Mustang Messenger
2019-2020 School Year: Volume 36: Week of May 24, 2020
Be the Best YOU at Grandview!!!
End of the Year Excitement
Dear Families,
It is the end of the year. We have made it. We are down to three weeks, 14 days, and 2 more Mustang Messengers. It is an untraditional ending this school year, but we are trying to make it memorable for our students and offer closure for our families.
Teachers came in last week to close out their classrooms and to pack up your students learning and belongings. Teachers are also finding ways to close out this school year for the students. Some grade levels are mailing things to their students. Others are putting things together to give when families pick-up their belongs. Finally, some are organizing fun and virtual things to do with their students during Google Meet and with their learning activities. In the end, we want to do the best we can to celebrate with your child how proud we are of the level of engagement that Grandview students have shown each week during distance learning.
So lets end strong. Three more weeks of learning and we want 100% engagement and participation of all Grandview students. We can do this!!!!
Please read this issue as lots of information is included to help you to plan for the closure.
Continue to stay healthy and happy!! We miss you!!!
Your Proud Principal,
Melissa Carruth, Ed.S
Ms. Venessa and Mrs. Carruth Grandview Student meeting
Social Emotional Parent Meeting
Title: Helping Your Child with Learning and Coping with Stress During the Pandemic
Description- This virtual parent meeting is designed to provide families with ideas on ways to help their children learn during the pandemic and to provide them with ideas and resources to help students and parents cope with stress and challenges they may have during the pandemic. Practical ideas to help with learning and stress/emotional regulation will be provided.
Time & Date
Thursday, May 28th from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Student Support Coach Presenters
Venessa Zverotic - Grandview Elementary
Michael Roberts - Botsford Elementary
Jennifer Kacin - Clarenceville Middle School
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74285336036?pwd=V0F4R0k3ZVFCS3RHV1cxS09OcHdIZz09
Meeting ID: 742 8533 6036
Password: Cville
I'll be tuning in and I can't wait to see which Grandview families participate in this very informative and helpful parent event.
Picking up your Child's Belongings
I will share the official details in our next Mustang Messenger, but please mark your calendar for June 10th. The bags and belongings are packed up and ready for you!!!
Kinder Round-up
1). On the Clarenceville webpage is a kindergarten button that has the recording of the presentation, as well as, all the necessary information about enrollment.
2) A Bitly link to the kindergarten presentation is attached.
3). A Smore Newsletter was created to give step-by-step directions to walk you through the enrollment process. Below is the direct link to this informative newsletter.
Remember if you are out of the district, you need to apply for Schools of Choice first. Once accepted, you can complete the enrollment process. Please do not wait on all of the necessary documents for enrollment. It takes time, so do not wait!!
Also remember the pre-enrollment process only takes about 10 minutes to complete. The documentation can be done after the pre-enrollment.
So in the end, start enrolling now so that you have time to complete everything so that your child's start to kindergarden is not delayed.
5th Grade Celebration
Also, mark your calendar for June 12th at 1:00. We are waiting on approval from Livonia police to support a car parade. We want you to have the date and time to get on your calendar and to start planning for. Again, I hope to make it official next week in our newsletter with all the necessary details. Though start thinking about how you can decorate your car for your graduate. Please do not purchase anything until the final approval comes through. Though you have the date....June 12th at 1:00.....remember one car per graduate!!!
5th Grade - Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting
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.
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.
MI-STAR Can we count on you??
Summer Learning Opportunities
The Meta-Moment -- Being our Best Self
Through our Mustang Messenger, I have provided you with resources that discuss the importance of Emotional Intelligence, building a family charter, and the Mood Meter. This week, I want to focus on the meta-moment.
The Meta-Moment is a tool that helps us press the pause button between a challenging feeling and our first impulse. “The Meta-Moment helps you prolong the space in time between when you are triggered and when you respond,” explains Robin Stern, psychologist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Studies have shown that people who use the Meta-Moment tool on a regular basis report using more effective emotion regulation strategies and experience less stress, anxiety, and frustration.
The idea is that instead of reacting impulsively — and potentially making the situation worse — you use your breath to calm down, which allows your brain to think clearly about your options. But it’s not just about calming down or taking a break from the conflict at hand. The Meta-Moment also asks you to think about the person you aspire to be: your “best self.”
Summer Activities are Starting to Cancel
With each issue, I will continue to update you with any developments with summer programs.
Due to COVID-19, some district and county activities are starting to cancel.
- Mrs. Buckley, Botsford Latchkey and Summer Camp Director, has had to cancel the Clarenceville School District Summer Camp program.
- Many people have asked about a Grandview summer school program. We are starting to look at what that can look like to support our students, as well as, being in compliance with the Governor's Executive Order.
- Oakland Schools has cancelled the following summer programs:
- STEM Summer Camp
- Cybersecurity Camp
- Future So Bright
- MI Career Quest
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
- Treasurer
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
May 26: 1:00 -- Ms. Venessa and Mrs. Carruth Grandview Student Check-in
May 28: 3:00 - Clarencevile Parent Social Emotional Check-in meeting
June 3: 6:30 pm - 5th grade - Incoming 6th Grade Virtual Informational Parent meeting
June 10: Pick-up your child's belongings. Date, schedule and times will be sent out next week.
June 12: 5th Grade Graduation Car Parade at 1:0-.....this is tentative as we are still waiting on city and police final approval.