https://costello.troy.k12.mi.us

December

12/19 - Winter Wonderland

12/20 - Holiday Parties

Winter Break - December 23 - January 5

January

1/6 - School resumes

1/13 - PTO Meeting 9:00 PM

1/16 - Festival of Choirs 5th Graders 7:00 at Athens

1/20 - No School MLK Day

1/22 - 1/2 Day

1/23 - 1/2 Day

1/24 - 1/2 Day

Winter Wonderland was a magical day! Many thank yous…Thank you Costello PTO for supporting this experience. Thank you Mrs. Pyzik for leading the music and dance. Our hot chocolate team was in full force, thank you!! Thank you to Anderson and Girls in Stanton Mi for traveling to Troy School District to bring our school so much joy! Loved having so much parent participation, we had more parents join us this year than any other year!!

Great pictures in the video below, also check out more on our PTO Facebook page.

Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday filled with happy memories, lots of laughter and rexalation! Thank you for all of your support. Also, thank you for your generosity and all of the kinds words and gifts. See you on January 6th!

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These student exhibited perseverance, being an up stander for a friend, self- improvement, being good friends and respect! Way to go Cardinals!

Just a few of the smiling faces saying thank you for the delicious soup, salad and desserts last week. We appreciate all who donated and prepared the food! Thank you Jen Ford for orchestrating the meal!!! Also, Olive Garden off of Rochester Road donated the salad and breadsticks.

The Troy School District is committed to keeping our community informed as we review our attendance area boundaries. This fall, we formed a committee composed of community members, TSD staff, building administrators, and central office administrators. The committee has been actively engaged in analyzing data, discussing options, and reviewing potential adjustments to the TSD school boundary maps.

The committee’s three main goals are to:

• Analyze enrollment across all four middle schools to achieve balanced enrollment.
• Resolve “double splits” that affect students’ transitions between schools.
• Ensure that high school attendance boundaries remain unchanged.
  
  

The attendance area review has four phases, and we are currently in Phase 1:

Phase 1: Discovery - The committee was formed. Research, analysis, and planning commence. The committee develops potential recommendations.

Phase 2: Recommendation (January) - The committee provides the board of education with a recommendation (options). The board determines if the district should move forward with the work.

Phase 3: Feedback (February - April) - TSD will hold four listening sessions, one at each middle school, to obtain feedback from our community. We will also send out a community survey for additional feedback.

Phase 4: Determination (April/May) - TSD will provide the Board with a summary of feedback, and they will determine any future changes.

To date, the committee has reviewed and discussed several options. The group last met on Monday, December 9, to finalize a few potential options for the Board to consider. The committee recommendation will be taken to the Board of Education in January to begin Phase Two. TSD will continue to provide our community with regular updates regarding the attendance area review.

Families,

You are welcome to attend the Winter Wonderland with your students at the times listed above. This is an outdoor only event. Please be sure you and your students are dressed for the weather. There will be singing & dancing (nothing formal), hot cocoa for the students and possibly some reindeer visitors (shhh...this is a secret, we don't want to disappoint the students in case our 4 legged friends can't make it.)

This event is for students, staff and parents. We love dogs, but they are not invited. Thank you for understanding!

Thank you in advance to all of our volunteers, party planners and room parents for coordinating the parties on December 20th!

I am reaching out to share the news that I will be moving into a new role as the Baker Middle School Vocal Music Teacher beginning January 6th. It is a new adventure and while I am looking forward to it, I am already missing all of my bright Costello students. The past years teaching your children have been filled with so many wonderful memories and sweet musical moments. I am so grateful to you for supporting your child learning music. It has been a privilege to witness them light up with joy in discovering what they can do musically.

The Costello community is such a special and caring one that I’ve been so fortunate to have been a part of. I will do all I can to help ease the transition and support your child. I plan to continue our afterschool 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Choir Club on Mondays at 4:10pm in the Costello music room. Our next session begins January 27th at this link: https://troy.ce.eleyo.com/course/902/2024-2025/costello-choir-club%E2%80%941. I’d love to continue singing with your child!

Wishing your family a wonderful winter break together!

With much warmth and gratitude,

Mrs. Pyzik 🎶 🎶 🎵

25-Tots Tennis.pdf

25-Winter Adult Pickleball.pdf

25-Winter Floor Hockey.pdf

25-Winter Imagineers.pdf

25-Winter Youth Pickleball.pdf

We are so proud of you! Keep working hard and showing your Cardinal Traits!

A few highlights from a terrific week...

• Students enjoying the first December snowfall
• Teachers are celebrating students' hard work and progress on reading assessments. This progress highlights perseverance and growth. Moving up multiple levels takes focus and consistency.
• Kindergarten partnerships; students sharing their writing with one another, they are so proud to tell their stories.
• 5th graders asking, what they can do to help around the school.
• I heard a fourth grader invite a classmate to give him another chance, "Can we be friends again?"
• Restorative conversations that help student learn from their mistakes, take responsibility, say sorry and move forward.

When children are given meaningful tasks, they experience a sense of accomplishment and pride that can boost their confidence and foster independence. These moments of success help them see the value of their contributions, whether at home, in the classroom, or in the community. By assigning age-appropriate responsibilities and celebrating their efforts, we can help them develop important life skills and a positive sense of self. Let's work together to encourage and inspire our kids to take ownership of their growth and achievements!

Thank you to Mrs. Homrich for setting up another terrific book fair and great timing for the holidays. Shout out to all of our volunteers who helped throughout the week. This is another memorable event that the students look forward to.

The students had so much fun playing the snow this week! Thank you for sending your student well bundled so they can enjoy the cold weather.

The students enjoy the outdoor weather when they are dressed for it. Thank you for sending your students in "all things warm." We don't want students to be wet after recess, snow pants and snow boots are necessary for playing in the snow. Be sure to LABEL, LABEL, LABEL. Large waterproof bags to hold all of the gear is super helpful. Here's what the gear situation looks like. Our teachers do the best they can to help make sure all of the items make it to the correct students. We appreciate your patience.

Thank you so much to the parents who volunteered to make soup for our staff on Monday! We look forward to warming up to the special treat!

This week, our students "flew" to their Cardinal Nests—this happens throughout the year at Costello. Each student is part of a consistent nest group, guided by the same nesting teacher and surrounded by the same group of peers throughout their time at our school. Nesting creates opportunities to build strong, lasting relationships with students across all grades, K-5, while exploring and living out the Cardinal Traits of perseverance, respect, integrity, and responsibility.

Nesting also aligns with TSD’s Red Pillar focus on well-being, fostering an inclusive and supportive community. This week’s lesson highlighted how we can use our Cardinal Traits to include and support others who learn differently. Students explored the importance of kindness and respect, understanding that people who learn, communicate, or experience the world differently have feelings just like everyone else. By practicing empathy and inclusion, we continue to build a school culture where everyone feels valued, and respected.

Some of our staff are participating in a book study. Such great energy in the room for the discussion. We reflected on ways to support students by teaching missing skills in the area of behavior just as we do for academics. What is the missing skill? How can we teach and practice it? We must use grace and accountability together to foster positive changes. Go Team!

Thank you for taking the time to show gratitude to our incredible Costello team, so many of you participated. The staff was very appreciative of your kind words. Below is a special message for our arrival volunteer, Mr. Nickerson from the Hariharasudhan Family.

As we start Thanksgiving break, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible support within our Costello community. Our partnership is so important, as educators and parents we are working to raise independent, confident and kind students who make positive contributions to our world.

I hope this break gives you a chance to step away from screens and embrace meaningful moments with your family. Spend time outdoors, bake and cook together, work on a project, share stories, engage in conversations, and simply play as a family.

Wishing you a joyful and restful Thanksgiving filled with quality time and special memories.

December menu will be shared as soon as it is received.

Once again, our Costello students enjoyed another unforgettable experience—the SLIME assembly was packed with high-energy fun! Thank you friends and families of the Costello community for your contributions, you did it, we exceeded our Fun Run goal! We LOVE our Costello Families 😃

And a special shoutout to Ingrid Peeples—WOW! From the kickoff of the Fun Run to weekly incentives, and everything in between, thank you for your dedication and hard work in planning for every detail that oozed 🤢nonstop joy and excitement to everyone involved! A huge THANK YOU for your dedication and hard work!

It truly takes a team:

• Shout outs to our custodial team for set up
  
• Mr. McKinney for leading the assembly
• Ms. Eldridge for behind the scenes (music, assembling students, etc.)
• Jenni Browzowski, Jamie Kaniarz, set up and clean up!
• Yoom Photography, thank you Michele for capturing these moments, so well done!

WARNING....you may not be able to get this song out of your head after listening!! LOL!

We are trying out and learning about our new technology features in the cafeteria. Thank you to Alan Wilson for taking the time to set this up for us. Click on link below and ADVANCE TO 14 MINUTES 20 SECONDS TO SEE THE START. The link has not yet been edited and there may be glitches with loading.

More pictures on PTO Facebook page:

Terrific turnout at Skate World last week. Thank you Kristen Northey for putting this together. I didn't snap any pictures, but I saw lots of Cardinal families the evening! Loved seeing our former Cardinals who are in middle and high school join us too.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/work-and-child-care/Pages/when-to-keep-your-child-home-from-child-care.aspx

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Seek and give social support. “Deliberately seeking the assistance and comfort of others reduces negative feelings and helps stabilize emotions,” says Marano – and the same goes for reaching out to others: “It shores up self-esteem, it bolsters immunity, it lowers blood pressure and helps the heart. Not least, it calms the nervous system.” Ways to Overcome Adversity by Hara Estroff Marano in Psychology Today, November/ December 2024 (Vol. 57, #6, pp. 32-37, 45)

Wed., Dec. 4: 6:00 PM TSD Staff vs Students basketball competition. Purchase game tickets in advance - $5 each (to support MLK celebration) 24-Dec-4-B-Ball.png

Wed., Dec. 11: 6-7 PM Parent info meeting regarding TSD Preschool 24-Dec-11-Preschool Parent Mtg.png

Jan. 1: GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program) Enrollment begins. For children age 4.

ATTN: All TSD students: All students are invited to participate in the 2025 MLK Day Creative Contest! Reflect on a time when you made a positive difference in your community and tell how that experience impacted both you and those around you. Share your reflection through a video, essay, poem, or a portfolio of visual artwork. Visit our website to learn more and submit your entry. Jan. 1: MLK Contest deadline to submit 25-MLK-Contest.png

PLEASE CLICK on the MICROSOFT FORMS link below to write a message of gratitude to a Costello staff member. I will distribute these messages as we lead up to Thanksgiving. Thank you for taking the time to appreciate our team.

Costello hosted two programs from Wass & Hamilton Elementary on Wednesday for the United Bowling Tournament. What a fun event that promotes inclusion. Our Cardinals gave the students a warm welcome!

Exposing children and adults to challenging situations “builds physical and psychological stress tolerance,” says Marano. With kids, this goes against the conventional advice on parenting, but having challenging experiences “protects them far more and for far longer than most present-day efforts to keep them safe… Stress inoculation stimulates active coping.” Ways to Overcome Adversity by Hara Estroff Marano in Psychology Today, November/ December 2024 (Vol. 57, #6, pp. 32-37, 45)

RESTORATIVE DISCIPLINE PRACTICES

A major consideration of the Code of Conduct is to identify appropriate disciplinary actions that will bring about positive student behavior. Restorative Discipline focuses on the harms, needs and causes of student behavior, not just the breaking of rules and dispensing of punishment. Restorative discipline attempts to provide students with an opportunity to be accountable for the harm caused as well as the opportunity to repair the harm. Students are empowered to help resolve conflict and maintain an environment where the work of the school can happen. The goal of restorative discipline is to provide students an opportunity to learn to think differently about harm, to deal with conflict in peaceful and creative ways, to address accountability and responsibility, to focus on one another’s humanity and to problem-solve in terms of community and collaboration.

Student violators of the Code of Conduct may have the opportunity to engage in restorative practices as a consequence of their inappropriate behavior, as facilitated by school officials. It is important that any student engaging in restorative practices freely admit to any wrongdoing and express contrition for their actions to the offended parties. Restorative practices developed in response to a Code of Conduct violation may include but are not limited to the following productive activities:

• Restitution
• Alternative suspension including In-School Suspension/Detention
• Apology for offense (both written and verbal)
• Participation in diversion programs
• Community service activities
• Outreach and awareness activities
• Course of study, book study, or other applied learning experience
• Behavior plan or behavior contract
• Participation in counseling in and out of school
• Engage in in agency and community supports,
• Student-to-student mediation

Hannah was the winner of the Troy Public Library Scary Story Contest for grades K-2. Be sure to click the link below to read her entire story. This is such a rich example of parent and child partnership. I can tell you both had a lot of fun writing! Congratulations Hannah!! I bet you will inspire some other budding authors.

Love seeing our 5th grade safeties keeping the bus riders entertained. Great leadership Bailey!

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If you enjoyed INTERNATIONAL NIGHT, you have Maria Sicardo Esteinou, Wendi Abdel-Hamed, Chris Tallman and Lillian Stier to thank! What a beautiful tradition for our school. To all of the gracious families who prepared food, made elaborate decorations, rehearsed dances and took the time to share your culture with us, THANK YOU! So proud to be part of such a special community. Be sure to check out the Costello Facebook page for more pictures and please add your pictures too.

- credit to Adam Burns from the Troy Creative Guild for putting together this video for us.

Costello is excited to be hosting a bowling tournament, part of the United Sports Program, for two elementary schools this month. At an assembly this week, students learned more about this program. The high energy assembly also featured 5th grade student leaders, a review of the Cardinal Traits and everyone singing the Costello Pep Song. Thank you to Mrs. Erff, Ms. Berlin, Mrs. Harrison, and Mrs. Pyzik for putting this together!

Shout out to our staff leaders, Mr. McKinney, Mr. Rondot and Ms. Chick for facilitating the professional development on our PD days this week. The time invested in developing teachers directly impacts learning for your students. We also appreciate the district commitment to learning from experts in the field. Our kindergarten, first and second grade teacher hosted a staff developer to lead conversations and demonstrations in writing workshop.

🎃What a special day we had on Wednesday. Thank you to our parent volunteers and party planners for making the Halloween parties one to remember. Great to see so many families join us for the parade. We are so glad that the Athens Band accepted our invitation to play during the parade, special added bonus for sure.

Our district book study on Wednesday evening was so powerful. We discussed the impact that electronic devices has on all of us. There was so much positivity around the importance of community, communication and and simply getting to know your neighbors. Thanks to our Costello families who were able to attend, we were well represented!!

Eating out in Troy? Would you like a discount? See details below!

This offer runs from November 3-8.You receive 20% off of your “food” purchases at participating restaurants, and at the same time your school can earn a cash prize of $1,000…..(it’s a win-win!)

Notes regarding the “Step Up to the Plate” receipts:

• Students are asked to bring their receipts to your school’s office by the end of the day on Friday, November 15th.

• By the end of the day on Tuesday, Nov. 26th, your school will need to report the total amount on the receipts to Linda Alfonso at (lalfonso2@troy.k12.mi.us):

• Just take the total on the receipts (after the discount and the tip is not included).

• After you have totaled the receipts, you can send them to me here at Central Office. (You do not need to tape the receipts to a sheet

of paper.) Just please make sure you include a sheet of paper with the name of your school and the total so that I can give you credit.

The November menu will be shared and posted as soon as it is made available.

So great to see so many Cardinals participating in the Troy Public Library Bookmobile. Yes, parents there are also books for you as well. Next date is Saturday, November 23rd from 2:00-3:00.

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What an unforgettable night! Huge thanks to everyone who decorated cars and donated candy, making this event so special. Lindsey Miller, you did it again—your planning and hard work created a welcome spooky experience for our Costello families! It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces.

Congratulations to the Harper family for winning the trophy!

Be sure to check out more Trunk or Treat photos on Costello's PTO Facebook page—photo credit to Jen Ford. If you were able to join the fun, feel free to share your photos.

Thanks again Lindsey Miller for making Trunk or Treat happen! Lindsey Miller's daughter will be a fifth grader next year, who can keep this tradition going for Costello? Reach out if this sounds like a good fit for you and your friends/family to lead.

As we prepare for our upcoming Halloween festivities, we want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience—especially our younger students! With that in mind, we kindly ask for your support in following a few guidelines for Halloween costumes:

• No weapons of any kind (real or pretend) should be part of costumes.
• Please avoid bloody, gory, or frightening costumes that might scare our younger students.
• Costumes should be appropriate for school.

PARADE - 3:00 PM

Get your cameras ready, we are looking forward to seeing the students in their Halloween costumes.

Parents are welcome to attend the parade which will be in the bus loop. Parking will be limited, please walk or carpool if you plan to attend.

Inclement weather plan? If necessary, the parade will be held indoors. This will be for students only.

Sorry, pets are not invited to this event!

CLASSROOM PARTIES - (Immediately following the parade)

Only party volunteers, on the office list, will enter the building. Thank you for helping us make our Halloween celebrations safe and positive for everyone!

We have a high energy week ahead! Students will be "feeling" the excitement of Halloween for the next week! We want ALL students to experience the fun activities. If everyone is following the Cardinal Traits this will ensure a great time for all. Self regulation and communication with words, not physical actions is expected. The Code of Conduct https://www.troy.k12.mi.us/student-life/code-of-conduct will be enforced. Please review our Cardinal Traits and expectations with your child(ren):

• It is okay to be frustrated, when you are frustrated it is NEVER okay to respond by hurting someone else either physically or emotionally.
  
• When we are frustrated we can communicate our problems/concerns without being nasty with our words. Share opportunities when you have been frustrated and used the Cardinal Traits to communicate respectfully.
• Thank you for reinforcing, modeling, naming and noticing opportunities to use the Cardinal Traits at home.

This video https://youtu.be/R-u29P1bGro?si=5chntxG2zMRaDw8z features Barnard School and shows opportunities for de-escalation strategies. Costello also offers the same resources to "cool down" when frustrated. We are fortunate to have two sensory rooms at Costello and calming corners in each classroom.

We are looking forward to our assembly this week to kick off our United Bowling Program, to recognize students who are leaders in displaying the Cardinal Traits, to review our Cardinal Traits and to sing our Cardinal Pep Song!

Captured this authentic conversation at lunch this week.

Empathy, respect, love! This is the Cardinal Way!

CELL PHONES & SMART WATCHES:

Electronic devices cause distractions to the learning for the student using them as well as classmates.

See guidelines below:

Unless necessary for medical use, cell phones must be silenced or powered off and kept in the child's backpack. Elementary students are not permitted to use cell phones at any point during the school day.

Smart watches and devices with data series and message/calling capabilities (this includes GPS watches and Apple Watches) must be in "airplane" mode during the school day.

Students should not be receiving and/or sending communication via smart watches during the school day. Students may be required to remove smart devices during assessments or if they become a distraction.The school is not responsible for lost or stolen devices.

Please communicate through the main office for last minute changes in transportation. We will be sure to let your child/teacher know. For your child's safety, the adults need to ensure that the information is appropriately followed. Thank you for your cooperation.

TOYS & TRADING CARDS:

Toys and trading cards, such as Pokémon cards, can be distracting and may lead to issues if lost. While there may be occasional opportunities for these items at school, they should generally remain at home. If necessary, the teacher will hold onto any distracting items, and parents can arrange to retrieve them.

Celebrate the rich diversity of our school community at our annual International Night. Enjoy delicious food, vibrant performances, and fascinating cultural exhibits from around the world!

Location: Costello Elementary School

Bring your family for an evening filled with fun, learning, and global connections!

We can't wait to see you there!

🤢Oh boy, something tells me Mrs. Peeples is dreaming up something and I am going to be on the receiving end of it!!

Way to show off those Cardinal Traits Grace, Talik, Max, Liam, Usimo, Liliana!!

As we prepare for our upcoming Halloween festivities, we want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience—especially our younger students! With that in mind, we kindly ask for your support in following a few guidelines for Halloween costumes:

• No weapons of any kind (real or pretend) should be part of costumes.
• Please avoid bloody, gory, or frightening costumes that might scare our younger students.
• Costumes should be appropriate for school.

We’re excited to see the creative costumes. Families, you are invited to join us for the outdoor parade starting at 3:00 in the bus loop on October 30th. We kindly ask that you leave pets at home. Only party volunteers, on the office list, will enter the building. Thank you for helping us make our Halloween celebrations safe and positive for everyone!

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fall day for the Fun Run! Kicking off the opening ceremony with a lap in the firetruck certainly got the Cardinals FIRED UP! A big thanks to Mrs. Maliepaard for recruiting her husband, a Troy Volunteer Fireman, to be part of our Fun Run. It was amazing to see so many parents join us, cheering on the students and making the day extra special!

A HUGE shoutout to our Fun Run organizer extraordinaire, Ingrid Peeples! Your boundless energy and unwavering dedication made this event an incredible success. THANK YOU, just doesn't seem like enough Ingrid! Those two words are packed with gratitude for all that you do. Your "I can do it" positive attitude makes a significant impact on our school 🤗!!!

Special thanks to Mr. Frank, who never lets us down. From set up to tear down, you brought smiles to everyone’s faces! Jenny Martus, the t-shirts were absolutely amazing — pulling that together in time for the Fun Run was no small task, and you nailed it!

And, of course, to our INCREDIBLE Costello staff — how about those teachers? A busy night of conferences followed by the Fun Run, and yet you all brought the energy and spirit! There’s no better team than Team Costello!

Beth Klida, we appreciate your years of dedication, taking care of the signs and stepping in to support Ingrid whenever needed. Keith Harper, our long-time Fun Run announcer and ‘voice of the Fun Run,’ you did a fantastic job keeping the crowd pumped with shoutouts! Thanks also to Barb Belcher for lending a hand with shoutouts. And we are so fortunate to have Mike Frazier of Prestige Weddings and Events generously donate his DJ services once again. Just when we were getting tired, another great song came on to keep us going!

Naaman Kiah Ford, your incredible photos help us capture and cherish the memories from this special day. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!

And last but certainly not least, THANK YOU to our amazing Costello community! Your generous donations help supplement our budget, providing enriching opportunities for our students. If you did not get a chance to donate yet, it's not too late, the website will be open until next Friday. What a beautiful way for our community to come together and support our school!

To everyone who helped make this day a success, THANK YOU! Go Cardinals!"

The PTO and parents, Brian & Colleen Fox of Jet's Pizza on Auburn Rd. provided lunch for our teachers on Friday. We appreciate being able to treat our staff, especially during conference week.

Consider joining the Costello Facebook page to connect with other Cardinal families, share pictures and receive additional updates!

As we prepare for our upcoming Halloween festivities, we want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience—especially our younger students! With that in mind, we kindly ask for your support in following a few guidelines for Halloween costumes:

• No weapons of any kind (real or pretend) should be part of costumes.
• Please avoid bloody, gory, or frightening costumes that might scare our younger students.
• Costumes should be appropriate for school.

We’re excited to see the creative costumes. Families, you are invited to join us for the outdoor parade starting at 3:00 in the bus loop on October 30th. We kindly ask that you leave pets at home. Only party volunteers, on the office list, will enter the building. Thank you for helping us make our Halloween celebrations safe and positive for everyone!

Have a delightful weekend, GO TIGERS!!!!

4th grade innovators challenge themselves and each other to create fun games with cardboard, engaging in their creativity and thinking outside the box. Students share their joy and experience through this video in our new "Portraits" series, and we look forward to sharing more stories from our classrooms where our Portrait of a Learner work is always on full display.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl8TL3Gc-Nc

Carlo, Adam, Taylor, Lucas, Xinyuan, Khalid

Be sure to put the flyer below (in backpacks) on your fridge so your Cardinal can be ready for spirit week! Lilliana made Monday easy, just stay in pajamas 🙃

Corrected spelling: Sophie Fu and Claire Kubasinski, my apologies ladies.

Ms. Eldridge's class enjoyed their popsicle party this afternoon. Congratulations having the most students reach their fundraising goal. Parents, thank you so much for your support!

(*If you zoom in you can read this better, but your child is also bringing home a copy in the homework folder) Please consider participating and sharing your cultural traditions with our Costello community. Our committee leaders have a very organized plan in place. This is another AMAZING Costello event that you will not want to miss! Huge shout out to Wendi Abdel-Hameed, Lillian Steir, Maria Esteinou Coto and Chris Tallman for making this event happen!!

Here are the links to sign up for your family mini session. Please take note that all three locations are different this year. The session will be $50 for 3 high resolution photos. $5/session will be donated to the PTO. Contact me, Michele Yoo, if you have any questions (734) 678-8959.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DA9AC2BA4FE3-51998372-costello#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DA9AC2BA4FE3-51999354-costello#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DA9AC2BA4FE3-51999813-costello#/

It's almost time for our annual Trunk or Treat. This is a really fun way to celebrate Halloween with the Costello community.

There is no cost or sign up or registration to attend, but we do ask each that family coming to the trunk or treat donate a bag of candy in advance to make sure there is enough to go around. THE CANDY DONATION BIN WILL BE IN THE VESTIBULE STARTING 10/7

MOST IMPORTANT! We need parents, neighbors, friends, or family to help by decorating trunks and passing out candy. The candy will be provided (by donations from those attending and the PTO) and a prize winner for best trunk will be chosen. Look for a sign up to come around soon!

As we prepare for our upcoming Halloween festivities, we want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience—especially our younger students! With that in mind, we kindly ask for your support in following a few guidelines for Halloween costumes:

• No weapons of any kind (real or pretend) should be part of costumes.
• Please avoid bloody, gory, or frightening costumes that might scare our younger students.
• Costumes should be appropriate for school.

We’re excited to see the creative costumes. Families, you are invited to join us for the outdoor parade starting at 3:00 in the bus loop on October 30th. We kindly ask that you leave pets at home. Only party volunteers, on the office list, will enter the building. Thank you for helping us make our Halloween celebrations safe and positive for everyone!

Congratulations!

2nd Grade - Mithran

4th - Mera

1st - Hudson

K - Ahaan

3rd - Kristian

5th - Noah

Creativity was in full swing today as the 4th graders dove into the Cardboard Challenge. There were homemade skee ball machines, a plinko board, and even classic games like whack-a-mole and air hockey, the students' imaginations truly came to life!

Most of the students were able to visit the games and try them out. Don't throw those cardboard boxes away, these activities are fun for the whole family. I am sure the 4th graders inspired some ideas, if your family makes a game this weekend be sure to share it with your child's teacher on SeeSaw!

Fall Conferences ~ Thur. & Fri., Oct. 10 & 11 ~ All In-person ~ at Costello

Costello’s FALL CONFERENCES will all be in-person at Costello (in teachers’ classrooms) on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 10 & 11, 2024. Thursday’s conferences will be held from 1:45 until 4:00 PM and in the evening from 5:00 until 8:30 PM. Friday’s will be from 1:45 until 4:00 PM

All Kg-5 Students will have a half-day on both conference days, 10/10 and 10/11. Costello students will be dismissed at 12:59 PM. All parents should schedule a conference with their student’s teacher(s) as soon as possible. Parents, you will receive your student’s M-STEP scores (from last year) when you meet with their teacher.

In addition to classroom teachers, parents are welcome to also meet Specials teachers: ELD - Ms. Andresen, Social Worker - Ms. Berlin, Ms. Erff, Ms. Harrison, Media - Ms. Homrich, Ms. Marcaccio, Art - Ms. Myre, P.E. - Mr. Myrick, Vocal Music - Mrs. Pyzik.

Click on the PTCFAST.com link below to schedule your conference times now:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Costello_Elementary

PTO family photo mini sessions!

A talented Costello Parent is offering family photo mini sessions again this year for your convenience AND as a fundraiser for the school!

Cost: $50 for 10 minutes which includes three edited photos. A percentage of each mini session will be donated to the PTO.

Contact Michele at 734-678-8959 for available times and locations.

More reasons to put limits on electronic devices, here's what the research show...

• Impacts ability to attend - Studies show that students with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) are heavier users of smartphones and video games.
• Planning and organizing skills referred to as "executive functioning" skills develop through focused attention. Higher usage of devices makes focusing more challenging.
  
• Consider what children are missing out on by being on devices for significant lengths of time.

• Cardinal swag - Maria
• Positive message home to parents - Nathan
• Pick Spirit Day! - Leo
• Lunch with Dr. DiPonio & Friends - Corinne
• PE Coach - Andre