone is aware of this and the most dedicated will be joining us backstage!

As always, if you are willing to be part of the show, please email me and I will add you to our volunteer list!  – Claire

It is time to order your 2025-2026 Greenspire Middle School Yearbook! For the third year in a row, students are creating the yearbook and, although the details are top secret, we can tell you it will be amazing! There are a few different ways to order if you haven’t already or if you want to order an extra copy. Yearbooks are selling for $25 until January 31, 2026 when the price will go up. Help secure a lasting memory for your student and purchase a yearbook today! 

To order, click on this link or go to www.buytheyearbook.com. Then click on the button to “Purchase Yearbooks.” Enter our school’s information or just use our school code (#308906). Please email Alli with any questions (alli.boyer@greenspireschool.org).

Parents of 8th grade students ONLY!!!

We are offering the opportunity for you to create a special, personalized ad in the yearbook for your 8th grader again this year! Please look for an email from Alli next week with more details.

Attendance Reminder:

If your child will be absent or tardy, please call 231-421-5905 and leave a message on the attendance line. You are also welcome to email us at Office@greenspireschool.org. If your child is missing school due to an appointment, please provide a doctor’s note so the absence can be medically excused.

Project Updates and Staff Email Addresses:

Please feel free to reach out to staff if you have any questions!

Click on Math Website Link for all math updates 🙂

We are in Q2’s new project: Forming My Future.  The driving question is “What could my future hold?”  We will be doing exploration of interests and skills that we have and looking at occupations that might fit with those.  We are not committing to anything after high school!  Just seeing what is out there.  We did two activities this week that will be graded by next week.

Find assignment due dates, project updates, and vocabulary practice on our Social Studies Class Website. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

This week we enjoyed two Fitz favourites: hoarfrost and needle ice! We crunched our way through the Commons in the mornings and by the end of the day we enjoyed mud and some sunshine. A gorgeous Friday morning at the Place With No Name and looking forward to the Solstice so our days get longer.