Mustang Messenger
2020-2021 School Year: Volume 25: Week of March 15th
Be the Best YOU at Grandview!!!
It has been a year....a time for reflection
Dear Families,
It was a year ago that we were forced to shut down per the Governor's order. In looking back at my communication to all of you a year ago, I told families that we would be returning on April 6th and we never came back until January!!! Who would have thought that closure would still be impacting us today?!?! We are still in masks. We are still practicing cohorting. We are still monitoring for close contact tracing. We are still honoring six feet of social distance. We are still using necessary PPE to ensure that the learning environment is sanitary. In the end, we are still doing what we need to do to ensure that the students and staff are safe and that students can still learn at Grandview.
Even though we have COVID restrictions still in place, we are getting ready to transition back to five-days a week. We know with every change, there could be some transition struggles. The days will be two hours longer for our students. We are asking our students to be at school five days a week rather than two. That could come with tears, extreme exhaustion, and negativity. Please work with us and help prepare your students! Going to bed early is the #1 most important thing you can do for your child. They need their sleep now, more than ever. We also need you to follow the COVID screener and use that screener as the indicator whether you keep your child home or not. You need to send your child to school, even if they are exhausted. We need to build their learning stamina back up and the only way to do that is to get them to school every day.
Remember that with another change a whirl of emotions are inevitable. Some students are coming back to school for the first time in a year. Some feelings are because your child's teacher is changing. Some feelings are because your child is going back to school five days a week and you worry. Your feelings are warranted and justified. Just know I am here for you to help you to understand, process and regulate your feelings so that you can support your children.
This week's Grandview Virtual Parent Session or GPS is on technology. Mrs. Frost will be holding a session all around Youtube. She will give you all some knowledge and awareness as to what your children are actually doing on YouTube. She will also be providing you with great information on how to put restrictions and parental guidance on YouTube. So be sure to join us on Tuesday at 6:00 and Tuesday Night Night will be at 8 pm.
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Melissa Carruth, Ed.S
Another Week of Learning!!
Text to Self Connection
2nd Grade Cardboard Challenge
Counting Collections
Reader Leader`
Crazy Hair Day
Crazy Hair Day
Important Info to support your children at home
This Week's Specials Content Weekly Video
New Additions to our Grandview Family
To adhere to the Board's request of honoring social distance and having no more than 16-18 students in a classroom, we were lucky to hire three fabulous additions to Grandview. I am thrilled to introduce them to all of you and thank you to the amazing Grandview families that supported the transition of moving their student into these new teacher's classrooms in honor of safety. I guarantee that they will have a successful end of the year learning!!
Hi Grandview Families! My name is Mrs. Sekrette Burbank and I'm so excited to be apart of the 1st grade family at Grandview. My name is pronounced Secret, like the 80's Care Bear, which is just one of the unique things you'll learn about me. I'm a mom of two growing girls and I bring with me 17 years of experience in early childhood education and literacy. I can't wait to share my joy of reading and writing with young learners here at Grandview and work alongside the amazing hero's at this school. I'm always open to chat on new mindfulness ideas, Marvel news and anything Disney related.
GV's New 2nd Grade Teacher - Ms. Rachel Datte
Hello Grandview Mustangs! My name is Rachel Datte. I graduated from Madonna University with a degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. I taught 2nd grade and have been a substitute teacher for several years. I have had long-term assignments for kindergarten, first and second grades. I have experience tutoring students. In my free time, I like to dance, see musicals and travel. I love to shop and do puzzles. I am so looking forward to becoming part of the Grandview team.
GV's New 3rd Grade Teacher - Ms. Zandille Chirunga
Hello Mustangs! My name is Ms. Chirunga and I am thrilled to be apart of the 3rd grade team. I have taught 3rd grade for much of my career, and I am excited to meet my new students! In my free time I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, and traveling around the world. I look forward to partnering with you to ensure that your child receives an exceptional learning experience in my classroom.
Return to 5-Days a week starts March 22nd
- When does 5-Days start: The Board approved us to change our return date to March 22nd.
- What are the school day hours? 8:30-3:40. We are back to our original start and end time. School doors open at 8:20. Instruction begins at 8:30. Tardy starts at 8:40. Dismissal is at 3:40.
- Will there be specials during the day? YES! We are working with the special teachers to decide if they can host their content safely in their rooms or if the special teachers will travel to the classrooms. Though the special teachers will still be posting their lessons virtually for our CVA students.
- Do I need to turn in my child's Clarenceville Chromebook? YES! Though not until after spring break. We will be sending home return guidelines to all of you, but we want to be sure your child has a device over spring break to catch-up on any lost learning, give time for STMath, and other online platforms as we do NOT want learning to be lost.
- Will my child still have free breakfast and lunch? YES! There will also still only have one option for our children as they will still be eating in the classroom for both breakfast and lunch.
- Will my child still have recess with only their class? YES! We are still cohorting each class as we know that is the safest for our students.
- Will parent walk up return? NO! We need to ensure social distance can occur and students to be safe.
- Will there be latchkey? If you are in need of latchkey, please reach out to the Grandview office to receive more information about some ideas and suggestions to support your need.
- Will there be more recess opportunities for the students? YES!!! The students will have a lunch recess, as well as, a recess with their classroom teacher. Both recess will be with only their class.
- Will snack time return? YES!! Classroom teachers will provide you with more information on this, but there will still be NO birthday treats or treats from other homes coming into the classroom.
- Will the deskguards still be used? YES!! We are still practicing social distancing with students and teachers being masked and the students being six feet apart.
March is Reading Month Details
We are into the Elite 8 for our GV Book Bracket. We are having fun with classroom drawings too. Keep on turning in those basketballs as we are looking for the class MVP. Drawings will be happening Monday and Friday each week!!! Keep on turning them the basketballs in and keep on reading for 20 minutes.
Also it was amazing how many people sent pictures of their child carrying out the reading calendar. I loved seeing all of the readers having fun while reading. I can't wait to see what happens this week readers!
A couple of events to plan for and to get excited for a month of reading are:
Fun days at GV will be a fun activity to do in honor of reading -- look at the flyer!!!
- 16th & 19th - Flashlight Fun with PJs
- 26th - Wear a shirt or jersey of your Favorite Sports Team
March 19th: Bookmark Contest deadline
March 24: Virtual Milk and Bookies Night -- 6-8:00 pm
Friday, March 27th - Virtual Closing Assembly to celebrate our month of Reading and name the reading MVP in each class!!
NOTE: We are asking the kids to read each evening. When you read the grade level appropriate amount, remember to fill out a slip (paper or virtual) for each evening read and have the parent sign or acknowledge the slip and return to the classroom. These slips will come home with the letters on Friday/Monday! Drawings will happen on all Fridays or Mondays in March to win prizes!! Again, your child cannot win without a signed slip!!
Spring Book Fair - LAST DAY IS TOMORROW!!!
The book fair will be a virtual book fair. Please visit the school virtual website at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/grandviewelementaryschool5. All orders will be delivered directly to your home.
3rd Marking Period Report Cards
Report cards will be sent home or mailed home the week of March 22nd. If your child comes into Grandview, their report card will be sent home with your child on Monday, the 22nd or Tuesday, the 23rd. If your child is a CVA student, it will be mailed home to you the week of the 22nd.
Please remember that the 3rd marking period was completed by your 3rd marking period teacher, but will be sent home with your 4th marking period teacher.
You Missed Picture Day.....No Problem -- DEADLINE is THIS FRIDAY!
If you were unable to come in for picture day, but would still like an opportunity to purchase school pictures, please take a look at the attached flyer. Lifetouch has teamed up with Shutterfly to assist you in taking your own school pictures with a Lifetouch background. If you decide to use this app, it will allow us to have access to your child's picture for the yearbook.
If you do not want to purchase a picture package, but would like your child to appear in the yearbook, please take a picture of your child (from the chest up) with a blank wall behind them. You can then email that picture to gviewyearbook@gmail.com. Please include your child's full name, grade, and teacher's name in the email. Please email pictures no later than March 20th.
Picture packets and yearbook purchasing forms were sent home. Below is the website and code to purchase on-line.
Website: mylifetouch.com and use the code: EVTHV3MZX
Questions, please contact the Grandview office.
Kindergarten Round-Up
Looking for new Kindergarteners or Junior Kindergarteners for this fall!
Grandview's Round-Up is Tuesday, March 23rd at 6:00 P.M. This meeting will be virtual.
Botsford's Round-Up is Wednesday, March 24th at 6:00 P.M. This meeting will be virtual.
If you have a child who will be five years old by December 1, 2021, 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/tRdGGq6FchLFjYF77. Please pass this link along to friends and neighbors who have a future Kindergarten student but do not have siblings at Grandview.
For Questions, contact the Grandview Office: 248-919-0404
Grandview Virtual Parent Cafe -- YouTube
This Tuesday, March 15th at 6:00 pm, is our next VIRTUAL PARENT CAFE!!! This session is all about YouTube and will be lead by Rachel Frost, Grandview and Botsford Informational Technology Teacher. It is entitled Digital Details: YouTube University.
Some question that will be answered are....
- What are kids watching on YouTube?
- What are the potential concerns for parents?
- How can I monitor what my child views on YouTube?
Click here for the Link for our Weekly Parent Meeting.......
COVID and Springtime Guidelines
With spring and spring break coming up, a few reminders.....
- If you are traveling out of the country for spring break, your child will have to quarantine for 14 days before returning to school
- If you are traveling out of Michigan for spring break, still carry out Michigan COVID guidelines using the importance of wearing a mask, practicing social distance and limiting the number of households and people for both indoor and outdoor gatherings.
- Students who suffer from chronic health conditions. A care plan and medication information is important for the office to be aware of and to know about in case an emergency arises.
- If you have a child that suffers from allergies that are heightened in the spring, please send a doctor's note for us to have on file as some severe allergies share similar symptoms to COVID. We want our students in school and can be if it is only allergies. Transparency is helpful for all of us during this COVID time.
When should I keep my student home??
Thank you to everyone for being so diligent in screening your child and keeping them home when symptoms appear. We also appreciate the transparency and communication with your classroom teacher and the office to ensure that it is safe to send your child to school.
Remember that if your child just has a runny nose or allergies, you can send them. We want our children in school learning as much as possible!
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 even if they are not attending ESL/EL classes. The test is for Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking and Comprehension in English. Even though we are in a pandemic, we still have to test your child. Even if your child is a virtual learner, we still have to test your child. We will bring our health risk compromised students in on Wednesday, when there are no other students in the building. We did not receive an exemption from the State of Michigan, therefore, we are testing. 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.
School Store Fundraiser
A school fundraiser is underway and we are so excited with how much has been sold in the 1st week. It is 100% online so there is no selling or handling of money or products. This is a Win-Win fundraiser as the school earns money, as well as, the classroom teacher and the students can earn some really cute prizes. This fundraiser helped to purchase the clay that is used for art, paint for the playground, as well as, the supplies for March is Reading Month.
School Store is an online shopping mall.
All you need to do is going to www.schoolstore.net and enter Grandview Elementary School's code (9438) and then shop away.
Here are three ways your family, friends, and co-workers can help our school.
1. Make a 100% tax-deductible donation to your child's classroom with the purchase of a CaringFor Classrooms.org gift card for your child's teacher to use for classroom supplies and equipment.
2. Renew or purchase magazine subscriptions, DVD's, cookbooks and more. We earn up to 50% of their purchase.
3. Shop online with over 400 major merchants including Walmart, Kohl's, Best Buy, Disney, 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.
Free Breakfast and Lunch
On Tuesday, the red cohort will have a choice to bring five breakfast and lunch meals home with them from school and on Friday, the grey cohort will have a choice to bring five breakfast and lunch meals. Your child can bring the meals home on the bus. Milk will be sent home too. This is a choice, but strongly encouraged as meals will be made for all parents. If you do not wish to have the food be brought home, please contact your student's teacher or contact the office so that we can put your child's name on the do not send list.
On Thursday, 7-day meal distributions will still happen at the High School. This is a great way for our CVA students to receive meals. Please remember if you cannot get up to school to pick-up your meals, please reach out to Grandview and we will deliver the meals to your home.
Meals for this week:
Monday: Breakfast: Bagel with cream cheese, fruit and juice
Lunch: Cheeseburger, Tater Tots, and Green Beans
Tuesday: Breakfast: Pancakes, Juice and Fruit
Lunch: Chicken Alfredo
Thursday: Breakfast: Bagel with cream cheese, fruit and juice
Lunch: Cheeseburger, Tater Tots, and Green Beans
Friday: Breakfast: Pancakes, Juice and Fruit
Lunch: Chicken Alfredo
Remember to also visit Food Service Website for up-to-date menu changes and to help with planning ahead.
Hybrid Schedule - LAST WEEK OF HYBRID
Arrival and Dismissal
Please remember to stay in your car when you drop off and have your child sitting on the right side of the car so that it is easy for them to get out of the car and for the staff to assist the students.
If your child is a car rider, you should have a tag by now to hang in your car. If you have not received one, please reach out to the office or the classroom teacher. Displaying these in your car makes the process go by faster.
If your child is a walker, please put it in writing and send it in an email to myself and/or the teacher or a written note. Your child will be dismissed from the back with the car riders.
Remember that in the back, please form three lines to help us to get more cars through quicker and more efficient. Do not get out of the car, there will be staff on site to help get your child out of the car.
Bus Schedule
If your child is not riding the bus, they have to be dropped off and picked up in the back of the school. We will NOT allow for parent drop off before or after school. We need to monitor social distancing and that not occur if parent walk up is happening amongst our bussers.
School Attendance
For the students that are returning to school, attendance is taking two times a day. Students are marked tardy starting at 9:35. Please be timely so that absences do not add up. You are only at school two days a week, so attendance should be upheld.
On virtual days, two-way interactions are monitored. Attendance at your two times a day virtual Google Meets, turning in assignments and responding to feedback are all ways to achieve your two-way interactions.
Truancy laws will be upheld. Under State of Michigan legislation, truancy is defined as a child who has 10 or more unexcused absences per school year. If you are option 1 - hybrid remote, teachers will take a morning and afternoon attendance, just like in brick and mortar. If you are in option 2 - virtual academy. You have a little more flexibility, but daily contact with the teacher is still expected. You can still call into the attendance line to excuse your child, but please do not get yourself into trouble with attendance. Attendance is mandatory.
Spring Weather is right around the corner.....Dress Appropriately
March is here and the weather is getting warmer! The playground can be muddy and we still would ask you to send boots (snow or rain) with your child. Be sure to send in another pair of shoes should your child's shoes get extremely muddy or wet.
We also are noticing that a lot of children are not wearing socks with their boots. Please be sure your child wears socks too!!
Also, please send the kids in layers as the temperature varies from the morning to the afternoons and we keep our windows open all day.
2020-2021 Annual School Survey
Please help Grandview to continue to improve! We ask for ALL parents to complete our annual survey to help to drive our instruction, conversation, and improvement. This was the same survey that was in the lobby of Grandview during conferences. Thank you to the families that already completed it and I so appreciate all the families that will complete it. I would love to hear all of your voices as we strive to make Grandview the very best school!!!!
Looking for employment and want to join the Clarenceville and Grandview Family.......
1). Officer Rebandt with LPD's traffic division is in charge of Botsford's two crossing guards. Currently there is one available position for the crossing guard on Angling at the stop sign. He asked for our help to find a replacement by notifying our parents to see if there is anyone out there who would be interested or knows of someone who might be interested in the crossing guard position. (He also has other openings for crossing guard positions in Livonia and is finding it impossible to find candidates to fill any of the positions.)
The position is for the Botsford/Angling Road crossing guard. Hours are: Monday - Friday the 1/2 hour prior to Botsford's starting bell and the 1/2 hour following their dismissal bell. The pay is for 2 hours a day, on school days. He is asking that interested candidates contact him (Officer Rebandt) directly at 734 466-2683 for further information about the position and/or to apply. Please leave a message if he is not available.
Grandview Parent Website
- Have you attended a Virtual Session and wanted resources from the session?
- Were you unable to attend a parent session, but wanted to gain some new learning?
If you answered yes to either, I would encourage you to check our Grandview Virtual Website. It is a website created just for Grandview families filled with a ton of resources for Grandview students. It is updated with each session that is held on Tuesday nights. So be sure to visit often.
Parent Support Learning Sessions
There are a ton of amazing sessions on super relevant and impactful session!!! I encourage you to take time out of your schedule to support yourself to support your children.
Take a look and let me know if you attend and what you learn!!!
Clarenceville District and Elementary Calendar
Yearbook Pictures
Thank you to those families that have sent me pictures, but we still need more. If you have some great pictures of your child learning virtually, please email them to the following address.....gviewyearbook@gmail.com. It will take a village for us to ensure that we have enough pictures to mark this historical year.
Still Not In the Special's Google Classroom, here are some tips to help you.....
Junior Kindergarten through Second Grade students who have not yet enrolled in their Specials Google Classroom have been added to the classrooms. You will not need to follow instructions for joining with a code. Instead, go to classroom.google.com and you'll see the Specials class automatically listed. Click the "Join" button and then the classroom will open. Look at the image below to help guide you.
Third through fifth grade students who have not yet enrolled in their Specials Google Classroom should follow the instructions to join with the code provided. Each of your classroom teachers have the codes listed.
FOG Positions and FOG News -- JOIN OUR TEAM!!!
The following positions are still available:
FOG President:
FOG Co-VP with Nick Dorst:
If you are interested, please reach out to myself or Nick Dorst at fogvp2020@gmail.com
Tech Support this School Year
Click here for Google Meet Support Link
Click her to access Google Meet for Tech support
Tuesday Night Night
Grandview and Kroger
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.
Interested in Cub Scouts
Grandview Sports
In the meantime, check out this great communication piece for our families!!
Important Dates and Upcoming Dates
March
15: Virtual Spring Book Fair Ends
16: Flashlight Fun with PJs
19: Bookmark Contest Deadline
Flashlight Fun with PJs
22: 5-day a week starts
23: Kinder Round-up
24: Virtual Milk and Bookies Event 6-8:00
25: Board of Education Meeting - Virtual @ 6:30 pm
26: Favorite Sports Team
29-April 2nd: Spring Break