Virtual Reality

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Well, our students may not be in the building, but learning continues for all our students. We have moved from classroom learning, to distance learning in very short order. I am amazed at the skill of our teachers who have continued to connect with grade level and department partners through virtual meetings and how they continue to connect with families and provide materials for students. I'm also proud of our Buchanan families who have made the most of this new reality and have created schedules for their children's learning and somehow balanced work from home, distance learning, and being limited to their homes and yards. They say tough times don't last, but tough people do.  That's our Buchanan staff and community and I'm proud to be a part of it. Please continue to stay in contact with your child's teacher throughout the duration of this "break" and remember that new learning activities will be sent out each Friday!

Learning continues at home! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHAN

Friday, March 27: All Grade Level Teams sent home learning activities via email. These are for the week of March 30. 

Week of March 30: Virtual Spirit Week (See note from PTA)

Friday, April 3: All Grade Level Teams will send home learning activities for the week of April 13 (if we are not back in school after Spring Break). 

April 6 - April 10 will still be our Spring Break 

The district will continue to update the community and staff with any new timelines as they become available from the state level. 

    

Click on this link to find all our grade level resources or simply visit our web page online!

Buchanan Elementary Web Page 

PTA POINTS

Join us for a Virtual Spirit Week!

Monday: Bear Day -Find a bear (stuffed, toy, figurine, etc.) around your house & take a photo with it!

Tuesday: Reading Day - For the last day of March, wear something you can read and show us what you are reading.

Wednesday: Pajama Day - Stay in your favorite PJs all day!

Thursday: Outdoor Day - Show us an activity you are doing outside.

Friday: Virtual Twin Day - Connect virtually with a friend and combine your twin looks into one photo.

Please participate by sharing a photo in the comments under each day's post on Buchanan Elementary PTA's Facebook page and email your photos to pta.buchanan1@gmail.com for a chance to be in the yearbook. You can also post on Twitter with the hashtag #BuchananBears

It is almost time to vote for your 2020-2021 PTA Board. Below is the slate of nominees running for each position. Voting for the 2020-2021 PTA Board will take place at the PTA meeting on April 23, 2020.

President: Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President: Jill Allevato

2nd Vice President: Mary Anne LaCaprara

Treasurer: Amy Owens

Recording Secretary: Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary: Kira Crandall and Katie Klann

Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? There is FREE SHIPPING on all orders from through April 6. During this time there will be no minimum purchase to receive free shipping. There remains FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 throughout the rest of the year. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

Message from Mrs. Pepple!

I sure do miss seeing our kids every day. I miss their smiles, hugs, and hearing them say, "Hi, Mrs. Pepple!". I miss our Buchanan staff and just being at school. I hope every one of our families is staying healthy and safe! 

New Online Resources!

Many new ebooks and online resources are now available to our students during the school closure. The Buchanan Library website has been updated with links to these resources. To see the list, go to Buchanan's website (https://www.livoniapublicschools.org/Buchanan). Go to Academics (at the top of the screen) and click Library Media Center. On the left, click Online Resources. The newest resources are at the top of the list, but there are links to many other great resources, as well. If a special login is required to use a site, the username and password is listed with the information about the resource. 

   Enjoy! -  Miss Ford, Library Media Specialist

I just can't stand the thought of not Celebrating Monday with our Buchanan students! So, starting this Monday and every Monday we are away from school, I will be holding a virtual Celebrate Monday Assembly on Facebook. A new video will post on our Buchanan Facebook page each Monday at 9:00 AM.  I hope our students will join me in starting each week on a positive note! 

Did you know that Buchanan has a new building custodial supervisor? His name is Bob Miller and he is coming from Niji-Iro Elementary to join our Buchanan team! Bob is very excited to be at our school and looks forward to meeting all our students, staff, and parents. Great things are happening with our Buchanan community! 

Staying Connected

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Current reality: Feelings of isolation, searching for ways to connect with friends and family without leaving the house, trying to keep my teenage daughters from killing each other, snacking throughout the day on comfort food. That's the Wennstrom house. How's your week going?? One of the things that is so important during this unprecedented time is staying connected to others and keeping a schedule. Here are some ways that I am trying to do that here:

Create a daily schedule - I'm setting time aside each day to play guitar and read a story (Check out story time each weekday at 7:00 PM on our Facebook page). I'm walking my dog each morning and evening (he is loving this time!). Do an activity as a family, play a board game or simply eat a meal together and talk. Set aside time each day for children to read, practice math facts, utilize the academic online programs they have already been using, and journal. A great topic would be to write about our current situation. Their grandchildren may be intrigued hearing about these times in their own words.

Stay Connected - Give a phone call to a friend or relative that you haven't seen in a while. Go online to our school Facebook page and check out Story Time! Create a Twitter account and use the hashtag #BuchananBears to post pictures of your family doing activities. I'll retweet as many as I can!

Take Care of Yourself - That means physically and emotionally. It's easy to get into a slump when we are not connecting with others. Go outside and take a walk if you can each day. Take some time to reflect on the positives in your life. Check in with your children and see how they are feeling. I've been consoling a senior who is facing the possibility of no senior prom and no graduation ceremony. It's a challenging time, but by talking, connecting, and supporting one another, we WILL get through this!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Report card grades will be accessible on Parent Connect on Wednesday, March 25

The Wennstrom's Weekly will continue to go out every Sunday at 3:00 PM

The district will continue sending out updates to families as new information becomes available

Spring Break is still scheduled for the week of April 6 - April 10 

DISTRICT RESOURCES

District Update Links

Please check for updates from the district, either by emails, or by periodically checking the district websites: LPS Learning Resources and Curbside Food Assistance. 

Social Emotional Support

Livonia Public Schools has a hotline to support students during this time emotionally.  Parents, guardians and students can email at SES@livoniapublicschools.org or they can call 734-744-2SES or 734-744-2737.

PTA POINTS

• It is almost time to vote for your 2020-2021 PTA Board. Below is the slate of nominees running for each position. Voting for the 2020-2021 PTA Board is scheduled to take place at the PTA meeting on April 23, 2020.

President: Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President: Jill Allevato

2nd Vice President: Mary Anne LaCaprara

Treasurer: Amy Owens

Recording Secretary: Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary: Kira Crandall and Katie Klann

• Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? There is FREE SHIPPING on all orders from March 20 through April 6. During this time there will be no minimum purchase to receive free shipping. There remains FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 throughout the rest of the year. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

• The deadline to order yearbooks is March 27, 2020. Visit ybpay.lifetouch.com and use yearbook ID code 1643320 to place your order.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that I will be having a VIP Guest Reader each Friday evening for STORY TIME? Our first guest reader was our very own LPS Superintendent Andrea Oquist! You can check out Mrs. Oquist's story on our Buchanan Facebook page. Upcoming VIP readers will include several children's book authors! Great things are happening within our Buchanan community! 

Story Time!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! These are certainly unusual times, but I'm thankful and proud of the way our district leadership, our school community, our staff, and our students are taking things in stride. In an effort to keep messaging consistent, I am referring any questions that come my way (and have encouraged staff to do the same) to the district communications that were sent out. As new information develops, our district will share out with the community as promptly and as accurately as possible. In the meantime, during our extended break, I thought it would be nice to connect with our students virtually! Each weeknight during our break, I will be hosting "Story Time" at 7:00 PM. Each weeknight, I will drop a new video on our Buchanan Facebook Page (as well as my personal page) for students to hear and see a story. Each book shared will be a Caldecott Award winner (best picture book of the year). Thank you to Ms. Ford who selected the books for me and I hope you can tune in with your child. I'll be learning as I go with this effort, so please be patient with any mistakes I may work through:) During this time off, be sure to get outside when you can to enjoy nature, keep reading books and practicing math facts, and keep being positive and kind to one another. Great things are happening in our Buchanan community! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, March 16: The building will be open from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Families will have the opportunity to briefly gather their personal belongings and any needed items (including medications picked up by parents/guardians). If you have duplicate medications at home, please consider leaving the medications at the school for use upon student return. 

Wednesday, March 25: Report Cards will be available for view on Parent Connect. Special education progress reports will be emailed to parents. 

Future updates will come from the District as information becomes available. 

PTA POINTS

• Thank you to everyone who RSVPed for our Pancake Breakfast and to everyone who signed up to volunteer at our Book Fair. Though these events are no longer taking place, we appreciate your participation and willingness to be involved! We look forward to continuing the tradition of these events in the future.

• Nominations are open for the 2020-2021 PTA Board. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please fill out a Nomination Form (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email). Email your completed form to valerieRjackson@gmail.com by Thursday, March 19. Voting for the 2020-2021 PTA Board will take place at the PTA meeting on April 23, 2020.

• The deadline to order yearbooks is March 27, 2020. Visit ybpay.lifetouch.com and use yearbook ID code 1643320 to place your order.

• Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? Our next FREE SHIPPING period runs from March 20 through April 6. During this time there will be no minimum purchase to receive free shipping. There remains FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 throughout the rest of the year. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

Did you know that with your generous donations, we raised $357 for the Children’s Craniofacial Association? Thank you to the Buchanan parents and students who attended movie night and for your support of this great organization! - Emily Rentis and Adriana Sapia

Down for the Count

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Well, I jinxed myself this week. I often brag about how I rarely get sick and guess what happened? Pride comes before a fall and I fell hard. I was down for the count for two days last week fighting the same bug that's gone through so many of our Buchanan families. As I send this update out, I'm starting to feel better and plan to be back at school on Monday. However, I now have a sincere empathy with those staff, students and parents that have been ill this season. Like everyone else, I will continue to be diligent in washing my hands, getting the right amount of rest, and listening to my body when it says, "slow down!". Sometimes that's easier said than done.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Tuesday, March 10: No school for students (Presidential Primary Elections), PTA Skate Night 6:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, March 12: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM (All families welcome)

Friday, March 13: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM (Records Day for Teachers in the afternoon)

Saturday, March 14: Pancake Breakfast & Book Fair Kick Off!

Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20: Book Fair

Friday, March 20: Report Cards go home with students 

PTA POINTS

• The spring Scholastic Book Fair is coming! To kick it off, we will be hosting our 3rd annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 14 from 9:00-11:00am. Come shop the Book Fair and enjoy a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and beverages. The cost is $3.00 per person. Visit the following link to sign up for an eating time, and then send in the flyer (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email) with payment by Tuesday, March 9. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-grand

• A ticket to the Pancake Breakfast is NOT required to shop the Book Fair on Saturday, March 14. If you are not interested in attending the Pancake Breakfast, you are still welcome to come check out the Book Fair from 9:00-11:00am.

• Book Fair Volunteers needed! We are in need of volunteers during class shopping times. Please visit the following link to sign up for a volunteer slot: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-spring5

• Nominations are open for the 2020-2021 PTA Board. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please fill out a Nomination Form (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email). Nomination forms are due Thursday, March 19. Voting for the 2020-2021 PTA Board will take place at the PTA meeting on April 23, 2020.

• Our next Riverside Skating Night is this Tuesday, March 10 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!

• The deadline to order yearbooks is March 27, 2020. Visit ybpay.lifetouch.com and use yearbook ID code 1643320 to place your order.

• Please join us at our PTA meeting this Thursday, March 12 at 7:00pm in the LMC. Childcare will be provided.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that all Livonia Public School elementary schools are on a trimester schedule? That means we have three marking periods and three report cards each year. At the end of every trimester, the teachers have one half day to input grades (records day). The following Friday, report cards are sent home with the students. That is why our students have an early release this Friday afternoon. Be looking for those report cards on Friday, March 20. Great things are happening at Buchanan!