I just want to give a shout out to everyone for the consistency with PBIS. Do we have places to improve? Absolutely! However, we have had a strong start to the year and that is due to all of your hard work. We ended the week with one ODR! I'd say that's a win for October.

I appreciate the conversation at staff meeting this week. We will continue to make improvements. Fingers crossed we have a beautiful October versus Shocktober!

Wear your team colors on Friday, October 20th! Who will win the battle?

Our 5th graders have an exciting opportunity this year! The Downriver Career Technical Consortium is coming to visit!

DATE: Thursday, October 12, 2023

Beginning at 8:45 and ending before 12:45.

Session 1: Putek 8:45 - 9:40

Session 2: Smithson 9:40 - 10:35

Session 3: Izbicki 10:35 - 11:30

This will take place in the gym. They were unable to come in the afternoon. I apologize to Ms. Kozicki and the 4th grade teams as it will impact your gym schedule. Fingers crossed it's nice weather outside!

Here’s an example of a visit:

The tentative plan is to have 5 or 6 CTE programs represented on the scheduled date(s). DCTC staff should arrive early to prepare for the day. Then high school students arrive to set up their activity.

The students in a 5th grade class are divided into 5 or 6 groups. Each group will begin at a different table and will spend approximately 8 - 9 minutes participating in a hands on activity with 2 - 3 high school students. Each group will rotate through all programs. They will give the teacher a DCTC item for each student and ask them to hand them out after completing the students complete the survey. This is repeated for each 5th grade class.

Prior to the visit. Please discuss careers with your students and have them take the career interest survey.

Thank you to Colleen for organizing this book study. We have copies of the books for those who signed up. Our first meeting will be October 10th at 8:00 am in lounge.

Here is the link for the Fountas and PInnell Benchmark Assessment Calendar and guidelines.

Thank you everyone for completing your self assessments, student growth data, and performance goals!

Here is the link for observation sign up!

Thank you to all of you for putting Kara's link in your newsletters. Here is the link if you need it. Thanks to Kara and Dane for heading this up this fall!

Run Club will begin on October 4, 2023 April and will last for 7 weeks this fall and continue back up on April 16, 2024 for another 7 weeks. We invite students in grades 2nd through 5th to run/walk every Wednesday morning before school. Each Run Club morning is weather dependent, of course. If it is raining, or the weather is unsafe for runners to participate, that day's Run Club will be cancelled. Proper cold weather attire is recommended on days it is chilly. The course is the track located behind our school. Start time is 8:00 AM sharp. We will be on the route until the school doors open. Students will track their mileage each day they participate.

Chief Bill Cain and some firefighters will join us on Wednesday, October 11th for a Fire Prevention Assembly in honor of Fire Prevention week. This assembly will be from 10:35-11:20 in the gym. This assembly is only for K-2 students.

Quick Ways to Identify Students with Multilingual Support Service

Multilingual or ELL (English Language Learners) are identified in MiStar by a blue teardrop that appears to the left of their name on your attendance roster for each class. This symbol is used to identify students that qualify for our EL Program.

Each of these students has a Language Acquisition Plan in the Google Shared Drive titled “Parsons”. Please feel free to contact Sheila Boardman (boardms@gibdist.net) with any questions or concerns.

Safety Threat Assessment

On October 11, from 10:00-12:00 Kim and I will be a part of a Site Based Threat Assessment with an outside company and Ken Mays. It consists of an informal interview and walking the buildiing.

Blue Backpack

Please take your Blue Backpack with you to recess.

Please make sure you have copies of your emergency forms in your backpack.

We understand that the Blue Backpacks have not been updated with new supplies recently. Julie Raymond sent me this checklist of what should be in the blue backpack. Please print this checklist and inventory your backpack if you have not yet this year. Please check expiration dates of glucose tabs.

Lockdown Drill

Nice job on our first lock down of the year!

Upcoming Drills

Fire Drill on Wednesday October 18 at 1:45.

Here's how we did in Reading and Math this week! Keep it up!

Clubs are coming! We are going to create a permission slip for students to make choices at home with parents. We hope this takes some work off your plate to complete the forms in class. We are working on the criteria for students to attend the Reteaching Club when they need additional teaching of expectations. Here are the clubs staff were interested in hosting.

Sports

Friendship Bracelets

Science

Harry Potter

Dance

Cards

Puzzles

Lego

Yoga

Play Doh

Dog

Drawing

Remember Expectations, Relationships, Communication!

Thank you to Meredith, Kim, Brittany G, and Joel for answering the call and having an observation this week! You are all rocking it!

Thank you to the PBIS team for meeting. One of our goals is to have consistent monthly meetings this year.

Thank you to Katie for sharing her library space to accommodate Picture Day.

Parent Shout Outs:

Sarah Aherne - Thank you for taking Paisley’s hand in the mornings! She has been nervous to start Kindergarten but with your help, she’s been more comfortable and loving it! :)

Mrs. Przepiora- She updated me on my daughter (Makena) w/o me even asking for an update! Kena came to school with a banged up mouth & nose from a bike fall, and she knew I was worried about her. Mrs. P is so kind to not only the kiddos but to the parents too! Thank you:)

Staff Shout Outs:

Katie Buza, for bringing our library to life and always being so flexible and going above and beyond every day.

Who would you like to Shout Out? Fill out the form here.

https://forms.gle/GQ4FtXAbx55YZUdN6

Spark Staff Member of the Week: Joel

Here were just a few moments of joy-spotting Erika saw in Joel.

1. He takes on so much of the planning and prep for PBIS (including during his personal time) so that it alleviates one more thing added to everyone else’s plates.
2. He is always there to lend a helping hand to anyone in need; whether it’s with technology, a student, a committee, or just answer questions about curriculum. We can always count on him!
3. His calm, laid back yet caring personality along with being knowledgeable about so much helps ease stress and worry from his team.
4. He truly does everything with the intention of spreading joy and fun to his students, co-workers, and the Parsons community. He bought his team lunch last week and surprised us with a matching door mat for our classrooms!

I asked Joel the following questions.

• What brings you joy? Family, Friends, Sports
• How do you bring joy to others? I try to bring a calming but positive force to all situations. Look at things from multiple perspectives and try to understand where other people are coming from.
• Who is someone that brings joy to you? Jenny and my boys

  
  

Spark will hang out with Joel for a week. He is going to try to spot joy in others and will pass on Spark next week. Stay tuned!

Spark Student of the Week: Josie W

Josie has a sweet, quiet spirit but always a smile to give to everyone in the hallway. She can always be counted on to do the right thing in class, even in her specials. Mr. Grima told me she is always happy and on task!

I asked Josie the following questions.

• What brings you joy? Going to gym
• How do you bring joy to others? I play with people.
• Who is someone that brings joy to you? Roze

The Guidance Center will be presenting four session to our 4th and 5th graders. They will present to all three classrooms at once in the library. Fourth grade will be 1:15-1:45 and 5th grade will be 2:00-2:30.

• 10/09-Session 1
• 10/16-Session 2
• 10/30-Session 3
• 11/06-Session 4

Wahoo!! We have raised $18,495 towards our school goal of $20,000. We've also had $8,000 in sponsorships! We will be raising funds from 9/18-10/27. The Fun Run Event will take place on October 19, 2023. T-shirts will be arriving on 10/17. This year's fun run is more of an obstacle course version designed by our PTO. Check out the flyers below for more information!

Did you know that October is Disability Picture Book Awareness month? A good teacher friend of mine from Ann Arbor has a son with cerebral palsy and she partnered with another teacher to create this awesome resource! Enjoy! Inclusivity of all kinds is an important component of a caring, kind school!

All students can receive free breakfast and lunch daily regardless of income this year. However, if a student only wants a milk, they will be charged 50 cents. This is an MDE rule. If you have students who are receiving a bill from food service, this is most likely the reason why.

Thank you to Scott Grima for agreeing to do November to write about Turkey Trot! Please talk with your colleagues and chose a month! Team work makes the dream work! News articles should be short articles with one picture. Please sign up for one month as a grade, special, or committee. Even better, have a student group write an article! Here is the sign up.

September 8, 2023

September 18, 2023

September 25, 2023

October 2, 2023

Sarah will be at Cabinet on Tuesday morning and Dane will be covering. Sarah will be out all day at an i-Ready training in Novi on Thursday and Hollie will be covering.

October 9: Anti-Bullying Presentations by Guidance Center for 4th grade 1:15 and 5th grade 2:00, Crisis Team meeting 4:00

October 10th: PTO 6:00 pm, WatchDOGS start, Book Study 8:00 am

October 11: Fire Prevention Assembly 10:30-11:15 K-2, Threat Assessment Site Visit 10:00-12:00

October 12th: Sarah at an I-Ready Conference in Novi, Board meeting 7:00 Parsons Spotlight

October 13th: Homecoming

October 16th and 17th: MTSS meetings

October 18th: Fire Drill 1:45

October 19th: Fun Run, Staff meeting 7:45 PLC

October 20th: Bible Release, U of M versus MSU dress up

October 23rd-24th: No School Autumn Break

October 25th: Sarah at Resa

October 26th: Trunk or Treat

October 30th: Fire Drill 12:55, Principal's Meeting 1-3:30

October 31st: Halloween Parade 1:30

November 3rd: Half Day-Dismissal 11:55 Parent Teacher Conferences

November 7th: No School-Professional Development Day

November 9th: Half Day-Dismissal 11:55 Parent Teacher Conferences

November 10th: Veteran's Day, Half Day-Dismissal 11:55 Parent Teacher Conferences

November 20th or 21st: Turkey Trot TBD

November 22nd-24th: Thanksgiving Break

December 2nd: Gibraltar Christmas Parade

December 18th-19th: Santas's Shop

December 19th: Cookies with Santa PM

December 22nd: Last Day before Winter Break