The Messmore Messenger
January 2024
A Note From the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season and a Happy New Year! As we embark on the new year, the first three days back will be dedicated to school-wide wellness activities. These include fostering positive self-talk, expressing gratitude, engaging in friendship peace talks, and emphasizing the importance of taking care of our space (clean your space, clear your mind).
Wellness Week aims to promote holistic well-being by providing a dedicated time to focus on physical, mental, and emotional health. Activities will encourage practices such as mindfulness, stress reduction, physical fitness, healthy eating, and self-care. The goal is to foster a positive and supportive environment that empowers students to prioritize and enhance their overall well-being.
With winter in full swing, please ensure that your child is adequately prepared. In our previous newsletter, we highlighted the importance of boots and snow pants for playing in the snow. Students without these items will be directed to play on the blacktop. Additionally, during muddy conditions, we kindly request students to wear their boots when playing on the grass and woodchips. Your cooperation in having students bring their boots to school daily is greatly appreciated as it helps prevent their regular shoes from getting muddy.
Warm regards,
Renee Fiema, Ed.D.
Messmore Principal
Congratulations to Author Ashton Shaman
Messmore Kaleidoscope Publication Selection
Yearly the Michigan Reading Association invites schools to select one student writer to become a published author. This year we chose Asthon's personal narrative to be published in the annual Kaleidoscope publication. He is a second grade student who demonstrated author's craft and voice in his piece of writing. Way to go!
Our Messmore Choir
Choir Concert Performance
Gwendolyn Meyer, Veronica Mitrea, Emma Karadsheh, Ryan Villegas
Falak Kotadia, Aarohi Patel, Quinn O'Brien, Diya Shah
Alexa Harless, Dhatri Joshi, Lyla Filary
Not Pictured: Evelyn Gumma, Krina Shah
When Your Child Is Ill
Recuperating at Home
When is your child too sick to attend school? The following guidelines, along with the advice of your family doctor, will help you decide when your child should stay home:
• Cold and/or cough – a child with deep mucus that causes a cough and heavy nose drainage cannot function at school.
• Fever – fever is a warning that something is wrong. A child should remain at home for 24 hours after the fever is gone without the use of medication.
• Rash – a rash, spots or blotches on the skin can be the first sign of many illnesses. Rashes require a physician’s release stating they are not contagious.
• Stomachache/Upset – a child who is vomiting or has diarrhea should be kept at home and may return 24 hours after the symptoms are gone.
• Head Lice – a child with head lice must remain at home until treatment is complete and school officials confirm he or she is free of lice. Check your child’s head before school begins in the fall and routinely during the school year or if he or she complains of an itchy scalp. Look around your child’s ears and back of the neck for nits, which are tiny, white, ovalshaped lice eggs that are attached to the hair near the scalp. Nits may look like dandruff or scalp flakes, but nits do not move and are difficult to dislodge. Notify the school office immediately if your child has head lice. Begin treatment immediately by contacting your doctor or purchasing over-the-counter medication from the drug store. To prevent spreading head lice, wash all infested garments, hair accessories, bedding and other surfaces with hot water and disinfectant. You must sign your child in at the office when he or she is returning to school after treatment for head lice.
Making Up Absent Work
When a student is absent, it is the student’s/parent’s/guardian’s (depending on the child’s age) responsibility to arrange for make-up work. Teachers may need 24 hours from the time of the request to gather the student's missing work. Students are given at minimum the same amount of to make up the work as the amount of time they were absent.
Peace on the Playground
Please Review the Playground Expectations
1. Nature
· What's on the ground stays on the ground.
· No one should pick up leaves, snow, ice, grass, woodchips, sticks, rocks...etc..
· We are not using sticks for playing.
· We can roll the snow into large balls; that's fine.
But NO picking up, kicking, or throwing snow/ice.
· We leave nature outside where it belongs.
· No playing/stepping/swimming in the puddles. Students should be staying AWAY from the mud and the puddles. This includes the wet, low areas of grass that are always damp.
2. Weather
· Students will go out for recess whenever the wind chill is 10 degrees or higher and the conditions are suitable.
· If snow is on the grass and wood chips, only students with snow boots and snow pants may go to areas with snow. If the students are not wearing snow boots and snow pants, they are to play on the blacktop only!
· Students play on the blacktop if it has recently rained and the equipment and grass are wet.
· If the temperature is below 60 degrees, students should wear their coats.
· When the grass and woodchip area is muddy, students with boots can only use that area.
3. Equipment
· Safety is our priority.
· No flipping or hanging upside down on any of the play structures.
· No standing on top of the crossing bars.
· No flipping or twirling the swings.
· No using jump ropes for anything other than jumping rope.
- Bring all balls and other equipment back inside.
4. Indoor Recess
· Teachers review what is allowed.
· Students are to plan what they want to do ahead of time.
Peace on the Playground is an expectation, and if the expectations are not followed, then students will be told to stand on the wall and miss recess or may be sent to the office.
Art News from Mrs. Merriman
1st and 2nd Grade Art
Students in Mrs. Sonnenberg's class created cats using shape and color, inspired by artwork created by Paul Klee. Well done 1st/2nd graders!
3rd and 4th Grade Art
Students in Mrs. McKenna's class are creating printed donuts with texture using paint. Next week students will finish their art, adding paint 'frosting' and sprinkles. Well done 3rd/4th graders!
5th & 6th Grade Art
Students in Semester 1 worked hard to create cakes inspired by the artist Wayne Thiebaud, showing value using oil pastels. Well done 5th/6th graders!
Interested in seeing more amazing student art?
Please 'like' and share my Facebook page or Instagram below for frequent updates on what's happening in the Art Room. Thank you! 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077182134768&mibextid=LQQJ4d
I'm on Instagram as letsdrawpaintcreate!
https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1utm0a29wk6xl&utm_content=57e7k5l
Kindergarten Registration Flyer
In District Transfer Form
SOC Application
Great Start Readiness Preschool
Afterschool Enrichment
Coding and Programming
Flyer Below
Digital Animation
Flyer Below
Young Rembrandts
Flyer Below
Art Box Studio
Flyer Below
CARE Parenting Conference
Questions? Who to Contact
Messmore Montessori Association
MMA Board
Elisabetta Stupera, President
Paulette Qussar, Vice President of Committees
Amanada Hijazi, New Vice President of Fund Raising
Stacee Jones, New Treasurer
Paul Jones, New "Techetary" aka Secretary
MMA Meeting Dates
Location: Messmore Media Center at 6:00 PM
12/13- Holiday Pot Luck
1/17
2/27
3/20
4/17
5/15
Important Dates
January
3- School Resumes
15- School Closed MLK Day
17- MMA Meeting at 6:00 PM
18- Optimistic Peace Assembly at 2 PM, UCS Pathways to Success Event
19- Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser
February
1- Science Fair 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
19 - 23 No School Mid-Winter Break
20- Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser
27- MMA Meeting at 6:00 PM
March
3- Daddy Daughter Dance
18- Effort Peace Assembly at 9 AM
20- MMA Meeting at 6:00 PM
22- 1 /2 day of school
25- Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser
25 - 29 No School Spring Break
April
17- MMA Meeting at 6:00 PM
19- Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser
May
15- Work It Out Peace Assembly 2 PM, MMA Meeting at 6:00 PM
17- Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser
27- No School Memorial Day
June
6- Half day of School
7- Half day of School/ Last Day
Lunch/Recess Supervisors Needed!
Are you interested in seeing whether or not your child is eating their lunch? Are you curious as to who your child's friends are? Do you like to help? Then this may be the job for you!
We are in need of lunchroom and lunch recess supervisors. This can be a paid position, if you're interested. Or it can be just on a volunteer basis. If you are interested in getting paid for your time as a lunchroom and lunch recess supervisor, then please see the attached information below regarding EduStaff and follow those directions. If you are interested in just volunteering, all I would need is a Criminal History Check Form filled out and submitted, if you have not already done so.
If you are interested in beginning the process, please reach out to Sarah in the main office (Sarah.Szadek@uticak12.org). We really need help on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Helpful Links
Family Portal (Lunches): https://utica.familyportal.cloud
PaySchools: https://www.payschoolscentral.com/