The Siple Scoop
October 2020
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT FIRST MONTH!
I have enjoyed reconnecting with returning students and getting to know all of the new students. We are faced with many challenges as we adjust to doing school in Phase IV. I am so impressed by how well the students have adapted. They have done an incredible job wearing their masks, washing their hands, and following procedures. It was a wonderful first month. I appreciate all of the patience our families demonstrated as we worked to improve parent drop off and pick up. Based on this first month, I think it is going to be an amazing year and I look forward to working with all of you to give our Siple students the best learning experience possible.
Mask Update
Also, I know that by now you have probably read or heard that Governor Whitmer signed an Executive Order last Friday that now requires all students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade to wear a mask while at school. This Executive Order goes into effect on Monday, October 5th. As always, students will not have to wear their masks while eating breakfast, lunch, or snack. They will still be allowed to take their masks off while outside for recess and outdoor class time. Additionally, students will have short 'mask breaks' throughout the day in their classrooms.
One other note regarding masks, it is important that students have a clean mask each day. It is also a good idea to have a 'back up' mask in your child's backpack. If at any time throughout the day a mask is broken or becomes wet or too dirty, we have extra masks here at school for them. I will also add that I am so proud of how well the students are doing with wearing masks and being responsible with them.
Christy Flowers- Proud Principal
810-591-5104
CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN
The leaves are turning colors and falling and the temperature is dropping too. Halloween is just around the corner. With that in mind, I wanted to share important information about Halloween at Siple this year. Halloween occurs during Intersession I when we are not in school. For this reason, we will celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 23rd, our last day of school before Intersession I. To ensure that everyone enjoys this very exciting day please carefully read the important information that follows.
Costumes: Siple is home to kindergarten through 4th grade students. Because we have such young students in our building, it is important that Halloween be celebrated in a kid-friendly manner. When selecting a costume for your child to wear to school please keep in mind the following guidelines.
Keep costumes kid-friendly/not-scary/no 5 Nights of Freddy
No blood/gore/weapons
No costume masks for safety sake.
If you are unsure about whether or not a costume is kid-friendly please contact your child's teacher or the office.
Parade: During Phase IV we are unable to have parents in the building for classroom parties or the traditional costume parade. I look forward to this returning next year!
Classroom Parties: All parties will be held in the afternoon. Please watch for communication from your child's teacher about their classroom party. Due to food allergies, we ask that you do not send any food or treats that are not cleared by the classroom teacher in advance. Every Siple student is precious and we want to protect our students with serious allergies. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Dismissal: Dismissal on party day will be the same as every other day. If your student is parent pick-up please pull into the parent pick-up line and remain in your car until your child is loaded.
COUNT DAY
PARENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP
1. We follow whatever your child's bus tag says for dismissal. If it says your child rides the bus, your child's teacher will be walking them to the bus. If there is a day when their dismissal plans are different from their bus tag, PLEASE call the office before 3:00 p.m. so we can send a note to the teacher and have your child ready for whatever the change of plans are that afternoon.
2. Drop-off starts at 8:20 a.m. Please make sure that your child has their shoes, jacket and mask on and that they have their backpack ready to go. This helps us move the line along at a quick pace so parents can get on their way to work or home.
3. We begin calling students for pick-up at 3:30 p.m. Please make sure you have your gold Dashboard card on the passenger side dashboard. If you do not have your dashboard card, please have your driver's license out so we can check your ID. If you need a replacement Dashboard card, please call the office at 810-591-5104.
4. For both drop-off and pick-up please come into the Siple drive from the west on Coldwater Road. This allows traffic to flow in both directions on Coldwater Road and allows buses to pull into the drive as well. I am including a map below. Thank you for your cooperation!
INTRODUCING THE POSITIVITY PROJECT
"The staff has received training to teach positive psychology’s 24 character strengths and empower our students to build positive relationships. Why relationships? Because they are the cornerstone of health, happiness, and resilience…and (according to experts) many jobs of the future. That is why we are excited to inspire positive relationships (student-to-student and student-to-teacher) and cultivate school-wide #PositivityInAction.
The Positivity Project also offers a family connection called P2 for Families. The new P2 for Families is an easy and effective way for families to discuss the importance of character strengths and positive relationships. It is differentiated for grades Pre-K – 2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each character strength follows a 1-1-3 model: 1 quote, 1 video, and 3 questions to drive conversations around character at home."
I am sharing the parent information letter below as well as the 24 character strengths that will be taught. This does not replace the Cardinal Code behavior expectations, but partners with it to support our young learners.
STAYING HEALTHY
KINDERGARTEN HEARING AND VISION SCREENING
EMERGENCY DRILLS
HOMECOMING 2020
Monday: Mismatch Day
Tuesday: Wacky Hair Day
Wednesday: Super Hero T-Shirt Day: no costumes please
Thursday: Dress Your Best Day: It s school picture day!
Friday: School Spirit Day: Dress like a Cardinals Super Fan
There will be a shortened Homecoming Parade this year that begins at the High School, travels down Clark Street, and then turns North down Main Street, ending at the library. The parade will begin at 5:00 p.m. You can watch the Homecoming football game broadcast live by DTV!
SIPLE'S SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
Our Scholastic Book Fair will be online this Fall and run from 10/12/20-10/25/20. The book fair is a great opportunity for your child to add books to his or her library.
Parents will need to access the book fair via this online link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/sipleelementaryschool3. You will need to create an account if you don't have one, then save Siple to your account. After your account is setup you will be able to order and pay all online.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me, Kristen Machuk at 810-591-5104 or email me at kmachuk@davisonschools.org.
Sincerely,
Kristen Machuk, Library Paraprofessional
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Unfortunately, many of our students have food allergies, medical conditions, and dietary restrictions that exclude them from participating when edible treats are brought in for a birthday celebration. Davison Schools wants to make sure we have protocol in place to include ALL students in these celebrations. The District no longer allows food to be brought in for birthday celebrations.
You do not need to feel obliged to send anything in for your child's birthday. However if you do wish to do so, we would like to offer some alternatives of food treats for your child's birthday celebration at school. In many cases, these items are more cost effective than birthday treats purchased at the store.
- Small party favors like stickers, erasers, notepads, bubbles, pencils, playdough, etc.
- Send in a t-shirt or pillowcase for their classmates to sign.
- Have your child bring in something to share for show and tell with the class. (no pets)
These are just a few ideas. Be sure to contact your child's teacher prior to their birthday to make arrangements.
We look forward to celebrating your child on their special day! Thank you for your assistance as we work together to celebrate your child's birthday with their classmates.
ATTENTION MILITARY FAMILIES
This information is voluntary, but could be a great resource for your family.
Please contact Rhonda Miller at Siple Elementary to register your family at 810-591-5104.
SIPLE STARS OF THE MONTH
Each month classroom teachers will nominate one student from their class to be entered into the grade level drawing for the STAR of the MONTH for that grade. Each grade level STAR of the Month will receive a certificate, medal, and their photo will be on display in the hallway during that month.
We are pleased to recognize students for consistently demonstrating excellent behavior. Thank you for sharing your outstanding children with us. I am please to announce our STARs of the Month for September are:
Kindergarten: James Lang
1st grade: Arabella Cheff
2nd grade: Toby Heidenreich
3rd grade: Tyler Dockham
4th grade: Sophie Schwabauer
Our other outstanding nominees for the month of September were:
Kindergarten: Kaylee Northey, Sydney Clark, Amelia Felt
1st grade: Finley Genshaw, Aria Hart, Jace Babcock
2nd grade: Sayer Puzjak, Nevaeh Whitt, Lorenzo Kennedy
3rd grade: Aleah Wright, Kaylynn Fillmore
4th grade: Cole Konieczka, Autumn Ellett, Khloe Glutsch, Lauryn Lee
Congratulations to these outstanding young learners!
COUNSELORS CORNER
Happy New School Year! My name is Julie Simonsen and this is my third year as Siple’s Elementary School Counselor. My office hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00-4:00.
School counseling is a short-term, solution-focused counseling in which the goal is always to get students back into the classroom. My role is to support students academically by helping meet their social and emotional needs. Students are able to request to see the counselor by filling out a “Rock Referral” page and parents are always welcome to call 810-591-5104 or email (jsimonsen@davisonschools.org) with requests.
In addition to having individual sessions and guidance lessons, in October we will begin our 6-week Sunshine Group for changing families and our Grief & Loss Group.
Normally, I organize our Annual Kid's Boutique clothing give-away during parent teacher conferences. Unfortunately, because we are in Phase IV this year we are unable to hold our Kids’ Boutique. Hopefully it will be back next year.
Lastly, on October 13th all students will learn about being “Stranger Smart” from Officer Foster and the school counselor. Below are some Family Safety Tips to keep in mind with Halloween quickly approaching:
Family Safety Tips
When discussing safety information with your child, keep in mind that if you overreact, your child may panic.
Avoid clothing and toys which visibly display your child’s name.
Never leave a child alone in a public place or car (NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE).
Always accompany young children to the bathroom in a public place and advise them never to play in or around that area.
Point out safe houses on your block where your child can go if they are in trouble.
Keep an up-to-date color photograph of your child, a medical or dental history, and have your child fingerprinted.
Know where your child is at ALL times.
Teach your child never to accept candy, food, or anything from strangers.
Set up a “password.” A password is any word you and your children decide to use as a secret clue.
Instruct your child not to go with any stranger or friend who doesn’t know the password.
Mrs. Simonsen, Counselor
810-591-0227
DID YOU KNOW.........
Did You Know This Service is Available
There are many great resources for families in the area. This section of the Siple Scoop is dedicated to introducing you to a FREE resource each month.
This month we are featuring Michigan 211, which is a free, confidential service, that connects you with local community based organizations across the state offering more than 30,000 different programs and services for people seeking help with a variety of things (Food, Utilities, Housing/Homelessness, Veterans & Military Affairs, Children & Families, Re-Entry Services, Disaster Preparedness & Response, Transportation, and Tax Assistance). Simply dial 211 or go to the website: https://www.mi211.org
FUN TO BE FIT
Welcome back to another exciting school year! Just a couple of things to remind all my Siple parents. Please make sure your child has their tennis shoes for physical education class. They have P.E. class two times a week. If they wear dress shoes or boots have them pack their tennis shoes in their backpack and they can change at school. Students will also want to wear comfortable clothes that they can run around and get hot and sweaty in. Thank you so much for helping your kid(s) wear the proper clothes and shoes so they can participate in my classroom.
We are starting the year off with soccer. The students are learning how to dribble, trap the ball and pass the soccer ball. We will also be taking our first of two Pacer Tests this month to see where the students are at in the beginning of the year. We will take the second one sometime in May or June to compare with. I will send home the results of these tests at the end of the year. I am excited about this year to work with your child and teach them some basic skills to a lot of different sports!
Also, we will be spending our gym time outside as much as possible so please make sure your students are dressed appropriately on their gym days.
Mr. Sipley
810-591-0231
MUSIC NOTES
Mark your calendars for our
Virtual Musical Performances:
These events will be performed at school without a live audience. We will record each performance and share it out with the families to view either online or on the Davison TV Channel.
*Letters home from Mrs. Odglen will provide more details to these performing groups. *
2nd Grade Musical = February 2021
4th Grade Musical = March 2021
Siple Singers-
I am tremendously sad to let you know that, due to our Covid19 precautions, we will not be able to have Siple Singers this year. Due to the nature of our practices (having multiple students from various classes in the music room) and the nature of our performances (Singers standing close together to perform for crowded audiences), we must cancel this activity for this year. I am hopeful that we will be able to start this again for the 2021-22 school year. As for our 4th graders who were looking forward to this opportunity this year… I want to extend my heart-felt apology and remind you to keep that passion for singing strong as you move throughout this year and into new musical opportunities next year!
* Whether Alone or Abound, Make a JOYFUL Sound! *
Mrs. Odglen, Music Teacher
810-591-0238
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 7: State Head Count Day
October 8: Picture Day
October 12-October 25: Scholastic Book Fair (Online only)
October 26-October 29: INTERSESSION
October 30: NO SCHOOL
November 6: NO SCHOOL (Parent/Teacher conferences)
Siple Elementary
9286 E. Coldwater Road
Davison, MI 48423
Christy Flowers, Principal
Follow Mrs. Flowers on Twitter: @Principal4Kids
Office Phone: 810-591-5104
Office Fax: 810-591-5102
Attendance: 810-591-5100