Alamo Halftime Report
Alamo Elementary - April 3, 2023
Important Dates
April
- 1-9: Spring Break
- 10: Girls on the Run @ 3:55-5:25 p.m.
- 10: PTO Meeting @ 4:00 p.m.
- 10: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 11: Mileage Club
- 12: Delayed Start - School starts @ 10:00 a.m.
- 12: Girls on the Run @ 3:55-5:25 p.m.
- 14: Mileage Club
Reading Month Celebrations
Our students have strived to meet their individual, classroom and school goals. The students voted to turn the principal into an ice cream sundae if they met their goal and that crushed it reading 225,017 minutes.
The top lower el class was Mrs. Wesseldyk’s and the top upper el class was Mrs Haase’s class. They will receive pizza parties after spring break.
Here are the final totals:
9,364 - Avery
6,887 - Cramer
16,945 - Gallup
7,495 - Tucker
14,570 - Myers
19,386 - Wesseldyk
22,301 - Engbers
30,854- Trumley
24,964 - Bierenga
36,867 - Haase
18,216 - Eshbaugh
17,168 - Linton
Grand Total - 225,017
Reading Lock-In
Unplug Spring Break Challenge
School-based Health Center Survey
As you may know, Otsego Public Schools received a grant to plan a school-based health center. This center will fill a need for physical and mental health services for children in our community. A school-based health center is a partnership between a school, parents, and a sponsoring medical agency. While the location is yet to be determined, we plan to place it in an existing facility on our main campus. This would be the only clinic of its kind in an Allegan County school district.
As part of the planning process, we are required to conduct a comprehensive needs analysis. To do this, we will survey students in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades to help us identify areas of focus for the health center. We will survey students during the week of April 10th. The content of the survey will highlight safety decisions and social-emotional well-being. If you have any questions contact Mark Rollandini at (269) 694-7912. Thank you for your support as we improve our services for OPS students and continue our focus on the whole child
M-STEP
Students in grades 3 – 8 and 11 will be assessed on Michigan’s current content standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies. This year, the M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) will be given from April 10th through May 26th in an online format.
The following is important information regarding this test and your child’s participation.
All components of the test will be given online. It is a computer-based test.
- Grades 3, 4, and 5 will be tested in ELA (reading, writing & listening comprehension) and Mathematics.
- Grade 5 will be tested in Science and in Social Studies.
Testing will consist of an online test and will be administered within the following guidelines:
- The Online Test Session may be administered in 1 session with a scheduled break (not to exceed 20 minutes) or in 2 separate sessions of equal length (45 minutes each for grades 3‐5) on the same day.
- Breaks may be provided during test sessions using the software’s pause feature.
- Although the Online Test Session is not timed, schools should allow about 1.5 hours of testing time for students in grades 3‐5.
State Testing Window for M-Step is as follows:
- The 5th-grade Science assessment will consist of one 45-minute session.
- The 5th-grade Social Studies assessment will consist of two 30-minute sections.
- Each school is scheduling these assessments individually; a schedule for WSE is as follows:
ELA
- 5th Grade - 4/18
- 4th Grade - 5/2
- 3rd Grade - 5/2
Math
- 5th Grade - 4/25
- 4th Grade - 5/9
- 3rd Grade - 5/11
Science
- 5th Grade - 4/27
Social Studies
- 5th Grade - 4/20
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT STUDENTS ARE IN ATTENDANCE ON THE DAYS OF TESTING!
If you would like to view sample questions please click on the link below. Then follow these steps:
- M-STEP Online Training Tools
- Sample Item Sets
- Grade of Choice
- Subject Area
Alamo Career Fair Needs YOU!
Please come share your career with us!
Date: Friday, May 12th
Time: 1:00-3:45 p.m.
We are looking for volunteers to do
15 minute presentations about their
careers. Students will rotate through
different presentations so your total time
commitment would be approximately 3 hours
If you would like to volunteer:
Contact Katherine Busscher
kbusscherotsegops.org 269-694-7623
Author Emmy Kastner Visits Alamo
Order Your 2022-23 Alamo Elementary Yearbook
HOW WILL YOU SHOW YOUR P.R.I.D.E TODAY
P - Positive Attitude
- Lincoln Hatten
- Tyler Fox
- Arie Carrol
- Serenity Johnston
- Anika Johnson
- Ethan VanHouten
- Lucy Fritz
- Ephriam Walker
E - Expect Excellence
- Elayna Cooper
- Cayden Rudd
Social Work Scoop w/Ms. Meg
WatchD.O.G.S. Program
Our WatchD.O.G.S. program will officially begin for the 2022-23 school year in October. “Dads” (or dad-like figures) who are interested in signing up to volunteer for a full or half day should contact Natalie Trumley (ntrumley@otsegops.org) or Nicole Knight-Lucas (nknight-lucas@otsegops.org) via email to schedule a date.
When you volunteer, you will receive a schedule for the day that allows you to help out in different classrooms doing a wide range of activities (reading a story, working with a child 1:1 on work, playing a game with a small group). You will also have scheduled time on the playground and lunchroom to interact with students and be a positive role model for them. We need a current background check on file before you are able to volunteer. Checks are good for 1 year. If you need updating, please contact the office if you need a form.
Dress Code Review
As we begin to ride the temperature rollercoaster that is the norm here in West Michigan, it is a good time to review the recess dress code.
All students must wear snow pants, coat, and boots to go off the paved areas of the playground when there is snow on the ground or if it is muddy. Also as the weather and temperature fluctuates our policy for outdoor gear is as
follows:
- 50’s – Jackets are suggested, but optional
- 40’s – Jackets, coat, sweatshirt, or sweater required.
- 30’s – Coat, hat, gloves, boots, & snow pants required.
We use the wind chill temperature to determine the dress requirements. The office will inform the students when the temperature is questionable.
Mileage Club
Here are the recess times for each grade level.
- K @ 11:35 a.m.
- 1st @ 11:45 a.m.
- 2nd @ 12:05 p.m.
- 4th @12:15 p.m.
- 3rd @ 12:35 p.m.
- 5th @ 12:45 p.m.
Get Involved, Make a Difference
Alamo PTO needs you! The PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) is a wonderful way to become involved in your child's education and to get to know other parents and teachers. The PTO has many activities throughout the school year that you can help with by volunteering. The PTO meets once a month at 4:00 p.m. in the Alamo Media Center. Please join us on Monday, January 9th. We will plan our PTO Valentine's Day Festivities, Teacher Appreciation Week, and our annual Fun Run!
Listed below are the remaining dates for this year's meetings. We would love for you to attend!
Meeting Dates
April 10th
May 1st
June 5th
Attendance
Alamo Parents Facebook
Peachjar
Remind for Alamo Parents
Join Alamo Parents REMIND
Would you like to receive text updates on important dates and activities taking place here at Alamo Elementary? REMIND is a safe and efficient communication app designed for teachers/schools to communicate important classroom/school information. If you are interested in receiving updates from Alamo Elementary via text, text this message @alamopare to the number 81010 or click on the link below.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Otsego Public Schools thrives in part because of our many volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include classroom helpers, chaperones for field trips, boosters, and other volunteer groups. In order to volunteer, you must have an updated background check on file. Otsego will now require all individuals who volunteer to complete a background check each year; therefore, any volunteer with a background check dated prior to June 2022, will need to fill out a new form. If you are unsure if a new background check is required for you, please reach out to your child's school building or contact LeAnne Perkowski in our Administration Office (LPerkowski@otsegops.org or 269-694-7902).
Emergency Contact
It is extremely important to have up-to-date contact information available for each student. When emergencies arise, we need to be able to contact parents/guardians. This is also the contact information that is used for school closures and district updates.
Please log in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to check that your contact information is current and to make any necessary changes. New families will receive a letter with parent login information and instructions from the technology department soon. If you need assistance or login information for the Parent Portal, please contact the Alamo Elementary Office. Thank You!
Alamo Elementary
Email: nknight-lucas@otsegops.org
Website: https://alamo.otsegops.org/
Location: 8184 North 6th Street, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
Phone: (269) 694-7600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415538888654020
Twitter: @otsegoschools