Early Dismissal: March 26

Spring Break: March 29-April 2

*Some virtual family engagement activities are being planned. More info will be coming soon.

Mr. Mayhew, who was teaching Gym, received a job offer closer to his home, so Mrs. Goodell has temporarily been placed as the Gym teacher through the end of the year. Ms. Vitany, from Pioneer Work and Learn, is covering Mrs. Goodell's special education duties through the end of the year.

We also have 3 student teachers in the building: Miss Rainey (with Mrs. Bilbee), Mrs. Emmons (with Ms. Johnson), and Mrs. Folino (with Mr. Holland)

As of right now, the students are scheduled to take the MSTEP. The state is still trying to determine if we can use our benchmark testing scores (NWEA and FastBridge) in place of the MSTEP. We want to be prepared either way so here are the dates of testing:

April 13: 5th Grade MSTEP ELA 10-12

April 14: 5th Grade MSTEP Math 10-12

April 15: 5th Grade ELA/Math MSTEP Make-Up 10-12

April 20: 5th Grade MSTEP Science 10-12

April 21: 5th Grade Social Studies MSTEP 10-12

April 22: 5th Grade Science/SS MSTEP Make-Up 10-12

April 27: 4th Grade ELA MSTEP 8:30-10:50

April 28: 4th Grade Math MSTEP 8:30-10:50

April 29: 4th Grade ELA/Math MSTEP Make-Up 8:30-10:00

May 4: 3rd Grade ELA MSTEP 8:30-10:00, 10:45-12:05, FastBridge Testing Starts

May 5: 3rd Grade Math MSTEP 8:30-10:00, 10:45-12:05

May 6: 3rd Grade ELA/Math Make-Up MSTEP 8:30-10:00, 10:45-12:00

May 10: NWEA Starts

• 2/2: Mrs. Germain had a shoutout for Sophia Shepard for working really hard in her small groups and always being ready to learn.
• 2/3: Mrs. Brightman had a shoutout for Alex McArthur and Daveon Parker for earning 100% on their Reflex addition and subtraction facts! They are already rocking their multiplication facts!
• 2/'11: Mrs. Mecham had a shoutout for Colton Clouse for being very hardworking and respectful. He is always a first time listener. If she is looking for someone to lend a helping hand, Mrs. Mecham can always count on him. He always does his best! Keep it up, Colton!
• 2/15: Ms. Josie had a shoutout for David Reeve-Rae for holding the door like a gentleman for her at the office whenever he sees that she is carrying something. He is also always polite to Mrs. Liparato and his manners make Ms. Josie very proud. It is an excellent example of our Vulcan Value: Respect. He sets a great example for the whole school!
• 2/15: Ms. Josie also had a shoutout for Hannah Letts for being a great helper when she subbed in her classroom. She always has a smile on her face and is ready to work when lessons start. This is a great example of our Vulcan Value: Responsible. Ms. Josie is very proud of Hannah and is thankful for such a wonderful example.
• 2/15: Mrs. Goodell had a shoutout for David Reeve-Rae and Logan Cook for being on task and working hard in her room. David was the first one ready every day for about two weeks and Logan is doing great on Reflex and gaining fact fluency quickly!
• 2/22: Ms. Hudson had a shoutout to Jaylin Hervert for helping with all the tech issues in their classroom.
• 2/23: Ms. Hudson had a shoutout for Zack Nott for always including others and being so kind!
• 2/25: Mrs. Brightman had a shoutout for Brooke Younge. She is always on task, does her work, tries her best, and is the first person to follow directions. She is a rock star and has had a lot of changes. She started remote, came back, went to California, and came back. Through all that, she got work done when it was assigned and always has a smile on her face. Thank you, Brooke!
• 2/26: Ms. Vitany had a shoutout for Iva Kester and Zack Nott for being very helpful with information about their research project so she could help other students. Thank you to both!
• 2/27: Mr. Moore had a shoutout for Natalya Gawne for always participating in class discussions and giving her best effort. She is helpful and cooperative.
• 2/27: Mrs. Sunday had a shoutout for Aubrey Parker and Alyssa Pileri for always being ready and willing to help a friend in need.

Our school is starting a new program called Inner Explorer to help students develop focus, self-awareness, self-control and resilience, all critical skills for success in school. In addition to these benefits, several studies have also demonstrated student's improved academic performance, behavioral aptitude, and well-being as a result of this training.

Each day, the school will participate in a 5 minute program delivered via the announcements each morning. The sessions focus on breathing and relaxation as well as awareness of senses, thoughts, emotions, choices and connection to others.

We are thrilled to be participating in a program that has shown benefits across a wide spectrum of applications, especially in education. Currently several US agencies are funding research on attention and awareness training because the practices are easy to learn, require very little equipment, have no side effects and show significant enhancements to cognitive function and decreases in stress response.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) is funding attention and awareness research to improve health and reduce conditions including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. The US Department of Education is funding research to improve academic achievement and behavioral competence. The US Army is funding this research to help our troops improve their working memory capacity to make better decisions while on the front lines.

To learn more about this program from Inner Explorer and to find more resources, including books for parents and students, please visit them at www.InnerExplorer.org.

Below are some easy ways to support Central:

• Shoprite: Clip and save the UPC barcode on every Our Family brand product you purchase. Have your child drop them off here at school or mail them to: Central Elementary, Attn: Lisa Riccobono, 425 Division St., Vassar, MI 48768.
• Kroger: Visit www.kroger.com. Once logged into your Kroger account, search for "Central School, Vassar Public Schools" or use code "AR176" and then click "Enroll." New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address, and a Kroger rewards card.
• Box Tops: Buy Box Tops products. Download the Box Tops app. Use the app to snap a photo of your receipt within 14 days of purchase.
• Shutterfly: Visit our Shutterfly Storefront: VassarCentral.ShutterflyStorefront.com. Click through to start shopping! Purchase thoughtful gifts and keepsakes for friends, family and especially yourself. For every purchase made, 8% of the proceeds will go toward helping Central Elementary. It's that easy. Plus, you can even use applicable Shutterfly discount codes to save on your entire order.
• Coca-Cola: When you make Coca-Cola purchases, you simply enter the product codes here: coke.com/give/schools. You will need to select "Central Elementary, Vassar, MI" and join and/or sign-in to enter product codes. Each product code scanned or entered has a unique donation value and donations will be distributed to Central on a quarterly basis.

Please contact Lisa Riccobono, Principal, at:

lriccobono@vassar.k12.mi.us

989-823-8566

Facebook Messenger: lisarossellriccobono

Please download the Vassar Public Schools app and select Central Elementary for the latest updates. Also follow the Vassar Public Schools Facebook page.