The Muraski Tribune
Your weekly communication about all things Muraski.
Update from the Principal
It's very hard to believe it, but in just 48 hours, students will be entering out school building for the 21-22 school year. The staff at Muraski is extremely excited to get started, as we anxiously await meeting the children that we get to serve this year. It's going to be an incredible year, full of learning, activities, and a whole lot of fun.
Please take the time to read through the information provided below. There are lots of details about the start of the school year that will be very important for you to know.
This issue contains:
- Open House Details: Tonight, Monday, August 16th
- Meet Mrs. Hawk
- Information about Kindergarten Orientation
- Arrival and Dismissal Details
- Chromebook Updates
- The Red, White, and Blue Calendar for Encore Rotations
- Muraski Football Night
- Health & Safety Procedures
On Wednesday, August 18th, we get to start creating lasting memories with your children in our classrooms, hallways, in the cafeteria, and on the playground each and every day. It's going to be an amazing year because WE ARE STRONGsville!
Sincerely,
Mike Griffen
Open House: PLEASE READ DETAILS BELOW
Monday, Aug 16, 2021, 05:00 PM
Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Open House Information
- We ask that only one parent/guardian attend Open House with their child.
- Only children who attend Muraski should accompany a parent/guardian, but it is not required that you bring your child with you.
- Parking is limited, so we ask that you use both parking lots, as well as line the driveway if possible.
We will provide 3 sessions for families to come in for our Meet and Greet. Please adhere to the time that is provided based on the first letter of your last name:
Scheduled time based on LAST NAME
A-I: 5:00-5:40
J-Q: 5:40-6:20
R-Z: 6:20-7:00
After 30 minutes, announcements will made to begin exiting the building to assist with parking. Please assist us in making this a smooth process, as we want to promote a beneficial and safe night for everyone.
If there is something that prevents you from adhering to our procedures, please reach out to me at mgriffen@scsmustangs.org.
Meet Mrs. Katie Hawk, New Assistant Principal at Muraski!
Kindergarten Orientation Times
Ms. Northeim: 9:30-11:30 AM
Ms. Giddarie: 9:30-11:30 AM
Ms. Darrah: 1:00-3:00 PM
Kindergarten Orientation Continued
The first official day of kindergarten will be Thursday, August 19, 2021.
An important orientation session for you and your child will be held at his/her elementary school building at the assigned time of (9:30-11:30 AM / 1:00-3:00 PM) on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. Please limit attendance to one adult attending with your child.
On August 18th, please plan to bring your child with you to their school building at the designated time, as transportation will not be provided on this day. This orientation is designed for both parents and children to meet the teacher, see the kindergarten classroom, learn about the curriculum, and provide children an opportunity to practice procedures for safely boarding and exiting a school bus with their class. Students will also have an opportunity to tour the building and visit the media center.
Please bring your child’s school supplies to your orientation session. Supply lists may be viewed on Strongsville City Schools webpage at: www.strongnet.org under the Find it Fast tab and then clicking on the School Supply Lists link.
You should have received an email from Linda Konopinski (after registering) containing directions on how to create and access your parent account in our online Powerschool Unified Classroom Parent Portal. If you need this information again, please contact Linda Konopinski at lkonopinski@scsmustangs.org or 440-846-4137. This will be important to set up to access important information.
Bus route information will be available through the Unified Classroom Parent Portal approximately one week before school starts. General transportation procedures will be addressed at kindergarten orientation. If you have other specific transportation questions, please call the transportation office at (440) 572-7060.
We are looking forward to working with you and your child during the upcoming school year. If you have any questions, please call your child’s school building or the Curriculum Office at (440) 572-7015.
Arrival & Dismissal
ARRIVAL
August 18th-20th:
- As we start our school year, we will allow parents to park and walk their child to the door if you would like.
- All students will enter Door A, our flag pole entrance, shown below.
- Parents will need to park in the Playground Parking lot, as our busses will be using the loop.
August 23rd and Beyond:
- We will no longer allow parents to walk their children to the door.
- Parents will use the car loop to pull up, drop their child on the sidewalk, where they will walk to Door A
- Please let your child out as soon as traffic stops beyond the playground parking lot to assist with the flow of traffic.
Dismissal:
- K-2nd Grade students who are being picked up will exit out of Door B (See Below). We ask that parents park in the playground lot and meet their child by spacing out in the sidewalk area, extending towards the playground parking lot.
- 3rd-5th Grade students who are being picked up will exit out of Door J (See Below), our office entrance. We ask that parents park in the staff lot when possible, and meet their child by spacing out on the sidewalk area.
- Parents MUST exit their vehicle to come pick up their child
- If your child will be a regular pick-up, please let the office now.
- If your child IS NOT a regular pick-up, but you wish to pick them up, we ask that you call prior to 3:00pm. If you do not call prior to 3 pm, you will have to wait until we dismiss students, before we can assist you at Door A.
Kindergarten, First, & Second Grade Parent Pick-up
Third, Fourth, & Fifth Grade Parent Pick-Up
Information about Chromebooks
- ALL students will have access to a chromebook, as we are 1-1 at our building.
- Only 3rd-5th Grade students will be given a device to take home each day.
- Third grade students and students NEW to the district will receive a carrying case that should be used to protect the device when traveling to and from school.
- Fourth and Fifth Grade students received a case last year. They were allowed to keep their cases, so they should continue to use that to protect their device. If your child no longer has their case, a new one can be provided at cost, or you can purchase your own at a retail store.
Red, White, and Blue Calendar: Encore Rotations
Muraski Night @ the Mustangs' Football Game
Friday, Sep 3, 2021, 06:30 PM
Pat Catan Stadium, Strongsville, OH, USA
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including students, teachers, and staff that may not be vaccinated. As we want to provide a safe and supportive environment for everyone, we will continue to implement the following preventive measures for the 2021-22 school year in consideration of the recommendations provided by the Ohio Department of Health.
Vaccination. We will continue to share vaccination opportunities/locations for eligible students and staff.
Wearing Masks. Per the CDC, masks must be worn by all students and staff when riding on the school bus. When at school and indoors, masks are optional for students and staff, yet strongly recommended for those who are unvaccinated. When outdoors, masks are not necessary, but still are optional based on individual/family preference.
Ventilation. We will continue to implement our ventilation protocols to bring in as much outside air as possible and provide air filtration at the highest level possible for our existing HVAC units.
Social Distancing. We will strive to maintain 3 feet social distancing within classrooms, cafeterias, and learning spaces. Cooperative grouping opportunities for students may be phased throughout the fall based on COVID trends in the school district.
Additional Mitigation Strategies. We will continue to provide opportunities for regular hand washing / hand sanitizer use and educate students on proper respiratory etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes.)
Cleaning / Disinfection. We will continue to implement the same cleaning / disinfection procedures as were implemented last school year.
Health Screenings. Families/Staff continue to be required to perform daily health screenings and must stay at home when feeling ill and/or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (CLICK HERE).
Contact Tracing, Isolations, and Quarantines. We will continue to perform regular contract tracing in combination with isolation or quarantine mandates as set by the Ohio Department of Health or other state/local mandates.
Note. The Superintendent may enact further restrictions, such as mandatory masking and increased social distancing by classroom, grade-level, or building based on COVID-related data and trends.
For additional information on the prevention strategies listed above and COVID-related restrictions in our buildings for the 2021-22 school year, click on the link below.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROCEDURES
USDA Free Breakfast & Lunch Program / Cafeteria Protocols
As of April 22, 2021, the USDA has announced that ALL students will be able to receive free breakfast and lunch through June 2022. This will be available for children learning in person and those in SOLO.
We plan to resume cafeteria access for all students. Meaning, students will be eating in the cafeteria during the allotted time for breakfast and lunch. To the extent possible, students will be asked to sit at least 3 feet apart where space allows. Finally, we will continue to discourage the practice of sharing outside food during breakfast, lunch, or for classroom celebrations.
Note. Elementary students wishing to receive breakfast and/or lunch at school must pre-register the day before no later than 10:00 p.m. Click Here for the pre-registration link.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation services will be provided to all students that live one (1) or more miles from their school and are not residing on a non-busing street. The communication timeline for transportation services is as follows:
Bus Stops/Pickup Time information can be accessed in families’ PowerSchool/Unified Classroom accounts beginning on August 2, 2021.
GPS Information for parents through the Here Comes the Bus app will be accessible on August 2,2021, as well. The app will be fully functional on the first day of school. You can CLICK HERE for enrollment instructions for the Here Comes the Bus app.
The health and safety of our students is our top priority and that is inclusive of their transport to and from school. To ensure their health and safety while waiting for the bus and riding the bus, and per CDC mandates, the following safety protocols will be implemented.
Bus Stops. Due to being outdoors, students are not required to wear facial coverings at their bus stop.
On The Bus. Unless a facial covering exemption is on file, per the CDC, all students and staff are required to wear facial coverings while riding District transportation.
Seating. There will be a maximum of two (2) students per seat with students in the same household
seated together. All students will have assigned seating.
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