Mustang Round-Up

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Dear Howard Families,

With the weather warming up and things blossoming all around us, it finally feels like spring. Now that May is here, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some important events happening within our school community this month.

First and foremost, we will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week on May 5-9. This is a great opportunity for us to express our gratitude to the educators who support and nurture our students' growth and development. We love our teachers! I encourage you to join us in showing appreciation for their hard work and loving care.

Our Howard PTO is planning two May events this year: Bingo Night (May 9) and a Jog-a-thon Fundraiser (May 21). Keep your eye out for more information about these fun spring events. The PTO can always use more volunteers, so reach out to our PTO president Amber, or talk to the office, if you would like information about how you can help.

May is also the month when state testing takes place for students in grades 3 through 5. These assessments are an important tool for evaluating student progress and informing instruction. We work hard to make this a stress-free time for students, while also encouraging them to do their best. You can reach out to your child’s teacher directly if you have any questions about state testing.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in your child's education. I hope to see you at an upcoming May event!

Sincerely,

Ms. Pearson

Hello Howard Families,

I cannot believe that it’s already May. This year has gone by so fast. I have had such an amazing time getting to know your students! My favorite moments of the year have been greeting them in the mornings, seeing their excitement during assemblies, and seeing them play at recess. Every student brings something unique and wonderful to our Howard community.

I’m also really proud of the amazing things we’ve done over the course of the last few months. I’ve loved getting to know Howard traditions and what makes it such a special place. I’m looking forward to my other favorite week of the year when we celebrate teachers. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5th-9th. While our classified staff and admin will be spoiling them over the course of this week, one thing that would make it even more special is if your student can say or write something thoughtful or kind that week.

Here is a list of our teachers in case you’d like to help your students do something special for them:

Kindergarten: Ms. Abrams; Mrs. Francis; Ms. Taylor

1st Grade: Mr. Mendez; Ms. Aldaco

2nd Grade: Mrs. Horton; Mrs. Jackson

3rd Grade: Mrs. Lew; Mrs. Hammers

4th Grade: Mrs. Whitson; Ms. Hubbard

5th Grade: Mr. Smith; Mrs. Hawkins

Speech: Ms. Johnson; Ms. Hernandez

ELD: Mrs. Carroll; Ms. Gee-Clark

Special Education: Mr. Littlefield

Music: Mr. Friedman

PE: Coach P

TLF: Mrs. Pickett

SEA: Mrs. Warner

Nurse: Nurse Angela

Care Class: Ms. Rennick

Preschool: Ms. Jocelyn

Thank you for helping us to celebrate our wonderful teachers as well as for welcoming me into the Howard Family this year. Our community is the best!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, restful, and amazing summer break. I can’t wait to see you all again in the fall!

~Mrs. Elrod

May 5th - 9th - Certified Appreciation Week

Wednesday, May 7th - Walk N Roll to school. Meet at Joy Church between 7:00-7:15.

Wednesday, May 7th - Coffee with the principals starting at 7:40 a.m.

Wednesday, May 7th - School Assembly in the Gym at 8:15 a.m

Book Fair May 7th -May 9th

Friday, May 9th - PTO Family Bingo Night, 4:30-6:00

Monday, May 12th - Monthly PTO Meeting in the Media Center at 2:45 p.m.

Wednesday, May 14th - Online Enrollment Support 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Friday, May 16th - 5th grade Track Meet at Spiegelberg Stadium

Wednesday, May 21st - Jog-a-thon

Monday, May 26th - No School, Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 27th - High School Grad Walk

Tuesday, June 3rd - Field Day

Wednesday, June 4th - Last school assembly; Kinder Promotion

Thursday, June 5th - Last day of school; Early release 10:50am; 5th Grade Clap Out

It is spring testing season for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Testing will run daily from 8:30am until 9:30am for the next three weeks.

The purpose of this assessment is to:

• Measure how well your child has mastered the skills and content in mathematics and English language arts at his or her grade level

• Align with the instruction that takes place in the classroom everyday

• Match the learning goals of each grade level

• Assess critical thinking, analytical writing, and problem solving skills, which are needed for success in college and a 21st century career.

You play an important part in helping your child give his or her best performance on this important test. Even though this assessment is only a snapshot—one single perspective – we want our students to have every advantage to do their very best. Please keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Unless your child is ill, make sure he or she is at school ON TIME.

• Make sure your child goes to bed on time and is well-rested.

• Plan ahead to avoid conflicts on the morning of the test.

• Get up a few minutes early to avoid rushing and make sure your child arrives at

school on time. Students who arrive late will miss that morning’s testing session and will have to wait in the library until the classroom is available again at 9:30.

• Have your child eat a nutritious breakfast. There is a strong correlation between

eating breakfast and memory and cognitive functioning.

• Have your child dress comfortably.

• Consider leaving “smart” devices (including watches) at home. During testing, devices will be turned off and stored in backpacks.

• Be positive and confident in the fact that you know your child will do their best.

If you have any questions, please contact your child's classroom teacher. Thank you for your continued support.

5th grader Liam Mendez represented Howard Elementary at the Medford Rogue Rotary Club's April luncheon. Liam is pictured above with his teacher, Mr. Smith, and Ms. Pearson.

Liam was nominated by Mr. Smith. "Liam is a quiet, effective role model for his class. He always does what is asked with no complaints. He has a student job helping with 1st grade and is a school leader through Safety Patrol. He consistently scores in the upper tiers of the class on his assignments and tests. He is active with his church and loves his family!"

Each year, the Medford Rogue Rotary Club continues the tradition of recognizing students who have demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following categories:

1) Academic Skills

2) Leadership Skills

3) Service Above Self

PTO Meetings: Our PTO meetings are held on the 2nd Monday monthly. We will now be rotating between 5:15pm and 2:45pm meeting times. Our next meeting will be Monday May 12th at 5:15pm!

Upcoming Events:

- POPCORN IS BACK!!!! Our last after school popcorn will be on Friday May 16th.

- Bingo Night: The PTO will be hosting a Bingo Night on May 9th 4:30-6pm! Come join the fun and win cool prizes.

- Jog-A-Thon: We will host a Jog-A-Thon on Wednesday May 21st! More information to come.

Yearbook Sales: If you haven’t purchased your yearbook yet, now is the time! Scan the QR Code on the posters at school OR visit the link below and enter our school’s information: Howard Elementary School

Yearbook link: JOSTENS.COM/BUYYEARBK

We Need You! We are always looking for new members to join our team. If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out to the PTO Board via email at: MSDHowardPTO@gmail.com or by cell: Amber Fletcher (President) 541-973-8608 or Kaylee Fugate (Vice President) 541-621-3498.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: Follow up on Facebook to stay connected to upcoming events and fundraising.

Each year, this system is used to verify your child’s existing enrollment information.

You will need a ParentVUE account to do this.

If you do not have your ParentVUE account login information, you can select 'Forgot Password.'

If you have not activated your ParentVUE account for your current MSD student, you will need an activation key. Contact your student's school for this activation key or check your email for an email from ParentVUE.

Click HERE for the Medford School District website on registration information.

Howard staff will be here to help from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

https://www.medford.k12.or.us/learning-opportunities/summer-programs-2025

Phone: 541-842-3760

Email: howard@medford.k12.or.us

Location: 286 Mace Road, Medford, OR, 97501

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howardmustangs549c/

Website: https://howard.medford.k12.or.us/