Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Thankful

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week, I wanted to express my gratitude to the wonderful Buchanan Staff and the amazing Parent Community. Through all the transitions this year has brought, the level of support and involvement from everyone has been incredible. I also wanted to share how much I appreciate each and every one of you and how fortunate I feel to be a part of the Buchanan Community. I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Break and hope you enjoy time with loved ones and family.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, November 27: Student of the Month Assembly for GRIT
                                       PTA General Membership Meeting 7:00 PM in the library
Friday, December 1: No School for Students (Records Day for Teachers)

Friday, December 8: Report Cards go home

Monday, December 11-Friday, December 15: Santa Shop during school
Thursday, December 14: Santa Shop & Santa Claus and 3rd/4th Grade Music Concert 6:00-8:00 PM

Friday, December 22: Winter Break begins after school!

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF
Ms. Haapala - Kindergarten Teacher 

Hello! My name is Melissa Haapala and this is my first year at Buchanan. I’m thrilled to be here! I previously have taught preschool, first grade and kindergarten at Perrinville and Cass. I have an adorable golden retriever named Milo. I’m actually in the process of moving which has definitely been an adventure.

A goal I have this year is to take more pictures. I get so caught up in all the fun moments of kindergarten I forget to stop and document them. I'm so happy to be apart of the Buchanan Bears community and look forward to many more years here!

I would describe Buchanan as inviting, collaborative, innovative, fun, and lively!


PTA POINTS 
  • Next PTA Meeting will be Monday, November 27 at 7:00 PM (Childcare provided)
  • Don't forget to purchase Buchanan spirit wear! Go to buchananspiritwear.com to place your order. You can order throughout the year, but we are offering free shipping until November 20. All items are shipped directly to your home. Spirit wear is a great Christmas gift!
  • Santa Shop is coming! We will need many volunteers to bring classes to the shop, assist in shopping and gift wrapping. Please go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44a4ae2ca1f94-santa  if you are able to help. This is a big event and the kids love shopping for their loved ones! We will have a preview on Monday, December 11 for all classes. Set up is tentatively on Friday, December 8, but we do not have a definite delivery date from the company yet.  If the date has to be changed, we will update the sign up genius. There will also be an evening shopping event on Thursday, December 14 from 6:00-7:45 PM. Enjoy shopping, a concert performance by our 3rd and 4th graders and a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. Please bring your own camera for a great photo opportunity!
  • Holiday Assistance: It is hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner and many families are still facing financial stress at home.  For some, it is minor—others a more pressing burden.  The holidays are an especially difficult time during financial stress—please know I am more than happy to try to help.  If you need any assistance with resources please contact me.  I do not share with staff or anyone in our community information regarding the recipients of such assistance.  Please let me know if we can help you and your family in any way.  My e-mail is kblazek@livoniapublicschools.org or you can reach me at 734-744-2690 ext. 12120. 
    **Please note that if you need assistance with Christmas, I will need to know, no later than Friday, December 8th.
  • When doing your Amazon holiday shopping, don't forget to shop Buchanan's smile page. Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to James Buchanan Elementary PTA. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/38-2618912 and support us every time you shop.

Did you know that Buchanan does a Holiday Giving Tree each year to help families that need assistance? In order to make it easy and accessible for families to give, we have gone to a Sign Up Genius format. Please click on the link to help a family: Holiday Giving Tree Link  Special thanks to our EST, Kristen Blazek for putting this together. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 


Friday, November 17, 2017

Goodfellows

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! One of my favorite things about school is the concept of service learning. Projects that students take ownership of and learn by service projects. It's a way teach our students that each one of us can make a difference in our school, community, and world no matter how young or old we are. It simply takes a willing heart and the courage to take action. Here at Buchanan, our first grade students came up with the ideas of Spirit Days like "Fancy Dress" and "Pajama Day" to remind students to bring in canned food items for Goodfellows. It's a fun way to do some good in our community and the students can see the boxes filling up with food all month long. Thank you to all the families that contributed and I look forward to many more service learning projects for our Buchanan students!


UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24: No School for Thanksgiving Break!

Friday, December 1: No School for Students / Records Day for Teachers

Friday, December 8: Report Cards go home

Week of December 11: Santa Shop

Thursday, December 14: Santa Shop with Santa Claus & 3rd/4th grade music concert 6:00-8:00 PM

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF
Mrs. Banter - 4th Grade Teacher


My name is Kristin Banter, I teach fourth grade here at Buchanan.  This is my second year teaching fourth grade, I am very happy to be back as a Buchanan Bear!  I live in Northville with my husband, Kyle and our miniature schnauzer, Loki.  In my free time I enjoy spending time with family, spending time at Elk Lake and watching the Red Wings.  

My goal for this year is to push myself, and my students, to try new things.  This year I tried flexible seating, I am so glad I did, we are absolutely loving it!  

5 words to describe Buchanan: welcoming, enthusiastic, innovative, flexible, and inclusive.  

 PTA POINTS
  • Don't forget to purchase Buchanan spirit wear! Go to buchananspiritwear.com to place your order. You can order throughout the year, but we are offering free shipping until November 20. All items are shipped directly to your home. Spirit wear is a great Christmas gift!

  • Santa Shop is coming! We will need many volunteers to bring classes to the shop, assist in shopping and gift wrapping. Please go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44a4ae2ca1f94-santa  if you are able to help. This is a big event and the kids love shopping for their loved ones! We will have a preview on Monday, December 11 for all classes. Set up is tentatively on Friday, December 8, but we do not have a definite delivery date from the company yet.  If the date has to be changed, we will update the sign up genius. There will also be an evening shopping event on Thursday, December 14 from 6:00-7:45 PM. Enjoy shopping, a concert performance by our 3rd and 4th graders and a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. Please bring your own camera for a great photo opportunity!
  • Holiday Assistance: It is hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner and many families are still facing financial stress at home.  For some, it is minor—others a more pressing burden.  The holidays are an especially difficult time during financial stress—please know I am more than happy to try to help.  If you need any assistance with resources please contact me.  I do not share with staff or anyone in our community information regarding the recipients of such assistance.  Please let me know if we can help you and your family in any way.  My e-mail is kblazek@livoniapublicschools.org or you can reach me at 734-744-2690 ext. 12120. 
    **Please note that if you need assistance with Christmas, I will need to know, no later than Friday, December 8th.
  • When doing your Amazon holiday shopping, don't forget to shop Buchanan's smile page. Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to James Buchanan Elementary PTA. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/38-2618912 and support us every time you shop.

Did you know that we start every week at Buchanan with a Celebrate Monday Assembly? For 20 minutes, we talk about our character trait for the month, watch a short video, and share out ways that we can make it a great day and a great week! The last Monday of the month is dedicated to recognizing our Students of the Month and celebrating the good behaviors of our students. It can be hard to get back into the routine of school (for both students and adults)! With our assemblies, we try to add a little excitement to the week and start off on a positive note. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Routine

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Recently, one of our Buchanan staff members approached me and said that things were starting to fall into a routine. With the blending of school communities, open house, conferences, and all the other things that happen in the start of a school year, the first months can seem pretty hectic. However, once people start to know one another, the building becomes more familiar, and things start to feel more natural, then we ease into a routine. Now, I don't consider a routine to be a bad or boring thing. I think of it as a state of feeling comfortable and at ease with one's surroundings. It was interesting when I heard someone say this, because I had been thinking it myself. Buchanan was becoming home and things were falling into a routine. I hope that feeling of comfort is being felt by all our Buchanan students, staff, and families. The longer we work and play together, the closer we will become and the more Buchanan will be home to all.


UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, November 15: "Fancy Dress" Spirit Wear Day when students bring a canned food item for Goodfellows Canned Food Drive
Friday, November 17: "Pajama Day" Spirit Wear Day when students bring a canned food item for for Goodfellows Canned Food Drive

Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24: No School for Thanksgiving Break

Monday, November 27: PTA General Membership Meeting 7:00 PM
Friday, December 1: No School for Students (Records Day)

Friday, December 8: Report Cards go home

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF
Ms. Kurtjian - Third Grade Teacher

My name is Laura Kurtjian and I'm a third grade teacher here at Buchanan.  I've spent my entire life in Livonia by going to Livonia Public Schools, going to college in Livonia (Madonna University), student teaching in Livonia, and now, full-time teaching in Livonia.  I love this city and I feel honored to be working at such a wonderful school.I have two sisters who are also teachers, a mother who was a teacher, and a beautiful nephew named Oliver who isn't a teacher yet but it runs in the family so you never know!  When I'm not at school, I spend my time with my nephew, family, friends, and two dogs who I'm sure the students can tell you all about!

My goal this year is to make sure that students truly enjoy learning and view school as a fun place!

If I were describe Buchanan Elementary using 5 words, I would say welcoming, a community, engaging, creative, and fun!

PTA POINTS
  • Buchanan will be receiving $1,100 from our Box Tops submission. Congratulations to Ms. Banter's 4th grade class- they are the winners of a pizza party provided by the PTA!! They had a total of 1,158 for their class. We thank all of our Bears for all their efforts in collecting Box Tops! That is amazing!  Keep sending Box Tops in- labeled in a baggie with teacher and student name. We will be awarding another pizza party to the class that brings in the most in the spring. 
  • Don't forget to purchase Buchanan spirit wear! Go to buchananspiritwear.com to place your order. We are offering free shipping until November 20. All items are shipped directly to your home. Spirit wear is a great Christmas gift!
  • Next PTA meeting will be Monday, November 27 at 7:00 PM. Childcare will be provided. 
  • Cub Scout Pack 790 will be hosting a Toys for Tots donation drive at Buchanan from 11/20-12/15. New, unwrapped toys will be collected in the box located in the Buchanan Lobby.  These toys are then distributed as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in  our community.

Did you know the first grade classrooms are heading up the schoolwide canned food drive for Goodfellows? To help with the collection process, the first grade students voted and came up with two "spirit days" to help increase the volume of donations. Students are being asked to bring canned food items to school on Wednesday and Friday and to make things fun by having a "Fancy Dress" day on Wednesday and a "pajama day" on Friday.  Buchanan students are making a difference! 

Friday, November 3, 2017

Grit

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This month, our students are learning about Grit: The stubborn refusal to give up when things are difficult. It's an appropriate time to discuss this topic, because this is the time of the year when students may start facing academic challenges or challenges in sports or activities. Our society is so focused on winning that students may not realize the amount of work, determination, and even losing that takes place before individuals or teams become champions. Without grit, students are less likely to make it through challenging times and tasks and we need to promote a mindset that encourages students to never give up! I hope you'll talk with your child about what it means to show grit and perhaps share a story of a time when you overcame an obstacle. We are all role models for our students, so we need to be showing grit as well!

GRIT VIDEO

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Tuesday, November 7: No School for Students (Teacher Professional Development)
Thursday, November 9: Barnes & Noble Book Fair 5:30-7:30 PM

Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 23: No School for Thanksgiving Break

Monday, November 27: PTA General Membership Meeting 7:00 PM


We are excited to announce the launch of our newest form of parent communication. This week will be the premier episode of our Buchanan Broadcast! It is a podcast that can be listened to by families to hear about the great things happening in our school. This week's episode includes a principal update and one from our PTA board. We are hoping to expand future episodes to include a "Teacher Feature" and a "Student Showcase". A big thanks to Rob Pascoe for coordinating this project and for providing the recording equipment. We hope you will enjoy listening to our Buchanan Broadcast each month! 

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF
Shayna Gruenewald - 2nd Grade Teacher

Hello!  My name is Shayna Gruenewald, and I teach 2nd grade.  This is my sixteenth year of teaching in Livonia.  I have mostly taught 2nd grade, but I’ve also taught 1st grade and even 5th grade!

I live in Livonia with my husband and two children.  My son Brendan is 12 years old and attends Holmes Middle School.  My daughter Catherine is 9 years old and attends Hoover Elementary School. When I am not teaching, I spend time with my family.  We enjoy going on adventures around town, playing Pokemon Go, and visiting relatives.

My goal for this year is to empower students to take charge of their learning, and become problem solvers.  I feel having a problem solving approach is important, because there always seem to be hiccups along the way.  I believe that any goal is achievable when students are motivated and willing to work to reach it.

Five words that I would use to describe Buchanan are: welcoming, caring, collaborative, upbeat, and exciting!

PTA POINTS
  • Our next PTA meeting will be held on Monday, November 27 at 7:00 PM (Childcare will be provided) 
  • Reminder- Reflections entries are due November 7!
  • Looking for Buchanan spirit wear? Go to www.buchananspiritwear.com to order. We are offering free shipping until November 20, 2017. All orders are shipped directly to your home! Spirit wear makes great Christmas gifts for the kids! Please see attached flyer for more details. 
  • Girl Scout Troop 75015 will be hosting a pet supply donation for the Humane Society from 11/13-11/17.  There will be a donation box in the lobby of the school. Donation suggestions range from cat/dog food, animal toys, used towels or blankets and paper towels.  For a complete wish list, please visit: Donate Wish List Items - Michigan Humane SocietyThank you for helping to support animals in need!
The LMC Book Fair is coming soon!  It will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at the Barnes & Noble in Northville (on the corner of 6 Mile and Haggerty roads) from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Artwork done by Mrs. Gruenewald’s class and Mrs. Tanner’s class will be on display in the store.  Here is the schedule of guest readers from 5:30-7:30 p.m.:

5:30     Mr. Wennstrom
5:45     Mrs. Trantham
6:00     Mrs. Hurula
6:15     Ms. Adams
6:30     Mrs. Pisko
6:45     Miss Ford
7:00     Mrs. Stromberg, Mrs. McGuigan, and Ms. Haapala
7:15     Mrs. Jones

Remember to turn in a voucher or mention the Buchanan book fair at the register (a flyer with book fair vouchers is attached).  All money raised through this book fair will be used to purchase books for the Buchanan Library.  We hope to see you at Barnes & Noble on the 9th!


Did you know that several of the Livonia administrators are joining together to promote men's health by participating in "No Shave November?" For the month of November, we will say no to the razor and let our beards grow. It's a fun way to promote a good cause and a way to have some friendly competition. Each week we will post a picture to mark our progress. It's just another way we try to have fun at school. Great things are happening at Buchanan!