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Important Information for WVE Families

Posted on: April 27, 2020
Important Information

Most of you are already aware that Gov. DeWine announced this week that our school buildings will be closed through the end of this year.  We were expecting the news, but it was difficult to hear for sure!  Children thrive on routine and predictability, which may be in short supply at home depending on day-to-day work expectations and situations that are out of your control.  Make sure you validate your child's feelings (and your own) and let them know it's normal to be frustrated or disappointed that activities have been cancelled or postponed.  Our school building is closed, but learning and education will never stop!  We will provide distance learning opportunities through May 27th and even beyond that if you are interested.


WVE Checklist
A checklist has been created to help you keep track of all end-of-year tasks and "to-do's".  You can find it HERE


Brain Bag #2 and #3

BRAIN BAG #2 TURN-IN: Monday, May 4

Brain Bag #2 drop-off will be in the front of the building by the flagpole (weather permitting). Large containers, labeled with homeroom teacher names will be available for you to drop your child’s packet in. Please make sure your child’s name and teacher’s name is on the front cover and the packet is stapled or placed in a large envelope with their name and homeroom teacher written on the front.  Handing in a stack of loose papers makes the packet difficult for us to handle safely.

Research has shown that the corona virus can live on paper for up to 48 hours, therefore packets will stay in containers for 2 days before we spray with disinfectant, sort, and return them to teachers. Teachers will check Brain Bag #2 and will enter marks in Progress Book by May 13th.

Also, if parents prefer, completed Brain Bag packets may be scanned and emailed to their child’s homeroom teacher instead of physically being dropped off.  Some teachers are making arrangements for parents to send pictures of completed assignments as well.  If you plan to scan or take pictures of Brain Bag #2, please email the teacher so he/she is aware.  Here are two ways you can scan packets right from your smartphone:

            Apple Devices:    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210336

            Android Devices:   https://support.google.com/drive/answer/3145835?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en


BRAIN BAG #3 PICK-UP / FOOD DISTRIBUTION: Monday, May 4

Ways to get Brain Bag #3:

1. Brain Bag #3 will be available to download from our website https://www.southwestschools.org/whitewater-valley-elementary-school/  & print from home on May 4th.  

2. You may pick up Brain Bag #3 on May 4th while you’re here dropping off Brain Bag #2.  The assignments in Brain Bag #3 are for May 4-22, 2020.   We are officially still distance learning through May 27, but the final week of school are virtual field trips and virtual field day.   This will make more sense when you see the Brain Bag #3 calendar.

To avoid long wait times, we recommend arriving during the times below. If you need to come at a different time, the office is staffed from 8:00am-2:00pm, we are just trying to eliminate everyone coming at once. Those who are picking up food, it will only be available from 9-12 and will be distributed in the side parking lot by the kitchen door near the dumpsters. If you are unable to pick food up during this time, please call the school office to make special arrangements.

9:00-10:00      Last names A-H     (Turn-in, Pick-up, Food all available)

10:00-11:00    Last names I-O       (Turn-in, Pick-up, Food all available)  

11:00-12:00    Last names P-Z      (Turn-in, Pick-up, Food all available)

Please be sure to practice social distancing during Brain Bag turn-in and pick-up.  There are cones and lines taped off every 6 feet near the front entrance to help with physical and social distancing.  We would appreciate you wearing masks if possible also.


WVE student devices

If your child has borrowed technology to use for distance learning and enrichment opportunities, all laptops and chargers need to be returned to school on May 22nd.  


Teacher Appreciation Week

May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week.  PTA is coordinating a way for parents, guardians, and students to show their appreciation to our phenomenal teachers from a safe distance with as little contact as possible.  Feel free to find a creative way to thank your child's teacher in addition to what PTA has planned.  Give yourself a shout-out that week also - you've been teaching your own children for about 6 weeks straight now!


Yearbook Orders

The deadline to order a yearbook is April 30th.  Ritchie Photo has created an online ordering option in an effort to reduce the amount of contact by collecting forms, money, and distributing yearbooks.  You can order yearbooks online at https://ritchiephoto.simplephoto.com   A fee for shipping will be added to your online order and yearbooks will be sent directly to your house.   If you are unable to order online and want to drop your order off at school, yearbooks are $10.  We will have your child's yearbook in their bag of personal belongings if you ordered in person.  Congratulations to Jacob Scudder and Kenna Farris for their winning yearbook cover designs.  Jacob's artwork will be on the front cover and Kenna's will be on the back cover!


PTA Scholarship Winners

Emma Roush is the winner of this year's student scholarship and Mrs. Missy Hunter is the teacher scholarship recipient!  PTA is looking for a treasurer as well.  Contact Melissa MacKendrick at melissamackendrick@gmail.com if you are interested.


Personal Belonging Pick-up Process

In an effort to keep everyone as healthy as possible, we will be following the process below to distribute each child's personal belongings.  We really didn't have advance warning and time to have students gather jackets, lunchboxes, art projects, school supply boxes, and consumable workbooks before closing.  ParaProfessionals and teachers will be collecting student belongings, bagging everything, and labeling with name tags.  If you have reached out to your child's teacher with specific items you may be missing (ex. glasses), that item will be listed on your child's bag tag and we will make every effort to find it in cubbies, desks, and throughout the classroom.  Parents and children will not be permitted in the building, hallways, and classrooms to search for missing items. 

1. Each grade level will have a specific pick-up day (if you have more than one child attending WVE, please request the younger siblings' personal belongings when signing up online, list their name on the sign up, and we'll have them ready earlier in the week to save you from making multiple trips).  Teachers from each grade level will be out front (standing far apart) on the designated days below to wave to students while they wait in vehicles.

  • May 18 - Fifth Grade
  • May 19 - Fourth Grade
  • May 20 - Third Grade
  • May 21 - Second Grade
  • May 22 - Kindergarten & First Grade

2. Please sign up online for a time that is convenient for you:   https://signup.com/go/gtsKuDg  Note that we have evening pick-up hours on Monday & Wednesday of that week to accommodate for parents who are working during the day.  Note the student's name and homeroom teacher when you sign up online.  That will help us group bags by pick-up time and day in the gym for easy retrieval by our staff.

3. When you arrive at your designated time, pull up in the carpool lane by the mailbox (not bus lane) and send one adult to the door.  Buzz to let us know you're here and what kind of vehicle you are driving.  We will bring the bags to you by the flagpole or to your vehicle.

4. We understand that some personal belonging pick-up days are occurring before Brain Bag #3 is due and that's OK.  Just because you're picking up personal belongings, the learning is not supposed to stop. The school year is not over!  We're gathering your personal items so you can continue to learn from home and have the resources and school supplies you need. 

5. Library books can be returned any day between 8:00-2:00 Monday through Friday.  There will be a blue bin out front for you to toss them in.  If your child is missing a library book, Mrs. Crosley will have a slip for you that will be handed out with Brain Bag #3.  


SLSD School Board Member Message

The Southwest Local School District Board of Education has a special message for students, staff, parents, and the community as a whole.  Please click the following link to view it:  https://youtu.be/qzz5YHarFRI


Current Kindergarten Parents

We are in the process of making enrollment projections for our 2020-2021 first grade classes.  This information is essential as we plan for staffing and teacher assignments.  Please call Mrs. Klayer in the office (513-367-5577) by May 15th with the following information: 

1. Student Name

2. If the student will be returning to Whitewater Valley Elementary next year

3. If you need to apply for an Intra-District transfer and the school your child should attend

4. If you have other children attending WVE


P.E. Class 

Mr. Sims is going to provide you with fun-filled activities that contain information, trivia, and CHALLENGES for both the body and the mind! From now until the end of the school year, each week will offer a variety of “stuff” related to physical education!  More details will be included in our next parent message and in teacher emails. Look for it on our school’s website in the next week or two!  Intrigued? Get ready - IT’S COMING!!!

Mr. Sims is also working with other P.E. teachers from across the district to prepare ideas for our Virtual Field Day on May 27th.  Stay tuned for details...


Personal Calls 

We are committed to supporting our Whitewater Valley Wildcats in every way possible and are not letting the distance stop that!  Staff members are reaching out and making personal phone calls to each student's home.  Please be honest and genuine when they call you and tell us what you need!


Art Class Update

Students can use the Artsonia website for more detailed instruction, links, additional options, examples, and videos for the Art Choice Board in Brain Bag #2. Students can also upload a photo of the work they are creating! Artsonia is not additional work, but a place for students to learn more about the choice board options. Go to Artsonia.com/class and type in the school code: XNPJ-WWBK. Questions? Email Mrs. Ferguson at tracy.ferguson@southwestschools.org or send a message on dojo. 5th grade students can ask questions through Teams!


Online Scholastic Book Fair

Our online Scholastic Book Fair ends tonight at midnight!  You still have time to share the love of reading with your child by shopping at this link: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=whitewatervalleyelemschool3 If you have any questions about ordering Scholastic books online, contact our PTA rep Michelle Graf at mgraf1011@gmail.com .  Happy READING!


Reading with Rosie 

Mrs. Scudder has started a Read to Your Pet Challenge on Facebook.  If you have time and want to record a video while you read a book or two, she will post it for you.  Search for Reading with Rosie on Facebook.  We have LOVED having the Reading with Rosie program at school this year, so this is a way for your child to cozy up with their pet or stuffed animal to show us how their reading skills have grown!  Mrs. Scudder and Rosie are delivering a short story to the person's doorstep if they read the most. 


Thank you!!

As I've shared before, we are so fortunate to have many first responders, firefighters, police officers, nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, and other essential workers on the front lines living in our Harrison community.  Thank you for continuing to make sacrifices to keep us as safe and healthy as possible!  The additional work that YOU - our parents and guardians are putting in to provide educational support is simply amazing.  


Next WVE Video:  

Our next video masterpiece can be found on YouTube using this link: https://youtu.be/CquMHXzWuFA  Please continue to send me pictures via email so your children can be included in our next video.  We will create at least two more before the end of distance learning for the 2019-2020 school year.

 

We're all going to continue to learn and grow together and come out at the end in a better place!  Reach out if we can provide any additional support.