Stallion Express
January 2021
McGregor Stallions,
As we wave goodbye to the past year, I encourage all of us to embrace the new year with ambitious hopes and dreams. The McGregor staff and I would like to wish you a Happy 2021. We hope that this new year is full of memorable moments marked by love, laughter, and joy!
What an exciting time of year! Halftime is over and we are pumped to embark on the second segment of the school year. At this point, many students tend to take giant leaps in their learning. Students who might have struggled academically will begin to accelerate starting in the second semester! Students who have worked hard on skills, such as reading fluently will begin to sound like pros. Students who have had difficulty with mathematical operations will find that things are starting to click. Some of our students will begin to transition from little children into young adults.
This positive transformation is a true testament to the coordinated work performed at school and at home. We are incredibly indebted to our families for their flexibility and perseverance. It truly is a team effort, and together we make a dynamic team.
The staff and I are geared up and ready to “take back the baton” on January 11th. Let’s keep the positive growth going!
As always, thank you for your support. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to serve you.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Rachael Novak, ED.S.
Important Dates
- Jan. 11 - Student Return to McGregor for In-person Instruction
- Jan. 13 - Meal Distribution
- Jan. 14 - End of First Semester
- Jan. 14 at 2:00 PM - Toledo Opera on Wheels Presents "Cinderella" Virtual Assembly
- Jan. 15 - Teacher Work Day
- Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day
- Jan. 26 at 6:00 PM - College Credit Plus Night (Whitmer High School - Virtual Meeting)
- Jan. 29- Picture Retakes
A few minutes of your time can help bring additional funding to Washington Local Schools.
The Federal Government has approved all Washington Local Schools Families for meals through the National School Meal Program for the 2020-2021 School Year without families needing to complete the free and reduced meal application. However, there are still several other Federal, State, local, and grant programs that still use the number of students qualifying for free or reduced meal pricing to calculate funding for the Washington Local Schools. A couple examples include Title I reading services and eRate Technology Discounts.
Please help us by applying online for the meal program here: https://payschoolscentral.com/
Directions, a printable application, and other information can be found here: https://www.wls4kids.org/District/Department/39-Nutrition-Services
After-School Tutoring
If you are receiving this letter, you have expressed interest in after-school tutoring. Below are the days and times of tutoring for each grade level. Your student should only attend at the days/times that match their grade-level.
- 3rd Grade: Mondays from 3:30-4:30
- 4th Grade: Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30
- 5th Grade: Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30
- 6th Grade: Thursdays from 3:30-4:30
At their scheduled time, your student should use the following Zoom link to join the tutoring session:
Picture Retakes
The new date for school picture retakes and classroom candid photos will be on Friday, January 29, 2021. Any students that did not have their pictures taken here at McGregor in October will have their pictures taken that day. Anyone who received pictures that they were not happy with, may return their packets at that time to have their pictures retaken.
Thank you for your patience!
Nurse's Corner
Making New Year's resolutions? Make sure they include staying vigilant in the fight against COVID-19. The holidays may be over, but unfortunately COVID is not.
It’s a new year with hopes for normalcy returning sometime within it, but until that time, we need to continue to follow the guidelines that keep us safe.
Remember:
- It is important to be wearing your mask consistently and correctly! Did you know that one half of infections are transmitted by people who do not have symptoms?
- The mask that you choose is important. The CDC recommends a non-valved, multilayer cloth mask. The mask should be worn indoors and outdoors, as well as, when 6’ distance cannot be maintained. Students are still required to wear their masks at all times while at school. Gator style/bandanas are not allowed at school.
- If any member of your household is infected or has had a recent exposure to COVID, he/she should wear a mask in the house. Did you know that the highest transmission rate has been among household members? PLEASE CONTINUE TO NOTIFY THE SCHOOL IF YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO A COVID POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL/TESTS POSITIVE.
- Physical distancing should be maintained at 6’ or more. Also, limit the amount of people that you are in contact with. Avoid places such as small, enclosed indoor areas, crowds or anywhere that 6’ cannot be maintained.
- Lastly- WASH, WASH, WASH your hands! Keep hand sanitizer readily available for frequent use.
A few housekeeping recommendations-
- COVID can be destroyed by most disinfectants. Regular cleaning will help you to minimize the risk of any illness being transmitted.
- When cleaning, focus on areas that are commonly used such as countertops, faucets, handles, door knobs, stair rails, remote controls, phones, etc. Focus on the areas that are touched by multiple household members. When cleaning surfaces, wipe the area completely and let the area dry on its own.
- If you wear a reusable mask, wash it regularly. It is a good idea to have multiple masks for each household member so that there is always a clean mask.
Lastly, we’ve been getting questions about the COVID vaccine. It’s important that you make an informed decision when it comes to vaccination. This is the time to do your research, speak with your healthcare provider, and speak with friends who may have already been vaccinated. It is looking like the vaccine will be available to the general public in the late Spring/Summer.
We are attaching a link provided by the Toledo Lucas County Health Department and CDC. It has credible information and may answer many of your questions.
Be Safe,
Nurse Amy and Nurse Graver
Counselor’s Corner
January: An Attitude of Gratitude for the New Year!
Gratitude means being thankful and showing our appreciation for the people and things around us! It is a strong feeling of gratefulness for our family, friends, school and community.
Gratitude is something that contributes greatly to our daily happiness, but it takes a little practice! We have to practice looking for even the smallest things to be thankful for each day. We can be thankful for the meal that was prepared for us, the classmate who smiled at us when we walked through the classroom door, or the rain that falls and waters our farmer’s fields.
We can show gratitude by saying thank you to our teachers for working hard to deliver educational lessons each day. We can hug our parents and families and thank them for taking care of us. We can thank the crossing guards for helping us stay safe as we arrive at school each morning. We can thank our bus drivers for working hard to take us home safely each day.
It has been a challenging nine months, and there have been times when it seemed difficult to see the silver lining on gloomy days. Fortunately, throughout these hard times there have been opportunities to celebrate the things we are thankful for each day! For the postal workers putting in long hours, the chance to relax and spend extra time with our families in our homes, or the staff members who worked hard to make sure we had the technology we needed to learn from home. Our communities have come together in so many wonderful ways!
As we enter a new year, I hope that you will take the time to notice the big and little things each day that we can be thankful for. Grateful people are happier people!
I wish everyone a happy, healthy new year filled with gratitude and joy!
- Mrs. Ryan
Looking for some ways to experience all the benefits of being grateful?
Try some of these ideas…
Write a thank you note to someone.
Say thanks to an unknown person.
Thank someone mentally.
Start a gratitude journal, and write down three things that you are thankful for each night.
Clean the dishes when no one is expecting it.
Donate items you are no longer using/need.
Make someone laugh.
Social Emotional Learning Survey
Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills are an important goal for our Washington Local Schools. Over the next several weeks we will be asking for your child to reflect on their own mindsets and approaches to learning through an online survey they will be completing via their school email. The survey shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes to complete.
We are asking that all of our students participate in surveys, as their responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs.
If you have any questions about this SEL survey, please don’t hesitate to contact the McGregor Office.
January Meal Pick-Up
Updated 1/5/20
Distribution on 1/13/21 from 11 AM to 4 PM outside Whitmer Field House
NO PRE-ORDERING
10 meal kits (5 breakfast + 5 lunch) per child 0 - 18
Children do not need to be present to pick up meal bags.
No reservation is required.
If you have any questions, please contact Deb Warren at 419-473-8458 or dwarren@wls4kids.org