Our school year is flying by! The second marking period started on Monday, October 28th. We are looking forward to celebrating all the ways students have grown during Parent/Teacher conferences which will run during the week of Nov. 12th-15th.

Thank you to all of the families who attended our Anderson/McGrath annual Harvest Festival! It was another successful event. Please check out this month's newsletter for upcoming events and updates.

Thank you,

Andrea Floyd

Anderson Elementary Principal

November 5th: No School - Election Day (Staff Professional Development)

November 12th: Picture Retakes

November 12th: Full Day of School - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30pm-7:30pm

November 13th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17) - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30pm-7:30pm

November 13th: World Kindness Day - wear something with a kind message or the color green

November 14th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17) - Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00pm-3:50pm

November 15th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17)

November 18th: PTO Meeting 4pm-5pm

November 27-29: No School - Thanksgiving Recess

This March, we have a collage artist and author Michael Albert coming to our school. Not only will we have an assembly, but he will run workshops all day making collages with students. We are in need of any boxes that are colorful and have words, numbers and or logos on them (boxes from cereal, toothpaste, cake mix, oatmeal just to name a few.) We are also looking for donations of 4oz Elmer's liquid glue.

You can bring donations into the office or send them in with your students. Our art teacher Kate Waxweiler will be collecting materials starting now until March.

Pertussis can be a very serious illness and is on the rise in Michigan. The disease is caused by a bacteria that is spread through sneezing and coughing.

• Pertussis can spread easily among susceptible household members and in group settings such as schools, workplaces, and sports teams.
• Adolescents and adults are also at risk for infection since vaccine protection decreases over time.
• The time between exposure to the bacteria and disease symptoms is usually between 7 - 10 days, but in rare cases, it can take up to 3 weeks.

Symptoms:

• In the early stage of illness, pertussis can resemble a common cold. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, mild dry cough, and low-grade fever.
• After about 1 to 2 weeks, more serious “coughing spells” develop that can last for more than a minute and result in difficulty breathing.
• At the end of a coughing spell, the cough may make a high-pitched “whooping” sound as they try to catch their breath.
• Sometimes the coughing will cause vomiting. Between spells, they usually feel well.

Recommended actions:

For people of all ages, call your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms:

• Unusual cough lasting 7 days or more (with or without a “whoop”)

• Cough that comes in bursts (intermittent)

• Vomiting after coughing spells

Treatment and Prevention:

• Pertussis can be treated or even prevented with antibiotics if detected early or before the disease has started.
• If you develop any of the symptoms described above, stay home from school and contact your doctor immediately. Please also inform the school office of any illness.

• Antibiotics prevent the spread of disease.

• Antibiotics are recommended for all household contacts of a pertussis case and for other close contacts, regardless of vaccine status.
• Close contacts are people who have had face-to-face exposure within three feet of a pertussis case, or have had direct contact with their respiratory, oral or nasal secretions.

• Close contacts with cold-like symptoms should stay home and be evaluated by their healthcare provider. If pertussis is suspected, they should stay home from school and other activities until completion of 5 days of antibiotics.

• Hand hygiene, cough etiquette, Immunization and boosters are important prevention methods. Contact your Dr. to make sure you are up to date.

Our fall conferences are just around the corner! Look for communication from your child's teacher to schedule a conference for November 12th-14th.

The Book Fair is returning this fall during Parent/Teacher Conferences, November 11th-15th. Stay tuned for details.

Reminder of our Midland Fundraiser. All order are due by November 11th. This is a great opportunity to do some early holiday shopping!

ATTENDANCE HOTLINE:

If your student is absent or going to be absent from school, please call our attendance hotline to notify us about the absence/reason. Anderson Attendance Hotline - 810-591-5830

FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Free breakfast and lunch for ALL students is back this year. The flyer is below. To complete the application, please go to this LINK to access your Meal Magic Family Portal.

When dropping students off in the morning and picking them up after school all families must turn right at the stop sign and follow the parking lot around to the drop off and pick up lane. You may not park and walk across to pick up students unless you are walking into the office to pick up your student. It is dangerous for people to be walking across the parking lot and we are working hard everyday to keep everyone safe. We will utilize the inside lane to move the three cars along that are either dropping off or picking up at the colored cones if someone needs an extra moment before moving. Please use caution and move slowly when you are moving around someone in the interior lane.

Anderson Elementary School

Main Office: Jody Nickola (810) 591-5829

Location: 5290 Leroy St. Grand Blanc, MI.
Phone: (810) 591-5829

Attendance Hotline: (810) 591-5830
Facebook: Anderson & McGrath Elementary PTO