Mercer Mailbox
October 12, 2018
Mercer Mailbox is a weekly publication of the   Mercer PTO .  
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Mercer Weekly Calendar  
Upcoming Events
Oct. 15 & 16 -- Conference Days (no school)
Oct. 19 -- Mercer Olympics Opening Ceremony, 9:45am
Oct. 26 -- Mercer Olympics Closing Ceremony, 2:15pm
Oct. 30 -- Picture Retake Day
Oct. 31 -- Halloween Parade & Activities, 2:15pm
Nov. 5 -- Tour Your Schools
Nov. 6 -- Election Day (no school)
Nov. 6 -- PreK–K Parent Workshop, 6:00pm

Visit the  Online Calendar  and filter by Mercer  for more upcoming events.
From Mr. Florence

Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Monday, October 15 and Tuesday, October 16. Please contact your son or daughter’s teacher if you have not yet scheduled and confirmed a time to meet. Call the Mercer office if you are not certain of your meeting time. MAP assessment data from the fall testing period will be shared during the conferences. Reports will be mailed on Wednesday, October 16 to those parents who were unable to attend. Below is a link which helps explain the MAP report which will be shared during conference time.

 
Mercer is truly a great school where great things are happening all the time. I am available whenever you have a question or concern on my District cell phone at
216-401-7622. Often a brief explanation or clarification is all that is needed.

In addition to continuing to implement the International Baccalaureate framework and philosophy, the Mercer faculty and staff will be undertaking a number of initiatives to enhance teaching and learning for all of our students. Administrators are required to conduct evaluations for teachers that include several scheduled observations/evaluations during the school year. One component of the cycle is classroom walkthroughs. My goal is to visit four classes each day. During these visits I will look for the following: 1) to see if the learning is rigorous; 2) there is alignment of instruction to State Standards; 3) the presence of small group instruction (when appropriate and applicable); 4) established routines and procedures in classrooms.

The Opening Ceremony for the Mercer Olympic Campaign will take place on Friday, October 19 at 9:45 a.m. Allow ample time to be certain you register as a building visitor
in the office. Our annual fundraiser creates a wonderful sense of school pride and unity and we hope you can join us to kick off the fun. 



Lindsay Florence

In Search Of....

Attention Mercer Families: The PTO is seeking someone with experience in masonry or stone work to consult on a project. If you know of anyone, please contact Kia Treier ( [email protected] ).
Mercer Olympics - Volunteer for Our School’s ONLY Fundraiser!

Our school’s only fundraiser, the Mercer Olympics, is coming (October 19 – 26)! All of the money raised goes to school and PTO-sponsored events throughout the year. 

Be a part of the amazing energy that makes our school so special! Go to the sign up form listed here to be a volunteer for this fun event. We need lots of help to make this happen! ( https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094BACAF2EA4FF2-mercer ). Each volunteer opportunity is listed, along with an explanation of what is involved. 

Questions? Contact your Mercer Olympics Co-Chairs Emelye Crehore and Kris Gobel at  [email protected] . 
The Mercer Olympics begins
Friday, October 19!

Today, your child is bringing home a letter explaining our school’s only fundraiser, the Mercer Olympics. Attached to the letter is a donation form that should be filled out and returned in a sealed envelope, along with the donations, anytime beginning Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26.   Additional donation forms are available in the classrooms and the school office, and donations can also be made online.

In addition, you are invited to attend the Opening Ceremony of Friday, October 19 at 9:45 am in the Mercer Gym . We encourage you to wear your child’s class color, or even a rainbow of colors if you have more than one child to represent. 

This is a great time for our children to commit to themselves, classmates and the Mercer community. We look forward to meeting new people and seeing familiar faces all week at our different events.

If you have any questions, please contact Mercer Olympics Co-Chairs Emelye Crehore and Kris Gobel at [email protected] .
Homework Help Has Arrived!

Does your child need help getting back 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.
S.A.M.S. Mothers Walk

Come enjoy an afternoon of creating, learning and connecting with other Shaker Moms!


Where: Shaker Middle School
When: Saturday, Oct. 20th 12:00 -- 3:00 p.m.
Who: ALL Moms, regardless of the age or your kids' grade levels.

Fencing Classes for All Ages

Improve your balance, coordination and concentration through one of the oldest Olympic sports! For ages 7 to adult.

Location: Shaker Heights High School Fencing Room
(located next to the dance room in the basement. The best way to enter is to go to the back parking lot of SHHS and enter doors by gym to go through the dance room)

Instructor: Will Wheeler ( [email protected] )
Times and Dates: Six Week Session (starts when you do) for $150
  • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays: 4-5:30pm
  • Saturdays: 9-11am
  • Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30-7:30pm


Note that equipment is available, but long pants and gym shoes are required.
Box Tops Fall Collection Starts Next Week! 

Clip Box Tops from your favorite products and send them to school during our Fall Collection drive October 1-12. Each clip brings Mercer 10 cents! 


For a list of participating products, see:  http://tinyurl.com/jrvreun . 

Register Your Heinen's Loyalty Card Today!

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. 
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