Violet Views August 2020
HOME OF THE SUPERVIOLETS
Principal's Message
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the school year 2020-2021! I know that we are all a little concerned about how school will play out this school year. I just wanted to ensure that we will continue to have productive partnerships with all parents so that your children can be the most successful students reaching their highest potential. We recognize that the end of the previous school year was abrupt in the change of structure for you and your family, however now is the time for patience, flexibility, and kindness. As partners, we share responsibility for our student’s success and we want you to know that we will continue to do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she:
Attend school daily and arrive on time, ready for the day’s learning experience
Completes all assignments and homework given by teachers
Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literary skills
Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life
Informs you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject
Knows that you expect him/her to succeed in school
I believe it to be critical to read over and understand our rules and expectations so that you and your child can be knowledgeable about them together. If you have any questions about school expectations, please feel free to contact me or to discuss them with your child’s teacher. It is very important that you and your child are fully aware of standards related to appropriate behavior for a safe and productive school year.
Please feel free to review the PLSD Student Handbook which can be accessed on our district website.
On behalf of all staff, we feel privileged to work with you and your child. We thank you for your support and look forward to meeting you.
Mrs. D Copas
School Principal
EMBRACE RACE
The youth have an opportunity to help in making systemic change to make our community strong in solidarity and inclusiveness. We must learn about one another, in order to create change. Let's not be silent about race and racism, start asking questions, having those important discussions, and taking necessary actions.
As a community, we can encourage inclusivity of all people we encounter on a daily basis. I want to provide a resource that could help with your younger children through the use of literature. Please check out this list of books that can provide some understanding on how to embrace all people, no matter the color.
https://www.embracerace.org/resources/20-picture-books-for-2020
PLSD FLEXIBLE LEARNING PLAN
Click this link for the Q & A page:
https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/flexible-learning-2-0-plan-qa/
School Year Will Start With Hybrid Model of Learning
August 24 - First Day Grades 1-12
August 27 - First Day of Kindergarten (Cohort A at school, Cohort B virtually)
August 28 - Kindergarten Cohort B at School (Cohort A virtually)
- Students will be placed into cohorts (assigned learning groups) by household. The district is currently assigning cohorts and will email this information to you as soon as it is available.
- Cohort A will attend school in the buildings on Monday and Tuesday and learn the rest of the week virtually.
- Cohort B will attend school in the buildings on Thursday and Friday and learn the rest of the week virtually.
- All students will be loaned a PLSD device for the school year to take back and forth from school.
- Please watch for more information about cohort assignments. Classroom and teacher assignments will follow.
Student iPads/Chromebooks for 20-21
Back to School Forms
Back-to-School Open House Night
Are You in Need of Childcare?
Greetings Pickerington Local School Parents,
The YMCA is proud to be a partner of the Pickerington Local Schools. We continue to provide Before and After Care in the schools, but we know that this school year will be different. As we learn more about the options of Hybrid and Virtual Learning schedules, the YMCA would like to assess the needs of the community through a Needs Assessment Survey. This survey will help evaluate the need for care at school before and after scheduled school days, as well as care needed on virtual learning days that children will not be scheduled to attend school in-person (whether in a hybrid schedule or 100% virtual schedule). If there is a need for care we would like to explore options to provide a program to parents. We are in our final stages of program planning for the fall. Please take a few minutes to complete the YMCA Program Needs Survey to help us best serve your family. For more information about our program, please visit our website YMCA Child Care Programs. If you have additional questions at this time, please email garverregistrar@ymcacolumbus.org.
Thank you,
YMCA Child Care Team
School Supply List 20-21
INCLUDED BELOW IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT VIOLET PROCEDURES AND POLICIES FOR YOU TO REVIEW AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
School Day Schedule 2020-21
Revised Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Bus riders will be loading and unloading in the front of the building. No cars should be parked in this area during arrival (8:50-9:45am) and dismissal times (3:50-4:15pm). All students will remain on the bus upon arrival at the school building. The staff member on duty will dismiss one bus at a time to enter the building for students to go to breakfast or directly to class. At dismissal time, each bus will be called individually to ensure the students have a staggered release at the end of the day.
Parents dropping off or picking up students, please drive to the blacktop playground area, follow the serpentine pathway, and proceed around to entrance "L" for entering and exiting. Once you have pulled up on the serpentine, all students will wait in their cars until the bell rings at 9:05 a.m. Please note this change in time from previous years. We will have the cars parked along the curb, that's usually about 5 cars, release their students and enter the building to go to breakfast or directly to class. We will continue to have students enter the building in this manner until all students have exited their cars. For the sake of safety, please pull all the way forward, listen to the directions of the staff, and do not release your children until directed by them. As you exit the school parking lot, turn right only and exit onto Education Drive. The right turn applies during school arrival and dismissal times only. Please do not park on the playground blacktop area. Children from daycare centers will be dropped off at this same location. For end of the day Parent Pickup, we will assign a last name card that corresponds to your child. We ask that you display these on the front passenger side. The traffic flow runs fairly smoothly, however, inclement weather conditions will certainly impact dismissal time.
In the morning, walkers will not have access to the building until the bell rings at 9:05 a.m. Please note this change in time from previous years. Please have students time their arrival to school so they can come directly into the building to go to breakfast or to their classroom. At dismissal time, walkers will be dismissed first, by grade level and neighborhood. If your child is a Melrose walker, they will exit in back and walk down the path. If your child is a Chevington walker, you or your adult designee may meet them in front by the light post. Your child must be an assigned walker in order to exit this way. All other students must be picked up in the Parent Pick Up Line, or ride a bus, or a daycare van. Do not park on Education Drive or Ravine Drive and ask your child to meet you. This increased traffic creates an unsafe condition for students. We would like to remind parents the safest crossing points are the crosswalks at Melrose Boulevard and Ravine Avenue.
Please remember students are not permitted to go to their classrooms until 9:05 am. Please do not drop off students early because supervision is not available before 9:05 am. Students are not permitted to be on the playground before school starts unless supervised by a parent. Students must be in their classrooms by the tardy bell at 9:15 am. Please drop them off in plenty of time to walk to their classroom. We appreciate all your help and cooperation in helping us keep your child safe while at school.
We ask for your patience and cooperation in helping us dismiss your student directly to you in a safe and timely manner.
Early Dismissal/Absences
While we all know that consistency is important in a child’s life, it may become necessary to change your child’s dismissal plans. If you must change the way your child is to be dismissed, we ask that you call the main office and send a note in advance to your child’s teacher. Please allow enough time to come into the building to sign your child out. Students will be called from class to meet you in the office. As you come to sign out your child(ren), be advised that you MUST be wearing a face mask or covering to enter into the building.
Please call the school if your child is absent. State Law requires a daily check of students who are absent. A 24-hour answering machine is available to receive absence or tardy calls. Please call 614-548-1500 and press "1" for attendance. Homework requests must be placed by 9:30 am in order to allow teachers time to prepare these plans. They must be picked up by 4:15 pm. Please make sure that you arrange to pick these up as teachers spend quality time preparing these materials. Please make yourself familiar with district policy regarding attendance, as well as excused and unexcused absences.
School Lunch Information
Pickerington Schools uses the online payment system My Payments Plus as a safe, secure, and convenient way to allow parents to pay for their children’s meals. With a My Payments Plus account, you will cut down on cash/paper handling and will be able to monitor lunch balances, view purchase history, and set up email reminders. Parents are strongly encouraged to use this electronic payment system so that we can limit touch points during the lunch periods. If this is not possible, students can bring in cash, check, or money order and give to their teacher. These will be forwarded to the foodservice department and placed on the student's account. Checks should be made payable to PLSD Foodservice. With MyPayments Plus you will have the ability to download the free MyPaymentsPlus mobile app, which is available for all iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android devices.
Elementary lunch prices this year are:
Regular Lunch: $2.75
Extra Milk: $ .50
Breakfast: $1.50
Extra Entrée $2.00
Free/reduced-price meals: Your children may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. If you wish to apply for meal benefits, please complete an application. (Applications will be available around August 6th on the PLSD website.)
Custody Counts
To serve requirements of a child custody order, a parent should present an official order to be placed on record for the guidance, attendance, and administrative offices. Ohio Revised Code 3313.673 states “…the custodial parent of the child shall notify the school of those custodial arrangements…”
Our primary concern is knowing the legal custodian, residential parent, and knowing the answer to the question, “Can your child be dismissed to a non-custodial parent?” Schools are obligated to follow court documentation regarding the rights of a non-custodial parent. Please inform the office of any address or custody changes from last year.
Violet Student Birthdays
A birthday is a day to celebrate the life of a wonderful, unique and special person: YOUR CHILD! Violet Elementary will be honoring your child in the following ways:
- Your child’s birthday will be announced during the morning announcements.
- Your child will receive a birthday pencil from the office on his/her birthday.
Due to serious concerns about allergies, dietary restrictions, and an overall disruption of instruction, absolutely no edible treats are to be brought to school. Thank you for helping to keep all of our students safe and healthy!
School Visits/Volunteering Revised
Behavioral Expectations
Behavior Rating Checklist Procedures
If you need a staff member to complete a behavior checklist, please note the following guidelines, when requesting information from teachers, counselors and administrators.
- All requests must be handled through the school counselor.
- A written release of information must accompany the request.
- A pre-addressed envelope with sufficient postage or a correct fax number should also be provided by the parent. The parent will receive a copy of these forms, indicating the date mailed/faxed.
- Allow at least two weeks from the time the counselor receives the form(s) to the date the physician/agency needs the material.
- Identify, specifically, which teachers are to complete the forms.
Safety Drills / Safe School Tip Line
Safety drills will be conducted periodically throughout the year. Fire drills, tornado drills, lock-down, medical emergency, and evacuation procedures will be practiced during the school year. Each classroom is provided with a crisis management plan.
The SaferOH Tip Line
The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Public Safety have launched the SaferOH tip line that will accept both calls and texts 24 hours a day.This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.
Every tip can remain anonymous. School safety analysts may ask for additional information, but the caller can remain secret or leave his or her contact information for later follow-up.
Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention (TAP) Unit. When action is needed, the TAP Unit immediately forwards information to Pickerington Schools, local law enforcement agencies, and others, if necessary.
Yearbooks from 2019-2020
Important Dates
August 24 FIrst Day of School Grades 1-4
August 27 FIrst Day of Kindergarten (Cohort A at school, Cohort B virtually)
August 28 Kindergarten Cohort B at School (Cohort A VIrtually)
September 7 No School, Labor Day
ABOUT US
Email: dee_copas@plsd.us
Website: http://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/violet-elementary/
Location: 8855 Education Drive, Pickerington, OH, United States
Phone: (614) 548-1500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuperVioletES/
Twitter: @VioletElem