Vowles Elementary

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Feb. 17th & 20th- No School

Feb. 23rd- Family Science Night at the Discovery Museum 5:30-7:00 pm

Feb. 27th~ Book Fair Open for Sales 3:45-5:00 p.m.

Mar. 1st~ Book Nic Family Lunch and Book Fair Sale 12:00-12:45

Mar. 1st- Report Cards go home with students

Mar. 2nd-3rd~ Parent-Teacher Conferences Virtual/In-Person option
Mar. 3rd~ No School

Mar. 3rd~ Book Fair Open for Sales 9:00-11:00

Mar. 6th & 7th~ No School

Mar. 10th~ Kids Heart Challenge Ends

Mar. 14th- PTO Meeting at 4:00 p.m.

Mar. 16th- Kindergarten Kick Off @ Vowles 6:00-7:30

*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

Thursday, March 2nd - 5:30-8pm

Friday, March 3rd - 9:30am-12 & 1-3:30pm

For our Spring Parent Teacher Conferences, buildings will be hosting virtual or in-person Parent Teacher Conferences and we will schedule this through Calendly. Please make sure the school & teacher have your current email as soon as possible!

By Tuesday, February 14th, you should have received a LINK by EMAIL specific to your child's teacher and their conference schedule. You will be able to click on that link and select from one of our dates and times on March 2nd & 3rd. It will then go directly to the teacher's google calendar and make a Google Meet link. Be sure to click either Google Meet for a virtual conference or Vowles Elementary as a location for in-person.

As a parent, you will receive an email confirmation that has the Google Meet link address to go to for your conference on March 2nd or 3rd.

*If requested a phone conference can take the place of a "virtual or in-person" conference. If you would like to schedule a virtual conference with a specials teacher (Computers, Music, PE) or Counselor, please contact that teacher or call our office so we can help you schedule that.

Directions for Parents

Kids Heart Challenge is HERE!

Vowles School Families, Kids Heart Challenge has officially kicked off and we are hoping students can help fundraise to this very worthy cause. It does also bring in money to support physical education class.

It’s as easy as 1,2,3…

1. Start by downloading the Kids Heart Challenge app or visiting our schools link below
2. Help your child to select a personal challenge: Be Kind or Move More.
3. Become a Heart Hero by sending emails/e-cards on the website or texts via the app to invite friends and family to support.
4. Help your student complete Finn’s Mission on the KHC website or APP.

TO REGISTER YOUR STUDENT, GO TO:

http://www2.heart.org/goto/vowles

or download the Kids Heart Challenge App and search for our school.

Ends March 10, 2023

Book Fair

We are excited to be offering our Scholastic Book Fair again this Spring. This is an opportunity for students and families to purchase some of their favorite titles and authors in books at all reading levels. Here are some things to know...

Monday- Students will Preview. Book Fair will be open for Sales 3:45-5:00
Tuesday- Students will Preview.

Wednesday- Book Nic~ Come have lunch with your child from 12:00-12:45. Book Fair will be open for Sales.

Thursday- Book Fair Sales during the day for students that bring money or have E-Wallets

Friday- Book Fair Sales open from 9:00-11:00 during Parent- Teacher Conferences.

Reading Month

We will be kicking off Reading Month on Monday, Feb. 27th with an all-school Assembly. Students will be receiving their One District One Book at the assembly. The book will contain a Reading Month Calendar for March with the suggested chapter readings so that students and families can keep up on reading our book with us as a Whole District.

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/