Salem Spotlight
January 2018
Our Mission
At Salem, we realize all children are individuals, and this may be their first experience in social living. Our desired goal in working with all children is growth.
We strive to create a stimulating environment for each child that will promote and foster his/her interests and curiosity, thus promoting optimal learning. This learning will incorporate the development of academic, relationship, and citizenship skills, a requirement for functioning in our society as productive citizens.
From the Desk of the Preschool Director
Winter weather information: https://www.littlemiamischools.com/resources/winter-weather-info-29/
Information about 90-minute delays:
- Families with morning preschool students: students will start the day 90 minutes later and will return home on the bus 45 minutes later than usual.
- Families with afternoon preschool students: students will be delayed 45 minutes later than usual, and at the end of the day, will return home at regular time.
Other cold weather reminders: please dress your students in appropriate clothing/jackets. If it's above freezing, recess we will be outside.
Stay warm, spring will be here before we know it!
Save the Dates!
by Mrs. Miles
General Dates
2/7/18: Interims Go Home
2/19/18: No School (Presidents' Day)
2/26/18: Late Arrival for Students
3/9/18: End of Third Quarter
3/12/18-3/16/18: No School (Spring Break)
3/23/18: Report Cards Sent Home
3/30/18-4/2/18: No School
Conferences
2/15/18: 4:30pm-8:00pm
2/22/18: 4:30pm-8:00pm
Other
2/28/18: Spring Picture Day
3/1/18: 4th Grade Music Programs (at the Intermediate School)
- 6:30pm: Combs, Rhoads, Goodstein, Wright
- 7:30pm: Douglass, Higginbothan, Jackson, Woods
3/8/18: 4th Grade Music Programs (at the Intermediate School)
- 6:30pm: Frederick, Huecker, Robinson, Silberberg
- 7:30pm: Collins, Fey, Freeman, Milnickel, Moher
PTO Dates
2/8/18-2/23/18: Book Fair
2/13/18: PTO Meeting (7:00pm)
2/14/18: Valentine's Day Parties
2/21/18: Mad Potter (6:30-8:00pm)
Helpful Handbook Reminders
SALEM ELEMENTARY DRESS CODE
Salem students are expected to maintain a high standard of behavior, and each student is encouraged to dress in a manner that is appropriate. Research has shown a correlation between appearance and behavior, especially in the school setting. Respect for self, school, home, and community can be reflected by the way you dress. Administrators may exclude any student, when, in his/her judgment, apparel is not consistent with the standards established below:
Dress Code Standards:
1. Hats, head coverings, bandanas, sweatbands, and sunglasses will not be worn inside the building.
2. Appropriate footwear must be worn for safety and sanitation reasons. Examples of unacceptable footwear include flip flops, slippers, and loose fitting footwear that cannot safely and securely remain on the student’s feet. Shoes must cover heels (no clogs, open back shoes).
3. Shirt sleeves, sweater sleeves, and vests must not be so loose or decorative as to create a safety hazard. Examples of inappropriate apparel include but are not limited to: halters, midriff tops, crop tops, spaghetti strap tops, strapless tops, revealing and/or see through tops, open mesh garments, garments with open sides which expose skin or undergarments, tank tops, and muscle shirts.
4. Lower garments are to be worn at the appropriate level and cannot drag on the floor. Lower garments should not allow any portion of the undergarments to be exposed when the student sits, stands, raises his/her hand, or bends over. No form fitting shorts of any kind may be worn unless worn completely under a shirt/dress. Examples include biking, spandex, and Lycra shorts. Shorts must be mid-thigh. If a belt is worn, it must be of proper length.
5. Torn or tattered pants with small holes below fingertips are permitted so long as these holes do not become safety hazards.
6. Patches, insignias, buttons, jewelry, clothing, or other items that include obscene, violent, gang, tobacco, drug or alcohol related writing or images are not acceptable. Items of clothing that belittle others may not be worn (i.e., race, religion, gender, etc.)
7. Coats and jackets meant for outdoor wear, book bags and oversized bags must be kept in school lockers or other designated areas during the day.
8. Jewelry or articles judged to be potentially harmful to students are not acceptable.
9. Makeup should not be worn to school.
10. Color sprayed hair, or extreme color dyed hair is not acceptable.
11. Students must maintain socially acceptable standards of personal hygiene.
Exceptions to the above dress code will be considered for special events, cultural beliefs and to promote school spirit. Students and/or sponsors must have permission from the administration prior to the activity.
The Principal, with the assistance of the faculty, shall have the responsibility of uniformly administering the dress policy.
Not all clothing can be addressed in this handbook. The administration will inform the parent if there is a clothing concern not addressed in the handbook.
Student Council
January Project
Student Council reps have been busy this month preparing for the school wide February Project, “No One Sits Alone Campaign.” This will be our second year taking part in this program. Many of the reps, for the last two meetings, helped design, write, and decorate flyers that will be hung around the school advertising the steps students take to be part of the campaign. Other students, with the help of Ms. Malblanc and Ms. McKinley, created a video to go along with the campaign. Both groups have done an excellent job representing our school as leaders.
January Character Trait
The January character trait is generosity. At the end of each week in January, one student who showed this character trait was awarded a certificate of generosity by his/her teacher or classmates, to place on his/her locker.
Counselor's Corner
Start With Hello
Throughout the week of February 5 -9, we will be celebrating the Sandy Hook Promise “Start With Hello Week” at Salem Township Elementary! Below is some information about the purpose of this week and the planned activities.
What is Start With Hello?
Social isolation is the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely, or treated like you are invisible. It is a growing epidemic in the United States and within our schools. Start With Hello focuses on teaching students the skills they need to reach out to and include those who may be dealing with chronic social isolation and create a culture of INCLUSION and CONNECTEDNESS within their school community.
How will Salem be celebrating Start with Hello Week?
Throughout the week, all PS, KG, 3rd and 4th grade students will watch a video each morning that was created by Student Council. This video will introduce the daily activities.
Students will be participating in activities during their lunch and/or recess focused on encouraging them to reach out to each other and celebrate inclusion. Student Council will be helping to lead all of the activities.
Here is our planned schedule of events for 3rd and 4th grade:
Monday, February 5th: Getting to know you Bingo game at recess.
Tuesday, February 6th: Get to Know Me Scavenger Hunt - Students will identify 3 things about themselves and “hunt” for students at recess who have things in common with them.
Wednesday, February 7th: Would you rather? ice breaker game at lunch.
Thursday, February 8th: Photo Booth at lunch to help make memories about Start With Hello week. Student Council helped to make the signs to be used for the photo booth.
Friday, February 9th: National “No One Sits Alone” Day! All students will be encouraged at lunch to sit with a classmate who could use a friend.
Free Parent Workshops in February
Please click on the link below to get information about our free parent workshops and to sign up:
Curriculum Connection
by Mrs. Horvath & Mrs. Meyer
Tips to Encourage Writing at Home
● Provide a place for your child to write.
● Have your child write a daily dinner menu.
● Have your child prepare the grocery list.
● Have your child write a letter to his or her grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins.
● One of the best activities to improve writing is reading! Reading exposes students to vocabulary, word study, and content-specific vocabulary. Through reading, students see a variety of authors’ techniques that they can use in their own writing.
● Be a writing role model. Make sure your child sees you writing and point out how you use writing in your daily life!
Special's Spot - Art
Save the Date! Little Miami School District Fine Arts Festival “Rhythm and Renderings” will be taking place at the High School on April 28. More information to be sent home closer to the event. The 4th Graders started off the new year creating paper/yarn weavings. Students painted paper with water colors and experimented with salt and rubbing alcohol, creating their own textures and patterns. This painting was then cut up and woven together, creating a colorful checker board pattern. This process pushed students' skills when going through the process of the weaving, which can be tedious. They were then given the choice of weaving different colors of yarn to create various types of effects with color. Next, we will be exploring Tessellations and the art of M.C. Escher. The 3rd Graders have enthusiastically dived into their mythical creature project. This project examines myths and their creatures that are found across different cultures, books, and movies. Students are tasked to creating and drawing a new “mythical” creature, never before seen in reality or myth. This creature will be a hybrid of real animals or human features; similar to mermaids or griffins. Students will also use their science knowledge to create habitats for their creatures. Students will challenge themselves with drawing and coloring the animal combinations. Next we will be exploring the Australian Outback.
Supporting Positive Behavior at Home
Zones of Regulation
The ability to control our behavior, emotions, and thoughts is something everyone works on whether or not we are aware of it. We all encounter circumstances that test our limits from time to time. If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place. This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation (or Zones for short).
The Zones framework provides strategies to teach children to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to solve conflicts.
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A child may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A child may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A child may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, a person is “good to go”. A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when a person is in the Red Zone this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where a person goes to rest or re-energize.
All of the zones are natural to experience, but the framework focuses on teaching children how to recognize and manage their Zone based on the environment and its demands.
You can help your child manage his or her zones by talking about his or her feelings and providing strategies like the one listed below to help move into the Green Zone.
You can also click here to watch a short video where children explain the zones!
Notes from the Nurses
by Mrs. Knochel & Mrs. Sedlatschek
Brrr!
Please be sure your children are wearing warm clothing to school; including coats, hats, and gloves. We will be going outside for recess when the weather allows. Also, keep this in mind when playing outside in the cold at home, as appropriate clothing is important in keeping children safe and healthy.
Germs
The cold and flu season is upon us! Remember that the main way illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person in the respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. To stop the spread of germs, take care to cover your mouth and nose by sneezing or coughing into your elbow, wash your hands often, and remind your children to practice healthy habits.
Quick Links
2017 - 2018 School Hours
8:55 - Doors Open for Students & Breakfast Begins
9:10 - Classes Start
11:50 - AM Preschool & Kindergarten Ends
1:05 - PM Preschool & Kindergarten Begins
3:50 - Student Dismissal
Contact Information
605 Welch Road
Morrow, Ohio 45152
Principal: Mrs. Lisa Smith
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Jamie Miles
Assistant Principal: Mr. Cory Taylor
Preschool Director: Mrs. Erin Losey
Office & Attendance Number: 513.899.5275
Fax Numbers: 513.899.3196 (Grades 3 & 4) / 513.899.2891 (Grades P & K)
School Website
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Mrs. Smith - @LSmithSalem
Mrs. Losey - @LM_PrekPanthers
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Mr. Taylor - @MrTaylorLM
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