A Friendly Neighbor

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Recently, we started a renovation of our teacher lounge at Buchanan. When one of our families heard, they readily jumped in and volunteered to have their company come in to do some painting for free! Not only did it save us money, not only did it look great when finished, it reminded us of a simpler time when a friendly neighbor would offer to help out, just because they wanted to lend a hand. I know their act of kindness was appreciated by all our staff and I hope that our Buchanan students will grow up with the same helping spirit!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Friday, February 7: VIP Dance in the Gym 6:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, February 13: PTA Meeting in the Library 7:00 PM (All families welcome)

Monday, February 17 & Tuesday, February 18: Mid Winter Break (No School) 

Kindergarten Registration begins in February! We are having a Saturday Kindergarten registration at Riley on February 22 to help accommodate the busy schedules of our families! Check out this link to register for a time:  Kindergarten Registration Sign Up

Just a reminder that our before-school iReady and Tech clubs have ended.  We will be starting new sessions in a couple of weeks! 

PTA POINTS

• The Annual Buchanan VIP Dance will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The theme this year is the '80s! Tickets are $3 per person, and the event is PRE-SALE ONLY. A digital copy of the flyer and order form is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email. RSVPs are due MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3. 
• Mark your calendar for our next PTA meeting: February 13 at 7:00pm in the LMC. Childcare will be provided.

• Buchanan is in need of outdoor recess equipment! We could use balls of all sorts (soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, playground balls, etc.), jump ropes, hula hoops, etc. If you have extras of any of these items at home, Buchanan students would be happy to have them for use during outdoor recess. There is a collection box set up in the lobby for donations. Thank you to all who have already donated!

• Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? Get 10% off spirit wear orders from February 4 through 14 with coupon code SWEETEST10. Also, our spirit wear company now offers FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

#BuchananBears

During the week of Feb 10-14, 2020 our students will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart.  This will be done by all students in Physical Education class that week.  We will do a variety of heart healthy activities including jumping rope. The envelope being sent home is to be used if you choose to donate or collect donations which benefit the American Heart Association.  Money is used for research, public health education, and fighting heart disease and stroke.  Money can be sent in the form or check or money order, or done online.  The permission slip is NOT needed as we are doing this in class! Please put the student's first AND last name on the envelope, as well as the classroom teacher name.  Students should NOT put this envelope in the office in my mailbox.  It should be turned in to the classroom teacher. Donations are appreciated but also optional.  There are prizes listed for those who do chose to participate in the fundraising portion. They are shown on the envelope.The last day to bring in money will be Thursday Feb 27, 2020.  All of it will be totally done by the 28th.Thank you for your help and continued support!

Did you know that our PTA recently purchased brand new headphones for each of our Buchanan students? That's over 500 sets of headphones! Our students use them in the computer labs and with chromebooks as they do computerized assessments as well as access educational videos and interactive books. We are so lucky to have such an awesome PTA. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Candid Photos

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Last week, the Lifetouch photographers came into the building and took some candid photos of the students in class and around the building. These photos will help "fill out" our Buchanan yearbook pages. One of the things that I like about the candid photos is that it really captures the spirit of the building. The formal pictures are nice and I love seeing the kids dressed up and looking their best, but the candid photos capture the joy of students with their friends and having fun throughout the school. It's that spirit of joy in coming to school everyday that I try to foster and not just the staged "formal pictures" that show off a certain program or success. I hope your child finds joy in coming to school each day and I hope the adults in the school feel the same way!!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, January 27: Students of the Month Assembly

Thursday, January 30: PTA Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

Friday, February 7: VIP Dance in the gym (80's Theme) 6:00-8:00 PM

PTA POINTS

• The Annual Buchanan VIP Dance will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The theme this year is the '80s! Tickets are $3 per person, and the event is PRE-SALE ONLY. A digital copy of the flyer and order form is attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email.

• Our next Riverside Skating Night is this Thursday, January 30 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!

• Buchanan is in need of outdoor recess equipment! We could use balls of all sorts (soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, playground balls, etc.), jump ropes, hula hoops, etc. If you have extras of any of these items at home, Buchanan students would be happy to have them for use during outdoor recess. There is a collection box set up in the lobby for donations. 

• Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? Our spirit wear company now offers FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

• Where does your money go? As we reach the mid-point of the school year, the PTA would like to share with our Buchanan families how we have used some of the funds raised from our Fun Run (and other fundraising efforts). With your generous donations, here are some of the things we have been able to do this year:

- Purchase 525 pairs of headphones (enough for every student, plus extras for the resource room and educational support)

- Reimburse staff members up to $100 each for classroom supplies

- Purchase Raz-Kids subscriptions for the majority of students

- Fund up to $1600 per grade for Field Trips

- Purchase over $900 worth of books for the Library

- Provide funding for 1st grade to purchase new foam dice, number lines, and wooden erasers

- Provide funding for 4th grade to purchase stools for use at guided reading tables

- Provide funding for Kindergarten to purchase a subscription to Scholastic Let's Find Out non-fiction magazines

- Purchase National Geographic magazine subscriptions for classroom use

- Purchase Mileage Club supplies

- Throw a luncheon for our amazing staff the week before report cards were due in December

- Provide a holiday gift for each staff member

- Fund the PTA Surprise Elf Week, during which each student received crayons, a coloring sheet, a pencil, and a bookmark, and each classroom received a book, a game, and a bag of school supplies.

#BuchananBears

Monday is turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes instead of quesadillas. 

Did you know that we have a fish tank in our lobby at Buchanan. Every day, our students get to walk by and see our beautiful fish and the famous goldfish named Goldie! Our students love to see Goldie swim around the tank with her little friends and also see her play hide and seek with the decorations in her tank. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Dreams

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! On Monday, students will not have school as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Many students will be hearing his "I have a dream" speech and will learn about his life. Although his dream was an important starting point, it wasn't the end. He worked hard, he marched, and he sacrificed to make that dream a reality. One of the things that we try to teach our Buchanan students is that a vision or a dream is the beginning, but making things a reality takes hard work and dedication. Failure and set backs are a part of life, but they are just lessons as we continue our journey. When your child tells you about Martin Luther King Jr's dream, ask them about the steps he took to make it a reality!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, January 20: No School for Students in observance of MLK Day

Monday, January 27: Students of the Month Assembly for Confidence

Thursday, January 30: PTA Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

Friday, February 7: VIP Dance 6:00-8:00 PM

PTA POINTS

• The Annual Buchanan VIP Dance will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The theme this year is the '80s! Tickets are $3 per person, and the event is PRE-SALE ONLY. Flyers with order forms were sent home last week. A digital copy of the flyer and order form is also attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email.

• Still in need of Buchanan spirit wear? Our spirit wear company just announced that it now offers FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50. Click this link to view Buchanan's spirit wear store: https://www.buchananspiritwear.com/

• Our next Riverside Skating Night is Thursday, January 30 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!

• Reflections news: Congratulations to Ashlyn Johnson for winning an Award of Excellence for her photography entry and to Juliet Rodriguez for winning an Award of Merit for her visual arts entry. Both pieces of art will be recognized at the Annual Livonia PTSA Reflections Ceremony on January 30 at Stevenson High School and will move on to compete at the state-level. Way to represent Buchanan!

• Buchanan is in need of outdoor recess equipment! We could use balls of all sorts (soccer balls, footballs, playground balls, etc.), jump ropes, hula hoops, etc. If you have extras of any of these items at home, Buchanan students would be happy to have them for use during outdoor recess. There will be a collection box set up in the lobby for donations. 

Needed: One or two parents that can come in during the course of about a 3 week period - 2 times in a week, whatever days you can do to help me with the Jump Rope for Heart prize distribution.  The lady from American Heart will show you how to log in, check who has donated online and how much, and also check donations given to teachers that I will have sent down on the days you are here. You would have to just take the small prizes: key chains and put them in zip lock bags with the kids names on them and deliver to the teacher mailboxes. After the event, I would need you to come in one last time when the bigger prizes arrive by mail, to be sure that all of them get out to the kids.  This would be about a month or two after the event.

If this sounds like something that you could help me with, please contact me as soon as possible as we were going to try and run this event during PE classes the week of Feb 10-14 2020.  I may find I need to move this back but for now would like to try!Thank you so much in advance for the help!

dberggr@livoniapublicschools.org

#BuchananBears

Parents, we need your help! Please make sure students are not bringing smart watches or Pokemon cards into school. Both items have caused distractions during the school hours and we appreciate your support in keeping them at home. Thank you! 

Did you know that Lifetime Photography will be at the school on Friday, January 24? They will be going around the building to take candid photos throughout the building for our annual yearbook. These fun photos fill our yearbook with so many fun memories. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Harvest Time!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Recently, I was talking with a parent who shared that he had "stolen" some good ideas that he had seen. I told him that many of my best ideas, weren't my ideas and that a mentor had once told me some wise words. She said that when we see an idea that we want to implement, it's not stealing, it's "harvesting good ideas". Now, of course we want to give credit for those who we harvest from, but often when I have, I learn that they harvested from someone else.  Education is a great profession for "harvesting" good ideas from one another. At Buchanan, we are a team that helps lift ALL of our members up. We are better together!

Some ideas I have "harvested"

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, January 16: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM in the Library (all families welcome)

Monday, January 20: No School in observance of MLK Day

Monday, January 27: Students of the Month Assembly (Confidence)

Thursday, January 30: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

PTA POINTS

• Join us for our first PTA meeting of 2020 this Thursday, January 16 at 7:00pm in the LMC. Childcare will be provided. 

• Our next Riverside Skating Night is Thursday, January 30 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!

• Calling all Chili Cooks! There is still time to sign up for the annual Livonia PTSA Council Chili Cook-Off (Please see the entry form attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email.). The event will take place next Saturday, January 18 from 11:00am to 2:00pm at Franklin High School. The winning chili-maker will win a prize package plus a $500 grant for the school they are representing. If you are more of a chili taster than a chili maker, consider attending the event - the cost is $5 for unlimited samples until the chili runs out. 

• The Annual Buchanan VIP Dance will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The theme this year is the '80s! More information will be coming soon. 

#BuchananBears

Did you know that many of our students worked on their "One Word" for the new year? Students had fun selecting on a word that they would focus on for 2020 and many were displayed in classroom and around the school. Great things are happening at Buchanan!

One Word - 2020

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Once again, I am using "One Word" as my focus for the year to help guide my decisions and keep me on a positive track. My word this year is YES and below is the story behind the word that I shared with the Buchanan Staff. I hope you enjoy it and we look forward to seeing the students when they return on Monday!

In 1966, John Lennon was visiting a modern art exhibit. While making his way through the museum, he came to a piece that consisted of a ladder that led to a magnifying glass hanging from the ceiling. John made his way up the ladder and grabbed the glass to see the message that was written on the ceiling. There was one word – YES. In many later interviews, he credited that positive message to a turning point that led him to meet the artist, Yoko Ono, who would become his partner and true love. He had been expecting a joke, or something negative, but that simple affirmation inspired him.

TED Talks and podcasts are filled with examples of successful people who talk about the power of YES. One of my favorites is “My year of saying yes to everything” by Shonda Rhimes. She describes the transformative power of saying yes and how it helped her overcome fears, open new possibilities, make her a better parent, and a “titan” in television writing. She shares how saying yes brought color back into her life and contrary to logic, saying yes to everything didn’t overload her, it helped bring back balance and joy through focusing on the things she said yes to, starting with playing with her daughter.

For the past five years, I have selected One Word to be my focus for the year. They have been a trait that I want to develop or an act I want to perform. They have included “Inspire, Gratitude, Kindness, Patience, and Light“. This year, I have selected the word YES! My goal is not to make everyone happy, but to explore new possibilities. Saying yes can open doors, create new opportunities, and make our world bigger. I plan to record my journey of saying yes and documenting along the way the new experiences it leads to. Will you join me in being open to new ideas and new adventures? I hope you said, YES! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, January 16: PTA Meeting (all families welcome!) 7:00 PM in the Library

Monday, January 20: No School for Students in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Monday, January 27: Students of the Month Assembly (Confidence) 

Thursday, January 30: PTA Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

PTA POINTS

• Mark your calendars for our first PTA meeting of 2020: Thursday, January 16 at 7:00pm in the LMC. Childcare will be provided. 

• Our next Riverside Skating Night is Thursday, January 30 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!

• Calling all Chili Cooks! There is still time to sign up for the annual Livonia PTSA Council Chili Cook-Off. The event will take place on Saturday, January 18 at Franklin High School. The winning chili-maker will win a prize package plus a $500 grant for the school they are representing. 

• The Annual Buchanan VIP Dance will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The theme this year is the '80s! More information will be coming soon.

Did you know that our theme for the month is Confidence?  We will be focusing on having faith in ourselves AND also remembering that confident people help lift others as well. This is a fun theme and may even see the return of our "Positive Post It" activity!  Great things are happening at Buchanan!