Ottawa Newsletter

Dear Ottawa Families,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed winter break! The first week back with students was great. We always like to start our time back with reminders about school expectations and our focus on the Full Value Agreement. On Friday, January 5th, we had our monthly PBiS Assembly, but also went over expectations for different areas at school and our next Superpower of the Month -- PERSEVERANCE! Students did a great job showing examples of expectations and were excited to get back to school.

As we continue through the month of January, we are ending our first semester with winter testing taking place and report cards will be sent home towards the end of the month. Testing will begin January 16th and will continue through February 2nd. Testing is a time for teachers to gather information as they continue to plan lessons focused on grade level State Standards. Please make sure your child gets a good night sleep, breakfast in the morning, and is at school on time. Our learning begins at 8:00 AM with morning routines to start the day on the right foot. When students are late, they feel rushed and have a hard time getting themselves ready for a day of learning and fun!

Kindly,

Jodi Schreiber

Please make sure to stop by and check out the lost & found! We will be donating all items at the end of the month if they are not claimed.

There are times when you might need to change dismissal procedures for your child. Please remember that you MUST call by 2:30 PM in order for the front office to notify teachers. There is a strong possibility that if you call after 2:30 PM your message might not get to your child in time. We do our best, but our procedures for dismissal start at 2:30 PM and it is difficult to make changes.

As a reminder, dismissal is at 3:05 PM. It is important for students to be picked up on time. If you are unable to pick students up by 3:10 PM, there are options for after school care. We currently have the YMCA at Ottawa and there is also a program at the field house. If this is not an option and bussing is available, please look at having your child ride the bus. It is important that students are picked up on time, as staff members are busy after school with appointments, meetings, planning, and their families. If for any reason, you will be running late, please make sure to call the front office to let us know.

If you have any questions, please feel free to Call Mrs. Schreiber.

We know it hasn’t felt like it up to this point in time, but winter has officially arrived in northern Michigan. Many students are coming to school unprepared for the outdoors. Whenever it is possible, students will be going outside for recess at least once per day. Please make sure your student is coming to school with a coat, hat, gloves, snow pants, and boots. Some students are choosing not to wear their outdoor gear at recess. Remind your student that these are required items to wear in order to play on the playground.

On January 5, we had our school wide PBiS Assembly to celebrate our Superheroes of the Month. They were honored for showing "EMPATHY" during the month of December. This month we are looking for Superheroes that show "PERSEVERANCE".

Congratulations to our December "Empathy" Superheroes:

• Kindergarten: Frankie, Tommi, & Ethan

• 1st Grade: Adley & Gwen

• 2nd Grade: Ana & Dawson

• 3rd Grade: Noah & Maci

• 4th Grade: Nevaeh & Eli

• 5th Grade: Lexi & Charlotte

• Art: Graydon

• Music: Evangeline

• PE: Michaela

• Technology: Nevaeh

At the beginning of each month, the Student Support Specialist, Mrs. Monan visits every classroom (Preschool-5th grade) to teach a lesson about the PBIS character trait of the month. All of these traits align with the social emotional learning competencies for the state of Michigan. So far, students have learned about respect, responsibility, gratitude, and empathy. The trait for January is perseverance. Students will learn the importance of striving to achieve a goal even when it is difficult. Perseverance is closely linked with growth mindset and realizing that if you are having difficulty learning how to master something, it’s not that you can't do it. You just can’t do it YET! Preschool- second graders will make YET crowns this week during their lesson and set a goal for something they can’t do YET. Next week, third through fifth graders will participate in growth mindset activities and learn strategies on persevering and working toward a goal, even when it is difficult. Strategies may include taking a break from the situation when frustrated, breathing, practicing more, and asking advice from an adult.

Throughout Ottawa, students are working hard and learning so many things. There are so many ways that teachers get students engaged in their learning through a hands on approach to support critical thinking and problem solving.

In 5th grade, students have been learning about the water cycle. As they continue their learning, they are digging deeper into their understanding of mixtures and solutions. During a lab, students worked as a TEAM to find ways to separate mixtures and solutions. They had a variety of materials to help them work through the scientific process to find a way to get the mixture/solution the closest to pure water.

In 2nd grade, students are learning about regrouping. Learning about place values and how to reorganize ones, tens, hundreds is a foundational skill in mathematics. Using manipulatives helps students to visualize and gain a concrete understanding of numbers.

Be on the lookout in upcoming newsletters for more "Learning at Ottawa".

Before winter break, our kindergarten students read many books about winter and celebrations around the world. The day before our break they took a trip to the gym and participated in fun winter wonderland movement rotations. It was great to see all of our kindergarten students working as a TEAM and having fun. They enjoyed a special treat and were able to enjoy time together before our break!

We have open support staff positions at Ottawa Elementary! Please feel free to contact Jodi Schreiber, Ottawa Principal, for more information.

- January 15: No School for Students

- January 16 - February 2: District NWEA Testing Window

- January 18: PTO Meeting @ 3:30 PM

- January 18: School Board Meeting @ 7:00 PM

- January 19: 1/2 Day of School for Students

- February. 2: Winter Carnival from 5:00 - 7:00 PM