The Muraski Tribune: Issue 3
Your weekly communication about all things Muraski.
Update from the Principal
We just wrapped up an incredible week, where we got to spend 5 days with your kids, learning, growing, and building relationships through all sorts of different activities. It has been so great to see students in our classrooms, coming TOGETHER as classes, but more importantly as a Muraski family. The connection that our students get to create during the time they spend at their elementary schools is a special one. I've seen that connection start to develop in our youngest learners and only grow stronger with our older students in the building. We will continue to foster that through our instruction, but also through our PBIS program that we call PRIDE.
PRIDE is simple, as the overarching concept is taking PRIDE in your self, taking PRIDE in your classroom, and taking PRIDE in your school, but PRIDE means more than that.
P stands for being Prepared, ready to tackle all the things that come our way.
R stands for being Respectful, working to be kind and supportive of everyone that steps foot in our building.
I stands for being Inclusive, accepting everyone for who they are and including them in what we do at our school.
D stands for being Determined, pushing through obstacles that we face in school and in life.
E stands for being Engaged, taking an active role in the learning and activities that are presented here at Muraski.
If we can be these things TOGETHER, demonstrating PRIDE in our school, we can make Muraski a special place to come learn and grow each day. That is our mission, creating an environment that promotes small wins for every student, every day!
Have a Great Weekend,
Mike Griffen & Katie Hawk
Lunchroom Adjustment
- In order to provide as many students as possible with 6 feet of social distancing during our lunch blocks, lunch will now be held in our gymnasium instead of the cafeteria. The gymnasium is the largest room in our building and allows us to distance students more than the cafeteria. in turn, our cafeteria will now be used as our gym for Physical Education.
- Students will be seated at desks and/or tables in the gym. I believe we can provide every student with 6 feet and more personalized space by making this adjustment.
- Even though students wont wear masks during lunch, the 6 feet of spacing will result in NO DIRECT CONTACTS when contact tracing occurs, per the guidance from the health department.
- Students who choose to wear a mask in our school, which is highly recommended, would never have to quarantine in the event of a direct contact because they would be more than 3 feet masked in classrooms and 6 feet during lunch.
This adjustment will help us continue to promote the health and safety of all students and staff at school.
MURASKI NIGHT AT THE FOOTBALL GAME
- Free student tickets with the purchase of an adult ticket.
- Be in the tunnel that cheers on players as they run on to the field.
- Enjoy a night out with the Muraski Family
Friday, Sep 3, 2021, 06:30 PM
Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Click the Link Below for this month's Counselor Connection
Picture Day @ Muraski
ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND PICTURE DAY. IF YOU ARE IN OUR SOLO PROGRAM AND WOULD LIKE A SCHOOL PICTURE, PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE WILL GIVE YOU A TIME.
Thursday, Sep 9, 2021, 08:30 AM
Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
PTA FALL FUNDRAISER: MUM SALE
Thanks for your support!
PTA EVENT: ALL FAMILIES WELCOME
Spanish Club
Mustangs Lacrosse: Free Skills Clinics
It’s that time of year again! Time for free lacrosse Fall skills clinics. These are for current players as well as kids who want to try out lacrosse as a new sport.
We are also looking for donations of old equipment for new players to try the sport. Please contact us if you have some to borrow or spare.
https://www.strongsvillelacrosse.com/program/fall-skills/650
Repeat Item: COVID NOTIFICATIONS
When there is a POSITIVE Case within the school the following steps are taken:
- Contact tracing is completed, identifying areas including the bus, classroom, cafeteria, playground, and hallways where direct contact (as identified by district communication) could have occurred.
- If your child is identified as a direct contact, you will receive a phone call from our office to notify you of when this occurred.
- A letter will be sent to ALL families, informing them that there was a positive case in the school. Again, if your child is a direct contact, you will receive a phone call.
- If the positive case is a student who rides a bus, ALL families who ride that specific bus will receive a letter informing them that there was a positive case on their bus. Again, if your child is a direct contact based on contact tracing on the bus, you will receive a phone call.
Repeat Item: When Should You Keep Your Child Home?
PLEASE DO YOUR PART. IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT FEELING WELL, KEEP THEM HOME and CONTACT THE SCHOOL.
- A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher. This is one of the strongest Covid Symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Persistent cough or runny nose
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
We need you to assist in helping us, by monitoring for these symptoms on a daily basis, and keeping your child home if they aren't feeling well.
RED, WHITE, & BLUE CALENDAR (ENCORE SCHEDULE)
Meet the ENCORE Team: Music, Art, & PE
Repeat Item: Grading for Music, Art, & PE
When looking at grades for these courses, please know that they are standards based and NOT traditional percentages/letter grades like you may be used to in the
past few years.
M= Standard Met
P= Progressing to Standard
N= Standard Not Yet Met
In order for our system to turn the student’s performance into standards- based grading, we have to put it in as a percentage. Each grade level and department has standards that students are working toward and this is what is being evaluated.
Although you may see a percentage, please ignore the percentage and look at the progression toward the STANDARD (M, N, P). Grades are not utilized in the sense that a traditional grading system uses them. You will see somewhere between a 50% and a 100%, but again, focus on the M, N, or P, as that is the official mark; the percentage is just a placeholder.
Repeat Item: Counseling Services through Nancy Lowrie & Associates
Dear Parents/Guardians of Strongsville City School Students:
We are writing to tell you about an exciting opportunity for you and your child. Strongsville City Schools have a well -established partnership with a Behavioral Health Private Practice, Nancy Lowrie & Associates, LLC, (NLA), that specializes in child therapy, adolescent therapy, and family counseling. All NLA therapists are Masters-level and licensed by the State of Ohio. They are able to diagnose and treat all emotional and behavioral health concerns.
We are pleased to be able to offer you the chance to work with an Ohio Licensed Clinical Therapist in an effort to improve your child’s well being. The following are just some examples of the topics we address in individual, group, or family sessions:
• Strategies for managing relationships with peers, parents and teachers
• Development of social skills and communication
• Ability to deal with teasing and bullying
• Understanding and treating addictions
• Coping skills for anger management, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and mood disorders • Fostering good choices by decreasing impulsivity and distractibility
• Managing family problems
• Gender Identity Concerns
• Controlling Eating Disorders and Self-harm
Best of all, NLA is able to offer you this service at your school. NLA will send our trained therapists to your school to meet with your child individually during the school day or via teletherapy. Also, to make this easier for you, NLA counseling services are covered under most health insurance plans, including State Medicaid, Medicaid HMO’s (CareSource, Paramount, and Buckeye) and most private health insurance plans (Medical Mutual, Anthem, Aetna, Cleveland Clinic, etc). NLA does all the clinical work plus does the actual insurance billing for you.
This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to receive confidential sessions with a caring clinician. If you are interested in participating in this program, please return the bottom of this letter to your child’s school counselor. An NLA therapist will call to schedule an initial meeting with you to get your child started in the program and verify your insurance information.
Sincerely, Nancy Lowrie & Associates, LLC
Repeat Item: Stay Safe. Speak Up! Student Hotline
CLICK HERE to access information via our district website.
Repeat Item: Health Protocols from the District
Wearing Masks on the Bus
Per the CDC, all students and staff must wear a mask on a school bus, whether coming to/from school or for an athletic/music trip. CLICK HERE for the mask exemption form, if needed. A new form will need to be completed along with medical or religious documentation if a student is requesting an exemption for the 2021-2022 school year.
Wearing Masks in School
It is recommended that all staff and students wear masks in school, especially those that are unvaccinated, yet it is not required. Please read below and become familiar with the quarantine protocols. The best way to significantly reduce the risk of being quarantined and to stay in school is to wear a mask.
Student Isolation Protocols
If your child tests positive for COVID, s/he is required to isolate at home for then (10) days from the date of the positive test or the onset of symptoms.
Student Quarantine Protocols for Unvaccinated Students Wearing a Mask
If your child is unvaccinated, wearing a mask and identified as a direct contact to someone at school that is COVID positive, s/he will not have to quarantine as long as your child has no symptoms and was at least 3 feet apart. If your child was less than 3 feet, s/he will have to quarantine. You can CLICK HERE for a flow chart detailing the quarantine procedures we will follow.
Student Quarantine Protocols for Unvaccinated Students NOT Wearing a Mask
If your child is unvaccinated, not wearing a mask and identified as a direct contact to someone at school that is COVID positive, s/he will have to quarantine. You can CLICK HERE for a flow chart detailing the quarantine procedures we will follow.
Supporting Students in Isolation/Quarantine
When a student is in isolation/quarantine, teachers will provide the student with their assignments and support through Google Classroom. Additionally, teachers will live stream classroom instruction and/or provide instructional videos. Teachers are only required to live stream instruction for students in isolation/quarantine.
Parent Requests/Masking
If parents at the elementary level request teacher support/feedback in terms of having their child wear a mask at school, we will do the best we can to help out. This means that we will remind the child and share feedback to the parent on how they are doing during the initial weeks of the school year, if requested.
Student Insensitivity/Bullying for Masking
If we have students acting inappropriately towards someone that is wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, we will address it in accordance with our code of conduct in the same manner we handle any other situation of inappropriate behavior for name calling, bullying, etc.
Repeat Item: MUSTANGS TEAM SHOP - SHOP ONLINE NOW THROUGH SUN. 8/29
The “Back to School” online Mustangs Team Shop is open now through Sunday, August 29.
Shop for lots of great Strongsville gear, including personalized items! Visit https://mustangsteamshop-fl21.itemorder.com/ for the complete selection of items.
A portion of sales will be donated back to Strongsville City Schools.
Muraski Elementary
Email: mgriffen@scsmustangs.org
Website: www.strongnet.org
Location: Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 440-572-7160
Twitter: @muraskiprin