Mustang Messenger
2019-2020 School Year: Volume 37: Week of May 31, 2020
Be the Best YOU at Grandview!!!
It's the Final Countdown!!
Dear Families,
I feel like I need to start singing Europe's 80's song, "The Final Countdown." 10 more days.....final weeks of distance learning. This ending sure is anti-climantic compared to years in the past, but the teachers are going to be doing their best to close out the school year with your children, as well as, having fun with them too. So stay engaged and be sure they participate. You do not want them to miss out on the fun!!!
Since the end is so different, taking time to talk about the year and giving the children permission to feel everything that comes with the end of the year is so important. Be sure to take time over these next two weeks to reflect with your child of their successes and accomplishments this year. Some of your students may be reflecting on their academic accomplishments and others might reflect on their behavioral accomplishments. Both are important as we foster and instill independence and integrity with these students.
Thank you to all of the parents that have committed to this distance learning! We recognize that it has not been easy for all of you, but we appreciate you hanging in there and helping your children to continue to foster an importance to learning.
This issue is the second to last Mustang Messenger. There is a lot of information included to help your children spend time learning this summer, as well as, closing up the school year. Do not have your child fall victim to the "summer slide", especially with 1/4 of the school year being spent in distance learning. Too much learning has happened this year and it needs to keep going throughout the summer.
Let's end on a powerful and positive note Grandview!!! Continue to stay healthy and happy!! We miss you!!!
Your Proud Principal,
Melissa Carruth, Ed.S
5th Grade Celebration
We are ready to celebrate your 5th graders. The teachers, parents and myself have been working hard to celebrate our 5th graders.
- Thursday, June 4th is 5th grade virtual camp night at 7:30. Look to the 5th grade teachers for the Google Meet link!!
- Wednesday, June 10th, come to school from 3:15-4:15 to pick-up supplies, your diploma, and some graduation surprises!!!!!
- Friday, June 12th, 5th grade Clarenceville Parade. The Livonia Police has approved our event and route. We will start at Botsford and will be at the end of the parade route. Botsford will go first and Grandview will go 2nd. So decorate your car, make signs and get ready to celebrate your 5th grader. If you don't have a 5th grader, please come and join us along the parade route to cheer our graduates on!!! One car per graduate and remember to stay in your car at ALL times!! The parade route is below!
Picking up your Child's Belongings
- Teachers will be there during their grade level hour to say goodbye to their students and bring some closure to the year. Remember they can not make contact, just air hugs and waves!!!!
- If you have more than one student in more than one grade, you may choose which hour slot works for you.
- If you cannot come on the 10th, or during your assigned time slot, then there is a general pick-up on the 12th.
- Please bring your Chromebook back IF you plan on NOT returning to Grandview in the fall.
- Please return your library books at this time. The teachers returned the library books that they could locate when they packed up their classroom.
- If you have an end-of-the-year present for the classroom teacher, you may bring it up to school to give to the teachers.
- Please do not exit your car during the car loop.
- Lost and Found will be set-up at the end of the loop. If you feel like your child left something at Grandview, the PARENT may exit the car to look at Lost and Found. Again, please adhere to social distance rules with others when digging through lost and found.
Kinder Graduation
On June 10th, when you pick up your child's belongings, you will receive your child's diploma, as well as, other keepsakes to commemorate this special accomplishment.
Ms. Venessa and Mrs. Carruth Grandview Student meeting
Kindergarten Registration
5th Grade - Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting
Here is the Zoom link:
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/99924131742?pwd=a29aZThKVzN3WGdFZmVIRFZDeFZnZz09
Meeting ID: 999 2413 1742
Password: 7kpFUw
What is Summer Slide??
“Summer slide” is the tendency for students, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. A few key facts about summer slide:
- Learning and achievement are perishable. The average student loses a month of academic-calendar learning each summer.
- Students see greater academic dips in math than in reading.
- Children not reading over the summer can fall on an average of 2 months in reading during the summer. And, summer slide is cumulative, with these learning losses building up each summer.
- Students from households with access to books over the summer see significantly more gains in reading scores from spring to fall than students from households without access to books
- Differences in children’s summer learning experiences during their elementary school years can ultimately impact whether they earn a high school diploma and continue to college.
To avoid the summer slide......Join Grandview's Summer Learning Program
- Virtual all school program with weekly fun that will be posted each week. There will be interactive events hosted by various administrators and teachers throughout the week. Book clubs and interactive read alouds, as well as, STEM activities will also be embedded. This program will run all summer. If you sign-up for this program, we will purchase books for your child to have to support them with this program.
- Targeted small group program. This will be an invitation only program that will provided targeted literacy support. Teachers will be running small group Zoom sessions two times a week to support this program. Teachers will reach out to you in the coming weeks to let you know if your child is a good candidate for this program. Please be honest to the level of participation you can give to this program to ensure that your slot does not take the slot of others.
Below is the form to complete so your child can participate in our summer program. You cannot participate nor receive the materials needed for the program without filling out the Google Form. It will be great fun and a great way to help your child to continue reading and learning this summer so that they are even more prepared for the fall.
MI-STAR Can we count on you??
Yearbooks
If you purchased a yearbook, we have added it to your child's belongings to pick-up on June 10th.
If you did not pre-order, we do have about 32 yearbooks to purchase. The cost is $13. You need to email myself (melissa.carruth@clarencevilleschools.org) or Ms. Tammy (tammy.smith@clarencevilleschools.org) to let us know that you wish to purchase a yearbook. We will send you an email to let you know that your request has been granted and you will pay and pick-up on June 10th in the office. They will be sold on a first come, first serve basis and given to the first students that email Ms. Tammy or myself.
The Shaw Family Educator Award
Every school year the Shaw Family recognizes a deserving staff member of the Clarenceville School District based upon their contributions, connections & influences he/she has had on a student or students at any level within the learning community. The Shaw Family has been supporters of our district for many years as each member has attended & graduated from this prideful district & continues to give back to their HOME, the Clarenceville School District.
We have been home for some time know & perhaps we have a new perspective & appreciation for our educators. Maybe we have noticed that we rely on a particular educator within one of our buildings (Botsford, Grandview, Middle, or High School), or maybe someone has really made an impact on your child. This educator would be an ideal candidate for this year's award.
Nominations will be accepted through June 5th & can be made by using the link http://bit.do/sfea & simply describe how this staff member helps to make the Clarenceville School District great.
The Shaw Family awaits to read about all the deserving educators who have dedicated themselves to the Clarenceville School District. Please help with this great cause so every worthy staff member can be recognized appropriately.
Schools of Choice
- You do not have to fill out a Schools of Choice application each year. Once you are accepted, you are part of the Clarenceville Community.
- If your child is going up to the Middle School, you do not need to fill out a Schools of Choice application. Again, once you are accepted, you are part of our district, not just the school.
- I have been at Grandview and want to stay and I am afraid to fill out the application and not get accepted. Reach out to me and let me know that you are filling out an application. I will do everything to work with Mr. Shepich to have your application accepted.
- In the winter, they only accepted for some grade levels, but this window is open for ALL grade levels.
- If your child attended preschool or GSRP at Grandview and you live out of the district, you STILL need to fill out a Schools of Choice application. Attending those programs did not require you to fill out a Schools of Choice application.
- When do you "accept" Schools of Choice? It is unlimited, so you should not have a problem getting into the district and there should be space for your child. Just be timely in completing your registration.
- If I fill out my application, will I have to go to Botsford. We do not want to have to move students that are already established in a school community. So please specify on the form which school you want your child to attend.
In the end, DO NOT miss the deadline. If you do and you live outside of the district, you will not be able to attend Grandview.
Mental Health Crisis Text Line
Texting "RESTORE" to 741741 will launch a confidential text conversation with a crisis counselor as part of the Michigan Department of Health and Human services "Stay Home, Stay Well" initiative.
Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help Michigan residents coping with any mental health crisis, including anxiety, financial stress, suicidal thoughts and domestic violence.
2020-2021 Friends of Grandview (FOG) Board Elections
The positions that are available are:
- President
- Co-Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer -- we have one nomination. Jackie Hart.
If you are interested in any of these positions, please email Mrs. Carruth expressing your interest and which position you are interested in serving.
We hope you will join this rewarding and super important organization!
Third Grade Reading Law
The best thing families can do to ensure that their children do not become a victim to this law is to READ each and every night. Not only carving out time each day or evening for your child to read (at least 20 minutes), but to ask them questions too. I have included some questions you can ask your child after they finish their reading.
Grandview Garden
Parents have been working hard on the school landscape and started the clean up, but there is a lot more to be done and we need help. If you have an hour or so over the next few weeks and want to take your family to school to do some clean up, we would greatly appreciate it.
The Grandview Veggie Garden in the back of school and all the Boxes has been weeded and the soil is in the process of being loosened. The parents have laid mulch and the boxes have been filled with new dirt into the boxes to eliminate the grass growth. Also if you have a high schooler that needs hours for their Civics class or National Honor Society, this graden and Grandview beautification can be used for hours.
WHAT CAN YOU HELP WITH?
Reach out to me and ask to join the Facebook Group entitled Grandview Garden Guardians. That site as description in each picture to see what needs to be done in each area.
Disclaimer:
The parents are amazing helpers, but none of them are professionals nor getting paid. It is total volunteer project and we need lots of help. Therefore, the parents are up for suggestions and willing to do some hard work to make the school look awesome for when kids return.
Come help!!! It takes a Village!!! Grandview is just that, a Grand View. Come help to continue to make Grandview maintain their Grand View.
2020-2021 Latchkey and Preschool Registration
To locate this registration, please visit the Clarenceville web site. Select Grandview. Then select either Preschool or Latchkey and right under Ms. Jackie's picture, on the right-hand column, is the pre-registration form. It is a google form so Ms. Jackie will receive the pre-registration forms during this closure. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT!! Both programs fill up quickly and will have a waiting list. These programs are licensed and needs to follow the guidelines of teacher-student ratio. So do not wait!!!
Report Cards
Additionally, teachers will report on the fourth marking period based on participation and engagement and mastery of new learning. There will not be formal marks, but instead, teachers will make a comment on each student's report card about the level of participation and engagement during this time. Again, we want all students on-line learning and want to report on this accordingly.
Distribution of the report cards have yet to be finalized.
Grandview Sports
All sports have been cancelled for the remainder of the school year.
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/
Clarenceville Continuity of Learning 2.0 Plan
Distance Learning Weekly Plan
Food distribution Schedule
Please remember that the food is for ALL of the Grandview students. We fed your children two meals during the school year and want to continue. If you need help getting to the school or the bus route to pick up the food, please let me know. I have wonderful parents who are delivering food, just please let me know!!
Looking for other areas for food?!?!
IEP and 504 Meetings
New IEP's or 504 meetings will not meet during this shutdown. These will be occur and conversations will resume in the fall.
Again, if you have a concern, please reach out. We are here to help you!!
Tuesday Night Night
If you cannot view Live, no worries, it is published to the Grandview Facebook Page so that families can view it at their earliest convenience for your children and their evening schedule. The point of this activity is to foster the importance of 10-20 minutes of reading each night. Remember it is super easy to view.....just visit the Grandview Facebook Homepage. I will be taking suggestions for books, so post away in our site so that I know what my Grandview readers want to hear at night. Can't wait to do what I love most....reading to students!!!
Parent Walk-Up
If you child walks home, they may, but they will not be dismissed by adults.
Please do not express your displeasure by just picking your child up at 3:15. That misses excessive learning time. We are doing this for safety. Please support us.
School Store Fundraiser
This fundraiser is still open as you shop through this crisis. 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.
Box Tops for Education
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!!!
The Importance of Sleep
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
June 3: 6:30 pm - 5th grade - Incoming 6th Grade Virtual Informational Parent meeting. Details are above.
June 4: 7:30 - Virtual 5th Grade Camp Event
June 9: Mrs. Carruth and Ms. Venessa Grandview check-in call with the students.
June 10: Pick-up your child's belongings. Date, schedule and times are stated above.
June 12:
- 9:30-11:00 - 2nd opportunity to pick-up your children's belongings.
- 1:00 - 5th Grade Graduation Car Parade. It starts at Botsford. If you do not have a 5th grader graduating, then please sit along the parade route to congratulate our graduates. Details are above!!!