Lemmer PTO Update:

Lemmer PTO met this past Tuesday, May 8, 2012 for their last meeting for the 2011-12 school year.   They finished up planning for our end of year activities for students on the last day of school, May 31, 2012 from 1:30 PM till 3:15 PM.   They also provided an update through the month of April on the support everyone has provided.    Students, parents, staff and community have helped collect soup labels, box tops, milk caps, and Super One slips.  Your efforts have a huge payoff that helps support our filed trips in addition to all of the other things our PTO helps support.  Here are the incredible totals:  (again only through the month of April)

Box Tops --  $1,493.70
Super One Slips -- $915.06
Gordon Food Service  (GFS) -- $62.38
Milk Caps -- $417.60
Bake Sales --  $824.05
School Mall Postcards -- $1,228.01

Total:  $4,940.80

The staff and I can not thank you enough for the help this provides to our students.  Your support is greatly appreciated and valued.   PTO has used this money to support improvements in technology opportunities for our students, field trips, end of the year party, as well as supporting our rewards program for positive student behavior.  There is not doubt our student's experiences at Lemmer would be very different without all of this great support.

Please continue to save these items over the summer and bring them in next fall so we can continue to offer such great opportunities for our students.

April Updates:

The school year continues to speed by.   Students are certainly enjoying being outside with the Spring weather and longer hours of daylight.

A couple of reminders for April:

Spring picture packages need to be returned to school ASAP,

Sock Hop for Cystic Fibrosis is 4/27/12 from 6 to 8:30 PM @ the HS.   Check it out as a great time will be held by all.   Cost is only $5 per family.  

Spring Music Programs dates are set and students are preparing,  Dates are:
 
            1st and 2nd Grades  May 23, 2012  @  10:30 AM and 1:30 PM
            3rd & 4th Grades  May 24, 2012  @ 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM
             Kindergarten Graduation  May 25, 2012  10:30 AM & 1:30 PM

The Penny Challenge continues in all classrooms through next week to support the efforts of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Delta County.   The classroom raising the most money will be treated to a pizza party.  Thank you for any support you can provide to this program.

Transition planning for next year continues.  Visits to the new Escanaba Upper Elementary School for this years' 3rd and 4th grade students are being planned during the school day in the next several weeks.   Notes will be coming home soon, if not already.

Finally, congratulations to Lauren Dubord for winning Mr. Buckbee's painting in the raffle drawing to support the 3rd grade field trip to Mackinaw.  Thanks also to Mr. Buckbee for donating some of his art work for this fundraiser.

Parent Letter 2-17-11

Lemmer Elementary School

“Learning Together at Lemmer”

February 17, 2012

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Kindergarten through 2^nd grade will be having Spring conferences over the next several weeks to update you on your child’s academic and social growth.   Your child’s teacher in grades K-2 will be contacting you to arrange a time to meet.  Report cards in 3^rd and 4^th grade went home two weeks ago.   If you have any questions about your child’s performance, please contact your child’s teacher or the school office.

Planning is underway in earnest for the 2012-2013 school year.  Registration for new kindergarten students for the next school year is next Thursday at the MTEC center on the Bay College campus.   The district has instituted all day everyday kindergarten in all of the district elementary schools for 2012-2103.  In addition, we continue to plan for the final reconfiguration of all grades; making all elementary buildings K-3, an Upper Elementary with grades 4 – 6, a Junior High with grades 7 & 8, and the High School with grades 9-12.  Watch for more info in March and April as we provide students and parents opportunities to tour buildings and attend question and answer sessions.

We continue to utilize the south playground for students as we wait for Spring weather to arrive and dry things up.  The dry fall weather followed by rain/snow freezing on top of frozen ground has created some issues with an odor from wood chips and grass seed on the north side playground.  The sunny days and warm temperatures are certainly helping to dry things up and we hope to start using this area again soon.

We are also gearing up for one of the biggest and most exciting months of the school year.  The month of March is READING MONTH and we have many events planned.  We have our kickoff spirit assembly on Friday, March 2, 2012.   We also will have a week long “Screen Free” activity, a book fair/bingo night, student assemblies and many other activities as well.

February 23             Kindergarten Registration for 2012-13 School Year (MTEC Center, Bay College Campus)  8 AM – 5 PM

February 24             NO SCHOOL for Students   (Teacher Inservice Day )

March 2                     Spirit Assembly (Reading Month Kickoff)

March 5^th --9^th         Screen Free Challenge Week

March 6^th                  Family Night Book Fair & Reading Month Activities in Gym 3:30 PM – 7 PM

March 7^th                  Family Night Book Fair  3:30 PM – 7 PM

As always if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the school office, 786-533 or via email at mreeves@eskymos.com

Matthew Johnson-Reeves

Principal              

Bucket Fillers for Life Coming to Lemmer

This week we are excited to begin implementing a new social program at Lemmer.   While we do many things to promote positive behavior choices from students including our monthly Spirit Assemblies, Caught Being Good program, Student of the Month,  and our Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be Caring program, we continue to look for opportunities to do even more.  The entire staff will participate in a three hour after school professional development program to get us ready to implement the Bucket Fillers for Life program on Tuesday night.   Students in grades K-3 will have an assembly on Wednesday to kick things off for students.  The 4th graders will also participate, but in a much more in depth manner, as the presenters for this program will visit each class individually for approximately 90 minutes to work with students.   

This new program is an anti-bullying program built around principles of empathy and kindness towards others.  It is hoped we can further develop our culture of respect and caring so many of our students and staff already exhibit everyday.   The program utilizes a basic concept of examining others feelings when decision making.  We will be asking students to reflect about their daily decision making by asking whether the decision is one that adds to someone else’s bucket of life, or is it one that detracts (a “dipper”) from someone else’s bucket of life.   I encourage you to talk with your son or daughter next Wednesday evening or Thursday and discuss this new program with them.   All grade levels will have a firm grasp of the bucket filler or dipper idea.  If you have a chance, visit the  www.bucketfillersforlife.com website for additional information.  It could easily be a program that can be adapted to work at home as well.   Thank you for helping us support this new initiative.  Thank you also to your Lemmer PTO for helping fund part of this program.

Here is some information from the bucketfillersforlife website:

FOR STUDENTS

Assembly

45-50 minutes – Pre-K through 3rd Grade

The entertaining aspects of role plays with student and teacher volunteers hold the children spellbound as they learn about the power of choice in their lives.

We are all given the freedom to make daily choices from the clothing we wear and the food we eat to our grades in school and how we treat others.

When you choose to be a Bucketfiller, you bring love and happiness into your life and into the lives of others. Bullying is bucket dipping and this choice brings sadness and loneliness to your life and the lives of others. Which do YOU choose?

“Bucketfillers For Life presented a fun-filled, yet thought-provoking assembly for our K-3 students. It was meant to get the children excited about being Bucketfillers. The assembly did just that! This was a hit for all of our students, and a true gift to our school.”

Shana Barnum
3rd Grade Teacher
Dansville Elementary School, Dansville, MI

Classroom Workshops

90 minutes – 4th Grade and up
(Featuring the original and powerful Why I Love and Respect You exercise)

In fourth grade and above, the students begin to examine their lives and their choices more intensely. There are many opportunities for discussion and questions as they realize their own accountability for the quality of their existence. True stories exemplifying results of choices, role-plays with student volunteers, laughter and sometimes tears lead up to the often life-changing exercise “Why I Love and Respect You”. Students, parents and teachers are deeply touched by this workshop.

The Magic of That First Snowfall

Last week we experienced our first snowfall for the season.   This was a heavy wet snow that disappeared quickly...especially after all the rain this past weekend.   However, there are still some rather large snow balls that students made quickly before school started last Thursday morning.   While most adults I'm sure were begrudging brushing the snow off the car or sidewalk/driveway for the first time, it was purely magical for the students when they arrived at Lemmer.    They quickly went to work in various groups and by the time the first bell rang asking them to line up to come inside, we had large snowballs & the makings of real snowmen scattered all over the playground area.    The students' gloves/mittens were wet and there faces rosy red.  But, they sure enjoyed the simple fun of playing in the first snowfall of the season.

With this winter weather comes the need for all of our students to be dressed to go outside.   Everyday students are outside for 1/2 an hour of recess.   Snowpants, mittens, hats and boots are a must to ensure they stay comfortable during this most important time of the day when they get to go outside and play.   Students only stay inside if the temperature and or combination temperature/wind chill is below zero.   Thanks for all of your help in making sure your son/daughter is ready to take on the U.P. weather at school.   Also, don't forget about our lost and found area located at the front entrance where you might find that stray mitten or missing hat.

Check out the construction at Lemmer