Addams Family Newsletter

Late Starts:

(2023-24 School Calendar)

November 1,15,29

December 6, 13

November 20: PTA Playground Addition Ribbon Cutting 3:45 PM

November 22 - 24: Thanksgiving Break

November 29 - December 1: Scholastic Book Fair

November 30: Parent Teacher Conferences 4 PM - 7PM

Chess Wizards: 9/12, 9,19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, 12/5, 12/12

Please join us to celebrate the new addition to the Addams Playground. Thank you to our PTA and our families for providing our students with great new playground equipment!

From Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24, there will be no school for students. I wish you a restful and enjoyable break with friends and family.

Report cards are available to view using Parent Portal. Please make sure to look over your child's report card to see the progress that is being made. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher. Parent Teacher Conferences are also a great opportunity to see how your child is progressing on the grade level standards. If you have not scheduled a time to meet with your child's teacher, please do so as soon as possible.

Our Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 16, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-7:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher Conferences will also take place on Thursday, November 30, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. These are by appointment only. Please contact your child's teacher if you still need to arrange a date for conferences.

The Royal Oak Parent Advocacy Committee (ROPAC) is our school district's Parent Advisory Committee - a group made up of parents/caregivers of students with IEPs or 504 Plans, those that want to learn more, those that think their student may benefit from special education services. ROPAC sincerely welcomes any parent or caregiver with a student(s) in Royal Oak schools to join us in our mission to make this a destination for students receiving special education services. Learn more about the ROPAC here: ROPAC Info Flyer

The PAC's November meeting will be held Tuesday, 11/21 @ 6:30 PM - this meeting will be held in person at the Administration Building. BABYSITTING WILL BE AVAILABLE! This meeting will be a community conversation, where we will be compiling information about what families are looking for in their relationships with special education providers and the district: communication, transitions, programming and educational opportunities. We intend to share this with the school district. Let your voice be heard! To join our mailing list for meeting reminders and other updates, complete this quick form: ROPAC Email List

Restorative Practices Registration Link

Studies have consistently shown that many girls and young women struggle with feelings of low self-confidence. This unfortunate trend seems to persist across various aspects of life, including academics, body image, and career aspirations.

In the realm of academics, girls often exhibit lower levels of confidence compared to their male counterparts. They may doubt their abilities and hesitate to take on challenging subjects or leadership roles. This lack of confidence can impact their performance and limit their academic achievements.

Body image is another area where girls often feel inadequate. Unrealistic media portrayals of beauty standards, combined with societal pressures, can lead to body dissatisfaction and a decrease in self-confidence. This can have long-lasting effects on mental and emotional well-being.

Furthermore, many girls struggle with confidence when it comes to career aspirations. They may underestimate their skills and downplay their ambitions, leading to a smaller presence in traditionally male-dominated fields. This self-doubt can hinder their pursuit of fulfilling careers and limit their potential for success.

It is crucial to address these issues and foster an environment that empowers girls to believe in themselves. By promoting self-acceptance, resilience, and a growth mindset, we can help girls develop the confidence they need to thrive and reach their full potential.

Click on the link below for the first-ever, large-scale national 2023 survey designed to develop a deeper understanding of the thoughts, experiences, behaviors and attitudes of teen girls throughout the U.S:

The 2023 Girls’ Index Executive Overview

The 2023 Girls’ Index™

We are excited to introduce our "Book of the Month" initiative this school year. We will select a book each month to highlight in all of our classrooms. Teachers will read the book with their class focusing on building literacy skills, creating a positive environment of inclusion, and promoting our "OAKS" behaviors,

November Book: We are Grateful by Traci Sorell

Otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is a word that Cherokee people use to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the Cherokee New Year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences.

Written by Traci Sorell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and illustrated by Frané Lessac, this nonfiction look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

Click the link to learn more about Art at Addams.

Click here for Mr. Watson's newsletter.

Click here for Mrs. Johnson's newsletter.

November PE Newsletter - Glowacki

Click here for Mrs. O'Dell's newsletter.

Contact: Suzanne Weinert - weinerts@oaklandchn.org or 248-758-1991

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (October 26, 2023) – Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) is re-releasing tips for families and individuals to manage stress or trauma associated with recent violence. Situations of global violence can be difficult, and this is especially true if residents are concerned about family members abroad and/or members of their community.

To help manage anxiety, fear, sadness, or stress associated with these traumatic events as well as graphic news reporting, OCHN is recommending the following mental health tips:

Tips for Adults:

• Be mindful to consider your amount of exposure to the news / media and ensure the news you consume is from a trusted source to limit misinformation.
• Everyone experiences events and trauma in different ways and however they think or feel after an event like this is okay. Some people respond with fear, some anger, some shock, sadness, etc.
• Encourage people to talk about what they are thinking and feeling. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from mental health professionals, especially if thoughts of self-harm or suicide arise.
• Try to get back to routines and schedules to promote feelings of consistency and balance to reduce fear and provide a feeling of returning control and predictability.

Tips for Parents:

• Acknowledge what happened. If your child is talking or asking about traumatic events, it is important for the caregivers / loved ones in their life to acknowledge what happened, provide age-appropriate information, and be supportive.
• Parents may want to approach older children who may have seen the news or videos on social media and find out what they know and what their thoughts / feelings are about what happened.
• Recognize the effect this has on your child. Talk to your child about their thoughts and emotions as it pertains to the event and validate their feelings and concerns.
  

Tips for Community Members:

• Building and maintaining authentic relationships will help your partners and allies better understand and respond.
• Engage in implicit bias training and ongoing opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
• Establishing relationships with neighbors can create a cadre of allies who can provide support and help counter injustice in the community.
• As a community member, you have the power to stand up to injustice.
  

OCHN Resources:

• OCHN’s non-emergency behavioral health access department is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. at 248-464-6363.
• OCHN’s Mental Health School Navigators (MHSN) connect youth and families to behavioral health and substance use supports, as well as financial assistance. For more information about the School Mental Health Navigator Program please call 248-462-6294 or email SchoolNavigator@oaklandchn.org
• Call 988 for Crisis and Emergency Support
  

Resources for Discussing Injustice

• Helping Students Mark Sense of News Stories about Bias and Injustice
• Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate

About OCHN

• OCHN is contracted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to lead a provider service network and manages care for approximately 29,000 Oakland County citizens at more than 400 service sites across the county. People who receive public behavioral health services through OCHN's provider network include those who have an intellectual or developmental disability, mental health concerns, or substance use disorder. Most of these individuals have Medicaid insurance coverage.
• OCHN's goal is to ensure these individuals are aware of and have access to services and supports that will improve their health and quality of life, as well as ensure their engagement in full community participation. Its mission to “inspire hope, empower people, and strengthen communities” reflects an unyielding belief in a "Valuable System for Valued People." Programs and supports provided by OCHN's service network are available at oaklandchn.org.

• Mental Health Tips Following Global Violence.pdf

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! SAVE THE DATE for November 29 - Dec 1. Start exploring at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/addamselementaryschool"

Calling all Book Fair Volunteers! If you are an approved volunteer, please consider helping to make this year's book fair a success by signing up below to volunteer! Book fair dates/support are 11/29-12/1.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0E4BACA623A7FB6-46085022-book

This document will address some common questions, as well as basic troubleshooting steps to take if you are having an issue with your school-issued Chromebook.

Chromebook FAQ

November:

2 - Jeans Day

9 - Camouflage

16 - Anything Animal

30 - Plaid

December:
7 - MIsmatch

14 - Bright and Bold

21 - Winter Sweater

“Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, is active in Royal Oak Schools. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. A bag of food will be put in your child's locker for take home on Fridays. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out the form below.. Please be sure to indicate on the form if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.

Blessings in a Backpack Form

2023-2024 Calendar: A calendar for the 2023-2024 school year is now available! Building and program specific calendars, as well as a complete calendar for our current school year, are all available from the calendar page of our district website.

Addams Media Center Policy 2023-2024

Parking reminders: Please be sure to not park in the back parking lot as that is for staff only between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Webster Road, the East side of Clawson and the West side of Linwood is DROP-OFF ONLY areas from 8:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday. Parking is available beyond the school staff parking lot to the North of the building (around the playground) and down side streets South of Webster. Thank you in advance for adhering to these parking rules so that we can keep all of our students safe.

• It is requested that all adults arriving and departing from the school be particularly cautious and mindful of the children and adult pedestrians in the vicinity of the school.

• Students should enter and exit on the passenger side of the vehicle only.

This school year, Addams will be serving breakfast before school in our cafeteria starting at 7:55 a.m. and ending at 8:20 a.m. Breakfast will be available to all students at no cost. Menu will consist of grains, fruit, and milk as established by the USDA. Breakfast menus will be available weekly to see specific items being offered. All food items will be nut free. If your child has specific dietary needs, please contact our Food Service Department.

Additional Forms:

Free and Reduced Meal Application

Request for special dietary needs form

Principal, Addams Elementary and Early Childhood Center

Email: Timothy.boyer@royaloakschools.org
Location: 2222 West Webster Road, Royal Oak, MI, United States
Phone: 248-288-3100