Principal’s News: A Note from Mr. Hartley Happy Holidays

1. Principal’s News: A Note from Mr. Hartley Happy Holidays With Thanksgiving behind us and a long winter looming ahead, I realize that I have much to be thankful for. To start, I am thankful to be part of such a strong school community. I appreciate the work ethic and dedication that our children put into their school work each day. I appreciate the support of our parents and that they stress the importance of a quality education with their children. Finally, I am thankful to be part of such a strong staff of professionals, dedicated to providing DuVall’s students with the highest quality education possible. The month of November was a busy one at DuVall. Our most important event last month was our Parent/Teacher Conferences. I hope that all parents took this opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss his or her educational performance and progress. If you have additional concerns or questions, please do not wait until the next conference to bring them up. We are always willing to schedule a meeting to discuss the academic progress of your student. We were also visited in November by a panel of district administrators including our Superintendent, Mr. Whiston, and Associate Superintendent, Dr. Chochol. All those present were very pleased by the learning environment at DuVall, quality of our teachers’ instruction, student achievement, and energy of our students. The months ahead will also be exciting ones. From December 9th – 13th, we welcome in our annual Scholastic Book Fair. On December 12th, our students will be at Stout Middle School performing in our 1st Annual Holiday Concert to benefit Blessings in a Backpack. Finally, on December 20th at 2:30 p.m., we will end the day with our annual Holiday Sing a Long in the gym. Parents are encouraged to attend. Also, in terms of our calendar, please remember that we have two late start days on the 11th of December and 8th of January, and students will have a half day of school on the 23rd, followed by no school on the 24th. During that time, our teachers will be participating in professional development activities. I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season with your families. I hope your students enjoy their time off of school and come back in 2014 reenergized and ready to take on a winter full of new learning opportunities. Happy Holidays, Mr. Hartley DuVall Elementary Newsletter December 2013

2. A Message from Our PTA President*Sarah Poupard* If you haven’t joined our PTA, we’d love to have you! When families are involved, students and the school thrive. It is a community approach that breeds success. The DuVall PTA supports our students and our school in many ways. Get to know your student’s teachers, their classmates’ parents, and be involved! Let your voice be heard! Please pick up an application from your child’s teacher or from the front office. It’s never too late to join!  Greetings DuVall Families, Grateful, is how I would describe my Thanksgiving Holiday. I hope you all experienced the same, as well as good food, great company and warm thoughts about what is to come! December is a busy month at DuVall! We have many activities going on. The Tree of Warmth went up on November 12th and remains in the lobby until the goods are picked up on December 12th. DuVall partners with the Salvation Army every year to donate gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, underwear, and socks to local children in need. Blessings in a Backpack benefits children in all three schools that need extra help feeding their family on weekends during the school year. In partnership with DuVall, Long and Snow Elementary, there will be a Holiday Concert to benefit Blessings in a Backpack. Suggested donation of $5 for an adult, $10 per family. Ornament Day will be Wednesday, December 18th this year. Last year was great fun for the kids. Kids will pay a minimal fee to make an ornament to give to someone special. Volunteers will be needed, more details to follow. Caroling through the DuVall Neighborhood will be Thursday, December 19th. We will meet in the cafeteria at 6:30, stroll the neighborhood singing and return to the cafeteria for hot chocolate and treats. January has some fun things to offer as well... Cranbrookis coming! On Tuesday, January 21st, Cranbrook will be presenting a program called Forces in Motion. Parents are encouraged to come. Times will be sent out in a blog closer to the date. In lieu of a PTA meeting in January, we are having a program done by the Attorney General on Internet Safety. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 22nd at 6:00pm in the gym. This program is open to all community members. Our students will be presented with a program designed for their grade levels during that school day. A round of applause to the great teachers and staff at DuVall. We are all so thankful for you! I wish you all a restful winter break, a wonderful holiday and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome. Sarah Poupard

3. *IMPORTANT SAFETY NEWS* Traffic Safety Changes Dropping off and picking up students outside DuVall is always a hectic time. Starting in January, we are asking that drivers ONLY USE THE DROP OFF ZONE ON FRANCIS TO DROP OFF AND PICK UP STUDENTS. We will no longer allow cars to park in this area. Please do not drop off and pick up along Beech St. in front of the school, as traffic is very congested with the busses. If possible, please arrange a spot down the street where you can park or safely pull over to drop off and pick up your child. Let’s keep our children SAFE! Attendance Cold and flu season is upon us! Please use good judgment in sending your child to school if they are not feeling well. If your child will be absent from school, please don’t forget to call the office at 313-827-2751 to let us know. When leaving a message, please provide the student’s name, student’s teacher, and reason for absence. All attendance calls should be made by 8:30 if possible. Quick Numbers: Attendance313-827-2751 Kids’ Club 313-827-2759 Office 313-827-2750 Dearborn PD 313-943-2240Anonymous: 313-943-3030 (tip line)

4. PenguinClubs, Activities, & Events Home Reading Program I love to read books! Do you? My hope for your child is that he or she learns to enjoy reading as much as you and I do. To support this goal I need you to encourage your child to read at home. The purpose for reading at home will be for pleasure. I want children to read books of interest to them. Plus, I want you to be able to share in their excitement of reading. Remember our primary goal is for your child to enjoy reading! With any book, at any level, you can focus on comprehension. Talk about the cover picture before you begin. Occasionally, stop, and have your child predict what will happen next. Once or twice, as you read the book, stop and check for understanding, ask “who” and “what.” Having your child retell the story is a difficult, but necessary skill. The more practice they get, the easier it becomes. Talk, talk, and talk about the books. Participate in this reading journey with your child; the pay-offs will last a lifetime! Thank you for your support! Ms. Mogalli District Instructional Coach WALKING SCHOOL BUS Please don’t forget to join us on FRIDAYS! Two adults will walk your child to school and make sure that they arrive safely at the doors of the school. It is a great way for the students to start the day with exercise, to socialize, and for our DuVall parents to know that their child will arrive to school safely. If you can volunteer, we’d love for you to join us! Tim Snyder our school DJ has volunteered his time at DuVall for quite a few years now. Please keep his information circling throughout our community and beyond. Thank you, Tim, for all you do! --The DuVall PTA

5. It is SO EASY to Support DuVall! Support DuVall Elementary While You Shop! Please link your buyer rewards programs to our school! KEEP COLLECTING! Box Tops For Education & Labels for Education Have you been collecting these symbols? Please ask family, friends, and neighbors to save their labels for us! Target Take Charge Of Education Through the Take Charge Of Education program, Target will donate a percentage of the amount you spend to DuVall. You can do it by applying for a Target charge card, but you don’tneed a credit card! You can link your debit card! In August 2013, we only had 54 participants, but we raised $1150.34 in our most recent donation. Imagine how great it could be if we get more members? Grandparents, friends, aunts, uncles…anyone is welcome to participate! The more people we involve, the better the program works for our children! Please go to Target to enroll, or please visit: target.com/redcard for more information. Our school ID# is 61144. Kroger Kroger Community Rewards® makes fund-raising easy…all you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Plus Card! You must enroll DuVall Elementary online or at the customer service desk. DuVall’sKroger Organization number is 90894. Meijer If you shop Meijer, you can earn money for our school. If you joined Meijer Community Rewards in a Meijer store, you can still check your rewards online. Call 1-800-962-7011 to get set up, or Customer Service can assist you—Just mention DuVall Elementary School PTA Code 893908.

6. Parents’ Perspectives & Student and Staff Spotlight We’d love to share your voice! If you or your student would like to submit an item for inclusion into the DuVall Newsletter, please email it to: j9laible@gmail.com. Submissions may include photographs or graphics.