Shawnee Star News Weekly Update
Friday, September 30, 2022
Principal's Report
I hope you have had a wonderful week! I can't believe October is just around the corner. There is a lot going on and coming up this month. The school year is in full swing and we are busy! We appreciate your support of our fall fundraiser. It ends on Monday, October 3rd. Please help us out and get those last minute orders in. Every little bit helps!
As a reminder, for the safety of our entire school community, all visitors to the building must report to the main office before going anywhere in the school. This includes during arrival and dismissal times. Also, during school hours, the playgrounds are for Shawnee students only. We appreciate your help and support to keep our students and staff safe.
Please be sure to read through all of the information in our weekly newsletter as it is our main form of communication with our families. We don't want you to miss out on any important details or happenings. We appreciate your continued cooperation and support.
Together We Will Shine!
Mrs. Simon
COVID-19 Update
Keeping our students and staff healthy and in the classroom is our top priority. CVS has updated our COVID-19 webpage and guidelines with the latest information from the Macomb County Health Department. Masks will remain optional for students and staff members. We are still requesting that families utilize the COVID-19 reporting form for positive cases. Individuals that test positive for COVID-19 are required to quarantine for 5 days, with the onset of symptoms or date of positive test being day 0. Upon returning to school, masking is strongly encouraged for days 6-10. Individuals that have been a close contact should monitor for symptoms and stay home if they feel ill. The district will no longer report positive cases on our website.
Upcoming Important Dates
September 16 - October 3 - Fall Cherrydale Fundraiser
October 5 - Fall State Count Day
October 11 - PTO Bagel Day
October 14 - Detroit Red Wings Day
October 17 - PTO Ice Cream Social @ Scoop & Twist
October 19 - Half Day of School - Dismissal @ 11:55 AM
October 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences
October 20 - Half Day of School - Dismissal @ 11:55 AM
October 20 - Parent Teacher Conferences
October 21 - Half Day of School - Dismissal @ 11:55 AM
October 28 - U of M / MSU Day
October 28 - Shawnee Student Council Trunk or Treat
October 31 - Half Day of School - Dismissal @ 11:55 AM
Shawnee Fall Fundraiser - LAST CALL!!!!!
In the past, this sale has been referred to as our Morley Candy Fundraiser. Although the name has changed over the years, it will forever be hard for our staff to not refer to it this way. We are so excited to be able to bring this fundraiser back after a few years off! We had a virtual assembly to get our students excited about the prizes they can earn and fun opportunities they can be a part of for participating. They are excited to earn the GOATz! Information packets and flyers were sent home with students.
See the flyer below for further details and information.
Register at: https://www.shopfund.com!
Thank you in advance for your support and participation. The funds we raise from this sale help us to provide additional resources and opportunities for our students throughout the year.
Shawnee Grade Level T-Shirts
Thank you again to our fabulous PTO for this generous purchase!
PTO Bagel Day
Shawnee PTO is excited to bring back Big Apple Bagel Day! We have scheduled bagel days on Tuesdays throughout the school year for our Shawnee Stars to enjoy.
2022-2023 Bagels Days:
- October 11
- December 13
- February 7
- April 11
- May 9
Students can pre-order bagels and they will be delivered to classrooms on our scheduled bagel days. Bagels must be pre-ordered and no late orders will be accepted. Please watch for order forms to come home prior to each scheduled bagel sale. Bagels are $2.00 each.
Bagel Choices:
- Chocolate chip
- Cinnamon sugar
- Plain
- Cheese
- Blueberry
- Apple Strudel
Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences will be held in person on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20. Parents will be scheduling a time to meet with their child's teacher through SignUp Genius. A detailed letter with instructions and the access link is below. Our sign up window begins Friday, October 7, 2022 at 5:00 PM. Please plan to attend these important meetings with your child's teacher.
Holiday Assistance
Classroom Celebrations
As in the past, we will have 3 classroom parties throughout the year for our students to enjoy with their classmates and teacher. Our party dates for this year are as follows:
- Halloween – Monday, October 31st
- Holiday – Tuesday, December 20th
- Valentine’s Day – Tuesday, February 14th
PTO will provide a snack and drink for all students to enjoy at the celebrations. Teachers may ask for party supply donations or treats/prizes for students to participate in crafts and games. Additionally, teachers may ask for some volunteers to assist at these parties, as needed. All volunteers are required to have a background check completed. More information and details will be sent closer to each party date.
Student Council Trunk or Treat
SAVE THE DATE!!! Trunk or Treat is Back! Shawnee Student Council will be sponsoring Trunk or Treat at Shawnee.
The event will take place on Friday, October 28th from 6:15 PM - 8:00 PM. A flyer with more information will be coming home the second week of October. Spots are limited. Sign up runs from October 12th – October 21st. You MUST be signed up, paid, and passing out candy to participate. The event will be closed to everyone else.
We look forward to seeing you at this fun event!
Mrs. Brewington & Mrs. Kucsulain
Shawnee Student Council Sponsors
Safety & Emergency Drills
School Breakfast & Lunch Information
The federal USDA waivers that allowed school districts to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to students expired on June 30, 2022. For the 2022/2023 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced meals will resume paying full prices for school meals. If your child qualifies, you must complete the 2022-2023 online application at https://chippewavalley.familyportal.cloud/ to receive this benefit. You must complete this application every year. It is the only way to be considered for free or reduced meals.
Please click here for additional information and details sent from our Food Service Department.
Lunch Orders
Lunch is served daily at our school. Lunch is $2.75 each day.
In order for there to be enough food to meet the needs of the lunch students, it’s necessary for us to take ‘day before’ meal counts. For the time being, lunch orders will be taken in the classroom at the start of each school day for the following day’s menu. Monday for Tuesday, Tuesday for Wednesday and so forth. Students arriving late should place their order in the main office before reporting to class. We are hoping to utilize our electronic lunch ordering form again soon! Stay tuned for updates.
Students who haven’t ordered run the risk of there not being enough food of choice. Please take the time to review the monthly menu with your child. Sending in a menu with the days' CIRCLED that your child wants to purchase lunch, is a great tool for helping them remember when to order.
School Breakfast
Parent Volunteers / Criminal Records Check
Keeping our school community safe is our top priority. In keeping with that commitment, Chippewa Valley Schools requires that individuals volunteering in our schools or with our students complete a criminal records check.
This year we introduced a new electronic form to ensure a seamless and secure process.
When parents sign up to volunteer for a particular event or program our staff will send them a link to the online form. Parents will be asked to fill out the online form at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled volunteer assignment to ensure timely processing of applications. All information is submitted through a secure web site with the Michigan State Police. This process ensures all volunteers receive appropriate approvals, and our Human Resources Department can effectively prioritize the thousands of requests they receive each year.
You must be signed up to volunteer for a particular field trip, event, or program prior to filling out the online form. All forms must be completed electronically. Paper forms will no longer be accepted.
Parents will need to complete a new form each school year if they intend to volunteer.
We appreciate our volunteers that make our schools so great, and we thank you for your patience and support as we update our procedures.
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (SWPBIS)
At Shawnee we have a School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) program. SWPBIS is a broad range of systematic and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior. In other words, we recognize students’ correct and positive behavior to set the standard and climate at Shawnee. We know that when good behavior and teaching come together, our star students will excel in their learning. As a staff, we have established Shawnee Stars behavior expectations for all areas of the school: classroom, cafeteria, assemblies, hallways, playground, bus, and bathrooms.
Shawnee Stars – Take Responsibility – Are Always Safe – Respect Others – Shawnee Stars
Positivity Project
Parent Communication
School-Age Child Care (SACC) Updates
Through this staff shortage and until we can ensure we have the staff to accommodate our students, new registrations to the SACC program will be on hold and processed as enrollment allows. SACC registration is on a first come, first served basis. We are processing registrations in the order they were received. Each registration is dated and time stamped. We are working our way through the registrations based on this order. Registrations will remain pending in the system and will be approved as openings and additional staff become available. We do not have an idea of when we will have more staff, but please know as soon as there are qualified applicants, we immediately begin moving them forward in the hiring process.
If you are interested in utilizing SACC, please complete the registration process online. Families will be processed as our staffing can accommodate. Schedule changes for existing families will also only be accepted as staffing allows.
Please understand, we are doing everything we can to get more people in place. If you know anyone who can help or is looking for a job, please send them our way. We apologize for this inconvenience. We never want to disappoint our families in this way. We will keep you posted as we have further developments. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We appreciate your support.
2022-2023 PTO Board
Please welcome our 2022-2023 PTO Board! Thank you for your willingness to help support our school! We appreciate you!
2022 - 2023 PTO Board:
- President - Becky Schultz
- Vice President - Katie Adamus
- Treasurer - Raquel Holden
- Secretary - Emily Davisson
- Event Coordinator - Bora Todorovski
2022-2023 PTO Meetings
Our proposed Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Meetings for the 2022-2023 school year will be on the following dates at 6:00 PM. These meetings will be help in the Shawnee Media Center. We hope you can join us!
- Wednesday, November 16, 2022
- Wednesday, January 18, 2023
- Wednesday, March 22, 2023
- Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Electronic Communication Devices At School
Wireless communication devices are a part of our everyday lives. However, district policy states that cell phones, smart watches or other electronic devices that can communicate, record or take pictures are not to be used by students during the school day. All cell phones and electric communication devices (ECDs), including smart watches, must be turned off and left in backpacks throughout the day. Cell phones and other ECDs may only be used after the school day has ended and students are outside of the building. Otherwise, devices will be held in the office and returned to a parent.
If a student needs to contact a parent, they may do so by asking a staff member. Students should not be contacting parents during the school day without the knowledge of a staff member.
For further information or details please see our CVS Student-Parent Handbook (page 11).
Arrival & Dismissal
Students will enter and exit the building through assigned doors:
- Door #1 (West Wing Walkers)
- Door #2 (Bussers)
- Door #20 (Kindergarten Walkers)
- Door #22 (East Wing Walkers)
- On the first day, colored bus tags will be provided to bus riders (K-2). Please be sure these tags remain attached to students and visible for staff to assist.
Arrival:
- Students cannot be dropped off early or left unattended while waiting to enter school.
- We encourage parents and students to wait in their vehicles until the first bell has rung and it is time to enter the building.
- Visitors are not permitted into the building. Staff and 5th Grade Safeties will be positioned around the school to help students get to classrooms.
Arrival Times:
- First Bell - 8:54 AM ~ Doors will open and students may enter through their assigned doors.
- Second Bell - 9:00 AM ~ After the second bell rings, all doors will be closed and all students must buzz in at Door #1. Students will be marked tardy if they arrive after 9:00 AM.
Dismissal:
- Staggered dismissal will continue to help to eliminate the formation of crowds.
- Staff and safeties will be positioned around the school to help students.
- Students will exit the same doors they enter.
- Please arrange a meeting spot with your child so they know where to meet you upon exiting the building.
Staggered Dismissal Times:
- 3:35 PM - 4th Grade & 5th Grade
- 3:38 PM - 2nd Grade & 3rd Grade
- 3:41 PM - Kindergarten & 1st Grade
- 3:44 PM - Bus Riders
Unless your child is attending SACC or a pre-arranged activity, they should not be arriving at school before 8:54 AM. Also, dismissal is at 3:44 PM. Please be sure that you pick up your child on time or have childcare arrangements. There is no supervision for children before and after school. Thank you for your cooperation.
Parking Lot Reminders
Please be patient with each other and always remember you are the #1 role model for your children; they learn by watching us! We want to ensure that every child makes it to and from school safely. We can only accomplish this important task with your help and support.
Tardy / Late Arrivals
School begins at 9:00 AM. Our first bell rings at 8:54 AM at which time students are allowed to enter the building. If students arrive tardy/late to school after the second bell has rung at 9:00 AM, a parent needs to bring their student to the front door, ring the buzzer, state the students’ name(s) and the students will be buzzed into the school/office. Parents will not be permitted to enter the building. Tardy students will receive a tardy pass from the office and then sent to class. Otherwise, they may already be marked absent and not get their lunch order included with the class. Please make every effort to arrive on time to school each day.
Early Dismissal & Dismissal Arrangements
Special instructions for your child’s dismissal (bus changes, childcare, etc.) should be determined before your child arrives at school in the morning. Changes in dismissal procedures or after school supervision is to be in writing and given to your child’s teacher. This ensures that information will be shared with all parties who need notification. Please call the office as soon as possible if something changes after your child is here and we will inform the necessary persons.
Any changes or messages to be given to a child MUST be called in to the office no later than 3:15 PM so we have time to deliver the messages.
We Need Your Help!
We are also looking for substitute lunch monitors, crossing guards, teachers, etc. Being a substitute allows you to work when you want to and have the flexibility to work around your schedule. If you are able to work, even one day a week, we could use the extra help. Apply Here!
Thank you for your consideration and help.