Parent Teacher Partnerships

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Last week was a busy week with conferences, but it was great to see so many people here in the school. All the educational research shows that students perform better when there is a true partnership between parents and educators. I've always preferred the term Parent Teacher Partnerships over Conferences, because this isn't about a one time update, it's about building relationships and establishing two-way communication. Parents and teachers may not always agree on every issue, but one thing we can ALL agree on is that we are here to help each child be successful. That's always our starting point and with a strong parent-teacher partnership, the sky is the limit!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, October 25: Picture Retakes in the morning

                                    PTA Meeting at 7:00 PM

Friday, October 26: Monster Mash Dash 6:00-8:00 PM (This is a combination of our annual Fun Run and Boo Bash events. It's our largest fundraiser for the year!! Please come out & join the fun!)

Wednesday, October 31: Halloween Costume Parade grades 1-4 at 3:15 PM

Tuesday, November 6: Election Day - No School for Students

• The Halloween Costume Parade will be at 3:15 on Halloween Day for grades 1-4
• Weather permitting, we will parade around the outside the building (inside for bad weather)
• Students may be checked out for dismissal following the parade
• Kindergarten Students will have a separate parade in the AM (teachers will share more information)
• Please no blood, gore, or weapons with costumes!

PTA POINTS

• Our next PTA meeting will take place in the Library on October 25th at 7p.m.

• The Monster Mash Dash is this Friday, October 26 from 6-8. All donations must be submitted on Wednesday, October 24. Students who raise donations by October 24 will receive a free wristband to our monster mash dash.$10 wristbands will be sold at the event along with pumpkin raffle tickets. 

• We are still in need of volunteers for our Monster Mash Dash. Please volunteer 30 minuets of your time to insure that the event runs smoothly. By volunteering at events,  you will be entered to win a gift at the end of the year. 

• Pumpkin Raffle & Monster Mash Dash Volunteer SignUp Genius Below:     https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-monster

• Decorate a pumpkin to be raffled off at our event (NO carved pumpkins please). Drop off in the front office by the end of the school day on Thursday, October 25.

• Bounce it up Family Fun night Tuesday, November 6, 6:00-8:00PM. Bounce It Up, 30276 Plymouth Road, LivoniaTwo hours of unlimited bouncing and coin less arcade games for $10 per child (child need not be a Buchanan student to attend - siblings/friends/etc. welcome!) Flyers will go home Monday, October 29th. 

#BuchananBears

Did you know that Buchanan had 97% parent attendance for conferences? That is outstanding!! I'm so impressed with the level of family participation at Buchanan with conferences, PTA membership, and volunteers in the school. As I stated earlier, the research shows that the more parents are involved in the educational process, the more likely students are to succeed! Thanks for your support of our school and your involvement. Keep up the great work and we will see you at the Monster Mash Bash soon! Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Data

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Last week, our teachers spent a lot of time reviewing and discussing data about student achievement. After hours of data entry into the computers, we then spend an entire day with "Data Dives" to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of students and how we can best help them with targeted intervention. That also helped teachers focus in on each child, so that they can discuss specific strategies with parents during parent teacher conferences. To be honest, teachers today do MUCH more analysis of student data than I ever did as a teacher.  Teachers today are more targeted in their approach, more trained in effective strategies, and harder working than ever before! I'm amazed at the level of expertise and dedication of our Buchanan teachers. I know you will see their level of devotion to students when you meet with them for parent teacher conferences!

A "Data" joke for Star Trek fans:)

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, October 17: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                        Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 18: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                     Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM

Friday, October 19: Full day for students

Thursday, October 25: Picture Retakes in the morning

                                    PTA Meeting 7:00 PM

Friday, October 26: Monster Mash Dash 6:00-8:00 PM (This is our biggest fundraiser of the year)

Wednesday, October 31: Halloween Costume Parade Grades 1-4 at 3:15 PM

• The Halloween Costume Parade will be at 3:15 PM on Halloween Day for grades 1-4
• Weather permitting, we will parade around the outside the building (inside for bad weather)
• Students may be checked out for dismissal following the parade
• Kindergarten Students will have a separate parade in the AM (teachers will share more information)
• Please no blood, gore, or weapons with costumes!

PTA POINTS

• Don’t forget to stop by our Bake Sale October 17 & 18 during conferences. If you would like to donate items for the bake sale please sign up on the link provided below. Please drop off all donated bake goods to the office on October 16 or the morning of the 17.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan1

• Friday is the last day to send in your BOX TOPS! The class that collects the most will earn a pizza party! Please label all baggies with the teachers name. Mrs. Benson’s class has collected the most so far.

• Monster Mash Dash- Friday, October 26 6:00-8:00 p..m

• Please register your child for our Monster Mash Dash and start collecting donations. Visit thegetmovincrew.com to register. Please help your child reach the individual student goal of $40. That’s just four $10 pledges! Our total school goal is $15,000. Students who raise donations by October 24 will receive a free wristband to our monster mash dash. $10 wristbands will be sold at the event for all Non-Buchanan Student attendees. 

• Pumpkin Raffle & Monster Mash Dash Volunteer SignUp Genius Below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549acad2ea4fb6-monster

• Decorate a pumpkin to be raffled off at our event (NO carved pumpkins please). Drop off in the front office by the end of the school day on Thursday, October 25. Raffle ticket will be for sale at the event. 

Did you know that every child will receive a Reading Proficiency Report this week?  On Monday, students will bring home a report that shares their reading scores for Fountas & Pinnell and the iReady assessment. This report will help parents to understand where students are performing in the area of reading. Those students who are reading significantly below grade level will receive an IRIP (Individualized Reading Improvement Plan) at conferences. Also during parent teacher conferences, parents will receive an iReady parent report for math. We look forward to seeing you during conferences.  Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Balance

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Last week, my wife celebrated a milestone birthday and I did something I rarely do...I took time off work for it. I often pride myself on not missing work and keeping excellent attendance.  However, that has often resulted in missing family events and functions.  I always tell my staff "Family First", but I sometimes don't practice what I preach. That's why I thought it was important to take some time off and try to find that elusive work-life balance.  Luckily for me, I don't look at my job as work, but rather a calling. I love what I do and I consider myself lucky to work with teachers, students, and families each day. I'm doubly lucky, because I have a supportive family at home too. So this week, I tried to model what I tell teachers to do and balanced my work and family time. It's something that we all need to work at!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, October 17: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM
                                        Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, October 18: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM
                                     Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 25: Picture Retakes in the morning
                                     PTA Meeting 7:00 PM
Friday, October 26: Monster Mash Dash 6:00-8:00 PM

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF

Kelsey Duff - First Grade Teacher

I am beyond happy to be returning back to Buchanan this school year! This is my 8th year teaching in Livonia and my second year teaching first grade. I have spent my entire educational career in Livonia, from starting kindergarten at Johnson Elementary School through earning my master's degree at Madonna University. I have had 5 great years teaching at Coolidge Elementary in the second grade and though I was sad to leave that community, it has been wonderful being able to work with some old friends. When I am not in school this time of year, you can find me playing in the yard, watching football on the weekends with Mr. Duff or checking out the latest hot spot in Detroit.

The goal that I have set for myself this year is to connect with as many Buchanan families as I can. It has been 6 years since I last worked at here and the faces and families I remember, have mostly moved onto their next schools. If you see me around, please be sure to say "Hello".

Three words I would use to describe Buchanan: Supportive, Motivated, Energetic

PTA POINTS

• We are having a Bake Sale October 17 & 18 during conferences. If you would like to donate items for the bake sale please sign up on the link provided below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan1

• Don’t forget to send in your box tops by October 20th! The class that collects the most will earn a pizza party! Please label all baggies with the teachers name. Mrs. McGuigan’s class is in the lead. 
• Monster Mash Dash.  Friday, October 26 6:00-8:00.
• Please register your child for our Monster Mash Dash and start collecting donations. Visit thegetmovincrew.com to register. The class that has the most students registered by October 12 wins a cider and donuts party. 

Please check out the video below for our PTA Reflections Competition! 

Did you know that Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up soon? Each classroom teacher has a sign up genius for families to sign up for a slot. If you have not received the link, please contact your child's teacher as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing all our families during conferences and continue our partnership with our community. Great things are happening at Buchanan!

Open House

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! We had a great Open House & Curriculum Night last week and it was wonderful to have so many of our students and families in the building. We were very happy to show off our beautiful renovations and new technology in the classrooms. Our PTA hosted an amazing book fair and also paid to have a magic show for all the students. I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did! Education is about partnerships and relationships and we are happy that the Buchanan community is such a great partner with our school. Together we can help each child be successful!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, October 1: Student of the Month Assembly
Thursday, October 4: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

Wednesday, October 17: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM
                                        Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, October 18: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM
                                     Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 & 5:00-8:00 PM


MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF

Nancy Gregg - Secretary 

Hi! My name is Nancy Gregg and I have recently joined LPS staff as secretary for Buchanan, Hoover and Randolph Elementary.  I have been married to my husband Mike for 17 years and we have a son, Isaac in 6th grade at Riley Upper Elementary and a son, Asher in 3rd grade at Hoover Elementary. We also have a 1 year old vizsla puppy named Rubeus, a corn snake named Slither, and a fish named Mario. We are an active family that does karate together and the boys enjoy playing soccer for Livonia Soccer Club. Asher plans to try basketball this year with Livonia Junior Athletic League. We love the outdoors, being involved in our church, and we all love all things Harry Potter! 

My goal for the year is to be a welcoming and positive influence for the families in our community.

I have enjoyed becoming a part of the Buchanan community.  Everyone has been very welcoming, supportive and FUN!

PTA POINTS 

• The PTA is hosting a family fun night at Riverside Arena on October 4 from 6-8 p.m. at 36635 Plymouth Rd, Livonia. Admission is $6.50 per person. 
• We are having a Bake Sale October 17 & 18 during conferences. If you would like to donate items for the bake sale please sign up on the link provided below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan1

• Don’t forget to send in your box tops by October 20th! The class that collects the most will earn a pizza party! Please label all baggies with the teachers name. 

Monster Mash Dash.  Friday, October 26 6:00-8:00 p.m.

• This year we are doing something new. We are combining our Fun Run and Boo Bash. This year’s theme is MONSTER MASH DASH. The Monster Mash Dash incorporates health and fitness with a Halloween-infused atmosphere. We will also have a DJ and dancing, games, treats and lots of Halloween fun. Dress like a monster or wear a costume while running to raise money for our school. This year the PTA hopes to raise enough money to contribute to field trips for every grade, assemblies for the school, student news magazines, the Mileage Club, and various other school supplies, classroom enrichment materials, and family-fun events. Information packets will be sent home sometime the first week of October. 

#BuchananBears

Did you know that every child will be receiving a Reading Proficiency Report before parent teacher conferences? The reports will share your child's iReady score as well as their Fountas & Pinnell score to give a good indication of where their strengths and challenges are in the area of reading. Kindergarten families will receive an early literacy benchmark score. This will help with conversations during our parent teacher conferences. We are committed to helping all students succeed. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

High Tech

Hi Folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I'm very excited to announce that ALL of our classrooms now have updated technology installed to make learning even more exciting and interactive for our students. Each room is equipped with short throw projectors that can connect to teacher computers or other units to display what the teacher wants to demonstrate. We also now have interactive boards that allow teachers and students to write notes, highlight, and even save student work done on the whiteboard. All our teachers were trained on the new technology during a professional development session and I'm sure you will see some of our new technology at our Open House & Curriculum Night! I think the thing that made me the most excited was that our training was done by Buchanan staff members who have used the technology at other buildings. What a great staff we have and I know that the best training is always from teacher to teacher!

Mrs. Benson and Mrs. Duff providing technology training for the staff! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, September 24 - Friday, September 28: Scholastic Book Fair

Thursday, September 27: Curriculum Night / Open House 6:00-7:30 PM

6:00-6:30 PM Curriculum Night for Grades K-2 in classrooms

6:30-7:00 PM Open House for all grades

7:00-7:30 PM Curriculum Night for Grades 3&4 in classrooms

Monday, October 1: Student of the Month Assembly

Thursday, October 4: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM

Wednesday, October 17: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                        Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 18: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM

                                     Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-8:00 PM

PTA POINTS 

• The PTA invites you to wander into an Enchanted Forest Book Fair September 24-28. It’s a whimsical place full of irresistible books kids can’t wait to read so their imaginations can grow! The book fair will be open during curriculum night. Please sign up to volunteer to work during your child’s shopping time.https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-book
• Last chance to take advantage of free shipping  from September 7-24. Please visit http://www.buchananspiritwear.com to place your order. Orders can be placed all year long. 
• Don’t forget to send in your box tops by October 20th! The class that collects the most will earn a pizza party! Please label all baggies with the teachers name. 
• For a full list of volunteer opportunities please check out the link below.  https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan
• Please support the Buchanan PTA by joining today. Your membership alone will give us a BIGGER voice in our school and community! Budget, programs, school events and volunteer opportunities will be discussed at monthly meetings. The classroom that gets the most PTA members will earn a classroom stipend. Join on our website  https://buchanan.memberhub.com. Click on the shop tab at the top of the page to submit your membership. 

MEET THE BUCHANAN STAFF

Laurisa Burke - Literacy Coach

Greetings Buchanan Bears! My name is Laurisa Burke, and I am a Buchanan graduate. It feels so nice to be back “home.” I attended Livonia Public Schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. After graduating, I attended U of M Dearborn. Once earning my degree, I began my teaching career in Florida. I taught 2nd and 4th grades in The Villages, Florida. There I also earned my master’s degree in Educational Leadership.  After having my first son, we decided to move back to Livonia to raise our children by family.

Since being back I have worked at numerous Livonia schools. I spent the majority of my time at Coolidge, where I taught kindergarten for 3 years and 4th grade. This year I began a new chapter as a district Literacy Coach. I spend my time split between Buchanan, Roosevelt and Central Office.  I am very passionate about helping both children and adults celebrate their strengths and grow to their full potential! My husband and I have Benjamin,6, and Winston, 2. We love spending time outdoors, visiting museums/aquariums, and being together! Thank you for welcoming me to the Buchanan community!

One goal I have this year is to attend training opportunities to continue to grow in current literacy best practices.

3 Words to describe Buchanan include: welcoming, inspiring, and growing.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that our teachers receive professional development training all through the year? Each teacher receives 30 hours of training every year in the form of full day training sessions, half-day training sessions, and even one hour training sessions before school. Training may be focused on curriculum, technology, educational best practices and so much more. Our teachers are modeling life-long learning for their students. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Telling Our Story

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Someone once said, "If we don't tell our story, others will tell it for us." I believe that is true in education. So often, schools are only in the news when something bad happens or for negative reasons. I want to flip that scenario. I want parents, families, and community members to see the great things happening in our school and know how amazing our students and staff are! Families are busy and can't always volunteer during the day. This is why communication with families is so important. When we share out activities and events on social media, through newsletters, podcasts, and even this blog, parents can have a glimpse into the fun learning that happens every day and in each classroom at Buchanan. Instead of asking,"What happened at school today?", families can say, "I saw you where in the garden area today" or "I noticed you are focusing on kindness this month". It's a great way to prompt conversations and connect home and school. It's not about promotion, but rather awareness and connecting the community with the school. I'm proud of our Buchanan staff for sharing out their stories and helping families to see that great things are happening at Buchanan!

Thank you Mrs. Stark for helping our students make a Kindness Mosaic in our lobby! 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, September 20: PTA Meeting in the Library Media Center (LMC) 7:00 PM

Friday, September 21: Lifetouch Picture Day!

Monday, September 24 - Friday, September 28: Scholastic Book Fair!

Thursday, September 27: Open House & Curriculum Night (See schedule below) 

6:00 - 6:30 PM Curriculum Night in Classrooms for Grades K-2

6:30 - 7:00 PM Open House for all grades

7:00 - 7:30 PM Curriculum Night in Classrooms for Grades 3 & 4

During the Curriculum Night portions of the evening, all students will be supervised by staff members in the gym as we have a Magic Show! 

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

We are currently having issues with our new absence reporting phone line:

To report an absence and fill out an Absence Verification Form online:

http://buchanan.livoniapublicschools.org/

·        Go to Quick Links

·        Or go to Parent Tab

·        Choose Absente Verification Form

·        Fill out form and submit

PTA POINTS

• Please support the Buchanan PTA by joining today. Your membership alone will give us a BIGGER voice in our school and community! Budget, programs, school events and volunteer opportunities will be discussed at monthly meetings. The classroom that gets the most PTA members will earn a classroom stipend. Join on our website  https://buchanan.memberhub.com. Click on the shop tab at the top of the page to submit your membership. 

• Meet the new PTA board for the 2018-19 school year. Join us for our first meeting on Thursday, September 20 at 7pm in the Library. We will share all the upcoming event dates and all the exciting things we have planned for this year. Childcare will be provided

• The PTA invites you to wander into an Enchanted Forest Book Fair September 24-28. It’s a whimsical place full of irresistible books kids can’t wait to read so their imaginations can grow! The book fair will be open during curriculum night. Please sign up to volunteer to work during your child’s shopping time. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-book
• 
• In need of some Buchanan spirit wear? Take advantage of free shipping  from September 7-24. Please visithttp://www.buchananspiritwear.com to place your order.
• Don’t forget to send in your box tops! The class that collects the most will earn a pizza party!Please label all baggies with the teachers name. 
• For a full list of volunteer opportunities please check out the link below.  https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan

#BuchananBears

Did you know that we do NOT use student names when posting on Social Media? We also focus on group pictures rather than individual pictures . Our goal is to share out the great learning activities and projects going on in our school and not on individuals. Even our students of the month are posted in a group photo during our Celebrate Monday assembly. We are sharing our story while keeping students safe. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

             

Week One

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! We had a very successful first week at Buchanan. Like students from across the state and nation, our kids met their teachers, navigated their way through the lunch and recess process, and learned arrival and dismissal procedures. However, there was one thing unique to our first week at Buchanan....our staff! Our custodial staff worked all holiday weekend to make sure the building was ready for students. Our teachers came early and stayed late to make sure that rooms were ready, plans were complete and that students felt safe and welcome in their "new and improved" school. We even had our front entryway decorated by our amazing PTA board to make sure that every child felt welcomed and excited as they walked into school our first week. The first week of school can be hectic, but at Buchanan we want to make sure that every child and every family member feels "at home". I'm proud of our amazing team and the way they go above and beyond to make the first week and EVERY week of school fun for our students!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Thursday, September 20: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM in the Library
Friday, September 21: Picture Day!!
Monday, September 24 - Friday, September 28: Book Fair
Thursday, September 27: Curriculum Night / Open House 6:00-7:30 PM

In an attempt to reduce the time students stand in line on Pizza Days, an EXTRA SLICE of Pizza Hut pizza will be $1 CASH ONLY. Students will be responsible for bring the cash to the lunchroom themselves. With this in mind please only send your student with 1 paper dollar or 4 quarters. Thank you!

PTA POINTS

Please support the Buchanan PTA by joining today. Your membership alone will give us a BIGGER voice in our school and community! Budget, programs, school events and volunteer opportunities will be discussed at monthly meetings.

Join online https://buchanan.memberhub.com

In need of some Buchanan spirit wear? Take advantage of free shipping  from September 7-24.  Please visit http://www.buchananspiritwear.com to place your order.

Our first general membership meeting will be held on Thursday, September 20 at 7pm. 

For a full list of volunteer opportunities please check out the link below. 

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-buchanan

#BuchananBears

Did you know that our PTA Board (and family) did all the beautiful art chalk on our entryway for students? They spent the first morning decorating the area and creating positive messages. What a fun idea and way to celebrate the first week of school. Great things are happening at Buchanan!