Friday, June 11, 2021

Packing it all in!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week was extremely fun and busy with two big events. We welcomed our newest Buchanan students on Tuesday during our Kindergarten Round Up. On Thursday, we had our spring Field Day event. I know sometimes that the school year can drag once June starts, but not at Buchanan! We are keeping busy while we have fun. Big events like these require "all hands on deck" and I'm so impressed with our Buchanan staff and PTA who made these events possible! We are looking forward to continuing the fun for one more week at Buchanan!


LAST WEEK EVENTS

Monday - Wednesday: Full Days of School 
Thursday - 12:20 Dismissal (last day to turn in chromebooks)
                  -LV students coming in for a farewell session 8:20-9:20 AM
                  -4th grade celebrations outside with Kona Ice 9:30 AM
Friday - 12:20 Dismissal (4th grade clap out OUTSIDE at 11:30 AM)


PTA POINTS 
Yearbooks will be sent home today with students who purchased them. The PTA will have limited copies that they will sell on a first come first serve basis on Monday, June 14 from 9:15-9:45 AM outside the school!


Here is the link to our Buchanan Virtual Talent Show


Our final theme of the year is REFLECTION. As we wrap up the school year, we are looking back on what we've learned and how we've grown. Teachers will send home certificates with Students of the Month on Thursday or Friday! 

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Friday, June 4, 2021

New Adventures

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! As you may have heard, our beloved school secretary Mrs. Pepple is retiring at the end of this year. She has served our district for 35 years and has been the heart of both Cass and Buchanan Elementary. I can't even imagine not having Mrs. Pepple in our front office and as my partner. She will be missed beyond words. We know that so many within our school community would love to come in and wish Mrs. Pepple all the best in her retirement. Unfortunately, safety restrictions prevent our families from doing so.  Mrs. Pepple would love to hear from you though as we spend the next couple of weeks honoring all that she has done for our school community. Please feel free to send her a message, past photos of her and your child, a drawing from your child, cards, etc...via email at ppepple@livoniapublicschools.org prior to June 23rd.  We know she will appreciate and cherish each one of those messages. Thank you for helping us send Mrs. Pepple off with lots of love and appreciation as she begins her new adventures!


Yearbooks will be sent home on Friday, June 11 with students who purchased yearbooks. The PTA will have limited copies that they will sell on a first come first serve basis on Monday, June 14 from 9:15-9:45 AM outside the school! 

PTA POINTS

  • PTA Meeting: Please join us on Tuesday, June 8 at 7:00pm via Zoom for our last PTA meeting of the school year. Info below. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4695538896

Meeting ID: 469 553 8896

Passcode: 0JgcSW

  • Yearbooks: Yearbooks are in! LV students who ordered a yearbook should have received it at Materials Pickup. F2F students who ordered yearbooks will receive them on Friday, June 11. We have a LIMITED SUPPLY of extra yearbooks that will be available for purchase on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis on Monday, June 14 from 9:15 to 9:45am.
  • Summer Math and Reading Programs: The Livonia PTSA is proud to offer the summer Early Literacy Volunteer (ELVs) and Art of Problem Solving (APS) programs for K-4 students. Students will work with a high school volunteer for 30 minutes each week to build their literary and math skills. There is no cost to participate in either program. You can sign up your students to participate at ELVs (deadline is June 5) and APS (deadline is June 7).
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA



It’s time to register for the Summer Reading Program at the Livonia Public Library! The theme this year is “Tails and Tales.” Students will keep track of their reading and activities on a special log. There will also be opportunities to attend story times, magic shows, musical performances, and more! Everyone who completes the Summer Reading Program will earn a certificate and a free book. Registration is online only. For more information, or to register, please go to this link: Summer Reading Program.   


BIG DATES
  • Tuesday, June 8: Kindergarten Round Up for incoming families (Current Kindergarten students will NOT have school this day)
  • Thursday, June 10: Buchanan Field Day (Schedule will be sent home from classroom teachers)
  • Thursday, June 17: All chromebooks returned to the school. Students will turn devices and chords into their classroom teachers in the morning. Students dismissed at 12:20 PM
  • Friday, June 18: OUTSIDE clap out for 4th grade students at 11:30 AM. Students will line up outside their classroom on the exterior of the building and 4th grade students will walk the path around the building as they are clapped out. Parents and family members are asked to make a BIG exterior circle outside the school so they can clap out students. 4th grade students may be taken by parents following the clap out if they wish to beat the busses. School dismissed for summer vacation at 12:20 PM and Report Cards viewable on Parent Connect. 


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Friday, May 28, 2021

Memorial Day

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I would like to wish all our Buchanan families a safe and relaxing Memorial weekend as we remember our fallen soldiers. Please remember that students are dismissed at 12:20 today and classes will resume on Tuesday. 

PTA POINTS

  • Yearbooks: Yearbooks are in! LV students who ordered a yearbook should have received it at Materials Pickup. F2F students who ordered yearbooks will receive them during the last week of school.
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8

BIG DATES

  • Monday, May 31: No School in Observance of Memorial Day
  • Thursday, June 3: Full Day of School (some earlier calendars had this as a half-day)
  • Tuesday, June 8: Kindergarten Round Up for incoming families (Current Kindergarten students will NOT have school this day)
  • Thursday, June 10: Buchanan Field Day (Schedule will be sent home from classroom teachers)
  • Thursday, June 17: All chromebooks returned to the school (more information to come). Students dismissed at 12:20 PM
  • Friday, June 18: OUTSIDE clap out for 4th grade students at 11:30 AM (more information to come). School dismissed for summer vacation at 12:20 PM and Report Cards viewable on Parent Connect. 

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH!
Congratulations to our Students of the Month for MINDFULNESS

KINDERGARTEN                                                FIRST GRADE
Mrs. Stromberg - Maxi R.                                      Mrs. Sparrow - Anya D.
Mrs. Pillai - Kalyn S.                                              Mrs. Jones - Charles L.
Ms. Haapala - Ezio K.                                            Mrs. Hochkins - Mathew A. 
Mrs. McGuigan - Niklas K.                                    Mrs. Kamin - Carleigh H.
                                                                                Mrs. Hurula - Brooke K.

SECOND GRADE                                               THIRD GRADE
Mrs. Benson - Adriana W.                                     Mrs. Allmayer - Killian K.
Mrs. Gruenewald - Gavin G.                                 Mrs. Duff - Alyssa S.
Mrs. Drolet - Ellie S.                                             Mrs. Trantham - Sarah B.
Ms. Adams - Aubrey F.                                         Mrs. Edwards - Cian H.
Mrs. Tanner - Leo J.                                              Ms. Yost - Maloree R. 

FOURTH GRADE
Mrs. Ringler - Sam P.     
Ms. Medellin - Owen M.
Mrs. Banter - Brodie D.
Ms. Kaufman - Charlotte P.
Miss Brown - Miller L.           
            




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Friday, May 21, 2021

Feeling like a kid again

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week, our superintendent treated our staff with a visit from the Kona Ice Truck. It was one of the many ways that she lets our team know they are valued and appreciated. It always amazes me how ice cream and snow cones can make adults feel like kids again (myself included)! What a fun way to celebrate our staff. As May quickly rolls on, it's good to remember to slow down and enjoy the special moments each day has to offer!


UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN
  • Friday, May 28: Students dismissed at 12:20 PM (No lunch served)
  • Monday, May 31: No School in observance of Memorial Day
  • Thursday, June 3: Full Day of School (an earlier calendar had this marked as half-day)
  • Tuesday, June 8: Kindergarten Round up for new families. Current Kindergarten students will NOT have school this day. (more information to come)
  • Tuesday, June 8: Final PTA Meeting at 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, June 10: Field Day (more information to come)
  • Thursday, June 17: Students Dismissed at 12:20 PM
  • Friday, June 18: 4th Grade Clap Out Outside 11:30 AM (more information to come)
  • Friday, June 18: Students Dismissed for summer vacation at 12:20 PM

PTA POINTS

  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8

Please remember the final day to submit an act for our Virtual Talent Show is Friday, May 28!! We can't wait to see the talent of our Buchanan Bears! 

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Friday, May 14, 2021

The Record Player

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Recently,in a fit of nostalgia, I bought a record player. As I dropped the needle on the vinyl and listened to the music play, I relived the joy of listening to an entire record. Before the days of Pandora and Spotify, we often put an album on and let it play all the way through. Some of the songs were great and others were tracks we may not normally listen to, but they all became part of the experience. I was reflecting on this as I thought about our school year. Some parts have been fantastic and other parts not so much. There have been struggles and there have been successes. But all the experiences come together as a whole school year and when everything is said and done, we often smile at the happy times and gain wisdom and experience from the hard times. Some may say my record player is old fashioned  and doesn't provide instant variety. That may be true, but it makes me slow down a bit and enjoy the music. Just like a challenging school year can help us reflect and savor those moments and experiences that may never come again.


Please see the flyer attached to this email regarding an opportunity for summer reading with the PTSA Early Literacy Volunteers (ELVs) 


PTA POINTS

  • Youth Making a Difference: Congratulations to our students who participated in Youth Making a Difference this year! We would like to recognize the service of Connor, Jacob, Peyton, Lily, Nina, Maxwell, and Kaylin. Watch this video to see how our Buchanan Bears - and other students in the district - served the community this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNOsDoGoCxs&t=3s
  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8

Buchanan will be holding it's first ever VIRTUAL Talent Show!  Please see the flyer attached to this email for information on how to participate!! Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

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Friday, May 7, 2021

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! We had a great week of celebrating our amazing Team at Buchanan from luncheons and breakfast treats and so many other tokens of appreciation from our PTA and community members. How fortunate I am to work with these dedicated professionals every day. Let's make every week Teacher Appreciation Week at Buchanan!! 



The bond proposal passed!! We are SO grateful to our LPS community for your amazing support....THANK YOU!! 


PTA POINTS

  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8

GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT BUCHANAN! 


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Friday, April 30, 2021

The Real Heroes

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week we celebrated National Superhero Day with dressing up and having a little fun. As much as I like superheroes, the real-life heroes that inspire me are the teachers and staff members at Buchanan. Each day they dedicate themselves to doing what's best for students and tirelessly work to make sure every child succeeds. Thank you teachers for all you do!


Please remember there is NO SCHOOL for students on Tuesday, May 4. The building will be a voting location for the 2021 Bond Proposal. Be sure to vote on Tuesday! 



PTA POINTS

  • Teacher Appreciation: Teacher Appreciation Week starts Monday, May 3. We want to help our students show their appreciation by providing a "survey" about their teacher. Please print the survey (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email) and have your student fill it out and turn it in to his/her teacher (in person or via email). Students are welcome to fill out surveys for other staff members in the building as well (e.g., specials teachers, support staff, custodians, etc.) We hope this helps bring smiles to the faces of our wonderful staff!
  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8



CONGRATULATIONS to our Students of the Month for CONFIDENCE! 

Kindergarten

Mrs. Stromberg - Aleister S. 

Mrs. Pillai - Marcella F. 

Mrs. McGuigan - Hailey E. 

Ms. Haapala - Evelyn H. 


First Grade

Mrs. Jones - Aubrey E. 

Mrs. Hurula - Harper M. 

Mrs. Kamin - Addison K. 

Mrs. Hochkins - Natalie K. 

Mrs. Sparrow - Kleanthi B. 


Second Grade

Mrs. Gruenewald - Daniel B.

Mrs. Benson - Pavlos T. 

Mrs. Drolet - Asad H. 

Ms. Adams - Tyler A. 

Mrs. Tanner - Everett K. 


Third Grade

Ms. Yost - Evan T. 

Mrs. Duff - Joshua T. 

Mrs. Allmayer - Josie K. 

Mrs. Trantham - Lena P. 

Mrs. Edwards - Payton C. 


Fourth Grade

Mrs. Ringer - Harmony B. 

Ms. Kaufman - Brody M.

Ms. Medellin - Lauren G. 

Mrs. Banter - Aiden M. 

Miss Brown - Nickolas M.





Buchanan Elementary would like to thank our Livonia Department of Parks and Recreation for the gift of paper birch seedlings for our fourth grade students. What a great way to celebrate Arbor Day and encourage our youth to plant a tree and care for our environment. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 


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Friday, April 23, 2021

Earth Day

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Although we celebrated Earth Day this week, we try to make every day Earth Day at Buchanan. We cultivate our Buchanan Oasis Garden with flowers and plants native to Michigan, we recycle daily, and we teach our students the importance of caring for our planet. It was great to see our students doing so many neat projects and I know our planet is in good hands with the students we have at Buchanan! 



Don't forget to Vote on May 4th and remember the students will not have school that day to allow for voters in the building. 


PTA POINTS

  • 2021-2022 PTA Executive Board: Elections for the Buchanan PTA Executive Board for the 2021-2022 school year were held at the PTA meeting on April 20. Congratulations and welcome to next year's board:

President: Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President: Mary Anne LaCaprara

2nd Vice President: Amy Oppie

Treasurer: Amy Owens

Recording Secretary: Katie Klann

Corresponding Secretary: Jill Allevato

  • Teacher Appreciation: Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up (the week of May 3). The PTA has plans to show our wonderful staff how much we appreciate them throughout the month of May, but we thought it would be helpful to re-share the Staff Gift Guide we shared during the holiday season with our families who may want to show their favorite staff members their appreciation. The Staff Gift Guide is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email.
  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, June 8

We celebrated Administrative Professionals Day this week as well! How lucky we are to have Mrs. Pepple and Mrs. Flack in our main office! 


Livonia Virtual Elementary 2021-2022

This weekend you will receive another correspondence regarding Livonia Virtual(LV) 2021-2022 at the Elementary level along with the election link.  Please carefully review all LV materials prior to consideration of Livonia Virtual for your student.  If you request your child to have in-person instruction for the next year, there is no need to complete any forms.  They will automatically be enrolled for in-person instruction.

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Friday, April 16, 2021

Looking to the future

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! We had our incoming Kindergarten parent information night this week and I was so excited to welcome our newest members of the Buchanan community! It's hard to believe that we are preparing to welcome the class of 2034 into our building. The virtual event was recorded and can be found our our Buchanan webpage. One of the exciting things about the world of education is that we are always looking to the future and always ready to welcome new students and families into our school! Great things are happening at Buchanan! 



LAST CHANCE FOR BOOKS! 

There are still a few sets of books available from author Dennis Mathew.  Payment must be in the form of a check made out to Dennis Mathew. You may purchase one book for $12 or the set for $20. This is a first come first serve opportunity and good while books are available.



PTA POINTS

  • PTA Meeting: Please join us on Tuesday, April 20 at 7:00pm for our April PTA meeting. We will be holding elections for the 2021-2022 PTA Board. Zoom info below:
  • Topic: Buchanan PTA Meeting
  • Time: Apr 20, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
  • Join Zoom Meeting


Meeting ID: 843 3328 3094
Passcode: 0JgcSW

  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA

Congratulations to Mrs. Parnell! She is this year’s recipient of the Wayne County Parent Advisory Committee (WCPAC) Special Recognition Award!! She will receive her award on May 20th during the virtual award ceremony and we are very excited for her!!


Buchanan will begin M-Step testing for our 3rd and 4th grade students the week of April 26. Your child's teacher will be sending home a testing calendar for their classroom. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher. Thank you for your continued support! 

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Friday, April 9, 2021

Flexibility

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! With the year we have had with Covid and all the mitigation factors that come with it, the most important quality in the educational world has been flexibility. From remote to in-person instruction, from virtual assemblies to calendar changes, we have made changes as necessary, but still managed to provide a quality education for our students. For that flexibility from both staff and families, I am very proud of our Buchanan Team! Thank you for your continued support and flexibility this year. It is appreciated!

CALENDAR CHANGE

Please note that the teacher Professional Development day has been moved from Friday, April 30 to Tuesday, May 4 to coincide with the Bond Voting Day. Students will have school on Friday, April 30 and will NOT have school on Tuesday, May 4. 

We recently had a virtual assembly with acclaimed author Dennis Mathew. We have a very limited number of his books at the school that may be purchased by Buchanan Families. To order copies of the books please fill out the form attached to this email and return to your student’s classroom teacher with a check. Livonia Virtual families may turn in a form and check tomorrow (Friday, April 9) during your materials pick up. Payment must be in the form of a check made out to Dennis Mathew. You may purchase one book for $12 or the set for $20. This is a first come, first serve event and valid only as long as supplies last. If interested, please return form with payment to your child's teacher ASAP. Thank you!

PTA POINTS

  • Read-A-Thon: Thank you to everyone who participated in the Buchanan Read-A-Thon! Students who earned prizes should have received them this week - either sent home in their backpack or along with their materials at Materials Pickup. Raffle prize winners will be drawn during next week's Celebrate Monday video. 
  • LAST CALL for Yearbooks: Today, Friday, April 9 is the last day to order your yearbook. https://ybpay.lifetouch.com (Yearbook ID: 1643321).
  • PTA Membership: It's not too late to become a PTA member! Membership does not require anything from you other than the $7.00 membership fee, but it gives you a voice in decisions affecting our school, staff, and students and shows your support for our school, staff, and students. Purchase your membership here: https://buchanan.new.memberhub.store/store
  • Follow the PTA on Facebook: @BuchananElementarySchoolPTA
  • Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, April 20

Dear Parents of Third and Fourth Grade Students,

We will be administering the M-STEP test this year for our students. In person students will take the test in their classrooms using Chromebooks and Livonia Virtual students will be invited in at designated times to use our computer lab with their classroom teacher. The window for testing will be Monday, April 26 through May 14. Our hope is to have the majority of our students finished the first two weeks. 

We will be sending out testing schedules by the end of next week and lab times for our Livonia Virtual Students. LV students will need to be transported to and from the school and students will need to wear a mask while in the building. For those families that wish to opt out of the testing this year, there is a form on our Buchanan web page that you may fill out digitally. Again, more information will come out in a week, but we wanted to update our families of our plan to move forward with testing. Thank you for your continued support!

We will be hosting a VIRTUAL parent information night for incoming Kindergarten parents on Wednesday, April 14 at 6:00 PM. 

Also, Buchanan Elementary has been selected as one of three schools in Livonia to be featured in a new Kindergarten Video. We will have camera crews outside the school on Tuesday morning, April 13 to see the busses coming into the school and will be visiting our Kindergarten classrooms that morning. So if you see video cameras on Tuesday morning, know that they are capturing some of the great things happening at Buchanan!! 


Hello, Heart Heroes! Which character is your favorite Heart Hero this year? Can you remember

each character’s heart healthy message? Now it’s time to go online and take the challenge!

PLUS you get a free wristband just for signing up with Jump Rope For Heart! JRFH Link



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