The Gator Gazette

Late last week, over the weekend and coming up again this week/end, volunteers are joining together to make one strong TEAM of Gators making a difference. Not only is the crew (pictured below) making a huge impact, they are creating a sense of ownership of the space while learning valuable lessons about our ecology and environment.

As an added bonus, Novi Landscape Architect, Rick Meader, has joined in the fun and will be guiding us in the overall design of our Native Flower Garden. How exciting!!

For anyone interested, there is another volunteer opportunity this Sunday from 1:00-2:30!

If ever there were a "TEAM" award, this might just be the one. Year after year, our team of talented and dedicated educators comes together and exemplifies what it means to do whatever it takes for and with our students.

I would also like to thank our TEAM of families for your continued efforts. I am proud to work alongside our entire Gator community every day as we work with one another and with our students to provide top tier educational experiences for ALL!

And for those unable to read the fine print in the image above, please allow me to highlight the section at the bottom:

"The percentile rating for Thornton Creek Elementary is 97.4 in [our] state, showing exemplary academic proficiency..."

As many of you are aware, Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage throughout the Southeast. The storm destroyed communities in several states, bringing catastrophic flooding to many states leaving them with nothing.

At Thornton Creek, “We Lead. We Make a Difference,” and with your support we would like to offer some relief to the community of Asheville, North Carolina who was affected like no other.

To show your support, you may send a monetary donation during the weeks of October 7-October 20th to school or click the link below to donate directly to the United Way of North Carolina. For those of you not aware, Ms. Boomer (a former TC teacher) retired to Asheville and was greatly affected by the hurricane. We would like to pay it forward to Asheville to share our support for her and the community.

---https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/1nSUgw?vid=1826er

With several fun occasions throughout the school year and a few of them coming up soon, now is a great time to review our school policies around these fun events.

Please read the following excerpt from our Student Handbook related to Parties / Treats / Holidays:

• Generally, classrooms celebrate the following days with class parties: Halloween, December holidays, Valentine's Day, and the end of the school year. Birthday celebrations can be noted with a small, non-food token. In an effort to support healthy life choices, the district is requesting your support in this matter. Please clear these tokens with your child’s teacher. Please note that invitations for birthday parties, other celebrations, or play opportunities taking place outside of school MAY NOT be distributed at school.
• In accordance with District policy, no weapons of any kind (real or toy) are permitted at school, and may not be included as a part of a Halloween costume. Students may be asked to remove masks or other portions of a costume that may interfere with their work or which might be disruptive to the rest of the class.

Of special note is the section regarding birthdays. Although we appreciate the joy and excitement that comes with a birthday, it is District policy that children may not bring food items to share with others either at school or in a "goodie bag". This includes candy as well as all food items.

Suggestions, if you are interested, might include purchasing a gift for the class in your child's name such as a book or pencils for each student. You might also donate playground items for the class or indoor recess items such as board games, card games, puzzles, etc.

The results of your child's Fall 2024 NWEA Assessment will be posted to your Parent Connection account on Monday, October 21, 2024. Parent Connection is the same place where you can go to log in to view report cards, lunch balances, and attendance for your child.

With Halloween steadily "creeping" up on us, it is time to provide a few noteworthy items.

First up, Thornton Creek will be having our annual Costume Parade on Thursday, October 31st @ 9:15. As always, we will have two routes mapped out for the event. Route A will be for if the weather cooperates and we can parade around the OUTSIDE of the building. Route B will be for inclement weather, in which case we would parade through the building. Please know that families are welcome to attend regardless of the weather as we will be prepared to host either way :)

Second, each year I receive several inquiries as to what is acceptable or not as it relates to student costumes. Please see the "Costume Check" below for answers to most, if not all your costume queries.

COSTUME CHECK:

I am excited and ready for Halloween!

Let's see if my costume is ready too!

IS MY COSTUME...

Appropriate for school? (no pretend weapons & no bloody makeup)

Something I can sit, learn, and have fun in?

Something I can take off all by myself?

Something I am comfortable in?

If you answered YES to all of these questions...you are ready!

Please mark on your calendars that our traditional Turkey Trot is being moved from the week of Thanksgiving to the afternoon of November 1st.

Although this move jumps us up a couple of weeks, this was done as our beloved Mrs. Woodall will be going in for a total knee replacement in mid-November and thus, unable to "run" this event at our typical time in November.

We are thrilled to still be able to hold our annual trot and are appreciative of Mrs. Woodall's efforts.

Additional information to follow, but please mark that date on your calendars.

Northville Public Schools is still seeking individuals for Para Professional roles in the District. Specifically, we have current needs at Thornton Creek Elementary, Silver Springs Elementary and Winchester Elementary. Hours are 8:20 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. These positions adhere to the school year calendar and are benefit eligible with an hourly rate starting at $15.97. If interested, the application process can be started here: https://www.applitrack.com/resa/onlineapp/_application.aspx?posJobCodes=27909&posFirstChoice=Support%20Staff&posSpecialty=Paraprofessional by clicking on the "Apply" button for the K12 Paraprofessional posting found at the bottom of the page.

The Thornton Creek PTA is excited to produce a student directory for our families this year! We feel that students having others’ contact information helps forge friendships and builds our community. The directory is available to PTA members only in an electronic format on our MemberHub/Givebacks website! If you would like access, please become a PTA member by visiting the site below.

https://thorntoncreek.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

The directory will be published from the contact information that families already have on file in the MiStar / Parent Connection portal when they complete the annual registration. All students will automatically be included in the directory (unless you opt out).

The contact information that will be included (unless you opt out) will be:

• Student First Name, Student Last Name & Student Grade

• Teacher

• Parent / Guardian Name(s)

• Parent Email & Phone Number

• HOME ADDRESS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED

*Please note: This directory is for personal communication only between Thornton Creek Elementary families. The directory MAY NOT be used for any commercial, solicitation, or sales purposes.

**As a PTA member, you can have your own MemberHub login and profile that will give you access to the directory. Create or update your MemberHub password here https://thorntoncreek.memberhub.com/join/78834b. Direct any questions to ThorntonCreekPTA@gmail.com

If you DO NOT want to have your student’s contact information published in the school directory, you may OPT OUT.

Complete the form below by Monday, October 21st to OPT OUT.

OPT OUT Google Form

If you are willing to have your contact information shared in the directory, there is no further action. Students will automatically be included.

*If you have a unique circumstance and need to change the information that will be available (e.g., the child lives at a different residence than the info in your MiStar / Parent Connection portal), please contact Cheryl Mills at ThorntonCreekpta@gmail.com to request special changes.

Directory coming soon!! Look for announcements in the Gator Gazette, and on our PTA Facebook page for directions on how PTA Members can access the directory.

Be in the know – learn more about what is happening in your child’s school and district
Tap into a network – meet school and district staff as well as fellow parents and connect with valuable resources
Be part of the solution – have a voice and help make positive changes in your child’s school

Next Meeting dates are:

11/6 @ 9:00 AM ( Wednesday meeting due to election day)

1/14 @ 6 PM - Grade 4 Presents!

2/11@ 9AM - Grade 2 Presents!

3/11 @ 9 AM - Grade 3 Presents!

4/8 @ 9 AM - Grade 1 Presents!

5/13 @ 9 AM

Join TC PTA Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/920347345361627

Website: https://thorntoncreek.northvilleschools.org/
Location: 46180 West 9 Mile Road, Novi, MI, USA
Phone: 248-465-2350
Twitter: @CreekGators