Shawnee Star News Weekly Update
Friday, May 3, 2024
🏫 Principal's Report 🏫
Hello Shawnee Families!
I hope had a great week! There is so much happening and coming up in the next few weeks! Please be sure to look for all the fun and volunteer opportunities we have included below. We hope to see you at our different events and year end festivities.
Safety is one of our top priorities. Here are few reminders for the safety of our entire school community. All visitors to the building must report to the main office before going anywhere in the school. This includes during arrival and dismissal times. Also, during school hours, the playgrounds are for Shawnee students only. Please also review our parking lot procedures. We appreciate your help and support to keep our students and staff safe.
Please be sure to read through all of the information in our weekly newsletter as it is our main form of communication with our families. We don't want you to miss out on any important details or happenings. We appreciate your continued cooperation and support.
Together We Will Shine!
❤️Mrs. Simon
📅 Upcoming Important Dates 📅
May 6 - May 31 ~ Spring Benchmark Assessments
May 6 - 10 ~ Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
May 7 ~ No School: Professional Development Day
May 8 ~ Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day
May 11 ~ County Science Olympiad Tournament
May 14 ~ 2nd Grade Spring Concert
May 16 ~ Seneca Incoming Parent Orientation @ 6:30 PM
May 17 ~ PTO Starry Night
May 21 ~ Shawnee Talent Show
May 22 ~ PTO Meeting
May 27 ~ No School - Memorial Day
May 28 ~ Incoming Kindergarten Kick-Off @ 6 PM
May 31 ~ Shawnee Field Day
June 3 ~ SWPBIS Star Ticket Store
June 3 ~ Fifth Grade Completion Ceremony @ Seneca
June 7 ~ End of Year Celebration
June 11 ~ Last Day of School - Half Day: Dismissal @ 11:50 AM
Thank you for your support of our fundraiser!
Fundraiser Challenge - Duck Tape Mrs. Simon!
Dakota Show Choir & Marching Band
🚲 Bike & Scooter Reminders 🚲
Please go over the following guidelines with your child if they will be riding a bike or scooter to school:
- Bike/scooter riders MUST wear a helmet.
- Only one child may ride on a bike/scooter at a time.
- Riders must walk their bikes/scooters on school sidewalks to avoid hitting walking students.
- Bikes/scooters must have a lock.
- The school is not responsible for stolen or damaged bikes/scooters.
- Bike/scooter riders are not to ride in the street or driveways of the school.
- Bicycles are not to be left at the front or bus entrances of the school. Please use bike racks.
Thank you for your help and cooperation.
Dress & Grooming Policy
As the weather is getting nicer, we would like to review part of the dress and grooming section of the CVS Student Code of Conduct. While fashion changes, the reason for being in school does not. Students are in school to learn and any fashion that disrupts the educational process or presents a safety risk will not be permitted. Dress and grooming are the responsibility of the student and parent/guardian and must not be hazardous to any educational activity. Shirts and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides. Clothing should completely cover undergarments and not be see-through. Shoes must be worn at all times and tennis shoes are needed for gym. Ball hats are not to be worn indoors. We do not wish to be stern or rigid with these polices, however, we do promote an atmosphere conductive to learning and reserve the right to prohibit and regulate clothing that could be unsafe, unhealthy or disruptive to the regular routine of school.
🐾 Furry Friend Reminder 🐾
For the safety of the Shawnee Community, we ask that dogs are on a very short leash when on school grounds. We also ask that you keep all pets off the main sidewalks and away from the school entrances and busy areas. Thank you for your understanding as we are trying to be sensitive to student allergies and fears, along with safety. We appreciate your support and cooperation!
Parent Survey
In an effort to improve system practices, Shawnee Elementary School is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. The results will be used to help develop Shawnee’s School Improvement Plan. The deadline to complete this survey is Friday, May 31, 2024. In order to complete the survey, please click the following link:
Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Shawnee’s School Improvement Team
2024-2025 PTO Board Elections
We are looking to elect officers for the PTO Board for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are interested in running for a PTO Board Member position, ballots must be submitted by Friday, May 17th stating your intentions to run. Please click here or see the document below for more information and details.
🐶 Towel & Blanket Drive 🐶
Shawnee is holding our annual Towel & Blanket Drive for local animal shelters. Please donate clean, new or lightly used towels, throws, or baby blankets that are no longer being used around the home. Rescue animals will be able to enjoy them while waiting for their "fur"ever homes. Donations can be dropped off outside of the STEM room until the end of the school year. Thank you for your support!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week!
Anton Art Show
This year, Shawnee has 13 student artworks exhibited at the Anton Art Center's Macomb County Biennial Primary Student Show (K-6). The show's opening reception and award ceremony was last Saturday, and 2 of our very talented students received awards in their grade level!
- Congratulations to Kinsley Leman (Kucsulain) for winning 1ST PLACE in the Kindergarten group!!
- Congratulations to Ryan Folden (Carpenter) for winning an honorable mention in the 1st grade group!
Here is a list of all our amazing Shawnee Stars that participated in the Primary Art Show (which will be on display at the Anton Art Center until 6/1):
Kindergarten -
- Kinsley Leman
- Adriana Godell
1st Grade -
- Brianna Hynous
- Ryan Folden
- Natalie Villerot
2nd Grade -
- Adelynn Abdelnour
- Malinda Akoobi
3rd Grade -
- Juliette Koppsch
- Leonardo Facion
- Penny Kropidlowski
4th Grade -
- Quinn Corsi
- Marietta Bahena
- RJ Holden
Clinic Donations Needed
The Shawnee Clinic is in need of some clothing donations. Quite often we have students who need a change of clothes due to accidents and spills. We like to have extra clothing on hand to assist students during these situations. We are running low on some clothing items in our clinic and would appreciate any donations of the following items:
- Shorts of all sizes
Thank you for any help you can provide.
Shawnee Field Day
Our stars will be participating in Field Day on Friday, May 31, 2024. Our rain date is Wednesday, June 5, 2024. We are looking for volunteers to help us make this day a success. There will be 2 time slots available:
- 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM ~ 3rd - 5th graders
- 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM ~ Kindergarten - 2nd graders
🕗 Tardy Arrival & Late Pick-Up 🕗
School begins at 8:55 AM. Our first bell rings at 8:50 AM at which time students are allowed to enter the building. If students arrive tardy/late to school after the second bell has rung at 8:55 AM, a parent needs to bring their student to the front door (Door #1), ring the buzzer, state the students’ name(s), show ID and then will be buzzed into the school/office to sign their student in. Tardy students will receive a tardy pass from the office and then sent to class.
Likewise, staggered dismissal begins at 3:35 PM each day. Please be sure to have daily pick-up arrangements for your student(s). For student's safety, if they are not picked up on time they will be brought to the office and a phone call home will be made. Those students will remain in the office for parent pick-up.
Further details and information are included below in this newsletter regarding arrival and dismissal. Please make every effort to arrive to school on time and pick up from school on time each day. There is no supervision for children before and after school, unless students are attending SACC. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
🌟 Shawnee Spiritwear Store 🌟
We are excited to announce Shawnee now has a Spiritwear Store! Our virtual store will remain in place throughout the 2023 - 2024 school year. Our store has tons of product and design options for you to choose from, letting you create your perfect custom spiritwear. Your purchase can help raise money for our school!
Join Our Spiritwear Store! Join below and we will keep you up to date on new products and promotions we add to our site.
2023 - 2024 Shawnee PTO Information
Our remaining Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Meetings for the 2023-2024 school year will be on the following dates at 6:00 PM. These meetings will be held in the Shawnee Media Center. We hope you can join us!
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024
🍴 Shawnee Breakfast & Lunch Order Form 🍴
Parents will now order breakfast and lunch in advance for their children using our monthly Shawnee Order Forms. Therefore, teachers no longer take breakfast or lunch count in class. The links below will lead you to forms so you can make breakfast and lunch choices for your student. Simply enter your child’s name, and select their grade and teacher. Then, choose the dates and meal options your child would like to order.
The link is live now! You may order and make changes anytime between now and 8:00 AM on the day before you are requesting meals. After that, you will not be able to order for the next day as our totals will be submitted.
Students can order Lunch Plus / Doubles for lunch. Hot lunch is free but the cost of doubles will be $1.50. Students will need to preorder doubles just as they do for hot lunch. Lunch Plus / Doubles will be an option on our lunch form. Please be sure your child has money on their meal account. You can deposit money to your child's account using the following link: http://chippewavalley.familyportal.cloud/.
We are excited to utilize this easy meal ordering opportunity. Please be sure to plan ahead and order on time so we can ensure we have meals for all students who need them. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
- Breakfast/Lunch orders must be placed by 8:00 AM the day before you are requesting meals.
📚 Literacy Program Information 📚
We have made some changes to our literacy program this year and would love to share some information with you. We are excited to see the growth of our students! Thank you for your continued partnership to help all of our students succeed.
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (SWPBIS)
At Shawnee we have a School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) program. SWPBIS is a broad range of systematic and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior. In other words, we recognize students’ correct and positive behavior to set the standard and climate at Shawnee. We know that when good behavior and teaching come together, our star students will excel in their learning. As a staff, we have established Shawnee Stars behavior expectations for all areas of the school: classroom, cafeteria, assemblies, hallways, playground, bus, and bathrooms.
Shawnee Stars – Take Responsibility – Are Always Safe – Respect Others – Shawnee Stars
The premise of SWPBIS is to reward the good behaviors and work to improve the negative behaviors. The staff will work to teach, model, rehearse, reinforce, and praise students for appropriate behaviors. See below for further details and information.
The Positivity Project
As part of our School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports Program (SWPBIS), we are once again partnering with The Positivity Project to empower our students to build positive relationships and become their best selves. There are 24 Character Strengths we will discuss throughout the year. We will focus on a different positive character education theme each week. Our theme for next week will be: Leadership. You can access Positivity Project Family Resources as well so you can continue the conversations at home. Please be sure to ask your child about what they are learning with The Positivity Project.
School Safety Drills
By law, schools are required to do safety drills each year, including fire, severe weather and lockdown. Our safety drills have begun taking place so we wanted to provide some information to our parents. Please see below for additional resources and information.
School Volunteers / Criminal Record Check
Keeping our school community safe is our top priority. In keeping with that commitment, Chippewa Valley Schools requires that individuals volunteering in our schools or with our students complete a criminal records check.
When parents sign up to volunteer for a particular event or program, our staff will send them a link to the online form. Parents will be asked to fill out the online form at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled volunteer assignment to ensure timely processing of applications. All information is submitted through a secure web site with the Michigan State Police. This process ensures all volunteers receive appropriate approvals, and our Human Resources Department can effectively prioritize the thousands of requests they receive each year.
You must be signed up to volunteer for a particular field trip, event, or program prior to filling out the online form. All forms must be completed electronically. Paper forms will no longer be accepted.
Parents will need to complete a new form each school year if they intend to volunteer.
We appreciate all of our volunteers that make our school so great!
Parent Communication
Arrival & Dismissal Information
Students will enter and exit the building through assigned doors:
- Door #1 (West Wing Walkers)
- Door #2 (Bus Riders)
- Door #20 (Kindergarten Walkers)
- Door #22 (East Wing Walkers)
Bus Tags:
- On the first day, colored bus tags will be provided to bus riders (K-2). Please be sure these tags remain attached to students and visible for staff to assist.
Arrival:
- Students cannot be dropped off early or left unattended while waiting to enter school.
- We encourage parents and students to wait in their vehicles until the first bell has rung and it is time to enter the building.
- Visitors are not permitted into the building. Staff and 5th Grade Safeties will be positioned around the school to help students get to classrooms.
Arrival Times:
- First Bell - 8:50 AM ~ Doors will open and students may enter through their assigned doors.
- Second Bell - 8:55 AM ~ After the second bell rings, all doors will be closed and all students must buzz in at Door #1. Students will be marked tardy if they arrive after 8:55 AM.
Dismissal:
- Staggered dismissal will continue to help eliminate the formation of crowds.
- Staff and safeties will be positioned around the school to help students.
- Students will exit the same doors they enter.
- Please arrange a meeting spot with your child so they know where to meet you upon exiting the building.
- If you are picking up a student who is a member of Safety Patrol or Service Squad and will be one of the last to leave/be dismissed, we ask that you please wait in the parking lot during the initial dismissal rush and before pulling into the drop-off/pick-up lane. This is supposed to be a moving line of traffic and cars should not be sitting for long periods of time in this space.
Staggered Dismissal Times:
- 3:35 PM - SACC (School Age Child Care), Safeties & Service Squad
- 3:37 PM - 3rd, 4th & 5th Grade Walkers/Parent Pick-Up
- 3:38 PM - Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade Walkers/Parent Pick-Up
- 3:39 PM - Bus Riders
Unless your child is attending SACC or a pre-arranged activity, they should not be arriving at school before 8:50 AM. Also, staggered dismissal begins at 3:35 PM. Please be sure that you pick up your child on time or have childcare arrangements. There is no supervision for children before and after school. Thank you for your cooperation.
Parking Lot Reminders
We would like to remind everyone just how important it is to follow the parking lot safety procedures. For the safety of your child and the entire Shawnee community, please follow the parking lot procedures. Be patient with each other and always remember you are the #1 role model for your children; they learn by watching us! We want to ensure that every child makes it to and from school safely. We can only accomplish this important task with your help and support.
CVS Food Service Information
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Chippewa Valley is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students starting this school year thanks to the Michigan Healthy School Meals Program!
Even though meals will be provided for free, it is important for families to continue ordering lunch and sharing household income information in order for our schools to have enough lunches and receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs that our students are entitled to.
Please scan the QR code on the attached Application Flyer to see if your family qualifies for any additional benefits, or go to https://chippewavalley.familyportal.cloud/.
Parents, please note that elementary students will be served breakfast in their classroom.
School-Age Child Care (SACC)
Rest assured we are still working hard to hire additional staff but until that time, any new registrations to the SACC program will be on hold and processed as enrollment allows. SACC registration is on a first come, first served basis. We process registrations in the order they are received. Each registration is dated and time stamped. We work our way through the registrations based on this order. Registrations will remain pending in the system and will be approved as openings and additional staff become available.
If you are interested in utilizing SACC, please complete the registration process online. Families will be processed as our staffing can accommodate. Schedule changes for existing families will also only be accepted as staffing allows.
Please understand, we are doing everything we can to get more people in place. If you know anyone who is looking for a job, please send them our way. Chippewa Valley is a great place to work!
We thank you for your understanding and patience as we have worked through this process. We will keep you posted as we have further developments. Thank you again for your support.
CVS Transportation Information
If your students are utilizing district transportation, we encourage you to visit the district transportation web page for all of the important information you may need. Be sure to download the StopFinder app. Please make sure your email is correct with your student’s school. Stopfinder will provide busing information and allow you to track the bus. This is the platform that will be used for all transportation notifications for late arrivals or delays. There are links posted on the transportation page to help parents utilize the StopFinder app to its full potential.
If you have any routing questions, please email the department at transportation1@cvs.k12.mi.us and we will answer you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Chippewa Valley Schools
Transportation Department
We Need Your Help!
We are also looking for substitute lunch monitors, crossing guards, teachers, etc. Being a substitute allows you to work when you want to and have the flexibility to work around your schedule. If you are able to work, even one day a week, we could use the extra help. Apply Here!
Thank you for your consideration and help.