Panther Pamphlet

Welcome to December!

Dear Parkwood Panthers,

We hope everyone had a restful break with family! As we head into December, we are excited to return to school and continue our learning adventures together.

Celebrations from last Week

Thank you to everyone who came to help support our 5th grade Thanksgiving Feast! It was such a fun and memorable tradition for our 5th graders. We truly appreciate every volunteer and the teachers who helped make this event special for our students.
November Spirit Assembly was a success — students showed great enthusiasm and school pride.

Important Reminders

5th Grade Camp

- Departure: Tuesday, December 2nd at 9:00 AM

- Check-In: 5th graders will enter through the entrance closest to the parking lot to be checked in by their teachers.

- Medicine Check-In: Parents who need to check in any medicine should do so at a designated table by this entrance.

- Help Needed: We would greatly appreciate any 5th grade parents who can stay and help us load the luggage onto the bus.

4th Grade Entrance Change

- On Tuesday, December 2nd, 4th graders will enter through the main entrance instead of their usual entrance by the parking lot. This will support our 5th graders who are getting ready for camp.

Return from Camp

- Return Date: Friday, December 5th around 2:00 PM

- Pick-Up: Students will likely be worn out from a week of fun! Families are welcome to pick up their 5th grader when they arrive back at school around 2 pm. Those who stay will do quiet activities until dismissal.

Winter Gear Reminder

As we head into winter, please remember to send your child with their winter gear! 🧣🧤🧥

We will go outside even if it's snowing, as long as the real feel temperature is above 10 degrees. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

- Winter Layers: It's best to send your child with winter layers and gear just in case!

- Labeling: Please label all of your child's winter wear with their name. This helps us return lost items to the correct students.

- Independence Practice: Encourage your child to practice getting ready independently for the winter weather.

If you're interested, we have a visual guide/checklist available to help your child prepare for winter.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. We look forward to a fantastic December filled with learning and fun!

Warm regards,

Principal Rosecrans

rosecransje@kalamazoopublicschools.net

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5th grade Thanksgiving Feast

Attendance Procedure FAQ

Things to Know:

A large part of the procedures are about unexcused absences. A great step most of our parents do that helps here, is to call or email when their child is sick or absent. Please continue to call and email your child's teacher and our attendance secretary when your child will be absent. Our attendance secretary is Mrs. Stecker and you can email her when your child will be out at steckeras@kalamazoopublicschools.net .

Per the KPS Attendance Procedures excuses for an absence (EA) include:

Student illness and/or appointment verified by the parent/guardian or medical professional.
Medically verified extended illness or hospitalization.
Attending a funeral.
Religious holiday.
Absence due to a subpoenaed court appearance.
Any time missed due to KPS school transportation issues.

Another component of the procedure is around chronic absenteeism. The state defines ‘chronic absenteeism’ as attending school less than or equal to 90% of the time. This includes all absences (excused, unexcused, suspensions, etc.). Once a student is at 18 days absent they are on the State of Michigan chronic absent list for the year.

Here are steps we are taking at Parkwood to support our students and families:

Our Community in Schools liaison works with students and families to provide support to eliminate potential barriers for attending school. Feel free to email Mrs. Lownds if you need additional attendance support lowndske@kalamazoopublicschools.net.
School Wide and Classroom Incentives that support school attendance when students are healthy and able to attend.
Individual Student Plans- If your child is struggling with social emotional reasons for not wanting to come to school, please reach out to your classroom teacher and our Home Support Specialist Ms. Strasser, beasleyba@kalamazoopublicschools.net. Our staff is great at creating individual student support plans if students have concerns about coming to school.
Finally, we support our students and families by getting to know them and their specific needs. If a family works with our attendance secretary and their classroom teacher on special circumstances, such as weekly doctor appointments, we document this and take this into consideration.