Friday, December 18, 2020

Comfort & Joy

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I always struggle each year with what to get for the staff for the holidays. They do SO much that nothing seems adequate to show my appreciation for all they do. This year, it was a simple gift with a heartfelt wish to spread Comfort & Joy to this incredible team. COMFORT in the form of a mug and hot chocolate and JOY in the form of an inspiration poem or quote about joy. I would also like to wish all our Buchanan families the same Comfort & Joy this holiday season! I look forward to working with everyone when we return in January! 


MATERIALS PICK UP!! 

When instruction begins in January, our teachers will be providing another opportunity for families to pick up important instructional materials for remote learning. You should have received information from your child's teacher about material pick up, but if not please contact them for your pick up schedule. 

The Livonia Virtual pick up will still be on the first Friday of the month (Jan 8) in the gym from 3:00-4:00 PM. 

  • All families who put in for a change of placement (In Person to Virtual or Virtual to In Person) will be contacted the week of January 4 and given their new classroom assignments.
  • All new assignments will go into effect on Monday, January 11.
  • We are planning on returning to In Person instruction on Monday, January 11. A confirmation note will be sent out from the district on Thursday, January 7.
PTA POINTS

  • Five Below Fundraiser: Our fundraiser at Five Below (both the Livonia and Northville locations) runs through Thursday, December 24. This is a great opportunity to support Buchanan while picking up some stocking stuffers - and/or to take out your Buchanan Bears who may be missing our traditional Santa Shop to pick up some gifts for loved ones. Please print out and present the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email (if you are unable to print it, just be sure to mention Buchanan PTA when you are checking out), and 10% of your total will be donated back to the PTA!

  • Staff Gift Guide: In an effort to encourage safe gift-giving this holiday season, the PTA surveyed our staff about some of their favorite places to receive e-gift cards and compiled their answers (along with the email addresses gifts can be sent to) into the Gift Guide that is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email. We hope this is helpful as you navigate the holidays this year!
  • Givebacks: We are excited to launch a new fundraiser called Givebacks. Almost every week there will be new savings on family products and services, and when you purchase Givebacks, up to 20% of sales go back to our PTA! Right now you can purchase select gift cards (Ulta, Gap, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, and more!) through Givebacks for up to 10% off. Please visit our Givebacks store to support our school while doing some holiday shopping: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store?category=Sponsors
  • PTA Membership: We are holding strong at 104 members, but would love to reach last year's membership of 203. If you haven't already joined, could you help us reach our goal? PTA membership and dues support your child by funding essential education and curriculum needs, advocating on behalf of children and educators, and building an inclusive school community for all families. Please show us your support and become a member today at our MemberHub store: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Amazon Smile: Holiday shopping on Amazon? Make sure to shop through Amazon Smile. You can support Buchanan with your usual Amazon shopping by visiting http://smile.amazon.com and selecting James Buchanan Elementary PTA as your charity. 
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, January 26


Below are our STUDENTS OF THE MONTH for Kindness!!

Kindergarten:

Mrs. Stromberg has Sailor T.

Mrs. Pillai has Morgan A.

Mrs. Sosnowski has Jace B.

Ms. Haapala has Vivienne C.


First Grade:

Mrs. Jones has Lillian M.

Mrs. Kamin has Mia Q.

Mrs. Hurula has Meela R.

Mrs. Hochkins has Madison C.

Mrs. Sparrow has Kyla W. 


Second Grade:

Mrs. Benson has Brady H.

Mrs. Tanner has Gideon M.

Mrs. Gruenewald has Jonah H.

Ms. Adams has Jackson C.

Mrs. Drolet has Joshua J.


Third Grade:

Ms. Yost has Connor J.

Mrs. Duff has Abraham D.

Mrs. Allmayer has Adeline P.

Mrs. Edwards has Trevor W.

Mrs. Trantham has Paul A. 


Fourth Grade:

Ms. Medellin has Ryan W.

Mrs. Ringler has Memphis O.

Mrs. Banter has Rileigh L. 

Ms. Kaufman has Braylon E.

Miss Brown has Foster S.



Join me tonight on Facebook at 7:00 PM for a special Holiday Edition of STORY TIME!!
Posted by at

Friday, December 11, 2020

Conferences

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week we held Parent/Teacher Conferences and it was a great way to build and strengthen partnerships between the home and school. Research shows that the more communication there is between the teacher and parents, the better children succeed. Conferences are one of the most important ways to build that collaboration. Together we are better! 


In an effort to help up make the Parent/Teacher Conference experience the best it can be, please take a moment to fill out this brief survey on conferences: Parent Survey  Thanks for helping us improve!

Face to Face / Virtual Instruction

Families who have requested a change in instructional mode via the surveys sent to parents, either into or out of Livonia Virtual, will be notified the week of December 14 and those transfers will be effective on Tuesday, January 19.  The pause for in-person instruction is scheduled to end as of Friday, January 15th.  With no school in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 18th, the return to in person or requested movements to Livonia Virtual is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

PTA POINTS

  • Five Below Fundraiser: We are holding a fundraiser at Five Below (both the Livonia and Northville locations) from Sunday, December 13 through Thursday, December 24. This is a great opportunity to support Buchanan while picking up some stocking stuffers - and/or to take out your Buchanan Bears who may be missing our traditional Santa Shop to pick up some gifts for loved ones. Please print out and present the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email (if you are unable to print it, just be sure to mention Buchanan PTA when you are checking out), and 10% of your total will be donated back to the PTA!
  • Staff Gift Guide: In an effort to encourage safe gift-giving this holiday season, the PTA surveyed our staff about some of their favorite places to receive e-gift cards and compiled their answers (along with the email addresses gifts can be sent to) into the Gift Guide that is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email. We hope this is helpful as you navigate the holidays this year!
  • Givebacks: We are excited to launch a new fundraiser called Givebacks. Almost every week there will be new savings on family products and services, and when you purchase Givebacks, up to 20% of sales go back to our PTA! Right now you can purchase select gift cards (Ulta, Gap, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, and more!) through Givebacks for up to 10% off. Please visit our Givebacks store to support our school while doing some holiday shopping: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store?category=Sponsors
  • PTA Membership: We added two new members last week - THANK YOU! - which means we now have 104 members. If you haven't already joined, could you help us reach our goal of hitting last year's number (203 members)? PTA membership and dues support your child by funding essential education and curriculum needs, advocating on behalf of children and educators, and building an inclusive school community for all families. Please show us your support and become a member today at our MemberHub store: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Amazon Smile: Holiday shopping on Amazon? Make sure to shop through Amazon Smile. You can support Buchanan with your usual Amazon shopping by visiting http://smile.amazon.com and selecting James Buchanan Elementary PTA as your charity. 
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, January 26
MATERIALS PICK UP

If you have not yet pick up your child's curriculum materials, please do so as soon as possible. The students need these materials to be successful during their remote learning. All materials that have not been picked up are located in the main vestibule and can be picked up during regular school hours. 

MESSAGE FROM THE BUCHANAN LIBRARY

Library Storytime Opportunity! Your child is invited to join me for a LIVE storytime during the week of December 14-18, where I will read the story Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree. Please check the Library Google Classroom for your child's grade level storytime dates and times, as well as the meeting link. I hope to see your child at this special event! - Miss Ford







Posted by at

Thursday, December 3, 2020

It's Cool to be Kind!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This month, we are focusing on the theme of Kindness. All of our character traits are important, but this one is so central to what we try to teach at Buchanan. I'm proud when I see the academic success of our students, but I'm even prouder when I see our students treating one another with respect and kindness. This time of year it's easy to share kindness through gift giving and donations, but it's important to keep that spirit of kindness active all year long. I want our students to know that it's always "Cool to be Kind"!


UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN


The LV materials pick up was held on Thursday, December 3. The Face to Face students who are working remotely will be able to pick up curriculum materials on Monday, December 7 or Tuesday, December 8 from 3-4 PM. Please check with your child's teacher if you are not sure what day your classroom material pick up is being held!


Report Cards will be available on Parent Connect the afternoon of Wednesday, December 9 for parents to view prior to conferences. We will not be mailing out hard copies. Teachers will review report cards along with student progress during your scheduled Parent Teacher Conference. 



Parent Teacher Conferences will be held the evening of Wednesday, December 9 and the afternoon & evening of Thursday, December 10. Please check with your child's teacher if you haven't scheduled a conference time yet. 

Students will have half days on Thursday, December 10 & Friday, December 11. That means they will only have 2 live sessions those days. Grades K,2 &4 may adjust their noon session to a different time and they will inform families if a time change is made. 


PTA POINTS

  • Staff Gift Guide: In an effort to encourage safe gift-giving this holiday season, the PTA surveyed our staff about some of their favorite places to receive e-gift cards and compiled their answers (along with the email address gifts can be sent to) into the Gift Guide that is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email. We hope this is helpful as you navigate the holidays this year!
  • Student Gifts: Please look out for a special gift from the PTA for each of our Buchanan Bears at December Materials Pickup. We wish all of our Buchanan families a wonderful holiday season!
  • Givebacks: We are excited to launch a new fundraiser called Givebacks. Almost every week there will be new savings on family products and services, and when you purchase Givebacks, up to 20% of sales go back to our PTA! Right now you can purchase select gift cards (Ulta, Gap, Old Navy, Olive Garden, and more!) through Givebacks for up to 10% off. Please visit our Givebacks store to support our school while doing some holiday shopping: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store?category=Sponsors
  • PTA Membership: We broke 100 members! We now have 102 members, and we are thankful for each and every one of you. If you haven't already joined, could you help us reach our goal of hitting last year's number (203 members)? PTA membership and dues support your child by funding essential education and curriculum needs, advocating on behalf of children and educators, and building an inclusive school community for all families. Please show us your support and become a member today at our MemberHub store: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Amazon Smile: Holiday shopping on Amazon? Make sure to shop through Amazon Smile. You can support Buchanan with your usual Amazon shopping by visiting http://smile.amazon.com and selecting James Buchanan Elementary PTA as your charity. 
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, January 26



Super Proud of our Buchanan Livonia Virtual Team!! 



Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)