Hollywood Headlines

Sept 30

• Purple Week - Wear PJ's
• STARS

Oct. 1

• Purple Week - Wear Green for Liver Cancer
• Mileage Club

Oct. 2

• Purple Week - Jersey Day
• Delayed Start, school starts @ 10:00 a.m.
• School Custodians Day!

Oct. 3

• Purple Week - Decade Day
• Mileage Club

Oct. 4

• Purple Week - Wear Purple
• Progress Reports & Dashboards sent home
• Purple Game - 7:00 p.m. @ Bulldog Stadium

Positive Attitude

• Ivan Nicholson
• Kip Datema

• Amelia Klimp
• Micah Barck

• Coral Hoff
• Rowen Pruis

• JJ Staggs
• Everly Kelsey

• Ed Rangler
• Luke Holmes

Our students enjoyed a fun assembly this afternoon, hosted by the OHS purple committee! The committee talked to the students about how purple week benefits medical research in the fight against cancer and Parkinson’s disease. They also played a game with the kids to show them how working together, we can accomplish big things.

This assembly launched a friendly competition between classes called Cash for a Cure. The class that raises the most money for purple week will get a donut party. This is a fun way to get involved and join the cause.

Thank you!

As parents, we want to make our children’s lives as easy as possible and see that they are happy. However, when we often solve social problems for our children, kids can’t develop the confidence and resilience they need to thrive. Swooping in and saving your child from every social challenge won’t help in the long run. Your elementary schooler is more likely to establish healthy friendships and feel more confident when prepared with social skills. These skills won’t just help your child navigate the playground successfully, they will make your child feel more confident in the classroom too.

The following are some ideas to help strengthen your child’s social skills.

• Empower your child to take action. Listen closely when your child comes to your with a problem. Say, “That sounds frustrating. What did you do next?” Then, give your child a chance to think of a solution. Sometimes, all kids need is someone to listen to them and help them see that they already have tools that can help them solve their problem.

• Model resilience. Talk about your own social struggles and how you faced them. When children hear stories about how family members overcame obstacles, they become more resilient in the face of challenges.

• Teach your child to be assertive. Show your child how to speak up. Role play and model the correct tone of voice and body language to use in social situations. Practice ways to solve conflicts at home so they will feel more confident when executing on their own.

Our WatchD.O.G.S. program will officially begin for the 2024-25 school year in October. “Dads” (or dad-like figures) who are interested in signing up to volunteer for a full or half day should contact Natalie Trumley (ntrumley@otsegops.org) or Nicole Knight-Lucas (nknight-lucas@otsegops.org) via email to schedule a date.

When you volunteer, you will receive a schedule for the day that allows you to help out in different classrooms doing a wide range of activities (reading a story, working with a child 1:1 on work, playing a game with a small group). You will also have scheduled time on the playground and lunchroom to interact with students and be a positive role model for them. We need a current background check on file before you are able to volunteer.

What does it mean to Self-Direct?

Self-Direction is the ability and learned skill to cast a vision of future goals and then take intentional steps toward who, where, and what we want to be. Instead of focusing on things to control or avoid, we emphasize our responsibility to make positive choices related to our emotions, attitudes, and actions.

Why focus on Self-direction?

• Self-direction strengthens relationships. Self-direction helps to grow social skills and develop meaningful, positive relationships with others.
• Self-direction teaches personal responsibility. Learning to self-direct teaches students to take responsibility for their own actions.
• Self-direction helps us to regulate emotions: Self-direction empowers students to regulate their impulses and emotional responses to situations and circumstances in their life.
  

Self-Direction in Action:

• Practice goal setting and action planning. When we establish goals and develop action plans, we learn to take intentional steps to successfully achieve goals.
• Monitor and adjust. Provide students with regular feedback and opportunities to self-assess progress toward goals to make adjustments and improvements in their behaviors.
• Reflect and evaluate. Facilitate discussions and reflection to prompt students to examine what they do, think, and say against their goals and vision for their life and learning.

Student pictures were sent home today! Please check your child's take home folder for them.

Picture re-take day is October 24. Order forms are in the office lobby rack. If your child is going to re-take their picture they need to turn in the picture package book to the photographer on the day of re-takes.

Halloween is around the corner and we are excited for our Halloween Parade on Friday, October 31st. The costume parade will take place at 3:00 p.m. inside and outside the building. Spectators can view the parade in the gym and outside along the sidewalks.

Students should bring their costumes to school and will change for their classroom parties prior to the parade. It is important that your child can put on their costumes independently as parents will be outside prepping for the parade.

Just a reminder - your child's costume must be non-violent. Weapon accessories/scary masks will not be allowed.

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.

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.

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