Emerson Update 10/11/24

Dear Emerson Middle School families,

As we approach the end of the marking period, it's important to remind students to stay focused on their studies and continue to strive for their best. Please encourage your child to complete their homework, study for performance assessments, and participate fully in class.

Upcoming Events and Dates:

• Bus Cancellations 10/14-10/18 - Routes N, O and P.
• Common Summative Assessments (CSAs): October 23rd and 24th. Please refer to the attached schedule for specific times and subjects.
• Marking Period End: October 25th. To celebrate, we're having an Activity Night at Frost Middle School. Unfortunately, students with October suspensions will not be permitted to attend.
• PBIS Reward App: Our points system is now active! We're excited about the positive impact it will have on our school community. Students can use their points in classroom and school-wide stores.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences: November 7th. Sign-ups will be available through PTCfast. More information will be sent in a future email later this month.

Thank you for your continued support of Emerson Middle School!

With Eagle Pride,

Mr. Rivera

October 2024

10/14/24 - Bus Cancellations all Week. Routes N, O and P

10/14/24 - Monday - PTSA Meeting

10/14/24 - Monday - Volleyball Game @ Stevenson (Westland)

10/16/24 - Wednesday - XC Meet - Cass Benton

10/21/24- Monday - Immunization Exclusion Date (see below)

10/21/24 - Monday - Boys Basketball Tryouts Begin

10/23/24 - Wednesday - CSAs by Subject (ELA, Science, WL..)

10/24/24 - Thursday - CSAs by Subject (Math, SS, Art..)

10/24/24 - Thursday - Picture Retake Day

10/25/24 - Friday - Marking Period One Ends

10/25/24 - Friday - All Middle School Activity Night @ Frost MS

This is a reminder about the upcoming bus route cancellations due to the ongoing bus driver shortage in our district.

As you may know, schools across the nation are facing a shortage of bus drivers, and we have been working hard to minimize disruptions to our students' transportation. While we have made progress in hiring and training new drivers, we continue to experience some challenges.

Effective Monday, October 14th through Friday, October 18th, the following bus routes will be canceled:

• Route N: Franklin, Emerson, Cooper, Cleveland
• Route O: Franklin, Emerson, Cooper, Hayes
• Route P: Franklin, Emerson, Cooper, Cleveland (Morning and Afternoon)
• 
  

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

Please remember to familiarize yourself with our traffic flow map and parking lot procedures, as they may be helpful during this time.

We should expect higher traffic volumes next week due to the bus cancellations.

BUILDING HOURS The middle school day is from 8:00 AM - 2:50 PM.

The building will be open for students at 7:30 AM. Students who arrive at Emerson earlier than 7:30 AM will wait outside.

Beginning at 7:30 AM, students will enter the building and wait in the cafeteria until released at 7:50 AM to go to their lockers.

All students are to be out of the building and off school property by 3:00 PM unless staying for a supervised activity, event, or performance

Thank you for your continued support.

MICR (Michigan Immunization Registry): This is a state-run database that tracks immunization records for all Michigan residents. Schools use this registry to verify that students have received the required immunizations to attend school. This date is:

OCTOBER 21st, 2024

Immunization Requirements: To attend school in Michigan, students must be up-to-date on their immunizations. This includes vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, chickenpox, and hepatitis B.

Exclusion Date: The "Exclusion Date" is the deadline by which students must have their required immunizations or a valid waiver on file. If a student does not meet this requirement by the exclusion date, they will not be allowed to attend school.

What to Do:

1. Check Your Child's Immunization Records: Review your child's immunization records to ensure they are up-to-date.
2. Contact Your Doctor: If your child needs additional immunizations, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician.
3. Request a Waiver (If Applicable): If your child cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason, you may be eligible for a waiver. Contact your child's doctor to discuss this option.
4. Respond to the Letter: If you received a letter indicating that your child's immunization records are incomplete, please follow the instructions in the letter to provide the necessary information or schedule an appointment.

Importance of Immunizations: Immunizations are crucial for protecting your child and the community from preventable diseases. By ensuring your child is up-to-date on their immunizations, you are helping to maintain a healthy school environment.

LifeTouch pictures

School pictures were sent home last Friday.

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Make up day for pictures will be October 24

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF

your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

Redeem Now

What are Common Summative Assessments (CSA) and what is their purpose?

Common Summative Assessments are a common measure of the agreed upon learning goals or Priority Standards for a course. The assessment results show what students know, and how well they know, the skills and standards that were taught that quarter.

Who chose the Priority Standards?

Teaching staff from each grade level and course have met to determine what State Standards they are going to teach each quarter. Knowing that not all standards can be assessed, district teams of teachers chose the most important standards for the quarterly assessments based on two criteria: attainment of the big ideas of that course and preparation for the next grade or course.

Who wrote the assessments?

Livonia teachers write the assessments utilizing their curriculum resources and materials, AP assessment questions, and State Standard aligned questions. The common assessments help us to ensure all students are aiming for the same targets/standards/skills in the same time frame.

How much of my student’s grade is based on these assessments?

Middle School Courses: District CSAs will account for 10% of the overall grade for each marking period.

We need your help to make this activity a success.

If you would like to volunteer at the Beetle Bash activity night at Frost on Friday, October 25th, Please Click HERE

Parent Volunteer Sign Up Genius Link

If you are volunteering to chaperone and have never filled out an I-Chat Background check form for the 2024-25 school year please submit one by Monday, October 21st.

If you are donating items, please label it FMS Beetle Bash and you or your child can drop it off at the main office of your school. Parking Passes can be picked up when students purchase their tickets or at the main office.

If you are chaperoning the night of the event, please arrive at Frost by 6:30 to allow time to park, sign in at the chaperone lounge, and get to your post. Please enter at door 10 which is the very South East door (this is a change from last year). There will be a sandwich board sign at the volunteer entrance. From there please go to Room 202 to receive your assignment. If you are set up or tear down crew, please note the times on the sign up for your job.

Traffic will be heavy so please try to carpool if at all possible. For security purposes, if you have a student that is attending, they should enter through their school’s door with the students from their school.

Thank you for making this evening a possibility for our students. Please contact us via email if you have any questions.

• Frost - Erin Radley eradley@livoniapublicschools.org
• Holmes - Kelli Austin-kaustin2@livoniapublicschools.org
• Emerson - Ben Dewey- bdewey2@livoniapublicschools.org

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year due to absences. This can have a detrimental impact on a student's academic success, social development, and overall well-being.

Regular attendance is crucial for students to fully engage in their learning and develop important social skills. When students miss school frequently, they may struggle to keep up with their coursework, miss out on valuable learning opportunities, and have difficulty forming positive relationships with their peers and teachers.

If your child is experiencing chronic absenteeism, please know that we are here to help. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Communicate with your child's teacher: Open and honest communication with your child's teacher can help identify any underlying issues that may be contributing to their absences.
2. Schedule a meeting with the school counselor: Our counseling department is available to provide support and resources to help address attendance concerns. They can offer guidance on how to improve attendance and address any underlying issues that may be impacting your child's well-being.
3. Explore potential barriers: Consider if there are any underlying health, transportation, or family issues that may be preventing your child from attending school regularly.
4. Encourage regular attendance: Reinforce the importance of attending school and create a positive and supportive home environment that promotes learning.

We understand that unexpected absences may occur, but it is important to minimize them as much as possible. By working together, we can ensure that your child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to the counseling department if you have any concerns or questions. We are committed to supporting your child's success.

There are two ways you can report an absence for your student at Emerson.

Option 1:

• Go to the Emerson Middle School website.
• Click on "Report an Absence" under Quicklinks.
• Fill out the Google Form (also at the top of this newsletter).

Option 2:

• Call the attendance line at 734-744-2666.
• Please leave a detailed message about your student's absence.
• Include their name, reason for absence and any specifics we may need to know.

Emerson Student Handbook & Code of Conduct

• This has been updated for the 2024-20254 school year.
  
• It can be accessed HERE.




A few key things to note:




• Please partner with us by reminding students that cell phones and electronics should be "AWAY FOR THE DAY"!
• All students must keep backpacks in their lockers. Small drawstring bags and purses may be carried throughout the day.
• We do not allow Hats and/or Hoodies to be worn during the school day.

Dear Parents of students with medical needs,

In planning for the upcoming year, I wanted to remind you to notify the school of any health care needs that your student may have. If your student has a medical condition including a severe allergy, asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy an Individualized Health Care Plan (attached below) needs to be updated annually by your physician to identify what actions need to be taken should an emergency situation arise.

In addition, if your student requires medication at school for any reason, please complete the attached Medication Authorization Form with your physician and return it with the medication to the main office ASAP.

**If your child needs more than one medication we need a Medication Authorization Form completed for each medication provided to the school.**

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Shannon Matuska at 734-744-2665 ext. 79759 or by email: smatuska@livoniapublicschools.org.

Thank you,

Shannon Matuska

Student Assistance Provider

Emerson Middle School

Allergy

Asthma

Seizure

Diabetes Plan A

Medication Authorization

The Livonia Parent Advisory Committee (LPAC) seeks parent representation from each Livonia Special Education Program. Parent representative volunteers have a child/children with a disability(ies). The LPAC also provides advisory input on matters regarding improvement of Special Education services within our school district.

Our Facebook page shares information of interest to our families and students.

Here, you will find electronic flyers for programs and events geared toward kids!

We hope that you enjoy the many offerings from around our great community!

If you have a program that you'd like to advertise, please email your flyer to Stacy Jenkins at sjenkins3@livoniapublicschools.org for approval. We follow a set of guidelines for approval and are only able to accept flyers for non-profit organizations that benefit our local children.

Enjoy!

• Just a reminder to please take a moment and join the Emerson PTSA! Below is the link.
• Click Here to Join the Emerson PTSA
• Here is the link to our Emerson PTSA Facebook page

Our first PTSA meeting will be on Monday, September 16th @ 5pm in the LMC. Hope to see you there!

The web store for class shirts is now open and will close on October 5th. We will have fun spirit days and will ask the kids to represent their class throughout the year.

https://emsclasstees.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Thank you for your support

The PTSA

The PTSA is looking for a parent or staff member volunteer to be the chairperson for the 2024/25 Youth Making A Difference (YMAD) program.

Youth Making a Difference is a program that encourages and recognizes volunteer efforts by K-12 students. Some students visit senior citizens, help collect money for the Livonia Goodfellows, or rake leaves at their schools. Other activities include school or community projects. Livonia PTSA Council recognizes the efforts of these students at the annual Youth Making a Difference celebration.

If you are interested in volunteering, or have any questions, please reach out to our PTSA President, Christina Engler (Engler1203@hotmail.com). Thank you!

Emerson Middle School has several clubs where students can connect with their peers, learn a new skill, or simply hang out with friends. We've had a volleyball club, robotics club, GSA club, and homework club. We would love to offer something for everyone! Our club list is always growing, and we're always open to new ideas. If your student has a dream club in mind or if you'd like to be an awesome advisor, let us know! Joining a club is a great way to make new friends, learn new skills, and have a blast!

The LLCC is a competitive cheerleading program specifically designed for middle schoolers, and we would love for your school to be part of helping us grow and promote this program!

Our program offers a chance for students to experience the fun and excitement of competitive cheerleading, all while building confidence, teamwork, and athletic skills. Participants will have the unique opportunity to train and compete alongside their peers from across the community, preparing them for future high school-level cheerleading.

Attached, you will find flyers with more details about the program, including registration information via web link and a QR code on the flyer.

Our goal is to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for all skill levels, so whether a student is new to cheerleading or has prior experience, they would be welcomed with open arms.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

We look forward to working together on this opportunity for the middle school students of Livonia!

LLCC 2024-2025 Registration Questionnaire

Livonia Lightning Cheer Club Website

Sincerely,

Renee Woodliff

Head Coach and Program Coordinator, Livonia Lightning Middle School Cheerleading

Interim Head Coach Livonia Stevenson Cheer

We will often post relevant and important information on social media for families, and many families find it helpful to contact us on Facebook and Twitter. The absolute best way to contact us and get a reply, however, is by emailing the appropriate staff member or by phone (734) 744-2665.

Our website is also one of the best places to find a variety of information!

These staff members can help with the following topics:

• Athletics - Mr. Colling (acolling2@livoniapublicschools.org)
• Counselors:
• Mrs. Berman (aberman@livoniapublicschools.org) supports students with last names A-K
• Ms. Colvin (fcolvin@livoniapublicschools.org) supports students with last names L-Z
• Health Care Plans - Mrs. Matuska (smatuska@livoniapublicschools.org)
• Registration - Mrs. Carroll (jcarroll4@livoniapublicschools.org)
• Special Education - Mrs. Downs (kdowns@livoniapublicschools.org) or Mr. Kowalski (dkowalsk@livoniapublicschools.org)
• Student Activities - Mr. Dewey (bdewey2@livoniapublicschools.org)

Website: https://www.livoniapublicschools.org/Domain/13
Location: 29100 West Chicago, Livonia, MI, USA
Phone: (734) 744-2665
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EMSLivonia/
Twitter: @EaglesNestEMS