Health and Safety Reminders
With the number of cases of COVID-19 increasing in our community and state, we must continue to follow our health and safety protocols both in and out of school. Following best public health practices such as wearing a mask when in public, frequent hand washing, and avoiding large gatherings will help limit the spread of COVID-19 and help ensure that we can continue to provide in-person learning to our students. It is imperative that students stay home if they are showing any signs of illness or have COVID-19 test results pending.
Calendar Change for Friday, April 23.
As Superintendent MacGregor shared earlier this year, our scheduled half day on Friday, April 23, will now be an asynchronous distance learning day for all students. Students will not attend school on Friday, April 23rd. Your child’s teacher will be providing work to complete on their own from home. Additional details on this work will be shared with you next week.
Field Day
We are excited to announce we are able to have a Field Day this year. Due to Covid restrictions, we have had to make a few modifications. Field day will be held on May 24th, 25th, and 26th during your child's Specials time. The Field Day events will be supervised by our Specials teachers as we are unable to have volunteers present. On those three days, please send your child in with appropriate attire for playing outside. While a couple of our events involve water, a change of clothes would be a good idea as well.
Administrative Professionals Day
Wednesday, April 21st is Administrative Professionals Day. Thank you Kim Gibbons, Sharyn Tormanen, Megan Tefft, and Holli Gentile! On a daily basis, this wonderful team goes out of their way to meet the immediate needs of our students, staff, and parents. We are grateful for them not only this week, but also every day of the year.
Lost and Found
On Friday, April 23rd, our asynchronous learning day, we will be setting up our lost and found outside of our main doors (weather permitting). Please feel free to stop by anytime between the hours of 9:30 - 2:30 and look through our collections of jackets, hats, mittens and assorted odd and ends that you didn’t know you were missing.
M-STEP Calendar
This spring, Michigan is administering its required state assessment to all 3rd- 5th graders. The test is called M-STEP - Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress. All Howell elementary schools will be taking the online version of the assessment. The state mandates that all schools statewide follow the same testing window. The Three Fires in-person M-STEP testing schedule is as follows:
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5th Grade: April 19th, 20th and 21st.
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4th Grade: April 27th, 28th, May 4th and 5th.
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3rd Grade: May 10th, 12th, 18th, 19th.
Highlander Virtual families will receive the M-STEP testing schedule from their teacher. Please mark these dates on your calendar. We are giving parents the testing schedule so that appointments, vacations, etc. can be scheduled around these dates as much as possible. We encourage you to help your student take this seriously and rest well the night before.
Cooking Matters at Home
Gleaners is offering a free interactive online educational series called “Cooking Matters at Home” for Three Fires Elementary. There will be a total of three classes offered. The first, “Money Saver” will be offered on Thursday, April 29 from 10:00 to 11:00 am. This session will discuss how to use everything you have (or have access to), practice using ‘hard to utilize’ ingredients in a variety of recipes, and discuss how to save foods that you can’t use right away and how to limit food waste with children while still introducing new foods. You will receive a $10.00 grocery store gift card for participating. You can sign up here. There will be two additional classes: Tuesday, May 11, 6:30-7:30 pm “Pack Your Snack” and Monday, May 24, 1:30 - 2:30 pm “Kids Say Yes to Fruits and Veggies.” More information on these two classes will follow closer to the dates.
Three Fires Elementary Seed Library - One Seed One State
This year, Three Fires is joining the Michigan One Seed One State Program. This program encourages families to participate in growing food at home and preserving seeds for future generations. This year’s seed is the Provider Green Bean. Families are encouraged to sign up, get free seeds to plant, use some of the bean plants for yielding food for your family, and use some of the plants for the purpose of collecting and saving seeds. Feel free to visit the One Seed One State website for more information. Miseedlibrary.org Ms. Langell will be overseeing the distribution and collection of seeds. If you would like to participate, please email Ms. Langell at [email protected]. After you sign up, seeds will be sent home with your child. If your child is in Highlander Virtual, Ms. Langell will email you and let you know when you can pick up seeds in the main office.
Decision Week 2021
Next week, the entire district will be participating in Decision Week. At Three Fires, our students and staff will be participating in the following activities:
- ADOPT A SENIOR - A graduating senior who attended Three Fires or Southeast Elementaries will be honored in each 4th and 5th grade class the week. The seniors will write a letter introducing themselves and sharing future plans, hopes and dreams. This letter will be shared with the class. In turn, our elementary students will write letters to the seniors.
- SUPPORT OUR MILITARY DAY (wear red, white and blue) Wednesday, April 21 - Students will be encouraged to wear red, white, and blue in honor of Howell seniors joining the military.
- And COLLEGE SPIRIT WEAR DAY Thursday, April 22 - Students will be encouraged to wear college gear in honor of Howell seniors going to college/university.
Counselor's Corner: Ms. Nemeth
Pandemic isolation, paired with kids' preoccupation with technology, has interfered with young people’s ability to talk to peers and make friends. Making and keeping friends is an important part of a child's social and emotional development - it helps kids build self-esteem and provides a protective barrier against pandemic stress. Here are some tips for making and keeping friends.
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Explore how your child is feeling. You may find that the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 is causing your child to feel alone and isolated. Or, you may find that going back to in-person learning is causing some anxiety. Make a plan to help them develop the social skills they need to tackle those feelings.
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Build conversation skills. From taking turns when talking to asking questions about others, learning how to start and maintain conversations with others is a skill that your child may need to refine. Equip them ahead of time with questions they can ask like "What do you do for fun?" or "Do you have any pets?".
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Work on social skills. Remind them to show interest in another person. Showing compassion and concern for other people in a healthy way can open the door to friendship. For instance, your child could make cookies for a friend whose pet is sick or send a card to someone who lost a loved one. Taking time to show someone that you care is a great way to show empathy and meet a potential new friend.
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Look for opportunities. Help your child by getting them into an activity with children their age who have similar interests. Activities could include team sports (soccer), individual sports (martial arts), music, art, robotics, scouting, or volunteer programs.
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Practice and be prepared. Talking to and making friends is a skill that must be developed. If you're concerned your child will be stressed about meeting new people, bring an ice-breaker—such as a toy, pet, or snacks—to help draw other kids to your child. This is especially helpful if your child is not naturally outgoing.
For the full article with links to more ideas and resources, click here.
Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center Now Offering Youth Swim Lessons
The Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center is now offering youth swim lessons. Lessons are available for children ages six months through 13 years old. To learn more about the Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center’s swim lessons, please visit HowellSchools.com/aquatics.
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
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