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Hikers' Headlines
Alamo Elementary - May 13, 2024
Important Dates
May
- 13 - Fun Run Prize: Ice Cream Party
- 13 - PTO Meeting @ 4:00 p.m.
- 13 - Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 p.m., Otsego High School
- 14 - 5th Grade Track N Field Day @ Bulldog Stadium, 11:00-2:00 p.m.
- 14 - Mileage Club @ lunch recess
- 14 - Destination Imagination
- 15 - Last Delayed Start, schools starts @ 10:00 a.m.
- 16 - Destination Imagination
- 17 - Student of the Month Assembly
- 17 - Mileage Club @ lunch recess
- 17 - Dawg Pound
- 21 - Fun Run Prize - Airbourne
- 27 - No School, Memorial Day Weekend
- 28 - 3rd Grade to Air Zoo
- 31 - Popcorn Friday
- 31 - 1st Grade to John Ball Zoo
- 31 - Dawg Pound
- 6 - Kindergarten Program
- 7 - Alamo Track N Field Day
- 10 - 3rd Trimester Awards Assembly @ 2:00 p.m.
- 12 - 1/2 Day, dismissal @ 12:10 p.m.
- 12 - 5th Grade Recognition, 10:00 a.m.
- 13 - LAST DAY: 1/2 Day, dismissal @ 12:10 p.m.
Teacher Appreciation Week!
Teacher appreciation week was May 6th-10th, but due to Grandparent's Day on Friday Alamo will be celebrating our amazing staff this week. Please join us in honoring our incredible staff throughout the week.
Staff Sponsorship - Teacher Appreciation Week
Field Day T-Shirt - Order Now
This year we are ordering all school field day t-shirts. We would like each child to have a field day shirt to remember this special day. Each grade has a different color. The cost of the t-shirt is $7.00. You should have received an email to order online. Please submit your online order no later than Thursday, May 16th.
If you are unable to order online, please contact the Alamo office and we will provide a paper copy of the order form. If you have more than one child at Alamo and are NOT ordering online, please send in an order form and money with each child to their teacher. I know it may be an inconvenience, but it gets very confusing on our end when they are all together. Thank you for your help with this! ☺
Annual District Survey
* What are the strengths of Otsego Public Schools?
* What do you love most about our district?
* Where do you think we can improve?
On Monday, you received an email from OPS asking you to complete our annual perception survey. The survey asks a series of questions centered around the district’s four main focus areas:
- School Culture and Climate
- Individualized Student Success
- Career Exploration and Engagement
- Student Well-Being
It’s vital that we get as much participation as possible so we can build upon our strengths and what’s going well, but also address those areas that could use improvement. Thank you!
How Will You Show Your P.R.I.D.E. Today?
P - Positive Attitude
- Lilliann Veldt
- Rijenah Clark
- Levi VanOosten
- Robert Cooper
- Alysssa Saum
- Alison Bush
- Kolton Huff
- Christian Whitmore
- Eli Warner
- Kole Warren
Mental Health Awareness Month - Know The Signs
To continue the focus on Mental Health Awareness for the month of May, this week we will focus on knowing the signs and how to recognize if our children may need extra support. You, as parents, know your child best. You will be one of the first people to recognize a change in behavior, emotions or concern. The following chart comes from the National Institute of Mental Health. This outlines signs to look for in your children.
Younger Children
Have frequent tantrums or are irritable much of the time
Often seem fearful or worried
Complain about frequent stomach aches or headaches with no known medical cause
Are in constant motion and cannot sit quietly (except when they are engaged in an activity they enjoy, such as watching videos or playing video games)
Sleep too much or too little, have frequent nightmares, or seem sleepy during the day
Are not interested in playing with other children or have difficulty making friends
Struggle academically or have experienced a recent decline in grades
Repeat actions or check things many times (for example, repeatedly checking to make sure a door is locked) out of fear that something bad may happen
Older Children
Have lost interest in things that they used to enjoy Have low energy Sleep too much or too little or seem sleepy throughout the day Have periods of highly elevated energy and activity and require much less sleep than usual Spend more and more time alone and avoid social activities with friends or family Diet or exercise excessively or fear gaining weight Engage in self-harm behaviors (such as cutting or burning their skin) Smoke, drink, or use drugs Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends Have thoughts of suicide Say that they think someone is trying to control their mind or that they hear things that other people cannot hear If you’re concerned about your child, or just wanting a stronger relationship with them, here are some great questions to get a conversation going. What are your strengths? Who do you talk to when you have a problem? How do they help? What do you like to do for fun? What do you worry about? Where do you feel safest? What do you feel ashamed of? What do you do when you are stressed out? What do you do when you’re feeling down? What is your happiest memory? What is something nice you could say to yourself? No matter the questions, or whether the signs are there or not, having open conversations with children is the best way to build a relationship, show we care and fight myental health. The more people our kids have in their corner, expressing love to them the better. All it takes is them opening up to one trusted adult and a journey of good mental health can begin!
Field Day - Save the Date
Alamo Elementary's annual field day at Bulldog Stadium will take place on Friday, June 7th from 10:00-2:00 p.m. More information to come......
Soccer Night
Aquatic Club
Football Camp
Tennis Camp
Big Dawg Sports Camp
Alamo WatchD.O.G.S.
Our WatchD.O.G.S. program is in full swing. “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.
Alamo PTO - Make A Difference
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 4:00 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
May 13th
June 10th
Mileage Club
Here are the recess times for each grade level.
- K @ 11:35 a.m.
- 1st @ 11:45 a.m.
- 2nd @ 12:05 p.m.
- 4th @12:15 p.m.
- 3rd @ 12:35 p.m.
- 5th @ 12:45 p.m.
Attendance Matters
Emergency Contact
It is extremely important to have up-to-date contact information available for each student. When emergencies arise, we need to be able to contact parents/guardians. This is also the contact information that is used for school closures and district updates.
Please log in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to check that your contact information is current and to make any necessary changes. All families received a letter with parent login information and instructions from the technology department soon. If you need assistance or login information for the Parent Portal, please contact the Alamo Elementary Office. Thank You!
Have you filled out your Free/Reduced Lunch App?
Have you filled out the Free/Reduced Meal Application yet? Another round of PEBT cards will be coming out, you must qualify for free or reduced meals to receive this benefit. Applying is easy! It takes less than 10 minutes and you only need one form per family. Click here to get started: https://www.otsegops.org/departments/food-service
Alamo Elementary
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