Hoover Highlights

A Publication for the Hoover Elementary

School Community September 24,2013

A note from the Principal

Greetings Hoover Families,

Communication is key! We are working hard to communicate with our Hoover families to keep you connected. The partnership we share with you makes such a positive impact on the school experience for your child. We encourage all students to be respectful, responsible, kind, proud, and safe members of our community. Families, staff, and our community, work together to ensure that your child will have a positive and productive school experience. It is our privilege to educate your child every day at Hoover Elementary School.

  • Thank you to our PTA Executive Board for their help in starting up the school year. We have such a talented, energetic, and committed group of parents working with us this year. They have already been very busy planning events, assembling packets, decorating the lobby, organizing practical fun, fundraisers and keeping our sign messages up to date.
  • Thank you to all of the parents who attended Open House/Curriculum Night—we appreciate your time with us. If you were not able to attend, your child’s teacher has sent home the information packet for you to review.
  • Be sure to check out our website, as well as to sign up for e-News and classroom news. We hope to have ALL of our families who have access to the internet signed up for these important messages. Right now, we’re about 60% of the way there!
  • For families new to Hoover, you will be seeing this key communication piece “Hoover Highlights”every third Tuesday through e-news or on our website. If you need a hard copy to come home via backpack mail with your child please complete the form which is located on the last page.
  • Another great way for me to keep in touch with our parents is at our “Coffee with the Principal”. Last Thursday, I was so pleased to welcome parents for our coffee talk. You were a terrific audience…please come back again!! We took a few minutes to discuss some homework suggestions including the PNP sandwich method. When you begin to support your child with homework, always start with a positive comment (P), than a correction which could be interpreted as a negative (N) and then provide another positive statement (P). For example:

P: “Good job bringing home your folder”.

N: “I noticed that we need to take a look at #2 and #3 again”.

P: “I like the way you stuck with it even though it was challenging”.

  • Welcome Table! We love the PTA-sponsored welcome table. In the front lobby, you will find a Hoover parent volunteer hosting the table everyday between 9:00-9:30 a.m. The Welcome Table assists during that busy morning time checking in students who arrive late, and writing out bus passes. If you arrive at school with items your child has forgotten, please drop them at the Welcome Table and they will be delivered to your child.
  • Thank you to the cub scouts for the landscaping work around the sign and in front of the school entrance. They were able to spread mulch, pull weeds, and plant flowers. We appreciate all of the pride they have shown as Hoover Rockets.

Our purpose at Hoover Elementary School is to make learning our first priority. As a principal, I will support that goal by being present in classrooms, observing teaching and learning. Therefore, I may not be immediately available in the office when you visit, but I will always contact you within 24 hours. If there’s an emergency, please leave a message with Mrs. Holmes and she will notify me.

Warm regards,

Julie Linn

A few other notes & reminders…

Student Check-Out

Please remember that a parent must come into the office to sign-out his/her student for appointments or early exit. The office will then call down for the student, and the child leaves the office with his/her parent. Children cannot be dismissed directly from the classroom, lunchroom, or the playground to the parent. We must have record of the adult picking up the child and be able to provide visual recognition of this adult, or check the identification ofanother adult who has been sent in the parent’s place. Please know that some of our staff who are new to Hoover may not recognize you and may ask for ID—this is for your child’s safety and well being. Thank you for cooperating with this important procedure.

Going Home with another Student

Many of our students enjoy planning play dates with friends after school. If you have given permission for your child to go to a friend’s house after school, a note from the parent of EACH studentinvolvedMUST be sent to school. The written note documents permission and ensures safety without confusion. Also, when a bus is involved, the office is required to have students give the note to the bus driver.

Student Drop Off: What would a start-of-the-year newsletter be without a few reminders about the parking lot!! Mr. O’Loughlin,

Mrs. Nowotny, Mrs. Paris, Ms. Lasecki, Mrs. Flak and I ask for your cooperation with the following:

*In the north parking lot used for student drop off and pick up, cars must be continuously moving through the right drop off lane, stopping only to drop off your student. If you are desirous of watching your child walk to the line-up area, please use one of the many parking spaces to park your car - even those waiting only a short time delay the other families waiting to drop off.

*When dropping off, pleasemoveas far forward as possible so that additional cars are able to move in behind you. Our boys and girls do just fine walking those few extra yards, and it allows traffic to move freely.

*In the area marked “NO PARKING” carsshouldNOTbeparked, or left sitting, in that lane, as it disrupts the flow off all other traffic. You are welcome to use a parking spot if you would like to assist your child out of the car - pleaseonly use the lane if your child will be independently exiting the vehicle.

*When walking from the parking lot to the school, please always use thecrosswalk so that we can ensure your safety and the safety of your child. Our parking lot supervisors, Mr. O., Mrs. Nowotny, Ms. Lasecki, and Mrs. Flak are happy to stop traffic so that you and your family are able to cross.

*This year, we have four Kindergarten classes dismissing in the afternoon. Many of these parents are parking in the lot and walking their children back to their car. If you have older students, perhaps they could cross Levan, with our wonderful crossing guards and you could meet them at the swim club parking lot or across the street.

*For parent pick up at the end of the day, as well as during drop off in the morning, please DO NOTuse the south lot, which is for staff and busses only. All parents and visitors are asked to use the NORTH LOT. Thank you.

BUS STOP RULES

The school rules apply at all of our bus stops as well. For the safety of our Hoover Rockets, we ask parents to please refrain from smoking or bringing dogs to the bus stop. Thank you for your support.

2013 – 2014 DAILY SCHEDULES

All Grades

8:49 a.m. Entry bell rings

8:54 a.m. Classes begin

3:58 p.m. Dismissal

Lunch and Recess schedule

Kindergarten, Third and Fourth Grade

12:10-12:30 p.m. Recess

12:30-1:00 p.m. Lunch

First, and Second Grade

12:10-12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:30-1:00 p.m. Recess

Afternoon Recess schedule

All Grades

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Attendance Calls

At Hoover, we use an automated calling system for students who are absent from school. Parents do not have to call the school to report an absence. You only need to call in the event of an extended absence or in cases of communicable diseases, such as head lice, chicken pox, measles and pinkeye. Your child’s safety is of greatest concern to us. In order to ensure safety and to confirm that a child is absent with parent knowledge, an automated system will make calls on the day of the absence.

Hoover Handbook Highlights

Each edition of the Hoover Highlights, we will summarize a selection of our student handbook. It is important to read and review the student handbook with your child. You can access itunder the “For Parents” tab on our website at

Forbidden Articles - Students will not bring forbidden articles to school such as tobacco, matches, lighters, caps, knives, or laser pointers. Students may never bring explosives, weapons, weapon look-alikes, or toy weapons of any kind to school. Glass containers are unsafe and should not be brought to school. Electronic toys, games, and equipment are not allowed.Students may not carry electroniccommunication devices such as pagers, handheld computing devices or cellular phones, on school grounds or on the bus, except when approved by the principal.

On Tuesday, September 17ththe boys and girls participated in the “Freedom Run” to celebrate all of the special freedoms we share as citizens of the United States of America. We formed a giant U-S-A as a school and sang the Star Spangled Banner. Thank you to Mr. O’Loughlin, the PTA and the numerous parent volunteers who made this day so successful.

On Friday, September 20th, Hoover celebrated International Day of Peace. Many students wore white and we reviewed our mission behaviors of “BEING SAFE AND BEING KIND” during the lunch period. Mrs. Bice and Mrs. Linn went into each classroom last week to review our behavior expectations, including being kind and keeping our hands to ourselves.

Notes from the Kitchen:

Welcome Back! A few notes on breakfast and lunch:

Lunch Payments:

Lunch cost is $3.25, reduced lunch is 40 cents. Sending in your child's payment to school is the fastest way to get it on their account. Payments received by 10:30a.m. will post that day. Note: Please remember to put your child's first and last name on any payments you send in.

Domino's Pizza day - A reminder that an extra slice (limit one extra slice per child, please) is $1.00. If your child has a balance on his/her account, it is NOT necessary to send in an extra dollar. If you pay daily, the price is $4.25 for a two-slice lunch. Children who are free/reduced must pay for the 2nd slice.

Breakfast

Time: 8:40 - 8:55a.m.

Place: The Gym

Price: $1.75

Reduced - 30 cents

Details: We offer a daily variety of tasty, quick breakfasts for your child (ren) that is nutritionally balanced. These include bagels, mini cinnamon rolls, banana bread, cold cereal and many other choices. Children arriving before 8:50 a.m. may eat at the lunch table, after that, they can take their food "to go".

Please note: Children who want cereal MUST arrive by 8:45 so that they have time to eat it in the gym. We cannot allow them to take it to their classrooms.

If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by the kitchen or give us a call.

Thank You!

Mrs. Kathy Ryan - Kitchen Manager

Ms. Karen Wilcox - Kitchen Assistant

Move toward Waste-Free Lunch Packing

Ever heard of waste-free lunches? Not only are they easier on the environment, but they are also easier on the wallet! Instead of packing disposable bags, containers, drink boxes, etc; opt for reusable lunch boxes, containers, water bottles, utensils and cloth napkins. By buying in bulk and packing reusable containers, families can recycle bulk containers at home to help the environment, while saving an estimated $246 per school year on lunches! Give it a try!

Meet our new staff member….

About Mrs. Miller

Thank you very much for the warm welcome to Hoover! I feel blessed to be part of this friendly and supportive community. I’m looking forward to learning more about all of you and your families! I'm happy to say that I have a loving and supportive husband named Mike, a 3 year old son Nathan, and a little one on the way. We enjoy spending time together as a family. Camping, golfing, sports, and cooking are among a few things that we do during our summers. Most of all, Mike and I enjoy being parents.

I have taught Kindergarten for 13 years and also spent 5 years as a Reading Recovery teacher and Elementary Literacy Specialist. I’ve been trained to work with gifted and talented children as well.Differentiating instruction for all learning levels and styles is a teaching method I implement and enjoy. I hold a Master Degree with several additional endorsements in Early Childhood, Reading, Science, and Math. I’ve taught for Grand Valley State University as an adjunct professor during my summers, but I’m very excited to have made it full circle back to All Day Kindergarten. I taught All Day Kindergarten for several years in the past and it’s my favorite program to teach! Teaching little ones to read and write is my passion! I’m looking forward to an exciting year of learning and growing with this wonderful community!Cynthia Miller

PTA News

A Note for our President

Marilyn Friedrich….

Here’s what’s happening!

It is an exciting time of year as we watch the yellow school buses transporting our precious cargo down the neighborhood streets. Inside, our children are filled with curiosity and enthusiasm on their way to the familiar routine that the new school year brings.

Welcome, new Hoover students and families and welcome back to our returning students and families as we celebrate the successful start to the new school year! My name is Marilyn Friedrich and it is an honor and privilege to serve as your PTA President. Being part of the Hoover PTA has been an enormously rewarding experience. Each day, I am humbled and inspired by the Hoover staff and by so many amazing volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to help make each child’s elementary school experience one that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

ALL NEW! Outdoor Movie Night…You don’t want to miss this! Please mark your calendar for Friday, September 27th at 7:00 p.m. Outside on the playground we will watch Despicable Me on the side of our very own Hoover Elementary School! How fun! Save room for popcorn!

Hoot-n-Howl

Get ready for a HOWLIN’ great time! The Hoot-n-Howl will be held on Friday, October 25, from6:00pm-8:00pm. Children are welcome to dress in costumes (no masks, blood or weapons, please). We will be offering a few games, refreshments, and a DJ. Also, the drawing for our fundraising cash raffle will be drawn at the end of the celebration!

Dinner is served!

DJ and Dancing

Games and Activities all evening

Raffle fundraiser drawing will be at the end of the evening

Watch for an “e-blast” with a link to Signup Genius to volunteer during the event

Please contact Beckie VanHollebeke f you would like to help organize decorations, food or games.

Hoover PTA Membership

PTA Membership Dues are $13.00 for a family membership (2 adults) and $7.00 for a single membership (1 adult). Did you know that last year, every teacher at Hoover Elementary was a PTA Member? Thank you for supporting our AMAZING HOOVER ROCKETS!

Hoover Spirit Wear

We are super excited to be offering NEW SPIRIT WEAR! If you did not have a chance to purchase before the September deadline, Spirit Wear will be back this spring! We hope you will wear your Hoover Spirit Wear with pride!

Hoover PTA Cash Raffle

This year our cash raffle will be our main fundraiser. Tickets are just $2.00 each and we are asking that each Hoover family sell 30 tickets. Purchase these tickets for yourself (and improve your odds of winning) or share the cost with friends, family or neighbors and co-workers. There are three prizes:

1st Prize - $575

2nd Prize - $375

3rd Prize - $275

All tickets (sold and unsold) are due by October 16, 2013 with one check payable to, “Hoover PTA” (no cash please). To order tickets just send an email to ith your child's name and teacher's name and 30 raffle tickets will be sent home in your child's backpack mail. We realize that selling raffle tickets is not for everyone so if you would prefer, we are also accepting cash donations. Please keep in mind that every little ticket sold and every donation big or small directly benefits our students. The raffle drawing will take place at the Hoot N’ Howl on Friday, October 25th. Good luck and thank you for your participation!

A Call for Masterworks Volunteers

Masterworks is looking for parent volunteers! Your children love when you share Masterworks Art with their class! Masterworks is a series of fine art prints volunteers take into the classroom. Teachers remain in the classroom. Most art visits are 20-30 minutes in length and are scheduled about once a month. No art experience or art history background needed. We have lots of experienced presenters who can help you with fun ideas for your classroom visit. And you are always welcome to watch an experienced volunteer during their classroom fine art visit. Masterworks is a great way to get involved with your child’s classroom!