Greene Notes
January 20, 2023
Our Flight Pattern
E.H. Greene Intermediate School
Address: 5200 Aldine Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
Office Hours: 7:30 am - 3:30 pmSchool Hours: 8:00 am - 2:45 pm
Phone: (513) 686-1750
Attendance Phone: (513) 686-1707 or ehgattendance@sycamoreschools.org
UPCOMING WEEK
Dates
Letter Days for the week of January 23-27 :
Monday - D Day
Tuesday - A Day
Wednesday - B Day
Thursday - C Day
Friday- D Day
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday; January 20: Report Cards (Posted to E-Backpack)
Tuesday; January 24 and Wednesday; January 25: iSpace Trip (Green Team)
Thursday; January 26 and Friday; January 27: iSpace Trip (Orange Team)
Monday; January 30 and Tuesday; January 31: iSpace Trip (Yellow Team)
Wednesday; February 1 and Thursday; February 2: iSpace Trip (Red Team)
KEY INFORMATION FOR THE WEEK!
Car Rider Pickup
I would ask that you please refrain from this practice. Our new construction was very intentional about separating our bus pickup and car rider pickup areas. This has allowed us to run a safe and efficient process that requires minimal waiting. Not following this process creates a number of issues. One of the biggest issues is student safety. Parking in Maple Dale while that school is still in session and elementary students are using that space is a huge concern. Having students cross a sidewalk where busses are arriving/leaving at Aldine/Stonehenge is an additional concern. Having cars pulling in and out of spaces at the District Office where bike riders are leaving from also is a safety worry.
If you have any questions, please reach out directly to me. I appreciate you following our established processes at dismissal.
Conferences
February 16th (Thursday): Evening Conference-4:00-7:30
Our upcoming conference date will be an in-person session at the Greene School. This date will be a teacher-led conference.
Conferences will be requested of parents by teachers for any student in their homeroom for which they or the team has concerns. Teachers will be reaching out in advance to establish a time to meet with you regarding your student. Parents can choose to involve their student in the conference or not. Additionally, parents can request to have this meeting with teachers over a Google Meet if that is more convenient. Parents can also choose to decline the conference.
Of course, at any time we respect the right of parents to request a conference and will offer AM and team planning time to meet those requests.
Author Visit- Dan Gemeinhart
Dan Gemeinhart, nationally-renowned author, will be visiting E. H. Greene School on March 9th and 10th. Dan’s books have been listed on the New York Times Best Seller List, nominated twice for the Ohio Buckeye Book Award and listed on Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of the Year. While he is here, Dan will be talking about the writing process in each of the pods, leading two writers’ workshops, eating lunch with some lucky students, and signing his books.
To make this a meaningful and memorable author visit, students can participate in a number of activities:
- Read one of Dan’s books. Students can pick up copies in the Media Center and from their ELA teachers.
- Participate in The Principals’ Pick Luncheon: Read either The Honest Truth or The Midnight Children and submit an online form for an invitation to a pizza luncheon and booktalk with the principals on Feb. 23rd and 24th. Deadline to apply is Feb. 17th.
- Writers’ Workshop: Twenty-five students from each grade will have the opportunity to participate in a Writers’ Workshop led by Dan Gemeinhart. Students should see their ELA teacher for an application form.
- Author Visit Bookmark Contest: Design a bookmark about Dan and his books. Two winners from each grade level will be chosen from the applicants to have their bookmarks produced. Students can pick up an application form from the Media Center. Deadline: Jan. 31st.
- Lunch with the author. Twenty-five students will be chosen by lottery to eat lunch with Dan.
- Design a welcome sign. Students are submitting ideas for a welcome sign that will be painted on the front door of the school. See your art teacher or Mrs. Amster in the Media Center for more information.
- Design a poster promoting the author visit. Students are designing posters using Canva in the Multimedia Explorations class to promote the author visit. Selected posters will appear on electronic screens throughout the school and on morning announcements.
- Buy a Gemeinhart Book and have it autographed. PTO is selling Dan’s books. A purchase form is going home with students Friday, January 20th. Students can purchase these books to get autographed. A copy of the form is attached HERE. Forms must be returned by Feb. 3rd.
- Students can also bring Dan’s books from home to have them autographed. Look for details closer to the event date.
For additional information about Dan Gemeinhart and his books, you may visit Dan’s website:
Many thanks to the PTO for helping to make this author visit possible.
If you have any questions, please contact the E.H. Greene Library Media Specialist, Karen Amster, at amsterk@sycamoreschools.org.
Climate and Culture Survey
Positive school climates are essential for creating the environment, resources, and relationships necessary for children to thrive. Measuring school climate data enables schools to create safe, supportive, and accepting learning environments. As part of our Strategic Plan, Sycamore Community Schools has partnered with the Impact Group to conduct a climate and culture survey for the district.
We value the opinions of our students, staff, and families. Please look for an email next week with links to these brief surveys. The surveys will not collect personal information and will be anonymous. They will remain open for 14 days once posted. To learn more about our Strategic Plan, click here.
Dungeons and Dragons Club
Junior High Choir Auditions!
Don’t miss an awesome opportunity to be in choir at the Junior High next year! They are looking to add many amazing 6th graders to their choirs. Students do not have to be in choir this year to participate in choir at the Junior High. Deborah Stein and Jesse Callahan, SJH choir directors, will be visiting our 6th grade choirs and General Music classes in the next couple of weeks to provide more information and audition the students. Interested 6th grade students who are NOT in general music/choir this year should audition on Thursday, January 26th from 3:00-3:30 in the choir room at EH Greene. Students should have transportation to pick them up at 3:30. You may email either Mrs. Stein or Mr. Callahan (steind@sycamoreschools.org or callahanj@sycamoreschools.org) if you have any additional questions. Watch THIS VIDEO to see some of the fun things your kids can look forward to in JH choir.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Reporting Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Incidence
In an ongoing effort to provide a safe learning environment, Sycamore is requesting parents, students, and staff to inform administration (or whoever) of any perceived incidents of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Per the Sycamore Board of Education policy JFCF, harassment, intimidation, and bullying are defined as any provoked and intentional written, verbal, electronic or physical act that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both: 1. causes mental or physical harm to the other student; and 2. is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student. To view the complete policy, visit www.sycamore schools.org under the Board of Education tab, scroll down to “Policies”, search for policy “JFCF” and “JFCG-P”. Sycamore will do everything possible to address any complaints of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. We encourage students, staff, parents, and community members to report this type of behavior to the district if help is needed to solve a problem. To report an incident of harassment, intimidation, and bullying, 1. Go to the district’s website,www.sycamoreschools.org or on the individual school’s website under “Bullying Prevention” to find the form.
2. “Report Bullying”
3. Fill the form on-line and submit it electronically.
4. Hard copies of this form are available in each of the schools.
Complete the hard copy of the report form and turn it into the building principal. The building principal or designee will promptly investigate all reported incidents.
It is difficult to investigate reported incidences that are anonymously submitted. However, every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of the reporter. Deliberate false reporting of harassment, intimidation, and bullying is prohibited.
Staff of the Month Nominations
Parent Lunch
For now, (due to a number of factors with construction, parking, cafeteria size in relation to our class sizes, etc.), we are not having open parent lunch week for parents to join their student at lunch. We may revisit this past practice in the spring. We appreciate your understanding.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
After-School Clubs and Activities: Parent Pick-Up
- Parents should pull along the curb to wait for their student. The first car will pull to the front of the sidewalk just past the front entrance. The remaining cars will line up in a single-file line behind the first car. We have quite a long driveway and a number of parents should be able to fit on the lot.
- Parents DO NOT need to leave their cars to come get their kiddos!
- Students have been instructed to come out the front door and wait until they see their car pull-up to the sidewalk space in front of the building and gym. Please reinforce this with your student.
- After retrieving your student, you may pull ahead or, if careful, pull to the left and follow the circle through the parking lot to exit the school grounds. This process is different than pick-up or dismissal where we expect parents to "stay in line". The reason for this difference is because of the different times that clubs/activities may exit.
- If you would like, you are welcome to utilize any spaces in the main parking lot if you arrive significantly early and want to wait. More spaces will open up as construction slows down.
Thanks for your help with this process!
Delray Drive
It is HIGHLY SUGGESTED that you would utilize Kenwood Road to Aldine Drive to arrive at school for car drop-off and pick-up. When leaving the school, turn RIGHT to avoid the congestion.
We appreciate your understanding and believe this will truly help accentuate our new building's traffic flow design to keep our bus traffic and car traffic separate.
Key Information
Bus Riders
You can check for your child's bus stop information by visiting the TRANSPORTATION PAGE. The transportation department will update this information. Bus Riders will be assigned to a specific bus in the morning and in the afternoon. Please keep in mind that we cannot make any changes to bus assignments at the school level. Students will not be able to ride another bus to a friend's home. If your child is a bus rider and you need to pick him or her up on a particular day, please let the office know by emailing a note to: "ehgattendance@sycamoreschools.org".
Car Rider Drop Off
Car riders will be dropped off by the main entrance no earlier than 7:15 via the traffic signs. In order to drop off students, parents should follow the main driveway to the drop-off zone. When directed, students from those cars that area in the designated area will dismiss and enter the building at one time. No cars will leave during this time. Then, when directed by staff, all cars in the designated area will leave. The next group of cars that are waiting in line will then be directed by staff to move to the drop-off zone. This process will be repeated throughout the drop-off timeframe.
Car Rider Pick Up
Dismissal begins at 2:45 pm. If your child is a car rider, please note that cars are not permitted on the lot for pick up until after 2:30 pm. In order to pick up students, parents should follow the driveway to the pick-up zone. When directed, students will be dismised to the cars in the designated area at one time. No cars will leave during this time. Then, when directed by staff, all cars in the designated area will leave. The next group of cars that are waiting in line will then be directed by staff to move to the pick-up zone. This process will be repeated throughout the pick-up timeframe.The process we use for car rider dismissal should allow all children to be picked up by 3:10 pm.
We will again be using the "Parent Pick up Tags" for Car Riders. All families will receive a numbered tag in the mail prior to the start of school.
Early Dismissal
If you have an appointment during the regular school day and need to pick your child up early, please notify the office in advance ("ehgattendance@sycamoreschools. org") , park in the visitor's lot and come into the main office. Be sure to bring an ID with you. Thank you.
Champions After School Care
Champions After School Care will not be held at Greene. Instead, Champions will take place at the 4 elementary schools. Parents can sign up for the Champions program that will be held at your student's previous (home) elementary school. The district will provide transportation from Greene to the elementary.
Parents will need to complete a Sycamore transportation form indicating that they will be going to an elementary school for After School Champions. Shari Paguette, director of the Champions programs, also requested that parents call her at at 513-680-2564 to confirm that their students will be attending a Champions program. She will then connect with our Bus compound to ensure transportation arrangements and will confirm registration with the families. Thank you.
TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
Canvas
Parent Access to Canvas LMS
At the start of next school year (2023-24), Sycamore Schools will be transitioning to a new Learning Management System called Canvas. Canvas is a widely used Learning Management System in K-12 schools and beyond. This year, staff members will begin transitioning to this new LMS. Parents will have access to a parent account in Canvas that can be linked to their student(s). To create an account, please follow the steps below:
Generate a pairing code from your student’s Sycamore Canvas course (instructions).
Visit the parent login page and create an account in the top right corner (this will require the pairing code from step 1.
Once submitted, the parent account will be connected to the student account for current and future courses.
Please note that this school year will be a transition year, meaning the use and adoption of Canvas will be varied from teacher to teacher with full implementation expected at the start of the 23-24 school year.
Technology
Chromebook Warranty Program Updates
We have recently experienced some changes to how our student devices are covered under warranty. To streamline the warranty process for all students, starting with the 2022-23 school year, all students will be allotted $100 of repair, per year, following the fee replacement table below. If repair costs exceed the allotted $100, the remaining costs will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian/student.
Fee Replacement Table:
Device - $250 | Screen - $100 | Shell - $100 | AC adapter - $25 | Keyboard - $25 | Device Case - $20
Important Reminders:
Students must keep the school issued protective case on the device at all times.
Accidents happen. To better protect Sycamore Chromebooks and reduce the number of devices in need of repair, Sycamore Schools has invested in an “always-on” case. This case should not be removed for any reason. Any damage that occurs when the case is not on the device will be the responsibility of the parent/student/guardian.
Lost/Stolen devices are not covered under the annual $100 allotment.
Lost - full replacement cost is the responsibility of the parent/guardian/student.
Stolen - Devices reported as stolen outside of school require that parents notify police and provide a copy of an official police report to the school administration. Theft Inside school requires a letter signed by the parent/guardian and stating the date, time, location and description of the situation.
Manufacturer’s defects and issues will continue to be covered under the manufacturer warranty and will not have an impact on the $100 allotment.
My device is broken or not functioning correctly - what do I do?
If you have broken your device or it is not functioning correctly, please visit your school’s media center for additional assistance. Our team will troubleshoot the reported issue and if a fix is not immediately available, a loaner device will be provided.
See below for additional information regarding our steps and process for determining any fees associated with Chromebook damage:
CHILD NUTRITION INFORMATION
Food!
1. Make sure to check Parent Portal and see the balance of money for your students who are buying breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks. A few kiddos are in the "red" and need some money deposited in their accounts.
2. We love that our kiddos are utilizing our cafeteria for meals and/or snacks. This is a good time of year to work through your expected budget and purchases with your kids so they know what they can and can't buy on a daily or weekly basis.
3. If you need help with signing up for free and reduced lunch, please reach out to Ms. Georgia at stjohng@sycamoreschools.org. It can be a bit tricky and she would be glad to help you!
Did you know that the Sycamore District has Student and Staff Wellness Program Guidelines that have to be reviewed and updated every 3 years? Check out the latest updates here!
If anyone is interested in learning more about the District Wellness Committee please contact warrenk@sycamoreschools.org.
Summer- Pandemic EBT
There is a new window that the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services is opening on November 1st, 2022 to submit any families that did NOT get their PBET benefits for the summer. This would be for any family that qualified for free or reduced price lunch last school year and had an active Sycamore student (this does not include pre-school).
IF you believe you should have qualified and did not receive these benefits please email Kelsey Warren - warrenk@sycamoreschools.org. Provide student names and ID#s in the email.
More information on what pandemic EBT is can be found here.
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
Parent Communication
Greene School is using the following email for parent communication This replaces the paper form that you may have used at the elementary schools. This email is for absences, early dismissal, and/or late arrivals. Please inform us using the email by 1:00 and you will receive an confirmation email.
If you have an appointment during the regular school day and need to pick your child up early, please notify the office in advance ("ehgattendance@sycamoreschools. org") , park in the visitor's lot and come into the main office. Be sure to bring an ID with you. Thank you.
Email Notifications
Information that is emailed to parents will automatically go to the Primary Parent as designated in Final Forms. If an additional parent/guardian is wanting to receive the school emails (such as the weekly newsletter) or anybody is having issues receiving the newsletter, please refer to the following typical problems and solutions:
- The current, accurate email address isn't in ProgressBook. You need to update your email address in Final Forms as well as any additional email addresses that you would like to have receive communication.
- The correct email address actually is in ProgressBook. Parent may not be getting emails because you've opted out from receiving messages from the district at some point in the past. This is actually incredibly common. If you believe this is the case, please reach out to our building directly and we will work on this issue.
- The correct email address actually is in ProgressBook. School emails may be going to your spam folder.
Final Forms
As in the past, we need ALL parents or guardians to log into Final Forms and update any necessary changes for our 2022-2023 school year ASAP. That way, any potential issues/problems/questions can be addressed before our return to school at the end of August. Some forms require a student signature. 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.
Please be sure to go to the "Transportation Information" section in Final Forms. Here you may give permission to those who may pick up your child from school, and designate emergency contacts. Please be sure to "check" all those who will be able to pick up your child from school. Thank you.
Parenting Plans/Copied on Correspondance
If appropriate, please provide the office with custody information and updated parenting plans for your child. Please indicate if you would like to be "copied on correspondence."
PTO INFORMATION
Greene PTO
Please fill out the google form below to join the Greene School PTO. This is an annual membership so if you are returning to Greene please fill this out again. It’s important for all parents and staff to be a PTO member. There are no membership fees this year but we kindly ask that you consider donating to the PTO if you are able to do so. It helps us cover expenses such as the DirectorySpot App. We use this information to give you access to the Greene directory and only PTO members can vote and ask for gifting requests!
Please join today! There is a lot more information to come.
Kristy and Kristofer
Greene PTO Co-Presidents
Questions please email us at grpto@sycamoreschools.org
Art Room Volunteers
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20f0e49abaa2aa2fa7-artroom/13113691
PARENT INFORMATION
Activity Brochure
We are excited to release the Activity Brochure. These activities are a great opportunity for students to get involved and meet new friends. The sponsor of each club will come on our video announcements to share about the club and how to sign up a couple of weeks before they begin.
Helpful Links
Transition to the Junior High
We will keep this section in the newsletter to share information about transition to the Junior High.
Junior High Presentation: January, 2023 (Greene School PTO Meeting)
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS
GEAR
Gina Cutshall and Manika Maheshwari are the co-represetatives for Greene with GEAR
Sycamore GEAR (Gifted Education, Advocacy, and Resources) is a parent-led group for families in Sycamore Community Schools who are interested in gifted education. Your child does not need to be identified or even receiving gifted services to become a member as membership is not limited in any way. Members must only be interested in gifted education and enrichment in our school district to join.
If you have any questions or interested, please reach out at ehgrep@sycamoregear.org
Greene Ambassadors
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Click here to be connected with Greene Ambassadors:
https://www.sycamoreschools.org/domain/909
Click here if you want to help other families:
https://forms.gle/azpu6FPUKLC3ntNy8
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Greene Theater
Performing Arts, Inc. is bringing musical theater to Greene! We are excited to continue the interest and shows that exist at our elementary school in musical theater. Please see the schedule below as well as the flyer for additional contact and tryout information!
5th grade: Beauty and the Beast Jr
- Auditions: 11/8, 3:00 – 4:15
- Rehearsals: 11/15 – 1/31 (no rehearsals 11/22, 12/20, 1/3, 1/17) 3:00 -4:15 each day
- Dress Rehearsal: 2/7, 3:00 – 4:30
- Show: 2/10 (6:00 and 8:00)
6th grade: Beauty and the Beast Jr
- Auditions: 2/14, 3:00 – 4:15
- Rehearsals: 2/28 – 4/18 (no rehearsal 2/21, 3/21) 3:00 -4:15 each day
- Dress Rehearsal: 4/25, 3:00 – 4:30
- Show: 4/28 (6:00 and 8:00)
Contact: Cheryl Heaton cheryl@performingartsinc.net
Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School
Website: http://www.sycamoreschools.org/Domain/10
Location: 5200 Aldine Drive, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: (513) 686-1750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EH-Greene-Intermediate-1777365652527973/
Twitter: @EHGreeneSchool