I hope you enjoyed spring break with your families! I cannot believe that we are heading into the final leg of the school year. Last month was a great one with so many wonderful things happening along the way. We kicked off reading month with a fantastic "Book Bingo" event and continued by exploring genres throughout the month. Some classrooms hosted mystery readers, we all enjoyed a PJ Day with a movie before break, and to close, we had a fantastic assembly that was fun and informative for all ages.

One of the things that makes CVE a special place to be, is the compassion that we all have for the children and families that we serve. Thank you to Mrs. Casalanguida for making National Incredible Kid Day an extra special day for the INCREDIBLE kids at Clinton Valley. It brought tears to our eyes watching the kids read about how special they are, and to be honest, it brought happy tears to many of them. Thank you for taking the time to share your hearts in such a special way. I also have to thank the many staff members who ensured that EVERY child received a letter. It really speaks to the level of care we all have for every student we serve.

We also celebrated our Leaders of the Month for February and March and enjoyed a staff vs. student game or two in the gym. Students were chosen by raffle based on "Shout Out" tickets that were handed out over the past few months. So much fun!

We are also in the process of adopting a new curriculum for reading/writing (English/Language Arts). This year, Clinton Valley had two grade levels (kindergarten and third grade) participate in the pilot process, which is wonderful! As a district, the pilot teachers recommended "Core Knowledge Language Arts" as the program to adopt. It still has to go through the final stages of adoption, but based on the feedback, it is highly likely that this will be the program we adopt for next year. This is REALLY exciting because as we continue to align with research-based practices, which includes focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, this program really takes it up a notch in teaching content that builds KNOWLEDGE about the world in topics connected to science, social studies, and the arts. Students will learn this WHILE learning to read. So far, the feedback from CVE's pilot teachers and students in kinder and 3rd grade has been really positive and kids were EXCITED to learn more. We will be working hard to prepare for the duration of the spring and summer to align our practices in every grade level, while ensuring that you are informed and given a better window into what your child is learning each day.

On another note, spring testing is on the horizon. We use Fastbridge in all grades in both reading and math, in addition to M-Step for grades 3-5. Information was sent via school messenger regarding the M-Step schedule. We will send it again in the next week or so in case you missed it. It is also linked below along with information on what you can do, as a parent, to help your child succeed on testing days. If you have any questions, please reach out!

As we round out the final third of the year, much of my time will be spent on planning for next year. So far, I have gotten a lot of feedback through surveys and in person conversations and I truly value it. If you have any needs, questions, ideas, concerns, please reach out. If you have not taken the survey below, please take a few minutes to complete it. I have already used some of it to generate new policies for next year. I would love to get more input.

Thank you for all that you do! It is an honor to partner with you.

Parent Survey Please Take 🙂

Sincerely,

Kristin Doyle

kdoyle@cvs.k12.mi.us

586-723-5200

If your child's dismissal arrangements have changed, this must be communicated to the front office at 586-723-5200. We cannot accept changes through Class Dojo or an email to the teacher because teachers are not always able to check their messages throughout the day. Plus, if there is a substitute teacher, they will not be notified of the change. To keep things safe and secure, and to eliminate variables, we only allow parents/guardians and emergency contacts to pick up students. If you need to make different arrangements, like asking another parent to take your child home, this must be communicated to the office (586-723-5200) prior to 2:30 PM so that we can ensure every child accounted for. Teachers are also aware of this procedure.

Addylin Gibson

Kinley Fritz

Savannah Summers

Teagan Jenkinson-Stire

Veda Redoutey

Sang Nguyen

Gracelynn Breeding

Gabriella Djurasaj

Grayson Michlewski

Tony Cracchiolo

Elizabeth Campbell

Alexander Beadle

Tyler Thomas

Lincoln Wood

Avery Roche

Maryam Dzaferagic

Dominic Bianco

Amelia Bussey

Carson Snyder

Carson Snyder

Isabella Flores

Chase Young

Kayce Long

Da'Lon Hicks-Lafitte

Henley Saad

Adam Esho

Laboda, Christian

Kheely Long

Gregory Wright

Jade Petree

Isabella Amore

Alexander Beadle

Aaliyah Schwerin

Endiya Young

Brooke Badaczewski

London Ngem-Shelby

Kinesley Duke

Stella Pilotto

Shiloh Davis

Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Susalla's Classes

This year, CVE will have many different platforms to keep you connected! We will use our Facebook pages more frequently, as well as newsletters, and School Messenger to fan out important dates and reminders.

Additionally, Mrs. Doyle and a team of students will be sending weekly updates in a video format so that information is easily accessible for those with a busy schedule! The videos will be housed in our school's YouTube page. Stay tuned!

We will also be using Class Dojo at the classroom level instead of PBIS Rewards app. Our school is still a PBIS school, but we have chosen a different company to use for messaging and updates from the classroom. Please download the Class Dojo app so that you are ready to connect at Sneak Peek.

Below is general information pertaining to the 2024-2025 school year

Please click on the button above to access the arrival and dismissal documents. Please be patient, drive cautiously, and understand that it will get smoother with time. The first couple of weeks are somewhat challenging until everyone figures it out. The bell rings at 8:50 a.m. All students are allowed in at this time.

For safety and security reasons, no adults are allowed into the building during arrival or dismissal. PLEASE park and walk your child to their designated door if you are dropping off. Do not leave your child unattended prior to the bell ringing, as there are no staff at this time for supervision. If you must speak to someone, please come to the front door and our secretaries will buzz you inside. Thank you for your cooperation, safety is our top priority.

The front of the school is for bus drop off only from 8:50-8:55 a.m. If your child is late, you may use the main entrance to come into the building and sign your child in. The side lots by the gym are there for parent drop off of our oldest 4th, 5th, and 2nd graders. The lot by the church off of Prevost is for those who drop off ECSE, kindergarten, first, and third grades along with their older siblings. PLEASE do not use the bus loop for any reason, at any time. Park in the lot across the street, or behind the baseball fields and walk your child up to the school. You may also park along the street, but you MUST drive slowly, cautiously, and be patient. Accompany your child up to the school and look both ways while you cross. Do not leave your child to wait unattended. There is no adult supervision until the arrival bell at 8:50.

Parent portal houses all important forms and information that needs to be updated to ensure that you stay connected to school. Your child's report card will no longer be sent home but will be visible in Parent Portal. Directions to accessing this portal are below.

We welcome parent volunteers, but times to come to a classroom must be pre-arranged with the classroom teacher. If you wish to volunteer at Clinton Valley, be sure to complete a background check. This form must be completed each year. To obtain this form, call the front office and they will send you a link to an electronic document and you should be good to go!

Chippewa Valley Schools has developed an Attendance Policy that all buildings must follow:

· Students who arrive at school after 9:00 AM will be marked tardy.

· Students who arrive 90 minutes after the start time will be marked absent for 1/2 day.

· Students who leave school 90 minutes prior to dismissal will be marked absent for 1/2 day.

· Students who leave prior to dismissal (3:39) will be marked as leave early.

Any student who is absent for 10 school days will receive a letter. A doctor’s note is required between the 10th and 15th absence. If no doctor’s note is provided after the 15th absence, the county truancy officer will be contacted.

As a general rule of thumb, if your child sees a doctor (dentist, orthodontist, or other medical professional) please request a doctor's note and submit that to the office, even before your child reaches 10 absences.

If you are struggling with something that is making it difficult to get your child to school, please give us a call and we can work to support you.

If your child was sick and you obtained a doctor's note, it must be turned into the office within 48 hours of the student's return. Thank you!

Starting our school day with routine is crucial in setting the tone for a structured learning environment. Teachers are expected to greet students and welcome them as they enter the classroom. Teachers will assist students in getting backpacks and materials where they belong in the classroom. This is not the time for teachers to have conversations with parents. Please help us allow the teachers and students to begin each day the best way possible by not walking your child to the classroom. If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please call, email, or message them to set up an appointment. Staff is available daily to help students find their way to class. Even on the first day of school, we ask that you do not walk to class with your child. Starting the first day the way we begin every day will set up the appropriate expectations for our students and prevent disappointment later.

Thank you for your help and cooperation.

Please see the website for information on School Aged Child Care. Ms. Erika, our director, is also available to assist you in signing your child up for care. There is a $25 registration fee to sign up.

Clinton Valley's PTO is a parent group, and we need YOU! PTO helps our school fundraise so that we are able to hold many fun-filled events for the students and their families throughout the school year. As a member of our PTO, you can help be part of the decision-making process to plan events, what fundraisers to do, and more. It’s a great way to meet other parents and network with one another.

Meetings will be held at 6:30 pm in Clinton Valley's cafeteria. Please consider coming to the meeting so that we can continue to have fun experiences for your family here at school.

Thank you!

This year, lunch and breakfast will be free for all students! In order to minimize waste, we will still require students to preorder their lunches the day before. Your child's teacher will take lunch count, which will be reported to food service so that they can prepare and deliver the correct number of meals. Please look for further direction from your child's teacher on how students will communicate their orders. Some will communicate by mouth, but smaller children may have a calendar for you to fill out.

Breakfast begins on the FIRST day of school!

Even though meals are free, it is imperative that you fill out the application. The more applications that are filled out, the more money our school receives from the government to educate your children. This application is part of what determines the funding for things like intervention programs for struggling students, computers, books, tutoring programs and much more. PLEASE take a few minutes to fill it out. It truly makes a difference. There is a QR code and a link in case you cannot use the QR code on your phone.

Email: kdoyle@cvs.k12.mi.us
Phone: 586-723-5200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=clinton%20valley%20elementary%20school