Symmes Elementary School
Newsletter
November 13, 2020
Mark your Calendar!
- November 13: 1st Quarter Report Cards are available in eBackpack
- November 17: Picture Retake Day- during the school day for face to face students and after school from 4:15 pm -5:00 pm for virtual classroom students
- November 19: Evening Parent Teacher Conferences
- November 20: NO SCHOOL- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- November 25, 26, and 27: NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break
Good Afternoon Sycamore families!
Report cards for the 1st quarter have been added to your eBackpack today. For instructions on accessing your student's eBackpack, please click HERE. We also want to make you aware that there may be an increase in absent hours if your student was under quarantine at any point throughout this first quarter. This is due to a coding error and will reflect correctly in the future. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation while we address this issue. Go Aviators!
School Pictures
Good news!
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY! Pictures from picture day are now available for viewing and ordering!
Click below to get started.
VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE
https://shop.jostenspix.com
You will need our event code: FE40720 and your student's unique ID number. You can find your student's ID number by logging in to Final Forms. The ID number is the 6 digit number below your child's name
DID YOU KNOW?
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and
text - Photos are shipped directly to your home
- High-res digital downloads are available
- If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay
once
ALSO NOTE:
Picture retakes will be on November 17 during the school day for face to face students and after school from 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm for virtual classroom students.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
ALL conferences will be held virtually, for both Virtual Classroom and Face-to Face students. Check with your child's teacher if you haven't received information about signing up. Dates are as follows:
Nov. 19 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (K-6)
Nov. 20 (Friday) Daytime conferences (No School-K-8 only)
Nov. 23 (Monday) Evening Conferences (K-4 and 7-8)
Symmes Players
Hello Symmes Families! This is usually the week that we announce our Symmes Players show for the year. Of course, we need to alter our plans for this year! We want to let you know that discussions are happening to try and have a Symmes Players event later this school year.
Symmes Players is a much-loved after-school music theater group for Symmes third- and fourth-graders. Typically, the program rehearses from late January through April, performing a Junior version of a well-known Broadway show. While there are no guarantees that the program will be able to be offered this year, please know that Mrs. Haupt and Mrs. Bethune are doing what they can to make something happen.
Please look for a survey in December to gauge your family's interest in participating in Symmes Players this year. More information will be provided at that time. For questions, contact Director MaryWynn Haupt at SymmesPlayersOH@gmail.com.
Dear Parents,
Music class, like many other subjects, has many challenges when it comes to sharing all the great work that students are doing in class. Each year, we have been able to share students'
music learning through a concert performance. Due to COVID restrictions on large gatherings, the 4th Grade winter concert and 3rd Grade (March) concerts are postponed.
However, please know I am in the process of working on creative ways to share all the talent of our 3rd & 4th Grade students. More information will be forthcoming in January!
Musically,
Julia Bethune
Music
Symmes Elementary
Parent/teacher conferences are coming up soon!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4FACA92EA6F85-conference2
The holidays are coming!
The holiday season is upon us, and while it will look different for all of us this year, the spirit of support, generosity, and empathy is not lost in our school community. Every year, Symmes Elementary sponsors a holiday gift drive as a social action project. With a few modifications, we are excited to invite you to join us for our 2020 holiday gift drive.
In previous years, students brought a permission slip to the building to participate and were given a paper snowman with the specific needs identified for that child. As a COVID modification, we have partnered with Operation Give Back (OGB) this year to ensure that students and families in our community have a bright holiday season. OGB will collect your generous donations and distribute them through their holiday store, which this year is anticipated to serve over 600 children and their families. To do this safely, Operation Give Back has created an Amazon wish list, which allows us to decrease risk through direct shipping.
How do I participate? It’s easy!
Click HERE to access our Amazon Wish List for Symmes Elementary
Select the items you wish to purchase for the holiday gift drive and add them to your cart
Head to the checkout
Choose Operation Give Back’s Registry Address as the shipping address
Pay for your items
Feel great about supporting our community!
Our goal as a Symmes Elementary family is to fill this wish list before December 1, 2020. If you have any questions, please reach out to Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor at (513) 686-1700. Thank you for generously supporting Operation Give Back and our community.
Shop for Sycamore Spiritwear
Annual City of Montgomery Winter Coloring Contest
Consider taking part in this annual coloring contest. Entries need to be submitted by November 20.
Preschool and Kindergarten coloring sheet
Drop off/Pick up reminders
- Pull your car up to the car in front of you.
- Turn off their car while you are waiting.
- At pick up, flip your car tag to the white side once all your students are in the car. This is an easy way for the adults helping to know that you are ready to go!
- At pick up, students will enter your car from the CENTER aisle and find their appropriate seat once in the car. Please DO NOT encourage your child to walk around the front (or back) of your car in order to get into your car.
For your information:
LOST and Found
We are accumulating a number of lost and found items. As a reminder, please clearly label all belongings with your child’s last name. To minimize risks due to COVID-19 while attempting to reunite items with their owners, we are going to follow the following process.
Every Friday in our building newsletter we will include a picture of current lost and found items.
If you see an item that belongs to your child, please remind them to claim that item in the cafeteria during their lunch. They can notify any staff member in the cafeteria that they need to claim their item.
If your child forgets, you can email their teacher to ask for help reminding the student.
Your child will have1 week to claim the item.
After 1 week, all items accumulated in the Lost and Found will be removed from the building.
Here are this weeks' lost and found items:
CogAT testing
Virtual Schedules K-4
For our virtual families, attached please find the new schedules for virtual students in grades K-4 that begin on Monday, November 23. Please note these schedules reflect a corrected start date of 11/23 as well as a fixed typo in the second grade schedule. For third and fourth grade students who are in gifted class(es), their gifted classes will remain the same time as they are currently held. There is no change to gifted classes. For students in intervention, special education, related therapies, or ESOL - their teacher(s) will reach out directly to families about any change in the schedule of their services, if applicable.
MRS. WESTMAN'S AFTERNOON KINDERGARTEN
Virtual Pilot Kits
We are getting ready for our next Virtual Pilot Kit pick up for grades K-4!
We will be hosting pick up at the Virtual Learning Commons (11120 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242) at the following days and times:
- Monday, Nov 16: 12pm-6pm
- Tuesday, Nov 17: 7:30am - 1:30pm
- Wednesday, Nov 18: 7:30am-1:30pm
How do I sign up for pick up? Please use the link HERE to reserve your pick up time. While we anticipate the pick up process to be very quick, we want to limit the number of people coming at once for safety and social distancing.
Can someone else pick up my student’s box? Yes, Virtual Pilot kits may be picked up by a friend, family member, or neighbor if the parent or guardian wishes.
What is the procedure for pick up? The entrance to our building is at the front of the building by the road. Please come to that door. As you enter, you will have your temperature quickly taken. We have a large room - right next to the main door - where student Virtual Pilot kits will be spread out by grade and by teacher, and alphabetized by student. Student names are clearly labeled on each box. Please grab your student(s) Virtual Pilot Kit(s) and then you will exit. We will have staff available to help. All persons picking up boxes will need to be masked and practice social distancing the entire time.
What if none of the pick up times work for me or I am unable to pick up the Virtual Pilot Kits? Please call 513.686.1708 so that we can make arrangements with you.
Our next Virtual Pilot Kit pick up for virtual students in grades K-4 will be after we return from winter break in January. Thank you for your ongoing support of this program!
Virtual Meal Curbside Pick Up
The pick-up location for all families for virtual meals is no longer at the High School. You instead will pick up at your student’s assigned school location. IF you have multiple students that attend different buildings, meals for all of your children will be available for pick up at the OLDEST child’s school. You do not need to visit multiple schools.
Pickup time for Symmes will be Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
If you have not already signed up and would like to do so, please sign up here. Please note, the cutoff each week to sign up is Sunday at Midnight.
TECHNOLOGY HELP FOR VIRTUAL CLASSROOM STUDENTS
Need help?
Need help? Besoin d'aide? ¿Necesita ayuda? Нужна помощь? Yordam kerakmi?
你需要帮助吗? 도움이 필요하세요? お手伝いします?
Click here to be connected with Symmes Ambassadors:
https://www.sycamoreschools.org/domain/909
Click here if you want to help other families: