n
i
t
e
l
l
u
B
n
o
d
n
a
r
B
The
Brandon Elementary - Martin Public Schools
February 2017
A Note From the Principal...
Important Dates

February 8 - Early Release Day; dismissal at
1:00 p.m.

February 9 - PTO Meeting, 6:00-7:00pm

February 15 - Parent/
Teacher Conferences,
4:00-7:30 p.m.

February 16 - Parent/
Teacher Conferences,
3:30-6:30pm

February 14-16 - Scholastic Book Fair

February 17 - No School

February 24 - Student
of the Month Assemblies (K-2 @9:15 a.m./ 36 @ 10:00 a.m.)

February 28 - Early
Childhood Night, 5:307:30 p.m.
Dear Brandon Families,
“It takes a village…” is a phrase I’ve
used quite often, but it continually hits
home for me. Our school is a close
knit community surrounded by an area
of small communities. I take genuine pride in the caring staff of
our school, support from families and community members, and
the feeling of strength that comes from these groups working together for one simple reason… your children. I’ve been in the
field of education for twenty years and it was the best decision I’ve
ever made. I have moments of frustration when I cannot solve all
the problems I see, but I try to take one step at a time in order to
watch success grow bit by bit. I love the passion I see from our
families daily and the hope for growth. Martin is a wonderful
place to be and only we have the power to continue this tradition!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Shuper
“Some people care too much… I think it’s called love…”
Winnie the Pooh
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
The PTO has been focused on the next few months, which will
include lunches for teachers during conferences, Reading
month, and our Spring Carnival, along with support for Field
Day at the end of the year. In order to plan for our Springtime activities, the next PTO meeting will be on Thursday,
February 9, at 6:00 p.m. All are welcome!!!
Contact Information
Brandon Elementary: 672-7253
Bus Garage: 672-5086
Food Service: 672-5556
Administration: 672-5554
Website: www.martinpublicschools.org
Principal email: [email protected]
January’s Students of the Month
Congratulations to January’s recipients of Student of the Month awards! Our honorees were…
For Self-Control:
Sylvianna Allen
Kole Visser
Chelsae Fennema
Zoey Bell
Carson Cameruci
Martin Morin
Audrea Meadows
Hartley Branch
For Academic Excellence & Effort:
Micah Lynch
Gavin Meyers
Lucy Fraaza
Emily King
Isabella Clark
Cody Wooten
William Wagner
Xzavier Aldridge
Annika Dillenbeck Milee Schwartz
Sydney Gruber
Kyle Fennema
Danny Hale
Yareli Martinez-Quintino
Deegan Fennema Dahlilah Sutherland
Malakai Van Volkinburg
Memrie Gayheart
Logan Kennedy
Lillian Sebright
Adam VanHouten
Daniel Schultz
Lola Harig
Hunter Hayes
Abby Reed
James Blackburn
We enjoyed seeing some of you at the assemblies;
next month’s assemblies will be on Friday, February 24.
February’s Trait… Honesty!
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair will be here the week of ParentTeacher Conferences. The school receives a percentage of all
purchases and the money goes directly back into our library.
The Scholastic company has said multiple times that Brandon
Elementary is one of the top sellers in our area! Not only does
this put books into the hands of your children, but you’re helping our school all at the same time!
Thank you for your patronage!!!
Children who read well do better
in other subjects, too. Reading improves brain function, helps children communicate better,
and helps you
relax before
bedtime.
Support at School!
We are always looking for volunteer help in a variety of ways! The kids love seeing parents and grandparents
here in the building, as do our staff members. A few areas we are always in need of are…

Lunch room help; circulating amongst the kids as they eat lunch and get ready to head out for recess.

Library help; we would love some assistance with our Accelerated Reader “store”; simple training is provided! 

Reading; many of our younger students would love to have someone to read to as they practice their
new found skills.
Please contact the office or your child’s teacher if you are interested in spending some time with us!
Honor Roll - 2nd Marking Period
3rd Grade All A's & B's
Alley Bacon
Hailey Dallet
Chase DeGlopper
Jackson Kennedy
Madi Ludema
Mitchell Moelker
Mariah Reidel
Kobe Shook
Peyton Shook
4th Grade All A's
Ellyse Blackburn
Josselin Cabrera
Avery Jager
Callie Lowe
Dylan Pallett
Adam Van Houten
4th Grade All A's & B's
Paytin Bacon
Katelin Bird
Cameron Cameruci
Carson Cameruci
Mari Elkins
Eric Gulbranson
Graysen Haaksma
James Jager
Nicholas Jager
Emily King
Jonah Mundo
Rylee Sweeting
Macy Thorne
Max Vandenberg
Kole Visser
Alainey Young
5th Grade All A's
Makala Goddard
Abby Reed
Lily Stocking
Kylie Westendorp
Ellie Young
5th Grade All A's & B's
Heidi Billington
Lillian Bowers
Kyia Bozzo
Michael Branch
Madeline Deater
Zoey DeMann
Abe Dykstra
Madison Elkins
Emma Fisher
Zachary Hale
Sydney Hansen
Autumn Hayes
Jackson Henry
Maria Camila Hernandez
Amber Kaylor
Hallie Lofton
Audrea Meadows
Anica Miller
Austyn Moose
Isabella Mundo
Elizabeth Reinke
Erika Ruiter
Daniel Schultz
Hailey Snyder
Malakai VanVolkinburg
Avery Veltman
Rachel Wagner
Karley Wahlers
Isabella Wellington
6th Grade All A's
James Blackburn
Lynsey Jager
Sam Jager
Samantha Stone
Lillian Templin
6th Grade All A's & B's
Lydia Amante
Adam Brehm
Annika Dillenbeck
JR Hildebrand
Logan Kennedy
Morgan Kerley
Martin Moran
Chris Tuinstra
erences!
Parent Teacher Conf
Parent-Teacher Conference
s are February 15th & 16
th. Notes have been sent
home, listing the specific
dates & times of your confe
rence(s). Please make sur
to communicate with your
e
child’s teacher whether yo
u
ca
n
co
me
to
yo
ur scheduled
time or if a new date/tim
e needs to be set up. W
e
are
co
nst
antly monitoring your
child’s progress here at sch
ool and sharing this inform
ati
on with you is invaluable.
When parents and teacher
s communicate, it offers
an opportunity for your ch
reach his/her maximum po
ild to
tential both in and out of
th
e
cla
ssroom. We value your
input as the home is the fir
st “classroom” a child has
access to. We also understand that your time is va
luable, but so is the deve
lopment of your
child. If you are unable
to attend afternoon/evenin
g conferences in the
next week and a half, ple
ase ask your child’s teach
er for a more suitable time, a phone confere
nce, or email corresponden
ce. Thank you!
Important Reminders!
As we progress through the year, I
like to take the time to share a few
reminders…


Your child’s safety is our number one priority when it comes
to transportation. PLEASE
contact the office via phone or
note when there is a change to
your child’s normal transportation plan. Simply telling your
child does not follow school
policy and bus drivers will not
make changes to drop-off locations without a note. We
are here to help and work with
you; please contact the office
prior to 2:30 so that we have
time to share any changes with
staff.
Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the pick-up/
drop-off lane at the front of
the building. We have quite a
few students delivered to
school personally and we need
to work together to make this
happen efficiently. We are
more than happy to walk your
child into the building in the
morning or bring them to you
at the end of the day. If you
are coming into the building,
please park in the parking lot.

When stopping in to school,
please make sure to sign in at
the office and grab a visitor’s
pass. We graciously welcome
you into our building, but with
over 300 students, it is our duty
to know that adults in our
building either work here or
have checked in. Our staff
take their job of being responsible for your child very seriously and your assistance with
this makes it that much easier.

It is the school’s responsibility to alert you of excessive
absences or tardies for your
child. School begins at 8:00
a.m. and instruction starts
immediately. Your child’s
academic achievements are
one of our top priorities.
We want to work with you
to ensure your child receives
a top notch education in
Martin and communication
is key.
Thank you!!!