Paw Paw Later Elementary

This Thursday, December 10, at 7 PM, PPPS will hold its next Parent Chat Session to share information/strategies about students/families and anxiety. The program is virtual. To have the Zoom link emailed to you, please click on this link: https://forms.gle/wXaVuck4ZKMgsyhA8

The next Paw Paw Public Schools Parent Chat will take place Thursday, December 9 @ 7 PM via Zoom. The focus will be on providing support and working with students who are experiencing anxiety. Look for details to be posted here on Monday for a link to the meeting.

It's a great time to review guidance from the CDC that our district follows for when students, staff or family members test positive. Please make sure that you keep our office informed about positive cases in your household. We are here to help you identify a return date for your child if they have to quarantine. Our goal is to keep our pack safe, while ensuring that your child can return to school as soon as possible once their quarantine is finished. Please do not hesitate to call our office at (269)415-5400 if you ever have questions. Thank you!

The Later Elementary has begun their annual food collection to support the Paw Paw Lions's Club Christmas Basket Program. This program helps to provide food and gifts to families in need. With COVID and job loss, it is more important than ever for us to step up and work together to take care of those families in our community that need our help. Be sure to review the flyer that went home. We have less students in the building right now and less time to collect donations, so your effort is greatly needed for us to be successful. The most needed items are syrup, jelly, peanut butter, canned fruit, and spaghetti sauce. Donations must be dropped off to school no later than December 2nd. Thank you for helping our kids make a difference in our community!

Good afternoon Later Elementary families.  This is Mr. Davison reminding all of our families that we are returning to in-person learning tomorrow morning.  I hope your children enjoyed the last three days.  I think that our teachers and support staff did a great job providing some quality, live instruction for our students.  We are extremely happy with the attendance numbers from our virtual days and we look forward to continuing to improve what we can and will offer in the event that we have to provide more days of virtual instruction for our kids. As we prepare for school tomorrow morning, we need to ask all of our families for their help.  Our students took home a lot of stuff on Friday and we need you to help us make sure that it all comes back tomorrow, so that kids don't miss out on instruction in their classroom. Please help us make sure that the following things come back tomorrow: a Chromebook, a Chromebook charger, their clever badge, their student planner, their math workbook, any textbooks that were sent home.  specifically Wonders for English Language Arts and Impact for Social Studies, their reading notebook, and any homework that they were asked to complete and turn in as they return to school. As always, we appreciate your help with making sure that our kids are ready for their school day. Please remember to send a clean mask with your child.  Be sure to take their temperature, and if they are showing symptoms or if they have a fever or have vomited in the past 24 hours, keep them home to help keep the rest of our pack safe. Thanks again for a great three days of virtual learning and we'll see you tomorrow!

Join us for our Parent Chat session this Thursday, November 19, at 7 PM, when we talk about and share strategies & resources for reducing the stress of holidays that will look different than ever this year for all families. The session will be led by PPPS staff members and provide information and a chance for conversation between parents and families of Paw Paw Public Schools. It is drop-in, friendly, and a way for parents to support one another through the trials and tribulations of the 2020-21 school year. To join the conversation and to get the Zoom link for the program, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/mPhco5MFV2YUZTFF9

Please see the attached letter from Superintendent Reo regarding yesterday's Emergency Order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15sT8h0BvcZ9_cTFm9S9Di-q1Yv_wj8a1/view?usp=sharing

Paw Paw Later Elementary Families, We will have meal pick up at the High School today, Monday, November 16th from 3-6pm for all students under the age of 18. Please email the Food Service Director (korrie.perkins@ppps.org) if you haven’t signed up for meals yet this year. This way we can guarantee our numbers and that everyone gets served.

Please be aware that due to a shortage in drivers, we also need to cancel the LION bus route tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 13. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. (Cited from www.history.com) Please make sure that you take time to recognize and thank the veterans in your life today!

Online Support Group for Parents to Address Stress, Anxiety, and Mental Health: Thursday, Nov. 5 @ 7 PM. Parents working to support and manage the stress and anxiety of COVID for themselves and their students and families will have a new resource available when Paw Paw Public Schools begins a series of support-group meetings tomorrow, Thursday, November 5, aimed at addressing and easing the mental and emotional challenges facing our school community. Each support group session will provide a short, informative presentation on issues related to mental health and well-being and then an opportunity for discussion and the sharing of ideas and resources. The sessions are not intended to be therapy, but rather opportunities for parents to learn more about mental health and the challenges of parenting during COVID, and to learn about resources available for anyone who may need additional support at this time. Sessions will be led by Paw Paw Public Schools Mental Health Clinician Stacey Coon-Ballard and Curriculum Director Corey Harbaugh, as well as other individuals from Paw Paw Public Schools who can join the conversation and add perspective, ideas, and resources. The online support group meetings will meet twice each month, every other Thursday, at 7 PM via Google Meet, starting this evening, Thursday, November 5. Any parent who wants to have access to the support group link should sign up on the PPPS digital app, at the District website, ppps.org, or at the link on the school Facebook pages. To register and be sent a Zoom link, please use this web address: https://forms.gle/YThVLgdUahEn1KXr6

If you haven't completed the PPPS District facilities survey, please do so before Monday using the following link. https://forms.gle/Baq9MC3Lax9PvWqz5 Thank you!

Our Halloween traditions will look a little bit different this year.

Please remember that all Paw Paw Students receive free breakfast and lunch through the end of the calendar year!

We have provided an addendum for our student handbook that captures the procedures, practices, and expectations for our students as a part of our Return To Learn Plan. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PymvIssBFe4g0ESplEKDj-SR3hmIN1pMa1h7osFkjTc/edit?usp=sharing

Picture Day is September 21st. Information is going home today with all students. Please be sure to review it. No contact payment and on-line ordering is available. Rest assured that our building is working with Geskus Photography to ensure the safety of our kids.

Important information and review of policies for families as we settle into our school year. https://www.smore.com/em7k9

Remembering September through our morning video announcements.

First week complete. Thank you everyone for your diligence and commitment to our childrens' safety! Our transportation, food service, maintenance, custodial, and teaching staff have been wonderful at maintaining a strong focus on health and safety. Have a great, holiday weekend!

Welcome to the Pack! We can't wait for Monday!!!