RP-TLE Weekly Family Communication

Dear Families,

Thank you for communicating with our office when your child is not feeling well and sharing the symptoms. This has been helpful in identifying trends in our classrooms and targeting extra cleaning needs. A reminder that your child will need to be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before they return to school.

Despite illness, our teachers and learners carried on and had a productive week. Please take a moment to take a peek below to enjoy some photos and highlights.

This will be the last Family Newsletter until January 15th. Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends. Stay safe and be healthy!

Sincerely,

Your RP-TLE Team

Dear Families~

Our PTO moms are hoping to get as many of our grade levels through the Holiday Shop on Monday as they can. They want to be sure that all of our kids can shop. If you had planned on having your child buy gifts, please send their list and money with them to school on Monday.

A shout to our fourth grade poets who were able to share their poetry during our first annual "Inspiration Night". We were so proud of their courage and vulnerability as they shared personal writings and what inspired their thinking. Thank you to our teachers, Mrs. Kolbe and Mrs. Olsen and to our wonderful librarian, Miss Rachel for helping to make this event a success!

Mrs. Kolbe 3/4 graders and Mrs. Monaweck's kindergarteners buddy up each week to work on a project. This week, the Big Kids helped the Littles make their costumes for their Christmas performance this Thursday. They also model the Rocket Way and offer a positive role model. This works both way, though. Our younger kiddos help our bigger kiddos how to be patient and kind. This is a great opportunity to work on Life Skills, too.

Mrs. Essing's 1st graders and Mrs. Olsen's 4th graders worked together to make pine cone bird feeders for our garden areas. As you can see, we had lots of helpers with lots of smiles!

This month, our teachers have been on the lookout for learners have done an exemplary job of showing responsibility. The criteria that our teachers used to determine who would be the top Soaring Rocket this month is explained below:

1. Taking ownership of thoughts, words and actions and making responsible decisions and choices.
2. Consistently being respectful, taking pride in their work and doing the right

thing~The Rocket Way

3. Following the classroom social contract.

Congrats to the following K-3 grade learners who were chosen as December's Soaring Rockets. Their parents were invited to have lunch with them on Thursday.

Eliza Carballido (picture to the right)

Ella Todd, Ivy Aman, Knox Babcock, Willow Saunders, Kady Overkamp, Bradly Palmer and Rebecca Blaser

We had such a spirited and fun day on Friday! It began with a visit from our RPHS Choir. They serenaded our learners with Christmas songs. This is always a special treat this time of the year! We ended our evening with a fabulously planned and fun PTO family event. We had our first Christmas Dance in several years and we had a blast! Thank you to everyone who contributed to a fun-filled day for our RP-TLE Rockets!

Thank you to the mommies who will be helping to coach our 3rd and 4th grade girls who are interested in being a "girl on the run". A shout out to Yolanda Blaser (mommy of Rebecca), Nicole Boroff (mommy of Kenadi), and Robyn Fisher (mommy of Lyndsey). Click on the image to the left for more information regarding registration, which starts on December 1st.

We are in need of boys and girls pants sizes 5 and up. If you are able to donate to our clothes pantry, we would greatly appreciate it!!

12/19-12/21: PTO Sponsored Holiday Shop

12/26-1/6: Holiday Break

1/9/23: School Resumes and Happy Birthday to Mr. Mikesell

1/11/23: Second Grade Trip to Lakeshore Museum (Sack lunch needed)

Twin Lake Elementary’s Christmas Spirit Week!

Join in on the holiday fun as we celebrate our final week before Christmas Break!

Week of December 19th-December 23rd

Monday December 19th: “ Polar Express Day”

All Aboard! Let’s jump on the Polar Express wearing our favorite pajamas!

Tuesday December 20th: “We Wish you a Merry Christmas from our RPTLE Family!”

Channel your Flannel Day… Wear your favorite plaid shirt!

Wednesday Dec. 21st: “Grinch Day!”

Dress in your Grinch Gear, Green and Red, or Dress as a Who from Who-ville!

Thursday December 22nd: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Let’s celebrate the holidays wearing our favorite Christmas Attire!

(Christmas Best, Christmas Shirts and Sweaters, Christmas Hats and Scarves!)

Friday December 23rd: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

Dress like one of Santa’s Helpers (elves, reindeer, Mrs. Claus).. Or dress like the Big guy himself! Ho! Ho! Ho!

As always, Please make sure that all Holiday outfits are school appropriate.

This month, we’re challenging your students to reflect on their experiences and take responsibility for how they choose to learn and grow from these experiences. We are partnering with you to grow and develop your child’s sense of responsibility. As you reflect as a family, celebrate your accomplishments, identify areas you may want to improve, and consider new ways to serve others in the days ahead.

ENGAGE: 100 Family Memories

100 Family Memories. This December, challenge your family to list 100 family memories from the year, big and small. As memories come to mind, add them to the list. At the end of the month, share and reflect on these memories as a family. Celebrate the good ones, talk about the lessons you may have learned from the hard ones, and think about how you have grown this year.

EMPOWER: One Word

Instead of writing a long list of resolutions or goals for the new year, ask each family member to focus on one word. Set aside time and ask each family member to share their wordand why they chose it. Get creative and make a sign or decorate a notecard with this word to remind you.

EXCEL: Neighborhood Sunshine Walk

Neighborhood Sunshine Walk. As a family, write a few notes of encouragement to uplift or affirm those in your community. Take a walk in your neighborhood or apartment building and leave these notes of

encouragement on windshields, doors, or mailboxes to spread a little sunshine.

CONVERSATION STARTERS:

• What's your favorite memory from this year?
• What are three important things you have learned in school so far?
• What is one thing you want to learn to do next year?

What: Boys in 5th-6th grade and Girls in 3rd – 6th grade, join us for this exciting experience!

Coaches and current Reeths-Puffer Players will share their knowledge and enthusiasm for this fast-paced sport.

When: January 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, 2023

Girls in 3rd & 4th grade from 5:00pm – 6:20pm. Girls and Boys in 5th & 6th grade from 6:40pm – 8:00pm

CLICK HERE FOR FLIER

Reeths-Puffer High School Band

Holiday Concert, December 13th at 7:00 in the Rocket Centre For The Fine Arts.

CLICK HERE FOR FLIER

Reeths-Puffer High School Choirs

The Reeths-Puffer High School Choirs will be presenting their Holiday Concert, Candlelight Carols, on Tuesday, December 20th at 7 p.m.

The high school choirs will be singing holiday favorites, and we will be joined by, Burnished Brass, a local brass quintet. Tickets are available at RPHSRocketChoir.ludus.com.

HAND2HAND IS HERE! FREE FOOD!

Thanks to a partnership with group of local volunteers, our school will be participating in the Hand2Hand program. The program helps to provide a student with food for the weekends and is intended for families who may be experiencing a financial burden. This program will be available to all of our kids and parents will give permission for their child to participate. We are grateful to the generosity of the volunteers in our community.

Food is discretely to children in the program each Friday.

CLICK HERE FOR LETTER

Are you raising your grandchild or children who are relatives? You are not alone. "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" is a kinship care program that offers support. All services are free. For more information contact Callie Sierra at 231-733-6654, or email her at sierrac@hccc-health.org.

Calling in Absences:

When parents call in an absence for a sick child and leave a message, it would be helpful if they could let us know the symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) that the student is having or if they have been seen by a doctor and have a diagnosis (strep, flu, pink eye, etc). We ask these questions when we get a live person, but it is important for accurate health reporting each week.

Emergency Contact Information:

If you need help updating your child's contact information, please call our office and speak with Carly, or Heather. Thank you for your help with this.

Office Team Contact Information:

Please know that our office is willing to help answer any questions that you may have at any time during the school year. Ms. Carly Akins (akinsc@reeths-puffer.org) and Mrs. Heather Nicholson (nicholsonh@reeths-puffer.org) are amazing and happy to help! Our number is 719-3190.

School Hours:

School begins at 8:45 and dismisses at 3:45. If you would like more information about before and after school care, please contact, Dawn Lynn at Lighthouse Learning. The number is 638-2172, or you may call 719-3190 x 2206.

Our teaching team teaches and reviews our RP behavior expectations during the first couple of weeks of school. This week each class will rotate through common and shared locations in our school to teach our learners our expectations for behaviors. This includes our shared bathrooms, hallways, lunchroom, lockers, playground and bus. Below is a PDF of our slide presentation. Please review with your child at home, as well.

A Note About School Meals:

There are a couple different ways that you can add money to your child’s school account to pay for their breakfast and/or lunch:

1. Go to https://www.familyportal.cloud and set up an online account, where you can add money for your child by putting in your debit/credit card information. Please see the attached letter for answers to frequently asked questions.

OR

1. Bring in/Send in an envelope with cash or a check enclosed. Please include the child’s first and last name, and write “Lunch Money”. If you are sending money for two students, please write how much each student will receive. The office will collect these envelopes and the kitchen staff will enter the funds into the correct account.

If you would like to apply for benefits, go to https://www.familyportal.cloud and fill out the online application, or you can stop in at the Twin Lake Elementary office for a paper copy.

If you have already applied for the Free and Reduced-Price program, you will receive a letter stating that your child has been approved and what benefit they will receive. Benefits will be effective immediately thereafter. If you have questions about the Free and Reduced-Price program, feel free to reach out to Jodi Connell at connellj@reeths-puffer.org.

In the event that your child does not have money in their account, but they do not have a cold lunch, they will still be able to eat a hot lunch. We will not let your child go hungry! However, please note that this will bring the account to a negative balance until more money has been added to the account.

*Go to https://ps-rp.muskegonisd.org/public

(There will be a default username and password in both boxes. Delete and create your own.)

*If you are a first time user, you will need to click on the “Create Account” tab, and fill out the

information. You will create a new Username and Password. You can add your students at the

bottom of the page using their Access ID and Access Password.

NOTE: The Access ID and Password is NOT the same as the Student Number and their

birthdate.

*If you have an existing account, use the “Sign In” tab to log in using your Username and

Password that you already have. If you do not remember these, call the office and we can help

you.

*Once you are signed in, you can add new students to your account by following these

instructions:

1. On the start page, click on “Account Preferences” from the navigation menu on the left. The

“Account Preferences – Profile” page appears.

2. Click the “Students” tab

3. Click the “Add” Icon to add a student to your parent portal account. The “Add Student”

dialog appears. Fill out the information and you should see a new tab for the student appear at

the top of the page.

*Once all of your students are added to your account, update the demographics for all of

your students by clicking on the “Demographic Update” button on the left side of the page.

Please electronically sign the required forms. Print the Emergency Procedure Card, sign it, and

give it to your child’s teacher.

IIMPORTANT: You'll receive a specific ID and Password for access to the Parent Portal. If you are a returning family, you may follow the directions above. Please don't hesitate to contact Carly, or Heather in our office if you need help.

FREE & REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATION

This year, we are asking that all of our families complete the free and reduced lunch applications. Some of our families are surprised that they qualify based on their income. With food prices rising, it will be helpful for many of our families and we no longer have the grant that afforded free breakfast and lunch for all of our learners as was the case last year.

The link below is to the online Free and Reduced Application. Please consider completing an application.

Application

Mrs. Dawn Schmitt

Principal, Twin Lake Elementary School

Email: schmittd@reeths-puffer.org
Website: www.reeths-puffer.org
Location: Twin Lake Elementary School, 3175 5th Street, Twin Lake, MI, USA

Mr. Paul Siembida

Assistant Principal, Twin Lake Elementary School

Email: siembidap@reeths-puffer.org

Phone: 231-719-3190