Hollywood Headlines

Aug. 30

• No School

Sept. 2

• Labor Day, No School

Sept. 4

• First Delayed Start, School Starts @ 10:00 a.m.

Sept. 9

• PTO Meeting @ 4:10 p.m., Alamo Media Center
• Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 p.m., Administration Office

Sept. 10

• Picture Day

Sept. 13

• Homecoming Parade & Football Game

Sept. 17

• Fall Festival

Thank you Alamo families for a great first week!

The first week is in the books! It was so good to see all of our students and welcome them back. We had a great week and the students did an incredible job with new routines, procedures and getting back into the swing of things. Alamo is a special place to be as the love and support from our Alamo families is beyond measurable. Thank you to each and every family for your patience, flexibility and partnership every step of your child's educational journey.

Looking forward to week two at Alamo Elementary........"Where STARS are born!"

Mrs. Knight-Lucas

Positive Attitude

• Cade Rogers
• Carol-lynne Steenholdt

Responsible Actions

• Luke Pride
• Charlee Mathis

Integrity Within

• Easton Wallace
• Addilyn Patterson

Determination To Succeed

• Weston Hall
• Lily Clark

Expect Excellence

• Jackson VanderMeer
• Zayleigh Zuk

Alamo PTO needs you! The PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) is a wonderful way to become involved in your child's education and to get to know other parents and teachers. The PTO has many activities throughout the school year that you can help with by volunteering. The PTO meets once a month at 4:10 p.m. in the Alamo Media Center. Listed below are the dates for this year's meetings. We would love for you to attend!

Meeting Dates

Sept 9

Oct 14

Nov 11

Dec 9

Jan 13

Feb 10

March 10

April 14

May 12

June 9

If your child is absent and the absence is unexcused, you will receive an automated phone call reminding you to report the absence. Please remember to report your child’s absence, before 9am, by calling our attendance line at (269) 694-7680.

Students at Alamo can purchase popcorn on the last Friday of the month beginning on September 30th. Popcorn can again this year be purchased for the entire year by sending $4 per student (discounted, as well as the "easy button" for parents!) on or before the first popcorn date of September 27th, or it can be purchased each individual time for $0.50.

Below are the dates for popcorn Friday this year.

September 27

October 25

November 22

December 20

January 31

February 28

March 28

April 25

May 30

Routines - Why are they Important?

School is back in session and gone are the lazy days of summer. Most of us have gotten out of our normal routines, but it is time to start establishing some regular routines. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. A consistent daily schedule and step-by-step routines give children a predictable day.

Routines build self-confidence, curiosity, social skills, self-control, communication skills and more. Routines create manageable expectations that allow children to build emotional resilience, such as saying goodbye to parents each morning at drop-off.

Repetitive actions help form neural connections, enabling the brain to process information more efficiently. As children engage in consistent daily activities, they improve their memory, problem solving abilities, and critical thinking skills.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need any help developing daily routines.

My email is smaxwell@otsegops.org.

My office number is 269-694-7619.

In an effort to keep all students, staff, and parents/guardians as safe as possible we will be utilizing the drop-off line for students who will not be utilizing bus transportation.

• Doors will open at 8:15 a.m. Students MUST stay in their vehicles until that time.

• Please pull up as far as possible when utilizing the drop-off zone.

• Students are to be dropped off on the curbside ONLY.

• Please have your child ready to exit the passenger side of the car.

• Parents who are dropping off in the morning should NOT exit their vehicles. Please give hugs and kisses at home or in the car and remind students to physically distance themselves from others as they enter the building.

• Staff members will be available to ensure each student arrives safely and directly to their classroom.

• Parents who do need to visit the office are asked to park or wait until the school day begins before entering the building.

• During morning arrival, parents are not allowed in the hallways. If you need to talk to your child's teacher, you are welcome to email them or leave a message in the office.

• Students who wish to attend breakfast can enter the building at 8:15 a.m. and head right to the cafeteria.

• Students who are not attending breakfast can begin entering the building at 8:15 a.m., and will sit in front of their locker until 8:20 a.m. Adult supervision will be provided at 8:15 a.m. until the classrooms are open.

• Students who attend BASE on occasion who are NOT attending BASE SHOULD NOT use their BASE code to enter the building. Abusing the privilege of a BASE code will result in the lose of a BASE code.

• Please drive safe and watch your speed when driving through the parking lot.

Alamo staff is committed to your child's safety and growing our relationship with parents. Below are our pick up procedures.

• Parents picking up their child(ren) from school will park in a parking space.
• DO NOT park along the sidewalk as this is a drop off zone only.
• Please DO NOT park outside the identified parking spaces. This creates congestion and can block the view of the rest of the parking lot.
• Students will wait in a designated pick up location with their classroom teacher. Teachers will be utilizing the sidewalk on the west side, the sidewalk on north side and the side walk in front of the gym for pick up locations. Kindergarten will be on the east side and all grade levels will follow down the side walk in chronological order with 5th grade in front of the gymnasium.
• Parents or guardians will be required to meet their child on the sidewalk when he/she is dismissed.
• Teachers will not release students unless there is contact with the child's parent or guardian.
• Please practice safety and patience while in the parking lot.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to a safe and happy school year!

Good news! With the passage of Michigan's budget this year, breakfast and lunch will be FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS for the 2024-25 school year! However, it is still vital that you fill out the Free & Reduced Meal Application because it is tied to more than school lunches. If you qualify, you could receive discounts on internet service, school Chromebook insurance fees, testing fees and more! These applications are also tied to a portion of the district's federal funding that helps provide tutors, summer school, counselors, programs and materials and more. It's a quick form to fill out - you only complete one per family. Fill it out today at https://www.otsegops.org/departments/food-service. *Please note: students who take a second meal will be charged the regular meal prices for that meal.

To help save on paper, we will not be printing lunch menus unless requested. We will begin including them in the school newsletter or you can visit our website or the OPS App to view the menu each month.

Join Alamo Parents REMIND

Would you like to receive text updates on important dates and activities taking place here at Alamo Elementary? REMIND is a safe and efficient communication app designed for teachers/schools to communicate important classroom/school information. If you are interested in receiving updates from Alamo Elementary via text, text this message @alamopare to the number 81010 or click on the link below.

Email: nknight-lucas@otsegops.org
Website: https://alamo.otsegops.org/
Location: 8184 North 6th Street, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
Phone: (269) 694-7600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415538888654020
Twitter: @otsegoschools