Pickerington Elementary
September 25, 2020
A Note from Mr. Z
Are we back in the swing of things yet?
This year has been difficult for everyone and the move back to normalcy has been a slow process. I for one am looking for bright spots such as the crisp weather, sweatshirts, and of course FOOTBALL! Our stress may occasionally make it difficult to find those bright spots, but I urge you to connect with positives in your life! Though these times are tough, the resiliency of Pickerington Elementary students has been evident day in and day out. I have enjoyed seeing your children learning both at school and at home. So kudos to you all! We all continue to navigate this change in our daily lives and make adjustments on the fly. Keep practicing and completing the SeeSaw activities, help your child manage their workload appropriately, and keep working hard. Thank you for your continued support of this new learning model, but most of all, thank you for being the solid foundation your child needs to be successful during this trying time.
Take care and be safe
Mr. Zwiebel
Plan for Progress (P4P)
Dr. Briggs: What are the facts about the Pickerington Schools' ballot issue?
In Dr. Brigg’s latest Plan for Progress (P4P) Promise blog post, he shared the facts about how the Nov. 3 ballot issue seeks to address the district's growing enrollment. You can also find out how bond issue passage will affect the student population, individual buildings and facilities across the district by watching a unique “show-and-tell” video on our bond issue info webpage.
The voter registration deadline is October 5 - to learn more about how to register or update your registration, visit www.VoteOhio.gov
Our Pride of Pickerington Winners!
Beth Schaar
Valerie Jackson
Virtual Learning Help
There are high school students available for tutoring. Please contact Ms. Stewart for more information. Please email at kendra_stewart@plsd.us or call directly at 614-548-1431.
For more information regarding parent tech help, go to
Counselor Connection
Meet Ms. Stewart!
Many of you already know the school counselor Ms. Stewart, if you haven’t yet met her or you want to know more click this link to learn more about her and how she can help your student and family.
Meet Ms. Smith!
Ms. Smith is a social work intern working with Ms. Stewart this year. Please click this link to learn more about her!
H.O.P.E Food Bags
Violet Baptist Church offers a Weekend Food Program. This program was created to help those families in need of meals for their children over the weekend. This is offered to our students for FREE. Each student in the house is eligible. Students will take their bags home on either Monday or Thursday, depending on which hybrid day they are here. If your student is VLA and would like to participate, you will pick up the bag(s) from the school on Thursday or Friday. Please reach out to Kendra Stewart, School Counselor by phone at 614-548-1431 or email at kendra_stewart@plsd.us in order to sign up.
Reusable Water Bottles Needed!
As we know things are very different this year as we continue to navigate the current pandemic. One of our top priorities is keeping our children hydrated throughout the day while avoiding exposure. Our water fountains have been turned off to avoid spreading germs. A water bottle filler has been installed in our building for students to use instead. However, some of our students do not have access to water bottles to keep with them throughout the school day. We are asking for donations of new reusable water bottles that can be given to students in need. If you are able and interested in donating, please have your student bring them to Ms. Stewart in the office. Thank you in advance!
Helpful Tips for Parents During These Stressful Times
Whether you and your student are currently working in the hybrid model or are fully virtual, this article offers 3 helpful tips as you navigate these stressful, difficult, unusual times. This article was written in April 2020 when schools were completely shut down. I hope that you are able to find some information in this article that will help you and your child feel more comfortable and successful during these times.
“A school psychologist offers advice to parents on how to support their child during school closures. With nationwide school closures in effect, many parents are now monitoring homeschooling while at the same time trying to make a living in the midst of a terrible economic crisis. In this environment of broken routine and uncertainty, chances are your child is showing big feelings and challenging behaviors”
Nurse News
Kindergarten Parents
Instructional Coach
Quarter One Curriculum Updates
ELA - For English Language Arts, our district uses Great Minds/Wit & Wisdom. Wit & Wisdom uses books, poetry and art during the modules. Below is a brief summary of what each grade level is learning about during Quarter 1.
Kindergarten - Module 1 Topic: The Five Senses
1st Grade - Module 1 Topic: World of Books
2nd Grade - Module 1 Topic: A Season of Change
3rd Grade - Module 1 Topic: The Sea
4th Grade - Module 1 Topic: A Great Heart
Math - For math, our district uses Great Minds/Eureka Math. Below is the math focus for each grade level for quarter 1.
Kindergarten - Module 1 - Numbers to 10
1st Grade - Module 1 - Sums and Differences to 10
2nd Grade - Module 1 - Sums and Differences to 100
3rd Grade - Module 1 - Properties of Multiplication and Division
4th Grade - Module 1 - Place Value, Rounding, & Addition and Subtraction
Each month, current and relevant curriculum news will be shared.
All the best,
Mrs. Horsford
Other News
Feedback from Teachers in SeeSaw
When your child’s teacher receives Seesaw assignments, they must be approved to appear in your child’s journal. If your child’s teacher approves an assignment, it is acknowledgement that the assignment has been received. It has not necessarily been reviewed by the teacher yet. Assignments will be reviewed and feedback will be given at a later time. Feedback may be given virtually through Seesaw. If you do not see specific feedback given on an assignment, the teacher may be addressing the work during your child’s in-person days, or the work may be practice. If a student’s work is approved, but after review is deemed incomplete, the work may be reassigned.
Free School Lunches and Breakfast
Reasons why you should take advantage of FREE MEALS that our district is offering:
It saves you time shopping and preparing meals.
It is convenient!
It is comforting and familiar to your kids.
It is delicious and nutritious.
It helps keep the food supply chain flowing. This
helps farmers, truckers and local employees.
Each meal served provides funding to your district’s
food service department from USDA-not local
monies. Free meals will continue until December 31,
2020 or when the USDA runs out of funding.
It may extend your household food budget.
These meals help to keep our staff employed.
Every meal we prepare is carefully prepared with
enhanced food safety protocols in place.
We LOVE to provide meals to our students. It is
what we do best and it helps us to deal with the
disruptions around us.
Gear Up!
Support our PTO by purchasing your very own
Also, check out Sam's Pumpkin Patch to support our PTO!