FEBRUARY 2022
News for the Ottawa Family
Message from Mr. Lockhart
From the Principal-
We are living our Vision and Missionš
Vision: We are building a better world, one student at a time. (Individualization)
Ottawaās Mission Statement: Work Hard and Be Nice to People
We believe -
ā¢ We can educate all students
ā¢ Students can try their best and be responsible for their actions
ā¢ By working with family members, they can support their children so they can be successful learners
ā¢ Working together Ottawa will remain a safe and respectful school
Teachers are now identifying activities that that they conduct to individualize instruction and relationships. They are also identifying examples of working hard and being nice to people. They are setting goals for themselves to do even more. These goals will be written down and used as a reminder. An author stated that if this is done, there is a 95% chance of completing the goal. If one does not write it down, there is only a 7% chance of completing it.
Enjoy the winter,
Mr. Lockhart
- February 14th - Valentines Day
- February 18th - 1/2 day of school - dismissal at 11:25
- February 21st - February 25 - NO SCHOOL - Winter break
- February 28th - Classes resume
- March 1st - Spring pictures
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY
Donāt forget to call in any absences for your child. Please call our attendance line at 586-723-6699.
When a child has more than 10 absences in a semester, whether excused or unexcused, it is considered excessive and may be investigated by school officials. If warranted, it will be reported to the county truant officer. Excessive absence, whether excused or unexcused, may mean your child will not be promoted. Additionally, when a student accumulates 11 consecutive daysā absences, and the school received no explanation for the absences the students will be considered to have withdrawn from school and will be dropped from the school records.
It is imperative that students be in attendance each school day in order not to miss a significant portion of their education. Many important learnings result from active participation in classroom and other school activities which cannot be replaced by individual
study. The school is also concerned about helping students develop a high-quality work ethic which will be a significant factor in their success with future employers. One of the most important work habits that employers look for in hiring and promoting a worker is his/her dependability in coming to work every day and on time. This is a habit the school wants to help students develop as early as possible in their school careers.
The Michigan Compulsory Attendance Law also recognizes the value of regular attendance at school. Students are expected to be in school except in cases of emergency or for the following reasons:
ā¢ Personal Illness ā the school may require verification by a doctor;
ā¢ Illness in the Family ā work with your childās teacher to keep schoolwork current;
ā¢ Death of a Relative ā absence arising from a family death. Please notify your childās counselor should you feel your child may need support when they return to school;
ā¢ Religious Holiday ā children will be excused from class if the absence is for the purpose of observing a religious holiday which is part of the childās creed or belief;
ā¢ Medical Appointments ā parents should schedule their childās regular medical and dental appointments for times after school or on weekends;
It is the parentās responsibility to make sure your child is in school. Attendance has a bearing on academic achievement and will be reflected in a childās grade. It is the studentās responsibility to request make-up work from teachers and to make sure it is turned in. After a child has been sick for two days, parents can request homework. Parents are notified every quarter or trimester about their childās attendance as part of his or her report card.
All students should attend school regularly. Regular attendance will allow students to keep up academically, since the presentation of materials by teachers in all classes takes place in an orderly, sequential style. In addition to missing class time, students will also miss valuable time to interact with both teachers and other students if they do not attend school regularly.
The chance to hear and participate in class instruction, discussion and other related learning experiences cannot be replaced.
Whenever possible, families should plan vacations when school is not in session. Valuable instructional time and experiences are lost when your child is out of school; time and experience which cannot be made up. If it is necessary for you to take your child out of school, make-up work should be requested no later than the day he returns from vacation.
Make-up work should be completed within the same number of school days as he/she was absent unless special arrangements have been made with each teacher.
Tardiness
Punctuality is a lifetime habit that students should develop. Students are expected to arrive on time each day and be prepared to learn. If students are late in arriving to school, they will be marked Tardy. All students must report to the office so as not to be marked absent and/or to order a lunch.
Notification of Absence
If a student is going to be absent, the parents must contact the school attendance line and provide explanation. If prior contact is not possible, the parents should provide a written excuse as soon as possible. When no excuse is provided, the absence will be
unexcused, and the students will be considered truant.
Excused Absences
An excused absence allows the student to make up all possible work. It is the responsibility of the student and parent to obtain missed assignments. It is possible that certain kinds of schoolwork such as labs or sill-practice sessions cannot be made up and, as a result, may negatively impact a studentās grade. The skipping of classes or any part of the school day is considered an unexcused absence and no make-up of class work will be permitted. Disciplinary action will follow.
Unexcused Absences
Any student who is absent from school for all or any part of the day without a legitimate excuse shall be considered truant and the student and his/her parents shall be subject to the truancy laws of the State.
Suspension from School
Absence from school due to suspension shall be considered an authorized absence, neither excused nor unexcused. A suspended student will be responsible for making up schoolwork lost due to suspension. It is recommended that a student complete missed assignments during the suspension and turn them in to the teacher upon his/her return from school. Assignments may be obtained from the office. Make up of missed tests may be scheduled when the student returns to school. The student will be given credit for properly completed assignments and a grade on any made-up tests.
Homebound
Students who are not able to attend school due to a debilitating condition, as defined by a medical doctor, may request Homebound Services through the Educational Services Department.
School Hours
Arrival
- Doors open at 8:24am
- Class begins at 8:30am
Dismissal
- The day ends at 3:14pm
Half Day Dismissal
- 11:25am
SACC
- SACC opens at 7:00am and closes at 6:00pm
- Parents must re-register each year in order for children to use the SACC program: CLICK HERE
Half Day Schedule
11:25am Dismissal
- February 18
- March 23
- March 25
- April 1
- June 14
- June 15
School Breakfast and Lunch
Thanks to a program extension from the USDA, Chippewa Valley Schools will now feed all children 18 years and younger for FREE through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. To see if your family qualifies for additional benefits, please fill out a free/reduced application at www.lunchapp.com before October 15, 2021. Applications are good for one school year and should be completed each year unless you are notified that your child qualifies for free/reduced meal benefits for the current school year.
This means ALL students enrolled in Chippewa Valley Schools can receive 1 free daily breakfast and lunch at NO CHARGE for this school year.
Registration for 2022-2023 School year
Ottawa Family, our kindergarten registration for 2022-2023 is now open. Please register soon if you have an incoming kindergartner. Please let anyone you know that has an incoming kindergartner know that registering sooner than later is best.
https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/for-parents/enrollment/
Masks and Vaccinations
The following information comes directly from the Chippewa Valley School district for all schools in the district to follow:
Mask policies for students and staff
Masks are optional for students and staff in our school offices and summer programs. This fall students will return to the classroom full-time and our plan is to offer an optional mask policy. However, we want to remind families that current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that students over the age of two, especially those who are not fully vaccinated, consider wearing a mask indoors, including at school.
We ask everyone to respect each individualās choice whether or not to wear a mask.
Masks on school buses
CVS recommends that all students, especially those who are not vaccinated, wear a mask while riding a school bus.
Vaccinations & Testing
Chippewa Valley Schools will not separate students by vaccination status or mandate testing for students and staff. While individuals are not required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, those who have been fully vaccinated may be exempt from quarantine requirements.
We encourage all families to talk to their healthcare providers about the vaccine and strongly support those that are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.
The health and well-being of our students, staff, and families will always be our top priority.
In our ongoing effort to prevent the spread of the virus in our school community, we will continue our established cleaning and sanitation protocols, social distancing wherever possible, and utilize hand sanitizer and frequent hand washing throughout the day. In addition, as a result of previous bond improvements, our schools are equipped with updated air handling units with filters that meet or exceed current CDC recommendations for ventilation and healthy air flow.
Because we recognize that transparent information on COVID-19 cases in our schools is important to our community, we will continue to provide a COVID-19 case report on our website.
We will continue to work with the professionals of the Macomb County Health Department (MCHD) and follow mandates to ensure the continued safety of our students, staff, and community. Our district nurses will work closely with the MCHD on appropriate quarantine procedures and guidelines. We will carefully monitor the virus in our school community and will take any necessary precautions needed to prevent community spread. We will communicate any changes with you.
Parent Portal Update
Parents of children grades K-12 may access grades, attendance, lunch balance and school messenger settings. Students in grades 6-12 may also access grade and attendance information through their own portal account.
School Age Child Care (SACC)
SACC (School Age Child Care)
- Parents must re-register each year in order for children to use the SACC program: CLICK HERE
SACC at Ottawa isn't just a child care program before and after school, it is a really FUN program for kids. Whether it is before or after school, kids are able to play and socialize with friends in both a safe and clean environment. All Covid-19 restrictions and protocol are followed to keep kids healthy.
At SACC, kids can get homework help, socialize with other students, engage in fun crafts, play learning games, and get involved in many other fun activities.
For more information please contact our SACC room and speak with Mrs. Baszczuk: 586-723-6687
- SACC runs Monday-Friday
Progress Reports and Report Cards
1st Semester: Ends January 28
First Trimester: Ends December 3
Second Trimester: Ends March 11
Third Trimester: Ends June 15
Progress Report Date
- Friday, January 21- Progress Reports sent home with students
- Monday, May 2- Sent home with students as needed
Report Card Dates
- Wednesday, December 8- Sent home with all students
- Friday, March 18- Sent home with all students
- Wednesday, June 15- Sent home with all students
School Transportation Information
School Transportation and Bussing
Schoology Information
Accessing Schoology
(When Necessary)
Ā· Students will log in to their Schoology account. Once your child accesses their Schoology account, your childās teacher will have directions posted to guide your family through the process.
Ā· To learn more about Schoology including how to access the site and review/learn Schoology basics, visit: Schoology Overview or click to watch the Schoology Video with directions on how to log in.
Ā· To directly access your childās Schoology account:
Visit cvs.schoology.com
School Messenger- Please sign up
Ottawa Families, our school sends home emails and voice calls as needed to remind you of important updates. Please access the link below for directions on how to receive emails and phone calls from both Ottawa Elementary and Chippewa Valleys schools. It also provides info on Parent Portal in addition to School Messenger.
https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/for-parents/parent-portal---school-messenger-help/
PARENT PORTAL- Accessing and Receiving Important Information Regarding Your Child
Parent Portal
Parents, please update your Parent Portal settings so that you can receive emails and text messages from School Messenger. Important info is frequently sent out on School Messenger and we do not have enough parents with an email address provided. Please us the links below for help in Parent Portal.
https://ps.cvs.misd.net/public/
Parents/relatives/friends intending on volunteering in the classroom or on field trips for the current school year, are required to complete a CRC form.
Click here to access the form.
*Please note that your child must be pre-registered before using the SACC program. Please notice the new registration fee as well.