Vowles Newsletter

Nov. 13th- Report Cards Sent Home (paper copy and final forms email); Coins for a Cause Ends

Nov. 16-20th- November Perfect Attendance Incentive

Nov. 16th- Fine Arts Family Engagement Night- 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Nov. 18th- Chipotle PTO Fundraiser 5:00-9:00 pm

Nov. 23rd and 24th- GSRP Preschool Parent Teacher Conferences

Nov. 25-27th- No School- Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 30th- Jonathan Rand Author Visit- MPHS 6:00; FREE for all ages (see flyer below)

Dec. 1-2nd- Dental Bus is at Vowles (see flyer below)

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools District Calendar 2026-2027

Preschool Calendar

We are thrilled to share that our fall Parent-Teacher Conferences were a huge success, reaching 99% attendance across in-person and phone conferences—thank you for your incredible partnership in your child’s education.

As we move through the month, our Coins for a Cause fundraiser is still underway in honor of Homeless Awareness Month, so please continue sending in loose change to support this worthy cause.

Finally, a reminder that Trimester 1 is wrapping up on Friday, November 13th. Please ensure your child stays strong with daily attendance over these next two weeks, as our teachers will be conducting end-of-trimester assessments and finishing up key learning units for marking report cards. Thank you for your continued support! Please see the additional paragraph below regarding our CKH Parent Survey.

CKH launch for this week..."Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success."

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely, Mrs. Bishop

Your feedback matters!
As part of our Capturing Kids’ Hearts journey, we want to hear from our families about how our school culture feels to you and your child. Your input helps us celebrate what’s working well and identify ways to continue growing together.

Please take a few minutes to complete the CKH Family Survey linked below.
We truly appreciate your time and thoughtful feedback—it makes a difference!

Survey Link: https://app.ckh.org/public-survey/ooe78frh
Have additional thoughts or suggestions? You can also share them here:

MPPS Family Perception

November is Homelessness Awareness Month and here at Vowles we want to help bring awareness of homelessness and housing insecurity in our communities. That’s why we’re partnering with United Way to raise money for Isabella County Restoration House through a coin war challenge called Coins for a Cause!

United Way is committed to matching all funds raised (up to $5,000) so now’s your chance to double your donation! Students can bring in their spare change during November 2nd-13th. The classroom that raises the most money will win a special treat from United Way!

Ready to start the school year in style? Order your official back-to-school gear today! From hoodies and tees to accessories, we've got you covered.

Get yours here: mtpleasantschools.itemorder.com

The monthly CKH theme for November is Teamwork. Teamwork is working together in unity towards a common goal.

Have a staff member you would like to recognize? Share it here and we will be sure to recognize them with your Shout Out.
https://forms.gle/pEtaFSpVin7jc14g8

Please view our K-5 Student Handbook at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rzJ6n5U36XUXvLTf8e8Os2vLIgR1QGFV-9pGmkoBoEI/edit?usp=sharing

Through teaching and reflection , students are learning aspects of our school Matrix "BEST". BEST stands for Be Respectful, show Effort, Safety first, and Take responsibility. We watch videos, listen to examples of model behavior, and use Capturing Kids Hearts to support our BEST matrix.

Our school provides positive recognition in the following ways throughout the year:

• Sharing "Good" Things daily
• Affirmation opportunities
• Viking of the Month Awards
• Capturing Kids Hearts Awards
• BEST tags
• Vending Machine coins for book selections

Along with reinforcing positive behaviors, we are responding to academic and behavior supports for our students in the following ways:

• DI groups (Differentiated Intervention groups)- these start during the first month of school and include meeting academic needs for all students. Groups may be supported by classroom teachers, Title I Interventionists or paraprofessionals.
• School-wide classroom socio-emotional and counseling lessons
• Initial supports from the classroom setting utilizing Capturing Kids Hearts, reflection, redirection, and relationship-building. Universal supports, including breaks, are built into the school day or built into a specific student plan.
• Blue Slip Discipline Referrals: Given to a student if a student has been unresponsive to classroom interventions, is significantly disrupting the learning environment, or requires immediate escalation. Blue Slips always result in communication with a parent or guardian by the behavior interventionist, administrator, or designee.

Through our PBIS and student support framework, supports can usually meet the needs of 80% of our student population. If additional supports are needed to ensure success, teachers or administrators would communicate with the child's family.

We will have an opportunity for parents to sign up for our Nutrition Club. Every other week, students can receive a bag of non-perishable food items for the family. Look for our sign up soon!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/4j79nDCCtsGsB91a8

• PEAK (after school): https://www.mt-pleasant.org/departments/peak/after_school.php

• SACC (before school)- School Aged Child Care (Before School Program)- 775-2340

If you have moved or are a NEW rider for the 2026-2027 school year, please sign up for transportation by the end of the day on Aug. 9th using the link below.
https://www.mtpleasantschools.net/page/transportation

We use a software program with our transportation dept. Students will be scanning when arriving and departing from the bus. Parents will also be able to track the bus location using a new app. New and exciting things at MPPS! You will receive this information at Open House.

We would like our families to remember the following about Arrival and Dismissal as we know that parents have other school drop offs or places to be in the morning and we are encouraging safe procedures for students as well:

• Please use the circle drive only if your child is ready to go. Children should be able to get out on their own. It is meant to be a quick drop and release.
• Parents should stay in their vehicle if the circle drive is utilized.
• If kids still have things to gather, a parking spot should be utilized.
• For their safety, students should exit their vehicle on the south side (closest to the sidewalk and fence)
• If you are walking students up to the school or picking them up from the teacher at dismissal, for everyone's safety, please use the Crosswalk and do not cross in-between traffic.

Thank you for your support in making Arrival and Dismissal a smoother transition.

Cyberbullying: When we hear the word "Cyberbullying" we tend to think of the worst case scenario. A lot of people may hear cyberbullying and think "oh that doesn't happen around here". Unfortunately, cyerbullying is seen everyday, happening to lots of people, including people in our schools. Studies show that 30% of teens report being cyberbullied at some time in their life. Cyberbullying can lead to several issues including poor self-esteem, emotional/psychological problems, and even self-harm. Cyberbullying can be something as simple as teasing a friend on social media, or including them in a video you found funny, but was actually hurtful. A good rule of thumb is to think "If someone posted this about my brother/sister/parent/me, would I find this to be as funny?". If you answer no to any of those, it would be safer to not post it. Not only can it be hurtful, it can also be criminal. Michigan passed the cyberbullying law in 2018, making it a crime.

All our JrK-2nd grade classrooms as well as our Preschool Program will be using the Remind App for their classroom communications. This is a great way for them to communicate reminders, easy building or district information, and pictures of learning. Please view your teacher's classroom code in their most recent newsletter, welcome letter, or flyer that may have been sent home.

Each Friday we will sell Popcorn for $.50/bag. Students can bring their coins or dollar bills in sandwich baggies or put in the back of their agenda in the clear pocket or a safe zipper. Teachers will collect popcorn in the morning and place the order.