Bauer Bits

From Dr. Charles Fay of Love & Logic

Getting Chores Done without Reminders and Without Pay

Many parents call us and ask for advice about how to handle their child’s struggle with homework and school. One solution that we suggest for this problem is chores, and parents are often puzzled by this response to a request for help with school!

There is a very good reason why we believe chores can help parents help their kids succeed academically as well as in life. Based on several decades of experience, it has become apparent to us at Love and Logic that kids who learn to complete their chores, without reminders and without pay, become much better students than those who don’t.

Love and Logic’s approach to chores is unique and requires commitment by parents to adhere to our recommendations for properly establishing chores for their kids. There are eight tips that form the foundation of Love and Logic’s approach for using chores successfully with kids.

Parents must commit themselves to:

• Believing that chores are more important than homework, sports, music lessons, or anything else.

• Ensuring that chores be completed without warnings and reminders.

• Insisting that chores be completed without pay.

• Teaching kids exactly what is expected.

• Giving a chore without saying, “Do it now!” and giving a deadline instead.

• Remembering to avoid giving reminders.

• Resisting the urge to become a cheerleader when kids do their chores.

• Letting the consequences, wrapped in sincere empathy, do the teaching.

In addition to these tips, Love and Logic’s ABCs of chores will help parents establish chores for everyone in the household. When kids see that chores are for everyone, and that their parents are modeling how to do chores, they are more likely to be successful with their own chores. Here are Love and Logic’s ABCs of chores:

A: Assign every member of your family some meaningful contributions.
Many parents find it helpful to post a list on the refrigerator door, complete with names next to each contribution. Caution: Don’t say, “Do it now.” This will just create power struggles. Instead, allow them to have a deadline for each contribution.

B: Be quiet.
Avoid reminding or nagging. Remember that kids who must be nagged into doing their chores will also need to be nagged into doing their schoolwork and homework.

C: Consequences preceded by sincere empathy will do the teaching.
When their children refuse to do their chores, forget to do them, or do them haphazardly, many parents find it helpful to complete the chore for their children and then expect them to repay the time and energy expended to accomplish those contributions. Sometimes this means doing extra chores for the parent. Sometimes this means staying home or doing without some privilege so that the parent has time to rest and relax. Other times this means paying the parent or a professional to do the job.

As with all Love and Logic techniques, the key to success with chores hinges on sincere empathy! Remember that anger and frustration create resentment, while sincere empathy creates responsibility.

Friday, May 26th - Monday, May 29th - NO SCHOOL!

Friday, June 2nd - Bauer Bash (5pm - 8pm)

Monday, June 5th - 4th/5th Grade Field Day at BSM

Thursday, June 8th - Early Release (12:15) & Last Day of School

Music at Bauer! We are having so much fun in music right now playing music olympics! It is a fun way for the students to review the music concepts we have learned over the year. The class is divided into four teams. Each music class we take turns being the writer of our group and have to answer music questions Mrs. VanRijs gives. If the team gets it correct, they score a talley point and get to take a turn at the game of the day. We have enjoyed playing music basketball (trash can for our hoop), skating races (paper plates), airplane flying (paper airplanes), and music badminton (fly swatters with a balloon). It's been a great year in the music room!

Buckle up, Bauer! Our first annual Bauer Bash is Friday, June 2nd, 5-8pm. All current (and incoming ‘23-24) students and staff (and immediate family members) are invited to gather together as a school community for this food truck picnic and party on the playground at Bauer Elementary.

Please bring your own chairs and blankets and spread out! You are responsible for your own belongings (and yes, your own family members).

We are excited to welcome the following trucks to Bauer Bash:

Blackhawk On the Move

BBQ pulled pork, Gyros, burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, cheese curds and onion rings

RDR Concessions

elephant ears, foot long corn dogs, deep fried hotdogs, lemonade slushies, pop and water

Ice Box Brand

gourmet ice cream bars artisan made in Michigan, cotton candy

This is school property: absolutely no alcoholic beverages permitted. The school building will be closed, but two portable bathrooms will be available.

You all know the parking situation, so let’s be considerate and creative!

• Carpool? (this is open house style, so everyone may come and go as their schedule allows)

• Park on the grass on the north end of the school building? (please be respectful)

• Park in the new development just south of school off 48th? (again, be respectful and safe)

• Park at Griff’s Ice Arena off 48th, north of Bauer Rd. and walk? (bonus: offsets food truck calories)

To recognize our students for a GREAT Walkathon fundraiser this year, Bauer Parent Club will be issuing each current student $5 “Bauer Bucks” to use at this event. Bauer Bucks will be sent home with students next week, so check those backpacks!

The fine print: this voucher has no cash value and will only be good for $5 towards purchase at one of the food trucks on site for the Bauer Bash. No replacement vouchers will be issued. Students must surrender their $5 Bauer Bucks coupon card when they order. Our food truck vendors have graciously agreed to participate in this incentive and Bauer Parent Club will be reimbursing this expense. Thank you for your cooperation!

Food trucks accept cash, card and/or Bauer Bucks.

Can’t wait to see you June 2nd!

On Monday, June 5 all 4th and 5th graders from the district will be going to Eagle Stadium to participate in a fun-filled Field Day!

If you ordered a shirt for your student they were sent home this week. Students will be eating lunch at the stadium so they should plan on bringing a sack lunch from home or ordering a sack lunch from food service. Students can also bring water bottles, but since there will be over 1000 students there, please make sure everything is labeled with their name and "Bauer" on it. We are excited for this amazing event and watching the students have a blast!

If you did not order a field day t-shirt, please have students wear a shirt in the following colors:

5th Grade Girls: Lime Green

5th Grade Boys: Safety Yellow

4th Grade Girls: Orange

4th Grade Boys: Red

All medication at school will need to be picked up in the office by Wednesday, June 14. Anything left at school after June 14 will be disposed of with the health department. We are not able to send meds home with students, they must be picked up by a parent.

The lost and found is getting full again. Please have your student(s) come get their missing sweatshirts!! All items left at the end of the year will be donated on Thursday, June 15th.

Meet the new BPC Board for the 2023/24 school year:

Co-Presidents - Jill Bosnjak & Cody O’Doherty

Co-Vice Presidents - Shelby McGovern & Kristen Simons

Secretary - Becca Johnson

Treasurer - Tracy Campbell

Members at Large - Jenny Montag, Courtney Voorus, Valerie Willock

We are so thankful for the sunshine and warm weather to be moving into Michigan. With that comes a few reminders about proper attire and dress code per our Bauer Handbook.

1. Clothing with graphics or words must be school appropriate.

2. Shirts are to have at least two fingers width straps. No spaghetti strap tops or dresses.

3. Hats are only to be worn outdoors or during "hat day"

4. Shoes must be worn at all times. Please be sure to send your child with tennis shoes on PE days

5. Shorts are to be appropriate length (at least past fingertips)

6. Midriffs are to be covered.

*If your child's clothing violates the dress code, they will be asked to come to the office and choose another outfit for the day.

PK/K enrollment for the 2023/24 school year is open! Enroll online today!

Is your daughter going into 1st-8th grade next fall and interested in cheering? Hudsonville Rocket Cheerleading will be accepting online registration for the Fall 2023 season (mid-August through mid-October). The registration deadline is Tuesday, August 1st, at 9 pm (no late registrations will be accepted). The cost of registration is $85 and includes an end-of-year banquet and trophy. 1st – 6th-grade girls are required to purchase a shell ($30 new and $15 used) and skirt ($30 new and $15 used). **See website for info about used uniforms. 7th and 8th-grade girls are required to pay a $10 uniform rental fee. The 1st-6th grade girls will be cheering at the Hudsonville Youth Football games, and the 7th & 8th-grade girls will be cheering at the Hudsonville Club Football games. Check out the Hudsonville Rocket Cheer Website for more info and to begin registration. (www.hudsonvillerocketcheer.com). If you have questions about the program, please contact Coach Britni via e-mail at hudsonvillerocketcheer@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Email: ehuizen@hpseagles.net
Website: https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org
Location: 8136 48th Avenue, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6824
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BauerElementary
Twitter: @BauerElementary