![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/blossom-22.c2da5992.jpg)
![Logo](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/46b9/thumb-8b013586c1213490ffa10f8d43bede59.png)
The Eagle's Beak
"Auburn Pride Starts Inside"
April 19, 2024
Dear Auburn Eagle Families,
I am thrilled to share that we've had yet another remarkable week here at Auburn Elementary, brimming with academic accomplishments, meaningful social connections, and significant emotional growth. This progress truly underscores the unwavering dedication of our staff and the invaluable partnership we share with you, our esteemed parents and caregivers. Your collaboration in nurturing the success of your children is truly priceless, and I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your steadfast support.
However, I must take a moment to address a couple of concerns that have recently come to our attention. It has come to light that there have been instances of graffiti in the restrooms, and we've also noted that some students have created TikTok accounts that have proven to be disruptive to our school environment. In response, we have taken steps to ensure that students do not have writing utensils with them when they use the restroom. I kindly ask for your partnership in reinforcing appropriate restroom use with your child. While having a TikTok account itself is not a violation of our student code of conduct, it becomes concerning if it hinders the educational process.
We are seeking your support in monitoring your child's use of TikTok to ensure that it aligns with our cherished school values of respect, kindness, and positivity. It is crucial for students to understand their role in upholding a safe and inclusive online environment, one that is free from any form of teasing, negative gossip, or bullying behavior stemming from their individual accounts.
Furthermore, I wish to underscore the importance of promoting positive behavior during recess. The conduct displayed by our students during this time greatly influences their overall experience and impacts the learning environment for all. We expect all students to exhibit good sportsmanship, kindness, and respect for others, including respecting personal boundaries at all times.
Your partnership in fostering a positive school culture, both within and beyond the classroom, is truly commendable. By continuing to actively engage your child academically and socially, and by reinforcing the values we uphold at school, we can collaboratively cultivate a nurturing environment where every student can flourish.
As always, your unwavering involvement and support mean the world to us, and we eagerly anticipate continuing this journey together.
Warm regards
Shalonda Byas, Principal
Auburn Elementary
New to District Enrollment
If you have new to district students or have friends or neighbors that live in-district and need to enroll their students, please share the following information.
Select the link below to complete the Pre-Enrollment form. You will receive an email confirmation after submitting the form. If needed, please reference our district boundary map to determine your home school.
Do you want to be a PTO Board Memeber?
We are looking for 2-3 new PTO board members. Open positions are flexible. If you would like more information or to nominate yourself or someone else for PTO President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer please send an email to Chris Larose (christopherlarose321@gmail.com), Megan Geraci (megan.geraci@avondaleschools.org), or Shalonda Byas (shalonda.byas@avondaleschools.org).
The President shall preside at all meetings of the PTO and Executive Board. They shall call all special meetings and appoint all committee chairpersons. They will be the ex-officio of all committees.
The Vice-President shall act as aid to the President and shall perform the duties of the president in absence of this officer. Further, the Vice President shall act as the communications official for the purpose of facilitating communications between the PTO members. Included in this shall be the writing, editing and publishing of a monthly PTO newsletter.
The Secretary shall keep a correct record of all meetings of the PTO and the Executive Board, including separate logs of all approved motions. Included in this documentation shall be the name of the person making the motion. In addition, the Secretary shall conduct all general correspondence and send out notices of all called meetings. They shall be the custodian of all communications, papers and documents.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for all monies and shall keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements of the PTO. They shall prepare a written report for each regular meeting and meetings of the Executive Board. The Treasurer and each member of the Executive Board shall have authority to sign checks. No check shall be issued without two authorized signatures. The Treasurer shall be custodian of all receipts.
Collectively, the Executive Board shall establish a projected budget at the onset of their term.
We will vote on new members at our final PTO Meeting on May 9.
Avondale School District
No Tax Rate Increase Bond Proposal
on the August 6, 2024 Ballot
Plan to attend a TOWN HALL on MAY 2, 2024 from 6:30-8:00pm at Avondale High School or on ZOOM to learn about this important election. Get the facts about the benefits and financial impacts and learn about the projects that a successful bond will fund. All schools, athletics, and Arts programs will benefit from the bond passage and there will be no tax rate increase to the community.
Come in person or join on ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7832497459?omn=86264229227.
3rd Grade Science: Studying Animal Adaptations with Crayfish!
Mrs. Allison's Class is Being Green!
Mrs. Allison's 1st grade class is making the world a cleaner and greener place. They turned their classroom into a maker space and created flowers out of things they would have normally thrown away.
Positivity Project
Dear Families,
This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Appreciation of beauty and excellence means you notice and value the world’s beauty and people’s skills. You don’t take things for granted.
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is the ability to identify and enjoy that which is admirable in the world. There are three types of goodness in which positive psychology focuses: physical beauty (e.g. a sunset, a song, or building); an exceptional skill or talent; and moral goodness (e.g. a character strength). Appreciation of beauty can generate awe; appreciation of a skill can generate admiration; and appreciation of moral goodness can generate moral elevation. All of these feelings (awe, admiration, and moral elevation) help us forget ourselves and find increased joy and meaning in the world.
Appreciating excellence and beauty helps an individual experience positive emotions and connect to the world around them. It’s an outward facing strength, meaning the individual is focused on the world outside their head. And, not only is the individual outwardly focused, but often deeply absorbed in a sense of awe or admiration, freeing them to forget anxieties and troubles. And it is associated with other strengths, such as gratitude, curiosity, love of learning, and purpose.
To practice and encourage the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2) where together you will watch a video, read a quote and talk about the answers to three questions.
Have a wonderful week!
Happy Birthday
April 20: Malaysia
April 22: Jakob and Ja'Maree
April 26: Mason
April 27: Hayden
Important Dates
- April 22-26: No Library
- April 25: 1st Grade Field Trip
- May 2: 3rd Grade Field Trip
- May 3: No School for Students
Specials Calendar
Click here to see our specials calendar.
Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures
ENJOY 10% OFF
your order!
CODE: S2410OFF
EXPIRES: December 31, 2024
PTO
Volunteers Needed
If you would like to volunteer time so that we can have a booth to promote Auburn Elementary at Springgest at the Highschool on Friday April 26th, please reach out to Chris Larose (christopherlarose321@gmail.com) or Megan Geraci (megan.geraci@avondaleschools.org).
What's For Lunch?
Lunch Menu
Choice A:
- Monday: Greek Chicken Flatbread
- Tuesday: 4 Cheese Enchilada
- Wednesday: Pizza Crunchers
- Thursday: Popcorn Chicken
- Friday: Stuffed Shells
Choice B: Egg Salad Sandwhich
Choice C: Sun Butter and Jelly
Free and Reduced Lunch
Click the link below for the Free & Reduced lunch application.
Avondale Information
National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, 2024. The Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) wishes to celebrate teachers across Michigan for the entire month of May.
MDE invites parents to submit 15-30 second videos of their students recognizing and thanking a specific teacher for their impact. Nothing fancy is required—cell phones can capture the videos. Please follow the directions on the flyer. Videos and parental consent may be submitted via the Teacher Appreciation Video Project Google Form. Videos are currently being accepted until Friday, April 19, 2024.
Submitted videos may be posted on the Teacher Appreciation Month webpage and the MDE’s YouTube channel. The Office of Educator Excellence Facebook (@MIeducator) and X (formerly Twitter) social media pages will be promoting the videos throughout the month of May.
If you have a child with great things to say about a teacher, don’t hesitate—use the instructions found on our website to submit a video today!
Instructions to submit video (Arabic) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FGOsFm2UqssthvOfR_map5ghBr8AeqCh/view?usp=sharing
Instructions to submit video (English) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UOLzeH7wTWukRhwy2IZKdNmCmUYUGp8M/view?usp=sharing
Instructions to submit video (Spanish) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_uXaEop73z_bhaVJKAUZtB094MGFtLl/view?usp=sharing
Avondale School District would also like to share your video with our community. Please send your video to Annette McAvoy at 248-217-1759.
MDHHS Information
Avondale Early Learning Center
Enrollment for Summer Camp and the 2024-2025 school year is open! Click on one of the following links to start the enrollment process for your student:
- If you want to enroll your student in the ELC Summer Camp, please fill out this form.
- If you want to enroll your student in a 3 Year Old classroom, please fill out this form.
- If you want to enroll your student in a 4 Year Old classroom, please fill out this form.
All current ELC students are only eligible to attend the ELC Summer Camp, not the Busy Bee Summer Camp. Busy Bee Summer Camp is for students who have completed a year of TK/Kindergarten.
Blessings in a Backpack
“Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program is a community-based program sponsored by Blessings in a Backpack-Michigan, Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, the Meijer Corporation, the Avondale Community and will continue for children attending schools in the Avondale School District.
Register here for Blessings in a Backpack.
Michigan families urged to get children caught up on vaccines in recognition of National Infant Immunization Week FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2024 CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, WuthC@michigan.gov LANSING, Mich. – During National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) April 22-29, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) urges Michigan parents to ensure their children are fully vaccinated on time for the best possible protection from serious diseases. Each year, NIIW focuses on the positive impact of vaccination on the lives of infants and children — and this year it’s a priority to ensure families stay on track for their children’s well-child visits and routinely recommended vaccinations. On-time vaccination is critical to help provide protection against potentially life-threatening diseases. According to data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) as of Dec. 2023, only 66.4% of Michigan children 19 through 35 months of age were up to date on recommended vaccines. “Now more than ever, it is important to make sure Michiganders, especially children, are up to date on all recommended immunizations,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Vaccine preventable diseases still exist, and they’re here in Michigan. Now is the time to get our little Michiganders caught up on vaccines and protect them from all preventable diseases.” Vaccinating children on time according to the recommended childhood immunization schedule is the best protection against diseases like measles, hepatitis A, pertussis (whooping cough) and influenza. With the growing number of measles cases nationwide and around the globe now is a perfect time to make sure you and your family are protected. NIIW highlights importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases as part of World Immunization Week (WIW), a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative. This week serves as a reminder about the importance of staying on track and ensuring infants are up to date on all recommended vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations. Parents should talk to their child’s healthcare provider about what vaccines their child needs to stay protected. For more information about vaccines, parents can visit Ivaccinate.org. ###
Michigan experiences first case of measles since 2019
MDHHS recommends measles vaccine for individuals ages 1 year and older
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2024
CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has confirmed a case of measles in an Oakland County child associated with international travel. This is the first confirmed case of measles in the state since 2019. MDHHS is recommending unvaccinated individuals ages 1 year and older receive measles vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.
MDHHS is working closely with the Oakland County Health Division on this case, and at this time there are not thought to be additional exposures outside of the household based on when symptoms began.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from potential outbreaks of diseases like measles,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “It is important to make sure our families are up to date on all routine vaccines to prevent the spread of severe illness and disease. Now is a great time to check with your health care provider to make sure you are current with all your vaccines.”
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread by direct person-to-person contact, and through the air.
The virus can live for up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present. Symptoms of measles usually begin 7-14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include:
- High fever (may spike to over 104˚F).
- Cough.
- Runny nose.
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis).
- Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth (Koplik Spots) two to three days after symptoms begin.
- A rash that is red, raised, blotchy; usually starts on face, spreads to trunk, arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin.
If symptoms develop, residents are urged to not visit their doctor or emergency room unless they have called ahead so facilities can take precautions to prevent exposure to other individuals.
With the risk for community spread, parents are encouraged to make sure their children are up to date on all their childhood immunizations, including the measles vaccine. Ninety percent of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to measles will become infected. About one in five people who get measles will be hospitalized. In addition to Michigan’s case, 35 measles cases have been reported in 2024 in 15 other states to date.
Across the United States, routine immunization coverage has dropped. Statewide, vaccine coverage for the MMR (two doses) vaccine for children ages 4 to 6 years old has decreased from 89.4% in 2017 to 84% in 2022. For children ages 19 through 35 months of age, vaccine coverage has decreased from 84.7% in April 2020 to 83.6% in December 2023.
The measles vaccine is highly effective and very safe. A single dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles, while two doses are about 97% effective. It is also effective if used within 72 hours of a measles exposure to prevent illness. However, some individuals with weakened immune systems may not be eligible to receive this vaccine. Getting vaccinated not only protects the individual receiving the vaccine but can also protect vulnerable individuals in our communities from being exposed to this illness.
Michigan residents can contact their health care provider or visit their local health department for additional information on ways to obtain the vaccine and schedule an appointment. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program.
To learn more about the MMR vaccine, visit Vaccine for Measles (MMR Shot) | CDC.
For more information about Measles cases in the U.S., visit Measles Cases and Outbreaks | CDC.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (August 31, 2023) – Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) offers back to school resources for schools and families.
As school resumes, it’s important for schools and families to prepare for the bustling school year. To help ease the school transition it may be helpful for families to:
· Get back into a school time routine a week or two before school begins
· Set the stage for a good sleep schedule
· Devise a plan for after school activities and homework
· Set goals for the school year and keep in touch with teachers
· Talk openly about change and asking for help when needed
Preparation for the upcoming school year is important. It’s also important to know when and how to access mental health and substance use disorder resources when needed. OCHN has provided a list of resources to help. In the resource packet linked below, you’ll find details on the:
· School Mental Health Navigator Program
· Youth and Family Care Connection
· Youth Mobile Crisis Team
· The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
· Information on services if your child is displaying concerning behavior
· OCHN’s “Keep Us in Your Contact” Initiative
· myStrength Information
· OCHN’s General Brochure
OCHN Back to School Resource Packet 2023 - PDF
For more information visit www.oaklandchn.org or call 248-858-1210. For non-emergency Access to services, please call 248-464-6363. If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health support, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 at 988.
About OCHN
OCHN is contracted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to lead a provider service network and manages care for approximately 27,000 Oakland County citizens at more than 300 service sites across the county. People who receive public behavioral health services through OCHN's provider network include those who have an intellectual or developmental disability, mental health concerns, or substance use disorder. Most of these individuals have Medicaid insurance coverage.
OCHN's goal is to ensure these individuals are aware of and have access to services and supports that will improve their health and quality of life, as well as ensure their engagement in full community participation. Its mission to “inspire hope, empower people, and strengthen communities” reflects an unyielding belief in a "Valuable System for Valued People." Programs and supports provided by OCHN's service network are available at www.oaklandchn.org.
Stop the Silence. Help End the Violence.
Now more than ever, parents and students should familiarize themselves with OK2SAY, which is Michigan’s student safety program to help keep students safe. Anyone can report tips confidentially on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools.
Tips, which can be anonymous, can be reported in 31 different tip categories, including planned school attacks, threats, bullying and more. Tips can be submitted 24/7 in one of the following ways:
- Call: 8-555-OK2SAY, 855-565-2729
- Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
- Email OK2SAY
- Visit the OK2SAY website
- OK2SAY Mobile App: Available for download in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for iOS and Android mobile devices.