Messages from Memorial
MARCH 2021
HEART*EFFORT*ATTITUDE*RESPECT *TEAMWORK
WE ARE VIKINGS WITH HEART!
Dear Memorial Parents and Guardians,
Happy March! I hope you are as excited as I am about the spring weather on the way. It is a great time to "Sharpen the Saw," the 7th Habit of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Fresh air and outside exercise are two ways to keep our saws sharp. I have also reminded students that another way to keep sharp is to get a good night's sleep. Research shows that elementary aged students need 9-12 hours a sleep a night.
This month is the start of the state assessment season. We will begin in grade 3 with IREAD3 on March 16-19. The window for ILEARN for grades 3-5 is April 19 - May 14. Classroom teachers will be able to share exact days/times for the class test schedules, as soon as those have been established. I hope that you will be able to schedule appointments around the test times. Students seem to do better when they take them with their class.
As a parent and educator, I am concerned about how vulnerable our children are when it comes to the internet and social media. Many of our children are becoming very knowledgable about ALL the new social media programs available, some which are not safe or appropriate. I have heard about some very concerning sites and Apps. Common Sense Media is a great resource for you to stay knowledgable. All children need guidance being cyber safe. We teach it at school and I would encourage parents to talk cyber safety at home and periodically browse histories on phones, computers and tablets.
I would like to thank the Memorial PTO officers, Mrs. Elinkowski, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Smedley and Mrs. Gutshall, for their work this year. It has been tricky trying to continue with our regular activities and the officers have been creative and flexible. They are always willing to do whatever it takes to keep things going. Thanks to all your help with PTO fundraising efforts, we are about to receive picnic tables for the learning lab. These will be very much appreciated as we try to get students outside as much as possible.
Finally, just a reminder that as we come to the end of the third grading period, please continue to check Skywards grades on a regular basis. Third quarter report cards will be available on March 19 through the Skyward Parent Portal. If you need any assistance, please call the Memorial office.
Partners in Education,
Mrs. Debra Misecko
RESOURCES AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE FROM VCS
eLearning Homework Hotline
eLearning Technology Support
Dates to Remember
March
3 Memorial PTO Family Night at Shoe's PIzza
8-19 IREAD3 Test Window (see below for more information)
10 PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.
12 End of 3rd Grading Period
17 LAST day to order a yearbook (see below)
19 Grading Period 3 Report Cards available on the Skyward Parent Portal
22 - 26 Spring Break
29 School Resumes
APRIL
7 and 14 Kindergarten Round-up Assessments
12 Snow Make-up Day
14 PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45
19 - May 14 ILEARN test window
LOVE AND LOGIC FOR PARENTS
Yearbook Order Date has been Extended!
IREAD3
Reminders for Remote Learners
- Congrats on learning how to navigate this tricky way of learning. You are doing great! It is really fun for us to see you during your live sessions.
- Please remember to be ready for your Zoom sessions on time. Being ready means that you are logged on, have removed distractions from your learning area, put away all food and drinks, and have the needed school supplies ready to go.
- Keep your computer on mute until you are ready to speak. Keep in mind when your computer is not on mute, the entire classroom is hearing all noises from your home. Family discussions can be distracting.
- Remote student attendance is determined by the students' completion of the class participation for the day, whether it is one or more live sessions.
- If your child is ill and cannot participate, please inform your child's teacher and the office in the morning.
- Classroom teachers will let you know if there are books or materials to pick up. When necessary, you will have contactless pick up in the front vestibule. Please come during office hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Habit #7 - Sharpen the Saw
Memorial continues to focus on sharing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey. We will talk about one of the 7 Habits each month. The March Habit is Habit #7 - "Sharpen the Saw." The most important part of habit is "Balance Feels Best." For more information please read more from Dr. Stephen Covey's website.
MEMORIAL PTO
We are so excited to announce the PTO Executive Board for the 2020-2021 school year and greatly appreciate their willingness to work in these valued positions.
President - Kristen Elinkowski
Vice President - Rose Gutshall
Treasurer - Megan Taylor
Secretary - Rae Smedley
Stay tuned for more information coming about 20-21 PTO events. They will be shared in the Memorial Newsletter, on the Memorial Elementary PTO Facebook page, and the Memorial PTO Website.
Box Tops for Education Continues
THE NEXT PTO MEETING WILL BE AT 3:15 on December 9 via ZOOM (link will be emailed that week.)
Reminders from Memorial
- Please make sure your child has the appropriate outdoor wear for the weather. We will go outside everyday unless it is 0 degrees, with wind chill, or if it is too wet.
- Please make sure that you are screening for Covid 19 symptoms before sending your child to school. This link can take you to the VCS Return to Learn Plan and the screening guidelines.
- Thank you for following your dismissal plans as written.
- We recognize that family situations change from week to week for various reasons, and we will accommodate weekly dismissal plans as needed. Those plans need to be in the office by 10 a.m. on Monday morning. That gives us time to communicate with all stakeholders and to make provisions for assigned seats, if needed.
- Unfortunately we cannot accommodate mid-day switches for convenience, as it is difficult to make sure all of our safety provisions can be in place and that we can communicate the change with the appropriate personnel. If it is truly an emergency, please call the school office to discuss your needs.
- If your child gets picked up in a car from school, please continue to follow the correct times for lining up: Last names of A-K dismissal begins at 3:10 and last names beginning L-Z start dismissal at 3:20.
- Morning supervision and breakfast begin at 8:50. Please drop off your child after 8:50. If they would like to eat breakfast we will send them right in. All other students will be let in the building at 9:00 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 9:15.
- Pick up and drop off should only be done along the school on the curb on Milton Street. Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the school parking lots. The parking lots are not supervised for safety.
- Please consider putting a spare mask in your child's backpack. Some students are experiencing mask malfunctions during the school day.
- Please refrain from sending your child to school in flip flops. Flip flops are not safe on the playground and are also likely to break during play.
Memorial Elementary
Email: dmisecko@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/337
Location: 1052 Park Avenue, Valparaiso, IN, USA
Phone: 219-531-3090
Twitter: @Valpo_Memorial