Dear Larson Elementary Families,

As we wrap up the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment to share how thankful we are for your support. November has been a wonderful month at school, and we are so proud of all the hard work our students and staff have accomplished.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Parent-Teacher Conferences earlier this month! It was great to see so many of you connecting with our teachers to celebrate your child’s growth and discuss goals. If you didn’t have enough time or need to follow up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. They’d love to hear from you!

We also had a fantastic turnout for our Scholastic Book Fair! It’s always exciting to see students finding books they can’t wait to dive into. Thank you for helping make this event such a success—it’s a great way to build excitement for reading at home and school.

As we head into December, we’re preparing for mid-year testing. Your child will be taking the NWEA reading and math assessments in the coming weeks (or even after we return from winter break). These tests help us track progress and identify areas for growth, so please encourage your child to do their best. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast can go a long way in helping them feel ready!

With winter break just around the corner, the school days will be buzzing with learning and excitement. Thank you for all you do to partner with us in your child’s education.

Educationally,

Andrea J. Andera, Ed.S

Principal

Here are some things on the horizon at Larson Elementary:

• December 5th - Beyond the Books is hosting Cookies with Santa at 6pm at Larson
• December 10th - Student Parent Focus Group (see below)
• Last day before winter break is December 20!
• School resumes January 6th, 2025
• January 22: 4th and 5th Grades are heading to CMU for Hoops for Hunger

Who: Larson Elementary Parents and Students

What: Student and Parent Focus Group

Where: Larson Elementary Cafeteria

When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024. 5:00-6:00

Why:

The Student and Parent Focus Group is open to all Larson students and parents to help us make the school even better by going over our school improvement goals. We hope you can join us! We will serve light snacks, and have a conversation about how we can make Larson the best it can be!

We really want student and parent input! During this first meeting, we will talk about the Home-School Compact and the dates and topics for future Student and Parent Focus Group meetings. These meetings are one way we are involving students and families in School Improvement!

Please RSVP using the link below, or by calling the office at 539-3259, to let us know if you can attend, so that we can get an accurate count for food.

We are thrilled to announce that our 4th and 5th graders will have the opportunity to attend the CMU Women’s Basketball game on January 22! This annual tradition has been a highlight for Harrison students, and we are proud to say that this year marks our 12th year participating. It’s always an exciting day for our students to cheer on the team and experience the energy of a college game!

While this trip is only for 4th and 5th graders, everyone in our school community can join in supporting the event by participating in the food drive. We are collecting canned goods to help those in need right here in our local community. Donations can be sent to school with your student, and we’ll make sure they’re delivered to local food pantries.

The food drive ends on December 12th! Please send in those goods if you are able!

Thank you for helping us continue this wonderful tradition of giving back while celebrating our students’ chance to connect with such a great experience. Go Chips!

Our Larson library runs on volunteer support! We need folks to help kids check out books, and reshelve our books. We use an online scanning system so it's pretty easy! We would need a background check on file! The library is open daily, so we will take all of the help we can get! Call or stop in if you are interested. We are so thankful for our amazing volunteers!

SCHOOL STARTS AT 8:00am

Arrival - doors open at 7:30. There is no supervision for students before 7:30; please stay with your children. DO NOT let children out in the middle of the driveway to cut in front of traffic. Pull over to the curb when children are exiting. Safety is a priority for all.

When arriving in the traffic loop in front of the building, please pull up as far as you can (up to the flag pole) so we can accommodate as many cars as possible in the loop.

Dismissal begins at 3:05. Please line up in the traffic line. Avoid Spruce Street and line up down Hornet Drive. Having trouble with SDM? Give us a call, we are happy to help. Our dismissal procedure safely dismisses approximately 600 students in a 15 minute window of time! Thank you for your cooperation and kindness as we continue to strengthen procedures.

Building opens at 7:30 for latchkey.

Phone Number: 989-539-3259

Principal: Andrea Andera

Assistant Principal: Sandy Hargraves

School Secretaries: Tina Holley & Carol Mason