The Scoop

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." - Pele

Grit and confidence go hand in hand—when children believe in themselves, they develop the courage to keep pushing forward, take risks, and embrace challenges. True confidence isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about knowing they can figure things out with effort and perseverance. Along the way, we all need a helping hand—whether from a teacher, a friend, or a family member—to win each moment. Let’s continue encouraging our kids to embrace setbacks as stepping stones to success!

At Cooper, the positive character traits we teach—empathy, kindness, respect, responsibility, grit, confidence, and integrity—aren’t just actions; they are the essence of who we are. Together, we are shaping not just good students, but good people.

Thank you for all you do, and here's to another great week of learning and growth! Go Lions!!!!

"Win the moment"

Mr. Witherspoon

Percentage of Students Present: 91.07%(Goal: 100%)

Number of Students Tardy: 38 ...remember, learning begins at 8:30 am. (Goal is 0)

Frequent tardiness to school can significantly impact your child's learning and the classroom environment. When a student arrives late, they miss important instruction and disrupt the flow of lessons already in progress, which can make it harder for them to catch up and for their peers to stay focused. Consistent punctuality not only helps your child establish good habits but also ensures they fully benefit from the day's lessons while respecting the learning time of their classmates.

Remember, that learning begins at 8:30 am and every minute counts...please don't hesitate to reach out if you need support. Heads up: Many of the conversations that I am hearing that students are playing on their devices/gaming systems long into the night.

February 14

• Happy Valentine's Day

February 17

• No School: Mid WInter Break

February 18

• Bagel Orders Due

February 19

• PTSA Founder's Day Celebration

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES:

Spring Flower Sale: February 26, 2025

March: Day of Music, Emerson Visit to Cooper and Open House, Camp, Spring Break....

This year we will be tapping into the incredible creativity of our students for the yearbook cover!!! Please click HERE to see how students can enter to have a chance of having their drawing be the cover of the 2024-25 Cooper Yearbook!!! Entries are due by February 17, 2025

Although school breakfast and lunch are currently offered free of charge to all families by the State of Michigan, there are many other benefits available for eligible families! The information collected from these forms also help ensure that the school receives State and Federal funding for educational programs.

Parents/guardians many apply for free and reduced-price meals online by filling out the "Education Benefit Form" on Parent Connect accounts.

Please, remember to pull all the way up to drop off your child and/or pick them up. Door to door service is very nice, but it slows down the line when we only have one student exiting a car at a time. Essentially, we can have 8-10 students exiting the car at a time.

Thank you to those of you that park and walk your students to the sidewalk!!! Remember, students should not be walking across the traffic at any point by themselves (not safe).

Lastly, I want to recognize Mr. Al and Mrs. Crays that are crossing our students out there!! Please be sure to give them a smile and a wave!!! They are truly awesome people!!

The 2025 Cooper Battle of the Books has begun! The goal of Battle of the Books is to teach students how to work together in a group for a common goal, expose them to award-winning pieces of literature, and encourage a high volume of reading inside and outside of the classroom.

We're hoping to have hundreds of students READ, READ, READING their books to get ready for our competition. (The final battle is April 17)!

Ideally, in our teams of 4, each student should read at least two of the five BOTB books:

• Frindle by Andrew Clements
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
• The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Books are available for pick up during LMC time, during lunch/recess and before school is dismissed for the day.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email Mrs. Marlatt at tmarlatt@livoniapublicschools.org

Happy Reading!!

Let's go make a difference Cooper!

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.

Click on the following links to find out what you can do to make a difference as well as a commitment form (the only requirement is to document the good deed that you have done...and have fun doing it)!!:

• YMAD General Outline for Students 2024-2025
  
• YMAD Commitment Form 2024-2025

Commitment forms due: February 24, 2025

Completed projects due: April 9, 2025

Celebration at Churchill High School: April 23, 2025

Candy sales will begin on Monday, January 27th. We will do our kick off assemblies that day and students will receive forms at dismissal. The sale will go until Tuesday, February 11.

Students have the opportunity to sell candy bars in efforts to help offset the cost of camp. The whole school has the opportunity to participate as the proceeds will work in two different ways:

• 6th Grade students will be able to earn $20 per box towards their individual cost of camp
  
• 5th grade proceeds will offset the total cost of camp collectively for next school year

We are excited to announce that our 2024-2025 yearbooks are now on sale! This year’s yearbook is packed with memories, highlights, and moments that you won’t want to miss.

Important Details:

• Order Deadline: April 27, 2025
• Yearbook ID Code: 5927925
• Order Link: Click here to order your Cooper Upper Elementary Yearbook

Please note that yearbooks will NOT be available after the deadline. Be sure to secure your copy before time runs out! Order now to guarantee you don’t miss out on this special keepsake.+

Thank you for supporting our school, and we look forward to celebrating another fantastic year!

• Begin to prep your child for school by making sure that routines are established.
• Bedtime routines (read a book, cut off screen time at least 1 hour prior to bedtime, etc.)
• How Much Sleep Does my Child Need?
• Students can begin entering the building at 8:15 am (please do not drop off students any earlier as there will not be any adult supervision prior to that time).

• How will your child get to and from school?
• Bus: get to know the bus letter/number, bus stop, arrival/departure time.
• Dropping off in a car?
• Know the traffic pattern and the door that your child will enter through for school.
• Is your child walking?
• Know the location and door number that your child will be entering and leaving through.

Here are a few activities parents can do to help their children build confidence:

1. Encourage Decision-Making – Let children make age-appropriate choices, like picking their outfit or choosing a family activity.
2. Praise Effort, Not Just Results – Acknowledge hard work and perseverance rather than just success.
3. Role-Playing Social Scenarios – Practice handling situations like introducing themselves or speaking in class.
4. Set Achievable Goals – Help children set and accomplish small goals to boost their sense of achievement.
5. Teach New Skills Together – Cook, build, or create something together to show them they are capable of learning.
6. Encourage Hobbies and Interests – Support their passions, whether it’s sports, music, art, or science.
7. Promote a Growth Mindset – Teach them that mistakes are learning opportunities, not failures.
8. Physical Activities – Encourage sports or outdoor play to build resilience and teamwork.
9. Daily Affirmations – Start the day with positive self-talk, like “I am brave” or “I can do hard things.”
10. Let Them Solve Problems – Instead of jumping in, guide them to think through challenges on their own.

Taking care of our mental health is important – for kids and adults! Here’s some information

about mental health and how you can support your child’s mental well-being. Please click on the following links to learn more:

Mental Health Matters

Coping Strategies to Manage Stress and Tough Emotions

Please view local community resources at the link below. This will be continuously revised, so please check back throughout the school year. Community Resources If you need any support, please feel free to reach out to our Cooper Support Staff.

Mallory McLean mmclean12@livoniapublicschools.org Rachel Banks Dzikowski rdzikows@livoniapublicschools.org Paige Demaree pdemaree@livoniapublicschools.org

When you or your child needs help, it’s hard to know where to turn. In an effort to ease the burden of finding the mental health and substance use services you need, we’ve partnered with Care Solace, your central hub of care.

With a network of over 425,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help at the right time, 24/7/365, at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. You can access Care Solace services in three ways:

• Call 888-515-0595 at any time. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
• Search anonymously to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at https://caresolace.com/site/livonia
• Contact your school health professional, and they will submit a referral on your behalf.

No matter what you're experiencing, there is hope and help. We are confident that our new partnership with Care Solace will help us build a healthier, more vibrant school community.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider.

Cooper is a school-wide Title I building. This means that Cooper receives additional federal funding to help support all students in our building. A condition of this funding requires all families sign the yearly Cooper Compact for each student that is enrolled at Cooper.

Please review and Complete the Cooper Compact form as soon as possible.

This is an excellent opportunity to be a mentor to our students. We love having parents and grandparents help in these positions. Responsibilities include supervising students during lunch in the lunchroom & outside at recess.

Daily 11:00-1:00 p.m. They are paid positions, and there is an application process through Edu Staff. If you are interested please click on the link below and begin the application process through Edu Staff using the link below:

https://www.edustaff.org/

Click "Start and Application" and then proceed through the guided steps. When you get to #4 on the application, click on Wayne RESA, then Livonia Public Schools. When you get to #5, click on Noon Attendant (Noon Monitor).