Spring Break!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! I wanted to wish all our Buchanan families a very restful, fun, and safe spring break. Whether you are traveling or staying at home, I hope all students have a wonderful week off. We look forward to seeing the students when they return on Monday, April 8!!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, April 8: Students return to school

Wednesday, April 10: Spring Photos in the morning

Friday, April 12: Science Fair in the afternoon for participating students

Saturday, April 13: Martian Marathon for participating students

PTA POINTS

Proposed 2019/2020 Executive Board:

President- Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President- Jill Allevato

2nd Vice President- MaryAnn LaCaprara

Treasurer- Jennifer Emm

Recording Secretary- Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary- Kira Crandall

Membership- Jennifer Yatooma

Buchanan PTA Moms Night Out
Join us for an evening of fun at the Moms Night Out Make & Take Sign and Wine Glass party! The party will be Wednesday April 10, 6:00-8:00pm in the East Commons at Buchanan brought to you by Life Expressions Decor. Snacks/light refreshments will be served.

4 x 24 signs are $25 each & includes a $5 donation to the PTA.
Wine glass are $12 each & includes a $3 donation to the PTA.
Prices include all materials needed to complete your sign or wine glass.

The consultant will have plenty of sayings for both the sign and the wine glass to choose from, no need to pre-select. Be sure to RSVP by April 1st. Come help support our school and go home with a cute sign, wine glass or both!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44a4ae2ca1f94-buchanan

#BuchananBears

2019 Battle of the Books--The Results

Battle of the Books was held on Friday, March 22.  We had 147 students in grades 3-4 on 21 teams who participated in this competition.  The teams of students read books from a pre-selected list and answered questions about each book.  Congratulations to the first place team, consisting of Amelia G., Chris R., David P., Eva T., Julie D., Kira E., and Kourtney W.!  Every team worked hard, and we'd like to congratulate all of the participants on a job well done!

We could not have held this event without the tremendous help of the parents and grandparents who supported this event by leading book study groups, organizing prizes, and helping us during the battle (including supervising teams, helping with lunch, and cleanup).  We would also like to thank the PTA for their generous support of this event!  Thank you all so much!!

The Battle of the Books Committee

(Mrs. Banter, Miss Ford, Ms. Kurtjian, Ms. Medellin, Mrs. Pisko, and Mrs. Trantham)

Did you know that we had a special guest author to to wrap up March is Reading Month? Michigan principal and author, Allyson Apsey, came to read her children's book "The Princes of Serendip" and she talked about the process of writing and illustrating a book. Hopefully the students were inspired to write their own stories someday. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Battle of the Books!!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! On Friday, we had our annual Battle of the Books for the third and fourth grade students. Once again, it was a HUGE success. I love seeing students and parents engaged in fun reading activities. Thank you Ms. Ford for organizing the event and thank you to the staff and parent volunteers who helped make it happen! Our goal is to create life-long readers with all of our Buchanan students!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, March 25: Students of the Month Assembly!

Tuesday, March 26: Robotics Assemblies in the afternoon

Friday, March 29: Author Visit

Monday, April 1 - Friday, April 5: SPRING BREAK

Wednesday, April 10: Spring Pictures

Friday, April 12: Science Fair (for participating students)

PTA POINTS

• Proposed 2019/2020 Executive Board:

President - Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President- Jill Allevato

2nd Vice President- MaryAnn LaCaprara

Treasurer- Jennifer Emm

Recording Secretary- Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary- Kira Crandall

Membership- Jennifer Yatooma

• Buchanan PTA Moms Night Out

Join us for an evening of fun at the Moms Night Out Make & Take Sign and Wine Glass party! The party will be Wednesday April 10, 6:00-8:00pm in the East Commons at Buchanan brought to you by Life Expressions Decor. Snacks/light refreshments will be served.
4 x 24 signs are $25 each & includes a $5 donation to the PTA.
Wine glass are $12 each & includes a $3 donation to the PTA.
Prices include all materials needed to complete your sign or wine glass.
The consultant will have plenty of sayings for both the sign and the wine glass to choose from, no need to pre-select. Be sure to RSVP by April 1st.
Come help support our school and go home with a cute sign, wine glass or both!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44a4ae2ca1f94-buchanan

Thank you to all of the students and families for the participation in our Jump Rope for Heart event.  This year we were able to raise $3,640.00 to help the American Heart Association fight heart disease and stroke! An extra thank you to Kira Crandall and Rob Pascoe for volunteering to help with this event, your extra work is so very much appreciated.  Thank you to our classroom teachers for assisting in the collection of envelopes each day! Reminder:  Anyone that has earned prizes:  They have been ordered and take approximately 4-6 weeks to ship to the school.  At that time, we will organize and distribute them as quickly as possible. Thank you again for helping to make this important fundraiser so successful!!!

Sincerely,

Ms. Berg-Grant, Physical Education

#BuchananBears

auditions will be on the following days:

• March 26 & 27 will be second grade during second recess
• March 28 will be third and fourth grade during second recess
• March 29 will be make ups for anyone who didn't audition during second recess

These are auditions for those who already turned in a signed permission slip to participate in the talent show

Did you know that two of our Buchanan teachers are getting married soon? We had a wedding shower for Ms. Williams and Ms. Kurtjian this week. We are happy to see our Buchanan team growing and prospering. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Where does it all go?

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Everyone knows what a great job our PTA does at raising money for our school and putting on fun events for our families. However, you may not know where all the money raised goes. Recently at one of our board meetings, we started discussing what programs and materials the PTA the purchases to support learning at our school. By the end of the discussion, we agreed that we needed to share out all these great things with our Buchanan community. Take a look at this graphic to see where our PTA funds go and for all those who contribute their time or money, we sincerely thank you for your support!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Wednesday, March 20: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM in the library

Friday, March 22: Battle of the Books & Report Cards go home

Monday, March 25: Students of the Month Assembly

Tuesday, March 26: Robotics Assembly

Friday, March 29: Author Visit

PTA POINTS

• Proposed slate for the 2019/2020 PTA Executive Board:

President- Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President- Jill Allevato

2nd VP-  Mary Ann LaCaprara

Treasurer-Jennifer Emm

Recording Secretary- Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary- Kira Crandall

Membership- Jennifer Yatooma

Parliamentarian- OPEN

• Our next General Membership meet is Wednesday, March 20th at 7 p.m. Childcare is provided.

#BuchananBears

Did you know that two of our teachers are expecting babies in April? Mrs. Taylor (EST) and Mrs. Burke (Literacy Coach) are about to be moms again! We had a baby "sprinkle" for the two of them recently as they prepare for their new arrivals. Congratulations to our growing Buchanan family. Great things are happening at Buchanan!

Welcoming our newest Families!

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This week, we welcomed our newest families to Buchanan Elementary. The class of 2032!! These dates make me feel a little older each year:)  As a principal, one of my greatest joys is welcoming new families and showing off our amazing school. We give a tour, a presentation and answer questions. However, as much as I like showing off our building, it's the PEOPLE that make it so special. Our Buchanan team truly cares about each child and works to create an atmosphere that is supportive, challenging, and fun for every child. Thanks to all our families for being a part of our amazing team!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, March 11 - Friday, March 14: Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, March 20 & Thursday, March 21: SkyDome Assemblies in the East Commons
Friday, March 22: Battle of the Books & Report Cards sent home

Tuesday, March 26: Robotics Assembly
Friday, March 29: Author Visit

PTA POINTS

• Spring Book Fair is this week. Please sign up to volunteer during your child’s class shopping time. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-book1

• Proposed slate for the 2019/2020 PTA Executive Board:

President- Valerie Jackson

1st Vice President- Jill Allevato

2nd VP-  OPEN

Treasurer-Jennifer Emm

Recording Secretary- Marcie Wenzlick

Corresponding Secretary- Kira Crandall

Membership- Jennifer Yatooma

Parliamentarian- OPEN

• Our next General Membership meet is Wednesday, March 20th at 7 p.m. Childcare is provided.

#BuchananBears

Did you know we kicked off our Scholastic Book Fair with a Pancake Breakfast! Families spent the morning eating a hearty breakfast and shopping for books. The kids especially liked the opportunity to "catch their breakfast" as the pancakes were flipped high in the air. Normally, I don't encourage students to play with their food, but for this event it's all part of the fun! Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Out of this World

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This month we are transforming Buchanan with an outer space theme! Our front lobby now has a lunar rover, rocket ship, and other outer space features. We will have many activities this month for the students including a robotics assembly, sky dome planetarium, Battle of the Books, and even a guest author! Our goal is to make reading fun for students and encourage the love of books. When our students are life-long readers, the sky is the limit!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, March 4: Skate Night at Riverside Arena 6:00-8:00 PM
Thursday, March 7: Parent Information Night for incoming Kindergarten families 6:00 PM
Friday, March 8: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM / Records Day in the afternoon

PTA POINTS

• To kick off our Scholastic Spring Book Fair the PTA will be hosting it’s second annual Books & Breakfast. Come shop our book fair and enjoy a breakfast. The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, and beverages. All proceeds will go to Scholastic’s All For Books to purchase new books for each classroom. Please make sure you RSVP on the sign up genius AND send in form with payment.When: 
• Saturday, March 9, 2019.    
• Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.   
• Cost: $2.00 per person.      

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

• Spring Book Fair is in a few weeks. Please sign up to volunteer during your child’s class shopping time.      https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-book1

BUCKET DRUMMING

The music room is looking for 5 gallon buckets to be donated to the music room for bucket drumming activities with the students. Thank you for your consideration! 

#BuchananBears

Did you know our information night for NEW Kindergarten families is this week? On Thursday, March 7, we will be hosting an information night for incoming families planning on registering for the fall. The event will begin at 6:00 PM and will last about an hour. It will be for adults only and will include an introduction of the teachers, a principal presentation, question and answer session and a building tour! We look forward to welcoming our newest members of the Buchanan community. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Milestones

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! Earlier in the year, our first grade team had a "50's" celebration and the second grade had an "80's" celebration. This week our kindergarten team celebrated the 100th day of school with fun costumes and learning activities. It's fun for both our students and staff to celebrate these milestones in the school year. It's exciting and a little scary to realize that we are already more than halfway through the school year! We always try to keep learning fun at Buchanan and celebrating our milestones is just one of the ways we do that!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, February 25: Students of the Month Assembly (Reflection)

Wednesday, February 27: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM / Teacher training in the afternoon

Thursday, March 7: New Kindergarten Parent Orientation 6:00-7:00 PM

Friday, March 8: Students dismissed at 12:10 PM / Records Day in the afternoon

Saturday, March 9: Pancake Breakfast in the Gym 9:00-12:00 

PTA POINTS 

Don’t forget to turn in your Boxtops. The class with the most collected WINS a pizza party!

Yearbook orders are due by February 28th. Get your orders in before it’s too late. You can purchase online or send in the flyer that was sent home. 

https://ybpay.lifetouch.com

The PTA is looking for individuals to join the board for the 2019/2020 school year. Help fundraise, plan activities, and make Buchanan a fun place to learn. Nomination forms were sent home. For more information please email pta.buchanan1@gmail.com

To kick off our Scholastic Spring Book Fair the PTA will be hosting it’s second annual Books & Breakfast. Come shop our book fair and enjoy a breakfast. The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, and beverages. All proceeds will go to Scholastic’s All For Books to purchase new books for each classroom. Flyers will be sent home Monday, February 25. 

When: Saturday, March 9, 2019.     

Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.   

Cost: $2.00 per person.      
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AA8AF23A7F94-books

Spring Book Fair is in a few weeks. Please sign up to volunteer during your child’s class shopping time.    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054aa8af23a7f94-book1

#BuchananBears

Did you know that each month we have educators from across the country send in video clips to support our Students of the Month? They wear Buchanan spirit wear and record a short message telling our students to keep up the great work. Some are authors, some are speakers, and all are tops in their field. It's just another way that we remind our students that someone is always watching. Great things are happening at Buchanan! 

Unplugged

Hi folks, Jon Wennstrom here! This month we are focusing on the theme of reflection at Buchanan. We have discussed the importance of spending some quiet time each day to think about the day, what went well and what we want to improve on. Research shows that children (and adults) spend less and less time each year with any "down time". It also shows that when we take time to unplug, we are more productive and more creative. Take some time this week to talk with your child about reflection and the importance of having some quiet time.  Better yet, model down time for your child by turning off the electronics and scheduling some quiet time together. You may be surprised at how good it feels to be unplugged!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BUCHANAN

Monday, February 18: No School for President's Day
Monday, February 25: Students of the Month Assembly
Wednesday, February 27: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM / Teacher training in afternoon
Thursday, March 7: Kindergarten Parent Information Night 6:00-7:00 PM
Friday, March 8: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM / Records Day in the afternoon

PTA POINTS

• Don’t forget to turn in your Boxtops. The class with the most collected WINS a pizza party!

• Yearbook orders are due by February 28th. Get your orders in before it’s too late. You can purchase online or send in the flyer that was sent home.  https://ybpay.lifetouch.com

• The PTA is looking for individuals to join the board for the 2019/2020 school year. Help fundraise, plan activities, and make Buchanan a fun place to learn. Nomination forms were sent home. For more information please email pta.buchanan1@gmail.com

#BuchananBears

Did you know that three Buchanan team members were recognized at this year's PTA Founder's Day banquet? Mrs. Watson (PTA Board) was recognized as outstanding volunteer, Ms. Plakas (Speech Teacher) was recognized as outstanding staff member, and Mrs. Pepple (Secretary) was recognized as support staff person of the year! We are fortunate to have such outstanding people at our school. Great things are happening at Buchanan!