Woodland Watch
A Woodland Wildcat Always R.O.A.R.S.
September 11, 2020
Upcoming Events
- September 22: PTO Meeting @ 7pm via ZOOM
- September 23: NO SCHOOL - Staff PD
- October 1: Early Dismissal @ 1:35pm; Woodland Picture Day @ 12-6pm; 2nd Materials PickUp
- November 2: Parent-Teacher Conferences @ 4:30-8pm via ZOOM
- November 3: NO SCHOOL - Election Day/Teacher Development
- November 5: Parent-Teacher Conferences @ 4:30-8pm
- November 13: Picture Retakes @ 12-4pm
- November 20: HALF DAY - Dismissal @ 11:45am; PM Teacher Records
- November 24: HALF DAY - Dismissal @ 11:45am; End of 1st Trimester
- November 25-27: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Recess
A Note from Mrs. Schneider
Woodland Families,
I enjoyed seeing so many of you at Curriculum Night. Our teachers have been working tirelessly to create engaging remote lesson. We have been able to troubleshoot technical issues along the way. Please let us know if you are having any difficulty with work or problems with the technology. We are here to help. Remember that all teachers have open Office Hours from 2:55-3:39pm. They are available to help a student with an assignment or to answer parent questions.
Earlier this week, I sent a video sharing some key pieces of information regarding changes in this school year's virtual learning as compared to last spring.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend class everyday. Teachers take attendance twice a day-Morning Meeting and Live Lessons. If a student is absent, the classroom teacher will send a personal email to the parent/guardian of the child in the afternoon. They will ask you in the email to respond to the email. The state requires us to document "two-way interaction" for student engagement. We know there will be times when a student is absent due to illness, medical appointments, or family obligations. If this is the case, please call the Main Office Attendance Line at 248-537-6910 to let us know of any changes with your student's attendance as you have in the past.
Assignments and Feedback
Students are expected to complete assignments, and teachers will provide feedback on those assignments. Feedback can include comments, digital stickers, suggestions for improvement, conferencing, etc.
Assessments
The district will be administering the NWEA Map Reading and Math assessment three times this year. We use this assessment to identify students' strengths and areas of challenge. Through the use of these results, teachers are able to provide necessary supports. The first Map Reading assessment is required within the first 30 days of school as part of the 3rd Grade Reading Law. We will be sharing more information about the remote testing process later this week.
If you missed Curriculum Night, your child's teacher will share the information with you either in your child's Google Classroom or through email.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Arryn Schneider
Happy Friday from Our Teachers
Mrs. Polizzi
Mrs. Keller
Ms. Barkatt
Reminders for Parents in Supporting Your Students during Distance Learning
I found some best practices to help parents and guardians be strong partners while we are in virtual classrooms.
Be aware that the online classroom is a classroom. This is not the appropriate time to participate in discussions or make comments during the teachers’ instructional time with the class.
Remember, it is okay for the children to make mistakes. We work hard to make our classrooms safe places to make a mistake. That's how we learn. Please do not 'coach' your child during instructional time with the teacher. Teachers assess throughout the lesson to identify areas of weakness in order to differentiate instruction to strengthen students' abilities.
Communication: If you have a question, schedule a Zoom or phone appointment to discuss your child’s progress with his/her teacher or set up two-way communication with the teacher via email. Please do not interrupt, engage, or interact with the teacher during live instruction.
Recording instructional sessions without permission is prohibited.
Assist your child with their independent work as needed, but do not complete or supply answers. Again, we need to be able to assess what the students understand so we can support them appropriately.
Support your student's growing independence by moving away from their digital classroom.
Know that the teachers and support staff care about your child's social, emotional, and academic growth.
Helpful Hints if Your Child's Teacher is Using Google Classroom and Seesaw
New Avondale School District Website
Avondale School District is launching a new website on Monday, September 14, 2020!
The same address but an updated look and much easier to navigate!
Check it out Monday afternoon: www.avondaleschools.org.
Connect to All Teacher Classroom Sites
Be sure to check out how easy it is to get to our teacher classroom sites on the new website! :)
PTO CORNER
Woodland T-Shirts Available To Order Now!
Make sure to order your Woodland T-Shirts today! This year, shirt orders will be taken online. Go to https://woodland-pto.square.site/ to place your order. Kindergarten-4th grade shirts are $5 each, and the 5th grade purple shirts are $7 each with the Class of 2028 listed on the back.
Shirt orders are due by September 13th. The shirts will hopefully be delivered to Woodland in early October and will be distributed for a pick up day. Please note that there may be delays due to shipping issues with COVID. Please email any questions to WoodlandPTOAvondale@gmail.com.
A Letter From The PTO
Hello from the Woodland Wildcats PTO, and welcome to the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year! As in years past, our goals are to assist the school staff in creating an environment where students will thrive as well as providing fun and affordable community events for our families to spend time together outside of the classroom.
This may be a very different year than any of us had envisioned, our “classrooms” may start off in our homes, but we want you to know our mission of supporting our Wildcats hasn't changed. We will continue to meet regularly - it will just be over Zoom until we can meet safely in person. We will still offer Wildcats grade level shirts, and we plan to come up with some fun events though the year, even if that means hosting virtual community events and family fun nights.
The PTO Board has already been working hard to support our staff as they prepare to return to school in a virtual setting. In order to meet these goals, we will have a few fundraisers throughout the year. We will not be holding the Fun Run this fall, but are working on plans for a virtual event that will allow us to raise needed funds and encourage community building within our classrooms at the same time. We would like to concentrate our fundraising efforts this year towards updating the pod spaces for a welcoming gathering space once social distancing ends, and purchasing books for the classrooms to help support the reading and writing curriculum. We will also use funds to support our school-wide positive behavior intervention and support program, and to put on our Community Events, which will look different this year, but will still allow us to come together as one community.
As a member of the Woodland family, you are already a member of the PTO! We need your help, in whatever capacity you are able to give it! Please see the attached volunteer form and consider signing up for one or more of the needed areas. We would love to see you at our PTO meetings throughout the year. We value your opinion and love new ideas! Our first meeting will be Tuesday, September 22nd at 7pm. A zoom link will be sent out in the Woodland Watch. Also, don’t forget to stay connected by checking out the PTO Corner of the Woodland Watch! You can also LIKE us on Facebook for frequent reminders and updates.
Please offer your patience and understanding to all, especially our staff, as we navigate the ever changing guidelines. Throughout the year & in whatever way possible, we hope to continue our role as planners and volunteers to help foster a strong sense of community and togetherness. We welcome and encourage your help in achieving our goals and supporting our students and staff.
Best wishes for an outstanding 2020/2021 school year to all!
Your PTO Executive Board:
Beth Smith – President
Judy Blakeley - Treasurer
Lauren Kobylarz – Vice President
Laura Gavin– Secretary
Denise Scrase – Volunteer Coordinator
Lisa Brillhart -- Community Events Chair
(open position) – Fundraising Coordinator
Happy Birthday!!
September 12: Siobhan G.
September 13: Raymond G., Christian K.
September 14: Minnah A., Romelo L.
September 15: Ian K., Suban K.
September 16: Seong J.
September 17: Advi M.
September 18: Elin D.
Free or Reduced Lunch Program
Blessings In A Backpack Program
Blessings in a Backpack provides simple meals at NO COST each week during the school year for families who need assistance. While Avondale Schools is conducting remote learning, meals will be disbursed in conjunction with the Chartwells Food Service Breakfast and Lunch distributions. (Watch for details about distribution dates, times, and locations). Sign up today!
Staying Connected
Please see the the Woodland Elementary website and the Avondale School District website as resources for valuable information. We also post reminders and information on our Woodland Facebook Page. Please like us to stay connected with Woodland and the community.
Woodland Elementary School
Email: arryn.schneider@avondaleschools.org
Website: avondaleschools.org
Location: 6465 Livernois Road, Troy, MI, USA
Phone: 248-537-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodlandROARS/