Hoover HighlightsA Publication for the Hoover

Elementary School Community February 4, 2014

Upcoming Events –Mark Your Calendars!

Feb. 3-7 Healthy Heart Week Feb. 4 Family Fitness Night 6:30-8:00 Feb. 4 Hearing re-takes (K,1,2,4)

Feb. 5 Kindergarten Registration Begins 9:15 a.m.

Feb. 5 Market Day Pick UpFeb. 11 PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.Feb. 12 State Student Count Date Feb. 17-18 No School Midwinter Break

Feb. 26 Neal Levin After School Program Feb. 27 Skate Night 6:00 Mar. 5 Market Day Pick Up Mar. 6-7 Star Lab Mar. 7 Unhealthy Snack Spirit Day Mar. 11 Spring Pictures Mar. 12 PTA Meeting 10:00 a.m. Mar. 19 Bingo Night 6:30 Mar. 24-26 Vision Testing (K, 1, 3) Mar. 27 End of the 3rd Marking Period

Mar. 28 No School WorkdayApril 18-25 No School Spring Break

“Each day, our mission atHoover Elementary School isto provide a joyful andengaging environment,which inspires a love of

learning.”

A note from the PrincipalGreetings Hoover Families,I hope you were able to spend a few minutes with your children reviewing their report cards.  It is a great opportunity to celebrate the successes and acknowledge all of their hard work and effort.  This is also a good time to set a goal or focus area for

improvement, perhaps a content area like reading or math. At Hoover, we believe that it takes a team of folks to assist all of our students in achieving our curriculum benchmarks.  You will see students reading not only with their teacher but perhaps with a support staff member; Mrs. Jungwirth, Mrs. McMillion, Mrs. Bice, Mrs. Nowotny, or myself.  We are so lucky to have such a dedicated team of professionals at Hoover.  Thank you to Mr. Tony, Mr. Trace and Mr. Mike who have been working very hard on these cold mornings and evenings to keep our sidewalks and entry ways clear of snow. While we were staying inside on those snow days, they were at Hoover working outside in the below zero temperatures. Mr. Tony is often at Hoover before 5:00 a.m., turning up the heat, checking our pipes and ensuring that the building is safe, warm and ready for our students to arrive. We appreciate all that you do to keep Hoover safe. Every member of our staff puts the needs of our Hoover Rockets first.     

Sincerely,Julie Linn, Principal

Birthday TreatsAt Hoover we, we understand the excitement which comes with a child’s birthday. To celebrate, he/she may bring in birthday treats to share with others, if so desired. We ask that these

treats be: individual, hand-held, easy to consume treats which can be distributed and enjoyed with relative ease. Please do not bring cakes, pizza or other larger scale choices to the birthday celebration at school. We strive to acknowledge this special day in a way which honors each child, but does not disrupt the classroom routine for a lengthy period of time. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. For food allergy safety reasons, please, only send treats to share with your child’s class. Of course, your child can still come down to the office to get their birthday treat.

2014-2015 Kindergarten Registration Begins February 5…. Parents of children who are, or will turn, age 5 on or before October 1, 2014 may register for fall kindergarten at Hoover, beginning Wednesday, February 5. We are very excited to welcome many new children and families to our school and look forward to having you join the Hoover family! To register for fall, 2014kindergarten, stop by the office on or after February 5 for a registration packet.Breakfast at HooverHoover is still offering breakfast to our students beginning at 8:40. You do not need to pre-order or register. Menu items will include a few of the following:

Assorted cereal & milk Fruit or juice Milk Bagels with cream cheese Whole grain toaster tarts High fiber cereal bars Mini pancakes Banana bread

The price is $1.75 and parents can pre-pay using Parent Connect or by sending in a check. Students may also pay in cash, but it must be in the exact amount as our cook will not be able to make change. Students who qualify for free lunch will receive breakfast free also. Students who qualify for a reduced lunch will pay .30 for breakfast. Please tell your children that if they are buying breakfast they should come directly to the gym upon arriving at school to get their breakfast. Depending on the time, they will either eat in the gym or take their breakfast with them to their classroom. Any questions, feel free to call our school office.

Parking Lot RemindersPlease remember we have 475 children who walk in and out of our doors every day. I know you

want your child to be safe and so do we. Our rules are put in place in order to make this happen. When one of our staff members on bus duty asks you to do something, please honor their request. Please read the reminders below.

Please make sure that you do not park in the staff/bus parking lot. We are very limited on our parking spots for our staff members, especially this winter. If you are dropping off after 9:00 a.m. you may drop off in the staff/bus lot loop in front of the school. Please make sure you slow down when you are dropping off or picking up your child. We have a lot of children coming and going and as always, safety first.When you are dropping off please pull up as far as you can. It may mean that your child has to walk a few more steps but we have had some cars lined up out on Levan and this is a safety issue. We need room for the buses to be able to move through the parking lot and out on to Levan as well.Please take a few extra minutes at home to zip backpacks, put on hats, provide lunch money and give lots of hugs and kisses. That way we you arrive at school, your child can say “good bye”, hop out and walk towards their lineup area.Once you drop off or pick up your child please continue on. When you sit and watch or wait it causes a back-up which again interferes with buses and others trying to drop off or pick up their children.Please make sure you are holding your child’s hand in the parking lot or you are right next to him/her when you are walking through the parking lot. Please cross in the designated area using our bus duty staff member.If you are going to get out of your car to drop off or pick up your child, please park in the parent parking lot, in a parking space. We use the staff parking lot for staff and for the buses.

Thank you for all your support in maintaining a safe school environment. We are a caring community for all of our Hoover Rockets. So please be aware, go slow and look one more time for a Hoover Rocket before backing up.

A Note from Mr. Mazzella, Building Supervisor:Some areas around our school have sidewalks that are easy to identify.

For other areas, mostly around the building, there is a yellow line and the word "walk" painted on the blacktop. The areas between the line and the building are designated walkways. When you are arriving at school, or exiting school, please use those cleared paths. These areas will be shoveled and in most cases, salted by Hoover personnel. The blacktop play pads will be plowed by LPS trucks as time allows; usually within a couple of days of snowfall, and in most cases, not salted. Please keep in mind that even ice that has been salted can still be slippery, so be very careful and do not run. Boiler ExhaustWhen our boilers are running an exhaust is emitted from the building. You might notice an odor as you are entering or exiting the front doors. This is perfectly normal.Hoover Handbook HighlightsEach edition of the Hoover Highlights, we will summarize a selection of our student handbook. It is important to read and review the student handbook with your child. You can access it under the “For Parents” tab on our website at http://www.livoniapublicschools.org/Hoover.cfm

Food AllergyA food allergy is an immune system response to a food protein that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When the individual eats food containing that protein, the

immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, triggering symptoms that can affect a person’s breathing, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and/or heart. Symptoms of food allergy can include hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, and face; shortness of breath; wheezing; abdominal pain; vomiting; and even cause heart failure. If left untreated, these symptoms can be deadly.

There are eight foods that account for 90 percent of allergic reactions: peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, etc.), fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy, and wheat. Currently, there is no cure for food allergy. Avoidance of the food is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction. Children should never approach students who have known allergies with the items to which they are allergic. This can cause a life threatening reaction on the part of the child who is allergic. Any action of this nature is considered to be a very serious infraction, will not be tolerated and will be subject to disciplinary action. Food Allergy – Be a P.A.L. (Protect a Life)P.A.L. is an awareness program designed by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) to educate children about how they can help their friends with food allergies, avoid risks, and what to do in case of a reaction.How to be a PAL:1. Never take food allergies lightly.2. Don’t share food with friends.3. Wash hands after eating.4. Ask friends what they are allergic to and

help them avoid it.5. If a schoolmate with an allergy becomes

ill, get help immediately!

State of Michigan Compulsory Attendance Law…Hoover Elementary School Absence and Tardiness Procedures are attached at the end of this edition for your review. WIDI AssessmentUnder federal and state law, students who are English Language Learners (ELL) are required to participate in an English language proficiency assessment annually until they are proficient on this assessment, including any ELL-eligible student not enrolled in the district’s ELL program due to parent refusal of services. Out state’s test for the purpose of English language proficiency is called the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS). This assessment will be administered to all ELL students, kindergarten through 12th grade, between

February 10, 2014 and March 28, 2014. It assesses social and instructional English used within the school context as well as listening, speaking, reading and writing in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

Kid ConnectionsThe Kid Connections page is a great resource for students, parents and

teachers.  It contains hyperlinks to the Hoover online library catalog, various reference sources, and many wonderful educational websites. The Kid Connections page can be accessed from the Hoover website.  There is a link for it at the very bottom of the left-hand menu of our website.  Many of the resources on the top portion of the page are used during library instruction in 3rd and 4th grades when students learn about online reference materials.  The bottom portion of the page is divided into curricular subjects, containing links to many of the websites teachers use for extra practice such as CoolMath, XtraMath, Moby Max, RazKids, and Starfall as well as Everyday Math online.  If your child’s teacher is using these websites, he/she has been given log-in information including usernames and passwords.  One of my favorite links is to the ALA Great Websites for Kids webpage put together by the American Library Association.  It has great websites for every subject area.  If you have a 4th grader, they have explored the "Languages & Literature" tab with me during library time to look for favorite author and illustrator webpages.  Another new addition to the Kid Connections page is the "Hoover ABDO E-Books" link under "Online Catalogs".  This link will take you to Hoover's ABDO Digital Bookshelf where you can access some recently acquired e-books! You will be asked to log-in to the ABDO bookshelf.  The username is "Hoover1” and the password is "Rockets".  These books provide another great learning resource that can be accessed from home or school, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year!!I strongly urge you to check out the Kid Connections page if you have not already done so!  I'll be highlighting some more of

my favorite resources in upcoming issues of Hoover Highlights. Mrs. Jungwirth, Librarian/Media Specialist Family Fitness NightJoin us Hoover Families! Family Fitness Night will be tonight from 6:30pm-8:00pm beginning right outside our gym. We’ll rotate through lots of fun exercises, activities, and games then end our evening with a healthy snack social. We’re looking forward to a fun night of fitness!

Waste-Free Lunch Challenge On February 21st, Hoover Rockets will learn how to make their lunchroom waste free. Beginning Friday, February 28th, the last

Friday of every month will be a Waste-Free Lunch Friday.  Students will strive to accumulate less than 20 grocery bags of waste on Waste-Free Lunch Fridays until the end of the school year.  Here is how you can help your Rocket meet the challenge:Pack lunches using reusable lunch boxes/bags, food containers, drink bottles, and cloth napkins. Ask your child to bring home uneaten foods in reusable containers/bags so the food can be eaten later, or thrown away or composted at home. Encourage your child to recycle drink pouches, chip bags, Lunchables packaging, foam trays, milk cartons, and plastic containers in the Hoover lunchroom.A big thanks to the Amin, Lang, Maahs, Stempeck, and Whell families for volunteering to transport recyclables from the school.  And a special thanks to Mr. Tony Mazzella for his tireless green efforts at

Hoover!

PTA NewsA note from the president…Holy Polar Vortex! Love it or not, we have had a record breaking winter for snow and cold temps. But bone-chilling wind gusts and sub-zero snow days do not stop our amazing group of chairpersons and volunteers from keeping our Hoover Rockets’ busy.

The show must go on...

WINTER BLAST was a BLAST! Thank you to Cathi Anderson, Reema Gustitus, Ami Nienus, Jill King, Leslie Maahs, Stacey Curtis and Jen Amin for chairing, co-chairing and planning such a wonderful event for our school! A great time was had by all! Another big thank you to all of the volunteers who gave their time, talent and donations, you helped make this night a big success! Many students and families braved the cold to get out and roller skate at Riverside Arena on January 11th or stopped by Olga’s to enjoy lunch or dinner over the long weekend in January. Thank you to Jill King for organizing these events!On January 26th, Hoover Rockets and their families escaped the freezing cold temps to ice skate at Compuware! You know you live in Michigan when it is so cold outside that you have to ice skate inside! Thank you to Carrie Brown for putting this event together.Mr. O’s timing could not be better this year as we take part in Hoover's Annual Family Fitness Night. This free event will take place tonight (Tuesday, February 4th) at Hoover from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Please join us for an evening of fun and fitness for the entire family. At the end of the evening please stay and enjoy all of the delicious and healthy goodies at the Healthy Snack Social!I feel so lucky and grateful to be part of such a wonderful community. Thanks to all for staying involved regardless of the snow and cold!PTA Founder’s DayFebruary is the time of year that the PTA at the local, state and national level celebrates “Founder’s Day.”PTA was founded February 17, 1897…Founders Day is a reminder of the substantial role that PTA has played locally, regionally, and nationally in supporting parent involvement and working on behalf of all children and families. It's a time to reflect and take pride in our many accomplishments, and to renew our commitment to be a powerful voice for all

children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education. PTA's founders Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney, and the founder of Georgia's Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, Selena Sloan Butler, were women of imagination and courage. They understood the power of individual action, worked beyond the accepted barriers of their day, and took action to literally change the world. They had a simple idea—to improve the lives and futures of all of our children. As much as other conditions in America may have changed, that idea has not. PTAs keep it alive.Today, PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the nation. Our members represent the ethnic diversity of our nation, and they come from the ranks of traditional families, single-parent households, blended families, grandparents, and other caring adults. Together, we continue to serve as the conscience of the country for children and youth.Michigan PTA Councils throughout the state host Founder’s Day Celebrations during the month of February. The celebrations vary in composition and are often a time when local units present Appreciation Awards to volunteers and community members.Courtesy of: http://www.michiganpta.org/events/founders-day.html

This year we are proud to take part in Livonia PTSA Council’s 60th Annual Founders' Day Celebration - Believe, Dream, Inspire. Members of Hoover’s PTA Executive Board and many others will be in attendance on February 12th at Schoolcraft College and look forward to an evening of celebration and inspiration.

Taking it to the next level!Are you looking for ways to be more involved in supporting your child’s education at Hoover? Then the Hoover Elementary PTA

needs you next year! It’s only February, but the current PTA Executive Board of Officers are already making plans for great programs and events for the next school year. The first step is to ensure that our PTA has great parent leaders for 2014-2015. Each school year the current PTA Executive Board invites fellow parents to consider serving the following year as PTA President, Vice President 1, Vice President 2, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary. If you want to have a direct and lasting impact on your child’s education, this is one of the best ways to do that!Our PTA is only able to accomplish all that is does when parents are willing to volunteer to lead. This is a brief description of what each role entails:

PTA President – oversees organization, works with Principal on event calendar and PTA projects, sets meeting schedules and agendas and delegates responsibilities to fellow officers and chairpersons.

Vice Presidents 1 and 2 – works with President to fully execute PTA projects and events and is liaison between the PTA Executive Board and committee chairpersons to oversee PTA programs.

Treasurer – processes membership dues, pays bills from PTA sponsored programs, maintains the monthly budget and Treasurer’s report.

Corresponding Secretary – notifies members of meetings, sends messages and follow-up correspondence pertaining to PTA matters and assists the President and Vice Presidents’ with various PTA programs.

Recording Secretary – takes minutes at all board and general meetings, assists the President and Vice Presidents’ with various PTA programs.

If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, or if you would like to submit your name for an officer position or to chair a particular event next school year,

please contact me at marilynfriedrich@homtail.com or PTA Parliamentarian, Carrie Brown at carrie@mi.rr.com.

We hope that you will consider taking your involvement at Hoover to the next level!Stay warm and think spring!Marilyn Friedrich2013-2014 PTA President"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." ~ Lily Tomlin

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!The Winter Blast was a huge success!!It was such a pleasure to see so many Hoover Rocket families enjoying themselves, laughing, playing games, walking around with painted faces, bags of popcorn and cotton candy, collecting cool prizes and carrying some seriously delicious baked goods won at the cake walk!! It simply would not have been possible without the over 120 volunteers, including many of our devoted teachers and staff members, Hoover Alumni families, NHS students from Stevenson and Churchill and many junior high volunteers from Holmes who came to run the carnival! Also, a huge thank you to the dozens of Hoover Rocket families who donated food items for our concessions!!We would like to take a moment to thank our amazing Winter Blast Team!!! Reema Gustitus: PTA Board event representative, Co-chair and Concessions, Leslie Maahs and Stacie Curtis: Token Store Coordinators, Jill King: Raffle Basket Coordinator, Ami Nienus: Game Coordinator, and Jennifer Amin: Ticket Coordinator!  We also cannot forget the undying support and help from Dorothy Holmes and Julie Linn. They were simply a pleasure to serve the Hoover Community with and we owe them a big thank you!!  We want to send out a huge thank you to our talented decorating team, who kept the kids excited with their fabulous count down and

super creative snowmen, carnival scene and hanging decorations. 

Here is a list of our basket winners….

And the winner  is...

All About Boys - Boley FamilyAll About Girls - J. DekelaitaMoney Tree – K. KilgoreScrapbook Basket – A. WhellSports Basket - Stewart FamilyMSU Basket – A. HoxnaU of M Basket – S. HillingMovie Basket – E. FogleBaking Basket – S. BihunLego Basket – P. PartschSurprise Basket – A. AversGift Card Basket – K. DietrichDisney Basket – L. HuntChocolate Basket – P. StouseGame Night Basket – N. SobasMexican Basket - P. HorganMade in MI Basket – P. Stouse

Congratulations to all our basket winners. Enjoy…Kindest Regards,Cathi Anderson, Winter Blast co-chair and Volunteer Coordinator

Box Tops & Labels Contest…We have had another successful Box Top &

Label competition.  At this time, we do not have official

winners, as the totals are still being tallied up.  We should have the winners by the middle of the week and we will notify everyone with an e-blast.  Thank you for everyone who sent in your Box Tops & Labels to help benefit our Hoover Rockets! Abbie Greco & Stacey Curtis, Co-Chairs.

Now Hiring!If you are interested in working with our Hoover Rockets during lunch and recess please contact Mrs. Linn (744-2730). This is a great opportunity to spend time

getting to know our students and staff.

Hoover’s newest addition…Brady is showing off our newest addition to Hoover Elementary School. Thank you to Brady and his mom, Karen for doing such a fabulous job on Mr. Penguin. We love him!

Change to Entry Age for KindergartenNew Age Entry Date Cut off Oct. 1st; Waivers Available

Recent state legislation has changed the entry age for students enrolling in kindergarten. The entry age for kindergarten will be gradually changed over the next two years to require children to be 5 years old by September 1st rather than the current cutoff date of November 1st.

For the 2014-15 School Year, the entry date cut-off date for a child entering kindergarten is October 1st, 2014. A child who resides in the Livonia Public Schools attendance area may be enrolled in kindergarten if he/she is at least 5 years of age on or before October 1, 2014.

Parents of a child with a birth date Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 may request a waiver for enrollment. Please request the waiver form upon registration at your child’s school. It is important to note that the waiver and registration forms must be submitted not later than June 1, 2014 for a child with a October or November birth date to be enrolled in kindergarten.

Registration will begin on February 5, 2014. For more information on kindergarten registration requirements, please contact our school or the district’s website at www.livoniapublicschools.org/registration.

Kindergarten Round Up will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2014. Parents will sign up for a round up session at registration.

HOOVER’S HEALTHY HEART WEEKFEBRUARY 3rd – 7th

Be Kind, Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be Proud

FAMILY FITNESS NIGHT – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH FROM 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

ENTIRE SCHOOL American Heart Association (AHA) Fundraiser

Each student took home a donation envelope (extras by the front office) Students bring to their homeroom teacher during Heart Week Please write out a check for all cash and coin collected to the “American

Heart Association”

On-line donations can be made at www.heart.org/jump

Collecting donations is optional.

Student Council will be selling “hearts” during the month of February

Staff and students are wearing red, pink or purple for the week

Staff and students are participating in daily 10-minute “Heart Walks”

Students will be reviewing the benefits of regular, daily exercise and the positive benefits of eating foods from the Five Healthy Food Groups

Hoover Elementary SchoolAbsence and Tardiness Procedures

Consistent attendance and arriving to school on time are two important factors in helping students become successfulin school. Regular attendance is part of the State of Michigan Compulsory Attendance Law. The sections of theRevised School Code that address this issue are contained in the Michigan Compiled Laws under MCL 380.1147, 380.1284, 380.1284b, 380.1561- 380.1599 and the State School Aid Act under MCL 388.1701. Students are requiredby law to be in school on a daily basis, and they should only be absent in the case of illness, family emergencies or

extenuating circumstances. Students are also expected to be on time each day and ready for class. In addition theexpectation is that students stay at school the entire day as early dismissals are discouraged. As you know, school begins at 8:54 a.m. Tardiness affects not only your child’s learning, but interrupts the learning of other children andthe instruction taking place in their classroom. It is vital to set good habits at an early age and student attendance is no exception. As you recall a part of our school compact states that we will count on parents of Hoover Elementary students to support their child’s learning by getting their child to school on time every day and assuring their child’s attendance for the entire day.

How does Hoover address attendance and tardy concerns?

Excessive Absences Procedure5 absences

First parent contact regarding an attendance concern by the classroom teacher. Discussion with parent/guardian to develop a plan to improve attendance. Principal is notified by classroom teacher that the concern is being addressed with parents.

10 absences Parent contact regarding excessive absences by Edulink. An Edulink notification is sent out to

families via email and voice mail.15 absences

Third parent contact regarding excessive absences by Edulink. An Edulink notification is sent out via email and voice mail to families. In addition a letter is mailed home citing our attendance concerns. A copy of that letter is placed in the student’s CA-90. A request for a meeting with parents/guardian is requested to develop a plan to improve student’s attendance rate.

20 absences Fourth parent contact regarding excessive absences by Edulink. An Edulink notification is sent out

via email and voice mail to families. In addition a letter is mailed home citing continued attendance concerns. A copy of that letter is placed in the student’s CA-90. A second request for a meeting to develop a plan to improve attendance may be required.

25 absences Fifth parent contact regarding excessive absences by Edulink. An Edulink notification is sent out

via email and voice mail. In addition a letter is mailed home by certified mail citing continued attendance concerns. A copy of that letter is placed in the CA-90. Possible reporting of excessive absences to the necessary reporting agencies.

Excessive Tardiness Procedure10 tardies

First parent contact regarding excessive tardies. An Edulink notification is sent out via email and voice mail.

15 tardies Second parent contact regarding excessive tardies. An Edulink notification is sent out via email and

voice mail.20 tardies

Third parent contact regarding excessive tardies. A copy of the letter is placed in student’s CA-90 and mailed home.

Excessive absences and tardies without adequate reason or explanation may result in additional reports to the necessary reporting agencies. Parents/Guardians provide an important role ensuring that their child maintains a good record of attendance and punctuality. Thank you for your support and thank you for setting good attendance habits with your children.