Blue Ash Elementary MARCH
March 23, 2018
Celebrating our diverse cultures!!
Thank you to our PTO for putting this event together, and to our many families that shared delicious food with us!
Lobby Guard Process begins April 2
Over the past few weeks we have been preparing families that Sycamore School District will soon be implementing a system to enhance our security and allow us to manage our visitors more effectively within every building.
Beginning April 2, we will be using the Lobby Guard system which will require all visitors to bring photo identification in order to enter our buildings. The Lobby Guard system will scan the identification and then produce a sticker that contains the visitor's photo.
Please be aware that If visitors do not have an ID, they will not be allowed to access beyond the lobby area.
Thank you
Student Information Form for Classroom Placement
Each spring we begin collecting information from parents regarding student placement for the following school year.
While considering your child’s learning characteristics and social interaction style, your child’s current teachers will be carefully placing your child in a friendly, collaborative group with other children with whom he/she works well. If you would like your child to be placed with a specific peer, please complete the form below. Every effort will be made to place your child with one of the students listed below. Please list six names to ensure a classroom placement with a peer. If fewer than six names are provided, the likelihood of your child being placed with a peer listed is decreased.
Please complete by March 16, 2018.
Notes from our Nurse
The late winter and early spring months are typical times for seeing increased cases of Strep Throat. There have been an increased number of Strep Throat cases identified in our school community. Here is some information that may help you understand this illness, treatment and prevention.
What causes Strep Throat?
The Streptococcal Group A bacteria that causes this infection is spread by direct person-to person contact through droplets of saliva or nasal secretions.
What are the signs of illness?
Oral temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or greater (some people do NOT run fevers)
Sore throat with severe pain on swallowing
A beefy red colored throat
Headache, nausea or stomach pain
Swollen tonsils and uvula with white streaks or pus
Swollen glands along the jawline
Generalized body aches and fatigue
Loss of appetite
Sometimes a “Sandpaper” type rash is present
How do I know if my child has Strep?
Just looking at the throat does not always indicate that a Strep infection is present. Strep Throat may be diagnosed only by a Rapid Strep Test or throat culture. Strep Throat symptoms generally subside in 3-5 days. In rare cases, the bacteria may spread and cause arthritis, heart problems, meningitis, bone infections or liver problems.
What is the treatment?
Prescribed antibiotic medication
Rest
Drinking plenty of fluids
Isolation from others for 24 hours once antibiotic treatment begins
Finish the full prescription and do not skip doses,even if your child feels better
Serious infections of the kidney, liver and heart can occur if the medicine is stopped before all the bacteria causing the infection are gone
When can my child return to school?
Notify the school nurse if your child has Strep Throat
No child with a diagnosed Strep infection should return to school until 24 hours of prescribed antibiotic therapy
How do I prevent my child and family from getting Strep Throat?
Frequent handwashing
Respiratory etiquette (cough in sleeves or elbow not hands)
Tissues should be used and quickly thrown away
If you child has had repeated Strep Infections, talk with your primary care provider about repeating a throat culture after the antibiotic treatment. This will confirm the Strep infection was successfully treated. For more information about Strep Throat infection click on the following links:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/strepthroat/
http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/sore-throat.html
Please contact the school nurse at wyrickd@sycamoreschools.org or 513-686-1713 for further questions.
Classroom STEAM
1st grade designing and building bridges
Testing to see how much weight they can hold
Working together to make decisions and improvements
Testing Schedule
BAE Families,
There are several assessments given to students during the spring months. Students within grades 2, 3, 4 will take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments, first graders take the MPG, in reading and math during the week of March 19-23. MAP/MPG assessments occur three times throughout the year. These assessments are unique in that they are adaptive. This means that the test becomes more difficult the more questions a child answers correctly. When a student incorrectly answers a question, the test becomes easier. Therefore, your students test is specifically created for his or her learning level. In addition, the tests are aligned with the district curriculum, and are taken online via school provided laptops. From these assessments, teachers receive data to influence their instruction and are better able to create flexible groupings, adjust time spent on certain topics, provide additional scaffolding for students, set goals for class/individual growth, and reflect on teaching practices.
OELPA assessments are given to those students in grades kindergarten through fourth that speak English as a second language. Alternately assessed students, in third and fourth grade, take the AASCD assessment. Third and fourth graders will take AIR assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These annual state assessments provide a snapshot of our student’s progress in their understanding and application of curriculum standards. These results allow us to benchmark ourselves and identify trends in data that will guide our work with students.
Below, please find a testing schedule. As the schedule pertains to MAP, please see your student’s teacher about their specific testing days and times, as these vary by class and grade level.
Please be mindful of scheduling appointments, vacations or missed school days around the assessment schedule. It is our hope that students are well rested, eat a well balanced breakfast and arrive to school on time each day, especially on days they are to take an assessment.
Thank you!
~~PTO INFORMATION~~
From the Presidents Corner
Feedback is so important to the PTO. We really like to know the opinions of the families at Blue Ash Elementary. Last year, there was a change on how all the schools handled the directory. The directory was made available via an online app called Directory Spot. The digital app, it appears, is not as popular as the paper directory BAE has used in the past. The PTO would like families to take the survey (link below) to give us your opinion about the directory. The feedback will help the PTO Executive Board, as well as the Directory Chairs, proceed with the directory next year. Thank you.
Victoria Margroum
BAE PTO President
Save the Date!
Click here to volunteer:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0A48ACAB2EA3F49-variety1 Or contact Kimberly Reese at Reese_incorporated@yahoo.com
Active Aves Spring Session
Active Aves is a fun recess running program at Blue Ash Elementary. We are so excited to kick off the Spring Session! The children can't wait to get involved with Active Aves again in a few short weeks!
The program will be every Tuesday and Thursday starting April 3rd through May 10th, only when outdoor recess is occurring. Volunteers are needed to help cheer on the kids, punch lap cards and hand out prizes. The children love this running program so much, as do the volunteers! Each shift will have two spots available. Fourth and Second Grade recess 11:45am-12:30pm. First and Third Grade recess 12:50pm-1:30pm.
To sign up, please visit http://bit.ly/2ubmE0B or email stephaniesheard@hotmail.com. If no available shifts remain, please feel free to come, as we can always use an extra set of hands. Keep in mind, younger siblings are encouraged to come! You are also welcome to walk or run laps with the children.
Thanks in advance for your time and energy, so we can provide this fun activity for our kids!
Co-Chairs: Aisa Claybon & Stephanie Sheard