BOO!!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! PTA put on another fantastic Boo Bash this year and created a fun event for our Buchanan students and families. I hope you were able to attend the event and have some Halloween fun with our school community! A big THANK YOU to all the staff and volunteers who made this possible and gave us all a frightfully good time!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, October 28: Students of the Month Assembly (Respect)

Thursday, October 31: Kindergarten Halloween Parade 11:15 AM, Halloween Costume Parade for Grades 1-4 at 2:45 PM

Tuesday, November 5: No School for Students (Teacher Professional Development Day)

Thursday, November 14: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM

Please remember for the Costume Parade: No bloody, gory, or violent costumes and no weapons please!  Students may wear masks during the parade only (not in class or on bus). The 1-4 grade students will parade on the walking track in the back of the school and parents can take pictures there.  Parents are welcome to sign students out from the classrooms, following the parade. 

PTA POINTS 

• Get 10% off your Buchanan spirit wear order by using code TRICK10 now through October 31. Visit our spirit wear store to place your order: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

• The PTA needs your photos for Buchanan's yearbook! If you have photos from any of our events, your child's classroom activities, or anything else related to Buchanan, please email them to pta.buchanan1@gmail.com with "yearbook" in the subject line and a brief description of the photos (e.g., "Fun Run," "McGuigan's class," "4th grade field trip," etc.).

• Calling all artists! Is your child a visual artist, photographer, writer, dancer, musician, or filmmaker? Then you should check out the annual Reflections contest. The theme this year is "Look Within." Entries are due to Buchanan by Monday, November 11. Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for more information. If you would like more information or an entry form, please email valerieRjackson@gmail.com.

• Mark your calendars! Our next PTA meeting will be Thursday, November 14 at 7:00pm in the LMC.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that every month, an educator from Michigan or across the country gives a shout out to our Buchanan Students of the Month? Wearing a Buchanan Bears shirt, they make a short video to recognize the awesome things are students are doing. Here is our latest video from principal Mike Domagalski. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Conferences

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I share this story every year, but growing up, I hated parent-teacher conferences.  I got pretty good grades in school, but my parents heard the same report each year at conferences.  "Jon is always out of his seat and he talks to everyone" (imagine that:)  It always led to a long talk with my parents and then we would repeat the same scenario the next year. As a principal, I love conferences.  I love seeing families come in and meeting with their child's teachers and finding out about the neat things they are learning about.  And when there is a conference about someone who has difficulty staying in their seat and is a little too social, I always have a soft spot in my heart, because that was me once upon a time.

Thank you to all the families who donated to our Buchanan Bake Sale!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, October 24: Picture Retakes

Friday, October 25: BOO BASH 6:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 31: Kindergarten Costume Parade 11:15 AM, Grades 1-4 Costume Parade 2:45 PM

Tuesday, November 5: No School for Students / Teacher Professional Development Day

PTA POINTS

• A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our Bake Sale, especially to our chair, Katie Klann, for going above and beyond!

• TOMORROW, OCTOBER 21, IS THE LAST DAY TO RSVP FOR THE BOO BASH! Hard copies of flyers went home a couple weeks ago, but a flyer is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email if you need one. The Boo Bash will be held on Friday, October 25 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. For those who do not turn in RSVPs, wristbands will be available at the door for $7 each. (Adults and children 2 and under need not purchase a wristband). 

• We are in need of volunteers to help make our Boo Bash a success. Please consider donating some of your time (or a pumpkin or candy!): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-boobash

• We are still collecting traditional Box Tops clips while the Box Tops for Education program is transitioning to digital collection. Please send in your Box Tops labeled with your child's name and teacher. The class that collects the most traditional Box Tops clips by Wednesday, October 23 will win a pizza party.

• Calling all artists! Is your child a visual artist, photographer, writer, dancer, musician, or filmmaker? Then you should check out the annual Reflections contest. The theme this year is "Look Within." Entries are due to Buchanan by Monday, November 11. Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for more information. If you would like more information or an entry form, please email valerieRjackson@gmail.com.

• It's not too late to become a PTA member! The classroom in each grade with the most PTA members by October 25 will win $250 to spend in our Scholastic Dollars catalog. To help your child's class win, you can purchase a membership online here: https://buchanan.memberhub.store/

#BuchananBears

Did you know we are getting a new walking path at Buchanan? Construction is starting now and it should be finished this week!  It will make our Mileage Club even more fun for our students. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Data Dives

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! You may not be aware, but throughout the year, we spend a great deal of time looking at student performance data in literacy and in math. This week, we met with each grade level to look at every child to see how they are performing and to determine what kind of interventions are needed for struggling learners. The process is ongoing throughout the year and we will do more data dives as the students take the next round of iReady testing and Fountas and Pinnell testing in the winter.  When you meet with your child's teachers next week at conferences, you will review the data on your child as well.  The data we collect helps drive our instruction to make each child successful at Buchanan!

A "Data" joke for my fellow Star Trek fans:)

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, October 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, October 17: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM, Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM and 5:00-8:00 PM
Friday, October 18: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM, Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM

Thursday, October 24: Picture Retakes
Friday, October 25: BOO BASH 6:00-8:00 PM (Flyer Attached)

Monday, October 28: Students of the Month Assembly (Respect)
Thursday, October 31: Halloween Costume Parade (Details coming soon)

PTA POINTS

• We will be holding our annual Bake Sale during conferences (October 16-18). If you are interested in donating baked goods, please visit the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-bake1

• The Buchanan Boo Bash will be held on Friday, October 25 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Entry is based on the purchase of a wristband, which is available for purchase for $5 pre-sale or $7 at the door. (Adults and children 2 and under need not purchase a wristband). The event includes a DJ/dancing, a photo booth, a Halloween prize walk, indoor trick-or-treating, a spooky stage, and guessing jars. Flyers were sent home last week, and one is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email. Please RSVP by Monday, October 21.

• We are still collecting traditional Box Tops clips while the Box Tops for Education program is transitioning to digital collection. Please send in your Box Tops labeled with your child's name and teacher. The class that collects the most traditional Box Tops clips by Wednesday, October 23 will win a pizza party.

• Calling all artists! Is your child a visual artist, photographer, writer, dancer, musician, or filmmaker? Then you should check out the annual Reflections contest. The theme this year is "Look Within." Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for more information. If you would like more information or an entry form, please email valerieRjackson@gmail.com.

• It's not too late to become a PTA member! The classroom in each grade with the most PTA members by October 25 will win $250 to spend in our Scholastic Dollars catalog. To help your child's class win, you can purchase a membership online here: https://buchanan.memberhub.store/

Message from the Kitchen:

To help expedite the buyer's lunch line on Pizza Day, an extra slice of pizza cost $1. Cash only, exact amount. Please no $5s, $10s, or $20s.  

Please do not send the $1 with lunch payments, children pay at the extra slice table. Thank you! 

#BuchananBears

Did you know that Ms. Kaufman's 3rd grade classroom has a class pet? His name is Apollo and his is a bearded dragon! He has a terrarium that he calls home in the classroom and the students love him. What a fun way to introduce life science to our students. Great things are happening at Buchanan!

FUN RUN!!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! We had a blast on Friday with our schoolwide Fun Run. This year, our PTA decided to hold our run during the school day, so that ALL students could participate. With a Superhero theme, it was a blast for everyone (especially me)!! As much fun as the run is, the real joy for me comes from knowing that the funds raised will benefit our Buchanan students by paying for field trip transportation costs, student magazines and learning journals, computer programs and headphones, and so much more!  Thank you to our amazing PTA for organizing this event and to all our staff and families who helped donate and volunteered for our Fun Run.

WE DID IT!! WE MADE OUR GOAL OF $20,000! WAY TO GO BUCHANAN!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Tuesday, October 8: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, October 10: PTA Meeting (all families welcome) 7:00 PM

Wednesday, October 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, October 17: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM, Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM and 5:00-8:00 PM
Friday, October 18: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM, Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM

Thursday, October 24: Picture Retakes
Friday, October 25: BOO BASH 5:30-8:30 PM

PTA POINTS

• We would like to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our SUPERHERO FUN RUN! Your support will help us fund field trips, assemblies, student magazines, staff appreciation, family fun events, technology subscriptions, and more!

• Please join us for our October PTA Meeting this Thursday, October 10 at 7:00pm in the LMC. Childcare will be provided.

• FREE SHIPPING on Buchanan Spirit Wear has been extended to October 7. That means you have just enough time to get those orders in to take advantage of the free shipping period! Visit the following link to view our options and place an order: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com

• Our first Riverside Skating Night is this Tuesday, October 8 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Admission is $6.50 and includes a regular skate rental (premium rental or inline skate rental is an additional $3.00). We hope to see you there!

• We will be holding our annual Bake Sale during conferences (October 16-18). If you are interested in donating baked goods, please visit the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-bake1

• Calling all artists! Is your child a visual artist, photographer, writer, dancer, musician, or filmmaker? Then you should check out the annual Reflections contest. The theme this year is "Look Within." Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for more information. If you would like more information or an entry form, please email valerieRjackson@gmail.com.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that each school in Livonia Public Schools received large banners to share out our commitment to creating a schoolwide culture of excellence? I mentioned in an earlier post that we had the chance to hear the inspirational author and speaker, Jimmy Casas, talk about the four pillars of a strong culture. These pillars of "Be a champion for all students", "Expect excellence", "Carry the banner" and "Be a merchant of hope" are now hanging in our gymnasium for all to see.  Great things are happening at Buchanan!