Oxford Valley OWLS are W.I.S.E.
Welcome Back Letter & UPDATES on School Opening Procedures
Oxford Valley Elementary School
Letter from the Principal
Dear OV Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you all well. We are readying the building for the return of our students and staff and are excited for a new school year! I hope all students have been enjoying the summer and family time as well as completing their summer reading and math packets. We would love to have you return rested, relaxed and ready to learn.
Parents/Caregivers: Please know that in order to volunteer for a classroom party, field trip, or other student event, PA State Law requires that you have your clearances. In order to be involved in these events, you must obtain your clearances AND make an appointment to come in to meet with me to submit your documents (bring a valid photo identification). Please click this link for volunteer clearance information.
EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR CLEARANCES ON FILE HERE AND MET WITH ME LAST YEAR, YOU STILL MUST SIGN & SUBMIT 2017-18 AFFIRMATIONS. Affirmation paperwork will be available to you during Open House, Back-To-School Night, or upon request (we can send it home with your child). You do not need to meet with me personally to sign the affirmations if you already have clearances on file. I will only need to meet with those folks who do not yet have clearances. I will be available to meet with you for new clearances during our Open House or Back-to-School night. Likewise, I am available during the school day so long as you call and make an appointment in advance to ensure that I am available. Please note: ALL CLEARANCES for those of you who do not have them on file in the office yet, ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 30th. If you are having difficulty accessing the links that provide the clearances, we will have some chrome books available during Back-to-School Night for you to access with a staff member there to assist you. Also, if you do have your clearances on file, please come in to sign your 2017-18 affirmations PRIOR TO SEPT. 30th. Although these steps are necessary and mandated, please know that we absolutely appreciate our volunteers and welcome you into our building.
We look forward to your return and hope to see you at our OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, August 29th from 2-3pm. This Open House is for all parents/guardians and students in grades Kdg. through 5th. This is an opportunity to meet teachers and visit the classrooms. If you have school supplies and wish to bring them on that day, please do so.
I look forward to seeing everyone on August 29th! Please continue to read below for more VERY IMPORTANT UPDATES. Also, please click this link to our OV HOMEPAGE to see MANY important calendar dates and information. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Warm regards,
Donna L. Minnigh,
Principal
OPENING SCHOOL UPDATES - School Day Information and Schedule
Student Instruction begins @ 9:00 AM - Dismissal: 3:40PM
Morning supervision begins at 8:40 a.m. in the gym and students can arrive starting at that time. Please do not have students arrive before 8:40 a.m. When students arrive at 8:40, they will either go directly to their homerooms or to the cafeteria if they need breakfast. This is a crucial time for students to get organized for the day.
- Students are not permitted at school BEFORE 8:40 - there is no student supervision at that time.
- Once our morning computer club begins for skill work, ONLY those students will be given permission in writing to enter the school at 8:30.
- Students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will need to be signed in by a parent/guardian at the office and will receive a tardy card. ** Per student conduct policy – in case of chronic or irregular lateness, school authorities may require a physician’s statement showing such lateness to be justifiable. Also, please be aware of the new PA Act 138 Truancy law that is now in effect. I referred to this in an earlier email.
- Instruction at O.V. begins promptly at 9:00 a.m. ALL STUDENTS should be in their classrooms, book bags put away, attendance taken and ready to start the day by 8:55 a.m.
Changing end of day transportation is highly discouraged and should be reserved for emergency situations only. However, if there is a need to change the daily norm of transportation by picking up your child - instead of riding the bus home, please send in a detailed, signed note with your child that morning, stating who will be picking up. If we do not have a note from you, your child will go home in the usual manner. Any person picking up a student should be prepared to show VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.
** Phone calls to the office for changes in a student’s transportation home must be received no later than 2:30 pm.
DISMISSAL UPDATES:
- ALL parents/guardians and siblings of KG and 1st grade students must wait for their student AT THE TOP of the walkway. No one will be permitted to wait close to the bus loop. This is for the safety of the children being dismissed as well as any siblings or relatives coming to pick up the student.
- Do NOT wait on the lawn.
- NO PETS are permitted on school property during arrivals or dismissals.
- ONLY KG & 1st grade students are permitted to be dismissed from the front of the building. All 2nd through 5th grade students will exit out of the side doors facing the parking lot.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION: Cars, Busses, Bikers and Walkers...
TRANSPORTING STUDENTS BY CAR:
If you must drop your child off in the morning, please instruct them to walk to the crossing guard so that the crossing guard may cross them safely.
- IMPORTANT: CARS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER THE DRIVEWAY (LOOP) TO DROP OFF STUDENTS.
- DO NOT drop your child off in the middle of Trenton Road and let them run across the street to school. Safety of the students is paramount and your cooperation is essential.
- Students who are scheduled to ride a bus are highly encouraged to utilize the transportation provided by the district
BUS TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION:
ALL SCHOOL RULES apply to the bus and the bus stop. Students must adhere to appropriate behavior when riding the bus to and from school AND when waiting at the bus stop. Riding the bus is a priveledge, and this privedge may be lost due to inappropriate behaviors.
Bus Regulations when going home with a friend . . .
In order to stabilize bus runs throughout the district, no child will be permitted to ride with another child on a different bus until the week of September 30th . As of that time, written permission must be given to the teacher by the parents/guardians of both students. * Requests will not be honored otherwise, and students will be required to follow their normal dismissal procedures.
Bicycle Riders
Parents must complete a permission slip before students in grades 2 - 5 are permitted to ride their bicycle to school. A lock must be provided and helmets must be worn. The school cannot be responsible for any damage to or loss of a bicycle.
WALKERS:
Parents/guardians and students are to ONLY cross Trenton Road at the Crossing Guard. Do NOT cross Trenton Road at any other place. This is an unsafe area - you are putting your students and the motorists at risk.
CAFETERIA NEWS:
- Click here: NUTRISLICE for our month-by-month school menus.
- The cafeteria will be open and breakfast and lunch will be served the first day of school. The price of an elementary student's lunch, including milk, will be $2.50. For those students who bring their lunch, milk is available for $.65.
- Parents/guardians of students in KG - please send your child to school on their first day (Group A on 8/30 and Group B on 8/31) with a PACKED LUNCH.
- The menu for the first day of school for students in grades 1-5 (8/30 Day 1) is as follows:
Menu for 8/30 (Day 1)
Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla with fresh salsa
Corn & Blackbean Salad
Lowfat Milk
** Breakfast Menu: Egg & Cheese on a Bagel, Tator Tots, Fresh Fruit Choice, Lowfat Milk
Updated School Cafeteria Account Information