Mini Mustang Matters

Hey CES Families!

We certainly loved our time with the students this February, and we aren't clowning around when we say we are excited about kicking off March is Reading Month! Look for those reading logs to come home and once our video drops, I'm sure folks will enjoy being a part of the Dream Team reaching for this year's reading minutes goal. This next month will go so fast with all of the plans we have in place for helping kids self-identify as readers!

Normally the rest of this message is more focused on the exciting and fun things we do at school, but I feel it's important to touch on a bigger vision this time. Clio's vision is to "Inspire Imagination, Empower the Future, and Achieve Personal Best." We are focused on your child's education and embrace the whole child, every one of them! With that said, our love and responsibility overall pales in comparison to that of a parent, we are support cast members in your child's life. We will certainly help families to the best of our abilities as it relates to children getting educated. We want to see a strong and vibrant community for Clio far beyond today, and if we work together that's what we'll continue to maintain and improve as the years go on.

Every child is unique and special. Some seem to be able to behave and perform effectively as young learners with the combined efforts of students, parents, and teachers relatively smoothly. Congratulations, you are currently in "Parenting 101." For those of you who have a child who currently demonstrates extra support in terms of academics and/or behavioral data, congratulations as well, you are in "Advanced Parenting." From the school side of that equation, the classroom teacher and our support staff share why and what we are doing to help the individual child based on what our data and observations indicate. In the most complex cases, the actual root cause of an issue may exist beyond a school's purview, such as a medical disability or mental health issue. In those cases, we work with parents, our staff, and appropriate resources to accommodate the needs of the child to provide them with a free and appropriate public education. School might not be able to "fix" the root issue, but we can help the family as it relates to the child getting that education. Families can help the child by doing whatever it takes to help their children, like taking them to the doctor if they're chronically ill, counseling if needed, etc. You can help the school by keeping us informed when there's new information like a change in the variables that we might need to be aware of to help a child achieve their personal best.

Regardless of what your child's personal best might look like on a given day, they will often need help from others. One tool we've begun using regularly this year across the district is called Restorative Practice. Each week our classroom teachers run Community Circles as a way to build a sense of belonging and community in our school. This is intentional work, but not necessarily a new idea, as many of us may recall morning meetings or something similar "back in our day." Ideally, the sense of community reduces conflicts, but using those circle routines can help students resolve problems. Right now our Principals, Social Workers, and At-Risk Liaisons are the ones trained to run Restorative Circles, which are often more difficult since individuals choosing to share may say things that are hard to talk about, like how a friend hurt them, or ask how they might repair the harm they caused. There are times when we might even call parents to see if they would like to be a part of this process because often the ripple effect of a problem reaches out beyond the individuals initially involved. The goal here is always to try to figure out as a community how to deal with a problem, repair the harm to the greatest degree possible, and move forward. Next year, our district teaching staff will also get training on this so we will have greater capacity to help our students navigate difficult situations throughout their formative years. It is my sincere hope that this message helps families to feel empowered and more informed about some of the ways we are trying to make our vision a reality on a short-term and long-term scale.

Our lunch aides serve such an important role at Clio Elementary. They support students during lunch and recess-often favorite parts of a child's day! They helps student with condiments, get milk, open lunch items, ties shoes, put on coats, mittens and hats in the cafeteria! They also monitor behavior and transition approximately 200 students out of the lunch room, clean tables and help sweep floor all in less than ten minutes so another grade level can come in. On the playground they monitor students and help them solve important playground challenges. We are so grateful for our lunch/recess aides and are proud to introduce this team to you!

We have many Watch D.O.G. openings! Please sign up by emailing your request to clioelementarywatchdog@clioschools.org. You can sign up for one or multiple days!

If your student has been affected by the Flint Water emergency from April 2014 to September 2020, please click on the link and fill out the information.

Our school hours are as follows:

Full Day Schedule:

(Doors Open at 8:35 am)

8:55-3:40

Half Day Schedule:

(Doors Open at 8:35 am)

8:55-11:45

Delayed Start:

(Doors Open at 10:35 am)

10:55-3:40

Calendars and Important Dates: Please click below to be directed to a list of our building's important dates and our district's calendar.

CES Important Dates (Subject to Change)

Clio Area School Calendar

February 28th: Third Grade (Perge, Reno & Spears) Field Trip

March 5th: Late Start

March 6th: Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration-Wear red, white, black or blue!

March 7th: Bubbles the Blind Beagle Visits CES Students!

March 12th: Booster Meeting (CES Library)

March 13th: Wear a Shirt With Words

March 13: Parent Teacher Conferences 5-7 pm

March 14th: Parent Teacher Conferences: 1-4 pm & 5-7 pm

March 14th: Half Day of School

March 15th: No School

March 18th: Illusionist David Corn: Magic of Reading Assemblies

March 20th: Bingo for Books/Career Night

Issue 11: February 9, 2024

Issue 10: January 26, 2024

Issue 9: January 12, 2024

Issue 8: December 15, 2023

Issue 7: December 1, 2023

Issue 6: November 10, 2023

Issue 5: October 26, 2023

Issue 4: October 13, 2023

Issue 3: September 29, 2023

Issue 2: September 15, 2023

Issue 1: August 21, 2023