Parent Paws News #10

We love celebrating our Bulldogs and making their birthdays special!

At Mote, students celebrating their birthdays are recognized during our morning announcements and receive a special birthday pencil to help celebrate their day!

To ensure the safety and well-being of all students, especially those with food allergies, we ask that families do not send in cupcakes, candy, or other food treats for birthday celebrations.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to celebrate our students while maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

💙💛 Thank you for helping us keep all of our Bulldogs safe!

Our Spirit Wear Store is Open!

Show your school spirit all year long! Our Mote Spirit Wear Store will be open all year, so staff and families can shop for school gear whenever they’d like.

✨ New deals are offered each week!
📦 All items are mailed directly to your home for your convenience.

Link to the Store: https://mote.spiritweardirect.com/

Be sure to check the store often so you don’t miss out on the latest deals and spirit wear! 💙 Thank you for your continued support!

Families, regular attendance is critical to your student’s success. Every day at school provides valuable opportunities for learning, growth, and connection.

Whenever possible, we ask that families schedule appointments outside of the school day to minimize missed instructional time. If an appointment must take place during school hours, please make every effort to have your child attend school before or after the appointment.

Every minute matters. Every day counts. Thank you for partnering with us to help our Bulldogs succeed!

Students receive a buck on PBIS rewards when they are present and on time for school

At Mote, we know that EVERY day matters. Every day your child is here is another opportunity to learn something new, build relationships, grow in confidence, and be part of our Bulldog community.

Show up.

Be on time.

Be ready to learn.

Make every day count!

If you plan to volunteer at Mote (chaperone a field trip, field day, etc.) you must complete the State of Delaware process to become an approved volunteer.

New This Year!

If you have completed a Delaware Child Protection Registry (CPR) clearance through another agency with the past year, we can now accept those results. You will not need to complete a new CPR registration as long as your clearance is current within the calendar year.

There are three documents you need to turn in:

1. Confidentiality Agreement

2. TB Risk Assessment

3. RECEIPT for the $14 online fee for the Child Protection Registry OR Results from another agency.

These can be turned in to the office now and once school begins, to the homeroom teacher.

Documents must be received in the office BEFORE the date of the volunteer opportunity/field trip. We cannot accept paperwork the day of, without the confirmation of clearance from the District Office.

Volunteer approval is good for ONE calendar year. So, if you completed this last October, you are cleared through October 2026. Then you must resubmit the three documents. If you are unsure when you expire, you can call the main office at 302-235-6600.

Some parents have expressed trouble with the Child Protection Registry site. We do not have tech support for this. We have learned that it is best to do this on a computer versus a phone. That seems to be more successful. We also have directions to use for assistance (see below).

Some clubs such as Science Olympiad who supervise students without a Red Clay staff member present, you must also complete a Criminal Background Check (fingerprinting). Please contact the school office for direction on additional requirements.

💙 1. Family Engagement

We want our families to be active participants in our school community! Throughout the year, there will be several PTA meetings, school events, and family activities that provide opportunities for you to connect with our staff, students, and other Mote families.

We are especially excited to host a Multicultural Festival in May! Our goal is to celebrate the many cultures and backgrounds that make our Mote community so special. Families will have opportunities to share pieces of their heritage and culture through music, dance, traditional foods and recipes, clothing, art, and more.

We want to celebrate ALL of our students and families!

⏰ 2. Attendance

Every day and every minute matter! Students will receive a Bulldog Buck each day they are at school and on time.

We ask families to help us maximize instructional time by making daily, on-time attendance a priority and limiting early dismissals whenever possible.

Dolores Smith, our attendance lead, will work directly with families when additional attendance support is needed. Our goal is to partner with families to remove barriers and help every student be present, on time, and ready to learn.

➕ 3. Increasing Math Proficiency

Improving student achievement in mathematics is a major academic focus for Mote this year.

As one part of this work, our morning academic routines will include a stronger focus on math practice and skill development. Across grade levels, we will continue examining student data, strengthening instruction, and providing targeted support to help students grow.

Our goal is clear: increase math proficiency across our school and ensure every student continues to make academic progress.

📚 4. Building Strong Readers Through Phonics

Our Kindergarten–2nd grade students are piloting a flexible delivery model for phonics and MTSS instruction. This approach allows us to use student data to provide targeted instruction based on students' current skill levels and needs.

By identifying and addressing early literacy gaps, our goal is to build strong foundational reading skills and help our students become successful, confident readers who are prepared to read on grade level by 3rd grade.

🚧 5. Mote Is Under Construction!

There are some exciting changes happening to our building! Mote is undergoing major renovations throughout this school year, which means several classrooms may temporarily relocate as spaces are completely renovated.

Our improvements include:

• A new roof

• New classroom doors

• Updated bathrooms

• New HVAC systems

• New windows

• Renovations to classrooms and other areas throughout the building

Our roof project will be completed soon, and additional work will continue throughout the year.

We recognize that construction can bring temporary changes and adjustments. Administration will continue to communicate information with families as we receive updates regarding timelines, classroom moves, and other changes that may impact our students.

🐾 Moving Forward Together

We are excited about the work ahead and grateful to have our families as partners. Everything we are focusing on—from attendance and academics to family engagement and improvements to our building—is centered around creating the best possible learning environment for our Bulldogs.

Forward Together: One Team. One Mission. Every Student. Every Day. 💙💛🐾

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