PBS

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! By now you have probably heard about our "Three to Be" pledge of being safe, kind, and responsible. You may also have seen a "Top Bear" sticker or heard about classroom celebrations. All these things are part of our Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program or PBS. Each classroom has a color chart where all students start on green and have a visual reminder of how their day is going. The research shows that students should have a 4 to 1 ratio of positive interactions to negative. Our focus is on recognizing positive behavior. You may hear statements such as, "I like the way this classroom walks down the hall" or "Thank you for showing such good manners in the lunch room." The positive statements to one child or class will improve the behavior of those around them. Research also shows that the action word we use with children is what stays in their mind. For example, if I say "Don't run" the word in their mind is run. If I say, "Please walk" the word walk is in their mind and helps them process that into a positive action. PBS is not a new concept and something that has helped students and schools for many years in developing positive and respectful interactions. We also promote our PBS program with a student of the month assembly for each character trait. You'll be hearing and seeing more about that soon. We get what we focus on and at Buchanan, we focus on the positives! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, September 27: Lifetouch Picture Day (beginning with kindergarten students)

Friday, September 29: PTA FUN RUN 6:30-8:00 PM

Friday, October 6: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

Wednesday, October 18: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                     Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 19: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                     Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF

Miss Williams - First Grade Teacher

Hello Buchanan families! I am so excited to be a part of the Buchanan family this year! This is my second year working with Livonia Public Schools. Last year, I was at Cass Elementary School and I also taught first grade there. I absolutely love my job and teaching has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I am recently engaged and have a cat named Theodore and a dog named Morgan that my students hear about all the time! I love to travel and am a huge Detroit Red Wings fan, Go Wings!

My goal this year is to ensure that all my students feel like they can do anything they set their minds to and that no goal is out of reach for them to achieve. 

Five words that I would use to describe Buchanan are: Loving, Energetic, Safe, Respectful, and Dedicated. 

PTA POINTS

• FUN RUN is this Friday September 29, 6:30-8:30pm!! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year! Join us for our first ever Glow Run- we will have a DJ, Kona Ice, t-shirts for all Buchanan students, glow sticks, bottles of water, photo area- you won't want to miss out on the fun! Our school goal is $15,000 and we still have a ways to go. This money helps fund supplies for classrooms, Raz-kids (Reading A-Z), student magazines used in the classroom, field trips, assemblies, 4th grade celebration,etc. Parents- join in the fun by walking/running with your child- we will have K-2 run from 7:00-7:30 and 3-4 from 7:30-8:00pm. Shirts will be sent home on Thursday- we encourage all kids to wear theirs to the event. 

• Reminder- our PTA membership drive is ending on September 29. Membership is accepted all year long but if you want a chance to win 1 of (4) $25 Target gift cards, please send in your membership form and payment by this date. Please make checks payable to Buchanan PTA for membership and Fun Run donations. 

Did you know that safety is our first job at Buchanan? One of the safety procedures that Buchanan and other LPS schools have in place is visitor check-in at the office. Once the morning bell rings, all adult visitors and volunteers should check in at the office. If a person is volunteering, they simply need to sign-in on our visitor sheet and get a visitor sticker. This allows all our staff and students to know that you have checked in at the office. We love our volunteers at Buchanan and appreciate all they do. By following our safety protocols, we can be welcoming to our visitors and volunteers and still keep all our students safe. Thank you for your continued support. Great things are happening at Buchanan!