Otsego Elementary Extra
Principal's Weekly Update - March 13, 2020
Important Dates
2019-2020
April 6-13 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
April 14 - PTO, 6pm, Elementary Library
April 15 - Ohio State Test, ELA Part 1, Grades 3-5
April 16 - Ohio State Test, ELA Part 2, Grades 3-5
April 21 - PTO Restaurant Night - Pork Belly BBQ
April 28 - Ohio State Test, Math Part 1, Grades 3-5
April 28 - 1st Grade Music Performance, 7pm, HS Auditorium
April 29 - Ohio State Test, Math Part 2, Grades 3-5
April 30 - 2nd Grade Music Performance, 7pm, HS Auditorium
May 2 - PTO Color Run, Time TBD
May 5 - Ohio State Test, Science Part 1, Grade 5
May 5 - PTO, 6pm, Elementary Library
May 6 - Ohio State Test, Science Part 2, Grade 5
May 18 - PTO Restaurant Night, Cocina De Carlos
May 18 & 19 - Field Day
May 21 & 22 - Field Day Rain Dates
May 25 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
May 27 - Kindergarten Graduation, 7pm, HS Auditorium
May 29 - Last Day of School for Students
Get real time calendar on our website!
District:
http://www.otsegoknights.org/apps/events/calendar/?id=0&id=1&id=2&id=3&id=4&id=5&id=6&id=7
Elementary only:
Teacher Requests for 2020-2021 School Year
1. Requests must be made through this Google Form:
https://forms.gle/YapTbYDC3NE5gmZs6
Please click on the link and complete the 4 questions to make your teacher request.
2. NO requests will be honored unless they have the 4th question answered regarding "reasoning for the request".
3. Requests will only be accepted during a 2 week period - March 13 - March 29th. It is too difficult to create class lists with requests coming in through June. (The only exception to this will be for students enrolling after this 2 week period).
4. While we do our best to honor requests, there is no guarantee.
Thank you for your understanding!
COVID-19 Update
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding regarding the health and safety of our students and community at large.
The Governor has implemented an extended spring break starting on Monday, March 16th. Otsego will be closed starting from March 16th through April 3rd. This is mandated by the State of Ohio.
Otsego’s spring break will continue as scheduled from April 6 through April 13th. As it stands now, April 14th school will resume. This will give us extra time to monitor the situation and I am sure we will get more guidance from the Governor by then.
Otsego staff will be working on Monday to plan what the next 3 weeks will look like. We are waiting for guidance from the State of Ohio and the Department of Education.
All extra-curricular activities will be canceled during this extended spring break starting Monday. We will communicate more about this later, but all on-campus practices are canceled after this weekend.
All campus events with students will be canceled from March 16th through April 3rd. Unfortunately, Otsego Extended Care will also be closed during this extended break required by the Governor.
Please continue to look for additional communications regarding this situation.
We appreciate your understanding and assistance during this unique situation. We will continue to work with our health officials to do our part in attempting to limit the spread of this virus. As more information and planning becomes available, we will share it with our families and staff.
Services for Students with Disabilities
Lynn McKahan, Director of State Support Team Region 1, sent a request to the Office for Exceptional Children asking for guidance. SST Region 1 has not received a response as of yet, but they expect guidance in the near future. Once our district receives guidance, we will update you as soon as it is available. In the meantime, if parents or students have any questions, please contact our Special Education Coordinator, Lauri Dunham Ldunham@otsegoknights.org
Medications & Food
One of the things we are working on problem-solving is being able to provide food to our students that need it. In the short term, please reach out to the Otsego Food Pantry if you need immediate assistance. Information below.
The Otsego Food Pantry is always willing to help those in need. This service is by appointment only. Please call, text, or email to schedule.
Kindergarten Registration for the 2020-2021 School Year
If you have a student entering kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, please stop by the Otsego Elementary Office between 8am-4pm week days to pick up a registration packet, or you can download and print the forms from our school website (otsegoknights.org) under the Parent tab on the Elementary Page.
Feel free to bring proof of residency, certified original birth certificate, photo ID of parent/guardian, immunization record, and complete court file-stamped custody papers (if applicable) and we can make copies and add them to your student's file. If you are unable to bring them at this time, please plan to have them at your screening appointment in June.
If you have any questions regarding registration and/or screening please call the Otsego Elementary Office at 419-823-4381 Option 4.
Preschool Registration for 2020-2021
*Please note: You will need your $210 deposit as well as the $40 supply fee with you when you register. If you qualify for free tuition with the required paperwork or are placed on the waiting list, your deposit/check will be returned.
*Students must turn 3 on or before August 1st, 2020, and be completely potty trained (unless on an IEP), to attend preschool. Also, 3 year olds may ONLY attend 2 or 3 days per week and are not eligible to attend more days.
*Students who are not Otsego School District Residents, and who are not following a staff member, will not be placed in a class until after June 1, 2020. You are still welcome to register at anytime.
Youth Soccer Camp
Otsego Baseball
The baseball team is playing at 5/3 field (Mudhens Stadium) during the spring. They are going to sell the tickets for $15.00, $12 will go towards the fee the Mudhens have in order to play at their field and the remaining $3 will go toward the baseball program.
The tickets that we are selling are NOT for the game that we are playing in. The deal is if you buy a ticket for $15 the ticket is worth a voucher to a Mudhens game. So technically you are buying a voucher to a Mudhens game but also donating $3 toward the baseball program.
If you have any questions please Chase Welker or Jeff Peters CWelker@otsegoknights.org or JPeters@otsegoknights.org
March 2nd and 7
STEAM CAMP INFORMATION
OES Parent Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures
Morning Drop-Off
Please use the entire length of the drop off zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can exit at a time. This will make drop-off go quicker while maintaining safety.
Students should only be let out on the side of the car that is next to the curb. This is to avoid students being hit by a moving car in the lane farther away from the curb. If your student needs to get out on that side of the car, please park in a parking spot and have your student walk into the building using the crosswalk.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are dropping a student off, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should be let out of the car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be exiting cars onto the sidewalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get students into the school in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the drop-off line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces.
Afternoon Pick-Up
Please use the entire length of the pick-up zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can get into their vehicles. This will make pick-up go quicker while maintaining safety.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are picking a student up, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should get into their car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be entering cars from the sidewalk or by using the crosswalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park and leave your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get vehicles out of the pick-up zone in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces. If you are parked while you are waiting for your student (and you are IN the car), that is fine.
Students must be picked up by 3:35pm. At 3:35pm, students will be taken to Otsego Extended Care at the cost of the parent/guardian (unless previous arrangements have been made).
THANK YOU so much for your understanding and compliance with these procedures to ensure our students’ safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal.
Happy Friday, Knights!
We have officially kicked-off our Spring Small Counseling Groups! It was a successful first week with the kids. At various points your students may get handouts or physical reminders of the strategies we are practicing, so you can encourage their growth at home. As a reminder, the counselors can not send home weekly progress reports for groups, due to the confidentiality of all students, so the handouts sent home are our type of progress report and strategy reminder. Also, as a reminder, if you gave your student permission to participate but they are not, this may be due to low numbers for that group, as we need 3 or more students for a group to run. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact us directly. Have a great weekend.
Warmly,
Ms. Syrowski & Ms. Martinez
Important Food Service Information
Cafeteria News:
If you'd like to come in and have lunch with your child, we welcome you to purchase a school meal. Adult meals are $3.25. The meals consists of a main entree, vegetable, fruit and milk. We can only accept cash or check for meals.
If your child/children were on free and reduced meals last year, and you believe you qualify this year, you must submit a new application. Any meal charges, that occur prior to a new lunch application are the responsibility of the parent to pay. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
The free and reduced meal applications are available online or in the school office. CLICK HERE FOR THE ONLINE APPLICATION
As many of you may remember we have the "Pay it Forward" account which is to keep students from receiving an alternate meal. At this point, the account is nearing zero. If you are interested in donating to the Pay It Forward program please contact Jeanne Jeffers, jjeffers@otsegoknights.org or Adam Koch, akoch@otsegoknights.org. Once the Pay It Forward account gets to zero, we will have no choice but to implement our districts unpaid meal charges policy, which follows.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Jeanne Jeffers, 419-823-4381 ext 1104 or jjeffers@otsegoknights.org
- Breakfast = $1.50, $0.30 for students who qualify for reduced lunches
- Lunch = $2.85, $0.40 for students who qualify for reduced lunches
Box Top Update
You can now just scan your receipt and our school will earn money! Please see the information below regarding the new Box Top App and Procedures for the 2019-2020 School Year!
There are two types of Box Tops this year - electronic (must scan your receipt with the new app to get the money to the school), and the original Box Tops (can cut them out and send them in with your student!)
Powerschool Parent Access
Parents can access student grades and attendance through the Otsego website.
www.otsegoknights.org, students tab, online grades
All students user ID is their lunch number and all passwords are the first 3 letters of the student's FIRST name with the first letter being capitalized (Jane would be Jan).
If you have any trouble logging on, please call the office at 419-823-4381, option 4.
Important Transportation Information
You can check your bus routes here - https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=OLSD3GH6PNQOH
Please take a look at the attached document for an explanation on how to use the bus finder website.
Elementary Bus Passes: We will no longer be able to accept bus passes for grades PK-5 for your child to ride home with a friend on another bus route. We have seen our transportation numbers increase over the past several years and in order to continue to operate the most efficient way possible, we will no longer be able to accept bus passes in the elementary.
If you have any questions, please contact the elementary school office or Eva Vasher.
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Sign up to receive text messages from our Transportation Department!
Using the directions below, sign up for one or more of the notification groups.
You may opt-out any time by texting ‘unsubscribe’ to the appropriate group.
High School & JH Buses (Bus Routes for grades 6-12 & Penta)
Text: @otsbus6-12 to 81010
Elementary Buses (Bus Routes for grades PK -5)
Text: @otsbuspk-5 to 81010
If you have any questions about bus routing information, please contact me at evasher@otsegoknights.org or 419-823-4381 ext. 3156
Knight in Shining Armor Nominations
Knight In Shining Armor Nominations
Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.
Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!
Here are some things that we have done with KISA funds:
- School supplies were purchased for multiple families.
- Gas money has been provided to get to and from medical treatment.
- Food cards have been provided to help families afford meals while going through medical treatment.
- Cash donations have been made to families to help assist in paying bills during medical treatment.
- Gift cards and supplies have been provided to help make ends meet after housing emergencies have occurred.
We now have TWO ways that you can nominate a family in need. Bookmark the link below to use as the need arises. You can also find this link on the Otsegoknights.org webpage under the "District" tab.
Please do not hesitate to nominate a family in need, and KISA will do their best to help out!
Otsego PTO
Check out the PTO on Facebook and follow on Twitter @OtsegoPTO
The next PTO meeting is April 14 at 6:00 in the Elementary Library.
**Babysitting is provided!!**
Community Events & Information
Follow Us on Twitter
Preschool: @OtsegoPreK
Kindergarten: @OtsegoK1st Grade: @OtsegoFirst
2nd Grade: @OtsegoGrade2
3rd Grade: @OtsegoGrade3
4th Grade: @OtsegoGrade4
5th Grade: @OtsegoGrade5
School Counselor: @OEScounselor
Principal: @kbaughman723
Assistant Principal: @buchman_becky
STEM Teacher: @jemartinez714
PE Teacher: @AmyKonoff
School Nurse: @nursejaneots
Otsego Food Service: @Otsego_Cafe
Reminders
SAVE ALUMINUM CAN TABS
Please help our students by collecting tabs from aluminum cans. Each tab is easy to remove and can be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The tabs help fund various projects for Ronald McDonald Houses and its visitors. Send the tabs in a bag to the school and our students will do the rest!
SAVE BOX TOPS
You can help the school earn money for supplies by collecting Box Tops. Our PTO collects and counts them and puts the money straight back into the school. (We earn 10 cents per Box Top). If you are able to collect a lot of these, it would be great if you could turn them in in groups of 50, but we will take them even if they are not grouped together.
Heard a rumor or have a question?
Katrina Baughman
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4005)
Twitter: @kbaughman723
Becky Buchman
Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4009)
Twitter: @buchman_becky
Elizabeth Syrowski
Email: esyrowski@otsegoknights.org
Website: http://oesknightscounselor.weebly.com/
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4010)
Twitter: @OEScounselor
Bonnie Armitage
Email: barmitage@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4001)
Jenny Helberg
Email: jhelberg@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4003)
Deputy Brian Ruckstuhl
Email: bruckstuhl@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (2099)
Type in the web address below to shop the Otsego PTO store.
Orders will be delivered in time for Christmas!
1. Requests must be made through this Google Form:
https://forms.gle/mZDB59zZJzgMDGmf9
Please click on the link and complete the 3 questions to make your teacher request.
2. NO requests will be honored unless they have the 4th question answered regarding "reasoning for the request".
3. Requests will only be accepted during a 2 week period - March 16 - March 27th. It is too difficult to create class lists with requests coming in through June. (The only exception to this will be for students enrolling after this 2 week period).
4. While we do our best to honor requests, there is no guarantee.
Thank you for your understanding!
1. Requests must be made through this Google Form:
https://forms.gle/7TjdQcjBAzHHnMVP8
Please click on the link and complete the 4 questions to make your teacher request.
2. NO requests will be honored unless they have the 4th question answered regarding "reasoning for the request".
3. Requests will only be accepted during a 2 week period - March 13 - March 29th. It is too difficult to create class lists with requests coming in through June. (The only exception to this will be for students enrolling after this 2 week period).
4. While we do our best to honor requests, there is no guarantee.
Thank you for your understanding!