Hollywood Headlines

Sept 23

• Cross Country Practice
• STARS Practice
• Unified Soccer Game @ Bulldog Stadium, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 24

• Mileage Club

Sept. 25

• Delayed Start, school starts @ 10:00 a.m.
• Cross Country Practice

Sept. 27

• Mileage Club
• Popcorn Friday

Sept. 28

• Creative Arts Festival @ downtown Otsego

Positive Attitude

• Eliza Styf
• Ryker Bishop

• Everly Baylor
• Henry Triemstra

• Damen Martin
• Gracie Whittington

• RJ Koole
• Sophia Dyke

• Etta Mueller
• Kenidee Waltzer

You are also invited to join us any Tuesday or Friday (weather permitting) during your child's lunch recess time. Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes these days.

Here are the recess times for each grade level.

• K @ 11:35 a.m.
• 1st @ 11:45 a.m.
• 2nd @ 12:05 p.m.
• 4th @12:15 p.m.
• 3rd @ 12:35 p.m.
• 5th @ 12:45 p.m.

Come cheer on the OHS Unified Champion Schools Soccer Team at our first and only home game of the 2024 season! We'll be playing Holland Christian on Monday, September 23rd, at 3:30 pm at Bulldog Stadium. This is a free event, and the game will last about 45 minutes. We’d love to see the stands packed with support! A special thank you to Superintendent Jeff Haase for volunteering as our referee. Hope to see you there!

We know that your dog, or any pet, can be a member of the family and a best friend; however, it is important to know that pets are not allowed on school property, even if they are on a leash. A number of children, and some adults, are not comfortable around all pets and may be allergic so for the health, safety and comfort of all of our visitors, they are not permitted in school buildings or on school district property. (Exceptions are made for service animals, animals under the control of public safety officers and for instructional purposes with prior approval from the district.) Thank you for your understanding of this policy.

Purple Week is only one week away and time is running out to get your purple apparel! We have short and long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and more! All proceeds go directly to cancer and Parkinson’s disease research at Van Andel Institute. Wearing your purple shows your support for the cause - we hope to make this the most successful Purple Week fundraiser yet!!!

Join us for open swim on Friday, September 27th, from 6-8 p.m., and help support the Van Andel Institute. All proceeds from admission will go directly to this important cause!

According to the research by Carol Dweck, there are two types of mindsets, a growth and fixed mindset. A growth mindset means you believe in yourself and in your ability to change, learn, and develop. In a growth mindset, errors are seen as the natural part of learning and students with a growth mindset see mistakes as opportunities to learn.

A fixed mindset is based on the assumption that our intelligence, creativity, and skills are fixed traits that we can’t change. When people with a fixed mindset make a mistake, they believe it reflects weaknesses that are impossible to change.

The key difference between a fixed and growth mindset is that people with a growth mindset believe that they can achieve anything through hard work and effort. Believing you can learn anything you put your mind to is very important in education. Research shows that parents can have a powerful impact on their children’s mindsets. The language you use and the actions you take show your children what you expect. Giving process praise, talking about the brain, accepting mistakes as learning opportunities, and understanding the role of emotions in learning are all practices that can help foster a growth mindset in children. The following are some phrases that help promote a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset.

• “I can see you worked so hard on this!” vs. “You are so smart!”
• “That was really hard. Your effort has paid off! Next time you’ll be ready for this kind of challenge!" vs. “That was really hard. I’m so glad it’s over and you don’t have to do that again.”
• “You’ve worked hard to become a good writer. You can keep challenging yourself to learn even more.” vs. “You have a real talent for writing.”
• “That’s not right. You don’t understand this YET. What strategies can you try to understand it better?” vs. “That’s not right. Are you paying attention in class? It seems like you’re not even trying.”

Alamo PTO needs you! The PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) is a wonderful way to become involved in your child's education and to get to know other parents and teachers. The PTO has many activities throughout the school year that you can help with by volunteering. The PTO meets once a month at 4:10 p.m. in the Alamo Media Center. Listed below are the dates for this year's meetings. We would love for you to attend!

Meeting Dates

Oct 14

Nov 11

Dec 9

Jan 13

Feb 10

March 10

April 14

May 12

June 9

Students at Alamo can purchase popcorn on the last Friday of the month beginning on September 30th. Popcorn can again this year be purchased for the entire year by sending $4 per student (discounted, as well as the "easy button" for parents!) on or before the first popcorn date of September 27th, or it can be purchased each individual time for $0.50.

Below are the dates for popcorn Friday this year.

September 27

October 25

November 22

December 20

January 31

February 28

March 28

April 25

May 30

If your child is absent and the absence is unexcused, you will receive an automated phone call reminding you to report the absence. Please remember to report your child’s absence, before 9am, by calling our attendance line at (269) 694-7680.

Good news! With the passage of Michigan's budget this year, breakfast and lunch will be FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS for the 2024-25 school year! However, it is still vital that you fill out the Free & Reduced Meal Application because it is tied to more than school lunches. If you qualify, you could receive discounts on internet service, school Chromebook insurance fees, testing fees and more! These applications are also tied to a portion of the district's federal funding that helps provide tutors, summer school, counselors, programs and materials and more. It's a quick form to fill out - you only complete one per family. Fill it out today at https://www.otsegops.org/departments/food-service. *Please note: students who take a second meal will be charged the regular meal prices for that meal.

To help save on paper, we will not be printing lunch menus unless requested. We will begin including them in the school newsletter or you can visit our website or the OPS App to view the menu each month.

Join Alamo Parents REMIND

Would you like to receive text updates on important dates and activities taking place here at Alamo Elementary? REMIND is a safe and efficient communication app designed for teachers/schools to communicate important classroom/school information. If you are interested in receiving updates from Alamo Elementary via text, text this message @alamopare to the number 81010 or click on the link below.

Email: nknight-lucas@otsegops.org
Website: https://alamo.otsegops.org/
Location: 8184 North 6th Street, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
Phone: (269) 694-7600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415538888654020
Twitter: @otsegoschools