February 29, 2016

Lindemann Lion Logo

04/29. 4:00 p.m. MTSS Meeting Riley / 4:00 – 7:00 PM Kindergarten Registration (Riley)

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03/01. SIP Data Input (Michelle, George & Adrianna)

03/02. 1st Grade Field Trip Dearborn Performing Arts

03/03. Vicky Curry Shadowing Experience  /  4:00 ICC (Riley) /   6:30 p.m.  PTA Meeting.  Art Room

03/04. 6:00 p.m. Daddy/ Daughter Dance. Fairlane Club

03/07 – 03/11.  LINDEMANN BOOK FAIR

03/08. PTA Skating Party. Lincoln Park Skating

03/09. Book Fair PARENT NIGHT. 6:00 – 8:30 PM.

03/12. SPRING FEVER – Allen Park High School

03/14. 7:00 PM. SIP Board Presentation (APHS-LGI)


 

March Calendar


TEAM JACK
Team Jack
On January 19, 2016, Jack, a kindergarten student at Lindemann Elementary in Allen Park was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s T-cell Lymphoma.  Jack is strong five year old who is now in the fight of his life.  We are selling t-shirts to support Jack.  Any money raised from the sale of these shirts will go to Jack and his family during this challenging time.
Please click on the link below to order a shirt.  If you have any questions, please contact Koren Easlick (easlick@appublicschools.com) or Kelly Shene (kellykorsogshene@yahoo.com).
Orders are due by March 2, 2016.
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RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & TEACHERS

 

Kids Club

 


APAC

We are a youth baseball / softball organization that has served the City of Allen Park for the last 60 years.

We are an instructional based program that focuses on the development of our players.  Not only in sports, but in life.

WALK IN REGISTRATION DATES

3/2. 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM. AP Community Center

3/5. 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. AP Community Center

Visit our website: www.apacball.com


Mother Son Night

THANK YOU PTA!!

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KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION RESCHEDULED

2016-17 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

has been moved to Feb. 29th from 4:00-7:00 @Riley due to inclement weather.

Please pass this along to your families in eblasts or texts Monday!  This will help accurately project kindergarten numbers for the fall! February is Kindergarten Registration Month in Allen Park! Allen Park Public Schools is ready to welcome your child for Kindergarten for the 2016-17 school year! The process is easy and we’re here to help. Please share this information with friends, neighbors and family members who may have a child ready for Kindergarten next fall. Whether this is your first child attending school, or you live in the district and already have a child attending APPS, or already have a child attending APPS through our School of Choice Program, we need you to enroll your school age/younger siblings through our registration process. *The entry age for Kindergarten for the 2016-17 school year – child must be five years of age by September 1, 2016. NOTE: All incoming Kindergarten students will be screened after Kindergarten Round Up. Placement recommendations will be made for students with early birthdates for Young 5s Program or Kindergarten based on screening indicators. Kindergarten enrollment takes place at the Riley Education Center, 9601 Vine, AllenPark, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. –3:30 p.m. (Office closed February 15 & 16) Please bring:

  • Birth Certificate of Child
  • Driver’s License of Parent/Legal Guardian (for ID purposes)
  • Proof of residency (Warranty Deed/closing statement, tax or utility bill, homeowner’s insurance policy, rental agreement)
  • Current School of Choice Families – Name/grade of student currently enrolled in Allen Park Public Schools
  • Immunization Records or Wayne County Health Department Waiver (Required for enrollment)
  • Health Information Form/Physical (Required for entrance, but not required at time of enrollment)
  • Vision Screening Record (Required for Kindergarten enrollment)

As a convenience to our families, APPS will host evening hours for Kindergarten enrollment on Monday, February 29 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Riley Education Center. Please bring items mentioned above.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.apps.k12.mi.us or call (313) 827-2105.


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MATH VIDEO/LESSONS — GET KIDS TALKING

Thanks, Leslie, for sharing these short videos to get kids talking!  Remember that the person doing the most talking is the person doing the most learning!  Get those kids talking about math!  Any time you’d expect kids to raise their hands and offer an answer is an opportunity to build in a turn-and-talk experience.  It may seem like a lot, but is it worth it to get all kids engaged?  It will become more natural and more embedded as you use this strategy more and more. http://gfletchy.com/


 

Lindemann Lion Logo

February 22, 2016

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02/22. LINDEMANN DATA DAY (Roaming Subs)

02/23. Mike out of office.

02/24. PTA/PTSA Founder’s Day Event. Red Fawn Banquet Center 6:00 p.m

02/25. 9:00 am. Principals Mtg. Riley. / 4:00 – 7:00 PM Kindergarten Registration (Riley)

02/26. Mike at Labor Relations Conference. Lansing.

04/29. 4:00 p.m. MTSS Meeting Riley

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03/01. SIP Data Input (Michelle, George & Adrianna)

03/02. 1st Grade Field Trip Dearborn Performing Arts

03/03. Vicky Curry Shadowing Experience  /  4:00 ICC (Riley) /   6:30 p.m.  PTA Meeting.  Art Room

03/04. 6:00 p.m. Daddy/ Daughter Dance. Fairlane Club

03/07 – 03/11.  LINDEMANN BOOK FAIR

03/08. PTA Skating Party. Lincoln Park Skating

03/09. Book Fair PARENT NIGHT. 6:00 – 8:30 PM.

03/12. SPRING FEVER – Allen Park High School

03/14. 7:00 PM. SIP Board Presentation (APHS-LGI)

 

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Here is the link to the M-STEP practice test site.  A bookmark will also be added to the Chromebooks.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

M-STEP PRACTICE TEST SITE

 


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PTA SPONSORED FAMILY NIGHT

BROADCAST BOOTH

6550 Allen Road

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

4:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Flyers are being sent home today with your child.  

Please bring the flyer with you – 10% of your check kicks back to LINDEMANN!!

WOW – 10% !!! 

Hope to see you at the BROADCAST BOOTH on Feb. 23rd!


LINDEMANN ELEMENTARY

ART WORK ON DISPLAY!

Artists from:

Mrs. Easlick, Mrs. Lorenz and Mrs. Torok will have work displayed.

Art


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THANK YOU PARENTS

& SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Dear Principal,

Congratulations!  We are excited to present you with your 2016 Take Charge of Education check.

Thanks to parents, teachers and other supporters in your community, your school is benefiting from Take Charge of Education. Every time they shop with their RED Card, Target donates 1% of purchases at Target and Target.com to the eligible K-12 school they have designated.

Lindemann Elementary Received: $756.17

This money will be put towards the purchase of new technology in our classrooms.


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300+ Earbuds have been purchased!

APPS is providing a set of Earbuds for each student who will participate in M-STEP testing.

I have these devices in my office.  If a student chooses, they can bring in their own.

These are for the students to keep as their own.

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Michigan Model for Health

Michigan Model for Health

The Michigan Model for Health elementary level includes Kindergarten through Grade Six. Each grade level includes its own Teacher Manual with a corresponding Teacher Resources CD, and provides for a complete health education course, with lesson plans covering all health content for a given grade level in one binder*. Each grade level is sold separately.

The curriculum is packaged in a three-ring binder because it is a “living document.” Using addenda published online, teachers can download updates and changes to their grade level curriculum and replace pages within their manuals, making it easy to stay current…even with today’s limited resources.

TEACHERS:   Have we adopted the Michigan Model for Health?  Are we currently teaching any aspects of the Michigan Model for Health in our classes?  If so, what is being covered and at what grade level? 


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TEACHERS:

PLEASE ADD INTO YOUR CLASS BLOGS AND NEWSLETTERS.

This post went into the parent blog.  The district is seeing a decrease in the number of meals ordered across the board.  Please make sure you remind kids daily that it’s available and even send out the flyer in your blogs or texts.

Here at APPS, we take our meal service seriously by providing the best quality food that lines up with federal nutritional guidelines.  If you have never given our breakfast or lunch program a try, it’s always a good time to start.  Breakfast starts around 8:05 in the morning (You can drop off early and get the kids in a warm place) and of course we have our hot lunch and salad bar available every lunch time.  Please see the flyer for more information on healthy options available each day.

Food Service 1

Lunch 2


Teacher Tip: Fight the Third Quarter Slump

Keep your students motivated during the long winter months with these handy classroom tips and tricks

Written By in Teacher Tips and Activities on December 8th, 2015

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we can start our final countdown to the holiday break, which gives us teachers time to unwind, relax, and rejuvenate ourselves for the new semester. In my experience, the third quarter is always a tough one for students. To help get ahead of the curve, here are a few fun ideas to keep students motivated and help counteract the third quarter slump.

– See more at: http://www.dreambox.com/blog/teacher-tip-fight-the-third-quarter-slump#sthash.Nss66MRy.dpuf


Pro Tip: Using Front Row to track progress

Classrooms seem to be getting more crowded each and every year.  Teachers are supposed to track more data and progress than in years prior, but with these larger classrooms, data tracking has become increasingly difficult.  Front Row can help! Clicking on the Individual Practice button on your teacher dashboard will give you access to a number of different reports to help you track student progress.

This article will cover:

1. Tracking overall class progress using the Matrix page
2. Tracking daily progress using the Sessions page
3. Tracking standard progress using the Analysis page

 

CLICK LINK FOR MORE INFO:

https://frontrowed.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/204647998-Pro-Tip-Using-Front-Row-to-track-progress


Tech News February


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R E T E N T I O N

Now that we are heading towards the end of the year, the issue of possible retention for some students has surfaced.  As many of you may have heard, research indicates that retention is not a viable strategy. Meeting to put in place a structured intervention plan for the following school year, in the next grade level, aligns more with our MTSS plans and helping students succeed, not to mention the social-emotional benefits of remains with your classmates.  That said, I will certainly sit with all of you and review your thoughts on students that may be on the bubble, but there will need to be enough data evidence and lack of progress to show that retention would be of benefit, beyond an intense intervention plan.   Please see me as we go through the next few months to review any students you strongly feel should be retained.  Please be sure we follow the proper procedures, we must have documentation that parent meetings have taken place and that our parents are updated.  No surprises.

Some research:

http://educationbythenumbers.org/content/new-research-failing-students_2034/

http://intranet.niacc.edu/pres_copy(1)/ILC/The_Retention_Debate.pdf

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_199005_shepard.pdf


 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR – KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP

at Arno, Bennie and Lindemann Elementary

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 – 6:00 p.m.

*Children who are five years of age by September 2 thru December 1 may only be enrolled for kindergarten at the request of the parent/guardian through a signed waiver process. Waiver form is available at the Riley Education Center.


Team Jack and the Lymphoblaster’s

Team Jack

Team Jack and the Lymphoblaster’s

Hi, my name is Jack and I am five years old. I’m a kindergartener at Lindemann Elementary. Some of my favorite things to do are play on the iPad, go outside, and play with my stuffed animals. I love watching different shows and movies, but Toy Story, Phineas and Ferb, Minions and Star Wars are my favorite.  I’m also pretty good at sports. I love gym class and going to Wayne State to practice different sports with some of my friends. I’m a great listener and am really good at following the rules.

On January 7th I came to school and went to gym class like I always do on Thursday. This Thursday was different though. I did not feel well and couldn’t run when the teacher told me to. I grabbed my stomach and started to cry. I have autism and the disorder has made it very difficult for me to talk and express how I feel. My teachers knew something was wrong though. They called my parents and I had to leave school. Other kids in my class had the flu so that’s what we thought was wrong with me, too. A few days passed and I wasn’t getting better so my parents took me to the hospital. The doctors thought I wasn’t drinking enough. They helped rehydrate my body and I got to go back home to rest. A couple more days passed by and I still wasn’t getting better. Back to the hospital I went. This time I had a collapsed lung that was filled with fluid. They drained my lung and told me I had to stay the night there. The next day was rough. A lot of doctors visited me and they did a bunch of tests.  On January 19th we found I had cancer. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s T-cell Lymphoma. I’m now in the fight for my life! I get chemotherapy two times a week and can no longer go to school, but I’m a fighter and will beat this!

We are asking for donations to help with every aspect of life, but most importantly, for Jack to be comfortable. Your support and generosity are greatly appreciated. If you wish to donate, please click the “gofundme” logo. God bless. #TeamJack

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Feb 15, 2016

 

02-February

02/15 – MID WINTER BREAK. No School

02/16 – MID WINTER BREAK. No School

02/18. 9:30 am. Safety Committee Mtg. Riley.

02/19. 6:00 p.m. Mother & Son Fun Night. Fairlane Club.

02/22. LINDEMANN DATA DAY (Roaming Subs)

02/24. PTA/PTSA Founder’s Day Event.

02/25. 9:00 am. Principals Mtg. Riley.

02/26. Mike at Labor Relations Conference. Lansing.

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03/04. 6:00 p.m. Daddy/ Daughter Dance. Fairlane Club

03/08. PTA Skating Party. Lincoln Park Skating

03/07 – 03/11.  LINDEMANN BOOK FAIR


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THANK YOU!

Through the eProve survey system sponsored by Advan-ED.  We were able to collect very important information from our stake holders.

We gather 84 parent surveys, 42 staff surveys and 360 student surveys


Mid-Year Review

Have you picked a time and date on our shared calendar?

Please fill out and bring the Mid Year Evaluation Checklist with you to our meeting.

MidTerm Evaluation Checklist 2014-15

Mid-Year Evaluation Reflection 2014-15-2


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R O A M I N G   S U B   S C H E D U L E
Date Scheduled: Monday, February 22, 2016
  • 8:40 – 9:30 Main Office / Prep: 9:30 – 10:20 – 3rd Grade
  • 9:35 – 10:25 Main Office / Prep 10:25 – 11:15 – 4th Grade
  • 10:30 – 11:20  Main Office / Prep: 11:20 – 12:10 – 5th Grade
  • 12:00 – 12:50 Main Office / Prep: 12:50 – 1:40 – K
  • 12:55 – 1:45 Main Office / Prep: 1:45 – 2:35 – 1st Grade
  • 1:50 – 2:40 Main Office / Prep: 2:40 – 3:30 – 2nd Grade

 

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MOTHER / SON FUN NIGHT

Friday, February 19, 2016

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

5000 Fairlane Woods Dr.

Dearborn, MI 48126

$25.00 Per Couple

$9.00 each additional student

YOU MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED for this event.

Please register with the flyer that was sent home.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact:

Bob Crank: crankbobby@yahoo.com

Erin Walaszek: erinwalaszek@yahoo.com

Laura Corradi: lindemannboxtops@yahoo.com


MARK YOUR CALENDAR – KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP

at Arno, Bennie and Lindemann Elementary

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 – 6:00 p.m.

*Children who are five years of age by September 2 thru December 1 may only be enrolled for kindergarten at the request of the parent/guardian through a signed waiver process. Waiver form is available at the Riley Education Center.


This post went into the parent blog.  The district is seeing a decrease in the number of meals ordered across the board.  Please make sure you remind kids daily that it’s available and even send out the flyer in your blogs or texts.

Here at APPS, we take our meal service seriously by providing the best quality food that lines up with federal nutritional guidelines.  If you have never given our breakfast or lunch program a try, it’s always a good time to start.  Breakfast starts around 8:05 in the morning (You can drop off early and get the kids in a warm place) and of course we have our hot lunch and salad bar available every lunch time.  Please see the flyer for more information on healthy options available each day.

Food Service Breakfast

Food Service Lunch


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Did you know that we have raised over $2,100 by collecting BOX TOPS?
PLEASE continue to add this information with the logo into your BLOGS / NEWSLETTERS.

KEEP SAVING THOSE BOX TOPS LINDEMANN FAMILIES! I want to take a minute to introduce myself and the Box Tops program here at Lindemann. My name is Laura Corradi, and I am Lindemann’s Box Tops coordinator. My son, Gabriel is in Mrs. Bartnick’s 4th grade class. I have been running the Box Tops program for the last 2 years.
For those who may not be familiar, BTFE (Box Tops for Education) is a program sponsored by General Mills that allows schools the opportunity to earn money for collecting the “box tops” from the products you purchase. Each of the box tops collected are worth 10 cents. These add up VERY quickly. This is money that is given directly to the Lindemann PTA. There are no strings attached. Nothing to sell, nothing to deliver. This is the easiest way for our school to earn money for the students and classrooms. Simply collect them and send them to school. This is FREE MONEY!!! Our total at the final collection at the end of the last year was $4543.80!The year before that- $6429.26! That is $10,973 in two years just for clipping the corner of your cereal box! Not just your cereal box, either, there are hundreds of products you use everyday. I will post a link to the list of products that participate in the BTFE program. All we need from you is for you to collect them and send them in with your student.
As we have done for the past two years, there will be a monthly contest, but I have made some significant changes to the way this is being run for the 2015-2016 school year. I spent the summer trying to think of ways that we can include more of our students into the awards process every month. I wanted to come up a way for every student to feel like they are a part of something no matter what their contribution. I wanted a family with five kids in five different classrooms to each have a chance to win every month. This is my main goal. We have done away with the 25 Box Tops = 1 raffle ticket contest each month. It will no longer be necessaryto collect in groups of 25 or to label them with your student’s name. Going forward, we will have a monthly classroom contest. Each month, the class that collects the most box tops will win a popcorn party! In addition, at the end of the year the class with the highest cumulative total from Sept.-May will win the colossal pizza party!
There are a few simple things that you will need to do for your child’s class to benefit:
* Please make sure your student puts the BTFE in the classroom envelope. Most teachers have theirs outside of the classroom door. It is not necessary to label the bag or group in 25’s.
* Please make sure they have not expired! BTFE does not accept expired Box Tops.
That is all you need to do! If your student has already turned in BTFE this school year, don’t worry, they were counted. I am combining Sept/Oct for the contest since we got off to a late launch for the program. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I’m looking forward to another successful Box Tops year. Thank you again for your participation!
Laura Corradi
Lindemann Box Tops

 

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SPRING FEVER BASKETS

Please don’t forget to have your Room Parent assist with creating

a class or grade level basket to be donated to the Spring Fever Event.

Mrs. Kusulas is creating a Lindemann Staff Basket

on our behalf through our “jeans” fund.  Thank you!

 


Serenading the Front Office Staff

Thank you Mr. Hoffman & Class


LINDEMANN

S T E M  C L U B

60+ Members Strong

Thank you Mrs. Kusulas & Mrs. Lacey!

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CHESS CLUB IN ACTION!

Thank You Mr. Wahl & Mr. McDermott

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Chime Choir Practice

Thank you Mr. Hoffman!

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February 8, 2016

 

02-February

02/08. 9:00 am. Administrative Council at Riley. / 7:00 pm. Board of Education Meeting.  H.S. LGI

02/09. 9:30 am. Mike with Dr. Sturock.  Evaluation Mtg.

02/10. Student Count Day. / 9:30 am. Wellness Committee at Riley. / 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences.

02/11. Vicki Currry Administrative Shadowing. / 9:30 am. Lock Down Drill. / 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.  Parent Teacher Conferences.

02/12 Extra Prep Time / Math Data Review (see schedule below)

02/14. Happy Valentines Day

02/15 – MID WINTER BREAK. No School

02/16 – MID WINTER BREAK. No School

02/18. 9:30 am. Safety Committee Mtg. Riley.

02/19. 6:00 p.m. Mother & Son Fun Night

02/22. LINDEMANN DATA DAY

02/24. PTA/PTSA Founder’s Day Event. Time/Location TBD

02/25. 9:00 am. Principals Mtg. Riley.

02/26. Mike at Labor Relations Conference. Lansing.


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BALLOON RACES


February is Kindergarten Registration Month in Allen Park!

Please feel free to share attached info with friends and neighbors
(This information is for families living in APPS boundaries as well as current School of Choice families)

Kindergarten Roundup


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LUNCH WITH MR. DARGA

PBIS PRIDE PAW WINNERS

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DataDay_LOGO
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
& MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!  I will provide a 50 minute time slot for your grade level on 2/12/16 to meet and discuss your math data. This time will back up to your prep time giving you 100 possible minutes to work as a team.
Please bring your kids to the gym during your time. I will ask our Specials Teachers to work with me and pick up their classes from the gym on this day.
Date Scheduled: Friday, February 12, 2016
  • 8:40 – 9:30 Gym. / Prep: 9:30 – 10:20 – 3rd Grade
  • 9:35 – 10:25 Gym / Prep: 10:25 – 11:15 – 4th Grade
  • 10:30 – 11:20 Gym / Prep: 11:20 – 12:10 – 5th Grade
  • 12:00 – 12:50 Gym / Prep: 12:50 – 1:40 – K
  • 12:55 – 1;45 Gym / Prep: 1:45 – 2:35 – 1st Grade
  • 1:50 – 2:40 Gym / Prep: 2:40 – 3:30 – 2nd Grade
If you are scheduled for Book Check Out, I envision your team working together in the Media Center during that time so they teacher can “observe” while meeting with the team.  I am open to suggestions if there is a better idea to discuss.
You may or may not be able to complete your math data in this time frame. Please take a look at how you can use your common prep time, designed for this type of activity to complete this task.
Please let me know how I can support you as we work through this new process together.
We will then meet again as a grade level team on Monday, Feb. 22nd.  Rotating subs have been scheduled.  We will meet in the main office.
Mike D.

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Mr. McDermott & KHAN Academy

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Print

FOUNDER’S DAY

Congratulations to all the APPS PTS/PTSA Council Founder’s Day winners.
Come join us for dinner and help congratulate each of our winners and find out who is the winner of the PTA/PTSA COUNCIL 2016 MICHIGAN LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARD is onTuesday February 24 at 6:00 pm at the Red Fawn Banquet 6600 Allen Road, Allen Park.
Tickets are available for purchase in your school office for $20 each.
ARNO
Distinguished Service: Kelly Ellis
Outstanding Educator: Barb Pushman
Outstanding Personnel: Steven Zielinski
Outstanding Program: Carrie Solak
Business Partner of the Year: Running Fit -Ann Arbor
 
BENNIE
Distinguished Service: Dr. Janine Hall
Outstanding Educator: Teri Simonds
Outstanding Personnel: Debbie Brown
Outstanding Program: Ysenia Houchins
Outstanding Program: Kristie Lauth
Business Partner of the Year: Jet’s Pizza Allen Park
 
LINDEMANN
Distinguished Service: Maria Abdalm
Outstanding Educator: Mrs. Bowdell
Outstanding Personnel: Diane Gurisko
Outstanding Program: Mileage Club
Business Partner of the Year: AP Chiropractic
 
APMS
Outstanding Student: Nick Wrona
Distinguished Service: Billi Clair
Distinguished Service: Lucia McDonald
Outstanding Educator: Chris Seasock
Outstanding Personnel: Barb Tyszkiewicz
Outstanding Program: Art Connect – Lisa Robertson & Pam Guier APHS
Outstanding Student: Miranda Martin
Distinguished Service: Jackie Martin
Outstanding Educator: Jori Kiesel
Outstanding Personnel: Laurie Grant
Outstanding Program: SADD Mock Crash Simulation
Business Partner of the Year: Liberati’s
COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Lucia McDonald
LIFETIME MEMBER OF TIME THE YEAR
??????????

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Conferences

All report cards are going this Friday in preparation for next weeks conf.  The P/T conferences will be next Wed., Feb. 10 and Thursday Feb. 11 from 5:00-7:30 daily.  Please let me know if you need me to attend one of your conferences.  Please encourage your parents to head out to the book fair when finished.  I have put some conference resources below.

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(from Teaching With a Mountain View)

I will never forget the 20 minute conference for my step-daughter that included no time for questions, no time for discussion, and no time for parent input.  When the 20 minutes of her talking was over, we were told she had another parent following us, and if we wanted to discuss anything further, we could set up a separate time. Wait, what?

I always start off the conference with “What questions do you have for me?  I want to make sure we make this time together valuable.”  I have found that parents really appreciate starting the conference by opening up the floor to them.  It is my belief that if a parent is coming in with a question or a concern, it’s going to be the only thing on their mind regardless of what I’m saying, so it’s better to start with it right off the bat.  That, and sometimes a concern that parents have is more worthy of your 20 minutes together than discussing data.

Of course, you are always going to come across parents who have absolutely no concerns (or absolutely no idea what is going on in school) and want you to do all of the talking.  Regardless, after starting the conference this way, I am always left with some sort of feeling of how the conference is going to go, the level of involvement that parent has, and what is important to the parent. Giving the option never hurts, though, and I have found that it really helps guide the direction of the conference.

Bottom Line: Don’t Be The Star of the Show

During that same conference I referenced above, we were left with not one single piece of paper.  Grades had been spewed, test scores had been referenced, and we had been told about a number of upcoming projects that would be due.  How could I remember all of that information, even with my background in education?

That said, I believe it crucial to let the parents leave with something and to be prepared with the appropriate copies and materials.  If you are going to discuss the report card, make sure you have a copy of it to leave with the parents, and better yet, have pens on the table for parents to take notes.  If you are going to discuss test scores, make sure you have a sheet that interprets scores and briefly describes the test.  Most parents don’t know what a CBM (Curriculum Based Measurement) is, or the number of words a student SHOULD be reading per minute.  They don’t know what a Lexile Level is or how to use it.  Include that information with their scores.

Now with the Common Core and Standards Based Grading, this is going to be even more important.  If you are going to chat about the common core, type up a quick blurb about what it looks like in your classroom so that parents can take it with them if they so choose.  If you are going to discuss a book report that is due two weeks from now, have a few extra assignment sheets handy in the event that Little Johnny has forgotten to mention it to mom and dad.

This is the organizational method that has worked for me for years… I grab a large piece of construction paper for each child in my room, fold it in half, and write their name on the top.  When I get my conferences scheduled, I write their date and time below their name.  Then, I put all of the folders in the scheduled order.  I include something tangible for just about everything I am going to be talking about so that I don’t have a chance to forget anything.

Bottom Line: Be prepared and don’t let parents leave empty-handed!

This was one that I missed my first go around, and in hindsight it looks so completely obvious.  I had all my papers ready to go, but nothing with which to take notes!  I would try to remember all the parent requests and quickly write them down, hoping I recalled them all, before my next conference arrived.  (Was it Jimmy that needed to use the restroom every 2 hours, or was he the one who mom wanted me to send home extra addition practice sheets?)  I quickly learned the importance of having a notepad nearby and jotting down any important notes.  I would place a *star* next to any note that required a response or immediate action from me and review it the Monday after conferences.

Bottom Line: Make sure you have a way to make sure you keep your promises!

I remember anxiously awaiting the return of my parents each time they attended a conference for me when I was young.  I try to alleviate this anxiety by having a little mini-conference with my students beforehand and giving them the kid-friendly version of the conference.  If this isn’t possible for timing reasons, I at least tell my whole class what we will be talking about.  Most kids have a general sense of how they are doing (especially in third grade and up), so if you tell them you are going to discuss behavior, participation, attendance, and report card grades, they may or may not leave with a valid reason to be anxious. :)

Bottom Line: Don’t let your students stew at home while their parents meet with you!

Try to keep in mind that the main thing parents care about is that you care about their child and his or her education.  Find a round table or a pair of desks to use and sit next to the parents. Never, ever, ever, ever sit behind your desk for conferences.  Avoid putting your desk between you and the parent, which can be a literal and figurative barrier to your partnership.

Bottom Line: Teaching is a partnership with parents.  Show them that!

Give parents the option to write a little note to their student to leave on their desk.

Bottom Line: Let them say “Hello!”

Long gone are the days that the only two times parents and teachers communicate are at Spring and Fall conferences.  I end every conference by emphasizing to parents that they can call or shoot me an email anytime.  This gives parents a sense of confidence and an open line of communication.  Make sure you mean it–if parents email or call you, do your best to respond within 24 hours.

Bottom Line: Parent communication doesn’t end when conferences do.

If you are reading this with that pang of worry in the back of your mind about that one conference that isn’t going to be so fun…consider reaching out now, before conferences.  The last thing you want to do is blindside a parent with significant behavior concerns or major academic concerns when you only have 20 minutes to talk.   If it has been three weeks since Kimmy has turned in homework, give parents a call ahead of time and come up with a plan.  If Jackson is failing every single spelling test, it’s probably a good idea to let parents know ahead of time and start coming up with some ideas together.  Then, at conferences you can spend a few minutes following up on those issues, updating the progress, and brainstorming how you will tackle it together.

It’s difficult to make uncomfortable phone calls, but I can almost guarantee that your conferences will go much more smoothly when you reach out to parents ahead of time with any sort of earth-shattering news.  Don’t let parents have a reason to go home and say, “How did I not know about this for the past two months?”

Bottom Line: If at all possible, avoid surprises!

I know there are people who won’t agree with me on this one, but I don’t think it’s reasonable to bring up every concern you have with a child.  Parents need to leave feeling like this was a positive interaction, and if you spend your entire time telling them all of the negative things about their child, I assure you, they won’t remember the two positive things you said.  So, choose wisely.  If Emma chats with her neighbor often but is also being a bully on the playground, it’s probably more worthwhile to mention the bullying than the chattiness.  If Tyler is failing math and using the restroom at inappropriate times, math is probably most worth your time.

Bottom Line:  If you have negative agenda items, choose wisely.

If you are anything like me, I am incredibly awkward with goodbyes.  Conferences bring out that fear-of-goodbye tenfold because sometimes I have to end the conversation, and that is tricky, tricky for me.  I want to give parents my full attention, but therein lies the problem. I want to give ALL my parents the full attention, which means I need to start and end of time.

Figure out how you will end a conference, especially if it’s time for your next parent, and you are still half way through your conversation.  Consider saying something along the lines of…”I am so glad we were able to meet today, but there is another parent waiting.  I know we still need to talk about XYZ, so when would be the best time to do that?”

Bottom Line: Be prepared to end it.  Know how that will go!