Vowles Elementary

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Mar. 18th- Project Aware MPPS Movie at Celebration Cinema for Families 11:00-1:00 (see below)

Mar. 23rd- All School Field Trip to Celebration Cinema

Mar. 24th- No School~ Spring Break Begins
Mar. 24-Apr. 2nd~ Spring Break

Apr. 3rd- School Resumes & After School Tutoring begins again

Apr. 7th-No School~ Good Friday

Apr. 11th- PTO Meeting at 4:00

Apr. 12th- Mobile Dentist is at Vowles

Apr. 24th- Vowles Discovery Museum Night (New date) 5:30-7:00

*MPPS School Calendar for 2022-2023

Let us know how our staff is doing and help us to recognize them by completing our Staff Shout Out. You can recognize an amazing teacher by filling out a few questions in the link below. We will present them with a Shout Out Certificate that tells what they were recognized for and by who.

Staff Shout Out

We are rescheduling the March 14th Writing Night due to the number of snow days and days we have had off. We will be rescheduling for early May. Look for a new date in the upcoming newsletters.

One District One Book

For March is Reading Month, all of our district elementary schools are participating in One District One Book again! This year we are reading The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz. Your Vowles Viking came home with their own copy of the chapter book to keep, an informational letter, and the reading month calendar. We hope as a family that you can take time to read the assigned nightly chapters together. We understand that our students are doing more "listening" of the story than reading. Students will participate in weekly trivia, dress-up days, and take part in the home activities noted on the calendar, and have chances to win prizes. There will be guest readers throughout the week and we will post those videos to our Facebook page.

Below is some information from our last PTO meeting held on Mar. 14, 2023.

Principals Report:

School Improvement

• Science Night is rescheduled to April 24th from 5:30-7:00 at the Discovery Museum.
• Family Writing Night will be rescheduled to May

One District One Book

• Still ongoing until Thurs. Mar. 23rd.

Book Fair

• Spring Book Fair was a success. We processed over $6200 in fair sales. PTO elected to take profits in scholastic dollars this fair. We earned nearly $3100 in scholastic dollars.

Library Enhancements

• With the help of bond money and a donation to PTO from a community member, we were able to enhance our Library . We purchased kid-friendly tables and chairs, new curtains, and "book" character decorations.

New Business

• Celebration Cinema Movie Field Trip for All students will be Mar. 23rd in the morning. PTO is paying the bus fee and left over portion of the student cost.
• Extreme Challenge- tabled until April as there were not enough people present at the meeting.
• **Teacher Appreciation Week is May 1-5th. We are looking for Vowles Parents to organize this week. PTO has a set budget to work off of. If you are interested in helping, please contact: Chrissy Ansorge at cansorge@mp.edzone.net

Our next Meeting is scheduled for April 11th at 4:00 p.m.

Our school is participating in the School Store Fundraiser. This program allows you to donate to classrooms and teachers in our building by gifting teachers gift cards that they can use through the Caring For Classrooms program. Teachers can choose from a wide range of supplies, games, or books for their classroom. School Store also allows you or your family members to shop online at various stores such as Walmart, Kohl's, and BEST Buy. A percentage of your purchase comes back to the school.

Families can supply 6 email addresses to 6 different people or family members. If they supply all 6, they will get a code to put on their envelope. Bring your envelope back to school to receive a free safari "hugger" animal.

If students complete their 6 emails, we still have "huggers" to give away.

*Gift Card and Department Store purchases continue to add to our school all year long!!!

Vowles students have been learning about Bus Expectations. We understand that not every student rides the bus regularly. However, at some point this spring, usually classes take field trips where they utilize the bus. Students also had a chance to go on the bus with their class to hear about the expectations from our drivers. Students that ride regularly, may, bring home a BUS BUCK. A BUS BUCK certificate can be turned into their school for a chance for a prize.

We focused on 3 main things to make a successful bus ride:

1. Students must be stayed fully seated while on the bus.

2. Students must use quiet/low voices so the driver can focus on the roads, hear emergency sirens or use his/her walkie to talk to other students while the bus is moving.

3. Students must keep their hands and feet to themselves while on the bus.

We are hoping that families that particularly have students that ride frequently can review these expectations with their child at home.

Arrival and Pick Up~

As a reminder for your safety and the safety of your child, please use our Crosswalk when you are dropping off or picking up your child. Our circle drive is a "fluid" drive. Cars are coming and leaving. It is difficult to see a student walking in between cars. It is also NOT a good practice that we want students thinking they should walk between cars.

We appreciate your attention to this!

*When it is raining outside or too cold to be out, students will enter the building upon arrival to school.

Here is a list of helpful hints for parents as we get ready for winter season~

1) Label Everything~ child's clothes (utilize the inside tags of sweatshirts, jackets, shoes, and snowpants).

2) Send an extra pair of clothes to stay in your child's locker. Put in a ziplock and label with your child's name.

*Please let us know if your child does not have any necessary winter items and we can work on getting them for you.

If your child is in need of assistance with clothing or winter clothes, you can reach out to the Clothing, Inc. organization. You can fill out this link to make an appointment with them.

Classrooms/Grade levels will be selling Popcorn on "most" Fridays when we are in session on those days. Cost is $.50 per bag.

During the course of the school year, our buildings are obligated to practice at least 5 Fire Drills, 2 Tornado Drills and 3 Lockdown drills. At times, we do have our YSU Liason or other officers from the Police Department assist in our drills. We cover with our students the locations of where to go for each drill, what to do during specific drills, and how to properly evacuate when it is needed. You can also find this information in your child's Handbook at the front of the student agenda.

I also encourage you to check out our district website where we have information that pertains to our district school safety. Click here to get to the website.

To Request for Transportation, use the form linked here:

Request for Transportation

Other forms linked on the Transportation website:

• Permission to Leave Along
• In City Busing Reduction

We still have some Youth Medium, Large, and Extra Large child shirts available. The cost is $7. If you would like one, please send in $7 in a baggie and write Vowles Shirt and Size. We will be sure to send one home.

Please see the Covid Protocols in the picture below. If your child is positive, please call our district office at 989-775-2300 to let them know. Our district can help with a return date and mask update. Central Office will notify us. If there is work that could be picked up, we will have the classroom teacher touch base with you.

If you have not set up an account online to pay for your child's lunch, you do still have the option to send money in. Please put it in your child's agenda pocket in an envelope or sandwich baggie and mark your child's Name, Grade, and Amount. The classroom teachers will bring it to the Office.

A child will always be served a lunch whether they forgot their lunch, didn't sign up that day for lunch or have not set up their online account yet.

If you have not yet filled out a Free and Reduce Form, please call our office for a hard copy to be sent home. Or, fill out a Free and Reduced form online by clicking here.

Office Hours during the school year- 8:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Website: https://www.mtpleasantschools.net/
Location: 1560 Watson Road, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
Phone: 989-775-2280
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vowleselementary/