Principal's Post

It is hard to believe that we will be celebrating Valentine's Day on Wednesday and rolling into mid-winter break on Friday. I hope everyone has enjoyed the warmer weather. It was fun to see students back in shorts feeling ready for spring. Let's hope we can keep this weather for a bit and make a nice transition into a new season.

I wanted to take a minute and share an update on our staff focus with professional development that has a direct impact on student achievement. As a staff we have spent time digging into all curricular areas but recognized we needed a unified approach to build specific executive function skills for all students. According to the authors of Executive Function Skills in the Classroom, Overcoming Barriers, Building Strategies, executive functions encompass:

• Response Inhibition - The ability to think before we act.
• Working Memory - The ability to keep information in mind when performing a task.
• Emotional Control - The ability to manage emotions.
• Cognitive Flexibility - The ability to revise plans when things do not go as planned.
• Sustained Attention - The ability to attend to a situation despite distractions.
• Task Initiation - The ability to begin a task/assignment.
• Planning and Preparation - The ability to create a plan to get work done.
• Organization - Creating systems to sustain and complete work.
• Time Management - The ability to estimate and allocate time needed to meet deadlines.
• Goal-Directed Persistence - The capacity to set goals and carry through to completion despite obstacles/challenges.
• Metacognition - The ability to think about your thinking that allows you to self-monitor and self-evaluate.

We are fortunate to work directly with one of the main authors, Dr. Laurie Faith throughout the remainder of the school year. In our first session she shared that a common mistake we make with students is that we do too much for them when they are struggling. Instead, we should walk them through a Barriers/Strategies Protocol (BSP) as a group. We do this by identifying the barrier/challenge that needs to be addressed and brainstorming why that is challenging. We then explore possible strategies and allow students to leverage the strategies to overcome barriers. It is important to have the students do the heavy lifting when it comes to thinking and putting a plan into action. It is equally important to reflect on the success of the strategies and continue to use this protocol with other barriers throughout the day. Often times both as educators and parents we do the heavy lifting because it easier and more efficient. However, the research is evident that we must allow students to feel the struggle, experience failure and use both as a platform for new learning.

Below are some pictures of a 1st grade classroom using the BSP with Mrs. Chudler today to tackle the problem of why it is so hard to work together on class projects. You will see that students identified many barriers and came up with a lot of strategies to try. The class was very proud of their collective thinking process and were excited to put their plans into action.

As a staff we are excited to extend our learning during the afternoon of February 16th and look forward to implementing new strategies and protocols to help students develop their executive functions.

Also included in the Principal's Post this week is:

• New Lunch Items Coming Soon
• Angell Network News
• Angells in the Alley
• Respect Circle
• PTA Updates
• Counselors Corner
• Community Coffee Series
• Intent to Return for 2024-2025 School Year
• TK/K Registration
• Black History Month Calendar
• African American Read-In
• PTA Updates
• PTA Angell Excellence Focus Group Inquiry
• Upcoming Events
• Optimist Club Contest
• Food Service Information
• Angell Calendar

Sincerely,

Vince Gigliotti

Angell Principal

Starting March 4th, the Food Service Department will be offering two NEW daily lunch options in addition to the three current available daily items at the Elementary Schools. The two new options will be available starting Monday, March 4th.

1. Wow Butter & Grape Jelly Jammer with string cheese and whole grain Cheez-its

(Contains milk, wheat, sesame, soy)

2. Chicken Popper Salad served with a graham cracker (salad includes popcorn chicken and shredded mozzarella cheese over a blend of spinach and romaine lettuce) Italian/ranch dressing available on the side.

(Contains milk, wheat, soy)

All school lunches also contain a choice of 1% chocolate or regular milk and an assortment of fresh or packaged fruit and vegetables. Daily offerings may include bananas, pears, apples, apple slices, orange slices, peach, pear and mixed fruit cups, sliced cucumbers, carrot/celery sticks and more.

The Angell PTA Dad's Club hosted their inaugural Angells in the Alley bowling event at 5 Star Lanes last Sunday. It was a great turn out and everyone had a blast.

Congratulations to our students honored at Respect Circle for being Kind, Safe and Productive on Tuesday, February 6th.

Week of February 12, 2024

Upcoming Events!

PTA Meeting

Our February PTA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00pm in the Angell Media Center. All are welcome!

PTA Membership

Please consider joining. Get involved and help support our Angell Community.

Printable Membership Form: PTA Membership Form
Join the PTA online: https://angellpta.memberhub.com/store
Volunteer / Chair Opportunities: Angell PTA Committees

Angell Dad’s Club

Know any dads who want to get involved? They are absolutely welcome to join our PTA, but we also have an Angell Dad's Club!
Meetings: 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm at Dog and Pony Show Brewing
Facebook: Angell Dad's Club
Contact: Scott Sehi

Email: sehisc@gmail.com

Social Media
Follow us on our social media pages to get important information and updates!
Facebook: Angell PTA Facebook Page
Instagram: angellfishpta

*2023- 2024 Angell PTA Board*

Caitlyn Thrasher, President, caitlyn.thrasher85@gmail.com
Bridget Rock, Vice President, bridget.a.rock@gmail.com
Kelsey Cole, Secretary, kelseyl_cole@yahoo.com
Tara Samson, Treasurer, ellorysmama@gmail.com
Lindsay Royce, PR Coordinator, say.royce@gmail.com

Angell PTA would love to have a candy bar set up in the teachers lounge for Valentine's Day! Please consider donating a bag of individually wrapped candy by February 13th. All donations can be turned in to the office. Thank you!

The Angell Elementary School PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders and community members is important to the success of our students and school. That’s why we are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program, which grows partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students.

We need your help! As part of the process outlined by National PTA, we are in the early stages of our goal for this school year. We plan to add an additional piece of equipment to our playground.

If you or your Angell student would like to participate in our focus group that will aid in determining what type of equipment we purchase, please fill out the following form. This focus group will likely take place before our February PTA meeting at 6 pm. If we have a large number of students interested, their meeting will take place during the school day.

Does this sound like a PTA program you’d really like to help with? Email us at angellberkleypta@gmail.com with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work toward becoming a National PTA School of Excellence!

We would like to express our appreciation for everyone who donated winter gear in January. We have lots of extra gloves, mittens, snow pants, and more, to share with our classroom teachers. Having access to spare gear in the classroom reduces the need for visits to the office and speeds up the process of getting to recess. While there was no need for any winter gear this past week, we are under no illusions that winter is over. We definitely made the most of the beautiful weather and are now prepared for the weeks ahead.

As you all know, we’re dedicating a lot of our time to learning about and building executive function skills in ourselves and our students. It was our pleasure to join so many of you at the February PTA meeting to continue that learning. If you were unable to attend but want to check out our presentation, you can find it here. We talked about the three base executive functions. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to see things in a different way or change perspectives, perhaps using a wooden block as a fire truck or a skyscraper during play. Working memory is our ability to hold information and manipulate it. One way we use working memory is during multi-step problem solving. The third base executive function is inhibitory control. It’s a bit of a tongue twister, but simply put it’s our ability to control impulses. Family game nights are not only a fun way to be together, but you’re also strengthening inhibitory control.

We are busy empowering our students to take charge of their own learning and one way we do this is by building their problem-solving skills. Mr. G. shared a little bit about the Barriers and Strategies protocol we are using at school (and with our own children). By having students identify their own barriers to a certain task or life skill (like listening) we have the opportunity to validate their experience. Taking it one step further and empowering them to come up with their own strategies to overcome these barriers builds their confidence and ability to problem solve moving forward. The children know that it’s helpful to build our “toolbox” as a single strategy may not work every time or for all people. When we set aside our assumptions and remove judgment, we open the floor to a great group or family discussion.

For those of you following along, the theme for the Action For Happiness calendar this month is Friendly February. The daily prompts remind us to build connections with and extend empathy to those around us.

Superintendent Scott Francis will host community chats this semester. Community members are invited to share thoughts about the Berkley School District at this informal community forum on the following dates:

• Thursday, February 15, 8:30-9:30 am. Topic: Bond & Sinking Fund Facility Updates

• Monday, May 20, 5:30-6:30 pm. Topic: TBD
  
  

All Community Chat events will be held at the Berkley Schools Administrative Offices, 14501 Talbot, Oak Park. Refreshments will be provided.

You are cordially invited to Angell's Media Center for an African American Read-In hosted by Oakland Schools. The zoom will feature author/illustrator, Don Tate. Those wishing to participate from home will need to register using the link provided in the flier below.

Week of February 12 - February 16, 2024

Monday, February 12

Pledge Leaders: Ozanich

Board of Education Meeting

Tuesday, February 13

Pledge Leaders: Ozanich

Respect Circle

Wednesday, February 14

Pledge Leaders: Ozanich

Ash Wednesday

Thursday, February 15

Pledge Leaders: Ozanich

TK-1st Little Yogis Program

Friday, February 16

Pledge Leaders: Ozanich

1/2 Day for Students - Professional Development Day

Week of February 19 - February 23, 2024

Mid-Winter Break

School Resumes on Monday, February 26th

Topic: “How to Change the World with Optimism”

Open to all students up to age 18. Participants must prepare and submit their own 4 – 5 minute

speech and deliver it at our local entry competition, officially timed and judged according to

Optimist International rules.

The Royal Oak contest is Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 7:15 am

Metro Detroit Youth Club

1545 East Lincoln Ave.

Royal Oak MI 48067

Applications are due Monday, March 4, 2024. Electronic copies of the following can be emailed

to crowoaks@hotmail.com:

1. Application Form, signed by student and parent.

2. Proof of Age, such as birth certificate, passport, or driver’s license.

3. Printed copy of speech.

A confirmation email with applicant’s name, age and school can be submitted by March 4, 2024

and hard copies of the above may be submitted at the event.

Contestants must be under 19 years of age on October 1, 2023 and who have not completed

secondary school or its equivalent. A contestant is eligible to compete in only one Optimist

Oratorical contest in a given year. Full contest rules and scoring metrics are found on the

Application, which can be requested at crowoaks@hotmail.com. No Application fee required.

For more information about the Royal Oak Optimists Club, visit: royaloakoptimists.org

For all lunch information, INCLUDING LUNCH MENUS, please visit our Food Service page on the district website by clicking on the button below.

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Volunteering, Covid Protocols, Food Management/Allergens, Nut Free Safe Snacks, Daily Schedules, Bell Schedules, Specials Schedule, Lunch Information, Nutrislice, and Breakfast Information

Email: vincenzo.gigliotti@berkleyschools.org
Website: https://www.berkleyschools.org/schools/angell/
Location: 3849 Beverly Boulevard, Berkley, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 837-8501
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angell-Elementary-School/688122847952184
Twitter: @GigliottiVince