Key Elementary

We hope you enjoyed your time with your loved ones this past week! We are thankful for each and every family represented at our schoolhouse! We're in the last 3 weeks before our holiday break and we are going to make it count!

• It's getting cold outside. Be sure to dress your children appropriately. We still may have outdoor recess unless it is below 32 degrees.
• Please try not to drop off your child too early. They are cold. The doors do not open until 8:05am since school does not start until 8:15am.
• The change in weather also means that it is likely that our staff will not be outside some mornings to manage the car line. We will be standing right in the lobby to receive the children. We will go off the "honor system"...trusting that you are still completing our daily COVID screener (Clear to Go or the paper to send with your child).

• Our final fall picture retake/makeup day is tomorrow, Monday, November 29th from 9-12pm. Virtual parents, you may bring your children in to take their picture.
• Students are accumulating too many absences and tardies. This is not helping our children. We can only do our job if children are at school, on time, every day.
• Report card #1 is available in your MISTAR Parent Portal. If you need assistance, please call our main office. Click this link for directions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zE_l3MF_2Uei9Sa6YH-cKE7Lgn7CJjGu1fWh4AQUjwM/edit?usp=sharing
• Any student who received all unsatisfactory grades will be receiving a letter from the principal, Mrs. Murphy.

1. Are you ready?! Our fall bookfair will be December 6-10th! More information will be coming home this week! A book is a great gift for our children for this holiday season!
2. Our Kindergartners in Ms. Dear's class demonstrated that they know how to show numbers up to 10 on their Thanksgiving counting turkeys!
3. Our 3rd & 4th Grade teachers know that they create the best bulletin boards to decorate our hallways! This is a creatively cute board by Ms. Tienda's 4th grade class..."New Phone, Who Dis?!"...as students disguised their Thanksgiving turkeys!

Calling all of the men...dads, granddads, uncles, big brothers, goddads, family friends, etc...we need you at the schoolhouse! Please consider coming to volunteer! There are a number of things you can do such as help with arrival/dismissal traffic, serve as hall monitors to encourage our children, help with our boys mentoring group, or anything else! Please let Mrs. Murphy, your child's teacher, or the front office know if you or someone you know is interested!

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with healing from losing a loved one, Journey to Healing provides support for children/adults/families that have faced any traumatic experiences. They offer offer a wide range of treatments and services that support youth and adults from individual treatment in therapeutic bereavement groups. They also support behavioral health concerns.

They have free parent support groups and an emergency crisis helpline.

You can contact Mrs. Murphy (Principal) directly!

Stay informed about what is happening in our schoolhouse! Join our Key Family Remind today! Text @keyfami to 81010.

*Your child's teacher(s) may also have their own Remind for their class.

USPS Operation Santa Is Now Accepting Letters for 2021 Program! It’s Time To Start Sending in Wish Requests for the Holidays. Follow this link for more information:

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2021/1101-usps-operation-santa-now-accepting-letters-for-2021-program.htm

In reading, 91% of our children are 1 or more grade levels behind, 53% of them are 2 or more grade levels behind, and 19% (almost 100) of our children are 3 or more grade levels behind.

In math, 97% of students are at least 1 grade behind, 60% are at least 2, and 28% are 3 or more behind.

Let me be clear: THIS IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

We need more of you to engage with us. Provided below are the things we are asking parents to do at home to make sure that our children can read. Check in with your child's teacher for their IREADY information so they can practice at home, check in with the teacher for any other things you can do to support your child, and review their report card.

Email: shana.murphy@opsk12.org
Website: www.oakparkschools.org
Location: 23400 Jerome Street, Oak Park, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 336-7610