Our mission is to provide a nurturing environment committed to achieving excellence. All students are challenged to reach their maximum potential by gaining a solid foundation of skills, knowledge, and values. This foundation enables each student to become a resourceful thinker and successful lifelong learner.

Email: officeebeling@uticak12.org
Website: ebeling.uticak12.org

Location: 15970 Haverhill Drive, Macomb, MI, USA
Phone: 586-797-4700
Twitter: @ebelingelem

We have had a busy month and are quickly approaching the end of the second marking period. Inside the hallways and classrooms at school, students are working diligently to reinforce and gain new skills in all subject areas. We see great things happening each and every day, and thank you for your involvement in your child’s education. As a confirmation that we are truly working together as partners, we can boast an over 95% attendance rate during Parent-Teacher conferences held last month. I heard lots of positive feedback on the use of Signup Genius this year for scheduling conferences… many told me that you liked the ability to select a convenient time for yourself - whether that be online/virtual, or face-to-face. Let’s continue to keep these lines of communication open as we move through the school year!

The Ebeling staff would like to thank the PTA volunteers who organized our annual conference luncheon for teachers and staff during conference week. It was greatly appreciated! We are also very grateful for all of our volunteers who help out in the classrooms and around our school each day. Working together we are able to achieve more, and provide that sense of community that is so important for our children.

The Season of Giving has students, staff and families working in coordination with local agencies to provide for those in need. Due to your generosity, we collected over 2,300 canned food items and hundreds of donations of new hats, mittens and scarves, and new unwrapped toys. We are super excited to share the generosity of the Ebeling Community out to surrounding area families!

Coming up quickly on our December calendar is the winter break. Be sure to check the "Upcoming Dates" section below to add important dates to your calendar!

Your Proud Principal,

Mrs. Bailey

*See Calendar below for Student Spirit Days:)

DEC 21 - Half Day of School. 11:44 Dismissal. Winter Break begins in PM

DEC 22-JAN 2 - No school. Winter Break.

JAN 3 - School Resumes

JAN 9 - Report Cards available in PowerSchool Accounts

JAN 16 - No school. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

JAN 17 - PTA Meeting @ 7:00 PM in Media Center

UCS is moving to a more secure method for sharing report cards with you. Previously, report cards were distributed over email to the addresses we have on file for families. Now, report cards will be accessed from your secure PowerSchool account.

Report cards will be posted in your PowerSchool account at noon on Monday, January 9, 2023.

Here are the top three things you need to know:

• Access to the report cards will not be available through the PowerSchool app. The report cards are available by logging into your account through your favorite browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).
• We strongly encourage you to make sure you can access your account by a web browser. If you need technical assistance, please contact our school office.
• You must have a PowerSchool account to see the report card. If you do not have an account, please follow the instructions at this link.

For more information on how report cards will be shared, where to access the report cards, how to request a new password or set up a PowerSchool account, please see this link.

The UCS Literacy Department is happy to continue our Family Literacy Connection newsletter for the 2022-2023 school year. In this quarterly communication (link below) you will find book recommendations, literacy tips, fun activities designed for the family, and more. We are partners in the educational success of your children. Your involvement matters!

We believe outdoor recess is an important and valuable part of our students’ day. Fresh air, exercise and time spent outside afford students a break from the structure of the classroom. With the ever changing Michigan weather, it is imperative that your child is dressed appropriately and is prepared to play outside. During the winter season, every child should have a jacket, gloves or mittens, and a hat. If there is snow on the ground, snow boots and pants are necessary. If students do not have snow boots they will be limited to the blacktop area on the playground. Don't forget to label all your child's items! Thank you!

The winter weather can cause unique situations when the temperatures dip and snow starts to fall. Our Transportation Department has some tips to make the winter safe and enjoyable.

· Dress appropriately for the cold weather. Be sure to wear warm jackets, boots, hat and gloves as the weather warrants.

· Arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

· Stand back on the sidewalk or at least 10 feet from the edge of the road.

· Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the door opens before approaching it.

· Never run to or from the bus.

· Wait at the bus stop in an orderly manner.

· Do not throw snowballs or other items.

· Be considerate of your neighbors respect their property including trees, fences, etc. at the bus stop.

Earlier this fall all students practiced safely exiting the bus in event of emergency.

The second quarter of the school year is coming to an end. The weather is getting colder, homework is getting a bit more serious, and friendships are going through some inevitable ups and downs. This article is about typical social struggles that all kids endure at one time or another.

If your child is complaining about typical social struggles like “not being popular” or you hear, “Molly and I are not friends anymore” or “John called me a name” or “Jenny doesn’t want to sit with me at lunch anymore” here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Our brains are wired to pay more attention to the negative than the positive. We are actually 3-5 times more sensitive to negative information. Given this tendency it is no surprise that children tend to get caught up in the relationships that aren’t working so well. Being on high alert for threat possibilities is what has enabled our species to outwit its predators. But complexities of today’s world require a more nuanced skillset than just the fight, flight or freeze options.

An important part of a more advanced cerebral skillset is to intentionally focus on the positives in life. When we intentionally focus on what’s going well, such as the relationships that make us feel good, it affects the levels of neurotransmitters, including the releasing of dopamine, in our brain. Dopamine makes us feel good. It also triggers higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, energy, determination, and attentiveness.

So how do we teach our kids to focus on the good?

1) DON'T: Interview for pain

This term describes a parent’s tendency to keep negative situations alive long after the child has worked through the problem.

For example: Your child comes home from school upset because they had a horrible fight with their best friend Molly. You listen attentively, offer suggestions to help, and send them to school the next day armed to solve the problem. This can be helpful, but here is where the problem often arises. The next day you pick your child up from school and the first thing out of your mouth is, “How did it go with Molly today?” and the next day you say, “Are things still ok with Molly?” This is interviewing for pain.

Instead, ask them “How was your day?” Your child may still need help with the situation, and he or she may bring it up again, but in most cases this stuff works itself out in a day or two. When parents continue to bring it up, it keeps a negative situation alive in the child’s mind long after the wounds have healed.

2) DO: Pay attention to the good stuff

It is easy for kids to get caught up in the one or two kids who are not interested in being their friend instead of focusing on all of the kids who are kind to them and want to play with them all the time. My friend Sylvie told me that her father always used to ask her, “Who was a good friend to you today?” What a great way to keep the focus on the positive! Try it at dinner or when you pick your kids up from school, ask your kids, ask your spouse, and see what emerges.

After they’ve weighed in on who was a good friend to them, ask who they were a good friend to, today, as well. Help them understand that having good friends means being a good friend.

When your child is feeling the burden of social situations, understand that this is normal, listen mindfully, focus on the positive and resist the urge to immediately swoop in and solve everything for them.

Part of our roles, as parents, is to help our child come up with their own solutions. Sometimes that means being aware of how you might be feeling while listening to your upset child. If you notice your own internal stress levels rising, remember that a few mindful breaths will get your own prefrontal cortex back online. As you’re able to get out of your alarm brain and into your smart brain, you’ll be a much better sounding board and support system for your child

If your child is going to be absent call 586-797-4799 and leave a message on the 24-hour automated absence line. Any absences not called in to the office will be marked as 'unexcused' on student attendance records.

Your child will be excused from class for illness, bereavement, recognized religious holidays and medical or dental treatment that cannot be scheduled after school or on weekends.

Your child is responsible for makeup work. Homework requests may be made for an absence of two or more days in the case of both excused and pre-excused absences. Homework requests require 24 hours to process.

VACATION POLICY

Absence for family travel during scheduled school days is discouraged.

However, should family travel be necessary, parents must submit a written request to the Ebeling office for Principal approval of a pre-excused absence at least one week in advance. Vacation days in excess of 10 days per school year will not be approved.

Arrangements to complete classroom assignments can be made with the teacher.

You can arrange for home study through the school principal should your child be absent from school for an extended period due to physical disability or illness.

LATE ARRIVAL

If a student arrives late to school, the parent must accompany the student into the office, and the student must be signed in before he or she can go to class.

Truancy officials will be contacted in the event of a student having excessive tardies or absences.

We are asking for your assistance to ensure that our security procedures during the school day are effective. As many of you know, our school has a security camera, intercom, and buzzer at the front main entrance for use during the school day. To help us assist you when you would like to enter the school:

1. Please press the buzzer to speak with someone in the office

2. You will be asked to state your name and reason for visiting

3. You will be asked to show your photo ID into the security camera above the outside door

4. Office staff will then be able to buzz you inside

5. All visitors must immediately register in the office

In addition, we are asking you to not let any visitors in the door as you enter (and they come up behind you) or as you exit the building.

The teachers and staff are committed to student safety and security and we would like to thank you for your assistance in helping keep the students of Ebeling safe.