Principal's Post

Congratulations to Mrs. Daniels for being recognized as WNIC's Teacher of the week (March 3rd - March 7th). Mrs. Daniels represents all the wonderful educators at Angell who give of themselves each and every day to make a difference for our students. It is kind of WNIC to recognize so many teachers in the Detroit Metro Area for their outstanding contributions to education.

We have many exciting events planned to wrap up our Reading Month Activities this coming week.

• Mr. Guy Louis will return to Angell to host a Family Fun Night on Wednesday, March 19th from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Angell Gymnasium. He will wrap up the evening with a short dance party for everyone who attends.

• We will celebrate reading month during our Family Circle session on Thursday by enjoying a Readers' Theater activity.

• All students are encouraged to wear pajamas on Thursday as we celebrate reading by wearing our comfortable PJs and read throughout the day.
  
  

Please remember to sign up for a virtual spring conference. Our sign up link is posted below for your convenience.

Also, congratulations to all of our Battle of the Books teams that competed this past Thursday. We are so proud of our 4th and 5th grade students for taking on such a rewarding challenge. Seven teams battled it out for the top position:

• The Bookie Monsters

• The Book Bears

• Six Super Duper Ducks

• The Pink Bananas

• The G.O.A.T.S.

• The Library Battle Lions

• The Bookworms
  
  

It was a close battle but, in the end, The G.O.A.T.S. walked away with the championship.

*Please be advised that there is an updated lunch menu March 19th. The new menu option for the "A" lunch is now Mozzarella Sticks w/ marinara sauce and carrot/celery sticks with ranch dressing (soy, wheat, milk).

One last note . . . We hosted our annual PTA Roller Skating Party at SkateWorld of Troy. There was a huge turn out and everyone had a blast. Thank you for sharing your evening with us. Each year we ask for donations that are dedicated to buying new books for our media center and securing special enrichment events for the entire student body. This year we raised $777. Thank you for your generosity. Enjoy some pictures from the evening posted throughout the newsletter.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Sincerely,

Vince Gigliotti

Angell Principal

Also, included in this edition of the Principal’s Post . . . . . .

• Battle of the Books Update

• Angell Network News

• Spring Virtual Conference Information

• Reading Month Activities

• Upcoming Events

• Fun Picture Day

• 5th Grade Orchestra Information

• 5th Grade Band Concert Information

• Counselor's Corner

• Occupation Day

• PTA Restaurant Night

• Spirit Wear

• When to Exclude a Child from School

• Important Safety Reminders

• PTA Information

• Class Funds

• PTA Membership Link

• Camp Invention

• Varsity Tutors

• Volunteer Release Form

• Nuts and Bolts

• Music Concert Schedule

A kind reminder that that conference sign-ups were sent out on Wednesday, March 6th. Please take the time to sign up for a conference slot. ALL spring conferences will be conducted virtually through Zoom. This is a great opportunity to talk about your child's progress and work collaboratively with our staff to set goals for the remainder of the school year. In case you missed it earlier, here is the information that was sent:

Spring Virtual Conferences are right around the corner and are scheduled for Thursday evening, March 20th and all-day Friday, March 21st. Students will have a non-attendance day on Friday, March 21st while teachers meet virtually for conferences.

Please make an appointment to meet with your student's teacher here.
(please choose one classroom conference slot per student).

You are encouraged to meet with any of our specials (Art, Physical Education, Media, Music and Spanish) as well. Our Media Specialist will be in the Media Center at the Book Fair during Thursday evening Conferences. Feel free to stop by to meet with her!

Zoom links are embedded in each teacher sign up area on the MyConference site. You can sign up for email and text reminders. Conference sign ups will close 24 hours before conferences begin.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the main office or individual teachers.

Monday, March 17

Pledge Leaders: Sturtz

Motivational Monday, wear shirts with motivational words

4th and 5th Grade Upstander Club

Tuesday, March 18

Pledge Leaders: Sturtz

Reading Month - Tigers Tuesday, wear your Tigers gear or orange and blue

Wednesday, March 19

Pledge Leaders: Sturtz

Fun Picture Day

6:30pm: Angell Family Reading Night with Guy Louis

Reading Month - wear your Reading Month Shirt past or present

Thursday, March 20

Pledge Leaders: Sturtz

PJ Day

8:15am: Family Circles

5:00pm-8:00pm: Virtual Conferences

Friday, March 21

Non-Attendance Day

8:00am - 4:00pm: Spring Virtual Conferences

Kaiser Studio will be at Angell on Wednesday, March 19 for Fun Picture Day. Order forms can be sent in with exact cash or checks made payable to Kaiser Studio. Picture packages can also be ordered online at www.kaiserstudio.com. Please use the school ID code ANGELLFD25.

Our 5th grade Orchestra will have a combined concert with 6th graders on April 9th at 7:00pm at Anderson Middle School.

Our 5th grade Band will have a combined concert with 6th graders on April 10th at 7:00pm at Anderson Middle School.

It was great to see a packed house at the PTA meeting. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about a topic or if there is something you would like us to cover at an upcoming meeting.

To add to our discussion from last month, we shared this article about parenting anxious children. This month we talked about failure. You can find a copy of our slide show here. Looking at the Action for Happiness calendar I particularly like the reminder for March 23, which says, “Tune into your feelings without judging or trying to change them.” Even the word failure can lead to many uncomfortable feelings, yet as we learn to work through discomfort it’s important, we support our children as they learn how to fail.

In the past we have shared different tools to support routines such as checklists, visual schedules, and the Get Ready, Do, Done planning tool. The great thing about these tools is they allow the children some autonomy over their actions. The challenge is supporting our children when they fail, such as forgetting to brush their teeth or leaving their water bottle at home. When we teach our children it’s ok to fail, we have the opportunity to build their resilience, support a growth mindset, and improve their self-confidence. Now how do we do this? Using skills and strategies we have talked about in the past such as empathizing and validating feelings. We are also able to normalize the discomfort they feel and show confidence in their ability to move through it. When your child is regulated, you may offer to share your own experience, being a little vulnerable lets them know it’s ok to do the same. Allow your child to lead as you problem solve together and select coping strategies to help as they prepare to try again.

The students and staff at Angell are excited to host our 3rd Annual Occupation Day. The goal of this event is for students to discover the many different career paths that are available in their future. It is also a great opportunity for family members to showcase the hard work and skills needed to be successful. We hope to display a range of different occupations. We will provide the students with "passports" so they can record their visits to the different destinations. This will help us facilitate discussions with students in the weeks following the event.

Presenters (family members) will create a tri-fold poster that features the different aspects of their occupation. Please see examples below. You are encouraged to create these with the whole family. On April 29th, you will set up your tri-fold on an assigned table and stand near it while students tour the gym asking questions and listening to information. It works much like a science fair, with the different occupations taking the place of the experiments. Feel free to bring props, tools, etc. that showcase your profession. Due to our zero food policy and severe allergies in the building we ask that you do not bring any food items to display or share.

If you would like us to provide the tri-fold, please indicate it below so we can send it home with your student. If you have any questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or you can email Mrs. Chudler at kezziah.chudler@berkleyschools.org. Please ensure you have completed the volunteer paperwork . We look forward to another great event.

EVENT: OCCUPATION DAY at Angell!
DATE: Tuesday, April 29th
TIME: 1:00 - 3:00 (Setup at 12:30)
LOCATION: Angell Gym

DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: March 22nd

Many illnesses do not require exclusion. However, children may be excluded if the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in school activities or if there is risk of spread of harmful disease to others. Criteria include:

1. Severely ill: A child that is lethargic or less responsive, has difficulty breathing, or has a rapidly spreading rash.

2. Fever: A child with a temperature of 100.4°F or greater AND behavior changes or other signs or symptoms (e.g., sore throat, rash, vomiting, or diarrhea). The child should not return until 24 hours of no fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.

3. Diarrhea: A child has two loose or watery stools. The child should have no loose stools for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Exception: A healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious. Diarrhea may be caused by antibiotics or new foods a child has eaten.

4. Vomiting: A child that has vomited two or more times. The child should have no vomiting episodes for 24 hours prior to returning.

5. Abdominal pain: A child with abdominal pain that continues for more than two hours or intermittent pain associated with fever or other symptoms.

6. Rash: The child with a rash AND has a fever or a change in behavior. Exclude until the rash subsides or until a healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious.

7. Skin sores: A child with draining sores on an exposed area that cannot be covered with waterproof dressing.

8. Certain communicable diseases: Students and staff diagnosed with certain communicable diseases (e.g strep throat, norovirus, influenza, hand foot mouth, pinkeye, etc. ) may have to be excluded for a certain period of time. Please call the office and report if your child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease.

9. Covid- We are still no longer contract tracing for covid and do not need to quarantine for 5 days. Everyone is able to return when they are "well," meaning fever free for 24 hours, without fever reducing medications. It is left up to the individual when they feel well. Also, masks are optional and not required per Oakland County Health Department.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Nurse Rose or the school office.

1. ROLLING THROUGH THE STOP SIGN NEAR CROSSING GUARDS: I have noticed that several drivers are not coming to a COMPLETE STOP at our designated crossing areas. This is not only unsafe but illegal. Please slow down, come to a complete stop and wait for our crossing guard to completely clear the traffic area before moving forward.
   
   
2. PARKING AND DROPPING OFF IN THE STAFF PARKING LOT: The staff parking lot located near the south end of the school between the school and the tennis courts is reserved for staff only. We have one family (due to a temporary medical issue) that has permission to use the lot for drop off and pick up. Without specific permission absolutely no other community members should enter the staff parking lot with their vehicle. For many this may seem convenient but for our students and staff this creates a very serious safety and access issue. I am directing anyone who is currently using our parking lot to wait for students or to get closer to drop off points to stop this practice immediately. If you have relatives helping with drop-off and pick-up please make sure you pass this information along.

Please be advised that I will work with public safety to encourage tickets for anyone who continues to create these safety issues. Your cooperation is both appreciated and expected moving forward.

Week of March 17, 2025

Upcoming Events!

PTA Meeting

Our next PTA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1st at 7:00pm in the Angell Media Center. All are welcome!

PTA Sponsored Events

See the fliers below about Class Funds.

PTA Membership

Please consider joining. Get involved and help support our Angell Community.

Printable Membership Form: PTA Membership Form
Join the PTA online: https://angellpta.memberhub.com/store
Volunteer / Chair Opportunities: Angell PTA Committees

Angell Dad’s Club

Know any dads who want to get involved? They are absolutely welcome to join our PTA but we also have an Angell Dad's Club!
Meetings: 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm at Dog and Pony Show Brewing
Facebook: Angell Dad's Club
Contact: Rob Herman

Email: rob.herman@outlook.com

Social Media
Follow us on our social media pages to get important information and updates!
Facebook: Angell PTA Facebook Page
Instagram: angellfishpta

*2024- 2025 Angell PTA Board*

Bridget Rock - PTA President
Nicole Feys and Erin Steinger - PTA Co -Vice Presidents
Kelsey Cole- PTA Secretary
Tara Samson - PTA Treasurer

Berkley Schools has partnered with Varsity Tutors for Schools, an online platform with access to free learning tools.

The Varsity Tutors Platform gives students more opportunities to learn at their own pace, to get support on subjects they might be struggling with, to explore subjects they are learning in class and to support their curiosities. The platform includes the following:

• 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring and on-demand essay review to help students with any questions about homework, classwork or test prep.

• Live group classes, recorded classes and celebrity-led StarCourses allow students to learn more about the subjects they’re interested in and add a touch of fun.

• Assessments and self study practice problems provide opportunities to drill skills towards mastery.

• College prep & admissions resources ensure that students have the best resources available.
  
  

How to Access Varsity Tutors

Sign into the Varsity Tutors platform through the student Clever portal. To learn how to log into Clever with your child’s Berkley Schools Google account, follow these directions.

Learn More & Get Started!

• Varsity Tutors Berkley Schools Launchpad

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Varsity Tutors video overview

Parents are encouraged to volunteer in classrooms, chaperone field trips, and be a volunteer driver. In order to volunteer in the classroom or on school-sponsored functions, all parents or guardians must complete the Volunteer Release Form and be approved through the district process prior to any activities. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing.

New this year - Volunteer forms will be completed online (see button below). There is an option to fill out the Chaperone Section within the online Volunteer form. Driver forms must be completed using the usual paper copy format. Remember to submit a copy of your current driver's license and proof of insurance with ALL Driver Forms even if you submitted your driver's license online.

Volunteer forms must be completed every year. If you were an approved volunteer last year, you still must complete the process again for the 2024-2025 school year.

By clicking on the Nuts and Bolts button below you will be able to access information about:

• Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
• Traffic Patterns
• Health Forms
• Food Free Policy
• Snack Ideas
• Daily Schedule Information
• Bell Times
• Specials Schedules
• Wednesdays Rotations
• Lunch Information
• Breakfast Information
• Spiritwear
• iCalendar Updates

We are fortunate to have two talented music educators leading our music program this year. Mrs. Kathy Manuel and Ms. Maiuri. Mrs. Manuel also teaches at Burton Elementary and Ms. Maiuri teaches at Rogers Elementary, as well. We have made some adjustments to our performance calendar this year so please disregard any published dates that may appear on the district calendar. Moving forward please reference the dates below:

• Kindergarten - May 8, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. @ Angell
• 1st Grade - May 8, 2025 at 6:45 P.M. @ Angell
• 5th Grade Choir - May 22, 205 at 7:00 P.M. @ Norup International School (with Pattengill, Rogers, & AMS) - THIS IS A NEW LOCATION

Please take note that all but the 5th grade concert will be in the Angell Gymnasium due to construction projects across the district. We look forward to seeing all of our families at the performances later in the year as we showcase our students' talents.

Email: vincenzo.gigliotti@berkleyschools.org
Website: https://www.berkleyschools.org/schools/angell/
Location: 3849 Beverly Boulevard, Berkley, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 837-8501
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angell-Elementary-School/688122847952184
Twitter: @GigliottiVince