It's Easy Being Green

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Kermit the frog famously said "It's not easy being green", but it sure was easy for our Buchanan students this week! We had fun with St. Patrick's Day and our some of our students even did a virtual Leprechaun scavenger hunt and I saw that students in SACC were building Leprechaun traps. We are always looking for ways to make learning fun at Buchanan! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

• Tuesday, March 23: PTA Meeting in the Library Media Center 7:00 PM (Masks required)
• Wednesday, March 24: Virtual Author Visits with Dennis Mathew 
• Friday, March 26: Last Day of School before Spring Break (I should have my hair dyed by then!)

On Wednesday, March 24, Children's author Dennis Mathew will be hosting a Virtual School Visit. Below are the links for the "Assemblies"

Virtual Author Visit Grades K-2 6:00 PM

Virtual Author Visit Grade 3&4 7:00 PM

No School Monday, March 29 - Friday, April 2

PTA POINTS

• PTA Meeting: We will have our first in-person PTA meeting of the year on Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00pm in the library. Masks are required. We hope to see you there!

• Read-A-Thon: It's the final day of the Buchanan Read-A-Thon, and we still need about 10,000 reading minutes to reach our goal (and for Mr. Wennstrom to dye his hair), so keep logging those minutes! If you have not already done so, it's not too late to register - students' donation pages will remain active and accept donations through March 25. Please visit https://www.getmovinfundhub.com/ to register or re-login to your parent dashboard and complete your child’s student webpage (use Building ID: 5d49989d85ce5). 

• Virtual Book Fair (March 11 - 24): Our Book Fair is online and helps our students discover new books, favorite characters, and more! Every purchase earns our school rewards for much needed resources. Plus, shipping is free on book-only purchases over $25.Thank you for instilling a love of reading and supporting our Book Fair! Visit the following link to shop: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/buchananelementaryschool10

• LAST CALL for FREE SHIPPING on Spirit Wear: Orders placed between now and Monday, March 22 will receive FREE SHIPPING. This is the final free shipping period of the school year. Please visit our spirit wear store here: https://buchananspiritwear.com

• Yearbooks: If you would like a yearbook for this school year, please place your order at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com (Yearbook ID: 1643321) by Friday, April 9. 

• Five Below Fundraiser: We will be holding another Five Below Fundraiser from March 28 through April 3. Please show the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email when you check out for 10% of your purchase to be donated to the PTA. This is a great opportunity to shop for Easter and Spring Break activities!

• 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

• Contact the PTA via Email: pta.buchanan1@gmail.com

Ms. Kaufman’s 4th Grade was chosen to participate in the STEM Through Literature Kits for Kids project developed by Wayne RESA, the Wayne Regional STEM Network (MiSTEM), and the Nutty Scientists of Southeast Michigan and funded by the MiSTEM Network and the Early Literacy Grant.

The kits are designed to get students reading, to give them practice applying the Engineering Design Cycle, to bolster their imaginations through innovation and creativity, and to explore the wonders of STEM.

Each teacher has received a STEM kit for each student that includes the materials needed for 8 STEM activities, 4 hardcover books, and 2 hardcover books for each student.

Recently, there was an update to the District's face mask requirement, which included a ban on neck gaiters. After further research into the latest studies and recommendations from the CDC and the MDHHS, Livonia Public Schools has amended face covering requirements. Based on current research and CDC guidance, students, staff, and visitors may continue to wear a neck gaiter only if it worn "doubled up." This means the wearer would be required to either wear two (2) gaiters over their mouth and nose, one on top of the other, or would be required to fold a single gaiter in half so double the material will cover both the mouth and nose. We apologize for any confusion. Thank you

Congratulations to our Students of the Month for the theme of INTEGRITY!! 

KINDERGARTEN                                            FIRST GRADE

Mrs. Pillai - Layla K                                          Mrs. Jones - Nicholas L.

Ms. Haapala - Owen T.                                      Mrs. Hurula - Nathan R. 

Mrs. Stromberg - Sophia O.                              Mrs. Kamin - Natalia Z.

Mrs. Mcguigan - Vivian V.                                Mrs. Hochkins - Megan P.

                                                                           Mrs. Sparrow - J.J. 

SECOND GRADE                                            THIRD GRADE

Mrs. Drolet - Derek L.                                       Mrs. Duff - Mallory O.

Mrs. Tanner - Jack M.                                        Mrs. Trantham - Aubrey H. 

Ms. Adams - Sandy M.                                      Mrs. Allmayer - Mayar A.

Mrs. Gruenewald - Izzy S.                                 Mrs. Edwards - Jeremy M.

Mrs. Benson - Eloise F.                                      Ms. Yost - Scarlet S.

FOURTH GRADE

Mrs. Banter - Diti Z.

Mrs. Ringler - Sheylynn L.

Ms. Medellin - Cali C.

Ms. Kaufman - Mattilyn P.

Miss Brown - Anna L. 

The students will receive certificates and will be announced on the Celebrate Monday Video!

Records Day

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! As a music lover, records day sounds like a lot of fun to me. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with vinyl and is actually a lot of work. Records day is the time when teachers update their files, review student assessments and most importantly work on report cards. It's an important day, because communicating with parents how students are progressing is essential for the home-school connection. Report cards will not be printed this year, but will be viewable on Friday, March 19 through parent connect. A reminder of how to access report cards will be sent home to assist families next week. Thank you for your continued support! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

• Thursday, March 18: Read in your PJ's Spirit Wear Day
• Friday, March 19: No School for Students/PD Day for Teachers/Last day of Read-a-Thon
• Tuesday, March 23: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM (In person - Masks required)
• Wednesday, March 24: Virtual Author Visits (Links will be sent out prior)

PTA POINTS

• Read-A-Thon: It's the final week of the Buchanan Read-A-Thon, and we are only about halfway to our reading goal. Our students have logged about 50,000 reading minutes, but we need to get to 100,000 for Mr. Wennstrom to dye his hair, so make sure you are logging those minutes! If you have not already done so, please visit https://www.getmovinfundhub.com/ to register or re-login to your parent dashboard and complete your child’s student webpage (Use Building ID: 5d49989d85ce5). This is where you can donate or share your child's donation page with friends and family, and where you will log your child's reading minutes. There are prizes for reading and for raising money. Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for details. 

• Book Fair (March 11 - 24): Our Book Fair is online and helps our students discover new books, favorite characters, and more! Every purchase earns our school rewards for much needed resources. Plus, shipping is free on book-only purchases over $25.Thank you for instilling a love of reading and supporting our Book Fair! Visit the following link to shop: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/buchananelementaryschool10

• FREE SHIPPING on Spirit Wear: Orders placed between now and March 22 will receive FREE SHIPPING. This is the final free shipping period of the school year. Please visit our spirit wear store here: https://buchananspiritwear.com

• PTA Board Nominations: Nominations are open for the 2021-2022 PTA Executive Board. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else (with their permission), please fill out a Nomination Form (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email). Nomination forms are due Thursday, March 18. Elections will take place at the PTA meeting on April 20, 2021.

• Yearbooks: If you would like a yearbook for this school year, please place your order at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com (Yearbook ID: 1643321) by Friday, April 9. 

• Photos for Yearbook: If you have photographs from this school year that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the yearbook, please email them to pta.buchanan1@gmail.com. It is going to be a challenge to fill the yearbook this year, so we would love any school-related photos (e.g., first day of school, at-home learning set up, bus stop, walking to school, posing with assignments/projects, students dressed up for special theme days, etc.).

• 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

• Contact the PTA via Email: pta.buchanan1@gmail.com

• Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, March 23 (In person in the LMC - Masks required)

Dress as your favorite literary character! 

What Color Will It Be??

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I've made a promise to our students that IF we reach our schoolwide goal for the Read-a-Thon, that I will dye my hair whatever color the top reader chooses. Now, I'm not going for the spray on/wash out color. I'm going ALL THE WAY. My hair will be bleached and then dyed with whatever color is chosen. Unlike Snoopy below, I can only do one color though. I hope it's a color I like, because I will be stuck with it for 6 to 8 weeks!! My goal is to have it dyed just before we go to spring break, so the kids can see the product of their hard work. They will also have the reminder of Reading Month through April and May each time they look at my hair. Maybe YOUR child will be the one to pick the color!! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

• Friday, March 12: Dress as your favorite book character Spirt Day! Students dismissed at 12:20 PM (No lunch served)
• Thursday, March 18: Read in your Pajamas Spirit Day! 
• Friday, March 19: Report Cards viewable in Parent Connect. No School for Students. 

PTA POINTS

• Read-A-Thon: The Buchanan Read-A-Thon is off to an amazing start! We have already raised over $7,500 and our students have logged over 15,000 reading minutes! If you have not already done so, please visit https://www.getmovinfundhub.com/ to register or re-login to your parent dashboard and complete your child’s student webpage (Use Building ID: 5d49989d85ce5). This is where you can donate or share your child's donation page with friends and family, and where you will log your child's reading minutes. There are prizes for reading and for raising money. Please see the flyer attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email for details. 

• FREE SHIPPING on Spirit Wear: Orders placed between now and March 22 will receive FREE SHIPPING. This is the final free shipping period of the school year. Please visit our spirit wear store here: https://buchananspiritwear.com 

• PTA Board Nominations: Nominations are open for the 2021-2022 PTA Executive Board. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else (with their permission), please fill out a Nomination Form (attached to Mr. Wennstrom's email). Nomination forms are due Thursday, March 18. Elections will take place at the PTA meeting on April 20, 2021.

• Yearbooks: If you would like a yearbook for this school year, please place your order at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com (Yearbook ID: 1643321) by Friday, April 9. 

• Photos for Yearbook: If you have photographs from this school year that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the yearbook, please email them to pta.buchanan1@gmail.com. It is going to be a challenge to fill the yearbook this year, so we would love any school-related photos (e.g., first day of school, at-home learning set up, bus stop, walking to school, posing with assignments/projects, students dressed up for special theme days, etc.).

• 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

• Contact the PTA via Email: pta.buchanan1@gmail.com

• Next PTA Meeting: Tuesday, March 23

Looking for activities for your kids to do outside of the school day? Check out the Community Hub section on the district's homepage to see flyers from local youth-oriented programs! 

Please see the flyer attached in this email for information on the 2021 Bond Proposal! 

The Buchanan Bears love to read!!