Morford Monthly Memo

I think we can say now that Fall has officially arrived! The mornings are a bit more brisk and the winds at Recess are a bitter cold with a breeze. Please help support your 4th and 5th grade students with the appropriate school clothes. Students will be going outside for Recess each day so it is important that they have the proper gear. If by chance your student has misplaced something we do have a lost and found in the cafeteria. Make sure to have them check for any items they may have misplaced.

When picking up your student from school early, please be prepared to show your ID. This is for safety and security of our students. Know that while we are working to build relationships with our families we don't always have the same people working in the office, nor do we often see you each day. Thank you for being patient to ensure our Eagles are safe!

Linden Community Schools has been participating in Michigan's Promoting Positive School Climate (PPSC) project to enhance positive behavior supports in our school. The survey for parents is a perception survey required by PPSC. It is anonymous and used to identify school climate issues within our school.

Please take a moment to answer some questions here.

Deadline to complete the survey is October 31st.

It's hard to believe we are already planning for Halloween! Students are able to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Thursday, October 31st. Please contact your child's teacher or the office with any questions. A few reminders regarding costumes and the day:

• Children may wear their costumes to school
• No masks will be allowed for safety.
  
• Face paint dries out the skin and will likely become an irritant as the day progresses, so it is recommended that you save this portion of the costume for trick-or-treating at home
• Leave any "weapon like" accessories at home
• Please be sure that costumes are school appropriate.

So long as students are able to engage in their learning for the day they will be able to stay in their costumes. You may want to pack another choice of clothes as students will go about their daily schedule of specials, Recess, etc. 4th graders will be going on a field trip on this day so be sure to have students dress appropriately.

Central Elementary will be hosting a presentation on OK2SAY – Michigan’s student safety for students in 4th and 5th grades the week of November 11th.

The program is designed to inform students how they can help make their school and community safer by reporting dangerous and concerning behaviors to a trusted adult or OK2SAY.

Students in 4th – 5th grade learn essential rules for being safe and responsible online. We teach common internet predator grooming techniques and how students can protect their information online. We emphasize the difference between “tattling” and “telling” and help distinguish between rude, mean, and bullying behavior. We discuss appropriate responses to cyberbullying. These topics are supported using several dynamic videos. The students are also introduced to the OK2SAY student safety program and encouraged to always talk to a trusted adult when they see or hear about something that is not right. Please take a moment to review the videos featured in the presentation.

Additional information and resources are available at OK2SAY(ok2say.com).

If you do NOT want your child to participate, be sure to return the bottom of this sheet to your student's teacher by Friday, November 8th.

Central Student Council is collecting new pajamas, new packs of socks, new packs of underwear, gift cards, diapers and any other items that would be good for kids entering foster care. All donations go directly to Clara’s Hope in Fenton. This fundraiser will start on Tuesday, October 1st and run through Thursday, October 31st. Each item brought in is 1 worth one point and we will have prizes for the top 3 classes! Please donate to your classroom! Thank you!

Parent teacher Conferences took place last week. The marking period closes Friday, October 25th. Central Elementary report cards will be viewable on ParentVue November 4th. If you should have any questions, please contact the office.

Linden Community Schools’ has implemented a Positive School Climate initiative. All buildings use the S.O.A.R. acronym. At Central Elementary we Stay Safe, Offer Kindness, Act Responsibly, and Remember Respect. Each classroom has a positive behavior matrix that provides expectations for students to be successful learners. The school has a schoolwide matrix that lays out expectations throughout the school like that on the playground, in the cafeteria, in the hallway and in the bathrooms. Morning announcements, classroom lessons, and student recognition with SOAR tickets help to build understanding and reward desirable attributes in our school community.

Ask your 4th or 5th grader...,.,.how did you SOAR today at Central?

Just wanted to remind you of the health safety information shared in the welcome back letter in August especially as it pertains to meds and birthday treats.

Some of our students have been diagnosed with Tree Nut/Peanut Allergies and have had severe reactions after contact. Please be cognizant of any allergy in your child’s classroom.
A few students are diabetic and have food restrictions. Medications and special accommodations for the health of your child are required to have a medical professional authorization form completed. Please refer to the forms section at www.lindenschools.org. If planning for birthday treats please take the above info into consideration and plan for store bought pre-packaged items. Check with your child’s teacher for ideas.

Genesee Health Dept, will be at Central Elementary on the following dates for Vision and Hearing screening for our students.

November 7th - 4th grade hearing screening

November 8th - 5th grade vision screening

I am noticing that arrival and dismissal can be a bit challenging. Please know that student safety is of top priority. While we recognize that some of you may be in a hurry, it is absolutely important to pack your patience each day for both arrival and dismissal for pick up and drop off.

Students cannot be wandering into the parking lot on their own. The parking lot is for "parking" only. If you wish to park and walk your child up to the building that is up to you. If you must pick them up from the parking lot, it is expected that you walk your student to ensure safety. The last thing that we want is that someone gets injured because of carelessness.

Our main goal is fluidity, so please join the queue to drop your Eagle off or pick them up from the car line loop. If all those participating in the loop pull all the way forward, students hop out or into the car quickly, the time will be minimal.

I am hopeful that together we can work through this to ensure student safety.

The office is a busy place at the end of the day. If you would like to sign your student out at the end of the day please be sure to stop by the office prior to 3:15pm. As the end of day dismissal is happening, students are packing up, teachers and students are moving, it makes it very difficult to locate students. It takes a village and we appreciate you understanding.

If you are aware of end of day changes in which your eagle will veer off the "normal" schedule (needs to be a pick up rather than ride the bus), please make sure to send your student with a note to school that day. If you must contact the school to make changes to end of day dismissal, you must call the office by 3pm. Please know that the office gets rather crazy towards the end of day and while we do try and make sure all information is passed along, students start traveling throughout the building and it makes the message hard to reach the recipient. A note will help!

Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to switch busses, allow a friend to tag along with another student, etc. so please plan accordingly as the transportation works through continuous transportation glitches.

Emergency contacts and transportation information needs to be updated when changes happen. Please make sure that your ParentVue account has been updated when things change, like that of phone numbers, address, etc. Our systems pull from this data and if you haven't updated it, we will not know without you making changes to ParentVue. If you should have questions, please contact the office at 810/591-8410.

Congrats to Mrs. Bieber who was named as the staff member of the month for October. Her colleagues had this to say about her: Amy is so dedicated to her students. She is soft spoken but yet has high expectations for her students. She understands their struggles and shows compassion. Every time she is seen in the hallways, she is so positive and has kind words to share. She does so much for her students, and goes out of her way to integrate their learning into other classrooms in the building, activities, and outside of school activities. She really puts her heart and soul into her job and it shows!

Congrats Amy!

Congrats Theresa!

Have you completed the form for Education Benefits? Although meals are free this year, we still need an Education Benefits Application completed. This information is critical in determining the amount of money that our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc. If you haven't already completed the form please take a moment to do so. Access the form here. You may also click on this link for Frequently Asked Questions.

Central El. PALS extends a great big THANK YOU for your generous support of our recent PALS Fun Run fundraiser. The fundraiser was a huge success and your contributions will make a significant impact, helping us to enrich our students' educational experiences. The students loved celebrating the conclusion of the fundraiser with the Fun Run on the LHS track!

We truly appreciate your involvement and dedication to our school community.

Our next monthly PALS meeting is scheduled for 6pm on Thursday, November 7th at the multipurpose center. We’d love to have you join us!

Visitors are welcome in our building. In order to chaperone on trips, assist in classroom parties, help at field day, etc. you must have completed a Volunteer Registration Form to have a background check done prior to you helping. Given the process takes a couple days, please plan ahead. The application must be turned into the school at least 5 school days prior to the activity occurring. The form must be completed and is a non-negotiable for student safety. If you do not have one on file the day of the event, you will not be able to attend. As a parent myself, I hope that you understand the importance of the background check and will trust this process.

The best way to avoid hiccups and issues is to complete the form now! Click here to access the form. Complete the form and return it to the main office.

Please make sure you have a scheduled appointment time with your child’s teacher if coming in. Upon arrival, please sign in at the office.

School Hours 8:19 am - 3:27 pm.

8:00am - students getting breakfast can enter building

8:09am - all students can enter building

8:19am - bell rings to start class

Students arriving after 8:19am must be signed in by an adult in the office

4th Grade

Recess is from 11:15-11:40am

Lunch is from 11:40-12:10pm

5th Grade (divided into 2 groups)

Group 1 Recess from 11:501-12:15pm

Group 1 Lunch from 12:15-12:40pm

Group 2 Recess from 12:00-12:25pm

Group 2 Lunch from 12:25-12:40pm

3:27 pm Dismissal

November 1 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

November 27-November 29 - Thanksgiving Recess

December 6 - The NED show Assembly

December 6 - 4th Grade Caroling in the Linden Holiday Parade

December 12 - 5th Grade Holiday Musical at LHS Theater

December 21-January 5 - Christmas Vacation

January 8 - Half Day of School - PD in afternoon

January 17 - End of First Semester

January 20 - Teacher PD - No School for Students

February 17 - No School - President's Day

March 13 - Half Day of School - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 14 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

March 29-April 6 - Spring Break

April 18 - No School

April 28 - 5th Grade Spring Concert at LHS Theater

April 29 - 4th Grade Spring Concert at LHS Theater

May 26 - No School - Memorial Day

June 6 - Last Day of School - Half Day for Students and Teachers