Manton Elementary Newsletter

Important dates to remember:

1. November 21: 1/2 Day and P/T Conferences 1-3 & 5-8
2. November 22-24: No School
3. November 27: Canned Food Drive Begins (Details below)
4. December 2: PTO Craft Show
5. December 13 Kindergarten Christmas Concert 2:00 PM
6. December 13: 3rd/4th Grade Christmas Concert 6:00 PM
7. December 14 1st/2nd Grade Christmas Concert 6:00 PM
8. December 22: 1/2 day of school (winter break begins at noon)

News for You:

• Holiday Help: The Holiday Season is fast approaching. Times can be difficult. With the added stress of the Holidays, some families struggle more than usual. If you are in need of assistance this Holiday Season, we have our Holiday Help forms outside the Elementary office. The forms are due back to the office by November 27, 2023. Please contact April Neihardt at 231-577-9123 or aneihardt@mantonschools.org with any questions.
  
• Project Christmas: The Manton Rotary is collecting new or gently used stuffed animals to be given out at Project Christmas. There is a labeled box outside the Elementary office until December 4th.
• Family Survey 2023: Please take a few moments to complete our parent/guardian survey. We use the results to help drive our school improvement processes. Completing the survey will enter your name into a random drawing for a $100 gas gift card! Our goal is to eclipse 200 hundred this year!
• PTO Christmas Tree Auction: Our 3rd annual Christmas Tree Auction is here! See below for all the details!
• PTO Craft Show: Our annual PTO Craft Show is on Saturday, December 2nd from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. We are also looking for donations for our concession stand (see info below)!
• Sick season: It's that time of the year when sickness is occurring often. To combat the spread of any illnesses, please remember that in order to return to school your student must be fever, vomit and diarrhea free for 24 hours.
• Penny Drive: Once we get the total numbers from our Penny Drive, we will publish them! Thank you all who donated!
• Canned Food Drive: The elementary will hold a canned food drive for our local food pantry from November 27th to December 8th. Students can bring in non-perishable goods this week. Thanks!
• Dismissal Changes: See below for some new changes coming to our dismissal plan!
• End of Day: Please avoid making phone calls after 2:30 p.m. to the elementary office. This is a hectic time of the day, and delivering messages before the end of the day is challenging. This excludes any emergencies.
• Strive For Five: See the information below from our truancy liaison officer about having less than 5 days absent!
• WIN Room: The WIN room could use size 7/8 girls' and 7/8 boys' pants. If you have any that you would like to donate, please bring them to the office.
• Popcorn Fridays: Parent/Guardians, popcorn Fridays are back! Students will get a bag of popcorn one Friday of the month (usually the last Friday). We are asking students to bring in $.25 per month to help offset the cost of the popcorn. This is not mandatory, and we thank you for your help! *Our next Popcorn Friday will be on Friday, December 22nd!

Family Survey 2023: Please take a few moments to complete our parent/guardian survey. We use the results to help drive our school improvement processes. Completing the survey will enter your name into a random drawing for a $100 gas gift card! Our goal is to eclipse 200 hundred this year!

If you want to be a part of the PTO, we meet approximately once a month for about an hour. We aim for parents and teachers to collaborate to supplement and enrich your student's educational experience! Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the elementary staff lounge. Thanks!

We are working on strengthening our dismissal plan, and our goal is to get it up and running sometime after winter break. For this to happen, some things will need to be completed. Here are some of the things and changes that will occur. Please continue to be patient. Thank you!

Student pickup form: Parents will complete a form that verifies who can pick up their child

Student pickup location: Students will be dropped off by their teacher to the verified person on the east side of the buses by the 5th St. Gym Entrance. This means no parents can pick up their student on Maple St. or in front of the elementary office. Families are encouraged to park in the 5th St. Gym parking lot.
Staggered dismissal times:

• Kdg: 2:58
  
• 1st: 3:01
  
• 2nd: 3:04
  
• 3rd: 3:07
  
• 4th: 3:10

Pickup changes: If you need to change who is picking up your student and they are not on the verified list. You will need to call the elementary office by noon that day. Any calls after that, the student will be dropped off in the office. The person picking up the student must have a driver's license to verify they are who they are.

Orderly, single file classroom lines: Teachers will lead their class to the busses and then the parent pickup location in an orderly, single file line.

In order to prevent the spread of lice, it is crucial that we work together as a community. I kindly request your cooperation in the following ways:

1. Check your child's hair regularly for signs of lice, such as itching or small white eggs (nits) attached to the hair shafts.

2. If you find any evidence of lice, please inform the school immediately so that we can take appropriate action.

3. Treat your child's hair with a lice-killing shampoo and follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

4. Wash all bedding, clothing, and personal items that may have come into contact with lice in hot water and dry them on high heat.

5. Encourage your child to avoid sharing personal items such as hats, combs, brushes, and headphones with their classmates.