Morford Monthly Memo

Spring is fast approaching and that means we are getting closer to warmer weather! The next month is a pretty busy month with lots of activities going on both during the day and after the regular school day. Be sure to check the SMORE below for different events after school as well as things that we are doing throughout the month to celebrate March is Reading month.

We will have an extra busy month as we all read Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. I have shared the calendar of events below so you know ahead of time some of the activities and events happening. Talk with your eagle about those events. What is something that they enjoyed? What is something that they learned? What is going on in the book that we are all reading?

Help celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2nd! As we kick off March is Reading month....dress like your favorite Dr. Seuss character on Monday, March 2nd.

In partnership with you,

Katie Morford, Principal

Happy 250th Birthday, USA!. Jaimee Jordan, Music teacher, and the students have been working hard to prepare for their upcoming Spring Concert. Mark your calendar for the following dates:

April 22- 4th Grade

April 23rd- 5th Grade

5th grade students will be visiting Linden Middle School in May to see what a typical day is like for a middle school student. Students along with their homeroom teacher will be walking to the middle school for this event after lunch. See below the dates for your student's homeroom teacher.

May 18th

Edwards

Mize

Sinn

May 19th

Elmer

Wolosiewicz

Perkins

SUBJECT: Important Changes to ParentVue and StudentVue Mobile Apps

On Monday, February 16th, Linden Community Schools will offer a new version of the ParentVue and StudentVue mobile apps. When you log into your existing app you will be presented with an invitation to download the new app.

The current ParentVue and StudentVue mobile apps are not supported for the 2026-2027 school year. Students and parents will have until July to complete the migration.

Click on the link below for the steps to set up your new app.

Mobile App Migration Instructions

We know that access to online registration, student attendance, grades, and teacher communications is important to all of our parents and students. We are starting this migration process now to minimize any disruption in access to this information for our parents and students. We trust that the new streamlined version of these apps will make it easier to stay up-to-date on all of this information.

If you require any assistance in migrating your app, please contact the Technical Support Help Line at (810) 591-0716.

Spring is always the time when we spend some time on the state standardized testing. M-Step this year will be given mid April to early May at Central Elementary.

M-Step testing will be as follows for Central Elementary. Please help your child prepare by getting plenty of rest and eating a healthy breakfast to get their brains ready to roll!

4th grade

April 28th - ELA day 1

April 29th - ELA day 2

May 5th - Math

5th grade

April 21st - Math

April 28th - ELA day 1

April 29th - ELA day 2

May 5th - Social Studies

May 6th - Science

Important info regarding Electronic Device Policy while taking M-Step

To help us prepare I wanted to share with you some info ahead of time pertaining to the Electronic Device Policy. If one of the below mentioned items is found to be on a student, in a pocket, etc. your child's test will need to be coded as invalid with the state of Michigan. According to the state of Michigan the following Electronic Devices will NOT be allowed:

**any electronic device that can be used to record, to transmit, or to receive information not used for testing

**computer tablets, iPads, e-readers (for example: kindle)

**smart watches (for examples: FitBits; Apple, Garmin, Samsung watches, any watch with access to other applications or the internet)

**smart phones and cell phones

**headphones with advanced technology, including voice command, texting, app connection, and connection to the internet

**smart glasses

I am sharing this info ahead of time as any of the above devices will not be allowed into the room during testing.

It is that time of the year to purchase yearbooks. Utilize the QR code or click here to access the order page.

We are finding that more and more items from home that are not necessary to the learning environment are making the trip here to Central. Please have conversations with your student that stuffed animals, toys, games, etc. need to stay at home.

Of course the only pass on this is if teachers have a scheduled reading day that students might be able to bring a blanket or stuffed animal. Otherwise, all "home" items must stay at home. If your student continues to be warned, we will place a phone call for you to pick up the item in the office.

Thank you for your support with this!

We love having visitors in the building! Of course we have special procedures that must be followed to ensure safety. Those include: a valid i-Chat on file and all visitors must sign into the office prior to moving throughout the building.

Each month we like to a recognize a staff member at Central that goes above and beyond.

This month staff nominated Rebecca Duguid, 4th grade teacher, at Central. She has shown dedication to providing the best education for ALL students. Although she is an accomplished veteran teacher, she is always willing to adapt and problem-solve as needed. She shows continual growth in building connections with students and her willingness to collaborate with colleagues when challenges arise shows her partnership. She works better to understand the factors that may be impacting a student's learning or behavior and seeks out support if needed. She maintains high expectations for her classroom and holds students to those standards because she is invested in their long-term success. Congrats on this much deserved award!

Students continue to work to follow our SOAR expectations each day. We have noticed some recent behaviors that the staff are working to address when it comes to physical safety. Some students are extra quick to use their hands (or other body parts ie: feet, etc) to solve problems that occur. Please know that while this is still an elementary, safety is of utmost importance for all students and staff. As the weather gets nicer students will be moving more throughout the building as well as possibly get an extra recess to enjoy some sunshine. Please make sure you are asking your students about the SOAR safety expectations.

Our SOAR expectations:
S – Stay Safe
O – Offer Kindness
A – Act Responsibly
R – Remember Respect

Help reinforce the expectations at home by asking:

• “How did you follow the SOAR expectations today?”

Access the school wide Behavior Expectations Matrix here.

When picking up your student from school early, please be prepared to show your ID. This is for safety and security of our students. Know that while we are working to build relationships with our families we don't always have the same people working in the office nor do we often see you each day. Thank you for being patient to ensure our Eagles are safe!

Please ensure the Health Alerts are up to date on ParentVue for your student. If a prescription is needed to be administered at school, you must have a physician’s authorization and meds in the original container. If you would like your student to have over the counter medications at school, you must have a parental authorization and the meds in the original container. Students cannot self-carry. Also, at no time should a student be transferring meds in their backpack to take to the office. Meds must transfer from adult to adult.

Some of our students have been diagnosed with Tree Nut/Peanut Allergies and have had severe reactions after contact. Please be cognizant of any allergy in your child’s classroom.

A few students are diabetic and have food restrictions. If planning for birthday treats please take the above info into consideration and plan for store bought pre-packaged items. Check with your child’s teacher for ideas.

New semester means new I-chat form is needed for the second half of the school year. Visitors are welcome in our building. In order to chaperone on trips, assist in classroom parties, help at field day, etc. You must have completed an I-Chat form to have a background check done prior to you helping. The application must be turned into the school at least 5 school days prior to the activity occurring. The form must be completed and is a non-negotiable for student safety. If you do not have one on file the day of the event, you will not be able to attend. As a parent myself, I hope that you understand the importance of the background check and will trust this process.

The best way to avoid hiccups and issues is to complete the form now! Please make sure you have a scheduled appointment time with your child’s teacher if coming in. Upon arrival, please sign in at the office.

Access the I-Chat form here. Complete the form and return to the office.

The students really enjoyed the sucker sale. Huge thank you to those parents that helped make it possible.

Next up is the Shamrock Shuffle! Be on the look out for a sign up genius which will be going out to the PALs email list first. If you would like to be added to the email list please send us an email using the email central.el.pals@gmail.com Be sure to have a new I-Chat on file for the second semester.

PALs meetings are on the calendar. We hope that you can join us each month. Meetings start at 9am right at Central Elementary.

March 6

April 10

May 1

Questions contact our Central Elementary PALs via email at central.el.pals@gmail.com

March 11 - Shamrock Shuffle

March 12 - Half Day of School - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 13 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

March 26 - Family Fun Night from 5-6:30pm

March 30 -April 3 - Spring Break

April 22 - 4th Grade Spring Concert at LHS

April 23 - 5th Grade Spring Concert at LHS

May 20 - SOAR day

May 21 - 5th grade field trip to Greenfield Village (Elmer and Wolosiewicz HOMEROOM)

May 25 - No School - Memorial Day

May 27 - 5th grade field trip to Greenfield Village (Edwards and Mize HOMEROOM)

May 28 - 5th grade field trip to Greenfield Village (Perkins and Sinn HOMEROOM)

May 29 - 4th Grade field trip to Mackinaw

June 2 - 5th Grade field trip to Splash Village

June 4 - 4th Grade field trip to Rollerhaven

June 5 - Last Day of School - Half Day for Students and Teachers