Mercer Mailbox
December 7, 2018
Mercer Mailbox is a weekly publication of the   Mercer PTO .  
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Mercer Weekly Calendar  
Upcoming Events
Dec. 21 -- Winter Concert & Classroom Celebrations
Dec. 22 -- Jan. 6 -- Winter Recess
Jan. 11 -- Family Movie Night

Visit the  Online Calendar  and filter by Mercer  for more upcoming events.
From Mr. Florence
Does your child need help with solving multiple step math or word problems, reading comprehension or a specific area of instruction? Mercer Elementary will be operating a tutoring center on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. beginning Tuesday, December 11. In order to take advantage of this valuable new resource, parents and guardians must pre-register their student in advance by emailing Intervention Specialist Lori McInnerney at [email protected] 24 hours in advance. Mrs. McInnerney will be heading up our center which is open to only Mercer students in 1st through 4th grade. Please put MERCER TUTORING CENTER RESERVATION as the subject of your email. Reservations need to be requested for each date that your child attends. The maximum capacity of students will be ten per session so we will not be able to accept drop-ins or same day requests. We will notify you if a session is full and cannot accommodate your child on a particular day.

The purpose of the center is to provide tutoring in a specific area and it is not meant to be for completing homework. Should your child need homework help, the Elementary Homework Center located at Woodbury School is a great resource. Go to http://www.shaker.org/tutoringcenters.aspx for detailed information and hours. Students must be picked up promptly at 4:30 p.m. be and signed out by a parent or guardian. Those students already registered for Mercer School Age Care (after care) can be dismissed to that program if necessary. The center will not be open in the event of school closings or inclement weather. We are excited to begin this opportunity to help our students. We will continue to provide updates when they are available. Contact me if you have any questions.

The Mercer Faculty and Staff continues to teach curriculum that addresses State standards while implementing a number of strategies and interventions to ensure academic and social growth for all of our students. Growth is our number one goal. As that improves, students will begin to see successes. Faculty, staff, parents, guardians and family members all play a key role in building a foundation to allow our students to become lifelong learners. Ask your child to tell your about their day. What was the best thing you learned? Was there something you didn’t know before but do now? Is there something you are excited about? What can you teach me? If you become an inquirer about their learning by doing regular check ins, they will look forward to sharing them with you which is also part of the learning process. Utilize tools like nightly reading, practicing math facts and doing a Compass Learning session to enhance and enrich their learning experiences at school. Thank you for being partners and a member of our Mercer village. Have a wonderful weekend.


Lindsay Florence

Popcorn & Spirit Lunch TODAY!



Parents/Grandparents/Family Members , join your Mercer Meerkat for lunch today for the last Mercer Spirit Day of 2018!


The Spirit Store will be open, and popcorn will be offered to all students.
Students are encouraged to share their Mercer spirit and wear red and white !

Lunch times are:

11:30-11:55am -- Pre-K
12:00-12:25 -- 1st grade
12:30-12:55 -- 2nd grade
1:00-1:25 -- 3rd grade
1:30-1:55 -- 4th grade
Adult Learning Opportunity

In light of recent events, the Mercer PTO has invited the staff from JFSA's Domestic Violence Program to speak to parents and teachers. The meeting will be held at Mercer Elementary in the auditorium on Thursday, December 13th at 7pm .  

Discussions will include information on how trauma can impact a child’s cognition and behavior, tips on listening and talking to children about domestic violence, and community resources to aid us in the process of healing from the trauma.

Please note that this event is not recommended for children, and we are unable to provide child care. We hope you will be able to join us for this important discussion.
Donate Today to Help Local Children and Teens Experiencing Homelessness

On January 21, MLK Day of Service, Shaker Heights school students, families, and staff will gather together to help youth experiencing homelessness and home insecurity in our community.  We will make sleeping mats and fleece scarves to be distributed by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and we will assemble over 800 teen survival kits for Bellefaire JCB and MetroHealth Foster Care Team. 

What is a teen survival kit? It is a gallon Ziploc bag with a small water bottle, granola bars, raisins, bandaids, thick socks, rain poncho, lip balm, antibacterial wet wipes, gloves, and a personal card. We will also be making fleece blankets for children who enter the Bellefaire JCB homeless and missing youth program.

We need your help!  Please donate today. Every $5 helps. To donate, go to  PayForIt ,  select "Fundraisers" and scroll down to MLK Day of Service. Choose your amount. You can also contribute using PayPal https://www.paypal.me/SHPTO . We will be collecting donations through January 14. Thank you!


Check out photos of MLK Day of Service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytQZgac7LU&feature=youtu.be
Homework Help Available

Does your child need help getting into a routine? Does homework take much longer than it should? Are you battling your child when it comes to doing homework? 
The Elementary   Homework Center  at Woodbury could be the answer. You can drop your child off for a ONE HOUR session with a certified teacher. There is no cost, and no appointment is necessary.

The center is open each week Monday–Thursday from 4:30-7:00.

Register Your Heinen's Loyalty Card

Earn money for the Mercer PTO by participating in Heinen’s Teaming Up for Education Program. Simply register your Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards shopping card and select Mercer Elementary School to help raise funds for the Mercer PTO.  Heinen's will donate 1% on qualified purchases made between September 1 and April 30 to the Mercer PTO.   

Even if you registered your card in the past, you must do it again. The Heinen’s program requires participants to register their Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards card and make a school selection each school year.  You can register your card online ( heinens.com/schools ), via phone (1-855-475-2300 extension 2377) or in-store at the Customer Service Desk. 

Earn Dollars from Giant Eagle Too
Register your Giant Eagle Advantage Card and use it when you shop. Family and Friends can participate too! Register each card at: http://Gianteagle.com/afts

You do not need to be a Mercer parent to participate in either program. Please encourage friends and family to register their cards and select Mercer Elementary School.  Money from both of these programs adds up quickly and helps the Mercer PTO provide additional programming for our kids. 
Helpful Links
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