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Memorial Elementary News
December 2023
![Memorial Elementary News December 2023](https://cdn.smore.com/u/9943/90d9ce3bff30e20ad73ec39e2160e7f1.jpg)
February 2024
Dear Memorial Families,
We are looking forward to the third annual Memorial Reads a Book in which all of Memorial Elementary will be reading the same book and enjoying activities related to the story. The "secret" book will be revealed near the end of February. Thanks to a grant provided by the Valpo Schools Foundation, each student will receive a copy of the book to keep, We would like to invite you to read the book at home as a family and hope that you will the book enjoyable.
As we start to get closer to the end of the year, I would like to remind you of the language from the VCS Elementary Handbook as it relates to placement of students:
"CLASSROOM PLACEMENT: The building principal assigns students to appropriate grades, classes, or groups based on consideration of the needs of the school, the students and the administration of the school. The previous year’s teachers and the principal spend considerable time in assigning students to classrooms. The goal is to balance classes according to boy/girl ratio, academic ability, social-emotional issues, work habits, and special learning needs.
If a parent/guardian feels there is information the principal should have about his/her child, such written communication should be provided to the principal in the spring no later than May 1. This communication should identify specific educational concerns, not a request for a specific teacher."
In order to develop balanced classes, Memorial will be adherring to this policy for the 24-25 school year. Please do not request a specific teacher. If you have a unique need you would like to be considered, please contact me before May 1.
With Great Respect,
Mrs. Debra Misecko, Principal
CONGRATULATIONS TO MEMORIAL'S SCIENCE BOWL TEAM - #1 in State!
Save the Date(s):
February
1 Memorial Family Bingo Night at VHS
7 PTO Meeting at 3:45
14 Happy Valentines Day - Classroom Parties
16 eLearning for Snow Make-up Day
19 President's Day - no school
25 Memorial Skate Night
March
4- 15 IREAD3 test window *
12 Grade 2 Music Performanceat 6:30
13 PTO Meeting
13 Grade 3 Music Perfomance at 6:30
15 End of Third Grading Period
22 Third Quarter Report Cards Available on Skyward
17 Happy St. Patrick's Day
25-29 Spring Break - No School
*IREAD3 will be administered in Grades 2 and 3. The teachers will share exact test days for each class as the window gets closer. Please refrain from scheduling out of school appointments/absences during the test window.
Reminders from the office:
- If you are dropping your child off for school, please let have students get out of the car on the curbside of the car. Additionally, out of courtesy for all the parents, please allow them to get out of the car if you are anywhere along the sidewalk. You do not need to wait to pull up to the door.
- If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, the safest and most courteous place to do this is along the curb on Milton Street. Picking them up along other side streets often blocks traffic and can put students in harms way of oncoming traffic.
- We go outside to recess when it is not raining and when the feels-like Temperature is above 0 degrees. Please make sure your child has a warm coat, hats, gloves and snowboots (if needed).
- If you need help obtaining winter wear for your child, please call Mrs. Dravet.
- Please keep early releases to a minimum. They are disruptive to the classroom's learning time. There are days when the office interupts learning 3-4 times in one classroom. This causes a lot of stops and starts for instruction and is as disruptive as a tardy.
- Please send a water bottle to school each day with your child.
Save The Date(s) for Memorial Music Performances
Elementary students are to be engaged in a musical performance as part of the Indiana State Standards in Music. Every 2 years the Valparaiso elementary schools hold school music performances in grades 1-5 to fulfill this requirement and to showcase what the students have learned in music. The expecation is that each student will perform and it will be a part of the student's music grade for the second semester. This spring Memorial will hold these performances on the following dates at Memorial at 6:30 p.m.:
March 12 - Grade 2
March 13 - Grade 3
April 10 - Grade 4
April 11 - Grade 5
April 23 - Grade 1
Please add them to your calendar.
Scenes from 100's Day of School
Looking for Coaches for Girls on the Run at Memorial
In years past Memorial has had a Girls on the Run Club sponsored and coached by 2 Memorial parents. They ran the club and held meetings and practices at Memorial. The Girls on the Run organization has asked if we would like to host another club this spring. They sent the following information:
Hello!
Our calendar is calling your name! It's time to register for the spring season of Girls on the Run in Northwest Indiana! Girls on the Run is the only physical activity-based, positive youth development program for girls with a research-based curriculum, trained coaches, and a commitment to inclusion
Partner with Girls on the Run this season to build leaders that show kindness, lead with open hearts, and make a difference in their communities.
To offer our program, schools/sites must:
Offer a safe, accessible outdoor place with a restroom (and a designated indoor space for inclement weather)
Accommodate a regular practice schedule (twice a week for ten weeks with a once a week option for Heart & Sole (6th-8th grade program)
Help identify a site liaison to help coordinate logistics
If you are interested in more information and possibly coaching a team of girls from Memorial, please let Mrs. Misecko know. She can share contact information and help coordinate the details.
Common Sense Media Resource
Common Sense Media has resources related to all types of media, helpful in keeping our children safe. Click on the button below to access the Common Sense Media website. Explore to find the information most relevant to your family.
W.O.W. Students
December's W.O.W. Students
FREE Parenting the Love & Logic Way course will start virtually Monday, February 5th!!
We all love our kids but wouldn't it be great to get a little help with the common parenting struggles we all face? Solutions for whining, back talk, chores, etc? Whether you are new to the course or coming back for a refresher, we would love to have you join us and add some more tools to your parental tool belt.
This course is FREE and VIRTUAL!! Each Monday, participants will be emailed a link with the course content for the week. Links will be live for the entire week allowing participants to watch any time during the week that works best. You can sign up by clicking the link to the right.
Workbooks for the course are also FREE and will be dropped off at your child's school prior to the start of class to be sent home with your child. If you are joining us for a refresher or have taken the course before, the workbook is the same and you can use your previous one. You will be able to let us know if you need a workbook when you register for the course.
We look forward to seeing you in class! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Blessings,
The Our Greater Good Staff
HABIT #5- Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Memorial continues to focus on sharing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey. We will talk about one of the 7 Habits each month. The February Habit is #5 - "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Students are taught that this habit means "I listen for understanding before I speak". For more information please read more from Dr. Stephen Covey's website.
Handbook
PTO
President - Malorie Medellin
Vice President - Tracee McMahon and Amber Strunk
Treasurer - Megan Taylor
Secretary - Casandra Heeren
Stay tuned for more information coming about 23-24 PTO events. They will be shared in the Memorial Newsletter, on the Memorial Elementary PTO Facebook page, and the Memorial PTO Website.
Memorial Elementary
Email: dmisecko@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: https://valparaisomes.valpo.k12.in.us/
Location: 1052 Park Avenue, Valparaiso, IN, USA
Phone: 219-531-3090