Dear Voyager Families,
It is hard to believe it is already the last day of January - if it seems like the month flew by, it did!! The unexpected snow day was nice, but it also contributed to the month seeming like it flew by even more. From experience, I can tell you that the next four months will fly by, as well. When we get to the last day of May, we will only have four days left in the school year. Hang on as we finish the second half of the school year together!
Since sending my last bi-weekly newsletter on January 17th, Superintendent Erin Macgregor sent to all Voyager families an emailed letter letting them know that I have been named the permanent Principal at Voyager. I am very happy with this announcement and look forward to continuing the journey that we started this fall on into next year.
Feelin’ Good Mileage Club 2020 - Either today or early next week, your child will be bringing home information regarding Sparrow Hospital’s “Feelin’ Good Mileage Club” (information is also on the Voyager Facebook Page). From April 13-May 29, students are provided opportunities to walk or run during identified lunch periods. Students earn a toe token for every five miles logged up to 20 miles. When they reach 20 miles they earn a water bottle. This is a free program, however, any student who chooses to walk/run even on one day has to be registered to participate. As a result, I encourage you to register your child even if he/she is not sure if he/she wants to participate (some of our younger students decide they want to participate after they see friends participating). Registration opens tomorrow (2/1) and ends on Monday, March 2nd - you can register on your phone, tablet, or computer. Please contact the office if you need a hard copy of the form! Let’s shoot to have 90-100% of our Voyager Vikings registered to participate. **** A program like this requires a number of volunteers - please be on the lookout for upcoming information regarding when volunteers are needed for this program. It’s a fun way to be involved at the school!!!
Topic for this newsletter: ATTENDANCE
There will be times that a child needs to miss school - sick with a contagious illness; an appointment(s) that can’t be scheduled outside of the school day; a family emergency that can’t be avoided, etc., but overall students should miss very little school. Regular attendance in school is one of the most important factors related to success in school. In elementary school students are being taught foundational skills. As a result, regular attendance is crucial for learning these skills. I recently read a parent tip sheet related to attendance that I thought made some good points (woodburnpress.com).
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Absences add up - even if your child misses just a few days of school here and there, important concepts can be missed/not learned. According to research, missing two days a month negatively impacts a student’s academic performance (missing 2 days a month = ~ 18 days/year - that’s 10% of the school year that a student is missing; missing 3-4 days a month = ~27-36 days/year - that’s 15%-20% of the school year that a student is missing)
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Elementary attendance affects reading - reread the last sentence above. Frequent absences in elementary school have been shown to significantly impact a student’s reading skills.
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Elementary attendance problems can negatively impact a student’s future - research shows that by 6th grade, attendance problems become a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
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Attendance affects social growth - elementary students are still learning social and emotional skills that will help them throughout their lives. At school, they learn to interact with others, make friends, and build relationships with adults outside their family. Consistent attendance helps foster positive social and emotional growth for your child.
School is the equivalent of being a student’s job. It is important that students receive the message that being in school everyday is the expectation, just like adults are expected to be at their job everyday. When this is the expectation, attendance does not become an issue. There are things that parents can do to support this expectation:
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Develop routines - prepare for school the night before (clothes out, coat and backpack ready) - set the tone that going to school is the expectation; have a consistent bedtime that supports getting a good night’s sleep; get up in the morning at a time that provides for a less stressful start to the day - enough time for a good breakfast and to get to school on time. Finally, if your child does have to miss school, develop a habit of getting work from the teacher that he/she may have missed from the teacher. This reinforces the expectation that it’s important to be in school.
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Be informed - Know bus pick up times, parent drop off times, and school start times, so that you can determine what time your child needs to be “out the door” to get to school on time.
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Schedule & plan strategically - if the expectation is that you go to school everyday, not going to school becomes the exception. Students learn very quickly that there is little that interferes with them going to school, and when something does interfere it is because all other options were tried and/or the situation was an emergency/out of the adult’s control. Notify the school whenever your child will be absent and share the reason for the absence.
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Ask for support before the school contacts you - If you are having difficulty getting your child to school, if your child doesn’t seem to want to go to school for any reason, or if there are other extenuating circumstances interfering with your child not being in school (medical condition; family dynamic, etc.), talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or an administrator, so that you can work together to resolve whatever issue is having a negative impact on your child’s attendance - collaborate as to how to reset the expectation!! Regular school attendance is required/is the law. School’s monitor attendance and are required to notify parents when attendance is an issue. Typically, an initial letter is sent to make parents aware of an attendance issue when students have missed 10% of the time that they have been in school (5-10 days missed a quarter; 10-20 days in a semester). If after the initial letter is sent, attendance doesn’t improve, a second letter is sent. If a second letter does not warrant a change, a meeting is required to develop a plan. The final step when all of the other efforts have been exhausted it to contact the county truant officer. Schools never want to get to this point, but will go this route if a student is not attending school regularly.
If regular school attendance is an issue for your child, make it a goal to reset the expectation!!!
This concludes what I have to share this week, however, there are a couple of district updates, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - this week’s Counselor Corner features follow up information regarding the district-wide Brooks Gibbs parent presentation that was held on the evening of Tuesday, January 21st. If you weren’t able to attend this event, this “Counselor Corner” provides a brief overview of some strategies highlighted in the presentation.
As always, please feel free to contact me at anytime. My email is [email protected] or you can reach me by calling the main office at 517-552-7500 ext. 46503.
Sincerely,
Kari Naghtin, Principal
District Updates:
It’s Time for Kindergarten Registration
Howell Public Schools will hold its annual Begindergarten and Kindergarten registration event on Tuesday, March 17. To learn about the district’s Begindergarten and Kindergarten programs, find your child’s home school and begin the online enrollment process, please visit HowellSchools.com/KDG.
13th Annual Livingston County Community Connect
Tomorrow, Saturday, February 1, The Livingston County Homeless Continuum of Care Committee will host the 13th Annual Livingston County Community Connect at Parker Middle School from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is open to all area residents. It includes free health screenings, legal consultation, employment services featuring local job opportunities, food, clothing, books, personal care items, haircuts, and much more. The event includes fun activities for the kids, but no childcare. Lunch is also provided on-site at no cost. To learn more, please visit http://bit.ly/38sb5S2.
COUNSELOR’S CORNER:
For those that were able to join for the Brooks Gibbs Parent Program on January 21st at Howell High School, we hope you enjoyed it! It is always inspiring and refreshing to get insight from experts (especially entertaining and comedic ones like Brooks!). Brooks is a popular author/speaker and authority on bullying in the schoolyard and workplace. Here are some key takeaways from his message! If you would like more information or are interested in creating a more personalized plan for your family, please reach out!
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Use the language, "Don’t get upset, treat him like a friend" when students are struggling with others. We often give conflicts power, and make them worse, when we respond with anger and frustration. Teach your child strategies for managing their reactions to mean behavior. A calm response is often enough to deter a “meanie.”
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Everyone understands the concepts of winning and losing, and most people would agree it feels better to win. Use this analogy with kids when talking about resolving conflicts with others. You “win” when you keep your cool and defeat the “meanie.” You “lose” when you get upset and give them the dramatic and emotional reaction they are looking for.
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Our beliefs about ourselves impact our behavior. The better we feel about ourselves and who we are, the more able we are to repel mean behavior. Pay attention to your child’s sense of self. Give them specific feedback and praise. Catch them being good. Brooks would recommend giving them a (casual, humorous) script to use when they are face-to-face with a mean person, like “This negative energy is making my head hurt” (and then calmly turn around and walk away).
Social conflict is normal, but can be uncomfortable. We hope these tips help as you navigate these difficult situations with your kids!
Here’s to raising strong, confident kids,
Jennifer Starkey, School Counselor
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