Dear former students of Ms. MacDonald and Clear Lake families,

Thank you to our students and families who have sent back a card or note for Ms. MacDonald. We will be delivering all the messages to her on Friday, 10/3/25. If you would like to still send in something please do so no later than Wednesday, 10/1/25. 

Some ideas for former students to share:

A favorite memory from your time in her class

Something you learned from her

A moment that stuck with you

Kindly return cards or notes to your teacher or the Main Office by October 1, 2025. If you have questions please contact Mrs. Niemi (stephanie.niemi@oxfordschools.org)

With appreciation,
Mrs. Stephanie Niemi
Principal, Clear Lake Elementary

Thank you to PTO and our volunteers who came and helped make FUNd Run 2025 a super fun event last Friday! 

Donation slips are due by this Friday, 10/3/25.

Currently we have raised $25,446 as a school and Mrs. Boyd's class is still hanging on to first place with only $250 separating them from Mrs. Sullivan's class!

Once the final totals are confirmed we will then announce the overall top fundraising classroom and individuals. The top class will win an ice cream party while the top fundraising student from DK-2 and 3rd-5th will win a ride to school in a police car AND free popcorn for the year! All students who raised $100+ will receive the VIP goodie bag!

Way to go Wildcats!

It's Oxford Homecoming week! Staff and students are invited to participate in our fun spirit week days as well as walk and represent Clear Lake in the Homecoming parade. All students are required to have a parent or guardian walk with them in the parade. 

Halloween Volunteers: All Halloween party volunteers must have an ICHAT form processed and on file by 10/27/25. This is to ensure there is time to process any new ICHAT forms prior to the event.

If you have not yet had your driver's license scanned into our visitor management system, you will also need to stop in the main office to do so by 10/29/25. If you had your driver’s license scanned last school year and it is a Real ID, it will need to be rescanned. This is due to a software update that will now ensure that Real ID driver’s license pictures print on the visitor badge.

The office will be preprinting visitor badges for volunteers that have both the processed ICHAT and a driver’s license in the visitor management system to help make checking in faster. Volunteers that wait until the day of the party to have their driver’s license scanned may have to wait in line. Guests may always come in during the following school hours 9:00-3:30pm to have their driver’s license scanned.

ICHAT FORM

Hearing Screening 2025-2026: 9/26, 9/29, 9/30, 10/1, 10/2. The Oakland County Health Division will be at Clear Lake to do hearing screening for students in GSRP, DK, Kindergarten, 2nd grade, 4th grade, EI classroom, and Center Based ASD classroom. They will also screen any student who did not pass a previous hearing screening unless the school is otherwise notified in writing by the parent/guardian no later than 9/26/25. See flyer below for more information.

Vision Screening 2025-2026: 12/5, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11. The Oakland County Health Division will be at Clear Lake to do vision screening for students in GSRP, DK, 1st grade , 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade, EI classroom, and Center Based ASD classroom. They will also screen any student who did not pass a previous hearing screening unless the school is otherwise notified in writing by the parent/guardian no later than 12/4/26. See flyer below for more information.

Dear Clear Lake families,

There was recently questions about ordering pictures from HR Imaging and shipping options. HR Imaging shared that emails were sent to families back on 9/12/25 with a link to view your child's picture proof. In the email it stated that ordering would be open until 9/19/25 with the option to ship to school or home. Anything ordered after that date would then be shipped directly to the customer's home. Using the information that was sent prior to picture day families were to create their own HR Imaging account to do online ordering. From there you would be able to select a background and picture package.

We apologize for any confusion. Parents and guardians are encouraged to use the HR Imaging Customer Service information listed below for questions and support in setting up their account or ordering.

The link to set up your account is- https://myshop.hrimaging.com 

HR Imaging Customer Service for Parents:

https://shop.hrimaging.com/pws/contactus.aspx

Phone number: 815.433.1766

Picture Retakes:

For students who need a picture retake, please make sure to communicate to your child's teacher to confirm. Picture retakes will take place the morning of October 23, 2025.

Dear Oxford Families,

I want to take a moment to share an important update on school funding in Michigan and what it means for Oxford Community Schools.

As you may know, the State of Michigan is required by law to adopt a school aid budget by July 1 so that districts like ours can plan responsibly for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, that deadline has passed, and lawmakers have not yet finalized a budget. This delay has placed schools across the state, including Oxford, in a challenging position.

While the situation requires careful monitoring, we are confident that Oxford can remain open and continue serving students as we work through this period of uncertainty. We are proactively looking at ways to temporarily bridge funding gaps so that essential programs including teaching, transportation, and student meals, continue without interruption.

Without a state budget, we plan to return to a fee-based program for breakfast and lunch beginning November 1st. We strongly encourage families to complete the Application for Free and Reduced Meals as soon as possible. This application is especially important because it is uncertain whether the state will include free breakfasts and lunches in the new budget even once it is approved.

How you can help: One of the most effective ways to support our schools is by reaching out to your legislators and urging them to finalize the school aid budget. You can find your legislators here: https://www.michiganvotes.org/legislators. A short email or phone call encouraging them to prioritize and pass the school budget is a powerful way to make a difference.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together for Oxford’s future.

With Gratitude,

Dr. Tonya Milligan, Superintendent

Menus and Account Info:
Find breakfast/lunch menus and directions for depositing money into your student’s account (Meal Magic Family Portal) at:
www.oxfordschools.org → Departments → Nutrition Services

2025-2026 School Year

Dear Parents, Guardians, and/or Students,

Clear Lake Elementary is pleased to inform you that we have joined a nationwide 
community effort to make our school Heart Safe with Project ADAM. This decision is the result of our wish 
to ensure that our campus is prepared to provide an immediate response to someone suffering a cardiac emergency.

In the United States, it is estimated that annually 356,000 adults experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as well as 23,000 pediatric cardiac arrests (Mozaffarian, D, 2015; Okubo, M et al, 2020). Although approximately 90% of those people will not survive the event, the likelihood of survival increases with prompt intervention. Early intervention that includes CPR and restoration of normal heart rhythm with the use of an AED increases the chance of survival.

Through our cooperative efforts with Project ADAM led by we have joined hundreds of schools throughout the nation in preparing our school for a life-threatening emergency. This program enables us to offer any person who may experience a sudden cardiac arrest the best chance for survival. 

One aspect of being a Heart Safe School is to practice a drill with our staff to rehearse our plan and practice our skills and staff have been trained to assist with an emergency during regular school hours.

After school hours, this is a Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program. If you suspect someone is experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest, please use the equipment at our school to save their life. Good Samaritan laws protect the layperson in a life-saving attempt who is acting in good faith. We recommend becoming trained in CPR and AED use as an investment in your health and the health of others. You can learn how to recognize a sudden cardiac arrest and hands-only CPR and AED skills by watching this brief Project ADAM video.
FOR YOUR AWARENESS, WE HAVE AEDS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS AT CLEAR LAKE ELEMENTARY
› Outside main office in box labeled AED

AEDs are a life-saving device, and anyone can use an AED, even if you are not specifically trained. In the case of a cardiac arrest, call 911, start CPR and retrieve an AED. To use the AED, first press the power button to turn the device on. The device will then verbally walk you through the steps to use and save a life. Please note, the AED will not shock a person unless it detects a shockable rhythm. 

Many thanks for your participation in this important Heart Safe initiative in our school! If you have any questions, please reach out to me.

Stephanie Niemi-Principal, Project ADAM Site Champion

stephanie.niemi@oxfordschools.org

Stephanie Niemi

Principal, Clear Lake Elementary School

Email: stephanie.niemi@oxfordschools.org
Website: https://clearlake.oxfordschools.org/o/cls
Location: 2085 West Drahner Road, Oxford, MI, USA
Phone: 248-969-5206
Twitter: @sniemi01

Non-Discrimination Clause: The District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, military service, veteran status, genetic information, disability, or any other legally protected basis, and prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment and retaliation, in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admission and employment. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:  Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, 775 W. Drahner Rd., Oxford, MI 48371, (248) 969-5004.