Mote Bulldog Bulletin 14

• Vision: Anna P. Mote Elementary will prepare our students to make positive contributions to society by being culturally responsive and civically conscious critical thinkers.

• Mission: To provide a family-oriented school community where all members are committed to the academic, social, and emotional growth for all students.
• School's Core Values:
• Give Respect, Be Responsible, Cooperate with Others, Welcome Diversity, Learn with a Growth Mindset

Monday December 16- C Day, Cab Calloway Caroling Concert at Mote

Tuesday December 17- D Day

Wednesday December 18- A Day, 5th grade trip to Cab Calloway, 7pm Board Meeting

Thursday December 19- B Day

Friday December 20- C Day, Pajama Day

Calendars

Schools are closed from Monday December 23 until January 3. Schools reopen for students and teachers on Monday January 6, 2025!

It would be helpful to have your child read, practice sight words, and practice math facts over the long break!

Congratulations to

Room 104

Room 106

Room 136

Band/Strings Concert

Holiday Fun

Congratulations to Dr. Kirsten Belair for completing the Governor's Institute for School Leadership Assistant Principal Academy!

Dr. Belair is Mote's Assistant Principal. This is her fourth year at Mote. Prior to coming to Mote, Dr. Belair was a 7th grade ELA teacher at HB DuPont Middle School. She also worked at Odyssey Charter School as a second grade teacher, a District Instructional Coach, and a District Student and Staff Development Specialist. Before that, Dr. Belair taught second and fourth grade at Valley Park Elementary School. Making connections with students is the most rewarding aspect of being an educator. In her spare time, Dr. Belair loves to work out and spend time with her family. A fun fact about Dr. Belair is she worked in banking at Merrill Lynch and MBNA before going into education.

Patrick Genau is Mote's P.E.teacher. He grew up in Newark, DE and is the youngest of 3 brothers. Coach G. went to grade school at Holy Angels and graduated from St. Marks High School. He attended the University of Delaware where he majored in Sports Management and Minored in Coaching. Coach G. was a manager with the Men's Basketball Team and completed a sports management internship at Drexel University in their sports operations office. After being a long term sub at West Park & Downs Elementary for PE in Christiana School District, he decided to pursue his masters in Physical Education at The College of New Jersey ( TCNJ) in which he received a 4.0. He used to serve & bartend at Pizza by Elizabeth's and Chesapeake Inn to help put him through school. He has been teaching and coaching in Red Clay for 14 years every since receiving his degree. He has taught at Highlands Elementary, Thomas McKean High School, and Anna P. Mote. He served as RBA basketball coach at Highlands. He coached boys soccer, boys and girls basketball , and golf at McKean high school. He won 2 conference boys soccer championships at McKean in 2014 & 2017 and was named girls basketball conference coach of the the year in 2017 & 2018. Coach G. was an assistant athletic director at McKean for 5 years in which he directed the start of Unified Flag Football as varsity sport with Special Olympics and DIAA. McKean Unified flag finished as the state runner up in the inaugural season. He has been at Mote for the past 5 years where I have continued to help stay involved with sports through girls on the run running buddy, Special Olympics bocce and soccer coach, creating events such as Mote fiesta staff student soccer game and books & basketball staff student basketball game. He has been on committees such as diversity, student government, tutoring, and wellness champion since coming to Mote. Coach G's proudest moment was representing Mote as Teacher of the Year for 2023. Other accomplishments in the Red Clay District was creating and developing the 1st Red Clay Leadership Summit: Discovering Voices , which won a University of Delaware community collaboration award. He has a few small projects that he is currently working on as an educator, one is with District and DIAA for creating women's wrestling as varsity sport. Lastly, he has been selected to be on a state PE committee by DOE to rethink Fitness testing in physical education. Outside of education, he lives in the Greenville, DE and is married to his wife Dr. Morgan Dorsey who is a dentist in the local area and has a cavapoo named BOH. The most rewarding experience about being an educator is being able to have a positive impact and be a positive role model for his students past and present. He enjoys building relationships with his students and seeing them laugh, smile and having fun during their everyday learning experience. Coach G. enjoys having meaningful conversations with students and teaching them life skills sometimes through sport and letting them know that they have at least one person who is always rooting for them. Coach G enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams: North Carolina basketball, Washington Commanders, and Baltimore Orioles. He enjoys playing golf and pickleball at Dupont Country Club where he still teaches summer golf camp! He enjoys hiking and walking with his wife and dog. He enjoys working out, running 5k, riding the peloton, and yoga. You can always find Coach G. in Ocean City, MD on the beach and eating crabs in the summer, his happy place. He enjoys traveling and dining at new restaurants, but mostly spending time with family and friends.

We are thrilled to welcome Millie K., a 4-year-old lab mix and advanced-level therapy dog, to our school community! Millie, who is also an AKC-certified Canine Good Citizen, joins us with her handler, Mr. K., our school psychologist. Trained at PAWS for People, Millie has been bringing joy and comfort since 2020. She enjoys nature, swimming, and making friends with people and animals alike.

Therapy dogs like Millie undergo extensive training in obedience and therapy certification, equipping them to provide emotional support and stress relief. Their presence in schools helps reduce anxiety, foster emotional well-being, and promote mental health awareness. Therapy dogs create a calming environment where students feel safe to express themselves, seek help, and engage in activities like reading, which research shows improves academic and social outcomes. Millie’s arrival will help enhance our school’s sense of community and promote positive behaviors and mutual respect.

Millie will be here at Mote, mostly in Mr. K's room. If you do not want for your child to engage in activities with Millie, please email Mrs. Young- lauren.young@redclay.k12.de.us, Mr. K- Matthew.kupelian@redclay.k12.de.us, or your child's teacher to opt out. You can also call the front office.

We hope you were able to take advantage of the food drive during conferences. We now have a food closet available to families in need. If you are someone you know is in need of food, please reach out to the front office or your child's teacher to schedule a time to visit the food closet.

With the help of the Red Clay School District, Mote has partnered with Communities in Schools of Delaware. Ms. Briah Hobbs has joined the Mote staff. Her role is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Communities in Schools of Delaware's evidence-based approach, adapted to meet each community's unique needs, is the key to their success.

The PTA is working hard this year to create great opportunities for the staff and students at Mote. Please consider becoming a member of the PTA.

Mote uses a 4 day rotation for Related Arts. Please check in with your child's teacher to see what your child has on A-D days. The letter for the day is listed in this newsletter under Upcoming Events.

Please make sure your child has their library book on library days and sneakers on gym days.

Please send your child with a reusable water bottle each day. We do prefer clear liquid (water) in the event of a spill. These water bottles are especially important on days the students have gym. There are no working water fountains in the gym.

Thank you for helping your child be prepared (and RESPONSIBLE).

If you are interested in volunteering at Mote or attending field trips, please use the links below to complete the necessary paperwork. Then call the front office to let them know the paperwork has been completed and accepted.

https://www.redclayschools.com/cms/lib/DE01903704/Centricity/domain/66/volunteer/Volunteer%20Form%20English%203-22-24.pdf

https://www.redclayschools.com/cms/lib/DE01903704/Centricity/domain/66/volunteer/Volunteer%20Form%20Spanish%2010-31-23.pdf

If your child requires an early dismissal, please send in a note in the morning indicating the time. We close down the office for dismissals between 3:15-4:00.

You must have an id to sign out your child from the office.

We will not call students to the office until you arrive for the early dismissal. This maximizes their instructional time before they leave.

It is inevitable that throughout the year, your child will come home upset about something. We ask that you use the following process to deal with the situation.

1. Understand that there are two sides to every story. Your child is sharing the story from his/her perspective.

2. Ask your child for more information. Empower them to handle this situation on their own (if they are able).

3. Speak directly with the teacher for clarification and to problem solve. Share your concerns without blame. It will allow you and the teacher to talk through the situation and reach an agreed upon solution.

4. If the situation is not resolved after speaking with the teacher, please reach out to administration for support.

We do not allow for families to send in items for a birthday celebration. Each teacher has a method to celebrate student birthdays in the classroom. The exception is if you choose to send in a small non food item that your child can pass out to each person at the end of the day. Please do not send birthday invitations in to school with your child for him/her to pass out unless there is one for every student in the class. For more information, please see the flier below.

Email: lauren.young@redclay.k12.de.us
Website: https://www.redclayschools.com/mote
Location: 2110 Edwards Avenue, Wilmington, DE, USA
Phone: 302-992-5565
Facebook: facebook.com/MoteBulldogs
Twitter: @motebulldogs