Morford Monthly Memo

It was so nice to meet many of you at the parent teacher conferences last week! I hope that you all were able to spend time with your child's teacher at Central to learn more about them as a student. If you weren't able to meet with your child's teacher feel free to reach out to them. It takes a village to ensure student success and we want you to be an active part of the village.

I think we can say now that Fall has officially arrived! The mornings are a bit more brisk and the winds at Recess are a bitter cold with a breeze. Please help support your 4th and 5th grade students with the appropriate school clothes. Students will be going outside for Recess each day so it is important that they have the proper gear. If by chance your student has misplaced something we do have a lost and found in the cafeteria. Make sure to have them check for any items they may have misplaced.

In partnership with you,

Katie Morford

Linden Community Schools has been participating in Michigan's Promoting Positive School Climate (PPSC) project to enhance positive behavior supports in our school. The survey for parents is a perception survey required by PPSC. It is anonymous and used to identify school climate issues within our school.

Please take a moment to answer some questions here.

Deadline to complete the survey is October 31st.

It's hard to believe we are already planning for Halloween! Students are able to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Friday, October 31st. Please contact your child's teacher or the office with any questions. A few reminders regarding costumes and the day:

• Children may wear their costumes to school
• No masks will be allowed for safety.
  
• Face paint dries out the skin and will likely become an irritant as the day progresses, so it is recommended that you save this portion of the costume for trick-or-treating at home
• Leave any "weapon like" accessories at home
• Please be sure that costumes are school appropriate.

So long as students are able to engage in their learning for the day they will be able to stay in their costumes. You may want to pack another choice of clothes as students will go about their daily schedule of specials, Recess, etc. 4th graders will be going on a field trip on this day so be sure to have students dress appropriately.

Central Elementary student showed up for the Fun Run fundraiser! Together students raised $18,080 to help support activities and learning. Thank you for your support!

Students and staff came together on October 15th for the assembly to give out prizes and recognize the hard work of everyone. Not going to lie....I may have even gotten some new attire when 15 students had the opportunity to silly string me!

Central Student Council will once again be participating in Socktober!!

Central Student Council is collecting new pajamas, new packs of socks, new packs of underwear, gift cards, diapers and any other items that would be good for kids entering foster care. All donations go directly to Clara’s Hope in Fenton. This fundraiser is happening now and will run through Friday, October 31st. Each item brought in is 1 worth one point and we will have prizes for the top 3 classes! Please donate to your classroom! Thank you!

Central Elementary will be collecting DISH SOAP for the holiday food baskets this year. If you are out and about and could bring a bottle of DISH SOAP to donate that would be great! The items can be dropped off to the office. All dish soap will be collected by Friday, December 12th. Thank you for your support!

Parent teacher Conferences took place last week. The marking period closes this week on Friday, October 24th. Central Elementary report cards will be viewable on ParentVue October 31st. If you should have any questions, please contact the office.

First and foremost I want to thank you for your patience the first couple weeks of school. Believe it or not with the amount of cars that we had in the drop off and pick up line we were lined up all the way out to Silver Lake Road! With this in mind it is imperative that all those participating pay attention and be alert during both arrival and dismissal. Parents, please put your cell phones away and save the text or social media scrolling for later as we work to ensure we are getting students out of cars safely to their destination or in the car ready to head home. A couple tips to help us continue:

* Pull all the way forward in the line

* Ensure that your student is looking for you and hops in when car has stopped

Thanks for helping making the morning and afternoon a quick process. If students are quick in the afternoon....believe it or not we can beat the busses and get you out of the pick up line before them!

Each month we like to a recognize a staff member at Central that goes above and beyond.

This month staff nominated Michelle Harp, Recess Aide/Paraprofessional. Michelle arrive on time everyday and ensures recess and lunch run smoothly, even when a hiccup occurs. She always is quick to help other staff when it is needed without hesitation and with a positive attitude. She is dependable and approachable. When issues arise, Michelle is a problem solver and leader. No matter the need she is there to help and what what is best for kids. Congrats on this much deserved award!

Students who arrive after 8:19am are considered tardy. A parent or guardian will need to walk the student into the building to sign them in.

As you know Michigan weather is constantly changing. Students will be going outside unless it is raining or the air temperature and/or wind chill is zero degrees. Please make sure that your student has appropriate gear. Flip flops and Crocs aren't safe for the playground. Please ensure safety for your student and make sure that they have a pair of closed toed shoes for the playground.

As we move through the school year, evenings can get busy with homework, activities, and routines. But even just 15 minutes of family time can go a long way! Try a tech-free dinner, a short walk together, or a round of a favorite card game. These simple moments help kids feel connected and supported.

This month, we’re tying our conversations at school to our SOAR expectations:
S – Stay Safe
O – Offer Kindness
A – Act Responsibly
R – Remember Respect

A great way to reinforce these values at home is by talking about what they look like in everyday situations—especially when it comes to friendship and communication. We’re encouraging students to offer kindness and remember respect by avoiding gossip and stopping the spread of rumors. These are powerful ways to build a positive school climate.

Here are a few questions to spark meaningful conversations at home:

• “What’s something kind someone did for you today?”

• “How can we help someone feel included tomorrow?”

• “What would you do if you heard a rumor at school?”

• “How did you show responsibility or respect today?”

Little conversations can lead to big learning—and help students truly SOAR in all they do!

Access the school wide Behavior Expectations Matrix here.

When picking up your student from school early, please be prepared to show your ID. This is for safety and security of our students. Know that while we are working to build relationships with our families we don't always have the same people working in the office nor do we often see you each day. Thank you for being patient to ensure our Eagles are safe!

The office tends to get very busy at the end of the day. If you have an end of day message for your student, like that of a dismissal change, please contact the office by 3:00pm.

Please ensure the Health Alerts are up to date on ParentVue for your student. If a prescription is needed to be administered at school, you must have a physician’s authorization and meds in the original container. If you would like your student to have over the counter medications at school, you must have a parental authorization and the meds in the original container. Students cannot self-carry. Also, at no time should a student be transferring meds in their backpack to take to the office. Meds must transfer from adult to adult.

We will continue to use ParentVue to acknowledge parent/student annual forms. While in your ParentVue account, you will need to initial your acceptance of the required electronic forms, complete Transportation information so your child is picked up and dropped off at the correct location, update any pertinent Health Alert information, and update your emergency contacts, email and cell/work phone number if applicable. To log into your ParentVUE go to https://parentvue.geneseeisd.org/lind and type in your username and password.

Please know it is important to keep ParentVue up to date with the most recent information. Our systems pull from this data and if you haven't updated it, we will not know without you making changes to ParentVue. If you should have questions, please contact Mrs. Oden in the office at 810/591-8410.

If you have someone that plans to pick up your eagle and they are not on your emergency contact being they have permission to pick up, someone will be contacting you to approve this change. To eliminate this from happening, be sure that ParentVue is up do date by adding those who are approved to pick up your eagle. Thanks for your support with this!

Some of our students have been diagnosed with Tree Nut/Peanut Allergies and have had severe reactions after contact. Please be cognizant of any allergy in your child’s classroom.

A few students are diabetic and have food restrictions. If planning for birthday treats please take the above info into consideration and plan for store bought pre-packaged items. Check with your child’s teacher for ideas.

Visitors are welcome in our building. In order to chaperone on trips, assist in classroom parties, help at field day, etc. You must have completed an I-Chat form to have a background check done prior to you helping. The application must be turned into the school at least 5 school days prior to the activity occurring. The form must be completed and is a non-negotiable for student safety. If you do not have one on file the day of the event, you will not be able to attend. As a parent myself, I hope that you understand the importance of the background check and will trust this process.

I-Chat forms are good for one semester so you will need to complete a new one for the second half of the school year (after January 16th). The best way to avoid hiccups and issues is to complete the form now! Please make sure you have a scheduled appointment time with your child’s teacher if coming in. Upon arrival, please sign in at the office.

Access the I-Chat form here. Complete the form and return to the office.

Arrival and dismissal can be a bit challenging. Please know that student safety is of top priority. While we recognize that some of you may be in a hurry, it is absolutely important to pack your patience each day for both arrival and dismissal for pick up and drop off.

Student dismissal

Students will be dismissed at 3:27pm. There are two options for dismissal; pick up curbside or ride the bus. We request that students have one consistent way to get home after school Monday - Friday. This will eliminate any confusion at the end of day.

• Curbside Car Pick Up - We have established a convenient parent pick up loop that aids in the efficient flow of traffic. Please remain in your car, drive through the loop the furthest you can and wait for your child to come to your vehicle. Please remind your student to be looking for you to assist in the line moving quickly for all families. Your student will need to independently enter on the passenger side of the vehicle (sidewalk side). Please stay in your car.

• Students Riding the Bus - All students will be put on the bus at the end of the day unless you have established a regular consistent parent/guardian pick up routine. If a situation arises and you need to pick your child up from school, please send a note that morning to your child’s teacher. Students are not permitted to be removed from their bus once they have boarded nor are parents permitted in the bus loop. Please plan ahead to ensure the safety of all students.

Parent Drop off/Pick Up - Traffic Flow:

It is important that we work together to make sure the traffic during drop off & pick up times runs smoothly. Please refer to the map to join the queue both for morning and afternoon. When the line is long, it starts by the high school then loops to Central. At Central, we don't do tags or signs in cars. We rely on students to be paying attention by the tree (Little Library) and follow their car until the line stops to enter. Please practice patience and remain aware for safety. After a couple weeks our goal is that we are moving quickly.

Notes regarding the parking lot

* Students, visitors and parents must use the crosswalk to get to and from the parking lot. A crossing guard (staff member) will be assisting with this. Please do not walk in between cars in the drop off/pick up line.

* Students cannot be wandering into the parking lot on their own. The parking lot is for "parking" only. If you wish to park and walk your child up to the building that is up to you. If you must pick them up from the parking lot, it is expected that you walk your student to ensure safety. The last thing that we want is that someone gets injured because of carelessness.

Our main goal is fluidity, so please join the queue to drop your Eagle off or pick them up from the car line loop. If all those participating in the loop pull all the way forward, students hop out or into the car quickly, the time will be minimal.

A yearbook link will be sent as a mass email to all parents around Thanksgiving time with a link to order. I will also share the link in a future SMORE so you don't miss out on purchasing your Eagle a 25/26 Central yearbook. Stay tuned!

School Hours 8:19 am - 3:27 pm.

8:00am - students getting breakfast can enter building

8:09am - all students can enter building

8:19am - bell rings to start class

Students arriving after 8:19am must be signed in by an adult in the office

4th GRADE RECESS/LUNCH

Block A - ELA Team

11:05 am - 11:30 am: recess

11:30 am - 12:00 pm: lunch

Block B - Math Team

11:15 am - 11:40 am: recess

11:40 am - 12:10 pm: lunch

5th GRADE RECES/LUNCH

Block A - Math Team

11:50 am - 12:15 pm: recess

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm: lunch

Block B - ELA Team

12:00 pm - 12:25 pm: recess

12:25 pm - 12:55 pm: lunch

3:27 pm Dismissal

Our fundraiser has kicked off and things are going fantastic. We are so excited to be able to provide a fun and exciting learning experience for your child this school year. Popcorn Fridays will kick off on Friday 9/26. Our next scheduled PALS meeting is 10/10 at 9am at Central in the cafeteria. We hope to see you there.

PALs meetings are on the calendar. We hope that you can join us each month. Meetings start at 9am right at Central Elementary.

November 7

December 5

January 9

February 6

March 6

April 10

May 1

Questions contact our Central Elementary PALs via email at central.el.pals@gmail.com

October 31 - 4th grade field trip to go bowling

November 4 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

November 26 - November 28 - Thanksgiving Holiday break

December 5 - The NED show Assembly

December 11 - 5th Grade Holiday Musical at LHS Theater

December 22 - January 2 - Christmas Holiday break

January 7 - Half Day of School - Teacher PD in afternoon

January 16 - End of First Semester

January 19 - No School - MLK Day

February 13 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

February 16 - No School - President's Day

March 12 - Half Day of School - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 13 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

March 30 -April 3 - Spring Break

May 25 - No School - Memorial Day

May 29 - 4th Grade field trip to Mackinaw

June 5 - Last Day of School - Half Day for Students and Teachers