The Tiger Tribune
October 2021
Principal's Message
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Just like that, a month has gone by! It’s been so nice to watch the kids grow and learn as they get to know their teachers and their peers.
As you know, one of our main focuses is to assist parents in developing each child into a well-rounded individual through teaching them not only academic skills, but important character traits as well. To do this, we have implemented Tiger Traits that we focus on each month. The Tiger Trait for the month of October is Responsibility. Please continue speaking with your child(ren) about what it looks like to be responsible.
In addition to our Tiger Traits, we also focus on helping students develop positive behaviors through our PBIS program. In order to help students stay motivated to act positively, at the end of each month, we host a special PBIS activity to reward students. With that being said, if a student receives a negative office referral, they are not able to participate in these activities. Furthermore, there will be a BIG end of the year activity for students without any referrals. We will begin keeping track of referrals for the end of the year party starting in October. Please have a conversation with your child(ren) about the importance of making positive choices, and earning POSITIVE office referrals.
On Tuesday, September 28, 2021 the Elementary Team held an informational event for parents and community members. This informational event was focused on our Title I funding from the state, as well as how we use the monies to provide services for all students. Please take a look at the presentation containing all of the information here.
I look forward to continuing to grow our partnership to enhance the success of all of our students at West Ward Elementary.
Sincerely,
Melanie Cassar
Principal, West Ward Elementary
Things to Know
Breakfast and Lunch Program
As many of you are aware, the State of Michigan has pushed out the breakfast and lunch meal reimbursement of the federally assisted program through this year. This means that all students, regardless of socio-economic status, can get a free meal at breakfast, as well as lunch time, and the district will be reimbursed for those meals.
A lunch time meal is defined as containing three items, so students must take three items from the lunch line; for example, an entree, a milk, and a fruit. Another option is for them to take a milk, and a combination of fruit and veggies. On the other hand, students may not take ONLY a milk, as this is not considered a meal, and therefore does not qualify for this particular program.
Students who only want milk will need to pay 50 cents per carton, OR they may get a milk with a combination of fruits and/or vegetables. Please let me know if you have any questions or wonderings about this.
Benchmark Testing
Positive Behavior Rewards
Halloween
Trick or Treat? Halloween is coming up; we are planning to host our Halloween parade and classroom festivities on Friday, October 29, 2021 starting at 1:30p.m. In order to promote safety, any treats donated to the classroom or given to other students MUST be store bought and pre-packaged. Your child's teacher will send more information as we get closer.
Flyers
APS is continuing the electronic flyer distribution tool called “Peachjar.” To view school-approved digital flyers, you simply click on the “Peachjar Eflyers: Student Activity Postings” on your school’s website homepage. No more flyers being lost in backpacks or misplaced. They are just one click away. Flyers are always posted in the APS app and on our webpage at alleganps.org. No action is required on your part. If you signed up last year, your account is still active. If you are new to APS, you will receive a welcome email from our service provider (Peachjar) that includes a username and password. This is provided to give you the opportunity to manage your account and flyer delivery preferences. Or you can sign up at peachjar.com/parents.html. You do not need to login to receive or view school digital flyers. This system is used exclusively for distribution of school-approved flyers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose. Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure parents/families are well informed about school programs, activities, and events.
SchoolMessenger Text Messaging
Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more. You can participate in this free service by doing the following:
- Send a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number, 67587.
- You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with "Stop".
SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy Pledge, so you can rest assured that your information is safe and will never be given or sold to anyone.
West Ward Tiger Traits
West Ward Elementary prides itself on developing the whole child! We want our students to be well-rounded individuals who achieve the skills to be lifelong learners and productive members of society. In order to do so, we focus on a character trait each month:
- September - RESPECT
- October - RESPONSIBILITY
- November - GRATITUDE
- December - COMPASSION
- January - WISDOM
- February - SELF-CONTROL
- March - EMPATHY
- April - COURAGE
- May - PERSEVERANCE
Please have conversations with your children about how they can showcase these traits throughout the school year. At the end of every month, one student from each classroom is recognized for going above and beyond in exhibiting that month's trait. Nominated students will receive an award and get to have Donuts with the Principal!
Upcoming Events
October 20 - Early Release Day dismissed at 11:53a.m. lunch will be served.
October 29 - Halloween
West Ward Elementary School
Website: https://alleganps.org/ww/
Location: 630 Vernon Street, Allegan, MI, USA
Phone: (269)673-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westwardelementaryschool