Staff Shout Outs
We appreciate all the staff shout outs coming in. Let's keep this momentum going!!!
Let us know how our staff is doing and help us to recognize them by completing our Staff Shout Out. You can recognize an amazing teacher by filling out a few questions in the link below. We will present them with a Shout Out Certificate that tells what they were recognized for and by who.
Coins for a Cause
Congratulations to Mrs. Lowery's 1st Grade for winning the Pizza Party for Coins for a Cause. This past November, our school collected coins to support Homeless Awareness Month. Vowles raised 1,298.02 which will be matched. Way to go Vowles in making a difference in the lives of others!
Final Forms
Are your FINAL FORMS COMPLETE?
We need to make sure we have all forms completed before your student goes on their next field trip.
Please log-in https://mtpleasant-mi.finalforms.com/
You do not need to enroll your student if they already go here, log in as current student.
Be sure to sign each enrollment form, even Nutrition Club & Educational Benefits form even if you aren't requesting or completing the entire form, just scroll to bottom and sign.
If you have never got an email please email our secretary anelson@mp.edzone.net so we can make sure we have your correct email on file.
Preschool Enrollment for 2024-2025
Thank you Vowles Elementary for sharing information about our GSRP Preschool Program with MPPS.
Applications are open for the 2024-2025 School Year. If you have a student that may be eligible for Preschool for the 2024-2025 school year, please apply at this website below:
https://michiganpreschool.org/index.php
Please have any interested families call us at 989-775-2280 or email kbishop@mp.edzone.net
Students will need to be 4 years of age by Dec. 1st, 2024.
Morning Arrival and Dismissal
We would like our families to remember the following about Arrival and Dismissal as we know that parents have other school drop offs or places to be in the morning and we are encouraging safe procedures for students as well:
- Please use the circle drive only if your child is ready to go. Children should be able to get out on their own. It is meant to be a quick drop and release.
- Parents should stay in their vehicle if the circle drive is utilized.
- If kids still have things to gather, a parking spot should be utilized.
- For their safety, students should exit their vehicle on the south side (closest to the sidewalk and fence)
- If you are walking students up to the school or picking them up from the teacher at dismissal, for everyone's safety, please use the Crosswalk and do not cross in-between traffic.
Thank you for your support in making Arrival and Dismissal a smoother transition.
Capturing Kids Hearts Family Survey
Families~
We are hoping you will help us out! We are new to Capturing Kids Hearts Program but would like to get our baseline data of how we are doing. We are hoping kids are talking at home about how they sharing things in class, building relationships with peers, and student connectedness. Please take this 14 question survey that will take only 5 minutes of your time. It is ok if there are answers you don't know. Just choose the best choice from the answer selection.
You may need to copy and paste this link in a separate browser.
Family-School Climate Survey
Vikings~
We want to hear about your experiences with your child’s education that includes the areas of learning, school safety, interpersonal relationships, as well as your attitudes about the school environment and your personal involvement in school. All your responses are completely anonymous. We have no way to connect you to your answers, and results will only be reported as group responses. As you respond to each item, think about your own personal experiences as a parent or caregiver at your child’s school. This survey is specific to Vowles only and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
This is our 2nd round of trying to get responses. If you could, please respond by Nov. 21st. Thank you for your time and participation!
Morning Arrival/Dismissal
Hello Viking Families!
We can't say THANK YOU enough for how efficient you have continued to help make our arrival and dismissal time at Vowles. Just as reminders, here are the things you need to know:
Students can be dropped off beginning at 8:20 every morning. Students will not be allowed at school any earlier than that as the playground is not supervised. Please use the parent drop off/Circle Drive located off Watson St. We ask that parents stay in the car and let your children out the "passenger" side of the vehicle onto the sidewalk. Staff and Student Leaders will be there to greet students and direct them where to go.
If your child rides a bus, they will be dropped off at 8:20 am and be escorted into the building by staff.
If you are a neighborhood walker, we ask that you let your child go on their own once they get to our main gates. If you pick up your child at the end of the day by walking to get them, we ask that you wait near our Marqui sign or awning and we can bring your child to you.
Dismissal: This will work similar to morning drop off. Please use our Circle Drive off Watson St. Stay in your car. Staff will bring students to your car. Please plan for your child to enter the "passenger" side of the car.
End of Day Changes- If you are planning to change your child's End of Day plans, we ask that you contact us by 3:00 PM with those End of Day Changes.
Thank you!
Mrs. Bishop
School Safety Drills
During the course of the school year, our buildings are obligated to practice at least 5 Fire Drills, 2 Tornado Drills and 3 Lockdown drills. At times, we do have our YSU Liason or other officers from the Police Department assist in our drills. We cover with our students the locations of where to go for each drill, what to do during specific drills, and how to properly evacuate when it is needed. You can also find this information in your child's Handbook at the front of the student agenda.
During the first weeks of school, classes read the story, I'm Not Scared, I'm Prepared book in their class with their teachers. This book focused on the main components of the safety protocols that we work on with children.
I also encourage you to check out our district website where we have information that pertains to our district school safety. Click here to get to the website.
Vowles PTO
Vowles Elementary PTO will continue to keep our online donation platform open throughuot the year. Feel free to share our QR code or this link anytime to make a donation to Vowles PTO.
https://buy.stripe.com/4gw4hy2YYcVA33a001
We appreciate your support!
Extreme Challenge Update~ Your support helped us to raise nearly $5800.
Student Attendance
Student Attendance is important to us. If your child is sick, please call the school Office at 775-2280 before 10:00 each morning to let us know.
For safety reasons, families will soon begin receiving a phone call by 10:20 am for any student that is marked as Absent each morning in Power School. You can deter getting that call from our system by calling us in the morning to let us know of your child's absence and their reason for the absence.
Our codes we use for absences are:
UA-Unexcused Absence
Any absence that has not been reported by a parent or guardian and/or any absence that is not listed as an Excused Absence in Board Policy.
AV-Verified Absence
An absence that the parent verifies or explains. Example: (1) The student doesn’t feel well, and is staying home, but is not visiting the doctor. (2) The family is taking an extra long weekend, vacation, etc.
EA-Excused Absence
Absences that meet the definition of an Excused Absence based on MPPS Board Policy.
*Illness or professional appointments with a doctors note *Death of a relative
*Observance of Religious Holidays
Below are images to our attendance policy but it can also be found in the front of your child's Agenda....
Back to School Paperwork
Please remember to hand in your child's Back to School Paperwork ASAP. The documents would include:
- All Final Forms~ Please do not start an acct if you have already been in Final Forms!
- Educational Benefits Form (if you did not complete online with Final Forms)
- Medication Dispensing form (if you need us to dispense medication to your child at school)
- Agenda/Student Handbook Acknowledgement page
*This is really important as completing your final forms updates Emergency contacts, demographic and medical information, as well as your housing situation.
Transportation Department
To Request for Transportation, use the form linked here:
Other forms linked on the Transportation website:
- Permission to Leave Along
- In City Busing Reduction
If your child is riding a MP School Bus, a driver will reach out to you during the week of Aug. 14th-18th to share route pick up and drop off times.
No School Supplies are needed
There are NO required school supplies for your child. All supplies have been made available through our Project Aware funding. If your child is in need of a backpack or lunch box, those can be provided by the school as well! Teachers always welcome disinfectant wipes and Kleenex throughout the school year!
Back to School Tidbits for Families
Here is a list of Back to School helpful hints that benefit both parents and teachers~
1) Label Everything~ Become the queen/king of a permanent marker. Label your child's name on lunchboxes, school supplies, backpacks, water bottles, child's clothes (utilize the inside tags of sweatshirts, jackets, shoes, and snowpants).
2) Send an extra pair of clothes to stay in your child's locker. Put in a ziplock and label with your child's name.
3) Water bottle- send your child to school with a water bottle to have.
4) Have a regular after school transportation plan.
5) Utilize the School Agenda for writing in transportation changes.
Remind Text App
All our JK-2nd grade classrooms will be using the Remind App for their classroom communications. This is a great way for them to communicate reminders, easy building or district information, and pictures of learning. Please view your teacher's classroom code in their most recent newsletter, welcome letter, or flyer that may have been sent home.
