
Shark Tales Weekly Update
Sheiko Elementary: September 29, 2023
PRINCIPAL UPDATE
Hello Sheiko Shark Families!
We had another AMAZING week of learning here at Sheiko Elementary! We can't thank you enough for partnering with us to help support our students, teachers, and support staff.
Our "big announcement" this week is about progress reports that can be viewed on Power School starting tomorrow. You will see a mark in citizenship, math, and reading. A key element of our District Strategic Plan includes that core belief that education is a shared responsibility and that positive community experiences and relationships are key to student success. Based on YOUR feedback from the Panorama survey, we want to be sure that we are communicating your child's achievement on a consistent basis. This is our goal: If we strengthen our family engagement plan and ways of reaching families, then we will see an increase in family satisfaction & student achievement. You will see more updates at 11:59 p.m. on November 7th, which is the report card. The "progress report" is the same document as the report card - there are just less items marked at "progress report" time. Here are the Marking Period Dates Calendar
You can view your child's progress report on a computer or on your mobile device: Video & Slideshow to help parents view progress reports
We also want to share about our PBIS (positive behavior intervention strategies) with you. Students earn "shark tickets" throughout the week for all of the positive things that we see. Every Friday, there is a random ticket from each class drawn to come down to the office to win a prize. Then, every month, there is a monthly winner from each class that will earn a pizza party lunch with me. Thank you to our PTO for sponsoring these fantastic prizes! We are so thankful! Our first pizza party of the year was today. So much fun!
Again, thank you for partnering with us. We love your students very much!
Go Sheiko Sharks!
Blaine McDowell
PIZZA PARTY WINNERS!
IMPORTANT DATES AND LINKS
Thursday, Oct. 5th - PICTURE DAY!
Tuesday, Oct. 10th - PTO MEETING
Wednesday, Oct. 11th - LATE START school starts at 10:10am, dismissal is 4:02pm
Friday, Oct. 13th - WALK-A-THON
Thursday, Oct 19th - FALL EVENT
Wednesday, Oct. 25th - LATE START
Friday, Oct. 27th - TRUNK-OR-TREAT
School Calendar
Click here for the school calendar.
SHEIKO SHARKS WALK-A-THON!
We are super excited to announce that Friday, October 13th is our annual Walk-a-Thon for Sheiko Elementary!
1. First Register or re-Login to your parent dashboard and complete your child’s student webpage with a PICTURE at getmovinfundhub.com. School Identifier: 610d7724b9cd7
2. Make an online donation using the red Donate button right away
3. Share with friends and family, they want to help!
- Send 10-15 emails and/or text messages
- Post Facebook or Twitter
- Help your child reach their goal in 24/48 hours
If you would like to volunteer to help please use the link below to sign up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A4AC2AAAFAC25-44511564-parent
We will need help with set up and clean up. We will also have stations: a warm up station, the actual walking station, and a popsicle station. Please meet PTO on the Playground. Thank you!
We also invite you to help support our students by cheering them on.
Parents are invited to come during their grade-level times:
- 9:20-10:20 - 5th Grade
- 10:30-11:30 - 3rd Grade
- 11:40-12:40 - 4th Grade
Thank you!
"DADS & KIDS" PIZZA NIGHT EVENT!
Dear Fathers and Father-Figures: On Tuesday, October 3 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., we will be having our 1st ‘Dads and Kids’ Pizza Night at our school. You will meet here at the school cafeteria at 6:00 p.m. for FREE pizza and drinks. At 6:30 p.m., we will have a presentation about our WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) Program. WATCH D.O.G.S.® is an innovative program being used by schools across America which helps them to be positively impacted by the committed involvement of fathers and father-figures in their student’s life. Our goal is to have you spend at least one day this year at the school to be a positive male role model and to provide an extra set of eyes and ears. Dads, granddads, uncles, step-dads and adult brothers . . . this is your chance to have a night out alone with your student in a fun atmosphere at school. In order to participate, please use this link:
FALL EVENT
LIBRARY CARD SIGN UP MONTH!
Check out this link to get a library card!
PICTURE DAY IS COMING!
IXL INFORMATION
We will be using IXL at school to supplement instruction and review skills. It is a great resource to use at home too:
Helping Your Child Logging In At Home
IXL is designed to help your child learn at their own pace. The program is adaptive and will adjust based on your child’s demonstrated understanding of the material. If students are working on their Skill Plan, they should select tasks in order from the top. All of your child’s results will be saved, so you can monitor their progress anytime by clicking on Analytics. Although IXL is not required, it may be something you
would like them to do 2-3 times per week at home.
Students might need your help to log in at home on a device. Here are some tips:
● When students are logging in from home on a computer, they need to use
https://www.ixl.com/signin/wbloomfieldsd and then their school google email/password.
Happy Learning!
MR. PEACE IS COMING TO SHEIKO ELEMENTARY!
M-STEP SCORE INFORMATION
Your child's M-STEP scores were sent home Tuesday, September 26th. Please be sure to check your child's folder for an envelope.
The M-STEP test is taken in the spring, starting in 3rd grade. The results are sent to each school in September of the following year, so if you have a 3rd grader this year, your child will test in the spring of 2024, and you will get the results in September of 2024. Here is a helpful chart to read the scores:
M-STEP Guides to Parent Reports are resources available on the M-STEP web page (www.michigan.gov/mstep) in the header icons and under the “Parent/Student Information'' section. The chart above comes from this site. These guides provide grade level descriptions of the assessed standards and what the student will be expected to learn in the next school year for each tested grade.
NEWS FROM OUR SPECIALS CLASSES
MUSIC - Mrs. Virta
Last Thursday, the students did a wonderful job performing the Sheiko School Song during our school assembly.. The fifth and fourth graders were great leaders and the 3rd graders were quick learners.
This week, we have been practicing moving rhythmically by ourselves and with a partner. We learned the Los Machetes Dance in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Here is Mr. Malisow’s class in action.
Mr. Malisow's class, rhythm sticks 1
iCENTER - Mrs. VanNostrand
If you would like to volunteer in our iCenter please use the link below to sign up!
Sheiko iCenter Volunteer Sign-up https://calendar.app.google/63k5oZT6AvFL5tB37
ART - Ms. Tucker
The students have been hard at work pianting their "Kindness" rocks. Installation coming soon!
DONUTS WITH DANIA
“Donuts with Dania” is an opportunity for parents, families, and community members to come together and engage in open discussions about school-related topics. This informal gathering provides an opportunity for our school family to ask questions, share thoughts, and gain insights into various educational topics.
COAT DRIVE
Sheiko is woriking with Tapper's on their annual coat drive! We have a large bin in our front foyer just waiting for your new or gently used donations!
AFTER THE BELL ACTIVITIES
After the Bell Fall 2023 Offerings at Sheiko Elementary School
Mondays - Drawing with Young Rembrandts, maximum class size is 12.
Don't wait to register! Register Here starts on 10/2
Fridays - Karate with True Martial Arts, maximum class size is 15.
Register Here starts on 9/29
For questions, please email andrea.frank@wbsd.org
TRUNK-OR-TREAT!
It's that time of year again! Our annual trunk-or-treat with Doherty will be held on Friday, October 27th from 6-8 p.m. We are in need of individually wrapped candy. If you might consider donating, please just send in the candy with your child and have them bring it to the office. We will start collecting now through October 27th. Thank you for considering!
Are you interested in decorating your car for this event? More information to come on this, but get your creative juices flowing! We can't wait to see what you come up with!
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
We know the fall days are upon us, but please remember that there are no spaghetti straps, stomachs showing, or super short shorts when the weather is warm.
We are asking that students leave their smart watches at home. They have proven to be a huge distraction to teaching and learning. Students may have phones (but totally not necessary!) as long as they are powered down and in their backpacks. Students will have one reminder to put them away. Otherwise, these items will be turned into the office for parent pick up if they are out.Thank you for your support in this matter!
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
Dear Parents of West Bloomfield School District Students,
If your child is a student (3 to 26 years of age) in the West Bloomfield Schools, s/he can also participate in the 2023-24 Blessings in a Backpack program. This program sends six non-perishable meals home each Friday of the school year. Its goal is to make sure that no child goes hungry on the weekend. Run by volunteers, there is NO cost to you.
To enroll in this program, please fill out the form below and return it to your school office or email it to katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. This registers your child/ren in the Blessings program and alerts us to any allergies they might have. The first backpack of food will be distributed to your child at his/her local school the first week of October.
Please use this link to enroll today.
AMAZON WISH LIST
We are doing a special project in art class to go along with our "Choose Kindness" theme. First, teachers are kicking off the theme by reading, "Each Kindness". There is a part in the story where a rock is dropped in the water and the reader learns about the "ripple effect" that kindness can have in the world. In art class, students will be painting rocks, but we still need more rocks. Please consider donating rocks by using the link below and having the rocks shipped right to Sheiko Elementary! We thank you for your support!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/14LJQABAT9MJS?ref_=wl_share
YOGA AT SHEIKO
Dear Families,
We are so excited to announce that our students have begun yoga! All students will receive an 8 week session of yoga provided by the West Bloomfield Coalition. Our fourth grade classes have yoga on Thursdays. Mrs. Moss's, Mrs. Strutton's and Mrs. Kleinstiever's fifth grade class also have yoga on Thursdays. Mrs. Dinning's and Mr. Malisow's fifth grade classes have yoga on Fridays. All third grade classes will have yoga on Thursdays, starting on Nov. 30th. Please send your child in comfy/stretchy pants on our yoga days! Please see the letter below for more information. Thank you!
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
For birthdays, in lieu of treats, you may bring in other items such as stickers, pencils, bookmarks, notepads, flashcards, ect.
Please make sure your student stops by the office to let us know that it is their birthday. They can receive their birthday recognition from the principal.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
FREE BREAKFAST
Please drop off your student by 9:10 to receive the free breakfast. Students that ride the bus can also receive free breakfast. Thank you!
CARLINE REMINDERS
- Please only turn right out of the parking lot.
- In the morning, do not enter the carline until 8:35 in the morning because our preschool parents need to drop off their children. If you do get here earlier, you may be asked to loop around so that we can get our preschoolers in the building in a safe manner.
- In the afternoon, please do not enter the carline until 3:30 or after. We are trying to dismiss our preschool students. Thank you for your help with this!
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL INFORMATION
Keeping children safe is our greatest priority. All rules and procedures have been developed with safety in mind. Please read carefully and review the map below.
MORNING DROP OFF:
Enter the west parking lot through the drive that is farthest west (past the Comcast office). Remain in a single line.
Keep your child in the car with you until 8:55.
Do not allow your child to get out of the car until you have pulled up to the sidewalk and an adult is present. Adults will be present between 8:55 and 9:10 AM to help your child out of the car.
Do not get out of the car.
Turn right ONLY out of the parking lot.
The front circle and parking lot are for BUSES ONLY from 8:30-9:20.
AFTERNOON PICKUP:
Enter the west parking lot through the drive that is farthest west (past the Comcast office). Remain in a single line.
Remain in your vehicle. Your child will come to the sidewalk and get in your car.
PLEASE NOTE: IT IS RIGHT TURN ONLY out of the parking lot.
The front circle and parking lot are for BUSES ONLY from 3:30-4:30.
There will be no early release after 3:30pm.
TRANSPORTATION CHANGES:
If there is a change in how your child departs from school, please send a note to school in the morning. Changes can also be reported by calling the Sheiko office before 3:30PMSICK POLICY INFORMATION
To protect all children from communicable illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while they are contagious. Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school. Please call our Safeline (248-865-6372) if your child will be absent from school. We also have a masking station at the front of the building in which students are welcome to help themselves. For more information regarding the sick policy, please see the attached document.
FOOD ALERGY INFORMATION
Dear Parents/Guardians:
There are students in our school that have severe allergies. It is important that any snack or treats brought in are sesame and peanut/tree nut free. This includes products that are made in a facility that processes nuts. Snack/treats CANNOT be homemade, either. Please help by reading the labels before you buy the snack/treat.
Here is a website that you can use when purchasing snacks/treats for your child: https://snacksafely.com. This guide lists many foods that are safe to bring into the classroom (many of them are snacks you might eat within your own home).
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Blaine McDowell
Principal
BRIDGES MATH PROGRAM
The West Bloomfield School District uses the Bridges math program. Below, you will find the family letters for Unit 1. Enjoy!
SAVE THE DATE
Dear WBSD Educators,
We are pleased to announce the WBEF Grant Program for the 2023-24 school year. The program will again emphasize the West Bloomfield School District’s Portrait of a Graduate’s 4 C’s-Collaborator, Communicator, Contributor, and Critical Thinker. The goal is to offer staff funds to foster innovation and creativity in their classrooms, schools, and programs.
Applications for up to $750 each will be accepted now - Monday, October 23, 2023 at 3 p.m. Collaboration is encouraged amongst and between grade levels and buildings.
Need inspiration? Don't know where to start? Click here for the WBEF Facebook page to view photos of kiddos benefitting from WBEF Grants.
Click here for the rubric and eligibility requirements.
Click here to complete the Application (it is a Google Form).
Best wishes for a great school year! Be sure to Save the Date for WBEF Casino Night on February 2, 2024 at Glen Oaks Country Club.
Your WBEF Grant Committee
DISTRICT CALENDAR/SAFELINE PHONE NUMBERS
About Us
Email: blaine.mcdowell@wbsd.org
Website: https://www.wbsd.org/sheiko-elementary
Location: 4500 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-865-6370
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/225210744201191
Twitter: @BlaineMcDowell