Defer Dragon's Burning News
April 13, 2018
From the Principal
Dear Defer Families,
I hope everyone had a great spring break! The students came back to school rested and ready to learn.
In the interest of sharing information and maintaining communication with regard to student safety, I want to make you aware of an event that occurred Thursday after school. An upper elementary student walking home from school was approached by an adult female outside Sweeties on Kercheval. The woman offered to buy him an ice cream. The student said no, walked home, and reported the incident to his father. Defer was notified Friday afternoon and immediately contacted Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety. They are investigating.
This provides an opportunity for you to review all appropriate safety precautions with your children and urge them to use caution and common sense in any situation that feels uncomfortable or dangerous to them. Please be sure that your children know to report any incident immediately to an adult. Remind your student that school staff and parent volunteers are present at arrival, dismissal, and recess. Being polite is not as important as being safe. Any details like a description of the person and the location are helpful. For situations such as this, please also contact public safety.
Our most important priority, like yours, is keeping our students safe. We appreciate your continued support in helping us do that.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rheaume
Follow Defer on Twitter (@GPDefer) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GPDefer/)
Spring Assessments
Fifth graders will continue M-Step Testing next week. This year the M-Step test will be administered on the computer. Third and Fourth Grade students will begin M-Step Testing in May. The M-Step is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their current levels of understanding in core subject areas. Some students will also begin NWEA testing next week. We are asking parents to be especially alert to their child’s needs for:
- getting plenty of rest,
- eating a good breakfast each morning,
- and being in school and on time on testing days.
GPPSS Continues Proactive Lead Testing
GPPSS continues proactive lead testing
During a recent walk-through at Defer Elementary, Buildings & Grounds staff observed flaking and peeling paint on the steel window frames and planter boxes in the greenhouse. Testing Engineers & Consultants (TEC) was asked to conduct an assessment of the greenhouse and adjacent areas to determine if lead-related concerns may be present. Samples taken March 12 showed lead was present in the paint and floor wipe samples in the Book Storage Room and Rooms 100 and 101. Additional sampling of shelves, computer desks and more were performed March 16 and indicated horizontal surfaces other than the floors had not been impacted.
For extra precaution, TEC laid out specifications for cleanup of the paint, dust and debris and those activities were conducted April 2-5. After passing visual inspection, additional samples were taken. Lab analysis of floor samples from all the rooms indicated they meet the criteria of “non-detect” and the horizontal surface sample is well below the EPA criteria for safety. Air samples in the hallway outside Rooms 100 & 101 also did not detect lead. The greenhouse will be locked and not used by staff or students until cleared. Please contact Rich VanGorder VangorR@gpschools.org 313-432-3081 if you have additional questions.
Parent Survey
Defer Elementary is a Leader in Me School, we teach 21st century leadership and life skills to students to create a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. To learn more about our areas of strength and growth in our school we use a Leader in Me survey to collect data from families.
We need your help! We are asking for adults from every household to complete the survey to share feedback about our school. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
https://theleaderinmeonline.org/assessments/assessment/acde947674d553af
April Writing Opportunity
Students who write a response on one of the following topics will have an opportunity to share their writing at the May Townhall meeting. All writing should be turned into the Defer office or Dr. Rheaume by Friday, May 4.
2. What is sportsmanship? Describe a time you demonstrated good sportsmanship.
3. Write about someone in your life who is a great leader. How does he or she inspire you?
Notes from the Office
Reminders:
- PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE BEEN SICK AND ARE NOT 100% BACK TO HEALTH. In an effort to reduce the spread of germs, school policy dictates that students must be fever-free, vomiting-free and diarrhea-free for 24 hours before they may return to school. We will make sure that the school is properly disinfected and cleaned over break.
- PLEASE DO NOT enter the building through the doors with your children during morning admittance. We want to encourage independence in our students, as well as promote a safe and secure school environment for everyone.
- Every person who enters our building should be buzzed in at the parking lot doors and report directly to the office to sign in and receive a visitors' badge.
- If you need to talk to someone in the office or a teacher, please come directly to the office or call/email to set up an appointment rather than entering with your children.
We strive to maximize instructional time during school hours. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
Attendance Line
We have a 24 hour attendance line for your convenience. If your child will not be at school, please call 313-432-4001 to report the absence by 8:00 am. This will avoid an unexcused absence phone call.
Upcoming Events at Defer
April 10 - M-Step Testing Begins for 5th Graders
April 16 - Pajama Day ($1 donation)
April 20 - Ned Show Assembly
April 27 - Disability Awareness Day (4th Graders)
April 30 - Defer Diversity Group meeting 6:30 pm
May 4 - Fifth Grade Instrumental Concert 10:30 am
May 24 - PTO Spring Social
Camp Invention is back!
Check out the flyer for more information.
Special Offer from Robot Garage
Leader in Me Family Information - April Edition
Welcome to the April edition of our Leader in Me newsletter!
Published by the Defer Family Learning Team
The 7 Habits are reviewed, practiced and integrated daily at Defer. We will review the 7 Habits with you monthly. Thank you for your partnership in reinforcing your child’s leadership skills.
We are learning about Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood means that it is better to listen first and to talk second.
This habit is best approached by introducing listening as a skill, something that should be practiced. Simply put, we have two ears and one mouth and should use them accordingly.
Books that reinforce Habit 5:
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon; The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka; The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown; Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman; Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino; Rules by Cynthia Lord
You may hear your child use words and phrases like listening first, listening with your ears, eyes, and heart, and seeking first to understand in their conversations. You can encourage your child by using some of this language at home.
Video to reinforce Habit 5:
Library News
A big thank you to our wonderful PTO Parents for the fabulous Book Fair! Both students and teachers had a chance to choose some great books to read. The library will now have lots of choices for students to check out! Thank you!!
Mrs. Quinlan and Mrs. Martin
Defer Library Specialists
Service & Safety
Defer PTO
Defer Garden Days, Spring Clean Up: Saturday, April 21
Please bring gloves, weeding tools, a bucket and a water bottle. (We will have a limited number of extra gloves and weeding tools on hand.) For more information, please reach out to the Beatification Co-Chair, Diana Degen Gifford, dianaelaine4@gmail.com.
Spring PARENT Social: April 21
Join fellow Defer parents at Atwater in the Park for dinner and a cash bar. This is an adults-only evening limited to the first 100 people who sign up. Last chance to RSVP for the Parent's Night Out at Atwater in the Park. RSVPs DUE Friday, April 13th (end of school day). Please make sure to send your name and a check payable to Defer PTO to the school by Friday in order to get on the list. We look forward to spending a fun evening with you. Any questions? Please contact Lindy Holloway at 313-719-1179 or Lindyh51178@gmail.com.
Green Squad Earth Week Celebration: April 23-27
Stay tuned for more information about all of the happenings!
Disability Awareness Day for 4th Grade: April 27
Students will participate in a hands-on/interactive day intended to build awareness and empathy related to people who live with disabilities. The day will include stations in which activities will simulate the difficulty of completing a task given a specific disability. The event has been revamped this year and is being hosted/organized by two Defer parents who feel passionate about this topic. Both work professionally with students who have a variety of disabilities. We are looking for volunteers to help with this day. Morning and afternoon time slots are available. Training will be provided within your volunteer time on the day of the event. Please contact Sara Martin, saraeatonmartin@gmail.com, or Lisa Dougherty,lisadough13@gmail.com, with questions. Please sign-up to volunteer here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f48a5ac2fabf94-2018
Defer Garden Days, Mulch Spreading: May 19, 9-11:30 a.m.
Please bring gloves, weeding tools, a bucket and a water bottle. (We will have a limited number of extra gloves and weeding tools on hand.) For more information, please reach out to the Beatification Co-Chair, Diana Degen Gifford, dianaelaine4@gmail.com.
Spring Social Evening with Student Art Show: Thursday May 24
Enjoy a family friendly gathering on the blacktop/field of Defer with live music, bounce houses & more entertainment. Pizza and frozen custard available for purchase. Student artwork to be on display in the gym.
Parents of Defer Night Out at Atwater in the Park
7 Habits of Happy Kids
Grosse Pointe Public Schools
Our Vision: One GP → where everyone learns, every day
Our Mission: Promote Innovation → Maximize Potential → Embrace Community
Defer Elementary School
Email: rheauml@gpschools.org
Website: www.gpschools.org/defer
Location: 15425 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, United States
Phone: 313-432-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GPDefer/
Twitter: @GPDefer