Messages from Memorial

I hope that you have had a great winter break from school. We are now through two quarters of this school year and the second quarter report cards will be available on the Skyward Parent Portal on January 8. If you have any questions about your child's report card, please contact your child's teacher.

As you have heard from the office of the Superintendent, Valparaiso Community Schools will continue with eLearning on Wednesdays through the next semester. If you are in need of child care for Wednesdays, please refer to the information below. Please note that, each Wednesday, homework and technology help will be available and there will be increased contact time for teachers and the social worker. If you have already completed a technology Opt-In form this school year, you will not need to complete another. Additional information can be found on the VCS website.

It looks like winter has arrived. Please make sure that your child is appropriately dressed for outdoor recess. We go outside each day unless it is 0 degrees or lower, with wind chill, or unless it is too wet. Hats, mittens, snowpants, and boots are required to play in the snow. If you need assistance with any of those items, please contact Mrs. Seip.

With Great Respect,

Mrs. Debra Misecko

We now have a Homework Hotline for students in need of homework help on eLearning Wednesdays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. To access this help, call 465-9196. You will reach an auto attendant and then you will choose the extension of 2380 for Memorial. If you forget the extension for Memorial, you may wait on the line for directions.

We will also have a Technology Support Hotline to call to receive technology support during eLearning on Wednesdays. This number is 465-9197.

January

4 -Return to School

8 - Second Quarter Report Cards Available on the Skyward Parent Portal

13 - PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.

13 - PTO Family Night at Panda Express (10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.)

15 - Discovery Fair entries due today

18 - No School today - Martin Luther King Day

19 - Memorial Reads a Book begins

February

10 - PTO Meeting via Zoom at 3:45 p.m.

12 & 15 - No School - Mid-Winter Break (please note the 12th is a Snow Make-up Day and will be elearning if needed).

15 - PTO Family NIght at Buffalo Wild Wings

We hope all Memorial families will join us in our first "Memorial Reads a Book". The book we will be reading is a secret and will be unveiled through clues the week of January 11. We will start reading the book on Tuesday, January 19. All students will be given a copy of the book. This will be a great time for families to snuggle up and read together. There will also be school and home activities to go with our reading. Our goal is to make reading a book together fun and engaging. We hope you join us!

Please note that if your child has signed up to complete a Discovery Fair Project, it is due by Friday, January 15. Here are the guidelines for submitting the projects:

Submission of the Project:

Please submit a short video (1 min or less) of your child explaining their project. A picture of the project is also acceptable. Please submit all projects to discoveryfairmemorial@gmail.com

Timeline:

12/16/20: The Project Idea Form is due. Please turn the form into the school office or email it to discoveryfairmemorial@gmail.com.

Please note: T-shirts will be ordered over the holiday break

Winter Break: Kids work on projects

1/15/21: Project submission due date via email

• Congrats on learning how to navigate this tricky way of learning. You are doing great! It is really fun for us to see you during your live sessions.
• Please remember to be ready for your Zoom sessions on time. Being ready means that you are logged on, have removed distractions from your learning area, put away all food and drinks, and have the needed school supplies ready to go.
• Keep your computer on mute until you are ready to speak. Keep in mind when your computer is not on mute, the entire classroom is hearing all noises from your home. Family discussions can be distracting.
• Remote student attendance is determined by the students' completion of the class participation for the day, whether it is one or more live sessions.
• If your child is ill and cannot participate, please inform your child's teacher and the office in the morning.
• Classroom teachers will let you know if there are books or materials to pick up. When necessary, you will have contactless pick up in the front vestibule. Please come during office hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Memorial continues to focus on sharing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey. We will talk about one of the 7 Habits each month. The January Habit is Habit #5 - "Seek First to Understand,Then to be Understood." The most important parts of habit 5 is to be an empathetic listener and to listen for understanding. Understanding should come before responding. For more information please read more from Dr. Stephen Covey's website.

We are so excited to announce the PTO Executive Board for the 2020-2021 school year and greatly appreciate their willingness to work in these valued positions.

President - Kristen Elinkowski

Vice President - Rose Gutshall

Treasurer - Megan Taylor

Secretary - Rae Smedley

Stay tuned for more information coming about 20-21 PTO events. They will be shared in the Memorial Newsletter, on the Memorial Elementary PTO Facebook page, and the Memorial PTO Website.

The Memorial PTO will continue to participate in the Box Tops for Education program. It is now as simple as scanning grocery reciepts using the Box Tops for Education App. Please use the link below for more information on how you can use your regular purchases to support the Memorial PTO.

• Please make sure your child has the appropriate outdoor wear for the weather. We will go outside everyday unless it is 0 degrees, with wind chill, or if it is too wet.
• Please make sure that you are screening for Covid 19 symptoms before sending your child to school. This link can take you to the VCS Return to Learn Plan and the screening guidelines.
• Thank you for following your dismissal plans as written.
• We recognize that family situations change from week to week for various reasons, and we will accommodate weekly dismissal plans as needed. Those plans need to be in the office by 10 a.m. on Monday morning. That gives us time to communicate with all stakeholders and to make provisions for assigned seats, if needed.
• Unfortunately we cannot accommodate mid-day switches for convenience, as it is difficult to make sure all of our safety provisions can be in place and that we can communicate the change with the appropriate personnel. If it is truly an emergency, please call the school office to discuss your needs.
• If your child gets picked up in a car from school, please continue to follow the correct times for lining up: Last names of A-K dismissal begins at 3:10 and last names beginning L-Z start dismissal at 3:20.
• Morning supervision and breakfast begin at 8:50. Please drop off your child after 8:50. If they would like to eat breakfast we will send them right in. All other students will be let in the building at 9:00 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 9:15.
• Pick up and drop off should only be done along the school on the curb on Milton Street. Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the school parking lots. The parking lots are not supervised for safety.
• Please consider putting a spare mask in your child's backpack. Some students are experiencing mask malfunctions during the school day.
• Please refrain from sending your child to school in flip flops. Flip flops are not safe on the playground and are also likely to break during play.

Email: dmisecko@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/337
Location: 1052 Park Avenue, Valparaiso, IN, USA
Phone: 219-531-3090
Twitter: @Valpo_Memorial