Messages from Memorial
February 2021
HEART*EFFORT*ATTITUDE*RESPECT *TEAMWORK
WE ARE VIKINGS WITH HEART!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FROM THE MEMORIAL STAFF!
Dear Memorial Parents and Guardians,
I cannot express enough gratitude for how much you have helped keeping our school healthy. I know, as a parent, that keeping a child home from school can create hardship on the family. You have really stepped up to make sure if someone is sick at home or if you suspect Covid, your child stays home as a precaution. I do believe it is your diligence that has helped keep Memorial a healthy place for students and staff.
A common concern I receive in the office from parents is about pick up and drop off. I think we are doing pretty well for the large numbers of cars we have. I also believe it could run a bit smoother. Because we have record numbers of students as car riders this year, it is very important that everyone works together to make drop off and pick up to be a seemless, smooth process.
One thing which would help is using the entire sidewalk area for dropping off in the morning. You do not need to wait to get to the front of the line. Also, if your child is not ready to get out of the car, please take another lap around the block to give your child time to prepare for a quick arrival. At the end of the day it would help to have all L-Z families wait to be in the second wave of cars until 3:20 p.m. If you find yourself getting there early, please take another lap around the block.
As we continue eLearning on Wednesdays through this semester please keep in mind that assistance is available. If you are in need of child care for Wednesdays, please refer to the information below. Additionally, each Wednesday, homework and technology help are also available (see below). If you have already completed a technology Opt-In form this school year, you will not need to complete another. Additional information can be found on the VCS website.
With Great Respect,
Mrs. Debra Misecko
eLearning Homework Hotline
eLearning Technology Support
Dates to Remember
February
10 - PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.
12 & 15 - No School - Mid-Winter Break (please note the 12th is a Snow Make-up Day and will be elearning if needed).
15 - PTO Family NIght at Buffalo Wild Wings
19 - Deadline for Yearbook Orders
24 - Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraiser Orders are Due
March
8-19 IREAD3 Test Window (see below for more information)
10 PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.
12 End of 3rd Grading Period
22 - 26 Spring Break
29 School Resumes
IREAD3
Lost and Found... Let us know if anything looks familiar!
Mrs. Meyer is our NEW MEDIA ASSISTANT
Mrs. Meyer has been busy organizing and doing inventory. We have some missing books from last spring and some from the fall. If you happen to find any Memorial library books at home, please send them back to school. There are no fines and no penalties. We are just hoping to get the books back. THANK YOU for looking.
Art Work by Memorial 4th and 5th Graders
"Memorial Reads A Book"
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.
Habit #6 - Synergize
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 February Habit is Habit #6 - "Synergize." The most important part of habit 6 is "Together is Better." For more information please read more from Dr. Stephen Covey's website.
Employment Opportunity at Memorial
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