Aviator Air Newsletter
Maple Dale Elementary's Parent Communication
October 2, 2020
THIS SECTION APPLIES TO F2F CLASSROOM LEARNERS
Letter of the Week
Coming Up...
November 4 - Fall Picture Retakes
November 6 - End of 1st Quarter
November 9 - Teacher Work Day - NO SCHOOL
November 13 - Report Cards go home
November 19 - Evening Conferences
November 20 - Daytime Conferences - NO SCHOOL
November 23 - Evening Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conferences
ALL conferences will be held virtually, for both Virtual Classroom and Face-to Face students. Parents will receive details regarding the conferences as they get closer. Dates are as follows:
Oct. 15 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)
Nov. 19 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (K-6)
Nov. 20 (Friday) Daytime conferences (No School-K-8 only)
Nov. 23 (Monday) Evening Conferences (K-4 and 7-8)
Dec. 1 (Tuesday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 5-6 only)
March 4 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)
Lost and Found
Dear Maple Dale families,
Thank you so much for all you do to keep everyone and everything where it belongs! Let's work together!
UPDATING FINAL FORMS
As in the past, we need ALL parents or guardians to log into Final Forms and update any necessary changes for our 2020-2021 school year ASAP. NEWLY added forms include the, Covid-19 Parent Agreement and Transportation Form.
You are required to sign the forms at the beginning of each new school year. A signature is also required after any update or as additional forms are added.
We are asking that ALL parents of students log into Final Forms and complete their forms for the 2020-2021 school year ASAP so that potential issues/problems/questions can be addressed in a timely manner.
Changing your contact information
If you would like to make changes to your contact information, including email addresses, please go to Final Forms and make the changes. This will update the system. The parent 1 contact information is the most commonly used. The homeroom teachers are not able to make changes for you.
Transportation changes
If you need to make any long-term changes to your child's transportation needs at any point of the year, please use the Transportation tab in Final Forms and alert the office of your change.
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY!
MAPLE DALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Event Code: FE3920
Also Needed: Sycamore Unique Student Id
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY!
Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day,
and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering!
Click on the button below to get started.
VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE
https://shop.jostenspix.com
PHOTOS NOT APPEARING IN YOUR GALLERY?
FIND YOUR STUDENT USING EVENT CODE: FE3920
DID YOU KNOW?
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and
text - Photos are shipped directly to your home
- High-res digital downloads are available
- If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay
once
NOTIFYING THE SCHOOL ABOUT AN ABSENCE, DISMISSAL CHANGE, or EARLY PICKUP...
In order to limit the transfer of paper this year, parent communication (formerly done by a parent communication form) will be done through email. This would include a change of dismissal, leaving for an appointment, late arrival or an absence of any kind.
If it is necessary for a student to leave school early (before the regular dismissal time), or a child is being picked up by anyone other than the custodial parent, or is going home in any
way other than his/her typical procedure the parent should call or e-mail the school's main office prior to 12:00 PM. An email should be sent to lakek@sycamoreschools.org. Parents should come to the school's main office doors, sign out their child using the correct QR code, and then ring the door bell to have the student called from class. Parents will remain outside the building. To ensure student safety, identification may also be required to pick up a student.
New Contact-less Student Sign-in/Sign-out Procedure
We realize there may be times when you need to pick up your child during the school day for an appointment. We appreciate your efforts in limiting these instances as much as possible this year.
In order to comply with our obligation to have a written record of a child leaving our school during the day, and to help parents with this process, we have established a “contact-less” sign-in and sign-out system.
Posted on our front doors (see image above) you will see three QR codes: one for Late Arrival, one for Early Dismissal and one for Return to School. We ask that parents scan the appropriate code with a phone or device and enter the information on the form. This will serve as the written record we need to ensure that each child is accounted for.
Once you have entered the information, press the call button and we will have your child come out to meet you. Or, we will open the door for your child to enter our school.
Our front office team, Kathy Lake and Angie Spyrou, will be asking for parent/grandparent/guardian identification the first time a child is picked up this year. Identification can be shown by placing a driver’s licence in front of the camera outside.
We hope this new system helps all of us be safe and efficient this year!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Ann Marie Reinke, Principal.
From the PTO - For ALL Families
Order Your Yearbook NOW!
Scout Night Follow-up
For those who were not able to attend Join Scout Night, we wanted to share some information on Cub Scouts. You are welcome to join Scouts anytime throughout the school year.
Why Join Scouts?
Encourage kids to spend time outdoors
Opportunity to get to know kids beyond their classmates (same grade & different grades)
Build confidence in kids by learning different skills - not based on natural abilities like athletics
Teach kids to have a servant attitude toward others
Scouting is focused on helping kids develop into productive citizens
Scout Oath & Scout Law encourage positive behaviors
Pinewood Derby encourages creativity, planning, and competition
Costs / Fundraising
Cost this year is $100 per Scout plus National Fees
Sign up is online @ beascout.scouting.org -> Pack 3189 Maple Dale
Types of Activities
Pinewood Derby
Camp out in Spring (Fall is postponed due to COVID)
Rock Climbing
Shooting & Archery at Cub World
Hiking
Den Bike Rides
Time Commitment
Pack meeting (1.5 hrs) - once per month (virtual for the Fall Semester)
Den meeting (1 hr per meeting) - one to two per month depending on Den (grade specific)
You can contact Judson Armentrout at 513-312-8035 for more information.
CHILD NUTRITION
THIS SECTION APPLIES TO ALL FAMILIES
Virtual Meal Curbside Pick Up
Effective Wednesday, September 30th the pick-up location for all families for virtual meals is no longer at the High School. You instead will pick up at your student’s assigned school location. IF you have multiple students that attend different buildings, meals for all of your children will be available for pick up at the OLDEST child’s school. You do not need to visit multiple schools.
Pickup times below:
Blue Ash- 10:00-11:00 am Maple Dale- 1:30-2:30 pm Montgomery- 10:00-11:00 am Symmes- 10:00-11:00 am EH Greene Intermediate- 9:30-10:30 am Junior High- 10:00-11:00 am High School- 11:00-12:00 am Maps for pick up locations at each school are located here. If you have not already signed up and would like to do so, please sign up here. Please note, the cutoff each week to sign up is Sunday at Midnight. If your student(s) are quarantined at home and you would like access to school meals, you can sign up for the virtual meal curbside pick up by registering here and get meals this way until you are back at school. All meals are free to ALL students until December 31st. Find out more information about pick-up times, locations, and FAQs by clicking here.
New Mealtime Procedures Grades K-6
Beginning October 12, Sycamore Child Nutrition will no longer be using a pre-order system for Grades K-6 breakfast and lunch. We received a great deal of negative feedback from families about the functionality of the pre-ordering system put in place at the beginning of the school year. In addition, pre-ordering and meal delivery (for Grades K-4) was placing an undue burden on staff. In an effort to be responsive, we are doing away with the pre-ordering system and shifting towards our traditional meal ordering process with safety protocols in place. These protocols include social distancing while in line, contactless checkout, and extra sanitation measures.
How will students order meals and be served?
Students will select what they want to eat while going through the lunch line as in a typical school year.
Students will be served most of their meals by the kitchen staff. If necessary, students will grab limited pre-packaged fruits and veggies and milk to finish their meal.
How will students checkout safely?
As a reminder, all meals are free for ALL students until December 31 (or until the allotted program funds are no longer available-whichever comes first).
Students will use a lanyard with a lunch badge and scan it at our new scanners for a contactless checkout. They will not enter their numbers into pin pads as in past years.
What other safety protocols will be in place?
Physical distancing using marks on the floors will be put in place. Students will still be separated by class when coming through the lunch line.
The kitchen staff will be wearing proper PPE and face shields for added safety.
There will be extra sanitation procedures between groups going through the line.
When does pre-ordering end?
The last day you need to pre-order for your child will be Friday, October 9th. The first day for traditional meal ordering will be Monday, October 12.
How do I find out what’s for lunch at my child’s school?
Menus for October 12 and beyond can be found on the Sycamore website or by clicking here
Does this also impact students in Grades 7-12?
No, only for Grades K-6. There are no changes for meal ordering at Grades 7-12.
THIS SECTION APPLIES TO ALL SYCAMORE FAMILIES
Covid-19 Weekly Stats
BACK TO SCHOOL PICS
Email us your Virtual Classroom pictures!
THIS SECTION APPLIES TO VIRTUAL CLASSROOM LEARNERS
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY!
MAPLE DALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Event Code: FE3920
Also Needed: Sycamore Unique Student Id
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY!
Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day,
and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering!
Click on the button below to get started.
VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE
https://shop.jostenspix.com
PHOTOS NOT APPEARING IN YOUR GALLERY?
FIND YOUR STUDENT USING EVENT CODE: FE3920
DID YOU KNOW?
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and
text - Photos are shipped directly to your home
- High-res digital downloads are available
- If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay
once
Picnic with the Principals!
Starting in October, your child will have the option to join a "Google Meet" to hang out with Mrs. Reinke, Mrs. Zellner....and other guests! Lunches will be held on the following schedule:
Kdg - 1st Thursday of every month
1st Grade - 1st Tuesday of every month
2nd Grade - 2nd Tuesday of every month
3rd Grade - 3rd Tuesday of every month
4th Grade - 4th Tuesday of every month
*Links to the meetings will be shared by your classroom teachers. Please only have your child attend their grade level meet so we can more easily manage our numbers.
This is optional for students, and is an additional time for us to stay connected.
We know that there will be some months that we will not be able to get together, but we look forward to seeing you all as often as possible!
A letter to our virtual families...
Many thanks to our families who have provided us with feedback over the past two weeks. We have heard you and are working towards an even better experience for our learners each and every day. We truly appreciate our partnership with our parents and our virtual Learning Partners!!
One frequent point of feedback has been that technology challenges appear more problematic during whole class sessions, either over Google Meet or Blackboard Collaborate. The promising news is two-fold; 1.) the new devices recently provided to our K-2 learners are helping with connectivity and 2.) all K-6 teachers are now making the natural shift from large group community building into the use of more small groups in their instruction, typical of best practice at this point of the school year in an elementary classroom. While there certainly will be opportunities for whole class meetings and sessions, the evolution towards more targeted small group learning should reduce the number of technology challenges that some virtual families have experienced. This shift will also result in less consecutive and focused screen time, including some natural breaks for our youngest students as they move between different learning experiences provided by their teacher.
Learning Partners will begin to notice more utilization of student-centered, small group instruction/activities on a regular basis. In practice, students will be grouped by the teacher to participate in differentiated activities and learning experiences designed to provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. In the face to face classroom, this often entails centers, stations, or small group activities around the classroom as well as individual meetings with the teacher. In the virtual classroom, this may include breakout room activities, individual sessions with the teacher, or other virtual grouping techniques.
Learning Partners will play a pivotal role in helping our younger students navigate the various learning activities being developed for small group instruction and will be key to helping them manage their time. This might include helping the student navigate to and from online and offline work throughout the day, completing assignments, or joining the teacher online at a specific time. The following chart provides some additional guidance using our 4 Be’s
The 4 “Be’s of Being a Learning Partner
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Be a Problem Solver
Allow the teacher the autonomy to lead the lesson
Respect the use of specific platforms selected by the district
Prioritize your communication with teachers so they are able to respond in a timely manner (within 24 hours and during the work day)
Find a quiet place in your home for your online class - keep siblings and loud pets out of the learning environment
Let your child attempt to do the work before helping
Stay where you can see/hear your child. Sometimes you need to be right by them, while other times you can be nearby in case they have a question
If you have a question or concern, schedule a time during the teacher’s office hours to talk privately (parent comments in the chat interrupt teaching)
Allow your child the opportunity to experience and adapt to the different learning styles of different teachers
Our elementary teachers are highly trained in student-centered instruction, as this is a key element of their craft. With ongoing professional development and on-site support from our instructional technology specialists, our teachers will continue to translate key learning practices into virtual learning opportunities. With your continued partnership in this endeavor, we will continue to work toward creating a high quality, engaging virtual learning experience for our youngest students.
As always, please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Virtual Learning Partners
We are thrilled to be settling into the routine of our virtual classrooms! Now that we are a few weeks in, Learning Partners will notice more utilization of student-centered, small group instruction and activities within the classroom. In practice, students are grouped by the teacher to participate in differentiated activities and learning experiences designed to provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. In the face to face classroom, this often entails centers, stations, or small group activities around the classroom as well as individual meetings with the teacher. In the virtual classroom, this may include breakout room activities, individual sessions with the teacher, or other grouping techniques to provide targeted learning.
Our virtual teachers are already highly trained in student-centered instruction - as this is a key element of their craft - and we are thrilled to have the ongoing support of our instructional technology specialists to help our teachers translate these key learning opportunities into virtual learning opportunities.
This natural shift that happens in every classroom will highlight the key role of the Learning Partner in virtual learning, especially for our youngest learners. Learning Partners play a pivotal role in helping younger students navigate the various learning activities and managing their time. This might include helping the students log on, navigate to and from online and offline work throughout the day, completing assignments, or joining the teacher online at a specific time. Please see the chart below for a list of Learning Partner roles that were communicated in our Healthy Back to School Guide.
FAMILY EXPECTATIONS
Parents/Caregivers serving in the role of “Learning Partner”:
Elementary students will need a parent or other responsible adult for daily support throughout the learning experience.
Provide a stable internet connection for students.
Provide daily and ongoing guidance, supervision, and motivation for their student.
Guide the student through the lessons, tools, and games as needed.
Oversee assignments and help facilitate hands-on learning.
Check for understanding and discuss concepts being taught.
Keep the student on schedule and on pace.
Ensure all components are done completely with fidelity (workbook activities, assessments, independent reading, novel studies, practice activities, etc.)
Communicate questions and concerns immediately to Sycamore assigned the teacher.
Parents/Caregivers will, at times, need to be very hands-on through the process (read text, submit assignments, choose answers, help with technical aspects, etc.).
While there will certainly still be opportunities for whole class meetings and sessions, the natural shift towards more targeted small group learning should reduce the number of technology challenges that all virtual students and Learning Partners have experienced, as there will be more time in small groups and less overall time spent in whole group settings. This will result in less screen time and some natural breaks for our youngest students as they move between different learning experiences provided by their teacher.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
ALL conferences will be held virtually, for both Virtual Classroom and Face-to Face students. Parents will receive details regarding the conferences as they get closer. Dates are as follows:
Oct. 15 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)
Nov. 19 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (K-6)
Nov. 20 (Friday) Daytime conferences (No School-K-8 only)
Nov. 23 (Monday) Evening Conferences (K-4 and 7-8)
Dec. 1 (Tuesday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 5-6 only)
March 4 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)
Chromebook Support for Virtual Families
Hello Virtual Students and Parents,
If you are experiencing an issue with your school student Chromebook, please review the video below that provides tips on how to update your Chromebook, check your Internet settings and connection.
If you are still experiencing a Chromebook issue, please contact our helpdesk 686-1793 (8a-3p) or submit a ticket by sending an email to helpdesk@sycamoreschools.org
Thank you,
Technology Department
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