Aviator Air Newsletter
Maple Dale Elementary's Parent Communication
Friday, December 1, 2017
Our Flight Plan
Attendance Line: (513) 686-1756
Mark your calendars!
December 5 - 7 CogAT Testing for 2nd and 4th grades
Week of December 11 - MAP Testing
December 13 - All Pro Dad Breakfast
December 22 - January 5 Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
Morning Parent Drop Off
School doors will be locking at 9:15 am. If you drop your child off in the mornings you will need to arrive BEFORE 9:15 a.m. According to the Sycamore Student Handbook, "The regular instructional day for a K-4 school begins at 9:15 a.m. Students arriving after 9:15 a.m. but before 10:15 a.m. will be considered tardy. Students who are tardy need to report to the office with a parent to receive a tardy slip before going to their classroom." Thank you for your cooperation.
Volunteer now for Maple Dale Cultural Heritage Night!
Maple Dale families, teachers and staff are invited to celebrate the cultures represented in our school Friday, January 19, 2018 from 6-8 PM.
Please join us to celebrate the cultural heritages and traditions represented at Maple Dale! Our school will be transformed for you to experience the tastes, sounds, arts, games, stories, dances etc. of the many cultures represented in our school community. This event will start with tastes of homemade food and cultural booths, and end with a high energy fashion show by our students and a variety of performances on stage!
Please log in to SignUp Genius by Dec 20, 2017 in order to participate in one or more of the areas listed below. SignUp Genius is our preferred method of signing up, but if you prefer, you can contact Alisha Kalb, alisha.v.kalb@gmail.com, 513-785-9475.
For questions and details, contact Alisha Kalb, alisha.v.kalb@gmail.com, 513-785-9475
SignUp Genius Link:
Food Booth
Make a dish with serving size of 8-10.
Cultural Booth
Create a booth to share your culture. Share traditions such as activities, games, language, art, dance, pictures and artifacts
Fashion Show
Your child will be a star on the stage, showing off cultural attire.
Cultural Performances
Organize a group, or go solo with a brief 4 minute song, dance, impersonation, etc.
After School Enrichment Program 2018 January 29 – March 12, 2018
Dear Parents:
The After School Enrichment (ASE) Committee of the MD/PTO is pleased to offer a variety of after school classes to provide fun, enriching experiences for our children. We encourage your child’s participation.
Important facts that you need to know for the 2018 program –
REGISTRATION will be ONLINE on the Maple Dale PTO Transaction Center
Online Payment will be REQUIRED at the time of registration Accepted Payments are Visa, MasterCard, Discover and PayPal
NEW in 2018
Class Registration will now open in waves.
Wave #1 December 12th at 9pm
Wave #2 December 13th at 9pm
Wave #3 December 14th at 9pm
Registration wave numbers on the class description pages.
All registration closes on December 20th, 2017
If you are experiencing financial difficulty that would prohibit your child from attending this program and you would still like to participate, please contact; the Maple Dale Elementary School Principle, Mrs. Reinke at 513-686-1720 for further information. THIS MUST BE DONE BY Wednesday December 6, 2017.
Click here for the class descriptions and details for your review of the 2018 ASE session.
iSpace is coming to Maple Dale!
Cincinnati's own iSpace is bringing their program "Living and Working in Space" to our school on January 11 & 12. All students K-4 will have the opportunity to participate. Parent/grandparent helpers are needed to make the event run smoothly. Please sign up to help students while they experience the different stations: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d44a9a728a20-ispace
Girls on the Run 5K - Saturday, November 18th
Cozy Coat Collection
Today we collected a TON of warm cozy clothes that the girls collected last week. Nurse Julie took some clothes for kids at Maple Dale and we will be donating the rest to a local Cincinnati Public Elementary School who is requesting donations for kids who don't have warm clothes this winter.
Thanks again for a great season!
The Hour of Code
We live in a world surrounded by technology and we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works. Here is some statistical information about Computer Science and its importance to our children’s future:
Jobs in computing are growing at twice the national rate of other types of work.
By 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be one million more computer science jobs than graduating students qualified for them
Computer science jobs are becoming the highest-paying jobs for new graduates.
Coding is a great way for students to learn and understand computational thinking
Computer science improves students ability to think critically and logically
Learning the principles of coding helps students become producers versus consumers of the games and apps they love to use
Research shows children’s ideas/attitudes about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (S.T.E.A.M.) are generally determined by 6th grade. In Sycamore Community Schools we are committed to increasing opportunities for all of our students to engage in activities that provide awareness and exploration in each of the STEAM areas throughout their twelve grades of development.
During the final weeks of first semester (December 4th-December 21st) our students in grades 2-8 will be amongst over two million worldwide spending time learning the basics of coding during one of the largest education events in history: The Hour of Code. Students will be given opportunities to participate in the Hour of Code through their Math classes as another method to improve their mathematical thinking and to introduce students to coding, which increasingly permeates our modern world. Our hope is by participating in the Hour of Code, our Sycamore students will begin to develop foundational coding skills and heightened interest in participating in Sycamore High School’s nationally recognized computer science program and other related courses in their future.
For additional resources go to Beyond the Hour of Code or Symbaloo Coding Websites and encourage your child to explore additional coding opportunities.
Announcement of Optional Testing for Identification of Gifted Students
You may request your child be tested on the Cognitive Ability Test (CogAT). If you wish to have your child participate in this round of testing, all requests must be made through the below online link by December 6th. If you have a child in 2nd and/or 4th grade, they will take the test during school with their class. For other grade levels, we are offering an optional testing opportunity. In order to decrease disruption to your child's instruction, this testing opportunity will take place on Saturday, December 9, at Maple Dale from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm for all four elementary buildings.
Please note it is the parents' responsibility to provide transportation to and from Maple Dale on morning of testing. Also please note Sycamore cannot use kindergarten or first grade scores for gifted placement.
Mental Health Matters
Parents,
We are so fortunate to have a Psychologist Intern, Cat Waltemire, working with our School Psychologist, Mr. Brian Osborn this school year. Cat has put together a fantastic resource for our teachers entitled, “Mental Health Matters.” We thought it was so meaningful that we wanted to share it with you as well. We will be sharing these monthly in the Aviator News. We hope you find the information useful.
Ann Marie and Mindy
Green Team Tip of the Week
We’re all familiar with the term “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and while most of us are great at recycling, we should focus on reducing and reusing whenever possible since recycling requires the use of a lot of energy. A great place to start reducing is with plastics. Some ideas include refusing to buy single use water bottles and always keeping a reusable one with you. Skip the snack and sandwich bags and opt for reusable containers for lunches and snacks on the go. Bring your own bags and containers when shopping for produce and bulk items (ideally from the farmers market!) Eat less meat and processed food. Cheap plastic toys- just say no! These are just a few simple ideas. For many more and some inspiration check out the Zero Waste Movement and always question whether there is something you can do to reduce.
First Lego League
On Sat., Dec. 2 between 8:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m., the Sycamore Robotics Boosters Board will be hosting its inaugural FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Regional Qualifier tournament at Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School. We invite you to join us to watch 16 teams from throughout the Cincinnati region in this "sport of the mind." Teams of up to 10 students in elementary through junior high have programmed LEGO Mindstorms robots to complete missions on a themed table.
We are proud to announce that the first competing Sycamore team Techno Terminators won the Project Award and Coach/Mentor Award at a tournament a few weeks ago. We will make an overall announcement with all FLL team achievements after Dec. 15.
FIRST Tech Challenge teams Aves Ablaze, Power Stackers, and Extreme Robotics Team will be competing in December through February. FLL Jr. teams will be competing through January.
Good luck to ALL teams!
About us
Email: reinkea@sycamoreschools.org
Website: http://www.sycamoreschools.org/Domain/12
Location: 6100 Hagewa Drive, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: (513)686-1720
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapledaleaviators/
Twitter: @MapleDaleElem