Bear Bulletin
Maire newsletter: October 26th Edition
Dear Maire Families
The past few weeks have definitely been a whirlwind for me. Whether it’s fantastic conversations at conferences, meeting community members at the Open House, or welcoming our fourth son, Jack, into the Francis household. All of those experiences have really helped solidify a few things for me.
First, the collaboration between parents and the teachers to support growth (academically, socially, and emotionally) is an integral part to creating a well-rounded educational experience. It is a partnership that involves open communication and trust. We appreciate the trust you put in us at Maire to help your child grow. A team approach is needed to help each and every kid. Thank you for your support at home!
Second, Maire truly is a special place to be. Former and current Maire Bears did an amazing job giving tours of our school to community members at the Open House. Every person who came through the doors was impressed with the learning environment that was evident within the building. Everyone could tell we have a caring staff, excellent enrichment programs, solid academic performance, and a positive approach to teaching life-skills. The fact that the tour guides willingly gave up their Sunday afternoon to help is just a testament to the school we have.
Last, I know how special each and every child is. I have 4 kids at home, but 307 at school. Our teachers look at their class as their own kids as well. Each kid is different, with their own strengths and talents. At Maire we will continue to work tirelessly to support each student with what they need to be successful.
I am excited to be back to work and can’t wait for all the big things we are going to do this school year!
Ryan Francis
Principal
Maire Diversity Meeting: October 30th from 6:00-7:15 in the Maire Library
Are you interested in helping create a more inclusive school here at Maire? We still have some work to do to make our school culturally responsive and welcoming of all community members. Through dialogue and collaboration of parents and staff, Ms. Virginia Winters (School Culture and Climate Consultant from Wayne RESA) will be here to help facilitate our growth and help us reach our diversity goals. We will be sharing out information before the meeting to the email address provided so that we can front-load information and start moving forward together at the meeting. PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING. Diversity Sign Up Form
PARKING LOT SAFETY PROCEDURES
Maire Elementary is extremely grateful to Kate Kasza (mom to Bobby, 3rd grade) & Claire Nybor (Maire alum) for their assistance along our drop off lane! These two ladies volunteer their time every morning to keep our children safe before school and facilitate the movement of traffic in the drop off lane. Thank you, Kate & Claire!
As we move into late fall and then winter, more and more of us drive to school. You can help our volunteers by:
- Pulling as far forward in the green zone as possible before you stop.
- Dropping off your student in the green zone only.
- Seating your child on the passenger side of the car for a quick, easy, curbside exit.
- Parking in the lot and walking your child in if you know you will need to get out of the car.
- Crossing only at the crosswalk.
- Entering and exiting the parking lot with a right turn only.
- Extending grace and patience to other drivers and especially our wonderful volunteers!
If you have concerns about our drop off lane and procedures, please contact the office.
Thank you for working together to make the start of the school day as pleasant as possible for the whole Maire community!
Character Word of the Month
During October we focused on Respect. Look for the next Character Word of the Month to kick off at our November 1st Bear Den Town Hall Meeting. Thanks for your support at home helping to create well-rounded kids!
"Maire Moment" Dates Coming Soon:
10/31 Halloween! A.M. classes only (see full Halloween schedule posted below)
11/2 Picture retake day
11/4 Daylight Savings Time begins (Fall Back 1 hour!)
11/6 No School for students --Election Day
11/7 PTO Hungry Howie's Fundraising Night
11/12 GPPSS Board Meeting at Brownell 7pm
11/15 Box Top Collection Day
11/20 1/2 Day for Students AM classes only
11/21-11/23 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break (school resumes on 11/26 at 9:05 a.m.)
Maire Messages from the Office:
Please be sure to call our Attendance Line at 432-4301 with all absences/late arrivals by 8:45 a.m. This is a dedicated line and is available 24 hours/7 days a week. If you know of a future absence (trip, appointment, etc.) please let the office know with a phone call or note as soon as possible.
- Students go outside every day for recess, unless it is raining or the temperature falls below zero with the windchill. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for the whole school day.
Please label all of your child's outerwear! This really does help when we have 307 students, as many items are left behind. Please check the lost and found for any missing items. It is always overflowing!
========SPECIALS UPDATE========
Art, Mr. Heenan
PE, Ms. Kefgen
Library, Mrs. Hermon
Music, Mr. Hipple
Super Star Safety
Charlie McPartlin, 4th Grade
Charlie, a student in Mr. Gross' class, saw a need and took initiative to resolve it. When there was no adult at the Cadieux/Waterloo intersection after school, he sought out Mrs. Bresser to get help. He further assisted by getting a stop sign from the office. Way to go, Charlie!
Halloween -- October 31st
Halloween is next week, and surely you are all planning for the day!
Here are some reminders for a fun & safe morning at Maire:
· Toy weapons are not allowed, as this violates the GPPSS Student Code of Conduct.
· Violent costumes and scary make up/fake blood are not allowed. Your child may not be afraid of these things, but it may scare some of our younger students.
· Masks are not allowed to be worn for safety’s sake.
· If you are looking for some easy, fun & homemade costume ideas, try searching Google for "DIY Halloween Costumes". A lot of the most creative costumes come from items you already have at home!
Our schedule for the day:
· 8:20 AM Entry Bell
· 8:45 AM Parade Begins
· 9:15 AM Assembly -Magic & Twist (followed by recess)
· 10:30 –11:30 AM Classroom Parties/Activities
· 11:36 AM Dismissal
We are under construction!
Although it won't be quite move-in ready, our new space WILL BE OPEN on Tuesday November 6th (Election Day), so that community members coming to Maire to vote will see our critical need for secure vestibules in the GPPSS. We are also encouraging any Grosse Pointe community member to contact the office to set up a short appointment to tour the new space and see why it is necessary. (313) 432-4300.
If you have any questions about the upcoming bond, please call the office and Mr. Francis will be happy to chat about what the bond will do for our school(s). We need our community, and especially our Maire parents, to get out and vote on November 6th.
Construction of our new office space
The new colors (Maire Bear blue!) are looking great
Our secure vestibule area
PBIS Celebration for October
The monthly incentive party for October is Board Games
The goal of the monthly PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) Party is to recognize positive behavior around the school.
Research shows that students achieve at a higher level when they know the expectations and feel safe. PBIS helps us improve on both these areas. We want students to feel good about themselves and come to school happy and ready to learn!
The Simple “Bear” Necessities:
Respect
Responsibility
Safety
Student Council
We are preparing for one of our biggest events of the year, our annual Gleaner's Thanksgiving Food Drive. Please stay tuned for more details of our events and our fundraising throughout the year.
Buddies on Spirit Day
1st Grade friends
Even our youngest Maire Bears got in the spirit
Gleaner's Food Drive
Here are some suggested items to donate:
Boxes of: pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, containers of oatmeal
Bags of: rice, pasta,
Cans of: fruit, vegetables, sauce, canned meat (tuna, chicken) soup, beans, canned chili, canned pasta sauce
Peanut butter, sun butter, almond butter
Squeezeable jelly
NO Glass bottles or containers
NO fresh fruit or vegetables
September & October Box Top Winners
For the month of October, our top collecting class was Ms. Neely's 2nd grade, with a whopping 283 box tops! This is a fabulous start to our goal!
Our grand total for all classes so far for the year is 1,762. Keep up the good work, Maire Bears!
Lunch and Clinic Volunteers Needed
Sign up here: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/508044fa9ac2ea20-oct2018
Maire Weekly Flyers
https://mi01000971.schoolwires.net/Page/14526
Flyers may also be accessed by going to the Maire website and clicking on the "Weekly Flyers" button.
Maire Mission Statement
The staff at Maire School, in partnership with students, parents, and community, will provide a high quality instructional program. Our purpose is to prepare students to be life-long learners and productive citizens in a dynamic society.
District Mission Statement
The Grosse Pointe Public School System mission - in partnership with students, staff, parent, and community members - is to challenge all students to realize their full potential by providing them with the highest quality educational program and instruction.
District Vision
One GP-where everyone learns every day.
Follow us on social media
Twitter: @GPMaire
Facebook : Principal Francis-Maire Elementary and Maire Elementary PTO group page
Maire Elementary School
Email: kramerm@gpschools.org
Website: https://mi01000971.schoolwires.net/gpmaire
Location: 740 Cadieux Road, Grosse Pointe, MI, USA
Phone: 313-432-4300
Twitter: @GPmaire