PHOTO: Program From 3rd Grade Program "Michigan, The Great Lake State"

PHOTO: 3rd Graders Perform About Michigan!

Congrats to our fabulous third graders and their teachers for their fabulous performance tonight! WOW!!!

Mitchell PTO News

On behalf of the Mitchell PTO, I would like to thank everyone who was able to come out and support the Silent Auction/Raffle last week. With your enthusiasm and generosity, we raised just over $3,000. This is amazing!  With this support, we will be able to do so much more for the kids and Mitchell.

Special thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped obtain donations, worked concessions and ticket sales, ran the Minute to Win It game and all of the other little tasks. Without help like this, we cannot put on on events of this nature.

There were a few items that did not get bids, so we will raffle those at a future event.

Here is a quick look at future PTO run events:

April 17th - PTO meeting - Come hear members of the Administration speak about the importance of the May 8th Technology Bond vote!

Flower and vegetable sale - look for a flyer to come home soon. With this great weather it is hard not to want to get started now.

International night Potluck - date TBA - Cook up a dish that represents your heritage and join everyone for friendship and dinner!

Ice Cream Social - June 8 - Ice Cream, food, fun, and games!

Thanks Mitchell PTO Silent Auction Partners!

PHOTO: New Position For Bike Racks!

We moved the bike racks away from the basketball courts after students pointed out it would be safer! Nice job, kids!

¡Maque su Calendario el Jueves 22 de Marzo! ¡Noche de Juegos Familiar, Subasta Silenciosa y Rifa de Canastas!

Si le interesaría donar algún artículo o sabe de algún comercio que le podría donar algún 

artículo o servicio para nuestra subasta, por favor comuníquese con Sarah McCallum al 

734-975-2729 o mccallumsarah@yahoo.com.  

 

 

Noche de Juegos Familiar  

Disfrute de una noche junto a su familia llena de juegos y diversión.  Traiga su juego de mesa 

favorito o juegue uno de los nuestros  en el Centro de Medios de Nuestra Escuela.  Este año 

estrenamos el juego "Gánelo en un Minuto" ("Minute to Win It").   

 

Rifa de Canastas de los Grados  

Cada grado trabajara con un tema para crear una canasta de regalo para la rifa.  Cada 

estudiante, padre y maestro podría donar un artículo basado en el tema para las canastas.  

Anteriormente, hemos tenido grandiosos artículos para las canastas de la rifa y hemos logrado 

recaudar fondos necesarios para los viajes de estudio de nuestros estudiantes. 

 

A continuación una lista de los temas por grado y ejemplos de artículos que pueden ser 

considerados a la hora de donar para su clase.  Sea tan creativo/a como desee – solo le 

pedimos que los artículos que sean donados sean artículos nuevos y que se los entreguen a al/ 

la maestro/a del salón de su hijo/a antes del lunes 19 de marzo.  

 

¡Vamos a sembrar la primavera! -Kindergarten 

-artículos de jardinería (semillas, guantes de jardinería, bulbos de flores, masetas)  

-artículos decorativos para el jardín (gnomos, casas de pájaros, etc…)  

 

Los Niños Siempre Serán Niños – 1er Grado  

-carritos Hot Wheels or Match Box, Legos, Star Wars, Nerf, etc…  

-disfraces o artículos relacionados a superhéroes  

- juguetes para jugar dentro o fuera de la casa (cometas, bolas, bates, tarjetas de coleccionar 

(Yu-Gi-Oh!)) 

 

Las Niñas Solo Quieren Divertirse – 2do Grado  

-ropa para disfrazarse o accesorios (trajes de princesa, zapatos, carteras, joyería de juguete)  

-juguetes de niña (Barbies, Polly Pockets, My Little Pony, etc…) 

 

Lluvias de Abril – 3rd Grade  

-juegos de Mesa (Sorry! Uno, Connect 4), cartas de jugar, libros, juguetes para dentro de la casa  

-artículos de arte (marcadores, crayolas, libretas de dibujar)  

-artículos de entretenimiento como  CD's o DVD's 

  

Vacaciones de Verano – 4to Grado  

-juguetes para jugar afuera (Discos Frisbees, hula hoops, "cuicas" o cuerda de saltar & tiza para la acera)  

-equipo de deportes raquetas de tenis, bolas de baloncesto, de voleibol, etc…  

 

Delicioso! – 5to Grado  

-artículos relacionados a comida como galletas gourmet, mezclas de bizcochos, de galletas y 

otros artículos no perecederos.   

-moldes de galletas, cucharas de medir, guantes de hornear, moldes de galletas o bizcochos y 

otros artículos de hornear.   

 

Nuevo Para el 2012… Subasta silenciosa!  En adición a la rifa de canastas de cada clase, 

también tendremos una subasta silenciosa con grandiosos artículos, en los cuales puede hacer 

ofertas para la subasta.   

Games Night - More Info - English

Mark your calendars on Thursday, March 22 

FAMILY GAME NIGHT, SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE! 

 

 

Family Game Night 

Enjoy a fun, game filled evening together. Bring your favorite board game or play one 

of ours in the media center. New this year is a "Minute to Win it" game! 

 

Classroom Basket Raffle 

Each grade will work within an assigned theme to create a basket for the raffle. If each 

student, parent and teacher were to donate one item within the theme, we'd have 

some great items that will raise much-needed funds for field trips. The following is a list 

of themes, grades and examples of the types of items that you might consider 

donating.  Be as creative as you wish – all we ask is that donated items are new and 

that all items are turned in to your child's teacher by Monday, March 19th.   

 

Dig Into Spring – Kindergarten 

 -gardening supplies (seeds, gardening gloves, flower bulbs) 

-outdoor decorative garden items (gnomes, birdhouses, etc…) 

 

Boys Will Be Boys – 1st Grade 

 -Hot Wheels or Match Box cars, Legos, Star Wars, Nerf, etc… 

 -superhero costumes or related items 

 - toys for inside or out (kites, bats & balls, Yu-Gi-Oh! cards)                 

 

Girls Just Want to Have Fun – 2nd Grade 

-dress up clothes and accessories (shoes, purses, jewelry)  

 -Barbies, Polly Pockets, My Little Pony, etc… 

 

April Showers – 3rd Grade 

 -board games (Sorry! Uno, Connect 4), playing cards, books, indoor toys 

 -art supplies (markers, crayons, sketch pads) 

 -entertainment items such as CD's or DVD's 

 

Schools Out for Summer – 4th Grade 

-outdoor toys like Frisbees, hula hoops, jump ropes & sidewalk chalk  

-sports equipment such as tennis rackets, basketballs, volleyballs, etc… 

 

Yum! – 5th Grade 

-food related items such as gourmet crackers, cookie mix, non-perishable foods  

-cookie cutters, measuring spoons, oven mitts, cookie sheets, baking items 

 

NEW for 2012…Silent Auction! In addition to the classroom basket raffle, we have a 

silent auction with lots of great items for you to bid on. If you would like to donate an 

item, or know of a business who will donate their services or goods please 

contact Sarah McCallum at (734) 975-2729 or mccallumsarah@yahoo.com. 

 

 

PTO Games Night, Silent Auction and Raffle! - March 22 from 6 - 8 PM

Thursday, March 22 from 6-8 p.m. Bring your friends and family!! Come and join the fun at the Family Game Night, Silent Auction and Raffle. We have some fantastic items to auction and raffle off-Michigan gear, Ski tickets, great gift certificates, lunch with the 5th grade teachers and MUCH, MUCH, MORE! We will have food for sale and Minute to Win It games to play, in addition to other fun board games.

Volunteers are needed so please help out by signing up for a 30 minute shift on the bulletin board across from the office.

If you can, please donate an item for the classroom baskets and turn it into your child's teacher by Monday, March 19th.

What Parents Should Know About Writing Instruction

Good evening! I am writing from the Mitchell media center on the evening of March 6, 2012 surrounded by parents from 18 families who have assembled for a Parent Writing Workshop for the purpose of understanding writing instruction and how it pertains to their children. This event has been planned and implemented by Mitchell teachers and the Mitchell School Improvement Team.  If you missed tonight's presentation, please come to see the same presentation on March 15 at the Arbor Meadows Community Center off Michigan Avenue!  It is worth the time.  

Back to tonight's blog entry . . . Here are a few pieces of information that were shared at tonight's presentation that would be helpful for all of us to remember:

1. All children can and should write. From the time your children can hold a crayon, encourage them to draw, scribble and write. In order to be successful and fluent writers, students need to know they can write--even if it doesn't look perfect!
2. Teachers must help student find real purposes to write. Help your children communicate their hopes, dreams, fears, and concerns. When your children see writing as serving a real purpose, they will be more likely to try it.
3. Students need to take ownership and responsibility. Kid writing should sound like kid writing! When kids believe that their writing is their own, they will become more likely to invest themselves in it.
4. Effective writing programs involve the complete writing process. Our children like all writers, have different ways of approaching writing tasks. Tune in to your children's learning styles and needs as writers. Writing in different styles and genres will take time. Some genres will take just one draft while others will take multiple drafts.
5. Teachers can help students get started. Talk with your children about their ideas and encourage them to draw, freewrite, and make lists of verbs in order to get started.
6. Teachers can help students draft and revise. Listen to our children's drafts and ask real questions about content. Heartfelt questions are the best way to encourage kids to keep on writing.
7. Grammar and mechanics are best learned in the context of actual writing. If you notice errors in conventions in your children's writing, pick just one area at a time to work on (such as punctuation, dialogue, or capitalization). You might also refer to real texts (books, newspapers, letters, magazines) to see how published authors tackle issues of punctuation, spelling and more.
8. Students need real audiences and a classroom context of shared learning. Help your children find real audiences (famliy, friends, neighbors) to communicate with.
9. Writing should extend throughout the curriculum. You can write just about anything at home: letters to family and friends, songs and plays to perform for the family, lists for grocery shopping . . . The list is endless!
10. Effective teachers use evaluation constructively and efficiently. Your job as a parent is to encourage and support any effort your children make in writing. Be lavish in praise and specific and limited in your suggestions for improvement.

I hope that everyone will find the above information useful and helpful, even if you couldn't attend one the parent nights.

Please also join me in thanking the Eastern Michigan Writing Project; Mitchell teachers Sonali Deshpande and Lisa Thompson,  University of Michigan interns Liz Kelly-Sell, Nicole Willey, and Coert Ambrosino; and the Mitchell School Improvement Team for their work and support around tonight's workshop and achievement at Mitchell.

PHOTO: Parent Writing Workshop

A good turnout of parents at tonight's parent writing workshop.