Harvey-Swanson News

It is so hard to believe it's the end of January already and later this week marks the end of our first semester. The students have been working so hard and seem to be so happy and proud. Though we have faced many obstacles this year, our students continue to persevere and soar! Here are my main highlights from last week:

• Walking and Talking on the track with our fifth graders (we do this twice a month). I love learning all about their learning, their interests, and their lives.
• Teachers and students sharing their reading, their research, and their writing with me. I've learned a lot about soybeans and racoons! We have some seriously proud readers and writers at HSE!
• Our Conflct Resolution SafetyTeam is working hard to help our youngest students learn how to work through problems or conflicts more positively. It really is something to observe!

This week we will focus on the Other People Matter Mindset Supporting Others When They Struggle.

What it means...

People with this mindset help other people when they struggle. There are many ways to help someone who is struggling. Sometimes it just means listening and being there for them. Sometimes it means thinking and talking through a problem with them. Sometimes it means doing something or taking action to help them.

Why it matters...

When we help someone else it makes them happy, but research also shows that when we help others, we help ourselves. It makes us a happier person!

Fluency- Click here to watch a short video of students working on fluency

What it is...

Fluency is a student’s ability to read with sufficient speed to support understanding. This includes automatic word recognition and use of expression.

Ways Students Work on Flucency at School...

• Teachers might have students reread a page with expression.

• Students might practice pausing at commas and stopping at punctuation marks.

• Students might be rereading poems, songs, nursery rhymes, riddles or short bits of text all together with the class in order to practice reading smoothly without stumbling over any words.

Ways to Support Your Child at Home...

• Find your favorite poems or lyrics to a song and read them together.
• Have your child read aloud to various audiences. Your child could read to a pet, a stuffed animal, a family member, etc.
• Read aloud to your child to model fluency.

• If anyone in your household is awaiting Covid testing, please do not send your child to school. Please refer to the School Flow Charts- Should I Report to School document.

• Please remember to let our office know if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with COVID or has come in direct contact with anyone that has tested positive.
• Please continue to do the daily health screening and keep your child home if he/she has any of the symptoms of COVID.
• Below you will find some documents from the Oakland County Health Department to help you with making these decisions. The following documents on the K-12 Education Webpage were updated in December:

• COVID-19 Safety Reopening Toolkit

• School Flow Charts

• Close Contact Quarantine Guidelines

• Thursday, January 28th- End of Semster #1
• Friday, January 29th- No School Records Day
• Friday, February 5th- Report cards go home with students
• February 15-16th- Mid Winter Break- No School

• Visitors must have an appointment to enter the building. All visitors will be screened outside by our securtiy guard before entering and must be wearing a mask to enter.

• If you are dropping off items for your child, the security guard will meet you outside to collect the item/s.

• Please see the Visitor and Vending Screening Checklist below.

Due to allergies and for infection control, if students are going to be bringing food to share, it must be store bought and contain an ingredients list. Individually wrapped food items would be best.

• Click here to visit our Harvey Hawk Facebook Page.
• To sign up for e-news- Go to the Brandon Schools main webpage under Quick Links and choose subscribe to e-news.

Office Hours: 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM

Connie Zak Administrative Assistant

Jaqueline Herbart Attendance Clerk

Student Day: 9:30-4:00

Arrival/Drop off: 9:20 AM

Dismissal: 4:00 buses will load and pick ups will be waiting outside

Email: dbrauher@brandon.k12.mi.us
Website: https://brandonschooldistrict.org/index.php/schools/harvey-swanson-elementary
Location: 209 Varsity Drive, Ortonville, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 627- 1850
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010341280577