WEEKLY AVIATOR UPDATE
August 26 - September 3
A message from the principal
Welcome Back!
Greetings Sycamore High School Families and Community,
I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the parents, families, and community members that have helped welcome me to the district. Over the last few weeks I’ve been able to meet many of you at our schedule pick-up, the marching band preview night, athletic events, or maybe at one of our many extra curricular activities. Having these early opportunities to connect with and listen to you has made one thing clear to me: Sycamore High School is special. I trust that each one of us share that sentiment and look forward to making this 2022 school year successful and special as well.
Our entire staff is looking forward to an exciting school year. We know our students look forward to meeting new teachers, learning new subjects, and making new friends. We think that it’s that perfect combination of dedicated staff members and respectful, responsible, safe, and proactive students that lead to incredible results that benefit our community and beyond. We appreciate those who have inquired about changes to our building and campus, and what that will mean to their students and families. We will communicate regularly about this. For now, our three starting-point suggestions would be:
1-Traffic and construction will be with us throughout the year. Please plan, or ask your student to plan, to leave the house early to get to school (even if they ride the bus).
2-If you or your student drive on campus, please exercise caution as new parking locations and vehicular patterns will take some time to adjust to.
3-Please do continue to check the Weekly Aviator Update for the latest news on all high school issues and notices.
The excitement of high school can also bring challenges. Our staff is always ready to assist with future planning, graduation progress, or anything else to help your student’s transition to adulthood. For example, you will hear more about our New Student Day on 8/29 and our Open House/Meet the Teacher Night on 9/8 in future communication. In addition, we are excited to share our new partnership with Cincinnati Childrens’ Hospital. This partnership has afforded us three clinical support staff members in addition to our expert school counseling team. Our teachers, counselors, and administrative team will do whatever it takes to help our students reach their fullest potential.
We welcome your students to Sycamore High School. We are proud of our students, staff, and community and hope to make this a special school year.
Go Aves!
Respectfully,
Taylor L. Porter
First Days of School
Monday, 8/29
*We will welcome all incoming Freshmen and all students new to the Sycamore Community School District. This group of students should plan to arrive by 7:20am and report to the Main Gym.
*Freshman should bring their old Chromebooks from the 8th grade to turn them in for new Chromebooks. All students new to the district will be receiving Chromebooks this year, potentially on this day as well. All freshman and new students who arrive on this day will also get a gold copy of their most up-to-date class schedule. Students will have a chance to walk these classes in the afternoon and meet their teachers.
*Seniors may arrive beginning at 8:00am and be welcomed by our Senior PTO Committee who will be providing a donut breakfast at our new drop-off circle (formerly the “lower bus ramp”)! We hope all seniors can make it at 8:00am for this kick-off.
*All Seniors are required to report to the Main Theatre by 8:30am and should plan to remain at school until 11:00am (unless they choose to stay for lunch). Seniors who are new to the district may report at 8:30am to the Main Theatre and do not need to go to the Main Gym at 7:20am.
*We will hold a New Parent/Family Orientation from 5:30pm-6:30pm in the Main Theatre. Please park anywhere in the Staff Lot or Bus Lot that evening for this event, and enter through the circle driveway closest to the flagpole. Please use the West Entrance to campus to access those lots. They will position you closest to the Main Theatre. This event is intended for all families of Freshmen and those students new to the district. Your students are welcome to join as well!
Tuesday, 8/30
*All students in all grade levels will attend school on a normal bell schedule and report to all of their classes for a full day of school.
*All students who did not receive their schedule on Monday, 8/29, will receive a new, gold copy of their most up-to-date schedule during 2nd bell.
*Please ask your student to check Blackboard as well, where schedules are current. If your student receives a paper copy of their schedule with any incorrect or missing classes, please ask them to contact the Counseling Center.
Traffic Flow
We’ve worked with a group of senior leaders to make a video for you that should answer many of the questions we are fielding most frequently. I strongly encourage you to take the time to watch this video, even if only the segments relevant to your particular situation, prior to the start of next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j395pifTfHU
Please reference the two maps attached to this memo. In very short summary, these will be the entry points to campus:
West Entrance (Closest to Deerfield Rd. and Blue Ash):
-All Buses
-All Staff Parking
-Handicap Parking
East Entrance (Closest to the Pond):
-All Student Parkers from Blue Ash direction
-All Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up from Blue Ash direction
-All Student Parkers from Shadowhill/Valleystream
-All Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up from Shadowhill/Valleystream
-All Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up from Montgomery Road direction (including Snider Road)
-All Visitors
Access Road (Closest to Stadium and Montgomery Road):
-All Student Parkers from Montgomery Road direction (including Snider Road)
There will be only ONE drop-off circle. It is accessible by using the East Entrance (closest to the pond) and then veering LEFT as you pass the median.
Important Notes:
-The bridge on Cornell Road will be under construction for much of September. Please consider alternative routes (either via Blue Ash, or via Snider to East Kemper Road) if you are traveling from this direction.
-A map of parking spots for students is attached. Spots 246-459 are closest to the stadium and spots 1-245 are closest to the building.
-Drivers will NOT be able to drive through campus from one side of the building to the other. Please plan on using ONLY the entrance listed for you above.
-In order to accommodate incoming traffic, drivers exiting campus will ONLY be able to turn Right at their respective exit.
*We encourage you to use Sycamore Transportation as an alternative to dropping off or picking up your child if possible! Please contact 513-686-1785 for questions about busing.
*Please be patient! Delays will be long, and we understand this.
*Please be cautious! Families, students, and staff members will all be unfamiliar with the traffic pattern.
*Please be kind! Our law enforcement and staff volunteers will be outside doing their best to move traffic along both expeditiously and safely.
Thanks to all our student volunteers who simulated driving through our traffic routes and made many of the directional signs you will see on campus. Questions? Please email Mr. Corattiyil, Dean of Students, at CorattiyilA@SycamoreSchools.org.
Info. for new students and info. for new parent night:
New students will attend school on August 29th the hours are 7:20am to 2:08pm. The bus routes will be live and we recommend being a few minutes early as this is a great time to get your daily routine underway. If you have any questions about your bus number or route please check out the website and look for “Bus Stop Information.” New parent orientation will be on Monday evening, August 29, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm in the Main Theater. The walking around part will be dependent upon how construction looks at that point. Open house is going to be a hybrid in person and virtual experience. The in-person portion of that event will take place at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 8.
Chromebook Warranty & Damage Repair:
We have had some updates to how we handle and process Chromebook warranties and damage/repairs. In short, students will be allotted $100 of damage/repair annually as opposed to the one break per year that we have done in the past. Please view our full Chromebook Warranty Program HERE.
Important Information About Traffic
With students returning to Sycamore High School Monday, August 29, and the Cornell Road bridge over I-275 still under construction, heavy traffic and long delays are expected in the area during school arrival at 7:20 a.m. and dismissal at 2:10 p.m.
All drivers who are not students or a parent dropping off a student should find an alternate route.
Sycamore High School students or parents dropping off a student are encouraged to approach the school from the Blue Ash side in order to avoid the bridge under construction.
ODOT’s contractor, Complete General, expects to complete the bridge work by mid-to-late September, at which time it will be fully re-opened.
2022 YEARBOOK UPDATE
Thank you for your patience as we navigate ongoing supply chain and shipping challenges.
Class of '22 Senior books will be shipped directly to homes. You might have already received some packages from the manufacturer if you ordered specialized components like protective coverings and autograph sheets; these shipped out first. Books should (hopefully) arrive in September.
For underclassmen, books will arrive at the high school, and we will schedule a set of pick-up dates when we have them available to distribute. We will publicize these dates in building communications and on our social channels (SHS Yearbook on Twitter, SHS Yearbook on Instagram , Sycamore Leaf on Twitter, Sycamore Leaf on Instagram).
Thanks!
Amy Brownlee
Yearbook Advisor
Child Nutrition Department Updates-
We are so excited for our students to see our new High School "Flight Deck" (our kitchen). Construction is down to the wire for our Child Nutrition staff to get ahold of the new area and get it ready for the beginning of school. Please be patient with our staff and understand that the first week or so not ALL menu options may be available. We will work as quickly as we can to get it running at full capacity as soon as possible.
ALSO, we are welcoming back our after school snack sales this year. This will be located in the NEW Aviator Express Cafe outside of the main kitchen. This will be open from 2:08-3:00 pm daily and we will offer an array of snacks, drinks, a la carte lunch entrees and more! Our first day in operation will be Tuesday, September 6th.
Finally, remember to fill out a Free and Reduced Price Meal Application if you think you might qualify! www.payschoolscentral.com <- for online form. Visit the Child Nutrition page for more details.
Sycamore Athletic Booster Memberships and All Sports Passes on Sale Now
Support the mission of the Sycamore Athletic Boosters by purchasing a membership at the Green, Aviator or Gold level. Follow the below link for more information about how the Boosters support Sycamore Athletics and how to join. https://aviatorathletics.org/athletic-boosters-home/
Adult and Student All Sports Passes are available for $103 and $28 respectively. Family Passes offer a discount and are available to Booster Members. These athletic passes allow entry into all Sycamore home athletic contests during the regular season, but not tournament games.
School Pictures
You can order your portraits on McDaniel's Photography website, www.mcdphoto.net/school/shs
Please dress your best as these photos will be in the yearbook and on your student ID. School dress code is required with no hats, etc.
CLASS of 2023 - Important Health Advisory
High School Juniors and Families:
Are you aware of the immunization requirements for the beginning of the 2022-23 school year?
-12th grade students (Class of 2023) must submit documentation that they have received at least 1 dose of MCV4 (meningococcal vaccine - Menactra/Menveo) administered on or after their 16th birthday.
I strongly encourage you to check with your physician to verify that your child is up-to-date on immunizations now. Please forward all updated vaccination records to Jennifer Ferris, RN, school nurse (ferrisj@sycamoreschools.org, by mail, or by fax (489-7425). Updated vaccine records are accepted anytime. Do not wait until August to complete this requirement!
For more information about Ohio’s required school vaccinations and waiver options, please refer to the following link: https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Immunization/Required-Vaccines-Child-Care-School/Required-Vaccines-Child-Care-School . For other questions, please contact Jennifer Ferris at 686-1773.
Local Vaccine resources:
Hamilton County Public Health Department 513-946-7800
Levine Family Health Center 513-527-7300