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Maple Dale Family Newsletter
September 8, 2023
A Note from Mrs. Zellner and Mr. West
We have successfully completed the second week of the school year and we want to take a moment to share some important updates and highlights from Maple Dale:
1. Smooth Start: The second week continued to be a smooth transition for our students. Thank you to all of our teachers, staff members, students, and families for their efforts in helping with this transition!
2. Car Riders: Please continue to have your child enter/exit from the passenger side of the car. Pull up as far as you can and please do not pass other cars unless a staff member asks you to do so.
3. Upcoming Events: Our school calendar is packed with exciting events, including Grandfriends Day and our annual Fun Run. Please see below for more information about our annual Fun Run. An email will be shared early next week with specifics for Grandfriends Day, as well!
4. Support for Parents: We understand that the start of the school year can be a busy time for families! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or your child's teacher. We are here to support you.
As always, we appreciate and value your continued partnership in your child's education journey. Have a great weekend and GO BENGALS!
Mindy and Keena
Monday, September 11th: D Day
Tuesday, September 12th: E Day
Wednesday, September 13th: A Day
Thursday, September 14th: B Day
Friday, September 15th: C Day
Thursday, September 14th:
- Welcome Back PTO Meeting at Maple Dale starting at 9:30, RSVP here
Monday, September 18th:
- PTO Fundraiser "Animal Stampede" begins * see below
Friday, September 29th:
- No School
Wednesday, October 4th:
- Fall Picture Day
Friday, October 6th:
- Maple Dale Grandfriends Day
Monday, October 16th:
- Final day to turn in money for Animal Stampede Fundraiser
Friday, October 20th:
- Animal Stampede Fun Run Celebration
Volunteer Opportunities
Interested in Volunteering? Below are links to volunteer at Maple Dale.
"Animal Stampede" PTO Fundraiser!
We are excited to kick off another awesome year with the PTO. Stay tuned next week for more details on this ONCE A YEAR fundraiser running from September 18th to October 16th. Students and families will have the opportunity to raise funds for PTO programs like museum center visits, ninja day, fall and spring social events, as well as many school grants that benefit our students both in and outside of the classroom.
This year we will follow Mrs. Smith's adopted animals as each grade competes to win the Animal Stampede. We will have prizes and incentives for top fundraisers as we strive to meet and exceed our goal. To celebrate our success we will have our official Animal Stampede and inflatable fun run on October 20th. More money=better inflatables.
Penguin, elephant, sea turtle, polar bear, shark. Which amazing animal will reign supreme? Ask your student to see which animal represents their grade!
BEFORE SCHOOL LANGUAGE PROGRAM IS BACK FOR 2023-2024
Dear Maple Dale Families,
We are excited to bring back the Before School Language Program for the students at Maple Dale Elementary this year! Students in grades K-4 will have the opportunity to enroll in fun and engaging Spanish classes! This program allows students to participate in a year-long, in-depth approach to learning. Spanish classes will be on Wednesday mornings each week. Classes will begin on September 27th and will run for 24 weeks. The registration deadline is Friday, September 15th! Please check out the following website www.CincinnatiSpanishSchool.com/maple to register for the program, and read more about it! Space is limited.
Homeroom Helper
Interested in being a Homeroom Helper?
If you are interested in being a Homeroom Helper this school year, please click HERE to complete the form. We are looking for 2 helpers in each homeroom.
Homeroom Helpers will help the homeroom teacher with classroom parties, as well as other classroom celebrations determined by the teachers. Homeroom Helpers also help organize any class gifts for their teacher throughout the year. *Note- Individuals will be notified through email if they are selected as the Homeroom Helper. Let us know what questions you have. Email Laura at timmerla1@gmail.com or Amanda at brauch.amanda@gmail.com.
Emotional Well Being Information:
Back to School Adjustment
Imagine the best vacation you’ve been on... It was probably (hopefully!) relaxing, fun, and just long enough to trick your brain into putting the demands of work on the back burner. Now imagine the last time you started a new job... You likely felt overwhelmed meeting new people as well as learning expectations and routines. What if you had to start that new job right after that vacation?! Whew--whiplash! This is what our children experience each fall when they start a new grade!
As adults, we can tell ourselves, “Okay, it’ll take some time, but I’ll adjust—I've done this before, I can do it again.” Because we can coach ourselves, we tend to expect that our children know they’ll get used to new things, too—especially once they have done it a few times. But they do not have the same practice at starting new things that we do. They do not have the coping skills we do.
So, for the next few weeks, many children will smile and laugh throughout the day, enjoy time with friends, learn new things, but then walk in the front door—where their loving parents are waiting to hear about their day—and ‘collapse’. And parents in turn will wonder, “What is going on with my child?!” Nothing is wrong, they are adjusting. Adjusting takes time. It takes practice.
As many things are, ‘collapse’ is on a spectrum and thus, different for most children. Some are tired and a little grumpy when they get home. Others can be sad and tearful. A few may even be ‘keyed up’ and hyperactive. The most exhausted could be irritable, scream, and tantrum.
We can’t ‘fix’ adjusting—it takes time and practice. But what can we do to help? During any adjustment, the best thing we can always do is focus on the basics.
Connect: Our children learned to use us to help them regulate when they were infants. Thousands of times in the first year, they cried, and we took care of their need, building attachment. Even though they are older, they can still use us to help them regulate. The stronger our connection with them, the better this works. If we spend time daily connecting with them through silly, face-to-face interactions, our bond will be the strongest. Then, they can use us (but we must be calm!) to help them regulate. See the links for connecting ideas!
Snack: “Hanger” is real! Low blood sugar can mimic anxiety symptoms (irritability, shakiness, difficulty concentrating) and is uncomfortable, leading to dysregulation. A high protein snack when kids get home from school can help.
Sleep: School age children need 9-12 hours of sleep each night. Unfortunately, when children are feeling anxious, they tend to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. If a child is having trouble with this, it is important to adjust bedtimes and routines to make sure they are getting what they need.
Exercise: Children have recess at school, but it is not enough activity for the day. School age children need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity (this does not have to be consecutive). Recess is about 25% of this time. When children get enough physical activity, they can experience improved regulation and better sleep.
Most children experience marked improvement within 6-8 weeks of beginning school (or any new thing they are adjusting to). If children are still experiencing significant dysregulation after this timeframe, it may be an indication they could use extra support. You are always welcome to email or call myself and Caroline Tersigni to discuss need and available support.
Renee Bernecker, LISW, CTP
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, School-Based Therapist
686-1720, Ext 1302
Sources:
How to deal with after-school restraint collapse - Today's Parent (todaysparent.com)
15 Games that Encourage Attachment - CHLSS
How Much Sleep Do Babies and Kids Need? | Sleep Foundation
How much physical activity do children need? | Physical Activity | DNPAO | CDC
Girls on the Run- Fall 2023
Registration for Fall 2023 begins on 8/21 through 8/30 . Please see the flyers below for more information.
Attention Registered Nurses!
Attention Registered Nurses! Sycamore Community Schools is hiring Substitute Registered Nurses. We are looking for Nurses who have at least 2 years of experience and are interested in learning more about School Nursing! If interested please fill out an application on the Sycamore website Human Resources page. If you have any questions please contact Julie Ferron, District Nurse Coordinator at ferronj@sycamoreschools.org
Event and Activity Flyers Now Listed On Website
About us
Email: zellnerm@sycamoreschools.org
Website: http://www.sycamoreschools.org/Domain/12
Location: 6100 Hagewa Drive, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: (513)686-1720
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapledaleaviators/
Twitter: @MapleDaleElem