Paw Paw Middle School

Did you know that nearly 1 in every 33 kids lives in a home with someone other than their parents, and that includes many families in the Paw Paw district? (The AARP estimates the number of children being raised by grandparents has more than doubled in recent years, for instance.) Paw Paw PS wants to partner will all the families in our district, so the next Parent Chat will focus on the experiences of Nontraditional Families, including information and resources that can help these families support students towards health, happiness, and success. The next Parent Chat is Thursday, January 14, at 7 PM on Zoom. To register and get a Zoom link, please visit the PPPS webpage, at ppps.org. During this session there will be information for all families, including District and local resources available for support.

Reminder: Meal Pickup Today (Monday). 7 days worth of breakfast and lunch. Special time, 1pm-6pm, @ Paw Paw High School. Please make sure to have your trunk or back seats clear and open for staff to place food into your vehicle. Thank you!

Because every child deserves a village, the next PPPS Parent Chat program (Thursday, January 14, @ 7 PM) will focus on raising kids in any kind of family, with special focus on non-traditional families, with information, resources, and time to chat. Go to ppps.org for more info.

At the 12/14/2020 PPPS School Board Meeting, Executive Director of Business Operations Stephanie Walker shares details of many of the extra and unexpected costs of conducting school business during the COVID pandemic.

Congratulations to our Students of the Month– Carter Buhl (5th Grade), Aaron Garcia (6th Grade), Aili Shaughnessy (7th Grade), and Lily Imus (8th Grade). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKAgkRKi3BA

PPPS Parent Chat 3 addressed the topic of "Students and Anxiety". The presentation by social workers Jen Krause and Deb Doyle can be found here, and has information/strategies for individuals experiencing anxiety: https://pawpawmi.sites.thrillshare.com/page/behavioral-resources

Good Afternoon Paw Paw Families, Due to a shortage in drivers tomorrow, Wednesday, December 9th we are unable to transport the children on the Bunny & Dino bus to and from school. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks!

Paw Paw Families, Due to a shortage in drivers today, Tuesday, December 8th we are unable to transport the children on the Dog & Butterfly bus to and from school. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks!

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

Paw Paw Middle School is supporting our local Lion's Club Annual Christmas Basket service project. All students are encouraged to bring in a paper bag with non-perishable food products to support those in our community with need. All items will be collected by the Lion's Club and redistributed to families in need for the Holidays. The Lion's Club thanks you for your support.

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)415-5500 if you ever have questions. Thank you!

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

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.

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!

Great news! Tonight's 8th Grade Football game will be broadcast LIVE at approximately 6:15 PM on the PPPS YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/c/PPPSyoutube. Join us in cheering on the team virtually!

Picture Day is on it's way! PPMS Picture Day for Face-to-Face learners is Thursday, September 24th. Picture packets were sent home students and should be brought back on picture day. You can pre-order online at geskusphoto.com/fallorders and use webcode 839GPNVRFIJMV. Picture Day for all of our virtual students will be on Monday, Oct. 19th, from 3 - 5:30PM in the Cedar Street Gymnasium. There will be no picture packets. Students will get their picture taken, given a code to log in, and will be able to see their photos within 48 hours. Orders can be make online and pictures will be mailed home.

6th Grade Students are working on writing clear and concise directions for making a PB&J sandwich and Mrs. Laurian is trying her best to follow them. We've got some interesting creations so far, and lots of giggles!