As we welcome the month of May, we also welcome a time of rebirth, new growth and (hopefully) warmer temperatures, which all indicate new beginnings! We'll soon see (and feel) spring in full bloom, reminding us that as the school year winds down, our students are also blossoming, growing, maturing and making strides towards their goals, both academically and socially. This month will be filled with exciting events and opportunities for students to have new experiences inside and outside of the classroom, such as field trips, special projects, ceremonies, and celebrations, so please mark your calendars to keep up with all due dates and deadlines. As our schedules get busier, please know we are still committed to providing our students with a quality education, and as always we value your support, as we continue to partner with you to help your student be the best they can be!

May 1-1st Day of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month;

May 5-Cinco de Mayo

May 6- MDPS Board Meeting 7:00pm @ MHS

May 6-10-Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 8- School Nurse Appreciation Day!

May 10- EL/JEDI Club Field Trip to Diamond Jack's

May 15-Talent Show

May 17- ALICE Training/Bus Evacuation Drills; Popcorn Friday!

May 18- Speech/Language Pathologist Appreciation Day!

May 19-Girls on the Run/STRIDE 5K

May 20- SOTM Reward Field Trip to the Movies; SC Field Trip to Friendship Circle

May 20-22- 5th Grade Camp

May 23-Science Night @ WMS 5:00-8:30

May 24-No School for Staff & Students

May 27-No School for Staff & Students; Memorial Day

May 24-27- Madison Carnival

May 29-Tigers Game Field Trip for Service Clubs

May 30- 1st Grade/SC to Greeenfield Village; 4th Grade to DIA; Family Skating Party 6-8 @ Great Skate

Teacher Appreciation Week begins on Monday, May 6th and I need your help to celebrate our teachers and make sure they feel appreciated by us in VIP fashion! I have a whole week of fun activities planned for these Very Inspirational Professionals, but I want to make sure your students are an integral part of the festivities! I sent a seperate communication on Parent Square with specific details regarding all of the ways you can support our efforts to show our teachers how much they mean to us! If you have any questions regarding our plans, please let me know so I can clarify things for you, but DON'T ASK OUR TEACHERS becuase it's all a surprise! If you have your own ideas for ways to honor your child's teacher, we encourage you to show your appreciation however you see fit, and I'm sure our teachers will love whatever you do! Thanks in advance for your help!

During the month of May, our country formally recognizes the achievements of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians through the celebration of National Asian/Pacific Heritage Month. Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the journey of all AAPI immigrants and citizens in the United States and their unique life experiences, traditions and cultures. Here at Madison, we will proudly recognize and celebrate the culture, contributions, and achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans across our country through books, videos and activities in our classrooms throughout the entire month.

Also In May, Americans of all backgrounds will join together to discover and explore various American Jewish cultural experiences throughout history. We will take the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the range and depth of the Jewish American heritage and their contributions to American culture, representing the many walks of life that have helped weave the fabric of American history. Those honored will include a range of community leaders and prominent Jewish Americans from Olympians and professional athletes to members of Congress, business leaders, scholars, military veterans, and astronauts. Studying other cultures helps to strengthen our communities and promote a sense of belonging, shared civic life, and deeper understanding of others' heritage. At Madison, we work hard to make sure everyone who comes through our doors feel loved, valued and included, no matter what background, race or religion they identify with, not just in specific months, but everyday!

We are almost at the end of our M-STEP Testing Window! 3rd and 4th graders are all finished except for make-ups! And next week, 5th grade students will take science and social studies. The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) is the state assessment used to assess student progress on Michigan’s standards since 2015. M-STEP has fewer multiple choice questions than the previous state assessments and more questions that require problem solving and critical thinking skills, and thus can be a challenge for some students. Consult with your child's teacher to find out the specific days when his/her class will be testing. Please click the link below to gain more insight regarding state testing and to find out what you can do to help your students prepare!

Let's celebrate all of our hard work this year and "roll" into summer together! We had such a great time partying with you at our family formal, we're looking forward to doing it again soon, but this time on skates! Please join us at Great Skate (in Roseville) on Thursday, May 30th from 6:00-8:00.

GOOD NEWS! We were able to find funding through one of our CIS programs (Student Voices For Healthy Choices) to provide free tickets (entry & skate rental) so there will be NO COST for the first 100 skaters! However, we still need to know how many guests to expect, so please RSVP and secure your spot by clicking the button below to let us know who will be attending! Thanks!

Order forms went home last week to preorder your tickets so if you already ordered tickets, we will add you to the RSVP list and send a refund home with your student. We highly encourage ALL parents/guardians to come and participate in the skating fun! No experience necessary!

Looking forward to "letting the good times roll" with you!

Here at MES, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for all students is our main priority. Timely pick-up not only supports your child's well-being, but also contributes to the smooth operation of our school. Unfortunately, recurring late pick-ups can cause inconvenience and disruption to both our staff and students involved. Staff members are often involved in afterschool activities, meetings and other commitments that prevent them from being able to supervise students beyond dismissal. To address this issue and help ensure the welfare of all students, we are enforcing the following policy:

Any pick-up occurring beyond 3:35 (10 minutes after scheduled dismissal) is considered late. Parents will receive a verbal reminder from school staff after the first late pick-up, emphasizing the importance of timely arrival. Monetary fines will be imposed for subsequent late pick-ups within the academic year, as follows:

• $10 for the first 15 minutes, with an additional $1 for every minute thereafter.

Parents will receive written notification of any fines incurred due to late pick-ups.

In addition, repeated late pick-ups may necessitate us to escalate the matter to the appropriate authorities, including Child Protective Services (CPS). It's important to note that fines, and/or CPS involvement are not intended as a punitive measure, but rather as a means to underscore the importance of punctuality and ensure the safety and well-being of the child.

While we understand that unforeseen factors may occasionally arise and affect your arrival time, consistent tardiness disrupts our school's routine and affects the well-being of all children involved. We urge all parents to make arrangements to ensure the timely pick-up of their child. If you are in need of before or after school care, the Learning Tree school-age child care program is available at the Early Childhood Center for a small nominal fee.

We value the trust you have placed in us to care for your child, and we believe that open communication is vital in addressing issues effectively. Therefore, we kindly request that you make every effort to adhere to the pick-up schedule in the future. If you anticipate any challenges in doing so, please do not hesitate to communicate with us in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Madison’s PTO supports the Early Childhood Center and Madison Elementary School. They decided to make a Facebook page to promote upcoming events, fundraisers and school news. If you would like, feel free to follow and like their page.
Click the link below or just search Madison Schools PTO.

In addtion, we will soon be looking for volunteers to help with Field Day (June 11th) and our new Special Olympics "My K" event (June 4th)! Be on the look-out for more information and links to sign-up!

Parent Square is now the primary method of communication throughout the district so it is imperative that you all are connected. If you are uncertain of how to do so, please contact the main office so we can assist you. Teachers will still use Dojo for the remainder of the year, but just for information and reminders that are pertinent to their classrooms only, so all other mass communication will come from Parent Square. Because Parent Square pulls your contact information directly from MiStar, it is essential to make sure your information on file is kept current and updated so we are able to reach you whenever necessary. Direct lines of communication are essential for maintaining our partnership in your student's success. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Harleigh Searcy is a model student in her classroom and is well loved by all of her peers and teachers. Her class looks to her as a leader who can be counted on to consistently make the right choices. Harleigh is equal parts funny, intelligent, and extremely hardworking. She has great determination and perseverance. Once Harleigh sets her mind to a goal, she does not give up until she achieves it. Congratulations Harleigh! Our school is a better place with you in it, and we are so glad we got to spend this past year with you!

Jose's teacher was thrilled to be able to nominate him as Student of the Month! Jose exhibits every quality of a a teacher wants of a student in their classroom. He is hard working, willing to learn from his mistakes, focused, on task, cooperative, interested in growing, and an all around amazing human being. We are SO GRATEFUL to have him at our school! He is truly an asset to our learning community!

Though she joined our team at MES just 7 years ago, Mrs. Gurganus has been teaching for over 22 years. While in 5th grade herself, she remembers being given the task of creating a gigantic paper doll version of what she wanted to be when she grew up, and the answer came to her quickly…she always knew she wanted to be a teacher and hasn't looked back since! Teaching brings so much to her life that she couldn’t imagine doing anything else and we're so grateful for that!

Mrs. Gurganus graduated from Rochester College where she met her husband Nathan, and they have an amazing son Wyatt, who will start kindergarten in the fall. She spends most of her free time building Legos with Wyatt and has become an excellent "piece finder". She also enjoys reading, and has read the Harry Potter series too many times to count! When she's not teaching 4th or 5th graders, spending time with her family is her absolute favorite thing to do!

Mrs. Gurganus exhibits all of the qualities of an amazing teacher, mentor, colleague and friend, and she works hard to be the best in all she does! Staff members have noted that she is positive, prepared, helpful, and supportive and can always be counted on to provide a voice of reason, while consistently putting her students' needs first. She is admired for all of the relationships she has built with students (and staff), and all of the thought, preparation, and effort that she puts into ensuring her students are successful, while still having fun as they learn. It is apparent that Tina has made a significant impact far beyond the walls of her classroom, and we are so lucky to have her here at MES. Tina will be honored along with other teachers throughout the county at Oakland Schools this week, so help us congratulate her for making MES a great place to learn! Thanks for all you do Mrs. Gurganus!

At the end of each month, we celebrate selected students who have consistently exemplified the CKH character trait focus for that particular month. Our focus characteristic for April was "perseverance". Click the link below to see the students who were recognized for their will to keep going even when things may be tough!

What is Integrity?

Integrity is the ability and willingness to live with honesty and excellence. People who act with integrity make a choice to do the right thing, no matter who is watching. Integrity is the foundation on which we build relationships and trust.

Why focus on Integrity?

• Integrity generates trust. When we are honest and follow through on promises, we gain the confidence of our team; Trust allows us to collaborate and achieve more together.
• Integrity encourages self-assessment. Integrity requires our regular self-assessment to align behaviors with our goals and self-beliefs.
• Integrity is essential in leadership. Great leaders decrease anxiety and build strong teams when they are honest, consistent, and responsible.

If you missed the deadline to purchase your tickets for our annual Science Night ahead of time, don't worry, you can still get tickets on site when you arrive, but be sure to get there early because there may be a line! Hope to see you there!

You are invited to a Bike Rodeo / Open House hosted by the Madison Heights Police Department on June 8, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. This is a great event for families of the community to come out and enjoy the day! They will be offering police station tours and the bike course for the kids. Please feel free to reach out to Crystal Schell, Administrative Assistant to Chief LeMerise, at 248-837-2729 with any questions or concerns regarding the event.

Join our MES Spirit Wear Store! The store has tons of product and design options for you to choose from, allowing you to customize the perfect spirit wear made just for you! Your purchase can also help us raise money for our school, so it's a win-win for everyone! Click the button below to join, so you can pick out what you'd like to purchase right away, and/or be kept up to date on new products, sales and special promotions to buy from the site at another time. Don't miss a chance to show everyone you meet what MES Eagle Pride looks like!

We're all on the same team with the same goals! Let's continue to work together for your student's success! Thanks for sharing them with us!

Where EVERY day is a GREAT day to be an EAGLE!

Felecia Hemingway, Principal

Tung Tran, Assistant Principal

Email: felecia.hemingway@madisondistrict.org
Website: https://es.madisondistrict.org/
Location: 27107 Hales Street, Madison Heights, MI, USA
Phone: 248-542-3414