Raccoon Review

Hello Rogers Families & Friends,

Happiest Holidays to you!

The last week of the 2024 portion of the school year has arrived....eek! How did that happen? I feel like I was just welcoming you to school and we were sweating at the remaining summer heat! We must have blinked. 🙂 The building is a buzz with the final days of the 2024 school year. Students will enjoy a movie on Friday, December 20th in small grade level communities. We welcome them to bring a towel and a snack.

I would also like to send a heartfelt goodbye to Ms. Kilbride, our 5th grade orchestra teacher as she retires effective December 20th. We salute her for her dedicated years to our Berkley students both here at Rogers, other elementaries, and at Anderson! We wish all the best that retirement as to offer. Our 5th grade orchestra students will continue to learn from a certified music teacher arranged by Mr. Ross, AMS principal. Myself and the administrative team are beginning interviews for the next student-centered orchestra teacher to join our incredible district. More information forthcoming!

Nonetheless, I hope that wherever you go and however you celebrate this season, it's filled with love and joy to each and every one of you. I look forward to our return to school on Monday, January 6th.

Many warm blessings to you all!

With Raccoon Pride,

Mrs. Hasse

On Tuesday, December 10th there was a small ad-hoc parent meeting focused on our work around Leader in Me. As I've previously shared, the Leader in Me program is a structure/framework that provides supports to develop a child both inside and out. It's focus is on three key areas: leadership, culture, academics.

As a part of our time together that evening, we reflected on these prompts:

1. What is the vision that we have for Rogers (as parents)?

2. How do we nurture a leadership culture for students?

3. How can we continue to create a sense of belonging?

We then compared our parent responses to staff responses from a staff meeting. We were able to see many similarities and discuss a needs-based lens to help propel us and provide insight into possible next steps from a parent perspective. We also had an opportunity to discuss student accountability and behavioral expectations that are currently in draft form.

We, as a staff, recognize despite being in year #3 of Leader in Me, we really are at year #1.

A core staff group will be visiting a school from Farmington Hills in January to see Leader in Me in action. We will be taking a few parents with us as well. As as staff, we will also have some custom coaching time to process the parent input we have recently received.

As the building leader, I welcome input that any parent may have regarding their thoughts on how we can continue to make Rogers a great place to be! A more formalized opportunity for ALL parents will occur this spring with a building-wide school improvement focused survey.

Lastly, I recognize that change takes time and is the collective efforts of all stakeholders. I look forward to continually working to bring Rogers Elementary to new heights.....TOGETHER!

The secret has been revealed! Some students have caught on to the staff secret this week. Did your student notice our "secret" fun?!

Hearing Screenings will be taking place at Rogers on 1/6, 1/7, and 1/8 for Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grades. If you have a student(s) in a non-screening grade and would like them tested, please call the Rogers office (248-837-8800) and we will send a permission slip home with your child(ren). If time permits the technician will screen your child(ren).

Hello. My name is Tanya McNamara and I teach first grade. I've taught second, third and fifth grades here at Rogers, but first grade is by far my favorite! First graders are so special and it's rewarding to see the growth that the students make during the school year! I graduated from Berkley (Go Bears!), so it's fun to teach where I grew up. I attended Central Michigan University for my undergraduate and then Oakland University for a masters in early childhood education. I feel very lucky to be part of the dedicated, Rogers staff!

My name is Maureen Hunter and I have been teaching first grade here at Rogers for 18 years. I have been fortunate enough to teach grades 1, 2, 3 and 5 as I moved through Avery Elementary and Norup in my earlier years. Being here at Rogers and teaching first grade, is what I am most grateful for. My husband and I are the proud parents of two boys, Nick and Drew. Nick graduated from EMU with a degree in communications. He now lives and works in Seattle. In fact, the picture you see is from our summer trip to Mt Rainer- a gorgeous place to explore. My younger son, Drew, recently graduated with a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). He is currently an investment banker in Chicago. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, and our Goldendoodle, Lola. She gets all the attention now that we are 'empty nesters'!!

CHECK OUT our PTA Event Registration and Volunteer Opportunities below!

We would like your opinion about PTA and the events we hold and how we are spending the Fund Run money please consider taking this SURVEY to share your thoughts!

Join us for Moon Beams for Sweet Dreams on Friday, December 13th, 2024 at 7:45pm near the East Entrance to Beaumont Hospital. We will spread some holiday cheer to children spending the holidays in the hospital. Bring your flashlights and your voice!

Skate Night Registration is open from now until January 17th. The skate party will be held at Skate World of Troy on Saturday, January 25th from 5:15 to 7:15pm. Admission for skaters is free, if you register here ahead of time. The door charge will be $4.00 a person. Skate rental is $3.00 for regular skates and $5.00 for blades. You may provide your own skates free of charge. The skates will be checked at the door.

You can pre-register and/or purchase rentals HERE at the Givebacks Store!

Find our recent PTA meeting minutes here!

Follow the PTA on Social Media for more up to date information:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rogers.Elementary.PTA/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogers_elementary_pta/

Do you see the learning in pictures? Check it out below...

The Berkley African American Parent Network (BAAPN) is a parent run organization that works in partnership with the Berkley School District and Oakland County Schools. The BAAPN network is a way for parents with African American children in Berkley Schools to connect with each other. BAAPN is committed to supporting student engagement, high academic achievement, and increased parental involvement. For more information, please visit the BAAPN Facebook Page. Click to access the BAAPN membership form. Below are the remaining meeting dates for the 2024-25 school year with meetings taking place in the Norup Media Center at 7:00 pm:

February 27

March 13

May 15

Berkley Schools has partnered with Varsity Tutors for Schools, an online platform with access to free learning tools.

The Varsity Tutors Platform gives students more opportunities to learn at their own pace, to get support on subjects they might be struggling with, to explore subjects they are learning in class and to support their curiosities. The platform includes the following:

• 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring and on-demand essay review to help students with any questions about homework, classwork or test prep.

• Live group classes, recorded classes and celebrity-led StarCourses allow students to learn more about the subjects they’re interested in and add a touch of fun.

• Assessments and self study practice problems provide opportunities to drill skills towards mastery.

• College prep & admissions resources ensure that students have the best resources available.

How to Access Varsity Tutors

Sign into the Varsity Tutors platform through the student Clever portal. To learn how to log into Clever with your child’s Berkley Schools Google account, follow these directions.

Learn More & Get Started!

• Varsity Tutors Berkley Schools Launchpad

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Varsity Tutors video overview

For the 2024-25 school year, school breakfast and lunch will be free for ALL students. The cafeteria/gym door #4 will be open from 7:40-7:50 a.m. for breakfast.

To view nutritional and food ingredient information for school breakfast and lunches served at Rogers, please click on the Nutrislice Informational Page

*Don't forget every Friday to pre-order your 2nd slice of pizza for Tuesday pizza lunches if you are interested!

December 13th - Moon Beams for Sweet Dreams @ Beaumont @ 7:45

December 20th - Last day of school before break!

January 6th - WELCOME BACK! Happy 2025!

January 6th - 8th - Oakland County Hearing Screenings for grades TK/K/2nd/4th

January 7th - PTA Meeting @ 7pm

January 17th - End of trimester; Records Day (half day of school)

January 20th - MLK Day; no school

Email: andrea.hasse@berkleyschools.org
Website: https://www.berkleyschools.org/schools/rogers/
Location: Rogers Elementary School, Hamilton, Berkley, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 837-8800