Join Meadowbrook principal, staff and parents as they come together in a judgement free and collaborative safe zone to explore the book titled

Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids.

"With this book, you’ll find powerful mindfulness skills for calming your own stress response when difficult emotions arise. You’ll also discover strategies for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening."

For more information and to request a copy of the book, please email JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org or KellanWatkins@wlcsd.org. Our next conversation and club meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 11th at 9:30 AM and we welcome new attendees! We will continue our discussion of Part I: Breaking the Cycle of Reactivity. I have copies of the book in my office should you wish to join us or read it on your own. It is a game changer! Refreshments will be served and a Zoom option will be available for those who cannot make our in-person meeting. See you soon!

Unfortunately, we are still short staffed two spots on the playground. This position has been posted for quite some time, but we do not have any applicants. Luckily, a playground substitute will be helping us until further notice. In addition, we have created a Sign-Up Genius to offer parents and community members the opportunity to help out should they be available. All volunteers will be entered into a bi-weekly random drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card. A huge THANK YOU to those who have already served.

Checkout the signup to see if you are able to help in any way. Even filling one spot makes a big difference.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4aaaa928a6f8c61-playground#/

January

1/4: Happiest of Birthdays to Nancy Scherr!

1/4: PTA Meeting @ 6 PM in Media Center

1/5: Board of Education Meeting to Honor TOY, Mrs. Tiffany Pardo!

1/6: Dr. Bernia Visited Meadowbrook @ 10 AM

1/10: Happiest of Birthdays to Amy Widmayer!

1/13: Student Council Meeting in AM

1/16: No School for Staff, MLK Celebration @ WLN from 5 PM- 7:30 PM

1/17: No School for Students, Staff Wellness Day

1/17: Happiest of Birthdays to Ranya Grimes!

1/24: Junior Kindergarten Orientation in Evening TBD

1/25: 5th Grade Introduction to Instruments Program @ WLW

1/30: Happiest of Birthdays to Michelle Covert!

1/31: Half Day for Students, Staff Professional Development (Special Services in Building)

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting our new superintendent, Dr. Bernia, for a few hours at on Friday, January 6th. Our time together was spent visiting classrooms and talking with students. A team of 5th grade student leaders were also able to meet with him to discuss what makes being a Mustang great and share any concerns.

I cannot speak more highly of the respect, responsibility and kindness our Mustangs demonstrated throughout his visit. They brought me to tears, and I could not be more proud. It was a super GREAT day to be a Meadowbrook Mustang!

On Thursday, January 5th, we had the opportunity to recognize Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Tiffany Pardo as the 2022-2023 Meadowbrook Teacher of the Year during the January Board of Education Meeting. Please join us in congratulating her! Upon reflection, as do so many others, here are some of the many things Mrs. Pardo does each day to make her classroom flourish and establish success:

• Great teachers never forget that it is people that determine the quality of the classroom and our school.
• Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses.
• Great teachers have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves.
• Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom. They are. Good teaches consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control-their own performance.
• Great teachers create a positive environment in their classrooms and schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise.
• Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.
• Great teachers care about their students. They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

This list includes just a few of the many things she does well. We were proud to celebrate Mrs. Tiffany Pardo and thrilled to work beside so many great teachers and staff here at Meadowbrook. Ms. Rachael Carr was also a well-deserving nominee. Cheers to her, also!

Your Forever and Always Proud Principal,

Mrs. VanWagnen

#everychildeveryday #mustangproud

*Adapted from 14 Things That Matter Most in What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker

Outdoor play is an important of every child's day. Students will go outside when the temperature is zero degrees and above, with the wind-chill factored in. We continue to see students not prepared for outdoor recess. Please take a look at the guideline graphic below to make sure your student(s) is dressed appropriately. It's always better to send your student "overdressed" than "underdressed" for recess. Even if there's no snow on the ground, it can be wet and muddy and snow pants help keep clothes dry. Please make sure your child has the following items for recess and refer to the infographic below for further information:

Winter Coat

Snow pants

Snow boots

Hat/Earmuffs

Mittens/Gloves

Please label all of these items and place them in a bag. Students will remain on the blacktop if they do not have the appropriate outdoor gear. If you need help providing winter wear for your child, please reach out to us! We want all of our Mustangs to have the items they need!

Donations will gladly be accepted and can be dropped off to the Meadowbrook office anytime between 9am-4pm. Thank you for your support!

Please join us in wishing 5th grade student, Ethan Brown, the best of luck as he represents the state of Michigan in this weekend's Rubik's Cube competition at Ohio State University! We are so proud of you for working hard and pursuing your passion, Ethan! Best of luck!

#mustangproud

Students at Meadowbrook will soon begin taking the 2nd iReady diagnostic to measure their growth in both math and reading. During this time period, you can support your student at home by ensuring adequate sleep each night. This is a great opportunity for our students to shine and show the Walled Lake community how much we have grown in such a short time! Please help us to stress the importance of taking this assessment seriously. As always, do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.Thank you for your support and partnership.

Diagnostic window dates are as follows:

Window #1 Sept 12-Oct 14 (Completed)

Window #2 Jan 9-Feb 17

Window #3 April 24-May 26

New for the 2022-2023, families can only access iReady lessons at home through the Classlink website. If connecting with iReady has been a challenge, please check out the one minute video tutorial below.

i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that diagnoses the just right next steps for students. It is one tool that your student’s teacher will use to guide class and small group instruction. iReady lessons support classroom instruction and are designed to meet your student’s specific needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. It is a great tool to fill gaps and support classroom learning.

Your child's teacher can provide his/her login information if your child chooses to practice iReady at home.

On Saturday, January 14, the University of Michigan Physics Department will host an exciting science event that may be of interest to you and your students. It will feature an interview with Astronaut and Physicist Josh Cassada, live from the International Space Station (ISS), with commentary from Professor John Foster, U-M Applied Physics Alumnus, Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, NASA engineer and Professor of Aerospace Engineering.

The event is free, open to the public, and K-12 students are especially welcome. There will be an opportunity for students to ask Josh about his mission to the ISS and his work as a scientist/astronaut, e.g., what kind of activities are done on board the ISS, what routines do the crew follow, and what experiments they do on board the ISS, If you could publicise this event in your classes and encourage your students to attend that would be greatly appreciated.

Questions for Josh can be submitted online through this link:

https://myumi.ch/Ek1Xr

or through the QR code in the attached announcement. NASA has requested that we submit questions to them before the end of Wednesday next week. There will be an opportunity for students to ask their questions in person if they are attending the event, to be held in the Central Campus Classroom Building, 1225 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor MI. The presentation will begin promptly at 10:30am and coffee, cider and donuts will be provided from approx. 10:00 am.

A map of the event location can be found here:

https://maps.studentlife.umich.edu/building/central-campus-classroom-building

Hearing screenings will be for the following grades – Junior Kindergarten, KDG, 2nd and 4th. Hearing screenings will take place on 1/23/2023 - 1/26/2023.

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities. Please complete the form below and contact Dan Durkin (danieldurkin@wlcsd.org) with any questions you may have.

A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our District newsletters can be found below.

Not receiving district and/or building communications?

If you are not receiving emails from Mrs. VanWagnen, including the Mustang Express, District Weekly Updates, please use the link below to double-check your preferences are correct.

Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

• Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org

Kellan Watkins

Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Schloegl

Building Secretary: jenniferschloegl@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-2700

Attendance: 248-956-2790

It is very important that you take time to review the Meadowbrook Handbook which is filled with important information, policies and procedures.