Otsego Elementary Extra
Principal's Weekly Update - January 13, 2022
Upcoming Events
January 14: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development for Teachers
January 14: End of 2nd Quarter
January 17: NO SCHOOL - MLK Day
January 21: PTO Spirit Day - Hat Day for $1
February 1: PTO Meeting, 6pm, Elementary Commons
February 18: PTO Spirit Day - Pajama Day for $1
February 21: NO SCHOOL - President's Day
February 22-25: Kids Heart Challenge
March 1: PTO Meeting, 6pm, Elementary Commons
March 18: PTO Spirit Day - Wear Tie Dye for $1
March 21: No School - Professional Development Day
March 29: ELA State Test Part 1, Grades 3-5
March 30: ELA State Test Part 2, Grades 3-5
2021-2022 School Calendar
A New Addition
Substitutes still Needed
Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Dimes for Donuts
Otsego Baseball Youth Clinic (Grades 5-8)
5th Grade NBC Boys Basketball
Any 5th grade boy interested in playing on the NBC Basketball team, please come to practice on Tuesday the 11th from 6:00 - 7:30 in the Elementary Gym. Any questions please contact Paul Meyer, (419) 343-0202.
Yearbooks for Sale!
Reminders from the Office
2. ANY changes in transportation need to be called into the office by 3pm OR sent in writing to the classroom teacher/elementary office. This is to ensure students are getting home safely every day.
Technology Safety
Our children are inundated with technology. Unfortunately, it can pose dangers to kids when not used appropriately.
It can be overwhelming to monitor and make decisions about your child's technology use. We will regularly be sharing tidbits on the apps, games, and websites your child may be using.
If you have questions or concerns about your child's technology use, please reach out to Jessica Martinez (jmartinez@otsegoknights.org).
Birthday Treats
In lieu of bringing in birthday treats, each student will get a cupcake from the cafeteria one day during the month of their birthday.
Thank you for your understanding!
OES Student Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures
Morning Drop-Off
*Due to COVID, no students will be permitted to wait in the vestibule, in between the front doors and the doors to enter the building, to ensure social distancing is maintained before students are allowed in the building when the bell rings.
Please use the entire length of the drop-off zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can exit at a time. This will make drop-off go quicker while maintaining safety.
Students should only be let out on the side of the car that is next to the curb. This is to avoid students being hit by a moving car in the lane farther away from the curb. If your student needs to get out on that side of the car, please park in a parking spot and have your student walk into the building using the crosswalk.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are dropping a student off, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should be let out of the car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be exiting cars onto the sidewalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get students into the school in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the drop-off line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces.
Afternoon Pick-Up
Please use the entire length of the pick-up zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can get into their vehicles. This will make pick-up go quicker while maintaining safety.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are picking a student up, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should get into their car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be entering cars from the sidewalk or by using the crosswalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park and leave your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get vehicles out of the pick-up zone in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces. If you are parked while you are waiting for your student (and you are IN the car), that is fine.
Students must be picked up by 3:35pm. At 3:35pm, students will be taken to Otsego Extended Care at the cost of the parent/guardian (unless previous arrangements have been made).
THANK YOU so much for your understanding and compliance with these procedures to ensure our students’ safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal.
Transportion Information
Online Bus Route Information - https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=OLSD3GH6PNQOH
This site will identify the schools assigned to your residential address, as well as a bus number, designated stop, pick-up and drop-off time.
Pick-up and Drop-off
· Please ensure your child is at the bus stop at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled time to ensure they are there when the bus arrives.
· Pick-up and drop-off times may need to be adjusted during the beginning weeks of school and will become more consistent for the remainder of the year.
· Times posted on this site reflect the expected time the bus should depart during good weather.
· Inclement weather or traffic congestion may cause the route to run later than the posted time.
· The school bus is on a tight schedule so that we can deliver students to all school levels on time.
Instructions for Navigating this Site:
1. No student information is available on Infofinder I.
2. Enter your street address (including house number). This is the only required field. You might need to add a hyphen in the street name (ex. Long-Judson Rd.).
3. Click on the Search button.
4. Click your street address / zip code from the list of Address Matches.
If you cannot find your student's information please contact the Transportation Department at 419-823-4381, ext 3156 or evasher@otsegoknights.org
Food Service Information
Meals will be FREE all year. All students will have access to free breakfast and lunch the entire year.
Free and Reduced Application – We still need you to fill out a free and reduced application if you qualify. This is VERY important for a lot of different reasons. There is a very convenient way to fill this out online. https://www.lunchapplication.com/.
Please fill this out if you were free or reduced last year or your circumstances have changed and you think you qualify. If you qualify, you may be allowed to waive other fees throughout the year. It is very important that this gets filled out ASAP.
Future menu changes will be posted here:
Extended Care Information
If you are interested in using Extended Care during the 2021-2022 school year for before and/or after school care, please visit the website listed here:
https://elementary.otsegoknights.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=382480&type=d&pREC_ID=868128
All of the registration materials are available on this website. If you are unable to print the forms, hard copies are available in the Elementary Office.
A few things to remember:
1. Students must be at least 5 years old to attend Extended Care.
2. A $10 deposit is required for all families, and must be turned in before using the program.
3. A packet needs to be filled out for each student every year (paperwork expires each year on June 1st). So, if you did not use the program this summer, you need to fill out a packet for each of your children that will be using the program.
4. All parts of the packet must be filled out completely before a student can start using the program.
If you have any billing or registration questions or concerns, please contact Becky Hatfield at bhatfield@otsegoknights.org
Knight in Shining Armor Nominations
Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Please use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.
Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!
These funds are not for routine expenses such as utilities, bills, rent, etc. It is designed for assisting community members in an emergency situation. This can include, but is not limited to unforeseen medical expenses, medical related travel expenses, and household emergencies such as a fire, water leaks, etc. Please keep this in mind when submitting a nomination.
Please refer to this link at any point during the year as a need arises, and KISA will do their best to help out!
Keep Scanning Those Box Tops!
You can now just scan your receipt and our school will earn money! Please see the information below regarding the new Box Top App and Procedures for the 2021-2022 School Year!
Follow Us on Twitter
Preschool: @OtsegoPreK
Kindergarten: @OtsegoK1st Grade: @OtsegoFirst
2nd Grade: @OtsegoGrade2
3rd Grade: @OtsegoGrade3
4th Grade: @OtsegoGrade4
5th Grade: @OtsegoGrade5
School Counselor: @OEScounselors
Principal: @kbaughman723
Assistant Principal: @buchman_becky
PE Teacher: @AmyKonoff
School Nurse: @nursejaneots
Otsego Food Service: @Otsego_Cafe
Heard a rumor or have a question?
Katrina Baughman
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4005)
Twitter: @kbaughman723
Becky Buchman
Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4009)
Twitter: @buchman_becky
Lauren Miller
Email: lmiller@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4105)
Twitter: @OEScounselors
Kayla Phillips
Email: kphillips@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4010)
Twitter: @OESCounselors
Jenny Helberg
Email: jhelberg@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4001)
Angie Norman
Email: anorman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4003)
Deputy Brian Ruckstuhl
Email: bruckstuhl@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (2099)
Safe School Helpline
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
Recent polls show that parents’ first concern about schools today is their child’s safety. That is my concern as well. Fortunately, the Otsego is very safe. However, no community is immune from the threats of violence and drugs that endanger public schools nationwide.
We are introducing a Safe School Helpline® to help prevent such actions. It is designed to assist you in reporting any wrongdoing that impacts our schools, our students, or our staff – anonymously, so as to protect your privacy. For example, you may wish to report acts of violence, theft, drug or alcohol use, weapons, or sexual harassment.
Just call from a touch-tone phone to 1-800-4-1-VOICE, ext. 359 (418-6423) to leave your information. Or TEXT: 614-426-0240 Then type: TIPS Your message will not be traced, and you will not be identified. The Safe School Helpline® team will transcribe and fax your message to school officials, so appropriate action can be taken.
Thank you for your continued support to provide a better education for all Otsego students.
800-418-6423 (800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359)
TEXT: 614-426-0240
Then type: TIPS