Alward Action
May 9, 2022
THANK YOU FROM THE STAFF AND THE PTC!
OH the Places you Go Book!
News from the STEAM room
3rd -Third grade is done building their “Save the Tiger” structure for the Stability and Motion: Forces and Interaction Unit. They are finishing up their designs by sharing their final product and how it work with their classmates. The criteria was to build a structure that contained at least two simple machines and magnets. They could only use Vex Kit building materials and string.
4th -We are starting a unit on Waves. In this unit, the kids will learn about types of waves, light waves, visible light, and sound waves. Additionally, we are starting some basics in coding, with Scratch, which is a online site for coding. It has many tutorials kids can use and look and the internal coding process of how some various types of coding are put together. They seem to be very excited about this opportunity.
5th - 5th grade took a little break from robotics, to do some science about patterns in our universe. We did some activities that demonstrated various gravities on other planet and moons. We will also look at the different phases our moon goes through in a month and how that affects us here on earth. We will jump back and forth between this and then code our robots for a couple sessions before taking them apart.
PTC Updates
The PTC is looking for two Chairpeople for the Mother/Son event next year and 2 Chairpeople for the Santa Shop. If we do not have volunteers by the end of this school year, we will be canceling the events next year! Please contact Andi Butler at andi6543@att.net with any questions.
BMS PTO Open House for current 5th Graders
BMS Parent-Teacher Organization Update--Date Change to Monday, May 23 from 6-8 p.m.
The BMS PTO is excited to welcome your students to Baldwin Street Middle School this fall. The transition to middle school is an exciting time, but we understand that it may come with a bit of anxiety both for you and your student. To help with a smooth transition, we are inviting you and your student to an open house on Monday, May 23 from 6-8 pm at Baldwin Street Middle School. This will be a very relaxed time where you will be able to take a look around the school and ask questions before summer break starts. Baldwin Street Middle School will still host the typical open house and walk-through just before the beginning of the school year. We simply wanted to offer an earlier opportunity for incoming sixth-grade students and their parents to become a bit more familiar with Baldwin Street Middle School in hopes of easing any fears about the transition to middle school. We hope you will take this opportunity to stop by, introduce yourself and take a look around our building.
Monday, May 23, 2022, 06:00 PM
Baldwin Street Middle School, Baldwin Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
No School - Memorial Day Weekend
Friday, May 27, 2022, 08:00 AM
3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
No School - Memorial Day Weekend
Monday, May 30, 2022, 08:00 AM
3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Last Day of School - Early Release
Wednesday, Jun 8, 2022, 12:15 PM
3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Hudsonville Rocket Cheer
This advertisement is NOT a school-sponsored program:
Is your daughter going into 1st-8th grade next fall and interested in cheering? Hudsonville Rocket Cheerleading will be accepting online registration for the Fall 2022 season (mid-August through mid-October). The registration deadline is Monday, August 1st (no late registrations will be accepted). The registration cost is $85 and includes an end-of-year banquet and trophy. 1st – 6th-grade girls are required to purchase a shell ($30 new and $15 used) and skirt ($30 new and $15 used). **See website for info about used uniforms. 7th and 8th-grade girls are required to pay a $10 uniform rental fee. The 1st-6th grade girls will be cheering at the Hudsonville Youth Football games, and the 7th & 8th-grade girls will be cheering at the Hudsonville Club Football games. Check out the Hudsonville Rocket Cheer Website for more info and to begin registration. (www.hudsonvillerocketcheer.com). If you have questions about the program, please contact Coach Britni via e-mail at hudsonvillerocketcheer@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you this fall!
PK/K Enrollment for the 2022/23 School Year!
Step 2 - Enroll Online - watch the instructional tutorial here.
Online registration for PreK/Kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year is now open on the website. To be eligible, children must be five years of age on or before September 1, 2022. A PreK/Kindergarten waiver request form may also be submitted for children who turn five between September 2 - December 1, 2022. These waiver forms will be made available during the registration process.
When you are completing the online registration, you will be required to upload the following documents.
- Original birth certificate with raised seal
- Photo ID of parent or guardian registering student
- Proof of residency (i.e. utility bill, tax statement, house buy/sell agreement, lease agreement)
- Health Appraisal Form which includes dates of immunizations and vision/hearing testing (due by August 12, 2022)
Placement Preference - The online registration will include a place for parents to indicate their PreK/Kindergarten placement preference. North and south elementary school PreK locations will be determined prior to the start of the school year.
Step 3 - Screening
Upon completion of your online registration and participation in the Virtual Informational Webinar, you will receive communication from your building principal in early March. At that time, your building principal will provide details regarding the screening process for your child. This screening assists principals with final placement details to build the best learning environment for all of our learners.
- The screening process MUST be completed prior to your child being placed in a PreK or Kindergarten HPS classroom for the 2022-2023 school year.
- All kindergarten placement requests will be honored. A team will review PreK placement requests. Parents will be notified of the placement decision by May 31, 2022. Information about a late summer orientation for students and parents will be included in the notification letter.
MI Backpack Home Test Program - An At-Home COVID-19 Testing Program for K-12 Settings
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is offering a program which supplies a limited number of free, at-home COVID antigen tests to students in Michigan's schools in the 2021-2022 school year. MI Backpack Home Test is a voluntary program offered by MDHHS for Michigan K-12 students, educators, staff, and their families who want an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. Every individual that is interested will receive one at-home COVID-19 test "kit," which includes 2 at-home tests. MDHHS will provide the kits and educational materials, and schools will distribute the kits to students and staff who choose to enroll. There is no obligation to participate. If you are interested please contact your building secretary and make arrangements to pick up your kit in the office.
SEL/RULER Videos
Students will continue learning about new feeling words in their classrooms. If you would like information regarding the upcoming units, we invite you to watch the embedded overview video links for grades K-5. There is a separate document with embedded video links for Pre-K. Thank you for taking the time to engage in this learning with your child!
Units 8, 9 and 14 video.
PK RULER Unit 13 School-Home Partnership Video
PK RULER School-Home Partnership Canva Doc (All Videos)
RULER Vocabulary Words
Here is a preview to all of the vocabulary that will be introduced in the RULER videos this school year:
Volunteer and Visitor Policy
All volunteers and visitors are also required to complete a background check every year. Please complete the background check form here.
Morning Drop Off and Car Line Pick Up Procedures
- Grades 2-5: Students in grades 2-5 will enter Door U unless they are walking a younger sibling to their class.
- Grades PK-1: Students in KDG will enter door A. Students in PK and 1st grade will enter door W.
Car Line Drop-off Procedures:
1. Use the car loop on the west side (office side) of the building.
2. Stay in the right lane and drop off your child in the drop-off zone. Zone will be marked with cones. Please pull all the way to either the stop sign for the unloading zone or to the car in front of you. We are having a problem with cars lined up on Port Sheldon. Please pull all the way to front of the drive by door C. Please do not stop by door U!
3. Students will exit the cars on the passenger side of the car in the unloading zone. (Do not allow students to exit the car on the driver’s side for safety reasons!) Staff will help child/children get out of the car and direct them to the door that they will go in.
3. Parents remain in their vehicles.
4. Do not pass cars in the car line. Stay in a single file line until the cars move in front of you.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Say your goodbyes and give kisses prior to dropping off in the car line. :)
Have backpacks/supplies ready to exit car with students.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding with our system and procedures. Safety is our number one concern for our students and their families.
Car Line Pick-up Procedures
PK-Fifth Grade Students
3:45 p.m.
1. Please put the placard sign, pictured below, in your passenger side window of your car with your child/ren's names and teacher's names listed. If you need more placard signs, please contact the main office, and we will be happy to print some for you!
2. Use the car loop on the west-side (office side) of the building.
3. Stay in the right lane and pull up to the orange cone on the far side of the parking lot or behind the cars in front of you.
4. Students will be walked out in groups to the car line and must enter cars on the passenger side of the vehicle.
5. If you need to help your child buckle his/her car seat, please pull forward with the flow of traffic, park in a parking spot, and help your child buckle his/her car seat.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Please be patient with this system for the first few weeks of school. Once students, staff, and families get used to the process, the line moves efficiently and is safe for all of our students!
Based on last year’s car line data, the car line takes 4-5 minutes to load 60 cars!
Walkers
- Walkers are dismissed once our car line is out of our parking lot to ensure their safety in the parking lot and crossing Port Sheldon, if needed.
- Walkers will be dismissed out of Door T (at the end of our fourth and fifth grade hallway).
- If you or a sibling will be typically walking your child home, please notify your child's teacher.
- If the person designated to walk your child home changes, please contact the main office to let them know of the change.
Communication
- Visit Our Website: Our school website will be updated on a regular basis as it will be the main source of information for our parents and community members. We will no longer have an Alward Blog as we are looking to consolidate and simply communication to our families.
School Messenger: Regular communication from school messenger will be sent out via email, phone calls, or text messages to keep you in the loop on what is taking place at Alward!
Social Media: Follow our story by liking us on...
Facebook: Like us on Facebook-facebook.com/AESEaglePride
Twitter: Like us on Twitter @AlwardElem
Google Classrooms: We will no longer have individual blogs for teachers. Teachers will be updating their Google Classroom Sites on a weekly basis.
Website: https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org/alward/index
Location: 3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6700
Facebook: facebook.com/AESEaglePride
Twitter: @AlwardElem