Vowles Newsletter

Dec. 16-20th- Winter Spirit Week for Students and Staff- (see image below)

Dec. 23rd- Jan. 5th- Winter Break

Jan. 6th- School Resumes

Jan. 13th- NWEA Testing Begins

Jan. 13th- PTO Meeting in Vowles Library @ 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 14th- Cocoa with the Counselors 6-7 p.m. (see image and RSVP below)

Jan. 22-23rd- Dental Bus is at Vowles

Jan. 30th- Family Game Night at Vowles 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Calendar

Vowles & Pullen Preschool Calendar

We would love to hear from you! We are wondering how we are doing with Capturing Kids Hearts. Please take our short Survey at the link below. If you are unsure of any questions, just answer them the best you can. This will help tell us how we can improve in helping our students and communicating what our students are doing to Capture each other's Hearts.

Family Survey Link- Due Jan. 10th, 2025

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools would like to share our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan incorporates input from the community, staff and students and explains how MPPS will empower excellence in ALL aspects of our community.

View the video at: https://youtu.be/YNYODcCblKA

Thank you.

Communications Task Force

• In January and February, PTO will sponsor a Dine and Donate Night each Month at a local MP restaurant. Vowles PTO will profit from those that dine. More information to come.
• Discussed March Reading Month and incorporating a Read-A-Thon into the month's activities.
• Book Fair will be the week of April 7th.
• Connect with Vowles PTO by joining the Remind group. Download the Remind app on your phone or text Text @VowlesPTO to 81010
• PTO is working on planning for a Spring Carnival. We would love your input! Feel free to join the Remind Text at the number above or email: Monica Clark at monicaclark5415@gmail.com with interest.
• Next Meeting: Jan. 13th at 4:30 in Vowles Library

The Vowles PTO is dedicated to supporting our students and staff at Vowles Elementary. Our goal is to fund our school with worthwhile field trips, classroom supplies, assemblies, and family events events that will support our students academically, socially, and emotionally. If you would like to make a donation through this platform, it will go directly to the Vowles Parent Teacher Organization. We appreciate your support.

PTO continued to collect donations throughout the year for those that would like to donate.

https://givebutter.com/Jaew14

We would like to remind all our families about our morning arrival and afternoon dismissal procedures. We are hoping you can commit to these to keep our students and families safe.

• Driving through the neighborhood/entering school grounds- be sure to follow the 25 mph Speed Limit in those areas. The city is posting officers in the neighborhood due to fast driving conditions.
• Parking- JK-2nd grade families are required to park in the parking lot off of Watson; Preschool families are allowed to park in the staff/bus parking lot as these families leave before busses arrive or exit the parking lot.
• Crosswalks- Be sure to use the crosswalk when walking your student across. Modeling safe behavior is important to us as it is a busy place.
• Circle Drive- Please pull as far forward as possible so we can try to get as many students in vehicles as possible. Please have your child get in the Passenger side of the car. Please do NOT leave your vehicle unattended and walk up to get them. You will cause cars to be stuck behind you.

Let us know how our staff is doing and help us to recognize them by completing our Staff Shout Out. You can recognize an amazing teacher by filling out a few questions in the link below. We will present them with a Shout Out Certificate that tells what they were recognized for and by who.

Staff Shout Out

Thank you to our families that filled out our School Improvement Surveys. Your feedback is important to us!

From our Surveys, we are doing the following:

• Doing "circle ups" with our students to hear more about how we can address help in the classroom for them, support them at recess, and support those that ride the bus.
• Planning for activities that students and families can get involved in at Vowles through our PTO events or Title 1 Family Engagement events. If you have specific things you would to share for wanting to participate in, please reach out to kbishop@mp.edzone.net

For feedback related to your child's learning, please read the classroom newsletters that highlight what your child is working on in class and what skills are expectations at their grade level. Information is also found in your child's Remind messages or Agenda. If you need any feedback related to how they are doing, you can always reach out to the classroom teacher.

During the course of the school year, our buildings are obligated to practice at least 5 Fire Drills, 2 Tornado Drills and 3 Lockdown drills. At times, we do have our YSU Liason or other officers from the Police Department assist in our drills. We cover with our students the locations of where to go for each drill, what to do during specific drills, and how to properly evacuate when it is needed. You can also find this information in your child's Handbook at the front of the student agenda.

During the first weeks of school, classes read the story, I'm Not Scared, I'm Prepared book in their class with their teachers. This book focused on the main components of the safety protocols that we work on with children. Each week, we have taken time to practice specific parts of each drill to be better prepared in an emergency.

I also encourage you to check out our district website where we have information that pertains to our district school safety. Click here to get to the website.

We have completed 4/5 Fire Drills, 2/3 Lockdown drills and 1/2 Tornado drills at this point in the school year.

• PEAK (after school): https://www.mtpleasantschools.net/page/peak-program

• SACC (before school)- School Aged Child Care (Before School Program)- 775-2340

If you have moved or are a NEW rider for the 2024-2025 school year, please sign up for transportation using the link below:
https://mtpleasantschools.net/district/transportation/

We are very excited to be using a new software this year with our transportation dept. Students will be scanning when arriving and departing from the bus. Parents will also be able to track the bus location using a new app. New and exciting things at MPPS!

Download the App called My Ride K-12. Select our District.

You will need your child's Power School Identification number. You can call us at 989-775-2280 for it.

MPPS Nutrition Club is a unique community support that provides supplemental, weekend food twice a month to participating students.

If your son or daughter qualifies for free or reduced school meals and this nutritional support is needed, he or she is welcome to be enrolled and participate in the MPPS – Nutrition Club.

MPPS - Nutrition Club is made possible through an amazing partnership with the Community Compassion Network and Greater Lansing Food Bank. Financial support is provided by generous donations from many community members and organizations including Mount Pleasant City Women’s Club, Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation, First United Methodist Church and many other local businesses and groups. In addition there is a multitude of volunteers who donate their time to make this program happen.

To enroll your son or daughter in the MPPS - Nutrition Club, simply complete the following enrollment form. You must also complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Application, which can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1keAoTS3rmP_WAq4wIblJ__s_9WxuIGdq/view

Form to complete for Nutrition Club

Applications are open for the 2024-2025 School Year. If you have a student that may be eligible for Preschool for the 2024-2025 school year, please apply at this website below:

https://michiganpreschool.org/index.php

Please have any interested families call us at 989-775-2280 or email kbishop@mp.edzone.net

Students will need to be 4 years of age by Dec. 1st, 2024.

Are your FINAL FORMS COMPLETE?

We need to make sure we have all forms completed before your student goes on their next field trip.

Please log-in https://mtpleasant-mi.finalforms.com/

You do not need to enroll your student if they already go here, log in as current student.

Be sure to sign each enrollment form, even Nutrition Club & Educational Benefits form even if you aren't requesting or completing the entire form, just scroll to bottom and sign.

If you have never got an email please email our secretary anelson@mp.edzone.net so we can make sure we have your correct email on file.

We would like our families to remember the following about Arrival and Dismissal as we know that parents have other school drop offs or places to be in the morning and we are encouraging safe procedures for students as well:

• Please use the circle drive only if your child is ready to go. Children should be able to get out on their own. It is meant to be a quick drop and release.
• Parents should stay in their vehicle if the circle drive is utilized.
• If kids still have things to gather, a parking spot should be utilized.
• For their safety, students should exit their vehicle on the south side (closest to the sidewalk and fence)
• If you are walking students up to the school or picking them up from the teacher at dismissal, for everyone's safety, please use the Crosswalk and do not cross in-between traffic.

Thank you for your support in making Arrival and Dismissal a smoother transition.

All our JK-2nd grade classrooms as well as our Preschool Program will be using the Remind App for their classroom communications. This is a great way for them to communicate reminders, easy building or district information, and pictures of learning. Please view your teacher's classroom code in their most recent newsletter, welcome letter, or flyer that may have been sent home.

Each Friday we will sell Popcorn for $.50/bag. Students can bring their coins or dollar bills in sandwich baggies or put in the back of their agenda in the clear pocket or a safe zipper. Teachers will collect popcorn in the morning and place the order.