Defer Dragon's Burning News
June 8, 2018
Dear Defer Families,
It has been a wonderful school year! We have an amazing Defer Community and I feel so honored to partner with parents and staff at Defer. Our community works together to make our school a wonderful place for our students.
A special thank you to all of you who have helped make Defer a special place for our students! From volunteering in the lunchroom, the clinic, driving on field trips, providing Tuesday Treats, organizing events, volunteering at the events, and sharing your talents with students, you have helped support our work and provide the resources for our children. Thanks for encouraging your student, packing healthy snacks and lunches with love, and supporting your students with their homework. We appreciate all that you do to help students be leaders and learners at school and at home.
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Rheaume
Follow Defer on Twitter (@GPDefer) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GPDefer/)
Summer Learning
It is time to start thinking about summer learning! To help students maintain their learning from the school year, summer is a great opportunity to practice reading, writing, and math skills each day. Just 20 minutes of reading each day can make a difference in student reading skills and prevent summer slide. The summer goal should be to maintain skills learned throughout the school year with daily practice.
Students will receive login information to programs such as Lexia, Freckle Math, Imagine Math, and other programs that can be used throughout the summer to practice skills from the school year.
You can also check out our district summer learning opportunities:
A Special Thank You to our Defer Family from the Nyenhuis Family
Dear Defer family,
Our family would like to send a sincere thank you to all of you for your generosity during this difficult time in our life. For everyone who bought a Monster Matthew bracelet, a smile pencil, or a raffle ticket, we say thank you. For everyone who dropped off a meal, we say thank you. For everyone who helped with pick up and drop off, we say thank you. For everyone who dropped off a gift card, we say thank you. For everyone who said a little prayer or had Matthew in your thoughts, we say thank you.
We would like to say a special thank you to the staff and especially Dr. Rheaume, Mrs. Krotche, and Mrs. Forcillo for being that extra shoulder for Zach and Hannah to lean on. You made this very confusing and upsetting time so much easier for big brother and sister.
We are so glad to say that as of Thursday Matthew is done with his chemo treatments and is back home! We still have a long period of observation and recovery to get through, but as long as the chemo did it’s job, we are through the hardest part.
We have to say it has been such a privilege to be part of the Defer community. This is only our second year in, so we still have yet to meet most of you, but everyone we knew coming in and those we have met through this experience are just awesome! Thank you!
The Nyenhuis Family
Josh, Kerrie, Zach, Hannah, and Monster Matthew “Hulk smash cancer”
Two Half Days Next Week and the Last Defer Pizza Day!!!
Also, please note that next week we have full day school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, June 11, 12, and 13.
Thursday and Friday, June 14 and 15, will be half day school, with dismissal at 11:36 am.
Volunteer Forms for Parents and Guests
Defer Upcoming Events
June 4 - Defer Diversity Meeting 6:30 - 8pm
June 5 - Volunteer Tea 8:00 am- 8:20 am; Talent Show - Tuesday - 2:15 - 3:15 pm
June 11- 1st Grade Picnic, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm, Patterson Park
June 12 - 2nd Grade Picnic, 9:00 am - 2:30 PM Windmill Pointe Park
June 12 - 5th Grade, 4/5 magnet Picnic 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Windmill Pointe Park
June 13 - Young 5 & Kindergarten Picnic- 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm, Patterson Park
June 13 - Grades 2/3 magnet, 3/4, 3, 4, - 10:30 am - 3:15 pm, Windmill Pointe Park
June 14 - Half Day for students; Dismissal is at 11:36 am
June 15 - Half Day for students; Dismissal is at 11:36 am; Last Day of School
Camp Invention is back!
Check out the flyer for more information.
Girls Robotics Camp
Use the link to find out more information about the Girls Robotics Camp at the Robot Garage: Ford Girls Robotics Camp Information
The camp dates are July 9th-13th, use the link for the scholarship application: https://goo.gl/forms/7cC9dgRUDBxMtQcA3.
Applications are due by Monday, July 11.
For questions or more information please contact:
Annie Fleming
Event Manager
The Robot Garage - therobotgarage.com
annie@therobotgarage.com - 248-723-9100
Leader in Me Family Information - June Edition
Welcome to the June edition of our Leader in Me newsletter!
Published by the Defer Family Learning Team
The 7 Habits are reviewed, practiced and integrated daily at Defer. We will review the 7 Habits with you monthly. Thank you for your partnership in reinforcing your child’s leadership skills.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.
We are learning about Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. Once there was a man who was sawing down a tree and not making much progress. When asked why he didn’t stop sawing to sharpen his saw, he answered that he was too busy sawing.
Habit 7 reminds us that we are more productive when we are in balance; body, brain, heart, and soul. If one area is being ignored or overused, the remaining three areas will feel the results. A good analogy for children is: a car needs all four tires and as leaders of themselves, they need to take care of all four parts.
Books that reinforce Habit 7:
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson, Me I Am! by Jack Prelutsky, Uncle Willie and Soup Kitchen by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan
Sharpen the Saw at home: Expect your child to use words and phrases like Sharpen the Saw, 4 parts of myself; body, mind, heart, and soul, “it’s like 4 tires of a car”, taking care of myself, and balance. You can encourage your child by using some of these words at home. Take time to talk about and practice sharpening the saw at home.
Library News
Summer is here and our schools are teaming up with the public library to encourage all our students to participate in the Summer Reading Club! We have had a school visit from the Youth Librarian at Ewald, and the big Kickoff Activity is at the Central Library. Flyers will be sent home with your student. Registration is online or at your library branch. We will be putting a link on the Defer homepage. Have a super fun summer!
Go to the the Defer website. Click on Libraries & then Summer Reading. Everything you need will be there.
Mrs. Quinlan
Defer Library Media Specialist
7 Habits of Happy Kids
Grosse Pointe Public Schools
Our Vision: One GP → where everyone learns, every day
Our Mission: Promote Innovation → Maximize Potential → Embrace Community
Defer Elementary School
Email: rheauml@gpschools.org
Website: www.gpschools.org/defer
Location: 15425 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, United States
Phone: 313-432-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GPDefer/
Twitter: @GPDefer