From the desk of the Kindergarten Teachers-

Giving our Lowrey Polar Bears the opportunity to set growth-oriented goals, and reflect upon their progress in meeting those goals, is fundamental to building a community of growth mindset learners. We set class goals, partnership goals, and individual goals. There is a sense of pride in our student’s voice as they share meeting their NWEA or Reading goals. It is important for our students that once struggled to write more than a sentence on each page or read at grade level to achieve success thru goal setting.

Becoming aware of their mindset by setting and tracking goals, helps our children build awareness of their growth and celebrate new learning. It can also help our children normalize mistakes as a part of the learning process, reflect upon the challenges in meeting a goal, and learn about ways to be flexible or ask for help.

The Kindergarten teachers want to reiterate that it is helpful to give our students a clear way to track their progress in meeting a goal. For example, they might share their plan for meeting their goal with a partner, jot a visual reminder of the goal on a sticky note, tally the number of times they tried this goal, or place a sticker in their writing at each place they met the goal. In our classrooms, we display our goals to remind ourselves that we are a community of brain growers who celebrate one another’s growth. We hope that talking to our Polar Bears about mindsets and creating growth goals are helpful in building Lowrey’s community of mindset learners.

Press Release #26/2018-19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 1, 2019
Contact: Abe Mashhour, Director of Student Services
(313) 827-3094 mashhoa@dearbornschools.org
David Mustonen, Communications Director
(313) 827-3006 MustonD@dearbornschools.org

Enrollment for Dearborn Schools now starts online

Parents wishing to enroll their students in Dearborn Public Schools can now start that process online at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll.

Through the online portal, parents will be able to enter most of the information the district needs such as child’s name, birthday, address, parents, emergency contacts and more. The new system will also cut down on the need for separate forms to print and sign.

Even after starting their child’s enrollment online, parents will still need to schedule a time to visit the Administrative Services Center, 18700 Audette St., Dearborn, to provide verification documents for staff to review. At that visit, parents should bring their child’s birth certificate, physical form and immunization record, and address verification paperwork such as power bills. A full list of required documents is available on the website, and parents or guardians should consult that list well before their appointment.

Only after all the forms are successfully submitted will the child be enrolled in school.

To enroll in the district, children must reside in the Dearborn Public Schools District. The district covers all of Dearborn and a small section of northern Dearborn Heights.

“The main advantage to the new system is that it speeds up enrollment. Parents were already filling out most of this information on paper forms. Now they can type in the information in the convenience of their own homes and come to their appointment with just the documents we need to complete the registration. It should save time for the parents and our staff,” said Director of Student Services Abe Mashhour.

Last summer, Dearborn Public Schools moved all kindergarten through eighth grade registration away from the schools and to the ASC building to streamline registration and ease the strain on building secretaries. Schools had, and still have, paper enrollment packets for families to pick up, complete and bring with them to the administrative building, if they do not want to start enrollment online.

Parents attending kindergarten roundups later this spring will be encouraged to start enrollment for their future student online before visiting the school office to complete the process. Different buildings may want to gather or share site-specific information with parents.

Similarly, high school students should visit their future high school to register. Then counselors can work with students to review their transcripts and set a class schedule.

“We hope our parents find this new enrollment tool useful. We can’t eliminate the need for parents to come to a building and submit official paperwork, but this should make the visit much quicker so they can get on with their day,” Mashhour said.

PTA SELLING ZAATAR AND CHEESE PIES TOMORROW MORNING, FOR A $1 EACH 🙂

From the desk of the Kindergarten Teachers-Kindergarten is for Language Development

It is familiarity with the English language that precedes and underlies excellent phonemic awareness instruction.  It is this familiarity that allows a child’s decoding to be error-free and their reading to be fluent.  We must skillfully accelerate language learning – both thinking and oral communication – if we are to take a proactive approach to bridge the achievement gap and prevent later reading difficulties.  That is why we encourage our children to hear grammatically correct English through their daily instruction and the literature they listen to.

As Kindergarten teachers, we must provide experiences that make language come alive, dramatically articulating and fluently modeling the sounds of language.  We invite kindergartners to rehearse language as singers, signers, and storytellers.  Lively discussion about quality fiction and nonfiction allows us to connect books with children’s lives and provide the vehicle for explicit teaching of comprehension strategies. 

We memorize, recite, and perform language.  We differentiate instruction, honoring children’s initial “magical memory reading” and skillfully transitioning them to guided and independent reading.  We are conscious that listening comprehension comes before reading comprehension.  Our curriculum invites children to communicate and interact.  Developing the child’s capacity for language and thought underlies everything we do in kindergarten.   Please remember to read to your child (in whatever language you are native to) and continue to help our students become proficient in the English language!!!

Put on your gym shoes and join us for  a family night of fun, healthy, physical activities designed for the whole family – adults and kids! Join us for games and a night you will enjoy with your family!  We will have snacks and refreshments, too.

Where: Nowlin Elementary School

 23600 Penn St, Dearborn, MI 48124

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm

Date: January 31st, 2019

January Dearborn SHINES newsletter (1)

Good Morning,

We will begin our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive on Friday November 9^th and will run until Friday November 16^th. That gives us 6 school days to collect as much nonperishable food items as possible for families in our community who are in need.   I am pleading with you to speak to your students about the importance of helping the less fortunate.  This is a lesson that they will never forget and mold them into compassionate and caring individuals.  Our goal is that each student AND staff member bring in a minimum of 5 food items or $5.00.  Do everything you can do to encourage them, even if it means bribing them (polar points/candy/etc.).  Please make sure students are not bringing in perishable items or items that are expired.  We can not serve these items to our families. I thank you in advance for your generosity and compassionate hearts.  We are expecting 100% participation from staff and students!

Lowrey School

Turkey Family Homework Project

Dear Families,
Please take the time to work as a family to “transform” or
“disguise” the turkey attached to this note. Part of our
curriculum is learning about seasons and holidays. This is a
great way to involve the whole family in your child’s learning!
Be as creative as you can by helping your child decorate
his/her turkey with any of the following: feathers, leaves,
acorns, dried beans or corn, or anything else! Help your child
decide how to decorate the turkey. It could be disguised as
another animal, like a cow or another person…be creative! I
am looking forward to seeing your child’s completed turkey!
Please return your turkey to school by Monday, November
5th!!!
Thank you for your participation,
Kindergarten Teachers

Apple Orchard Trip Reminder and Information

Date & Departure Time:  Wednesday, Oct. 31st at 9:00 am

Where: Erwin’s Apple Orchard

Bring:  A bag lunch with a drink.  NO GLASS BOTTLES!

Please dress appropriately for the weather!  Students may wear their Halloween costumes if they want but please dress them warmly.  Parents attending the field trip should arrive at 8:45am at your child’s classroom. Rain or shine we will be going to the orchard!

Parents and students will all get to pick a pumpkin and fill a bag with apples.  You may only put apples in the bag that you get from your teacher.  Please DO NOT put apples in any other bags as you will be responsible to pay for them separately!  Also, everyone receives one pumpkin; please do not pick more than one.  If you have any questions, please ask your teacher.

Thank you!!

Kindergarten Teachers

Chaperones and Groups for Apple Orchard

Ahmed’s parent – Ahmed, Ali AlAli, Mohamed

Janaat’s parent – Janaat, Savannah, Ayah

Ali Alomari’s parent –Ali Alomari, Mustafa F.

Ali Makki’s parent – Ali Makki, Naya, Angela

Hiba’s parent – Hiba, Arwa

Diana’s parent- Diana, Fatima

Dena’s parent-Dena, Maysa, Safaa

Moustafa S.’s parent-Moustafa, Ali Salameh, Matthew