As we enter the month of November, it is always a good time to reflect and be thankful. I would like to share our "Kindness Calendar" with all of you. On Friday, we sent home a kindness calendar for the month of November. Spend time talking together about each day on the calendar and why it is important. Talk about the word "thankful" and what it means.

Practicing gratitude is a great way for your child to develop skills that will help them later in life. Children that are grateful tend to be happier and more optimistic at age 11-13. After 13, research shows that children that are grateful are more satisfied with their lives, use their strengths to improve their communities, are more engaged in their schoolwork and hobbies, and have better grades. They’ve also been shown to be less envious, depressed, and materialistic than their less grateful counterparts.

We hope the family connection this month allows you to have some great conversations with your child about kindness and gratitude for others.

During this month of gratitude, I encourage you and your child to share a positive affirmation with the staff at Winn! Has someone done something that made a difference in your child's life? Did your child come home and tell you something special that you want to share? Take a minute to fill out this quick form, so that person will be recognized! https://forms.gle/MANT2mtzfBqBKejZ6

We are beginning to see lots of cold and flu cases in our area. We have a great opportunity for your family to get your new flu shot! Save the date if you are interested in this flu clinic at Shepherd High School.

Shepherd Public Schools has been very busy in the auditorium! We want to invite you all to see the MS musical, Charleston! (next week) and the HS play, And Then There Was One: A Spoof (the week after). Please see the attached filers for show information. We hope to see you there!

• If your child is sick, don't forget to call in to school so we can excuse them. This will get your child "excused," for the day.
• You are also welcome to use one of our "blue notes" to write why your child was not at school that day and send it school. This will get your child "excused."
• If you go to the doctors, get an excuse note from them and we can make the day a "no charge" day.
• If you don't call, write a note, or give us a doctor's note, your child will be marked "unexcused," for the day.

What happens if my child misses a lot of school?

We are required to notify you when your child has a certain number of absences. We notify you at 6, 10, 15 and 18 days absent. At 18, you will be referred for "truancy." This means that our truancy officer will reach out to you to discuss truancy. What we do know is the more days students are absent the chances increase for them having academic and behavior problems in school. I often tell kids I am "team school!" We want them here so they can learn and grow as good humans!

When should I send my child to school if they are sick?

If your child is a "little" sick it is okay to send them to school. This means a sore throat, little cough, running nose, etc. We want your child to stay home if they have a fever, are throwing up, or having diarrhea. Remember if your child is home for those reasons, they have to be free of those things for 24 hours before returning to school.

This past month, our school-wide theme was "skills for learning": listening, focusing attention, using self-talk to stay on-task, and being assertive when asking for help with learning a task. In our morning announcements and in our classrooms, we have been reminding students of these skills, which help students be successful learners.

If you are able to focus your attention and listen, you have the ability to learn easier. Try this fun activity out at home:

Ask your child: How do focusing your attention and listening help you be a better learner at school? Take a second to practice. Sit quietly in a room. For five minutes stay silent and really listen to everything you hear. As soon as the five minutes is up, take a piece of paper and write it all done. Talk together about what made this easy. What strategies did you use to remember as much as you could?

Second Step lessons teach skills for learning. You’ll be receiving Home Links from your teacher and in our newsletter describing why these skills are important and including fun activities to do with your child to practice them. We hope you enjoy them!

Next time you visit the building, don't forget to check out our time line bulletin boards, "Watch us Grow!" Throughout the year, we take lots of pictures of the kids. We love to post them so the kids and reflect on their whole year. Here is a little sample of pictures from this week!

• 11/5 No School for students (teacher professional development day)
• 11/6 Winn Parent's Club meeting 5:30pm
• 11/15 No School - Deer Day
• 11/27-29 Thanksgiving Break -No School
• 12/4 Winn Parent's Club meeting 5:30
• 12/20 Annual Make & Take Event at Winn Elementary (am) Holiday parties (pm)
• 12/23-1/3 Winter Break

Thank you for sharing your child with our family here at Winn. Our motto at Winn is "Everything a Kid Needs." We focus on both academic excellence and creating good humans! I am here to serve you. If you have questions/concerns or need help in any way, please feel free to reach out to me.

Email: lrichards@shepherdschools.net
Location: 380 West Blanchard Road, Shepherd, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 866-2250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winnelementary