Vowles Elementary

Calendar of Events

Feb. 10-17th~ Kindness Week (see dress up schedule below)

Feb. 10-Mar. 10~ Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser (PE)

Feb. 13th~ Parent Teacher Conference Sign Up information will be emailed out

Feb. 15th- Kindergarten Kick Off @ Vowles 6:00-7:30 (Early Bird-District Kick Off)

Feb. 17th & 20th- No School

Feb. 23rd- Family Science Night at the Discovery Museum 5:30-7:00 pm

Mar. 1st- Report Cards go home with students

Mar. 2nd-3rd~ Parent-Teacher Conferences Virtual/In Person option
Mar. 3rd~ No School

Mar. 6th & 7th~ No School

Mar. 14th- PTO Meeting at 4:00 p.m.

Mar. 16th- Kindergarten Kick Off @ Vowles 6:00-7:30

*MPPS School Calendar for 2022-2023

Staff Shout Outs

Let us know how our staff is doing and help us to recognize them by completing our Staff Shout Out. You can recognize an amazing teacher by filling out a few questions in the link below. We will present them with a Shout Out Certificate that tells what they were recognized for and by who.

Staff Shout Out


Kids Heart Challenge Kids Heart Challenge for PE class has kicked off! Check out a fundraiser for a good cause!	Vowles Family Science Night Feb. 23, 2023 Discovery Museum	2 Hour Delay Reminder Breakfast will NOW be served on 2 Hr Delay days.

Kids Heart Challenge

Kids Heart Challenge for PE class has kicked off! Check out a fundraiser for a good cause!

Vowles Family Science Night

Feb. 23, 2023
Discovery Museum

2 Hour Delay Reminder

Breakfast will NOW be served on 2 Hr Delay days.

Kids Heart Challenge

Kids Heart Challenge is HERE!

Vowles School Families, Kids Heart Challenge has officially kicked off and we are hoping students can help fundraise to this very worthy cause. It does also bring in money to support physical education class.

It’s as easy as 1,2,3…

Start by downloading the Kids Heart Challenge app or visiting our schools link below
Help your child to select a personal challenge: Be Kind or Move More.
Become a Heart Hero by sending emails/e-cards on the website or texts via the app to invite friends and family to support.
Help your student complete Finn’s Mission on the KHC website or APP.

TO REGISTER YOUR STUDENT, GO TO:

http://www2.heart.org/goto/vowles

or download the Kids Heart Challenge App and search for our school.

Ends March 10, 2023

Book Vending Machine

We love our book vending machine! Vikings earn coins for accomplishing academic or behavior goals and just modeling our Vowles BEST~ Be Respectful, show Effort, Safety first, or Taking Responsibility!

PTO Corner

This information was shared as part of the Principal's Report at our Feb. PTO meeting:

School Improvement

Family Game Night

Approx 330 people, 90+ different families

Science Night at the Discovery Museum

Feb. 23rd 5:30-7:00
Free, snacks/drinks will be provided
Funded by Title 1 and PTO
CMU Science Group will also be there in extra rental room for additional Science experiments

Building News

Kindness Week - Feb. 10th-17th

Special clothing days are listed in Newsletter and flyer that went home

Parent Teacher Conferences

Mar. 2nd & 3rd
Sign Up info will be sent via email to families from each classroom teacher
Parents will have a virtual or in-person option when signing up

Vowles will be participating in One Book One District in March for Reading Month

All families will receive a copy of the chosen book
Calendar will be laid out for at home reading and participation
Activities will be developed for in school and at home for students to engage with the book as a whole school

Book Fair will be held the week of Feb. 28th- Mar. 3rd. More details to follow from Mrs. Norman our Coordinator

School Counselor Week!

Feb. 6th-10th is School Counselor Week! We would like to give a Shout Out to Miss Garwood our School Counselor at Vowles. Miss Garwood works with us through our Project Aware funding. She is here full time and we love it! Classes see her for whole group lessons on a variety of different topics to help them socially and emotionally here at school. She also does small group and individual support with students! We appreciate you Miss Garwood!

School Store Fundraiser

Our school is participating in the School Store Fundraiser. This program allows you to donate to classrooms and teachers in our building by gifting teachers gift cards that they can use through the Caring For Classrooms program. Teachers can choose from a wide range of supplies, games, or books for their classroom. School Store also allows you or your family members to shop online at various stores such as Walmart, Kohl's, and BEST Buy. A percentage of your purchase comes back to the school.

Families can supply 6 email addresses to 6 different people or family members. If they supply all 6, they will get a code to put on their envelope. Bring your envelope back to school to receive a free safari "hugger" animal.

If students complete their 6 emails, we still have "huggers" to give away.

*Gift Card and Department Store purchases continue to add to our school all year long!!!

Bus Expectations

Vowles students have been learning about Bus Expectations. We understand that not every student rides the bus regularly. However, at some point this spring, usually classes take field trips where they utilize the bus. Students also had a chance to go on the bus with their class to hear about the expectations from our drivers. Students that ride regularly, may, bring home a BUS BUCK. A BUS BUCK certificate can be turned into their school for a chance for a prize.

We focused on 3 main things to make a successful bus ride:

1. Students must be stayed fully seated while on the bus.

2. Students must use quiet/low voices so the driver can focus on the roads, hear emergency sirens or use his/her walkie to talk to other students while the bus is moving.

3. Students must keep their hands and feet to themselves while on the bus.

We are hoping that families that particularly have students that ride frequently can review these expectations with their child at home.

Morning Arrival and After School Pick Up

Arrival and Pick Up~

As a reminder for your safety and the safety of your child, please use our Crosswalk when you are dropping off or picking up your child. Our circle drive is a "fluid" drive. Cars are coming and leaving. It is difficult to see a student walking in between cars. It is also NOT a good practice that we want students thinking they should walk between cars.

We appreciate your attention to this!

*When it is raining outside or too cold to be out, students will enter the building upon arrival to school.

Winter Clothing

Here is a list of helpful hints for parents as we get ready for winter season~

1) Label Everything~ child's clothes (utilize the inside tags of sweatshirts, jackets, shoes, and snowpants).

2) Send an extra pair of clothes to stay in your child's locker. Put in a ziplock and label with your child's name.

*Please let us know if your child does not have any necessary winter items and we can work on getting them for you.

Clothing Needs

If your child is in need of assistance with clothing or winter clothes, you can reach out to the Clothing, Inc. organization. You can fill out this link to make an appointment with them.

Popcorn Fridays

Classrooms/Grade levels will be selling Popcorn on "most" Fridays when we are in session on those days. Cost is $.50 per bag.

Safety Emergency Drills

During the course of the school year, our buildings are obligated to practice at least 5 Fire Drills, 2 Tornado Drills and 3 Lockdown drills. At times, we do have our YSU Liason or other officers from the Police Department assist in our drills. We cover with our students the locations of where to go for each drill, what to do during specific drills, and how to properly evacuate when it is needed. You can also find this information in your child's Handbook at the front of the student agenda.

I also encourage you to check out our district website where we have information that pertains to our district school safety. Click here to get to the website.

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

To Request for Transportation, use the form linked here:

Request for Transportation

Other forms linked on the Transportation website:

Permission to Leave Along
In City Busing Reduction

Vowles Viking Shirts

We still have some Youth Medium, Large, and Extra Large child shirts available. The cost is $7. If you would like one, please send in $7 in a baggie and write Vowles Shirt and Size. We will be sure to send one home.

Covid Protocols

Please see the Covid Protocols in the picture below. If your child is positive, please call our district office at 989-775-2300 to let them know. Our district can help with a return date and mask update. Central Office will notify us. If there is work that could be picked up, we will have the classroom teacher touch base with you.

Lunch

If you have not set up an account online to pay for your child's lunch, you do still have the option to send money in. Please put it in your child's agenda pocket in an envelope or sandwich baggie and mark your child's Name, Grade, and Amount. The classroom teachers will bring it to the Office.

A child will always be served a lunch whether they forgot their lunch, didn't sign up that day for lunch or have not set up their online account yet.

If you have not yet filled out a Free and Reduce Form, please call our office for a hard copy to be sent home. Or, fill out a Free and Reduced form online by clicking here.