Three Fires Elementary School

September 7, 2018

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!   I hope your child has enjoyed their first 8 days of school.  At Three Fires, we believe that a major component of student achievement is establishing a positive school learning environment.  We are safe, responsible, kind, and respectful. When you interact with a Three Fires staff member, you can expect our very best in regards to courtesy, respect, and responsive communication.   Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns this school year at 517-548-6387 or [email protected].  The Timberwolf staff and I look forward to working with you this year to create the best learning environment for your child. 

Drop of and Pick Up Reminders

Please do not drop your child off at school before 8:30 AM. We do not have supervision available before that time. If you are picking your child up in the hallway outside the Main Office at the end of the day, please do not wait for your child near the main entrance doors.  Teachers will bring your child to you near the Main Office and Guidance Office. When parents try to retrieve their child near the main entrance it slows down our exit process and makes it difficult to ensure we are releasing students to you.  We apologize for the congestion in this area, but in order to make this process safe and efficient we need parents to wait near the Main office and Guidance office. Once you pick up your child inside you can also exit the building via the multipurpose room.

LOC Federal Credit Union Partnership  

Three Fires will continue to partner with LOC Federal Credit Union to operate a student-run credit union at Three Fires.  This unique program will consist of a full-service LOC branch inside Three Fires, and it is just like a real credit union, with one exception – the employees are fifth grade students!  Fifth graders must apply and interview for their positions at the credit union. Not only does this program teach valuable skills to the students working the credit union, but it also gives students of all grade levels the chance to participate by opening accounts and saving money. This is a great opportunity for your child to learn and practice basic financial management and banking skills.  5th grade students will learn more about this opportunity on Monday, September 17th.

Pathways to Potential Partnership

Pathways to Potential is a model used by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve school attendance by partnering with schools and families. Success Coach, Lindsey Conyers and Prevention Worker, Crystal Hoag have an office within Three Fires Elementary School to assist children and families in need of support. They work with the school staff, children and families to identify and remove barriers that may impede school attendance and learning; such as housing crisis, utility shut-offs, food shortages, clothing or toiletry needs, school supplies or health concerns. If you have any questions about this program or need services, you may contact Lindsey at (517) 643-4187.

Livingston County Sheriff's Department Partnership

Three Fires will be supported by Deputy Bill Schuster from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.  Please do not be alarmed when you see a patrol car in our lot. Deputy Shuster will be visiting often to greet students and provide “law related” education programs.  In addition to 911, he will be our primary contact for emergency support services.

Counselor's Corner - Jeanie Nemeth

Welcome to the first “Counselor’s Corner” article for the 2018-2019 school year! My name is Jeanie Nemeth, and I am your School Counselor! I am so happy to be back at your school this year.  I work with parents, students, and teachers in different ways through a program of many services. Each service is aimed at helping students learn and develop to their highest potential.  Examples of services, based on student need, include the following: (a) groups to help students adjust to school (b) classroom lessons to help children learn how to get along with peers, (c) conferences for parents to understand their child’s social/personal progress, and (d) individual sessions (on a limited basis) to work with students on specific skills. I will be at Three Fires on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and odd-numbered Fridays.  I will be at Southwest on Mondays, Wednesdays, and even-numbered Fridays. Regardless of the building I am at on a particular day, I am always available for you at [email protected]   Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!  In the meantime, here are a couple quick tips to support your child’s transition:  

Encourage your kids to talk about their day by asking specific questions.  Try social questions (“Whom do you sit next to in class?”), best/worst questions (“What’s the best/worst thing that happened today at school?”), what you learned questions (“What are some of the rules you have to follow at school?”), and school function questions (How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?”).  

Use the WIN strategy to help them develop solutions to any jitters or concerns.  

Step 1:  W: What happened?  Describe the dilemma.

Step 2:   I: What ideas can we come up with to solve the problem?

Step 3:  N: Now move into action!  Pick a strategy and give it a try!  

I look forward to sharing more “Counselor’s Corner” articles with you in the coming months.  These articles will cover a variety of topics whose goal will be to help your child attain social, emotional, and academic success at school!

PTO Updates/Reminders  

Special thank you to our PTO and parent volunteers for coming in this summer to add some new paint colors to our hallways!  The addition of color looks amazing! Our first PTO meeting is Monday, September 17th at 7 PM in the Media Center. All parents are invited to attend.  We will be focusing on preparations for the Timberwolf Trot. 

Please use the link below to "opt-in" to our PTO email blast list for the 2018-2019 school year at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8X8TQD6  You can also "like" the PTO on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/ThreeFiresElementaryPTO/

Fifth Grade Cross Country Meet

All Howell Public Schools fifth grade students are invited to take part in a one-mile cross county race on Wednesday, September 26 at 5 PM.  The race will be held at Three Fires Elementary school prior to the start of the Highlander Way versus Parker cross county meet. There will be both a boys and a girls race with the top finishers in each race receiving a medal. To learn more about the race, please visit https://goo.gl/KhN7tm.

Highlander Reading Express Book Returns

There are still some students who have not returned books that were checked out from The Highlander Reading Express this summer. If your child still has books that were checked out over the summer from the Highlander Reading Express, please have them return the books to our main office, and we will get the books returned to the bus.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/threefireselementary, find our PTO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ThreeFiresElementaryPTO/, find us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowellTFE