Happy Winter Switzer,

Elementary conferences are coming up next week, February 2. This round of conferences is by teacher/parent request only. Please remember that if a conference is requested it doesn't signal a problem. It is an opportunity to celebrate growth and check in with your teacher. Please know that you can always reach out to your teacher on email if you need to touch base.

The month of February has long been associated not with just frigid temperatures, but also as a time to break up the Michigan weather with a vacation! Whether your family is planning to travel, or simply relax and sleep in, the week off from school can be a re-energizing period of time. This year’s mid-winter break will begin Monday, February 20, 2023. School will resume on Monday, February 27, 2023.

Kindergarten Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1 at 7pm. All Utica elementary buildings will be hosting a meeting. Please make sure to share this day with your friends and neighbors. We can all relate to the day when we had to prepare to send our first child to school. The uncertainty and questions can create some anxiety with new parents. Please encourage them to attend the open house and feel free to share the information included in this newsletter or you can also look up all information online at uticak12.org.

Thanks for a great start to the new year.

Jacob Palmer

Recess is an important part of the school day. It gives the children a chance to release some of their pent-up energy, and clear their minds for the remainder of the school day.

All students are expected to go out for recess, unless we have a doctor's note saying they must stay inside. This is true even during warmer months.

At Switzer, students will go out for recess whenever the wind-chill is 10 degrees or higher. We use weather.com to determine the wind-chill.

Proper clothing for outside recess is a necessity. Children should dress warmly with gloves, scarves, boots, coats and hats. Children may not remain in the classroom when their class goes out for recess, since the teachers go outside also.

Please remember we all shop at Amazon, Kohls and Target. Putting initials on glove tags, coat tags and hat tags help keep the lost and found from over flowing. The weather has been kind but Michigan weather has a funny sense of humor.