Messages from Memorial
December 2020
HEART*EFFORT*ATTITUDE*RESPECT *TEAMWORK
WE ARE VIKINGS WITH HEART!
New library books have arrived for winter!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is hard to believe that we are almost through the second quarter of this school year. The last day of the quarter is December 17, which is a half day for students. Please note that students will receive a second and fourth quarter grade in Art, Music, PE and STEM. If your child is a remote learner, or has been at home for a period of time in quarantine, it is still important to continue working on the assignments from the special classes. Keep in mind they are often fun and educational at the same time.
Students are currently finishing the second round of NWEA testing in reading and math. These middle of the year tests are used to analyze student growth. When the reports come home, please review them for growth. It is a good time to have a conversation with your child about setting goals and making a plan for improvement. An easy way to improve in reading is to read for 20 - 30 minutes a day. A good way to improve in math is to be able to fluently recall math facts.
It looks like winter has arrived. Please make sure that your child is appropriately dressed for outdoor recess. We go outside each day unless it is 0 degrees or lower, with wind chill, or unless it is too wet. Hats, mittens, snowpants, and boots are required to play in the snow. If you need assistance with any of those items, please contact Mrs. Seip.
With Great Respect,
Mrs. Debra Misecko
Dates to Remember
DECEMBER
2 - PTO Family Dinner Night at Culver's
3 - PIcture Retake Day (see flyer for more information)
9 - PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:15 p.m.
16 - PTO Family Dinner Night at Jimmy Johns
16 - School wide, Virtual Holiday Sing-A-Long
17 End of Second Grading Period - 1/2 Day of School for Students - Dismisal at 12:20 p.m.
18 - January 3 Winter Holiday Break
January
4 -Return to School
13 - PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE TO KNOW
Mrs. Sellers, Instructional Assistant
Miss Kennedy, Instructional Assistant/Utility Personnel
Mrs. Seefeldt, Kindergarten Assistant
Mrs. Arteaga, Instructional Assistant
Mr. Walters, Media Assistant
I've been a book lover and avid reader my whole life. I really enjoy classic short stories by authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Ray Bradbury. I graduated from Purdue with hopes of being an author but quickly fell in love with library work after spending a semester employed at my college storage library. Since then I've worked for Chicago Public Library and Porter County Public Library before finding my home at Memorial.
Miss Montania, Instructional Assistant
Mrs. Karcher, Instructional Assistant
Mrs. Meyer, Instructional Assistant
Mrs. Higgins, Instructional Assistant
Mrs. Daubek, Instructional Assistant
Mrs. Reberg, Kindergarten Assistant
Reminders for Remote Learners
- Congrats on learning how to navigate this tricky way of learning. You are doing great! It is really fun for us to see you during your live sessions.
- Please remember to be ready for your Zoom sessions on time. Being ready means that you are logged on, have removed distractions from your learning area, put away all food and drinks, and have the needed school supplies ready to go.
- Keep your computer on mute until you are ready to speak. Keep in mind when your computer is not on mute, the entire classroom is hearing all noises from your home. Family discussions can be distracting.
- Remote student attendance is determined by the students' completion of the class participation for the day, whether it is one or more live sessions.
- If your child is ill and cannot participate, please inform your child's teacher and the office in the morning.
- Classroom teachers will let you know if there are books or materials to pick up. When necessary, you will have contactless pick up in the front vestibule. Please come during office hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- See the information above about school picture retake day.
Habit #4 - Think Win-Win
Memorial continues to focus on sharing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey. We will talk about one of the 7 Habits each month. The December Habit is Habit #4 - "Think Win-Win" Students are taught that "Think Win-Win" means, "I win, you win, we win." For more information please read more from Dr. Stephen Covey's website.
MEMORIAL PTO
We are so excited to announce the PTO Executive Board for the 2020-2021 school year and greatly appreciate their willingness to work in these valued positions.
President - Kristen Elinkowski
Vice President - Rose Gutshall
Treasurer - Megan Taylor
Secretary - Rae Smedley
Stay tuned for more information coming about 20-21 PTO events. They will be shared in the Memorial Newsletter, on the Memorial Elementary PTO Facebook page, and the Memorial PTO Website.
Box Tops for Education Continues
THE NEXT PTO MEETING WILL BE AT 3:15 on December 9 via ZOOM (link will be emailed that week.)
Reminders from Memorial
- Please make sure your child has the appropriate outdoor wear for the weather. We will go outside everyday unless it is 0 degrees, with wind chill, or if it is too wet.
- Please make sure that you are screening for Covid 19 symptoms before sending your child to school. This link can take you to the VCS Return to Learn Plan and the screening guidelines.
- Thank you for following your dismissal plans as written.
- We recognize that family situations change from week to week for various reasons, and we will accommodate weekly dismissal plans as needed. Those plans need to be in the office by 10 a.m. on Monday morning. That gives us time to communicate with all stakeholders and to make provisions for assigned seats, if needed.
- Unfortunately we cannot accommodate mid-day switches for convenience, as it is difficult to make sure all of our safety provisions can be in place and that we can communicate the change with the appropriate personnel. If it is truly an emergency, please call the school office to discuss your needs.
- If your child gets picked up in a car from school, please continue to follow the correct times for lining up: Last names of A-K dismissal begins at 3:10 and last names beginning L-Z start dismissal at 3:20.
- Morning supervision and breakfast begin at 8:50. Please drop off your child after 8:50. If they would like to eat breakfast we will send them right in. All other students will be let in the building at 9:00 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 9:15.
- Pick up and drop off should only be done along the school on the curb on Milton Street. Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the school parking lots. The parking lots are not supervised for safety.
- Please consider putting a spare mask in your child's backpack. Some students are experiencing mask malfunctions during the school day.
- Please refrain from sending your child to school in flip flops. Flip flops are not safe on the playground and are also likely to break during play.
Memorial Elementary
Email: dmisecko@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/337
Location: 1052 Park Avenue, Valparaiso, IN, USA
Phone: 219-531-3090
Twitter: @Valpo_Memorial