Mustang Messenger
2019-2020 School Year: Volume 22: Week of February 17, 2020
Be the Best YOU at Grandview!!!
What a Difference Attendance Makes. Every Minute Counts!
Dear Families,
We hit the 100th day of school, which means we have less than 80 days of school left and every day counts. Attendance needs to improve and we are going to have new attendance letters that will be sent out the second half of the year. The Grandview Office is committed to sending more communication more frequently in connection to attendance. Why are we spending another week talking about attendance, because it matters!!!
According to multiple studies, missing several days of school over the course of a year significantly reduces the likelihood that students will graduate from high school. With attendance a crucial factor to keeping kids on the right path to graduation, Attendance Works has substantial information on attendance and the impact on student achievement. Below is some of the research below on why attendance matters.
- Start Strong: Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict frequent absences later in the school year. Nearly half of all students that missed more than two days of school in September went on to miss almost a month of school.
- Chronic Absences: An estimated 5 to 7.5 million students in the United States miss almost a month of school every year. This adds up to over a year missed by the time of graduation.
- Absenteeism starts early: One in 10 kindergarteners and first graders are considered to be “chronically absent.” Chronic Absence = Missing two or more days per month Research shows students who miss 10 percent of school, or two days per month, show negative academic progress. In some schools, that adds up to 18 days a school year and is considered to be chronic absence.
- Third Grade Reading Level: Poor attendance can keep children from reading proficiently by the end of third grade, which is shown to negatively affect their chances of graduating on time.
- Dropout Indicator: By sixth grade, a chronically absent student is shown to have a significantly higher chance of dropping out of high school.
- Excused Absences Hurt Too: Excused absences are just as negative as unexcused ones.
- Every Minute Matters: If a student is 10 minutes late to school each day, this adds up to missing more than 33 hours of class time. A student with a 90 percent attendance average for Kindergarten through 12th grade will miss over a year of accumulated time in the classroom.
If you need help with getting your child to school, please reach out to me. We can work as a team to help get your child to school! Thank you for your continued support at home!
Your Proud Principal,
Melissa Carruth, Ed.S
Great Week of Learning & FUN!!!
Black History Assembly
100 days smarter
1st Grade Storytellers
1st Grade Valentine's Day
2nd grade Celebrators!!
5th graders event had fun too
Third Grade Reading Law Meetings
Grandview 3rd Grade Reading Law Meetings: March 5 (6-8:00 Milk and Bookies), March 9 @ 6:30, and March 12th at 9:00 am.
If you do not have a 3rd grader, but still want to learn the information, you are welcomed to attend, but will not receive a letter in your mailbox.
Attendance is important. If you cannot attend any of the three meetings, please reach out to myself or your child's teacher and we will set-up a one-on-one meeting with you.
FOG Election
March 3rd, ballots will be dispersed and voting will occur. Counting of the ballots, will be done on Thursday, March 5th by myself and Mrs. Gina Londo and the winner will be announced on Thursday, March 5th.
Variety Show
NEW and OFFICIAL Dates are March 16th for the rehearsal, show on March 18th at 6 pm.
WIDA
All students who have a language other than English spoken at home and are identified as English Learners must take a state test called WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (Accessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners). The Enrollment Office form that was completed when your son/daughter enrolled in Clarenceville Schools tells us this information. Students will take the test eve if they are not attending ESL/EL classes. The test is for Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking and Comprehension in English. Students will take the test between February 3-March 20, 2020. We will mail your child's test results to you when we receive them from the Michigan Department of Education. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Morrison at 248-919-0404.
Parent Walk-Up
I am thrilled with the number of parents who have joined us in the back for drop-off and pick-up!!! THANK YOU!!! It has made a huge difference, but I still want more back there. The history of parent walk-up is for our walkers. That is who should be using the parent walk-up, families that live in the neighborhood that walk to school. There is a misconception that the back is slower. The back is completely finished by 3:50. So join us in the back. It is a safer option for the Grandview students.
Grandview Math Night -- RESCHEDULED AGAIN
Grandview Sports
Below is this week's schedule and important information.
Floor Hockey this week...
Mon 2/17
No School
Wed 2/19
@ 6:00pm - Pink Panthers (PW #1) vs Red Dragons (PW #3)
@ 7:15pm - Black Knights (Jr #1) vs Green Ninjas (Jr #3)
Thurs 2/20
@ 6:30pm - Teal Titans (Sr #3) vs Red Wings (Sr #5)
Fri 2/21
@ 6:00pm - Green Machines (Sr #1) vs Purple Pride (Sr #4)
@ 7:15pm - The Thunder (Sr #2) vs The Saints (Sr #6)
Click on the following link for Practice and Game Times.
Please remind your children of the Code of Conduct is for both on and off the Floor Hockey court. We want our athletes to maintain the terms of the conduct during school, as well as, during the games.
Stacey Wittscheck, Grandview Sports Director, has a Grandview Sports website that has the documents linked. All of the information from schedules, rules, code of conduct, sign-up, forms, etc. will all be housed in one location. Check out this great communication piece for our families!!
Questions, reach out to Stacey at her email at GVSportsDirector@gmail.com.
Also be sure to follow the Grandview Sports Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/GrandviewSports/
5th Grade All-Star Game
Friday, March 6th is the 5th Grade All-Star Game!
Players need to arrive at 6pm. The game will start about 6:30pm.
This year will be the 4th annual 5th Grade All-Star Game, but it's the first year that BOTH Grandview & Botsford families will be participating.
The evening begins with a few Parent vs Player skills challenges, then we'll move on to everyone's favorite part of the night... The Parents vs Players game. The kids get the chance to play their parents in a game, it's so much fun! Mark your calendars and join!!
You MUST RSVP by Thursday February 20th! It is a firm RSVP. So please do not miss the deadline and this fun event!
After-School Event Guidelines
When there are events after school, please help to remind your child that even after school, there is a certain behavior to uphold. Kids should not be running up and down the hallways and screaming and yelling in the bathrooms and down the hallways. Hide Go Seek in the classrooms is also happening. Please keep a watchful eye on your children at these events. The students should take pride in their school whether it is during the school hours or after the school hours. Please help to support this. We need our students to be safe and school property respected .
March is Reading Month
The committee has planned a fun filled month for Grandview. The kick off is on Friday, February 28th. Stay tuned for more information coming your way about this exciting month that focuses on the power and importance of reading.
Kindergarten Round-Up
Looking for new Kindergarteners or Junior Kindergarteners for this fall!
Grandview's Round-Up is Tuesday, March 24 at 6:00 P.M.
Botsford's Round-Up is Wednesday, March 25 at 6:00 P.M.
If you have a child who will be five years old by December 1, 2020, he/she may be eligible for Kindergarten or Junior Kindergarten next fall. Please complete the Round Up Registration form online by visiting this link https://forms.gle/cTJPR8cuwUFmsxPR7. Please pass this link along to friends and neighbors who have a future Kindergarten student but do not have siblings at Grandview or Botsford.
For Questions, contact the Grandview Office: 248-919-0404
Career Day
FOG Popcorn Day
It is February, new popcorn days. Due to Candy Grams being delivered on the 14th, there is only one popcorn day, the 28th.
$0.50 a bag!
Shoe Donation
Grandview FOG is starting their next fundraiser. This fundraiser does not need you to purchase one thing or give any money. This fundraiser is collecting used shoes. So if you plan on cleaning out closets, purchasing new shoes for the holidays, or have students who feet have grown through their shoes, we would gladly take them!
Outside of the music room is a large box for the shoe donation! So feel free to drop them off in the box or drop off in the office!!
This fundraiser not only will give back to Grandview, but it will give back to the world for students who are in need!!! It will continue through January and February!!!
To learn more about this fundraiser, click on this link....
School Store Fundraiser
Our next office fundraiser continues for our students. The teachers received some gift cards this past week at the mid-way point in this fundraiser and were so excited with what they received. Remember, this is a Win-Win fundraiser as the school earns money, as well as, the classroom teacher. This fundraiser helped to purchase the clay that is used for art, this spring's assembly, as well as, the supplies for March is Reading Month.
School Store is an online shopping mall with over 400 nationally-known merchants including Sears, Target, Oriental Trading Co., Office Depot, Toys"R"Us, Family Book Store and many more. When your family and friends make everyday purchases from their favorite merchants through SchoolStore.com, your school, and classroom teacher earns money.
All you need to do is going to www.schoolstore.net and enter Grandview Elementary School's code (0000009438) and then shop away.
Winter Weather is here.....Dress Appropriately
Please help remind your child to leave their coats on, no matter how warm they are. The temperature is cold and you all sent them with jackets and we do not want our students to get sick because they are not wearing their coat outside for recess.
Additionally, if your child medical conditions restricts them to be outside, please do not just send a note in from you. We need to have a medical note. Our office is becoming packed with kids that say, "my parents told me to stay in." We welcome them to stay in, but we need the medical note as we have kids that have medical restrictions and they do not have anywhere to sit due to the kids that do not have the medical note.
Box Tops for Education
We have a BoxTop Collection that is due March 1st. So any box tops that can be cut out are due February 26th.
Please remember that Box Tops are moving away from clipping paper box tops and moving to scanning qualifying receipts to earn school money.
Last year, Grandview earned $757.50 with Box Tops and we do not want to lose that revenue.
There is a Grandview parent that is already earning box tops via apps. Please download the app and log in, it is easy. Questions, stop in the office!!!
CEF Bowling Event
WatchDOGS where are you? We need you!!!
It is super easy to begin....just find a day, a 1/2-day, or a few hours and come to the Grandview office and ask for Miss Venessa. She will place you on a WatchDOG schedule and classrooms.
Come on in WatchDOGS!!!!! I case you forgot what a WatchDOG is, see below.....
WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. ® school. During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Grandview would like to start the program as I am hoping that the mere presence of a WatchDOG dramatically reduces reports of bullying. On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. ® t-shirt with a disposable ‘Dog Tag’ identifying them as WatchDOGS.
If you are interested in volunteering for this program, please contact the office or Ms. V, our Student Support Coach, at venessa.zverotic@clarencevilleschools.org.
A Note From Our Specials Teachers....
Again, A Message from Mrs. Frost
Students have been busy learning new skills in Technology class!
Kindergarteners continue to work on finding letters on a keyboard and matching lower and uppercase letters on a keyboard. They are busy learning to use a mouse as they play reading games online!
First and second graders have been creating drawings with voice recordings and photos in response to fiction and nonfiction books. This is helping them with mouse skills as well as online publishing. Second graders have also created diagrams and videos in response to social emotional topics.
Third through fifth graders have been working on a fun green screen project! Students wrote a creative story, took their own photos, erased the green screen background, and put themselves inside an animated snow globe. This multi-step project was a great way to review general technology skills such as copy and paste, layering images, and formatting text.
Up next, we will be working with the robots we were generously granted from the Clarenceville Education Foundation! Students are eager to use our new technology, and I can't wait for all the learning and fun that will take place!
Pink Out Store
The Importance of Sleep
Transportation Changes
School Hours
School Doors open at 8:20 and the students will report to their grade level location. At 8:25, the first bell rings and the 2nd bell rings at 8:30, when learning begins.
At dismissal, parent walk-up and pick-up will begin to be dismissed at 8:35. The final bell is at 3:40 when all students will dismiss from their afternoon dismissal location.
Your child is marked tardy starting at 8:40. Attendance and tardy was a problem at Grandview. Please do not get into the same routine this year. We need your children in school each and every day!! Also, your child will not be released after 3:15, unless plans were set beforehand.
Free Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Late Drop off and Early Pick Up
Tardy is marked starting at 8:40.
Children will not be allowed an early dismissal from the office after 3:15 pm so we can ensure a calm and safe end to the day for all students. Please plan accordingly. If you need your child picked up between 3:15-3:40, please contact the office or classroom teacher in the morning so that we are ready for this early release.
Tuesday Night Night
Kroger and Grandview
Kroger and Grandview
We get money from Kroger if you add Grandview to your profile. Thank you to all of you who have already added Grandview to your account. Though know that it is never too late to sign-up and join!!! So shop away, Grandview is benefitting from your grocery shopping!
Simply encourage your participants to visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into their Kroger account they can search for Friends of Grandview either by name or TH003 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.
*Customers must have a registered Kroger rewards card account to link to your organization.
*If a member does not yet have a Kroger rewards card, please let them know they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger
REMEMBER, purchases will not count for your organization until after your participants register their rewards card.
Participants must swipe their registered Kroger rewards card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger rewards card when shopping for each purchase to count.
Volunteering at School
iChats are also needed to be filled out if you wish to be a WatchDOG dad or chaperone a field trip.
Job Opportunity
Important Dates and Upcoming Dates
February
17: No School -- President's Day
20: RS Savers
21: 2nd Grade In-School Field Trip @ 1:00 - Nuts about Science - Water
23: Grandview Red Wings Game
24: STMath Night - 6-7:30
26: Principal Breakfast -- Disciplined Students and Scientific Science Students
27: Board of Education Meeting @ 6 pm
28: Kick-off to March is Reading Month
Popcorn Friday
29: Clarenceville Educational Foundation Bowling Fundraiser
March
2-6: Spring Book Fair
3: FOG Meeting @ 6pm
5: Milk and Bookies -- Literacy Night @ 6-8 pm
6: Popcorn Friday
6: Floor Hockey All-Star Game @ 6 pm
9: 3rd Grade Reading Law Meeting @ GV @ 6:30 pm
12: 3rd Grade Reading Law Meeting @ GV @ 9:00 am
Board of Education Meeting at Grandview @ 6 pm -- Join the fun!!!!
16: Variety Show Dress Rehearsal
18: Tornado Drill at 9:30 am
Variety Show @ 6 pm
19: RS Savers
Posed Spring Pictures -- pre-pay only
20: 3rd Grade Trip to Morley Candy Factory
GV Movie Night = 6-8:00
24: GV Kinder Round-up
26: NPDL Showcase at Clarenceville = 9-11:00
27: 3rd Marking Period Ends
Popcorn Friday
28-April 5: Spring Break