"What's your name?" It's important that your child knows their first and last name. It's even better if they know how to write it! For tips on how to help your child learn their name, visit www.bloomfield.org/kindergarten

Questions? Join us for our Kindergarten Info Session on Monday, February 11, 2019, from 7 - 8 p.m. in Bloomfield Hills High School Auditorium. You can also text KDG to 248.230.2879 and our Kindergarten experts will respond!

As of January 25^th, Bloomfield Hills Schools will use Community Pass only for all lunch program payments.  When logging into My Bloomfield and signing in to view a specific student, lunch balances and a transaction history will still be available.  However, payments will only be accepted through Community Pass.  

We understand that a lot of parents have appreciated the ability to make payments online, view transactions, and see account balances.  All of this will still be possible - the only change is that payments will no longer be accepted in the same location as you find balance information.  This is due to a rising cost environment in credit card processing fees that the district has historically not asked families to incur, but has rather paid on families' behalf.  The switch to 100% payment processing through Community Pass will allow us to retain the functionality of online payments, yet save money from the district's general fund.

This transition should be fairly seamless, but we recognize you may have some questions.  Please allow five minutes after processing a payment to contact us with any questions so we can digitally see the transaction on our end and better support your request.  In addition, please note that you may process payments for multiple items in the same shopping cart within Community Pass.  So, if you'd like to purchase lunch credits at West Hills along with Saturday swim lessons, please feel free to complete one checkout process for the entire family.

If you haven't already, please make sure you have your login information for Community Pass. If you have forgotten your login or password, please go to https://register.communitypass.net/reg/login.cfm?cuBOB%2F%2FX0p4trnasCJNBkrfRqBNbAcM1ugTdgJwcwr%2BLxIFL2ZCtvf%2Fw to view instructions on how to retrieve that information.  Instructions will be sent directly to the email that is listed as the primary email for your student's account. If you have issues with this process, please contact the Recreation Department at 248.341.6425.

Dear Eastover Eagle Families,
 
Reminder - NO School Monday, Jan. 21st in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
School resumes on Tuesday, January 22nd with a full day 
 
New App for your Phone regarding buses - 
The transportation department is rolling out a new app for your phone called “Safestop.” The app offers real time bus updates. Please check out this link to find out more https://www.bloomfield.org/departments/transportation

Half Day Eagle Fund Popcorn Sale will be next Friday, January 25th.  School will be dismissed at 12:20.  Please see the flyer for the information about the popcorn sale.  There is an article below as well.  Volunteers are needed to pop the popcorn the night before, check out this sign up 

Retirement News:  I wanted to pass along the news that both Mrs. Jude Tyle and Mrs. Debbie Baylerian are retiring at the end of this month.  We wish them both well.  

The following update includes some important rules that were sent at the beginning of the year. I am resending these as a reminder about safety expectations around the building.  
 
Important Update about Safety: 
The safety of our students is a non-negotiable priority.  We have the following expectations for our school arrival and dismissal to ensure a safe experience for all students:
 
-  Students are not permitted to enter the building before 8:50 a.m. unless they are enrolled in the Latchkey program. Students are permitted to enter the building at 8:50 a.m.and should line up in their designated area. We have wonderful designated staff in hallways and in carpool to get them where they need to go. Children line up in the main hallway nearest their classroom.  Families are to drop off their children and not enter the building at this time. You can drop off children at the carpool door or the main door, but we ask you say your good-bye at the door.  Students who arrive after 9:05 a.m. must be signed in by a family member in the office. Once the student is signed in, the family member must exit the building and the student can go to their class. If your child is in school prior to 8:50 a.m. for a special event like running club or math pentathlon, the same rules need to be followed.  Kids are to line up in their location spots and families are guardians are to exit the building.  
 
Locations for morning line up are:  Colby, Shaya, and Melymuka line up on the ramp in the main hallway nearest their classrooms.  Snyder, Roeper, Schindler, Connors, Hale and Schare line up in their hallway just outside of their classrooms.  Tocco, Manion, Shuk, Vista, Scherer line up in the main hallway just outside of the main office.  El-Zoghby, Broderick, Kurtycz, Turfe, Dorko, Keenan, Jakubiak line up in the main hallway just outside of the gym and the media center.  
 
·  We maintain a secure school environment with locked school doors during the instructional day.  We also value and utilize every instructional minute we have with your child.  That said, if your child has a rare reason to leave school before the end of the school day (ie. a doctor appointment) please buzz into the building and sign your child out at the office. You will need to wait in the office until your child is called down.  
 
·  Students will only be released from the main office (not from the classroom) after being signed out by a parent, guardian, or emergency contact on the student's record.  This ensures we have a proper accounting of all students at all times.  For the safety of our students, we will not release a student to an adult not listed on the student record.  If you need to add/modify the adults who may pick up your child, please visit  and modify your registration preferences.
 
·  Entry and exit to the building must take place through the front doors only, after the start of the school day.  
 
·  As stated above, but not to be taken lightly, students must be signed out at the main office.  Do not pull your child from the bus line or school bus, as it quickly causes the perception of a lost child.  In the event a child is removed from the bus or bus line and cannot accounted for, we will hold all student departures from school until we have accounted for the missing child. 
 
·  Please submit any changes to dismissal plans by 3:00 p.m.  At 3:00 p.m., our office team begins the careful preparation for dismissal and will utilize whatever the last known plan was for your child.  Send in dismissal notes to the office.  
 
·  When you enter the Eastover parking lot in your vehicle, please remember there are small children all around.  Please move slowly in our lot, make only legal maneuvers with your vehicle, park in legal parking spots, stay off your cell phone, and abide by the planned traffic flow of the lot.  
 
·  We recognize that young children sometimes forget belongings at home.  If this happens during the school day, please park in a legal parking spot in our parking lot, buzz into the building, and make your way to the main office.  Visiting adults (which includes parents and legal guardians) may not make their way to a classroom.  We will get items to the classroom or call the child down to pick the items up in the office.  Visitors are not allowed down to the classroom until the office has made confirmation with the classroom teacher.  
 
-  Our classrooms have important instruction taking place every moment. When you are in the building to volunteer, you are to stay with your assigned duty and then sign out and exit the building. You may not go to any other classroom or area besides the one you are assigned to for that specific time frame. This includes before and after school times.  
 
·  Please do not congregate in our lobby at any time and please do not allow others to come in the door behind you if they have not buzzed in themselves.  We cannot have groups of individuals in our lobby and ask that you please wait outside for your child.
 
I acknowledge that some of the rules above may seem "unfriendly", but we have an unwavering commitment to student safety in Bloomfield Hills Schools and this is one item on which I will not compromise.  You have entrusted us with your children and that is a responsibility I take seriously.  
 
In addition to maintaining a safe school environment, these rules help establish routines so kids learn how to move about their day independently.  These routines also help kids feel safe.  As the adults, it is our job to model safe and respectful behavior for them.  To that end, I thank you in advance for following the above rules all year and packing your patience while in our parking lot.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to connect with me.
  
Save the Date - 
Pancake Dash date - March 23, 2019 more to come on this soon.  
 
Save the Date (2) - 
March 18th is the district wide multicultural event at Bloomfield Hills High School. Please see the whole newsletter for more information, including the registration packet.  
 

FREE Science Fair Help…

Get going on your project and/or art exhibit piece now with help from the Bloomfield Township Public Library (BTPL).

5 FREE Workshops at BTPL:

Weds. Jan. 23 @ 5:30-8:30 pm
Thurs. Feb. 7 @ 5:30-8:30 pm
Sat. Feb. 16 @ 2:00-5:00 pm
Weds. Feb. 27 @ 5:30-8:30 pm

No reservation necessary, just drop in. Come to as many as you want.
• Librarians will help students with ideas, topic selection, researching, and so much more!!
• Create your art exhibition piece right there — supplies & inspiration provided free of charge!

The fair is open to grades K-8 and will be held on Tues Mar 12, 2019. 

Learn more, watch the trailer, and sign up at the EO/EH Science Fair website:
http://www.tinyurl.com/eoehscience
 
 

Visible Thinking-
One of the ways we try to nurture student growth at Eastover is through “Visible Thinking Routines,” which is one of our school initiatives.  Families frequently ask how they might partner with us at home on what we are doing in school. Using thinking routines is a great way to do this.  Here is a link  which explains one of the routines we use at school called, “What Makes You Say That? ”  This routine is great as it provides students with the opportunity to build explanations and provide evidential reasoning.  

Important Upcoming Dates:
 
Monday, January 21st - No School in observance of the M. L. King Jr. Holiday
Friday, January 25th - ½ day dismissal is at 12:20 p.m. (this is also an Eagles Nest day and popcorn day for the kids) 
Tuesday, Feb. 5th - PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m. and Superintendent Dialogue 
 
 
Have a safe and warm weekend. 
 
Sincerely,
Mrs. Crocker (Proud Principal of Eastover) 

Dear Eastover Families,

If you are interested in learning sign language or want to improve on the skills you already have, evening classes are starting in February.  

See the Flyer for more information

Eagle Fund                                                            
Popcorn Sale
Friday, January 25th 
$1 per bag
**Limit 1 bag per student

All proceeds go to our Eagle Fund, to help support Eastover Literacy with diverse books.  Our previous sales helped purchase this book to be used with our Eagles Nest Lessons this year! 

Please send your student’s money in a labeled envelope or bag with their name first thing in the morning.

Please consider donating extra change to allow all of our Eastover Eagles to participate in this special snack.

If you can help pop to popcorn, please sign up here 

Ernie the Eagle says, “Be safe!  Check the ingredients!”

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Transportation department is pleased to introduce SafeStop, an app for your smartphone or tablet that offers real time school bus updates.  It provides an estimated time of arrival and up to the minute alerts from the transportation department when necessary. For 30 minutes before and after the scheduled pick-up & drop-off times, the bus locator will be displayed on a map.  We are hopeful you will find this tool useful, and are excited to share it with our families.

Please follow the directions listed on the Transportation web page to get connected: https://www.bloomfield.org/transportation

How to get involved - 
Our second annual district-wide Multicultural Celebration is on the horizon, coming up on Monday, March 18, 2019, at Bloomfield Hills High School, from 5:30 - 8 pm.  This event, involving all of our district schools, is a beautiful celebration of the many cultures represented by our students and their families.  Sponsored and coordinated by the PTOC (PTO Council) of our schools, we encourage students to participate in a variety of ways, from showcasing culture on an exhibit board, to sharing a music or dance performance.  Students may work individually (with support from their families), in small groups, with school clubs, or with students from other district schools.  This year's theme is Inspiring Figures, so each exhibit presented will feature a person, current or historical, who is originally from the selected culture, and has contributed to American society.  Please email any questions to BHMulticulturalCelebration@gmail.com.  

Click here for a quick overview of what is needed.

Click on the Participation Packet to learn more, and to sign up to participate!

Business Participation Flyer

Eastover Yearbook

Do you want to get involved but have limited time...We are looking for volunteers to take photos and design class pages/specialty pages in the yearbook this year. Volunteers will receive a $5 discount on yearbook orders! If you are interested please sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F4AA9A72FA6FB6-yearbook

The sign-up fills quickly! If you have any questions please contact Michelle Callahan and Erika Vivio at eastoveryearbook@gmail.com

Submit pictures for a chance to win a Yearbook!
Did you take a photo this year that would be perfect for the yearbook? Do you have any first day of school, halloween, classroom, garden, mobile kitchen, Fun Run, skate nights, story times or any other Eastover moment pictures?  Any Eastover family can upload a photo to the Lifetouch Community website:

https://community.lifetouch. com
community upload activation code: FHMSXZ

Please limit the number of photos you upload to 1-2 of your favorites per event/subject. The amount of photo space we are allowed is limited. In the second step of uploading you will be asked to include keywords about the photo and a description. Include the student name and teacher in the description line. This will serve as his/her entry into the free yearbook contest. You MUST include the student name and teacher or he/she will not be entered into the contest. 

Anyone that uploads a photo by February 15, 2019 will be entered into a drawing to win a free yearbook!

When attending an event at Eastover please consider snapping a few photos. We are looking for clear photos that include small groups of kiddos. Please be sure to ONLY upload photos that are clear and properly exposed. We do not have an ability to edit photos once they have been uploaded to the community website. One thing to note when uploading photos from a mobile device please; select "actual size" for the photo as anything else will look pixelated and cannot be used.

If you have any questions regarding photos for the yearbook please contact eastoveryearbook@gmail.com

FREE Science Fair Help during Winter Break & beyond...

Get going on your project and/or art exhibit piece now with help from the Bloomfield Township Public Library (BTPL).

5 FREE Workshops at BTPL:
•    Fri. Jan. 4 @ 3:00-6:00 pm (DURING Winter Break)
•    Weds. Jan. 23 @ 5:30-8:30 pm
•    Thurs. Feb. 7 @ 5:30-8:30 pm
•    Sat. Feb. 16 @ 2:00-5:00 pm
•    Weds. Feb. 27 @ 5:30-8:30 pm

No reservation necessary, just drop in. Come to as many as you want.
• Librarians will help students with ideas, topic selection, researching, and so much more!!
• Create your art exhibition piece right there — supplies & inspiration provided free of charge!

The fair is open to grades K-8 and will be held on Tues Mar 12, 2019. 

Learn more, watch the trailer, and sign up at the EO/EH Science Fair website:
http://www.tinyurl.com/eoehscience

Families are automatically signed up to receive communication from their child's school, teachers, and Bloomfield Hills Schools (Wednesday Web News & Important Notices - including school cancellations). In order to receive emails, telephone calls, and even text messages, all you have to do is maintain your contact information and manage your personal preferences. If you wish not to receive these newsletters, simply "opt-out" when you receive the first newsletter (an option at the bottom of every email we send).

Instructions for updating this information are now available at www.bloomfield.org/notifications. Here you can manage your contact preferences as they pertains to emergency and district notifications.