Hello Wixom Families,

I am looking forward to another great week! This is such a busy time of the year. In addition to wrapping up grade level curriculum work in these final weeks, 3rd -5th grade students have completed MStep and all grade levels are completing the final iReady Diagnostic. I know students and staff are excited about the upcoming end of the year festivities, especially Field Day!

Last week I highlighted the idea of Phone-Free Schools a step school could take to support students (and families). This week I’d like to focus on a few things that parents can do from the home front. (Chapter 12)

1. Parents/caregivers should learn how to use parental controls and content filters. This takes time in a little bit of research on our part as parents, but limiting assess and the safety pay off would be well worth it.

2. Focus on maximizing in person activities as opposed to screen time. Haidt describes social deprivation and sleep deprivation as two of the main harms done by most screen time activities.

3. Provide clear structure for usage (designate times when and where they can use their device)

4. Look for signs of problematic use (or addiction).

Your child's smart phone/device (social media) use might be causing problems if:

• It interferes with their daily routines. For example, they become argumentative when asked to put down the device to do something different (get ready for school, come to the dinner table etc) I experienced this one with one of my children! She would become very argumentative and, sometimes, combative when told to help away the device. She would become visibly panicked/anxious if I took her device away for any reason.
• They are deceptive about usage (hiding it from you or sneaking to have access to the device) I would is suggest a "parking spot" or specific location for devices to be placed. This can be VERY helpful as you monitor usage. Consider consequences if the device is taking from that spot during undesignated times. If children have constant access to their device, it is highly likely they will be engaging with it (behind closed doors, under a blanket, etc)
• It prevents them from getting at least eight hours of quality sleep each night. I would simply say...NO DEVICES in the bedroom at bedtime!
• It prevents them from engaging in regular physical activity (playing outside, bike riding, etc). If you child prefers to stay inside on a warm, sunny day, engaging with device, it's time to make some changes in their access to the device.

Haidt states that if your child shows one or more these signs, you will want to talk with them and take action!

There are many recommendation in Chapter 12 but the final one I want to share is related to Social Media account: Delay the opening of social media accounts until 16. This doesn't mean your child might not see content from TikTok or Instagram but there is a difference between viewing TikTok videos and opening an account on TikTok. Once an account is opened, it is always accessible on their device and as they engage with the app, algorithms are being formed and targeting your child with potentially age-inappropriate content.

As they say, there is strength in numbers! If you are interested in digging deeper into The Anxious Generation, gather some friends/neighbors and start your own conservations! There are many online re to support parents. (See the link below).

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, including the many women who provide the love and care of a mother to all the children in their world.

Sincerely,

Kristin Froning

As planned, our students participated in an ALICE safety drill on Friday. We did NOT simulate gunfire or other violent situations with our students and great care was taken to ensure our language and content was age appropriate. The top teaching point for students is that they should listen to their teacher/adult directions, especially during an emergency.

We recognize that school safety is an emotional topic and careful consideration has been taken throughout this process. You may want to talk to your child about what they learned during the drill. To aid you in these conversations at home, we have resources listed below.

Moving forward, we will continue to keep you informed. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher. We welcome your input and are grateful for your partnership.

Helpful Links:

Talking to Children about Violence - Tips for Parents and Teachers

Is My School Safe: How to Ease Your Child’s Anxiety

Talking to your Child about Safety - K-2

Talking to your Child about Safety - 3-5

• Spring Flower Fundraiser Pick-Up

Tuesday, May 20

• 1/2 Day for Students: Dismissal @ 12:35 pm

Friday, May 23

• Wixom Field Day 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
• WLW Senior Clap Out 2:00 pm
• No Afternoon Prime Time Care

Monday, May 26

• No School: Observance of Memorial Day

Friday, May 30

• PTA Popcorn Day

Wednesday, June 11

• Last Day of School: Dismissal 12:35 pm

On Friday, May 2nd we held an all school assembly to officially welcome Wix, our therapy dog! Students and staff learned a bit about the history of therapy dogs and their role in supporting the emotional needs of people. Did you know...

• Petting a therapy dog releases oxytocin, serotonin, and prolactin in the brain, which can elevate mood.
• Spending time with a therapy dog increases endorphins, which can help people feel more positive.
• Therapy dogs can help reduce stress and anxiety levels.

Our sweet Wix is just over one year old and weighs about 80 pounds. Wix's birthday is January 22. He has gone through nine months of training to prepare for his work in our school. We so excited for Wix to spend time in classrooms and other learning spaces at Wixom.

We are so grateful to the many sponsors who made it possible for Wix to join our school family!

• The Whitley Family with SPURT Industries
• The Hulet Family with Milliduke Travel
• Jenna Bartow with Keller Williams Showcase Realty
• Fluffy's Dog Grooming in Wixom
• Roadside Vet Clinic in Highland
• Kaydence, Corey, and the King Family
• Wixom's PTA members
• Walled Lake Consolidated School Board Members
• Trainers at Ugly Dog Daycare and Training
• Monica House with the Therapy Dog Program
• Mrs. Russel and her Kindness Initiative

Be sure to follow Wix on Facebook: Therapy Dog Wix

We are getting excited to share what we have been learning and playing in music class this year! We will be rotating which grades are performing in person, and which ones will share a “virtual” video concert with you.

If you have a student in Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st grade, or 3rd grade, we will be sharing some videos of our best songs from the school year! You will get to see students dance, sing, and play instruments together. Keep a look out for future communications about when we will send out these “virtual” performances.

If you have a student in 5th grade, they will be sharing some musical selections for you in person at their End-of-Year Celebration. Keep reading the Howler for the latest information about this special event!

If you have a student in 2nd or 4th grade, you are invited into our music room for a relaxed performance to share what we’ve been up to this year. The performances will last about 20-25 minutes and will be during your child’s regular music time. The times for each class are listed below.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Fox at shellyfox@wlcsd.org

Monday, May 19th - 4th Grade

• 9:20am Ms. Chalmers
• 9:50am Ms. Foster
• 10:20am Ms. Marchese

Wednesday, May 21st - 2nd Grade

• 9:45am Ms. Sadoway
• 10:15am Ms. Scheck
• 10:45am Ms. Mifsud

The following Wixom Artist will have work on display at WLCSD Annual K -12 Spring Art Show at the Commerce Township Library, opening on Wednesday May 14th. Congratulations to our amazing artist!

Junior Kindergarten

Abigail L.

Kindergarten

Avery N.

1st Grade

Andrey H.

2nd Grade

Elliott W.

Hadley K.

Jackson M.

3rd Grade

Elayia M.

Janice W.

4th Grade

Michael S.

Shanaya P.

5th Grade

Macy W.

Friday, May 23rd

9:30 - 12:00pm

*Rain date: Friday, May 30th

Our PTA will be providing a hot dog lunch for all students!

We will also celebrate reading the March is Reading Month goal as each student will enjoy a Kona Ice treat too!

The Wixom PTA Google Calendar can be found here: https://shorturl.at/QyTie

You can also add them all to your own Google Calendar with one click!

Upcoming PTA Sponsored Events:

May 14: Spring Flower Fundraiser Pick-Up (Please note this is a Wednesday)

May 30: Popcorn Day

Any flowers that were sold during the Spring Flower Fundraiser must be picked up on

Wednesday, May 14th.

You can pick them up from the school parking lot between the hours of

12PM-3PM or 5PM-7PM.

We will not do flower pick up during student dismissal.

We will need help unloading the flower truck and helping pass out orders. Please use this sign up genius to sign up to help, if you are able!

Visit Mexican Fiesta at 2051 N Wixom Rd between 11am and 9pm on May 29th. Tell the wait staff you are with Wixom Elementary and a portion of the sales will go to our school.

Love LEGO? Into robots? Join Wixom’s Lego Robotics Team!

We’re putting together a FIRST LEGO League team for next school year—and we want YOU to be a part of it! If you like building with LEGO, solving cool challenges, and working with a team, this is your chance to dive into robotics, coding, and real-world problem solving (and have a lot of fun doing it).

No experience? No problem! We’re just looking for curious, creative students who are excited to learn.

We’re also looking for parent volunteers to help coach, mentor, or support the team. Whether you can help weekly or just occasionally, we’d love to have you involved!

Interested? Fill out this quick form to let us know!

REMINDER: Possession of look-alike weapons, including toy guns, dart guns, and BB guns, is strictly prohibited on all school grounds and properties. This applies not only during school hours but also after school hours and on weekends. As the weather warms and families may be accessing playgrounds, these items are not permitted. For the safety of our school community, we want everyone to be aware that these devices are not allowed at any time on school property.

Looking for an easy way to support our school? Shop for groceries at Kroger and they will contribute money to our PTA. It’s easy to sign up in the Kroger App:

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner

2. Choose “Rewards”

3. Choose “Community Rewards”

4. Search for “Wixom Elementary PTA” and enroll

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

Principal: Mrs. Kristin Froning (kristinfroning@wlcsd.org)

Principal Secretary: Mrs. Michele Abele (MicheleAbele@wlcsd.org)

Building Secretary: Mrs. Tamara Baker (TamaraBaker@wlcsd.org)

Office: 248-956-3400

FAX: 248-956-3405

Absence Line: 248-956-3490

Late Bus Hotline: 248-956-5199 - All late buses will be listed on the hotline if the driver is running TEN OR MORE minutes late.

Address:

301 North Wixom Road
Wixom, MI 48393