Bobcat Broadcast
November 15, 2019
A Message from Mrs. Caudill
Screen time, one of the worries of parenting in this technological day and age. When I think about screen time as a parent there are always two questions that come to my mind, "How much is too much?" and "Is there such a thing as good screen time?" I was lucky enough to attend the Growing Up 2020 conference last Saturday and screen time was one of the topics they covered.
Screen Time, just like food, can be categorized into two groups, good and bad. Think of it as screen time vegetables and screen time candy. We can get a healthy amount of screen time vegetables without a negative impact. That differs from screen time candy. You can only have screen time candy in moderation.
Screen time vegetables are anything that improves your cognition and has educational content. It could include school programs like RazKids, Freckle and Xtra Math just to name a few. Screen time vegetables could also be a YouTube video if they are being watched to learn or how to make/fix something.
Screen time candy is more entertainment based. It includes games like Fortnite and Minecraft. But also includes Social Media and YouTube videos that do not increase your cognition.
I found this vegetable/candy metaphor to be such a fantastic way as a parent and an educator to understand that there are differences in screen activities. So, the next time my son is playing his favorite math game app, Prodigy, I need to remember it's not such a bad thing. It's a vegetable and he's learning.
Warm Regards,
Devon Caudill
Mark Your Calendars
This Week's Events:
November 18th - Fourth Grade Field Trip to Lansing
November 19th - Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00pm - 7:00pm
November 20th - PTA Meeting 9am
November 21st - Half Day Dismissal - 12:15pm
November 21st - Parent Teacher Conferences 1:15pm - 7:00pm
November 22nd - Half Day Dismissal - 12:15pm
November 22nd - Parent Teacher Conferences 1:15pm - 3:45pm
Next Week's Events:
November 25th - 3rd Annual Dad's Club Bowling Night - 6:00pm at Novi Bowl
November 26th - Robot Garage - 3rd Grade
November 27 - Half Day Dismissal - 12:15pm
November 28 & 29 - No School
Future Events:
December 4 - Leader in Me Parent Night
December 12 - Primanti Bros. Restaurant Fundraiser
December 23 - January 3 - No School
Blue Ribbon Award Ceremony!
What a fantastic honor and exciting opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to accept this prestigious award. What a wonderful day to be a Bobcat and a member of the Northville Community! In an effort to have our students a part of this momentous occasion, many of our classrooms streamed the ceremony live into the classrooms today if their schedule allowed. All students were also given a 2019 Blue Ribbon pencil as a small token of this amazing award.
Viewing Report Cards in MiSTAR
Report cards will be available on the secure ParentPortal beginning today, Friday, November 15, 2019. Below are directions for accessing and printing your student’s report card. If you are having trouble logging into the system; did not receive login information; or have other questions about ParentPortal, please email parentportal@northvilleschools.org. A member of our technology team will respond within 24 hours. Please avoid contacting your child’s school staff, as they do not have access to the information needed to resolve ParentPortal issues.
Directions for Viewing and Printing Student Report Cards
• Click on the “ParentPortal” link under the “Families & Community” button on the Northville Public Schools website at www.NorthvilleSchools.org. This will take you to the ParentPortal login page.
• Enter your username and password.
• After logging into the ParentPortal, scroll down to the “MARKS” section.
• Click on the “Link” at the top of that section titled “Student Progress Report or Student Report Card.”
• View and/or print your child’s report card from this screen.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming! Conferences are scheduled for:
- Tuesday - November 19 - 4:00-7:00 PM
- Thursday - November 21 - 1:15 - 7:00 PM
- Friday - November 22 - 1:15 - 3:45 PM
Please note that Thursday and Friday, November 21 and 22 are half days for students.
Students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM on half days. No lunch will be served.
To sign up for conferences, please click here. We encourage your active participation in these conferences. Please be sure to bring any questions or concerns you may have so that we may address them.
The sign up closes on Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 11:45 PM. Any changes to appointments after that time need to be made through the Amerman office by calling 248-465-2100.
We can't wait to see you at conferences!
How does your family Sharpen the Saw?
Making sure that our students, staff, and families have the opportunity to completely detach themselves from school—physically and mentally—on the days they’re off is an important part of our commitment to honoring the whole person. (Leader in Me fans call this “Sharpening the Saw.”) In other words, we know our students and staff have lives outside of school, and guess what? We want them to enjoy those healthy, balanced lives!
We would love to see all the ways you sharpen your saw during the winter and holiday months. The four dimensions to finding balance are physical, social, emotional, or spiritual. Your Bobcat family wants to learn about you! Please send in any send pictures and videos to vertreesbl@northvilleschools.org to be displayed on our Amermam morning announcements. Be sure to include the names of your children and possibly a short explanation of how you sharpen your saw during the holiday and winter season
Book Fair is Coming!
Join us at our Scholastic Book Fair the week of November 18th! Slide into the Media Center while you are at school for parent-teacher conferences! We will need parent volunteers to help make the Book Fair possible! We are short on volunteers! If you are able to help, please sign-up here.
Book Fair Hours :
11/19 (Tuesday) Open during conferences (4-7pm)
11/21 (Thursday) Open during conferences (12-7pm)
11/22 (Friday) Open during conferences (12-3 pm)
NOTE: Students may shop the bookfair during their regular media class
New again for this year : Digital payment option through eWallet. Parents can add money to their EWALLET account at any time:
See the links below for easy set -up.
AMERMAN ELEMENTARY'S VETERANS OF AMERICA DONATION DRIVE
In honor of Veteran’s Day and in our efforts to bring hope to the world around us, we will be hosting a donation drive for VA Hospital of Ann Arbor. OUR GOAL: To collect 2500 items This donation drive has been organized through a partnership with the PTA & Student Lighthouse Team
The Dad's Club 3rd Annual Amerman's Bowling Night
The Dad's Club 3rd Annual Amerman's Bowling Night is November 25th, 6:00 pm at Novi Bowl. It's a blast for the whole family and we hope you can make it, if you have any questions feel free to email me anytime hanesrealestate@gmail.com. Prizes are awarded to the highest-scoring classrooms - so bring your A-game! See flyer below for additional details.
- Please register here.
- You can pay online here
PTA News you can use!
- Join us at our 2nd PTA meeting of the year on Wednesday 11/20 at 9 am in the MPR. Meet fellow parents! Get to know our new principal! Hear about upcoming events and get involved!
- Our SCRIPS gift card program is back just in time for the holidays. Fill those stockings with gift cards purchased through SCRIPS and a portion of each card supports our PTA fund. Forms are due Friday 11/22 and cards will be delivered by 12/13. Look for more information on this program and our Giftcrowd group gifting platform for the staff in December coming soon!
- If you haven’t had a chance yet be sure to submit your annual PTA dues for this year! We want your vote to count at our meetings! And, your membership helps support our many amazing programs! Memberships can be bought online through our store at: https://amerman.memberhub.store/ (no login required!)
- While you are there be sure to create a Member Hub account for you and your children to gain access to more information from PTA!
- New!! Sign up for staff hospitality during conference week! Please check out the sign-up genius for our staff hospitality during conferences!! The PTA sponsors some meals and snacks for the staff during the upcoming long conference days, a tradition that they absolutely love! We have made contributing even more flexible this time, see the sign-up for details. Thanks in advance for supporting this tradition and our staff!
~ Attention Fifth Grade Students! ~
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The Harlem Wizards are offering a BUZZER BEATER deal!
If you purchase online tickets to the game by midnight on Wed. Nov. 20th, you will be entered in a drawing to sit on the HARLEM WIZARDS bench during the game!! Five lucky winners will be chosen to sit on the WIZARDS bench! (Winners will be contacted by email on Thursday, Nov. 21st).
The game is Saturday, Nov. 23rd at 7:00 pm in the Northville High School gym. And you could be sitting on the bench!!
Order your tickets now:
https://harlemwizards.thundertix.com/events/151705
Also, our very own art teacher, Mrs. Rohrhoff will be playing!
You don't want to miss the action!
Spotlight on our Amerman Bobcats!
Veteran's Day
Motion and Matter
Observing Red Worms
Amerman Elementary
Email: caudillde@northvilleschools.org
Website: amerman.northvilleschools.org
Phone: 248-465-2100
Twitter: @amermannv