A Message From Mr. Ellis:
All Star Families:
We are off to a terrific start to March! Not only are we kicking off March Is Reading Month, but we are also in the process of celebrating Mrs. Zawierucha and her receiving the Teacher of the Year Award for Utica Community Schools!
After what seemed to be an eternity of secrecy and planning, we were able to celebrate the achievement of Teacher of the Year for Mrs. Z! This was an excruciating time for me because I could not tell anyone (staff, students, parents, etc.) about this award, or what was even going on! I was so worried that it was somehow going to get out and the surprise was going to be spoiled. In the end, Mrs. Z did not know what was going on until the award was being given to her. In her mind, she was going to be a part of a district led assembly on Digital Citizenship, but boy was she in for a surprise!
It was such a great way to celebrate her achievement with all of our staff and students! She is so deserving of this title, and we are so happy that she is here at Beacon Tree Elementary. I am proud to have her working with your children in the Media Center, and I look forward to all of the great things she has in store for them in the future! If you are on Facebook, the district has posted the ceremony on our Beacon Tree Facebook page for everyone to view. We are so proud of Mrs. Z!!!
The excitement continues with our annual March Is Reading Month initiatives! You should have received your monthly packet of information that contains our plans for the month. We have chosen to utilize the One Book, One School program again this year. Many families purchased the book The One and Only Ivan to read during this time. We look forward to our month-long adventure through this book with you and your family! If you opted out of that title, we look forward to learning of the great books that your children are reading as well! Our goal is to promote reading, and we all know that reading is a huge key to success! All of the staff and I appreciate the time you take to read with your children!
If you are able to make it in to the building, please take time to view our hallway decorations that have been put up by some FANTASTIC parents! I would like to thank Mrs. King and Mrs. Smith for all of their time and efforts in hanging up decorations in the main hallway! They have spent hours and hours of time creating this wonderful scenery for all of the students to enjoy! Along the way, Mrs. Uitos, Mrs. Tobey, and Mrs. Sapienza were also there to help Mrs. King and Mrs. Smith with this masterpiece!
Click HERE for a few photos!
Along with March is Reading Month, Beacon Tree also welcomes in our class of incoming kindergartners! On March 13th, we will be registering our 2019-2020 All Stars, and helping their parents become familiar with the entire kindergarten experience. If you have a child who will be attending Beacon Tree for kindergarten during the 2019-2020 school year, please join us on Wednesday, March 13th from 7:00pm- 8:30pm for this event. You will be able to hear about our Kindergarten program, visit our classrooms, talk with our Kindergarten teachers, and register your child for next year! It is hard to believe that the incoming class of kindergartners will be the graduating class of 2032! For registration paperwork, please visit www.Uticak12.org. If you are a family who is looking to attend our kindergarten program but are not apart of the attendance area, please attend your “home school’s” program and register there. At that school, you will be able to fill out an “In-district transfer” form that will be submitted to Pupil Services for their approval. If you have any further questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact us at (586) 797-7300 for more information.
For all of the parents in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, it is getting closer to that time of year for the M-Step Assessment. The following is the window of testing (and assessments) for the students:
- 5th Grade Students:
- Window – April 8th through May 3rd.
- Assessments – Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies
- 3rd, 4th, and 6th Grade Students:
- Window – May 3rd through May 24th.
- Assessments – Math and Reading
During these windows, teachers will be scheduled on a specific day for specific testing. You will receive word from your child’s teacher of testing dates and times as they are identified.
I hope that everyone has a great month! I look forward to hearing about all of the great books students are reading during the March Is Reading Month Festivities!
SPIRIT WEAR:
If you are interested in some spirit wear, please utilize the link below to access the site! Please remember that the Spirit Wear Shop is open year round, and you can visit it at any time! We love seeing our community in some Beacon Tree Spirit Wear!
www.beacontreespiritwear.com
Lego Robotics:
We are still looking to see if anyone is interested in starting a Lego Robotics Program here at Beacon Tree. I have placed a link below with information to help get a program started. If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact me so that I can answer any questions you may have.
Lego Robotics Information: Click HERE
All The Best,
Mr. Ellis
The March Newsletter is available at this link.
PowerSchool Parent Portal Information is available at this link.