Thank You Brooks Families!
Thank you to all of our Brooks families for your support of our students, teachers, staff and school. We are thankful the Huron Valley Board of Education took your questions to heart as they listened to the proposal to close Brooks. Board member Sean Carlson asked board members to work with district administrators and put in place a comprehensive plan to address the district’s financial woes by Oct. 31, 2016. Carlson also suggested the district’s fund balance be used to sustain operations in the interim. We will keep you informed throughout the process.
Consider attending Huron Valley School Board meetings to stay informed on what is happening in Huron Valley. The next School Board meeting is 7:00 pm on Monday, May 2 at Lakeland High School. On May 16, there will be a School Board/Budget Work Session at Lakeland High School at 7:00 pm.
Again thank you to all of our Brooks families for your encouragement, kindness, and respectful approach throughout this entire process. Special thanks to the Willis family, the Riepen family, and Nieset family for working together to organize questions and information for the School Board. Thank you to all of our parents and guardians for sharing their passion for Brooks during the public comment portion of the School Board meetings. Many thanks to all who came out in support of our school at the Board meeting. Your support is truly appreciated.
#brooksproud
Consider attending Huron Valley School Board meetings to stay informed on what is happening in Huron Valley. The next School Board meeting is 7:00 pm on Monday, May 2 at Lakeland High School. On May 16, there will be a School Board/Budget Work Session at Lakeland High School at 7:00 pm.
Again thank you to all of our Brooks families for your encouragement, kindness, and respectful approach throughout this entire process. Special thanks to the Willis family, the Riepen family, and Nieset family for working together to organize questions and information for the School Board. Thank you to all of our parents and guardians for sharing their passion for Brooks during the public comment portion of the School Board meetings. Many thanks to all who came out in support of our school at the Board meeting. Your support is truly appreciated.
#brooksproud
Kindergarten Round Up
We enjoyed welcoming our new kindergarten student to Brooks on Saturday, April 29. The newest Bobcats enjoyed visiting the kindergarten classrooms and taking a bus ride. Our "Brookie Rookies" also received their summer reading bags. Special thanks to Mrs. Even, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Powers for organizing this welcoming event for our new families.
Donor's Choose
Congratulations to Mrs. Denise Martaus for having her Donor's Choose project fully funded. Here is a description of her project: Moving to the Beat is so Neat!
An important focus of the Kindergarten and First Grade music curriculum is moving to music and developing a sense of steady beat. Many studies have shown that experiencing steady beat helps students develop fine motor skills, helps with reading skills, and supports math abilities. With a stretchy band, students can sit, stand, or walk in a circle and move the band to the steady beat of the music. Students with stronger steady beat can help students with weak steady beat, resulting in student growth and a sense of teamwork. The stretchy band can also be used to mark a large circle on the floor, which is very helpful for folk dances and singing games. Once students have a stronger sense of beat and rhythm, spot markers can be used to learn additional movement games and beat activities. I would be able to use the djembe drum to play various rhythm patterns as well as give students the opportunity to see, hear, and play an authentic percussion instrument from another culture.
Many of my steady beat activities are based on a students' individual growth and development of beat, by performing alone on an instrument or with a partner.The use of a stretchy band and spot markers will help students work together as a class and give them the chance to experience new movement and steady beat activities that they have not experienced before. Additionally, the djembe can be used to develop sense of beat and give students multicultural experiences.
Congratulations Mrs. Martaus!
Mrs. Lorri Adams has a project entitled "Tech for One, Tech for All." Mrs. Kalie Miller also has a project called "At Your Seat Storage Saver." Check them out at donorschoose.org.
Thanks so much for to our teachers for going above and beyond for our Bobcats!
An important focus of the Kindergarten and First Grade music curriculum is moving to music and developing a sense of steady beat. Many studies have shown that experiencing steady beat helps students develop fine motor skills, helps with reading skills, and supports math abilities. With a stretchy band, students can sit, stand, or walk in a circle and move the band to the steady beat of the music. Students with stronger steady beat can help students with weak steady beat, resulting in student growth and a sense of teamwork. The stretchy band can also be used to mark a large circle on the floor, which is very helpful for folk dances and singing games. Once students have a stronger sense of beat and rhythm, spot markers can be used to learn additional movement games and beat activities. I would be able to use the djembe drum to play various rhythm patterns as well as give students the opportunity to see, hear, and play an authentic percussion instrument from another culture.
Many of my steady beat activities are based on a students' individual growth and development of beat, by performing alone on an instrument or with a partner.The use of a stretchy band and spot markers will help students work together as a class and give them the chance to experience new movement and steady beat activities that they have not experienced before. Additionally, the djembe can be used to develop sense of beat and give students multicultural experiences.
Congratulations Mrs. Martaus!
Mrs. Lorri Adams has a project entitled "Tech for One, Tech for All." Mrs. Kalie Miller also has a project called "At Your Seat Storage Saver." Check them out at donorschoose.org.
Thanks so much for to our teachers for going above and beyond for our Bobcats!
Learning Buddies--1st and 3rd Grades
Our first grade students enjoyed sharing their non-fiction writing with their third grade buddies. They were so very proud to share their hard work and big learning with their buddies. The third graders did an outstanding job providing feedback to the work of the first graders. Both third grade classes worked on providing specific feedback to their buddies. Nice job Bobcats!
4th Grade Music Program
Congratulations to our fourth grade students for an outstanding job during their in school and evening performances. Thank you to Ms. Martaus and our fourth graders for a job well done! Way to go!
Smart Board in the Music Room
We have a Smart Board in our music room!!! It's possible I was even more excited about our new Smart Board than my students. A HUGE Thank You to our BPTO for getting technology to our music room! We have been putting it to immediate use as you can see from our pictures. Movement and steady beat activities, rhythm activities, introducing steps, skips, leaps, and repeats - our 2nd and 3rd graders had a lot of hands-on instruction and we all love our new smart board.--Mrs. LaPratt
Student Council Success
Our Brooks Student Council has worked hard to help our school, community, and state this year. The Student Council raised funds to purchase soccer nets for our playground. In addition, they recently held a coin drive to raise money for the Huron Valley Blessings in a Backpack program. On Friday, our students presented a check to Mrs. Nichole Slating, a representative for the Huron Valley Optimist Club, Blessings in a Backpack committee. Next week, the Student Council will sponsor a Hat Day to raise funds for the American Caner Society.
Hat Day--Friday, May 6
The Student Council is sponsoring a Hat Day on Friday, May 6. This is a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life event. Children can pay $.50 to wear their hat and support this worthy cause.
Brooks Grounds Beautification
Thank you again to Cub Scout Pack 42 for cleaning up the Brooks grounds. Thank you for cleaning up trash, picking weeds, raking, and sprucing things up for us! Thank you for your continued efforts to make Brooks look great!
Thanks also to Mrs. Power and Ms. Miller and their students for planting flowers on Friday afternoon. Be sure to take time to smell the flowers when you visit our lovely school!
Thanks also to Mrs. Power and Ms. Miller and their students for planting flowers on Friday afternoon. Be sure to take time to smell the flowers when you visit our lovely school!
Upcoming Events
5-6-16 Hat Day--$ .50
5-11- 16 BPTO at 9:15 am
5-20- 16 Parent Appreciation Breakfast--formerly Muffins with Moms, Donuts with Dads
5-30- 16 No School—Memorial Day
6-1- 16 5th Grade Camp
6-8- 16 Bookmobile Kick Office
6-10-16 Field Day
6-13- 16 Field Day (Rain Date)
6-15-15 Last Day of School and Family Picnic
5-11- 16 BPTO at 9:15 am
5-20- 16 Parent Appreciation Breakfast--formerly Muffins with Moms, Donuts with Dads
5-30- 16 No School—Memorial Day
6-1- 16 5th Grade Camp
6-8- 16 Bookmobile Kick Office
6-10-16 Field Day
6-13- 16 Field Day (Rain Date)
6-15-15 Last Day of School and Family Picnic