THE INDEPENDENCE UPDATE

6850 Hubbard Road Chris Turner, Principal Clarkston, MI 48348 Ray Lebert, PTO President (248) 623-5500 September, 2014

From the Principal . . .From the Principal . . .From the Principal . . .From the Principal . . .

Welcome to a new school year! Its going to be a good one!

Were up and running thanks to the efforts of many people

Thank you to our parents for preparing your children and sending

them to school ready to learn.

Thanks to the staff for all their efforts getting everything ready

for the first days.

Our custodial staff did a great job cleaning and preparing the school

for a fresh start.

Our students are ready and eager to start a new year and learn!

As we get going in the new year please remember to keep the lines of

communication open between the home and school. Lets try to make sure that

the little things dont become big things.

The staff at Independence appreciates the support our

parents give us. Without you we cannot do all that we do!

Lets continue to work together to help all of our students

succeed. Its this type of teamwork that makes

Independence Elementary a great place to learn.

Chris Turner

Important Dates to Remember

September 26 Fun Run

October 3 PTO/Volunteer/Chairperson Meeting 9:30 am

Hat Day for Box Tops

October 8 Late Start Wednesday School begins at 9:25 am

October 14 Market Day Pick-up

Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:30 pm

October 16 Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:30 pm

October 17 PTO Board Meeting 9:30 am

October 21 First grade field trip to the Detroit Zoo

October 22 Late Start Wednesday School begins at 9:25 am

Young Fives field trip to Spicers Orchard

October 29 Picture Re-take Day

October 31 Halloween Parade 2:00 pm

Halloween Parties 2:30 pm

Drop-Off/Pick-Up Please remember that in the morning students are not to enter the building until the doors open at 8:35 a.m. At the end of the day (3:50 p.m.) we ask that parents either wait in the pick-up line for their child(ren), or park and wait for dismissal in the lobby. Parents: Please review the student drop-off and pick-up guidelines on the map in this newsletter. If everyone cooperates, dropping off and picking up students will go smoothly and safely. Note: If your child will be going home from school in a different way than the norm, please send a note to the teacher. If we do not receive a note, we will send the child in the manner they usually go home. We often have children saying things like, My mom said she might pick me up Or, She said shed get me after she dropped off my sister Then we call home and the parent tells us that the child was supposed to ride the bus. So Please send a note to the teacher if your child will be going home in a manner different from the norm. Thank you for your help with this! If you must pick your child up prior to the end of school (3:50), please come to the office to sign your child out. The office will call the classroom to have your child released.

Lunch When sending a check for lunch money to the school, please make checks payable to Clarkston Community Schools. Make sure you put your childs full name (first and last name) on the envelope.

Student Profile Cards (Emergency Cards) If you havent already done so, please complete and return your childs revised emergency information card as soon as possible. Thank you.

Parent Information

HAVE YOU HEARDHAVE YOU HEARDHAVE YOU HEARDHAVE YOU HEARD

Independence Elementary has an attendance voice mail phone line. The number is (248) 623(248) 623(248) 623(248) 623----5590.5590.5590.5590. Please call this attendance line when you want to report that your child will be absent from school. Messages are checked regularly throughout the day and then forwarded to your childs teacher. (Please do notdo notdo notdo not use this line to inform students of a change of plans at the end of the day. Instead, call the office directly with this info.)

Bus DriversBus DriversBus DriversBus Drivers

Independence is proud of our school bus drivers that transport our children to and from school every day. Its a difficult job and we thank them for their work.

Bus #Bus #Bus #Bus # DriverDriverDriverDriver 20 Alice Scriver 22 Judy Schornak 23 Tina Fay 33 Judy Charboneau 35 Colleen MacLeod 36 Darlene Welch 42 Mary Anne Floyed

Parent/Teacher Parent/Teacher Parent/Teacher Parent/Teacher ConferencesConferencesConferencesConferences

School Meeting

Once again this year, School Meetings will be held on Friday

mornings at 8:55 in the cafeteria. At School Meeting we celebrate

birthdays, make announcements, and have student presentations.

Everyone is invited to attend. Feel free to attend School Meeting and

join us in celebrating Independence Elementary

Schools spirit!

Welcome New Families!

Independence Elementary would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the students and their families that are new to

our school this year!

A great fitness opportunity is coming up A great fitness opportunity is coming up A great fitness opportunity is coming up A great fitness opportunity is coming up for all Kfor all Kfor all Kfor all K----5 students!5 students!5 students!5 students!

The Elementary Cross Country RaceThe Elementary Cross Country RaceThe Elementary Cross Country RaceThe Elementary Cross Country Race

Friday, October 17, 2014Friday, October 17, 2014Friday, October 17, 2014Friday, October 17, 2014 at CHS at CHS at CHS at CHS

KKKK----2 mile run2 mile run2 mile run2 mile run

3333----5 1 Mile run5 1 Mile run5 1 Mile run5 1 Mile run

Medals to top ten boys and girls Medals to top ten boys and girls Medals to top ten boys and girls Medals to top ten boys and girls in each race in each race in each race in each race and ribbons to all participants. Trophy to the and ribbons to all participants. Trophy to the and ribbons to all participants. Trophy to the and ribbons to all participants. Trophy to the school with highest percentage participating.school with highest percentage participating.school with highest percentage participating.school with highest percentage participating.

Come on Broncos letCome on Broncos letCome on Broncos letCome on Broncos lets bring that trophy back to s bring that trophy back to s bring that trophy back to s bring that trophy back to IE!!IE!!IE!!IE!!

Sincerely, in fitness and health,Sincerely, in fitness and health,Sincerely, in fitness and health,Sincerely, in fitness and health, Mrs. Katie LambertMrs. Katie LambertMrs. Katie LambertMrs. Katie Lambert Independence Physical Independence Physical Independence Physical Independence Physical EducatorEducatorEducatorEducator

Parent/Teacher Conferences Look for information coming

home from your childs

teacher regarding how to sign up for

Parent/Teacher Conferences being held on

both October 14 and 16. Conference sign-

up will take place online using

SignUp Genius.com

Youre off to the races! Today is your day! The Fun Run is waiting so get on your way!

Dont forget to eat a good breakfast, dress for the weather & wear comfortable running shoes!

Each class has been assigned a class color. If your child has a shirt in this color, it would be helpful and fun if they wore it on the day of the Fun Run.

Class Colors: BLUE GREEN RED

Lamb Chamberlain Anderson

Davis-Eklin Duffy Blaszkowski Distelrath Stevenson Boewe

Dobson Sorensen Cameron Klenow Zittel Gretka Warner Bell

Sielinski Plancon

VOLUNTEERS

If you would still like to volunteer to help at the Fun Run, please contact one of us. Come on out and cheer for your kid(s) as they earn funds to support our school.

Thank you!

Michelle Cray (248) 396-4648, michelle.cray5@gmail.com Shana Wirth (248) 884-4886, shanawirth@me.com

Todd Rotter (586) 292-0610 toddrotter@yahoo.com

Outside:

8:55 combo & 4th grade (Sorensen: Green; Warner: Blue; Gretka: Red) 9:20 - 5th grade (Klenow: Blue; Stevenson: Green; Plancon: Red) 9:45 1st grade (Sielinski: Blue; Duffy: Green; Bell: Red) 10:10 - Kindergarten (Chamberlain: Green; Cameron: Red; Distelrath: Blue) 10:35 2nd grade (Lamb:Blue; Zittel:Green; Blaszkowski:Red) 11:00 3rd grade (Boewe:Red; Davis-Eklin:Blue) 11:25 - Young Fives (Anderson: Red; Dobson: Blue)

Inside If there is inclement weather:

8:55 - 4th grade (Sorensen & Warner) 9:15 3/4 (Gretka) & 5th grade (Klenow) 9:35 - 5th grade (Plancon & Stevenson) 9:55 - Kindergarten (Chamberlain & Cameron) 10:15 Kindergarten (Distelrath) 10:35 -1st grade (Bell) & 2nd grade(Lamb) 10:55 -1st grade (Sielinski & Duffy) 11:15 2nd grade (Zittel & Blaszkowski) 11:35 3rd grade (Boewe & Davis-Eklin) 11:55 Young Fives (Dobson & Anderson)

Fun Run Friday, September 26, 2014

Independence Elementarys Parent Teacher Organization would like to take this time to welcome you and your family back for an enriching school year. The PTO has mailed out the annual packet of information to each student during the first weeks of school. Included in this packet were: the Volunteer Request Form listing several PTO sponsored activities for the year, along with a brief description information on Passive Fundraising programs that bring in thousands of dollars to our school a year, the IE Directory Form - and the IE Directory Advertisement Form as well as a list of PTO member contacts. If you ever have any questions, you can always feel free to e-mail or call any of us. Please be sure to review these important forms and return them if you wish to volunteer this school year and/or participate in the directory.

The Fun Run ... IE's one and only active fundraiser ... is fast-approaching. Mark your calendars for Friday, September 26! The Fun Run supports all PTO sponsored activities for the entire school year which includes Field Trips, S.O.C.K.S. Day, Field Day, Muffins with Mom, Donuts with Dad and more. The PTO also aids in purchasing classroom books, games, technology and much more! Volunteers are needed until Noon. PLEASE contact Michelle, Shana, or Todd if you havent already signed up and would like to be part of the fun! Michelle Cray: (248) 396-4648 / michelle@oakelectric.com; Shana Wirth: (248) 884-4886 / shanawirth@me.com or Todd Rotter: (586) 292-0610 / toddrotter@yahoo.com

If being informed this year on pertinent I.E. dates, as well as Clarkston community events are on your agenda, you can always visit www.clarkstoncalendar.org and then click on Email reminders. These e-blasts will provide you with up-to-date information about school related activities and beyond. Our PTO web page is also linked on the Independence Elementary home page, so take some time to see how you can help out the school, and stay informed. Additionally, on Facebook, you can get announcements throughout the year if you like our page: Independence Elementary PTO Clarkston.

We are still looking for volunteers throughout the year and hope that you can participate in some, or many ways. The PTO is excited and anticipates a great year. All that you do to help teachers, the Clarkston Community Schools, our community, and the students comes with a wealth of planning, executing, and reflecting. We appreciate your involvement.

Ray Lebert PTO President

Welcome back Independence families! We hope that you had a fun-filled summer and are ready for the new school year. We are off and running with our first month of Market Day orders already placed. Hopefully you found the September order guide that came home with your child(ren) and found some things that looked good for you and your family!

For those of you who are new to Market Day, we would like to introduce you to this wonderful service that has been working with our school for many years. Market Day offers quality food at a value to our Independence families, while earning the school 10% of each monthly sale. It is such an easy way to help your school and your family! There are breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack and entertaining selections, all backed by their 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Market Day is offering some new and free items in October. Be sure to check out the new Orange Chicken, Fire Roasted Root Vegetables, and Greek Yogurt Apple Cakes. Also look for the FREE items with your purchase. They are offering a FREE 1 lb. bag of Chicken Gems with any $90 online purchase using promo code: OCTBONUS.

Market Days FREEquent Buyer Program is back this fall. When you make two purchases of $40 between September and November, and then place a third order of $40 in December, you will receive a FREE Salad Bowl Serving Set at the December sale pick-up.

Market day will be participating in a Cookie Dough Fundraiser. They offer high quality pre-portioned cookie dough at a reasonable price. This fundraiser will earn additional money for our school.

Market day orders need to be placed by Wednesday, October 8th by 11pm. Pick up will be Tuesday October 14th from 3:15 to 4:15 in the cafeteria.

Your Market Day order is important to us so please visit www.marketday.com to order and support your school!

If you have any questions, need to make special pick-up arrangements, or would like to volunteer to help on pick-up days, please contact Carrera Gach (847) 404-0305 or Violet Gronberg (630) 450-0441. We look forward to seeing you soon! Lets make this a great year for Independence Elementary!

NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, it is the policy of the Clarkston Community School District that the Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic, in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities. For information, contact the Director of Personnel, 6389 Clarkston Road, Clarkston, MI 48346, (248) 623.5400. For information regarding ADA, contact the Deputy Superintendent, 6389 Clarkston Road, Clarkston, MI 48346, (248) 623.5400.

Its So Easy to Make a Big Difference for IE!

Passive Fundraising is in full swing at Independence Elementary! Participation is EASY and definitely BENEFITS our school!

Box Tops for Education / Labels for Education: Send in your labels NOW the first deadline is October 17. They can be found on hundreds of products. We collect labels all year long and submit twice a year. Last year, we earned nearly $3,000.00 with just the Box Tops alone! Those little labels really add up! Attached is a Back to School Box Top Collections sheet for your convenience. Each completed form earns IE $5.00!

Hat Day for Box Tops Coming Friday, October 3rd Show your support!! Dig out all those Box Tops youve been saving, and wear your favorite hat to school!

Kroger Community Rewards: : Just Shop, Swipe and Earn! The Kroger Community Rewards program allows IE to receive a cash donation based on the percentage of your purchases once you link your Kroger Plus Card to our Account #82420. It's free and easy to set up. EVERYONE must enroll or re-enroll for this program each spring. Click on www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com for more information.

IE received over $3,400.00 last year with only 85 households participating imagine the amount if everyone participates?! Please see the attached one-pager with step-by-step directions to enroll or re-enroll! Registration is quick and easy, so please do it today !

E-Labels for Education: Remember to Shop. Swipe. Earn! This program allows our school to earn one point for any Campbells Labels for Education purchases automatically. To sign up, register on-line by following the prompts at www.E-LabelsForEducation.com. Enter your Kroger Plus Card number, and select our school to receive the E-Labels for Education points. This program is in addition to any points/labels you send in, so keep those coming as well!

We also continue to participate with Meijer Community Rewards (www.Meijer.com/rewards), Office Depot, Target (www.Target.com/REDcard), and Tyson (www.Tyson.com/ProjectAPlus) programs. Complete program information can be found at: www.clarkston.k12.mi.us/ie. Just click on PTO and then Passive Fundraising.

Multiply your efforts by asking friends and family to participate on behalf of our school, too! REMEMBER Its an easy way to make a BIG difference for Independence Elementary!!

IE needs your help to receive FREE money!! Sign Up TODAY and Shop, Swipe and Earn for IE!

___________________________________________________ Last year, IE received over $3,400.00 from this program to help fund important classroom enhancements/projects with only 85 families participating. Imagine how much our school could receive if all families participated! Now is the time to Enroll or Re-Enroll with Kroger! The new Kroger year began May 1st! Please help us receive a cash donation based on the percentage of your purchases! It will take less than 5 minutes of your time. Simply follow the directions below to link your Kroger Plus Card to our Account #82420. It's FREE and SO EASY to set up! Then, just SHOP, SWIPE AND EARN for IE!! Please note: Your Kroger Fuel Points are not impacted with this program. You can earn Fuel Points and $ for IE!! Directions for 1st Time Enrollment: 1. Click on www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com 2. Click Create Account 3. Enter your e-mail address, create a password and confirm password. 4. Select your preferred store. (This is for information purposes only for Kroger; all shopping done with your card will still go towards IE.) Enter zip code, select store, then click Create Account. 5. Enter your Kroger Plus Card number and last name used for your Kroger Plus card 6. Go to Community Rewards (near bottom) 7. Complete the fields (name, address, etc.) 8. Enter Independence Elementary or type in our Account Number: 82420, then click Enroll Now 9. Select Independence Elementary 10. Click Enroll You are now Enrolled!!! THANK YOU!!! Directions to Re-Enroll: 1. Click on www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com 2. Click Sign In 3. Enter your e-mail address and password used to enroll your card, then click Sign In 4. Enter Independence Elementary or type in our Account Number: 82420, then click Enroll Now 5. Select Independence Elementary 6. Click Enroll You are now Re-Enrolled!!! THANK YOU!!!

Assistance? If you need assistance registering, please call 1-800-KROGERS, press 5 for customer service, press 5 to speak to a customer service representative.

As of 9/2014

Back To School Collection Sheet

Use this sheet to collect Box Tops just affix with tape/glue and send in.

Each completed form earns Independence Elementary $5.00!

Thank YOU!

Dear Clarkston Families,

Whether we admit it or not, we, parents, often have a good idea of whom wed like to see as our childrens teachers, especially at an elementary school. We talk to their current teachers, do some research here and there,

and write letters providing our input in this matter. After all, we want a good fit.

As concerned as we are about our children , when it comes to making decisions that might affect their education on a large scale, we often dont feel compelled to invest a lot of effort. The most important example of this is how much thought we put into the elections for our Board of Education.

Of course, most of us know what the Board of Education does. The Board of Education has the final say in every initiative or decision regarding our schools from textbooks and curriculum our students use, to repairs of the buildings in which they spend many hours, to salaries and professional development for their teachers, to the amount of money for various needs. In fact, the Board determines who fits to be our superintendent. It governs our schools.

What this means to you and me is that the people we elect are in charge of our kids education. We trust them with our children. How much do we know about them?

Please make it a priority to find out who fits well in our schools.

Arina Bokas Clarkston PTA Council President www.facebook.com/clarkstonptac

CCS Board of Education Candidates Forum

Candidates Information: http://www.lwvoa.org/voter_guides.html

October 16, 2014 7p.m.

Clarkston Junior High School

Parents!

Sign up to receive E-Blasts and stay connected!

E-Blasts are email messages sent to parents to share news regarding upcoming events, activities,

and emergency information.

How to sign up for school and District E-Blasts:

1. Go to the Clarkston Calendar Website at: www.clarkstoncalendar.org. 2. Now click on Email Reminders to take you to the group selection page. 3. Next type your email address in the box. 4. Scroll through the list and check the box for the appropriate school. You can select more than one box.

The Independence Update newsletter is published monthly and contains lots of important information for our parents and families. In order to conserve the use of paper we will be posting each issue of the Independence Update on our school website beginning next month. Go to www.clarkston.k12.mi.us to view the newsletter.

If you would like a paper copy of the Newsletter sent home with your child each month, please fill out the form below, and return it to the school office.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you would like to continue to have a paper copy of the Independence Update sent home, please complete the information below and a copy will be sent home with your child.

_____________________________________________________

Student Name Teacher