The Siple Scoop
January 2022
A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
A new year always brings hope for new beginnings! As an educator I feel like I have the joy of experiencing this two times a year, once at the beginning of the school year and then at the beginning of the New Year in January.
I am confident that I'm not alone in saying that I'm not sorry to say goodbye to 2021! I am hopeful that 2022 will bring the positive changes we all seem eager to experience. I am proud of the hard work my team has put in to make sure our students are receiving the best possible education. I am also thankful for the Siple families and your partnership and flexibility through this past year as we have dealt with all the challenges that came our way. You have been incredible and a pleasure to work with.
I wish you all a great January and a healthy 2022!
Christy Flowers, Principal
810-591-5104
Cool to Care 2021 Was a Great Success!
PARENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP
From Parent Drop Off Tuesday, January 4th
Covid Update
However, masks are still required when riding the bus unless a student has a medical exemption. Please make sure to communicate this with your student to make sure they are following this protocol when riding the bus. We appreciate your continued support.
Has Your Child Lost Their Glasses?
Intersession 2.0 is Coming in February
SAVE THE DATE: KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP
Parents, if you have younger children at home we wanted to make you aware that we are now starting the waiting list for Early-5's. Our Early 5's program is for children that will turn 5 between June 15 and December 1, 2022. This is an excellent program to prepare young children for kindergarten. It is a full day program that focuses on kindergarten readiness. To add your child to the wait list please call the Thomson Elementary office at 810-591-0911.
Please look for information to be coming home about Kindergarten Round Up. This event is scheduled for April 18-22, 2022. You will be asked to schedule a round-up appointment for your student to complete enrollment paperwork. Participation in Round-up is very important to ensure proper placement in kindergarten. The age required for Kindergarten and Early 5's is that they must be 5 by September 1, 2022.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS??
SIPLE STARS OF THE MONTH
Each month classroom teachers will nominate one student from their class to be entered into the grade level drawing for the STAR of the MONTH for that grade. Each grade level STAR of the Month will receive a certificate, medal, and their photo will be on display in the hallway during that month.
We are pleased to recognize students for consistently demonstrating excellent behavior. Thank you for sharing your outstanding children with us. I am pleased to announce our STARs of the Month for December are:
Kindergarten: Audrey Hubbard
1st grade: Elizabeth Montgomery
2nd grade: Mercy Hemingway-Williams
3rd grade: Gabe Goforth
4th grade: Lydia Hubbard
Our other outstanding nominees for the month of December were:
Kindergarten: Emma McAboy and Amelia Traynor
1st grade:
2nd grade: Liam Clark and Harper Walterhouse
3rd grade: Grace Kidd and Savannah Westphal
4th grade: Lily Cheff and Avery Warson
Congratulations to these outstanding young learners!
DRESSING WARM FOR RECESS
GOOD ATTENDANCE MATTERS
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Let’s Talk About ANXIETY
In November of 2019 I had the opportunity to attend the Michigan School Counseling Association conference in Lansing. Two of the presentations that I attended discussed the impact of anxiety on children that I felt would be good to share with parents. The first presenter was Julia Cook, famous author, former Math teacher and former school counselor. The second presenter on the topic was Monica Fugedi, a school counselor with expertise in anxiety (www.mindgal.com).
First of all, SOME anxiety is HELPFUL. Anxiety can let us know about danger and help to keep us safe. It is our body’s mechanism for self-defense. Unfortunately, anxiety can also become extreme and manifest itself as a disorder. Symptoms of this include constant worry that causes significant distress and interferes with daily life. Sometimes this can be seen in avoidance of social situations for fear of being judged or embarrassed. Other times it can be seen with out-of-the-blue panic attacks, irrational fears, and recurring nightmares. At an elementary level kids may cry, avoid school work, constantly interrupt, repeatedly ask the same question, become clingy, have difficult transitions, have constant illness, become disruptive in class, have a lack of focus, or have a lack of motivation.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS! Science has proven that we can rewire our brains. We can train our brains to PAUSE. This pause allows for people to THINK about the perceived threat. During this pause people need to (credit goes to Monic Fugedi):
C - CAUSE - Find the cause of the anxiety
A - AUTOMATIC - Discover the automatic thought that accompanies the cause
L- LOCUS - Find what is the LOCUS or REALITY of the situation
M - MODIFY - Modify the thought to reflect reality
Another point that was made is the importance of NOT trying to cure the anxiety. Rather, learn to name the worry (for example, name the worry monster after a funny character) and have planned exposure to the fears. Too often we reinforce the fear through avoidance. Planned Exposure is a commonly used therapy strategy in which people SLOWLY face their fear in baby steps (Only move on to the next baby step when you are bored of the current baby step).
Some natural interventions for reducing anxiety include SLEEP (many of us have too little of this on a daily basis which increases activity in the amygdala - the part of our brain that balances emotions and survival instincts), aerobic exercise, yoga and diaphragmatic breathing.
Lastly, if you believe someone you love may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, please seek out professional help. I have a list of area counselors available. Feel free to call or email me with any questions: 810-591-5104 or jsimonsen@davisonschools.org
Mrs. Simonsen, Counselor
810-591-0227
DID YOU KNOW.........
Did You Know This Service is Available
There are many great resources for families in the area. This section of the Siple Scoop is dedicated to introducing you to a FREE resource each month.
This month we are featuring Ele’s Place, which is a healing center for grieving children and teenagers. Weekly peer support group programs help children and teens learn how to cope and heal after the death of parent, sibling, or someone close to them.
FUN TO BE FIT
Happy New Year! I hope all my Siple Stars and their families had a great Christmas and Happy New Year. I had to have surgery on my elbow in December so I decided to postpone the hockey tournament until I came back to school. My 3rd and 4th grade classes will be doing our hockey tournament this month. After this week everybody should know what team they are on and what their team color is. I do a team color so that we look like a team and when we look like a team then we feel like a team!
This is one of my favorite units. Every student in 3rd and 4th grade will get to feel what it's like to be on a team and what teamwork looks and feels like. We also do a sportsmanship award at the end of the unit. A boy and a girl will be chosen by their classmates on who has displayed the best sportsmanship in the class so far. Everybody in the class gets to vote. The winners will join me sometime in June for a celebration with pizza and pop on me!
My K-2 classes will be working on Fitness! After a long break we need to get back into shape and no better way to do that then - Fitness Stations. I will have a series of different stations set up throughout the gym and the students will rotate around and hit every station before class time is over.
Winter is finally here! A quick reminder that when students wear boots to school they need to remember to put tennis shoes in their backpack for physical education class! Parents you can help me out when they have gym class to make sure they have their tennis shoes packed so they can participate in class. Thank you so much!
Mr. Sipley, Gym Teacher
810-591-0231
MUSIC NOTES
Happy New Year Siple Families!
Please keep those calendars for our…
2022 Musical Performances:
These events will be performed at the Davison High School Auditorium.
*Letters home from Mrs. Odglen will provide more details to these performing groups.*
2nd Grade Musical = March 24, 2022
(7:00pm in the DHS Auditorium)
4th Grade Musical = March 15, 2022
(7:00pm in the DHS Auditorium)
Mrs. Odglen, Music Teacher
810-591-0238
STEM
The upper elementary students will continue to work on assignments in Google classroom using Google Docs and Google Slide.
If you have any questions about STEM class, please contact me via email at ecarr@davisonschools.org. Happy January!
Erica Carr
Technology Teacher
PTO NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 10: PTO Meeting 6:00 p.m.
January 14: End of Semester
Popcorn Friday
January 17: NO SCHOOL for Students
Siple Elementary
9286 E. Coldwater Road
Davison, MI 48423
Christy Flowers, Principal
Follow Mrs. Flowers on Twitter: @Principal4Kids
Office Phone: 810-591-5104
Office Fax: 810-591-5102
Attendance: 810-591-5100