Little Bucks Bulletin
Nurturing Hearts, Developing Minds, Inspiring Dreams
January 2024 Edition
Ottawa Elementary School
MESSAGE FROM MRS. DENISON
Dear Little Bucks Families,
We are excited to welcome back our staff, students, and families on January 8, 2024! It's a brand new year and we can't wait to get it started!
January brings a new year and mid-year assessments. The three assessments we administer to kindergarten and first grade students are the NWEA (math/reading), DIBELS (reading) and DELTA Math. We use these assessments to structure our intervention programs and how we determine whether students need to be placed on an IRIP (Individual Reading Intervention Plan). Specific testing days will be shared in this newsletter and in my Sunday Updates. If you are not receiving the updates that I send every Sunday, please contact our school office so we can update your email and cell phone information.
This month's PTO meeting will feature a guest speaker, Jennifer Popielski. Jennifer is the Senior Program Officer for the Kickstart to Career Program, Michigan Gateway Community Foundation. She will speak about the Kickstart to Career Program and answer any questions families may have about the program and the deposit days we host each month at our school.
Also mark your calendar for January 23rd, we will be hosting a Family Literacy Night, led by our instructional coach, Kelly Smith. There will be giveaways and activities that you can make and take that support the reading instruction your child is receiving at school. Plan on joining us for an hour of literacy fun for the entire family!
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to reach me by Class Tag, phone, or email and I will be happy to speak with you.
Stacey Denison, Principal
OFFICE HOURS
Our school office is open 8:00am-4:30pm
Phone: 269.695.8409
Mrs. Stacey Denison, Principal
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, Administrative Assistant
SCHOOL HOURS
REGULAR DAY OF SCHOOL
8:35am-3:43pm
ECSE AM 8:35am-11:50pm
ECSE PM 12:25pm-3:43pm
WACKY WEDNESDAYS
8:35am-3:10pm
HALF DAYS OF SCHOOL
8:35am-12:05pm
No ECSE Classes on these days!
EVERY WEDNESDAY IS AN EARLY RELEASE AT 3:10PM FOR OTTAWA
January 26th -District Professional Development
What a great day of learning! Thank you Mrs. Smith and Mr. Place!
IMPORTANT DATES
JANUARY
8 School Back In Session
8-10 Vison and Hearing Screening for K-1 Students
(Preschool screening in the spring)
11 Wacky Wednesday Early Release at 3:10 pm
12 Report Cards will go home with students
15 No School-MLK Day
16 Board of Education Meeting 6:00pm
16 PTO Meeting 6:30-7:30pm
17 Wacky Wednesday Early Release at 3:10 pm
18 Kickstart to Career Deposit Day
19 ECSE Mrs. Hendrick's Class in session! Extra Friday!
23 Family Literacy Night
24 Wacky Wednesday Early Release at 3:10 pm
26 No School- Staff Professional Development
K-1 Vision and Hearing Screening
Kindergarten and first grade students will have their vision and hearing screened January 8th-10th.
Preschool screening will be in April.
WINTERFEST SPIRIT DAYS- FEBRUARY 5-9
MID YEAR ASSESSMENTS- K-1
Our weather has thrown a curveball into our planning for these assessments this week! These are going to be rescheduled for next week! Each grade will complete both this week with a day in between of no testing. Each test takes between 25-40 minutes and students may work at their own pace, if extra time is needed, that time will be afforded to students. They may also take a break if necessary, but generally most students complete the session without a break. If you have further questions, please reach out to your child's teacher.
NWEA Math
- 29th- Kindergarten
DELTA
- 30th- 1st Grade
- 31st- Kindergarten
If your child is absent for any of these dates or needs more time to finish outside of what is already scheduled on those days, there will be additional dates and times offered for completion of these assessments.
REPORT CARDS
KICKSTART TO CAREER DEPOSIT DAY!
THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!
Michigan Gateway Community Foundation and Honor Credit Union will be collecting deposits on Thursday, January 18th! Students may bring in their deposits on Thursday in a sealed envelope with the following information: Student Name, Grade, Graduation Year and Account Number found in their personal savings account register booklet. If you have questions regarding deposits, please contact the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation at 695-3521.
WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT FOR LITTLE BUCKS OF THE WEEK!
We model and teach what we expect to see from students with the Buck 3. Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. Next week will be our first week to choose students that have been working hard at following the Buck 3. Pictures will be displayed on our wall for the entire school to see on their way to lunch and names announced during our announcements.
Each recipient will received a signed certificate that can be taken home to share with their family.
Congratulations to these Little Bucks of the Week! We are so proud of you and appreciate the example you lead for others at Ottawa! Keep up the phenomenal work!
Preschool: Karen B., Parker H.
Kindergarten: Gracelinn P., Olin P., Gunnar M., Max P. and Hayden A.
First Grade: Rowan G., Kora C., Ava R., Jack G. and Ella M.
Join Us! PTO MEETING FEBRUARY 13TH AT 6:30 PM
Guest Speaker- Jennifer Popielski, Program Officer for the Kickstart to Career Program- Michigan Gateway Community Foundation will be presenting!
Ottawa PTO Meeting
Child care provided during the meeting.
Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024, 06:30 PM
Ottawa Elementary School, Ottawa Street, Buchanan, MI, USA
FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT-RESCHEDULED
TUESDAY- FEBRUARY 6TH
PLEASE RSVP FOR THIS EVENT SO WE MAY PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
KIDS HEART CHALLENGE KICKOFF THIS WEEK!
On Facebook? Follow our Ottawa Elementary page!!
DISMISSAL/TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
You MUST contact our school office by 2:00 pm if you need to make changes to your child's transportation routine.
If you need to make changes involving a bus, these changes must be communicated to our office by 1:30 pm, before the buses leave for their middle/high school routes.
Please do not message or email teachers as they are often in session and do not receive the messages until it is too late.
If you need a numbered car tag for the pick up line, please come into our office.
If you are picking your child up as a walker, they will be dismissed at the doors by our front office.
Only car riders with parents in the pick up line will be dismissed at the north parking lot doors.
Transportation
Click on the icon below for Ottawa's Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Board of Education Meetings
- January 16th
- February 20th
- March 18th
- April 15th
Central Office
269.695.8400
Superintendent
Mrs. Patricia Robinson probinson@buchananschools.comAdministrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Mrs. Michelle Munyon mmunyon@buchananschools.com
Director of Operations/Instructional Systems Coordinator
Mr. Mark Kurland mkurland@buchananschools.com
Business Office Specialist
Mrs. Carrie Brunsting cbrunsting@buchananschools.com
Director of Special Education
Mrs. Karin Falkenstein kfalkenstein@buchananschools.com
Director of Technology
Mr. Philip Place psplace@buchananschools.com
YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT!
We work hard every day to make our school the best it can be. Please tell us how we’re doing!
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