The Gladiator Gazette 3.5.25

March is dedicated as Reading Month! It is a time to celebrate all things that make up books and motivate people of all ages to read daily. The month was chosen to honor Dr. Seuss, the famous author and illustrator of children's books, whose birthday happens to be in March.

According to Reading is Fundamental, 25 million children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently which prevents them from achieving success in school, participating in all areas of life and realizing their dreams. At Fowlerville Community Schools, we are already seeing great results with our new Magnetic Foundations and Magnetic Reading programs at the mid-way point through the school year. Our teachers and students have really embraced the new literacy curriculum that was piloted last year and implemented this year in grades K-5.

Many of our school buildings have made special plans this month to celebrate March is Reading Month including reading activity calendars, family literacy night, guest readers and a scholastic book fair to name a few! Fowlerville Elementary School will host a reading themed spirt week, March 17-21. Theme days will include t-shirt word day, hat word/letter day, "Dino-mite" clothes day, purple and gold day and Down Syndrome Awareness Day - rock a pair of fun socks.

Thank you to the families who visited Fowlerville Elementary School during our February Kindergarten registration events. Registration continues to remain open on our website. If any families need assistance with registration, they are encouraged to call the school at 517.223.6008. We also want to thank WILX TV-10 for visiting our new school and filming a School's Rule feature. Be sure to check it out!

Fowlerville Community Schools is excited to announce enrollment for the Little Glad Early Childhood Center is now open for Fall 2025-26. Michigan's Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is ranked #1 in the nation, and now nearly all 4-year olds qualify for FREE preschool. Fowlerville's GSRP program offer full-day enrollment, Monday through Friday with seven hours of programming each day - at no cost to nearly all families.

We are also expanding our Little Glad Early Childhood Center with renovations to the H.T. Smith building. Our program has earned a five-star rating from Great Start Quality ensuring top-tier early childhood education.

To enroll, call 517.223.6480 and our team will assist you. Learn more about our programs on our website. We look forward to welcoming your family to the Little Glad Early Childhood Center for the 2025-26 school year!

Members of the Fowlerville Wrestling program continued to find success over the weekend at Ford Field in the Individual State Championship meet including Maggie Buurma, who earned her fourth straight state champion title! Members of the team left on Thursday to head to Ford Field with competition taking place on Friday and Saturday. Fowlerville had 16 student athletes qualify for states, the most of all schools attending.

Congratulations to all of our wrestlers who made it this far, this is a wonderful accomplishment! In addition to Buurma's first place finish, other state placers included Layne O'Neil (3rd place), Hannah Blyvels (4th place), Brayden Packer (5th place), Jacob Hodge (7th place) and Levi Baker (8th place).

The Fowlerville community is invited to support our Unified Basketball team in their final game of the season against Howell High School on Friday, March 7, at 5:00 pm at Fowlerville High School. Admission is free! This special event brings together athletes with and without disabilities, showcasing teamwork, sportsmanship and the power of inclusion.

This game is extra special as we honor our seniors for their dedication and leadership. Let’s pack the stands, cheer loud and show our support for these incredible athletes!

We hope to see you there!

When students miss school, they miss an opportunity to learn. Attending school on a regular basis is essential to gaining the academic skills to thrive. Students who miss more than 18 days of school are less proficient in reading, writing and math compared to their peers with good attendance.

If your student is sick and cannot attend school, please make sure to call the school office. Students should be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning. If we all work together, we can keep students and staff healthy during cold and flu season.

Parents, luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Our district, in partnership with the Livingston Educational Service Agency and the Cook Center for Human Connection, is offering FREE coaching sessions to help strengthen your relationships. Take advantage of this resource created by therapists to support you and your loved ones. Registration is required.

All parents are invited to attend the first annual Livingston County Parent Summit: "Tech, Talk and Well-Being - Finding Balance in a Digital World. The event will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Parker Middle School in Howell. The event will offer a light breakfast from 8:30-9:00 am, followed by the main event (TED-style talks, interactive workshops and parent resources) from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. Be part of this important conversation. These topics are critical for all of us as parents, and will help equip us with valuable knowledge and tools to better support our children.

Many great topics are being discussed via the live Parent Guidance Zoom webinars. These webinars are available for any and all parents across Livingston County. A live, 'Ask a Therapist' event will take place on March 12 at 8:00 pm. Check out other topics and resources in the latest calendar.

Fowlerville Community Schools is working with CIS Auctions to sell remaining furniture and other items left at H.T. Smith after the move to the new Fowlerville Elementary School. The auction is live through March 10, with winning bidders scheduled to pick up their items on March 17-18.

The Michigan State University Science Festival is a free annual celebration of science and is fueled by some of the basic elements essential to scientific inquiry: curiosity, wonder and discovery. Visit sciencefestival.msu.edu to view the full schedule of programs and events. All events are free and open to the public.

In addition to a new building, new furniture and new technology, Fowlerville Elementary School also has a new Facebook page! District families with students in the building or those interested in what's happening at the school are encouraged to follow the new page. The administrative team plans to share things happening in the building regularly.

The Alverson Center for Performing Arts will be hosting a fundraiser as part of March is Reading Month. Funds raised will be used towards the replacement of the curtains in the Center. The Lorax Movie will be shown on Saturday, March 8, from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Alverson Center for Performing Arts. Cost is $3 per person and popcorn and water will be available for purchase. To support encouraging reading, the book bus will also be in attendance.

Let's face it, school drop off can be stressful! Natalie Kreeger Elementary has school drop off zone tips that may be helpful for families to make the drop off procedures a little less stressful for all involved. As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to review the drop off zone tips to ensure safe arrival for everyone involved!

March

• 3-7 - Kreeger Elementary Scholastic Book Fair
• 07 - FHS Unified Basketball Game vs. Howell, 5:00 pm
• 06 - Parent Teacher Conferences, all schools, 5:00-7:30 pm
• 08 - The Lorax Movie at Alverson Center for Performing Arts, 2:00 pm
• 20 - Fowlerville Elementary Family Literacy Night, 5:30-7:00 pm
• 24 - Spring Recess Begins
• 31 - Classes Resume