The Pine Bough
Pine River School Newsletter, September 2019
Monthly Calendar
Welcome Back!
Welcome to an invigorating new school year! We are excited to have our students back in our classrooms and hallways, filling the building with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our mission to help every child feel welcomed, connected, and a part of the Pine River family. Additionally, we strive to challenge each student to grow to his or her greatest potential in both academics and those soft skills necessary for success in the world.
We have several new staff members at Pine River this year.
- Mrs. Tiffany Bean - Literacy Specialist
- Mrs. Becky Dodge - 3rd Grade Teacher
- Mrs. Rayann Ingles - Building Paraprofessional
- Mrs. Jessica Jones - Kindergarten Teacher
- Mrs. Amy Schock-McNeill - 2nd Grade Teacher
- Mrs. Kelly Robbins - Technology Teacher
- Mrs. Jill Stockwell - Special Education Paraprofessional
- Mrs. Katie Therrien - Noon Aide and Special Education Paraprofessional
- Mrs. Beth Trudeau - First Grade Teacher
- Mrs. Stefanie Visnaw - Fourth Grade Teacher
We are fortunate that these amazing ladies have joined our team!
This year, we challenge our Pioneers to take advantage of the learning opportunities that will be presented each day by setting personal goals, asking questions, learning from mistakes, and putting their best effort into all that they do. As a Pine River staff, we want students and families to know we are here to support them and you through your child’s educational journey. We appreciate your help at home in establishing a bedtime and morning routine, helping your child(ren) get to school on time each day, supporting homework, and staying informed through our district website, Skyward, The Pine Bough, and teachers' communications. As a team of students, families, and staff, we will ensure success for each student.
An integral part of our team is our PTO! The PTO has planned many fun activities for students and families this year! Please join us for our first PTO meeting on Thursday, September 19th, at 5:00 p.m. in the Pine River Media Center. We understand that not everyone is available to attend meetings, but there are other ways you can support the PTO throughout the year, such as helping with evening events, supporting fundraisers, or sending in items needed for PTO-sponsored activities. The private Pine River PTO Facebook group is also a great way to stay connected to activities and other Pine River parents.
Please stop by, call, or email me at any time if you have questions, comments, or ideas for ways we can continue to make Pine River a great school for everyone!
Best wishes for the 2019-20 school year!
Sincerely,
Rachel Card
Principal
Professional Learning Communities
In order to facilitate PLCs this year, the district has scheduled 9 two-hour early release days. The dates are listed on the 2019-2020 East China calendar. On the nine days listed, all schools will dismiss two hours earlier and afternoon bus pick-up times will be exactly two hours earlier. Our dismissal at Pine River will be 1:39 p.m. on early release days. The morning start times will not change. We realize changes to the school day can be disruptive to parents and children, and we appreciate your support in helping us facilitate this time for our professional staff to meet together to improve teaching and learning.
Safety and Security
- We have a secure entrance system. Between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., you must press the lighted doorbell. This will alert the office. You will be on camera, and Mrs. Rybarczyk or Mrs. Stockwell will greet you and buzz open the door so you can enter.
- Parents and visitors need to sign in at the office and pick up a visitor's pass to wear in the building. Please sign out when you leave.
- Students may enter the building at 8:30 a.m. Because supervision is not available, please do not drop your child off early. Latchkey is available if your child needs to arrive earlier than 8:30 a.m.
- If you pick up your child at the end of the day, please come into the office and sign your child out. Please bring your identification into the building each time you sign your student out in case you are asked by the office staff. For safety reasons, we need to know how our students are transported.
- We ask our parents to wait in the lobby for the children to be dismissed at the end of the day.
- Only people listed on your child's emergency card will be able to check your child out from the building without a note. If additional names need to be added, please come into the office so you can add them to the emergency information and the office can update Skyward.
- If your child is to be picked up by someone not on the emergency card, please send a note to the teacher or office to indicate your plans.
- If your child is going home with a friend on the bus or in a car, the school office must have notes from both the sending and receiving parents. Students may only ride home with a friend on a bus if it is their current assigned bus, unless arrangements to go home with a friend on a different bus have been made through our Transportation Department.
Drop-off and Pick-up Traffic Routes
Positivity Project at Pine River
After several years of researching a positive behavior curriculum, our staff has embraced the Positivity Project thanks to the firsthand experience and strong belief in the program shared by our new teachers from Eddy Elementary. We are covering most of the cost of the program with a McLaren Health Care Corporation grant obtained by Pine River parent Caitlin Middel.
What is The Positivity Project?
The Positivity Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children build stronger relationships by recognizing the character strengths in themselves and others. Their vision is to create citizens and leaders who will enhance our communities and country by internalizing the belief that “Other People Matter.” Positive psychology’s scientifically validated 24 character strengths serve as its foundation. Positive psychology teaches that people have all 24 strengths within them – and that character is not just skills or behaviors, but rather an intrinsic part of each of us.
The Positivity Project is not a program with strict guidelines. Instead, it educates teachers on the character strengths and relies on them to teach in a way that best meets their students’ needs. It is a school-wide endeavor, grounded in the consistency of daily classroom instruction. Their model is holistic; it incorporates students, teachers, and parents through regular interactions with the character strength vocabulary and concepts.
The project helps teachers instill vocabulary and the meaning of the strengths through the explicit teaching of each strength for about 10 minutes per day. We will dedicate about one week to each strength to help students understand it through definition, examples, discussions, and exercises. Our teachers will tailor the materials for their own best use, as they know their students and curriculum better than anyone else.
What are the benefits of implementing The Positivity Project?
The Positivity Project ideals evolve throughout a student’s whole school career, with students continuing with the program in both of our middle schools in East China. The 24 character strengths develop and gain more meaning for students as they grow. Once students learn the meaning of each strength and what it looks like, the trait can then be embedded into the curriculum in every subject area. The character strengths become a part of a common language and our Pioneers will see them in everything that they do.
The Positivity Project teaches children by acknowledging that the 24 character strengths are already a part of who they are as people. It helps them to realize that each and every one of them have these strengths. Through acknowledging these strengths in the classroom, students will gain richer understandings of what the character strengths look like in their peer groups. These understanding will help students improve relationships, resolve conflicts, and support one another.
How can you help?
We would love for you to take an active role in your child’s character strength education. By using the character strengths vocabulary and having discussions about the concepts, you will help your child understand the character strengths in themselves and others in a different light.
Breakfast Program
Breakfast is offered to students every morning. The students wishing to have breakfast order the breakfast the day before. Kindergarten students eat in the cafeteria.
Paid Breakfast $1.25 - Reduced Breakfast $0.30 - Free Breakfast
If you qualify for free and reduced price meals, you also qualify for the breakfast program.
First PTO Meeting
Follow Pine River Elementary on Facebook
Thank you to the Eddy Elementary PTO!
Using Skyward to Access Your Student's Information
How to log into to Skyward Family Access:
- Go to the district home web page at www.ecsd.us.
- Click on the Parents link, then Family Access link.
- Enter your Login ID and Password on the Skyward Family Access login screen.
Picture Day
Pest Management Services
Constitution Day
Attendance Reminders
Elementary Lunch Prices
Student/Adult
Breakfast: $1.25/$2.00
Reduced Breakfast (Students Only): $0.30
Lunch: $2.40/$3.75
Reduced Lunch (Students Only): $0.40
ALA CARTE ITEMS
Super: $1.35
Adult Specialty Salad: $4.25
Cookie/Snacks: $0.50
Fruit/Vegetable: $0.60
Milk: $0.50
Read by Grade Three Law
In an effort to boost reading achievement, Michigan lawmakers passed Public Act 306 in October 2016. To help more students be proficient by the end of 3rd grade, the law requires extra support for K-3 students who are not reading at grade level. The law also states that a child may be retained in 3rd grade if they are one or more grade levels behind in reading at the end of 3rd grade.
What Parents/Guardians Need to Know
Your child’s reading progress will be closely monitored beginning in kindergarten. If your child is not reading where expected, a plan to improve reading will be created. This means your child’s teacher and the school will work with your child to find where your child needs support in his/her reading development and create a plan to support him or her. This plan includes:
- Extra small group instruction or support in areas of need during the school day.
- Ongoing checks on reading progress
- A read at home plan that encourages you and your child to read and write outside of the school day.
- Your child may be encouraged to participate in summer reading programs.
Starting in 2019-2020 school year, in order to be promoted from 3rd to 4th grade, your child must score less than one year behind on the state reading assessment, or demonstrate a 3rd grade reading level through an alternate test or portfolio of student work. If you are notified your child may be retained, you have the right to meet with school officials and to request, within 30 days, an exemption if in the best interest of your child. The district superintendent will make the final decision.
How Can You Support Your Child?
▶ Read out loud to your child.
▶ Listen to your child read.
▶ Echo read (You read a line, then the child repeats).
▶ Read together at the same time.
▶ Reread or retell favorite stories.
▶ Talk to your child about the reading.
▶ Talk to and with your kids a lot – knowing more words helps kids to understand the words they read better.
▶ Encourage writing – Let children write the sounds they hear, spelling is developmental and a work in progress.
▶ Be involved in your child’s education and support the reading plan if your child has one.
As you read with your child:
▶ Ask your child to share what s/he remembers.
▶ Ask questions about the reading.
▶ Talk about your favorite parts, what you have learned, or who is in the book and what they do.
▶ Talk about the pictures in the book how they connect to the words on the page.
▶ Help connect the stories to your child’s life or other books you have read.
Below you will find more information about the Read by Grade Three Law from the Michigan Department of Education.
Check out one of our favorite videos about reading with children!
Positive Behavior Expectations
A significant part of our students’ academic success correlates directly to the exemplary behavior that they exhibit. To ensure a safe and orderly educational environment conducive to student learning, our staff is working collaboratively to teach, model, and recognize appropriate behavior. To create this environment, we have adopted a positive behavior support program that we call "Pioneers reach for the STARS!"
STARS stands for the five parts of the Pioneer Code: Show Kindness, Talk in a Courteous Manner, Always be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. The matrix of behaviors related to each expectation in the various settings is shown below. Please help us to reinforce the positive behaviors listed both at home and at school. Our goal is for all students to know what “Reaching for the STARS” behavior looks like.
During the first few weeks of school, students will receive instruction concerning these valuable behavior traits and how to earn positive behavior tickets for exhibiting appropriate behaviors. Students who receive tickets will place their names in a special container for regular drawings.
Pioneer Code of Conduct
Kind,
Courteous,
Respectful,
Responsible,
and always Safe!
Pioneers of the Month
All of our students strive to be motivated learners, as well as model citizens. Each month we will honor students from each class who exemplify the following qualities:
Academic
- Student prepares for classroom activities.
- Student goes above and beyond his/her role as a student.
- Student has made significant personal progress in the classroom.
- Student has been working to his/her potential.
- Student completes all assignments and homework.
- Student has a good work ethic and is diligent.
Leadership/ Citizenship/ Character
- Student demonstrates respect of self and others.
- Student assists others in need.
- Student shows acts of kindness.
- Student demonstrates a positive attitude.
- Student displays good conduct.
- Student is a positive role model by example.
- Student participates and puts forth full effort in all areas.
- Student follows school rules.
Mission: The mission of the Pine River school community is to work collaboratively, providing an enriched curriculum that allows for intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative growth in a positive and safe environment, empowering all children to become productive lifelong learners.