Larson Elementary School

Here are some things on the horizon at Larson Elementary:

• February 23-27: Scholastic Book Fair at Larson
• February 26: Family Reading Night / Book Fair is open 5-6pm
• March 4 & 5: Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• March 11: 1/2 Day for Students (Teacher Inservice)
• March 30 - April 3: SPRING BREAK

Dear Larson Elementary Families,

January and February have flown by, and we can’t believe March is right around the corner! March is traditionally Reading Month, and we are excited to celebrate in a fun and engaging way at Larson.

This year, many of our activities focus around cooking because at Larson we believe that recipes are reading! Students will bring home a special Reading Month calendar filled with activities and dress-up days for the entire month. We are especially thankful to Jiffy for generously donating a cookbook for every student. Each child will receive their very own cookbook to take home on March 2nd!

We hope your family will join us as we kick off the celebration at our Reading Night on February 26 from 5:00–6:30 PM at Larson. The Book Fair will be open for shopping, we will have a make-and-take snack in the cafeteria (while supplies last), a Story Walk, read-alouds, and even a few surprises still to come!

We can’t wait to celebrate reading — and cooking — together!

Also, take note that Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are March 4th and 5th. Some classroom teachers are scheduling times with families, but otherwise these are "drop-in" style. Please keep an eye on the communication from teachers for conferences between 4-7pm on March 4th and 5th.

Andrea J. Andera, Ed.S

Principal

The following students were nominated in their classrooms for demonstrating characteristics of our Harrison Community Schools Guiding Beliefs of Honesty, Openness, Respect, Neighborliness, Excellence, Trust, and Stewardship.

First Grade: Dottie Anderson, Takara Vernon, Raelynn Shipman, Brynlee Marriott, Lacy Ingram

Second Grade: Ryan Ridge, Chase Merzke, Dani Smith, Kendall Williams, Lynley Plough

Third Grade: Cosette Lewis, Finley Marshall, Isabella Larive, Ella Waller, Talon Henry

Fourth Grade: Wyatt Cripps, Jaxon Wright, Jack Graham, Coltan Loafman

Fifth Grade: Cole Wentworth, Ariel Carlton, Eli Young Khloe McCann

We are excited to introduce our outstanding third grade teaching team!

Mrs. Standen, Mrs. Poortvliet, Mrs. Seefeld, Mr. Powell, and Mrs. Lipovsky work collaboratively to create engaging, supportive classrooms where students grow academically and socially. Mrs. Poortvliet is new to HCS this year, but she brings more than five years of teaching experience from another district. We are thrilled to welcome her expertise and fresh perspective to our school community.

Mrs. Standen is part of our multi-age program and team-teaches alongside a fourth grade teacher, providing students with unique opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and differentiated learning across grade levels.

In addition, Mr. Powell and Mrs. Lipovsky departmentalize to maximize their strengths and expertise. Mrs. Lipovsky teaches English Language Arts, while Mr. Powell leads math and science instruction, ensuring students receive focused, high-quality instruction in each content area.

We are also thrilled to welcome student teacher MaryEllen Hathaway to the team! Miss Hathaway is a proud HCS alum and is completing her student teaching experience in Mrs. Lipovsky’s classroom. We are excited for our students to learn from her and for her to return to the district that helped shape her educational journey.

We are grateful for this dedicated team and the positive impact they make each day in third grade!

As part of our Bridges in Mathematics curriculum, students take part in Number Corner each day. This short routine helps students build strong number sense and math skills through patterns, counting, problem solving, and discussion. Students use visuals and hands-on activities to think about numbers and explain their ideas.

This is our second year using the Bridges curriculum, and we are seeing positive results. Students are becoming more confident in math and better able to explain their thinking. All math instruction follows Michigan state standards. While students may learn some non-traditional strategies to help them understand how numbers work, teachers also explicitly teach traditional math strategies. Our goal is for students to understand math deeply while still being able to use standard methods accurately and efficiently.

Our school also participates in the Great Lakes Bay Math Support Grant, which provides teachers with coaching and resources to support strong instruction. This support helps teachers continue to improve their practice and meet the needs of all learners.

We are proud of the progress our students are making and look forward to continued growth in math.

Visit The Math Learning Center where you can access FREE APPS based on the visual models used in the resource: mathlearningcenter.org

Head lice are a common issue in schools, especially among young children who spend time playing closely together. While lice are a nuisance, they do not spread disease and are most effectively managed with awareness and prevention.

At Larson, students do not share lockers, which helps reduce opportunities for lice to spread. Families can further help by reminding children not to share hats, hair accessories, brushes, or headphones, and to avoid putting their heads close together during play or group activities.

It’s important to know that head lice do not jump or fly—they spread through direct head-to-head contact or by sharing personal items that touch the hair. Cleanliness or hygiene have nothing to do with contracting lice, and anyone can get them.

Some helpful prevention tips include:

• Keep long hair tied back or braided.

• Use hair spray or styling products, which can make it harder for lice to attach to hair strands.

• Vacuum regularly, including car seats and furniture where heads may rest.

• Check hair and scalp often, especially after sleepovers or group activities.

If you need help with treatment options or have questions about preventing the spread of lice, please contact the school office. Together, we can keep our classrooms healthy and comfortable for all students!

Harrison Community Schools is dedicated to creating and maintaining a positive learning environment for all students. All members of our learning community—including students, educators (including teachers, secretaries, custodians, aides, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel),and parents/guardians —must assume a responsible role in promoting behavior that enhances academic and social success.

The above behavior matrix outlines the expectations for all areas of our school. The picture above is also linked to the parent letter that went home in back to school folders.

Clear and consistent expectations will promote a positive climate for our learning community. With expectations comes responsibilities which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Students:

1. Take responsibility for your learning and recognize that it is a process.

2. Attend school regularly, arrive on time, and be prepared to learn.

3. Respect yourself and others in class, on school grounds, on buses, and at any school-related activity. 4. Respect the rights and feelings of fellow students, parents, educators (including teachers, secretaries, custodians, aides, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel), visitors, and guests.

5. Work within the existing structure of the school to address concerns.

6. Know and comply with school district rules and policies.

7. Participate in your learning communities, including helping formulate rules and procedures in the school, engaging in school-related activities, and fostering a culture of respect for learning and for others.

Parents/Guardians:

1. Take responsibility for your child(ren)’s development as learners by, as much as possible, providing a home environment suited for learning and developing good study habits.

2. See that your child(ren) attends school regularly and on time.

3. Provide for your child(ren)’s general health and welfare as much as possible.

4. Teach and model respect for yourself, your child(ren), and all members of the school community.

5. Support the school’s efforts to provide a safe and orderly learning environment.

6. Know and support the school and district rules and policies and work within the existing structure of the school to address concerns.

7. Advocate for your child(ren) and take an active role in the school community.

8. Attend your child(ren)’s parent/teacher conferences.

Educators:

1. Take responsibility for students’ development as learners, including their academic success and positive social-emotional development, recognizing that children should be subject to behavior management and discipline policies appropriate to their ages and levels of understanding.

2. Model and provide a mutually respectful and accountable atmosphere for learning that includes all members of the school community.

3. Cooperate and schedule conferences with students, parents/guardians, and other school personnel in an effort to understand and resolve academic and behavioral problems. Make every effort to accommodate families whose work schedules, access to transportation, or distance from school limits their ability to meet or participate.

4. Keep parents/guardians informed of their students’ challenges, effort, and success.

5. Encourage students to participate in classroom, extracurricular, and other school-related activities.

6. Know and enforce the rules and policies consistently, fairly, and equitably.

7.Participate in training and professional learning communities provided by the district that supports providing a positive culture and climate and promotes student learning.

Our Larson library runs on volunteer support! We need folks to help kids check out books, and reshelve our books. We use an online scanning system so it's pretty easy! We would need a background check on file! The library is open daily, so we will take all of the help we can get! Call or stop in if you are interested. We are so thankful for our amazing volunteers!

SCHOOL STARTS AT 8:00am

Arrival - doors open at 7:35. There is no supervision for students before 7:35; please stay with your children. DO NOT let children out in the middle of the driveway to cut in front of traffic. Pull over to the curb when children are exiting. Safety is a priority for all.

When arriving in the traffic loop in front of the building, please pull up as far as you can (up to the flag pole) so we can accommodate as many cars as possible in the loop.

Dismissal begins at 3:05. Please line up in the traffic line. Avoid Spruce Street and line up down Hornet Drive. Having trouble with SDM? Give us a call, we are happy to help. Our dismissal procedure safely dismisses approximately 500 students in a 15 minute window of time! Thank you for your cooperation and kindness as we continue to strengthen procedures.

Building opens at 7:35 for latchkey.

Phone Number: 989-539-3259

Principal: Andrea Andera

Assistant Principal: Krystal Watrous

School Secretaries: Tina Holley & Carol Mason