Panther Pamplet

Dear Parkwood Upjohn Elementary School Community,

I hope this message finds you all in good health and high spirits. As we embark on the new school year, I am thrilled to welcome back each and every one of you to Parkwood Upjohn Elementary. Our amazing staff have been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition back to school.They are so excited to see you all tomorrow!

Parent involvement also plays a crucial role in the success of our students. Thank you to all the families who were able to make our back to school BBQ last Thursday. We love having our families support at our school. If you are interested in getting more involved we encourage you to join the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), or attending our school events, your presence and support make a significant difference! More info from PTO below.

Kindergarten through 5th grade will all start tomorrow and have a half day. Dismissal is at 12:06. PEEP students, we will see you in just a few short weeks. Due to Labor Day, remember there is no school Friday, August 29th or Monday, September 1st. Primetime will be available to those who have signed up. They will be open before school all this first week, and after school every day except not Monday.

Thanks again and we are excited to have a great opening day tomorrow!

-Principal Jessica Rosecrans

(269) 337-0720

Arrival begins at 8:44

If you are walking or driving your child, please stay with them until the doors open at 8:44.

Walkers and bus riders will arrive at the front of the school and line up/wait by the doors with their grade level signs.

1st & 2nd grade will line up by the doors near the garden,

3rd & K will line up at the main doors

4th &5th at the doors closest to the parking lot.

Kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers will be outside these grade level doors. Students will line up with their teacher and walk in with their teachers.

• To keep the building safe and secure for our students: Parents please take your photos and say your good-byes outside at the designated grade level doors, as parents are not permitted to walk students to classrooms. We know this can be difficult on the first day, but we promise to wrap around any students who need extra support and guide them to class for you! Teachers will also be there to walk students to their classroom.

Car riders will go through the flow and go line through the parking lot and will line up by their grade level sign in the back of the school. We will have adults by the signs in the back to help them get to class. Adults will be waiting in both areas with class lists ready to help students get to the right spots!

Dismissal is at 3:50 for a full days and 12:06 on half days.

*We recommend you discuss with your child, "How do I get home?" so they feel confident and less anxious about their dismissal plan. You can also email and let your classroom teacher know how your student gets home.

Students will be transitioning to their dismissal locations between 11:30-12:06 on half days and 3:30-3:50 on full days. All changes to a student's dismissal plan need to be communicated to the office before 11:15 on half days and 3:15 on full days. After those times, quick changes are not possible to be made as students and teachers will be busy backing up and walking to their dismissal location.

• When calls are made to sign students out early, the teacher will be notified promptly. However, students will not be called down to wait in the office. Students will be called down when a parent arrives to sign them out.

In the classroom:

• No hats
• No Hoods
• Pants must be worn on the waist, and should not fall below the waistline.
• No cell phones, use of personal electronic devices, or use of phone Watches during the school day

Please read and review the KPS student code of conduct for a full list of KPS conduct expectations before your student attends school.

Attendance Matters:

We all have days when we are sick and need to stay home. It's important to have a healthy and good balance of staying home when needed and coming to school to be successful learners when possible. Sometimes absences can sneak up on us and we can miss more than we think. If someone misses 18 days of school they are automatically on the chronic absent list based on the state requirements.

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

• Report your absences so they are not unexcused. You can call or email our secretary, Mrs. Stecker to report these absences. Her email is: steckeras@kalamazoopublicschools.net. Email works the best. Voicemail works, but takes the longest for us to get to, so you might get an absent letter until we have a chance to listen to the voicemails and update the system.
• We have a new full time Community in Schools coordinator who works with students and families to provide support to eliminate potential barriers for attending school. Her name is Ms. Lownds. Feel free to email her 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.
• 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.

What I do:

As the Communities in Schools of Kalamazoo Site Coordinator for Parkwood Upjohn Elementary, I connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. I work directly with a caseload of students to support them in academic, attendance, social-emotional, and/or behavioral goals, as well as support building-wide initiatives.

Professional Life:

I earned my BA in Psychology and my MA in Counseling, both at Michigan State University. I began my career as a school counselor at the high school and then middle school levels for about 12 years. I then made the switch to working in higher education administration, with a bit of teaching sprinkled in. For the past four years I worked for Kalamazoo Public Schools as a Home Support Specialist at Prairie Ridge Elementary. I am a passionate advocate for public schools, and I love finding ways to support and empower students to achieve success.

Personal Life:

I am originally from Muskegon, MI, but I love Kalamazoo and have lived here for the past 7 years. I have a daughter who attends Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts, and a son who attends Prairie Ridge Elementary. I have been married for 21 years, and my family enjoys dogs, camping, game nights, and Mario Kart.

Aug 25th- First Day of School K-12 Half Day 12:06 Dismissal

Aug 26th- First Full Day of School K-12

Aug 29th - No school for students

Sept. 1st- Labor Day No School

Sept. 8th- First Day for PEEP students

Oct. 22 PreK-12; no students

Oct. 31 PreK-12 half day; records day 12:06 Dismissal

Nov. 6 K-8 half day 12:06 Dismissal

Nov. 7 K-5 half day 12:06 Dismissal

Nov. 14 PreK-5; no students

Nov. 26 Nov. 27 & 28 Thanksgiving Break; all buildings closed

Dec. 10 PreK-12; no students

Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 Winter Break