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Memorial Elementary News
September 2023
Dear Memorial Families,
Thank you for sending your child to Memorial. It is such a pleasure to see their smiling faces each day. I hope that you have been able to get back in the routine of school with ease.
Children benefit the most when school and parents partner together. The ways you may learn about what is happening at school are to read the school and classroom newsletters, review the assignment planner (gr.2-5), check Take Home folders, review graded work, and check the Skyward parent portal for current progress. To ask specific quesions, you may contact your child's teacher through email, Class Dojo, or by leaving a message on their voicemail.
All students in grades K-5 are now taking the beginning of the year NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) assessments in math and reading. These scores help us plan instruction and meet the needs of individual students. Our goal for each child is to meet their projected growth. We will send home the individual student reports after the test window closes. Keep watch for it in mid-September.
With Great Respect,
Mrs. Debra Misecko, Principal
Save The Date(s):
September
4 Labor Day - No School
13 PTO Meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Cafe
13 PTO Family Night at Twisted Sugar
19 School PIcture Day
20 PTO Family Night at Buona Beef
22 Walk-A-Thon (Rain Date, Thursday, September 28)
29 1/2 day of school for students - Elementary dismisses at 12 noon.
October
13 Last Day of the 1st Grading Period
16 & 17 No School (Fall Break)
20 Report Cards are available on the Parent Portal
25 & 26 Parent Teacher Conferences
26 & 27 Early Release for Students (K-8) - Elementary dismisses at 12 noon.
Ready, Set, Kindergarten at Memorial
Picture Day is Tuesday, September 19
Attendance (Why it Matters)
Letters concerning student absences are generated automatically through Skyward. If you believe there is an error in your child's attendance record or if you have more questions about the procedures, you may contact the Memorial office. If the number of student absences is equal to or greater than 10% of the scheduled school days, the principal will review the file for documentation and make a referral to Project Attend, if applicable.
Meet Eleanor the Therapy Dog!
Eleanor is our school dog and is in attendance at Memorial on most days. She is trained and licensed through Therapy Dog International (T.D.I.). This is her fifth year at Memorial serving the students and staff. Her main job is to offer comfort to all at school. Although it is difficult to prove with data, she certainly has seemed to improve the climate and culture of the school. Her presence seems to offer a calmness to students and staff.
Mrs. Misecko, Eleanor's handler, has shared guidelines for interacting with Eleanor with each class. Although most students are very excited to be around Eleanor, we recognize that some students may have a fear of dogs or may have pet allergies. All students were reminded that it is always their personal choice if they want to interact with Eleanor. If your child has an allergy to dogs or if your child has a fear of dogs, please share this information with the school nurse or Mrs. Misecko.
A Great Opportunity for Parents
Handbook
PTO
President - Malorie Medellin
Vice President - Tracee McMahon and Amber Strunk
Treasurer - Megan Taylor
Secretary - Casandra Heeren
Stay tuned for more information coming about 23-24 PTO events. They will be shared in the Memorial Newsletter, on the Memorial Elementary PTO Facebook page, and the Memorial PTO Website.
Water Bottles
Memorial Elementary
Email: dmisecko@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: https://valparaisomes.valpo.k12.in.us/
Location: 1052 Park Avenue, Valparaiso, IN, USA
Phone: 219-531-3090