The Chapman Chatter
Chapman Elementary School Newsletter | August 16, 2021
A Message from the Principal
The 21-22 school year officially kicks off this week and we couldn't be more excited! Please see our weekly newsletter for important information. There is repeated information from last week's newsletter for your reference as we gear up for back to school!
Yours in partnership,
Mrs. Harrell, Principal
Drake Road Construction
Open House Information (8/16)
Open House & Meet the Teacher is Monday, August 16 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Open House will be staggered in 30 minute blocks of time to help decrease the number of people in the building at one time. We kindly ask that families adhere to their assigned times, as this also helps maximize parking availability. At this time students are encouraged to bring their school supplies to drop off in their classrooms. If you have any specific information that you would like for your child's teacher to know, please reach out to them via email or a telephone call. We would like for all families to be able to meet their students' teacher and individual and confidential student conversations can take place at a later date and time. The goal of Open House and Meet the Teacher is for students and families to become familiar with the building, location of their classroom and meet their teacher. Teachers will communicate more formalized and specific information pertaining to their classrooms to families by Friday, August 20.
Open House time based upon LAST NAME:
A-I: 5:00-5:30 pm
J-Q: 5:40-6:10 pm
R-Z: 6:20-6:50 pm
To ensure Open House runs smoothly, please help us with the following:
- We ask that only one parent/guardian attend Open House with their child
- Only children who attend Chapman should accompany a parent/guardian
- After 30 minutes, announcements will be made to begin exiting the building to assist with the transition of groups.
If there is something that prevents you from adhering to our procedures, please reach out to Mrs. Harrell directly (kharrell@scsmustangs.org). Thank you for your cooperation in making this a safe, smooth and beneficial evening for all.
Kindergarten Orientation (8/18) and Kindergarten First Day of School (8/19) Information
Kindergarten Orientation is Wednesday, August 18th with the first official day of kindergarten being Thursday, August 19th.
Kindergarten orientation times are listed below by class. Please limit attendance to one adult attending with your child.
Miss Kvaka's Class: 1:00-3:00 pm
Ms. Rusch's Class: 1:00-3:00 pm
Mrs. King's Class: 9:30-11:30 am
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.
You may bring your child’s school supplies to Open House or 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 Chapman Elementary School.
Arrival and Dismissal Information
It is our utmost priority to ensure the safety of all during arrival and dismissal.
Students are not permitted to arrive at school prior to 8:50 am. There is no adult supervision prior to 8:50 am. All students will enter through the main entrance, Door G. Cars will drop students off using the large blacktop area (Turn left after entering the driveway. Please park and walk your student(s) to the sidewalk. PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR STUDENT(S) WALK IN THE PARKING LOT WITHOUT AN ADULT.
Dismissal
Beginning at 3:25, all walkers and car riders are dismissed. Walkers will exit through the main entrance (Door G). Parents picking up their student(s) are required to park their vehicle and walk to Door G. An adult will be assisting with the dismissal of students to families. Students will not be allowed to cross the parking lot without an adult present to accompany them.
Office Staffing During Dismissal
Due to the nature of our dismissal plan, we will be unable to answer the phones starting at 3:20 pm, as our office staff supports dismissal supervision of students. If you need to call the office in order to get a message to your child, please do so prior to 3:20 pm. Calls after 3:20 pm will go to our voicemail. Once we return to the office, we will get back to you.
Change in Student Dismissal Plan
Please make sure that you communicate your student's dismissal plan to their teacher. It is imperative that we know how students are getting home from school. Should you need to make a change is your student's dismissal plan, please communicate that change with your child's teacher or the office. We will not take a verbal communication from students regarding change in dismissal to ensure safety.
Thank you for your support as we ensure the safety of all during arrival and dismissal.
Encore Red, White, Blue Calendar
Students attend Encore Classes (Art, Music, PE) during a specific "color" week. Your child's teacher will share their specific class Encore Schedule with you. (Example: If I have PE on red weeks, I would want to dress appropriately (wear tennis shoes) on the days that are shaded red on the calendar).
Visit our website to view the Encore Class Calendar.
Let's See Those First Day of School Smiles! #MustangsFirstDay
We want to see pictures of students celebrating their first day of school! To help with your first day pictures, we have created printable signs for your students. Click HERE for signs for all of our grades and schools. No matter how you are documenting the memories of the first day of school, make sure you tag your posts with #MustangsFirstDay. Good luck to all of our students on this very special day of the school year!
District Shared Food Guidelines
Birthday treats may be distributed as long they meet the food guidelines as stated below. All food that is to be shared (birthday treat, classroom parties, etc.) must be store bought with a list of ingredients readily available. All shared food items must be checked at the office to ensure they meet the guidelines set forth. If store bought food is not accompanied by a list of ingredients, it will be sent home. Our office staff will not be trying to find ingredient lists via the internet.
If you would like to send in a non editable treat, here are some ideas: pencils, stickers, crazy straws, bubbles, glow bracelets/necklaces, etc.
For more information, please view Shared Food Guidelines HERE.
5th Grade Band and Orchestra Annoucement
Attention all fifth grade students and parents. All fifth grade students have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and become a member of the Strongsville City Schools Band and Orchestra team. Our band and orchestra teachers will be meeting with the fifth grade classes to demonstrate the awesome instruments students may choose to learn. They will also be providing information on how to become a Musical Mustang. All fifth grade students will be invited to join a special Beginning Band and Orchestra Google Classroom; be sure to check your school email.
The beginning band and orchestra parent meeting will take place in the Strongsville High School Auditorium, on Wednesday, Sept. 8th at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be livestreamed for those who can not attend. Beginning band and orchestra lessons will start the week of Sept. 13th. We are looking forward to meeting you!
If you have any questions, please email your specific band/orchestra teacher. Thank You.
Chapman Band Teacher - Mr. Chidsey (cchidsey@scsmustangs.org)
Chapman Orchestra Teacher - Mrs. Rogers (trogers@scsmustangs.org)
School Supply Lists
Transportation and Bus Route Information
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.
If you have other specific transportation questions, please call the transportation office at (440) 572-7060.
Breakfast and Lunch Program Information
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 lunch (breakfast is grab and go with students eating in their classroom). To the extent possible, students will be asked to sit at least 3 feet apart where space allows. 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.
Drinking Fountains: Water Bottles Encouraged!
Health and Safety Information
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.
Specific Information pertaining to District/Elementary School Buildings
- Visitors are allowed as long as they have a designated purpose/appointment.
- Visitors are not permitted during lunch/recess.
- Class parties will have a limit of 3 volunteers inclusive of the room parent and no additional children may attend.
- For classroom assistance, only one volunteer will be permitted at a time. Volunteers working with students/in classrooms must be vaccinated and a Board approved volunteer.
- Students will have assigned seats during lunch.
- Students will stay on the right side of the hallway when walking to/from locations.
- Book circulation will be done at pre-determined scheduled times by classroom.
- Limited use of shared materials when possible.
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.
School Day Hours of Operation
Right at School Before & After School Childcare Program
Program hours:
Before school: 7:00am-8:50am
After school: 3:30pm-6:00pm
Student Chromebooks Grades 3-5
Students in Grades 3-5 will be receiving Chromebooks that they will take home with them and bring back to school each day. Below are some specifics about Chromebooks in our building:
- 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 NEW fourth and fifth graders 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.
Join the Chapman PTA Today!
If you would like to join/rejoin the Chapman PTA for the 2021-2022 school year, please follow the link below to sign up and purchase. Prices are $5 for single membership/staff and $10 for family memberships. PTA has a fun year planned for students, families, and staff!
Join Chapman PTA HERE!
August PTA Meeting
Thursday, Aug 26, 2021, 07:00 PM
Market District Supermarket, Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Congratulations, Ms. Tabar! Strongsville Knights of Columbus Sister Rita Mackert Teacher of the Year Award!
Strongsville City Schools Student Handbook
The policies and procedures in the Elementary Student Handbook serve to encourage the positive teaching and learning climate needed to sustain excellence in academics, arts and athletics. The contents of this Student Handbook are based upon the Ohio Revised Code and District policies approved by the Board of Education. The Student Handbook is designed to provide a concise source of information for parents and students. Student responsibilities include regular school attendance, conscientious effort in classroom work, and compliance with school rules and regulations. Most of all, students share with the staff the responsibility of developing a climate in the school that is conducive to learning and the development of positive life skills.
The Elementary Student Handbook has been adopted by the Board of Education to be followed by all students, parents and employees. It is expected that parents and students will read and understand the contents of the document.
Howard Chapman Elementary School
Email: kharrell@scsmustangs.org
Website: https://chapman.strongnet.org/
Location: Howard Chapman Elementary School, Drake Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: (440) 572-7140