Looking at the Week Ahead
. We have two weeks in March, then the students and staff will be out for Spring Break (March 23 – April 1). When we return after break, students in grades 3-5 will be starting their State Testing. Please see below for exact dates.
This week our final few schools received their Heart Safe designation. NOW all schools in the Southwest Local School District have this accreditation. We are the first school district in Ohio to have all their school Heart Safe. Please click on the link below to see the story that WLWT did on this great accomplishment.
https://www.wlwt.com/article/student-cardiac-event-southwest-school-district-heart-safe/60115472
You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Please make sure you are members of the correct sites. There were several “unofficial” sites created and we are trying to inactivate them. I have been posting a lot of pictures of events happening at Harrison Elementary. Feel free to send them out to family and friends. This is a great way to keep up on events at school. Acceptance Week pictures have been posted throughout the week. Please take a few minutes to see what happened.
Follow us on Twitter @SLSDHarrisonEl
Like us on Facebook.com/HarrisonElementarySchool
We have had a great start to the new school year. The students are demonstrating our Four Core Values – Trust, Respect, Ownership and Leadership – throughout the day.
Have a great weekend!
Ron Mangus
Principal
Katie Conley
Dean of Students
Did You Know…..
Throughout our town halls and throughout our public engagement efforts, there was a big focus on the state of our SLSD facilities. We strongly believe that the community should have access to all our buildings so they can get a clear picture of the current state of all our school facilities.
At the end of February, we hosted our first building tour at Harrison High School. We got some great feedback. It was clear to those in attendance that age has taken a toll on the high school, and that can be seen very clearly in certain areas of the facility, such as the boiler room. There was also a lot of feedback about how, after 23 years, the Activity Center remains in good condition. Residents believed this speaks to the ability of the district to effectively manage our facility assets over a long period of time.
Our facility tours continue in March and April, and we encourage you to sign up to attend! You can RSVP below:
March 19th at 7PM at Harrison Junior School
April 29th at 7PM at Miami Whitewater Elementary
RSVP to:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTDyJAHi911oxYeiXtDG0-vDwmbe_qn0a6rZ6OdwmNxAgGAw/viewform
Throughout our community engagement, the issue of bullying in our schools came up a lot. We work every day to ensure that our students can learn in an environment that is welcoming and safe. A big part of that process has been to prioritize ways to handle bullying when it arises.
A couple key facts that you should know. First, the SLSD bullying policy was updated and revised just a few years ago in 2020. Second, we recently added 3 new mental health specialists with expertise in youth mental health. These experts are on call to help students facing issues inside and outside the classroom. Third, we maintain a strict adherence to the code of conduct to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. And finally, we recently had a training for staff at the Junior High School on recognizing the bullying behaviors and effects of bullying on students.
This is a critical issue for us at SLSD, so we will continue to provide information and clarification based on what he heard from you in our town halls and surveys. Thank you for continuing to engage with us!
You can see the bullying policy CLICK HERE
You can see the Student Code of Conduct in our Student Handbook - Click Here
State Testing Schedule
Listed below are the group testing dates for students in 3-5 grades. Please try to avoid scheduling any appointments on these dates. If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher.
April 10 – 3-5 grade students Reading Part 1
April 11 – 3-5 grade students Reading Part 2
April 24 – 5th grade students Science Part 1
April 25 – 5th grade students Science Part 2
April 30 – 4th and 5th grade students Math Part 1
May 1 – 3rd grade students Math Part 1
- 4th and 5th grade students Math Part 2
May 2 – 3rd grade students Math Part 2
Music Booster Announcement
Did you know that Easter is early this year??
Well, we are EGG-CITED to announce that EGG YOUR YARD is back!!!!
Don't stress about Easter this year.... let our High School and Junior High band members do the work for you!!
Our band student volunteers are helping the EASTER BUNNY and will come to your house after dark to hide eggs for your little one(s) to find the next morning! We will also leave a note/sign from the Easter Bunny!
Pick a night: Fri 3/29 or Sat 3/30
25 eggs ~ $20
50 eggs ~ $40
75 eggs ~ $60
100 eggs ~ $75
To place your order, go to:
The Music Boosters are happy to include neighborhoods of Hidden Valley, West Harrison, Ross and Cleves in addition to Southwest Local School District
Progress Book and Abre
Parents – if you are having trouble accessing ProgressBook or the Abre Parent Portal email parentaccess@southwestschools.org for help.
April 8th Total Solar Eclipse - reminder
On April 8, 2024, Ohio will experience a once-in-a-lifetime Total Solar Eclipse event. The last total solar eclipse in Ohio happened 217 years ago in 1806. Many parts of the state, ours included, will be in total darkness for a brief period in the late afternoon. The rest of the state will see the sun at least 95% blocked by the moon during that time.
The timing of the total eclipse has created a tricky situation for school districts in the totality zone, as it is supposed to occur right around our dismissal time. The issue will not be the darkness, but instead, the amount of traffic in our area, as the Ohio Emergency Management Team anticipates an extremely large number of visitors to our area to view this historic event. It is estimated that an additional 139,000-556,000 travelers will be coming to this part of Ohio, creating gridlocked traffic conditions and travelers stopped all along our roadways. More information and guidance from the Ohio Emergency Management team can be found here: https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/ohio-total-solar-eclipse
Due to the safety concerns regarding travel conditions, Southwest Local Schools have decided to close on Monday, April 8, 2024. Several other districts in our area have already done the same:
The school district will be providing solar eclipse glasses to all our students and staff members so they may view the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse safely. Those will be sent home with students during the previous week. School will resume as normal on Tuesday, April 9th.
Kindergarten Registration – 2024 – 2025 – Don’t let time run out!!!
The Southwest Local School District will begin kindergarten registration for the 2024 - 2025 school year Feb 1 beginning at 6 am. Registration can be completed online from any computer. Detailed instructions regarding the online application will be available on the district's website (www.southwestschools.org) under New Student Registration Tab. When your online forms are completed and all required documents have been uploaded, call the district registrar at district office at 513-728-8401 to make sure the documents have been received and are acceptable to complete your registration. See the district page for age requirements and immunization requirements.
March’s Character Traits:
Week 3/11/24: Zest-Zest is defined as, I approach daily life with energy and excitement.
Week 3/18/24: Perspective-Perspective is defined as, I can see other people’s points of view and offer good advice.
Week 3/25/24 Mindfulness (Spring Break)- Mindfulness is when we are present and fully engaged in the moment.
Please reinforce these weekly traits at home and throughout the month.
Update Regarding Ohio’s New Law for Dyslexia Screening
All students in grades K-3 at Southwest Local School District will undergo dyslexia screening as part of Ohio law requirements. This non-intrusive process aims to identify early signs of dyslexia, and if your child is flagged, they may be given a Tier 2 Screener for further assessment and tailored support. This is not a comprehensive dyslexia assessment designed to diagnose your child with dyslexia. The screener is designed to identify areas of concern in specific components of reading that identify your child as being below or well below grade level expectations.
Students in SLSD will receive an initial screening through Aimsweb Plus. K-3 students are already taking this assessment three times a year (fall, winter, spring). Students who score in the 25th percentile or below on the winter administration of Aimsweb Plus, will then be given an additional assessment called the RAN. If your child scores in an at-risk range on the RAN, they will be given the PAST assessment to target areas for intervention. We will notify you if your child will be receiving interventions based on these screenings.
Remaining Timeline for Dyslexia Assessments 2023-2024
Week of March 11: Begin Intervention
March 11-April 26: 6-8 Week Intervention Window
Week of April 29: Re-administer PAST to this target group of students
During May data meetings, all students will be placed in MTSS groups for the following Fall based on areas of need.
PTO Planning Meetings
PTO meetings this school year will take place on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 pm in the school cafeteria. The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Monday April 22, 2024 due to the timing of Spring Break and Easter.
You can always join PTO. Just your small membership fee of $10 helps us provide services for the kids! This does not require you to volunteer or attend meetings. It is all up to you how much you would like to be involved. If you have any questions, please reach out to a board member.
Joining the PTO is not a huge commitment and often looks like 1-3 service hours a year with opportunities in the evenings, during the school day or can be as simple as signing up to send in cookies for an event. Everyone doing a little adds up to a LOT for our kids.
Please click on the link below for the meeting minutes.
February PTO Minutes - Click Here
Hope to see you soon!
Harrison PTO
Attachments
None
Important Items for the Week Ahead
Thursday, March 14 – Pee Wee Penguin Banking Deposit Day
Friday, March 15 – 3rd Quarter Cats Store – all grades
Tuesday, March 19 – Academic Team vs Faculty – 4 pm – 5 pm
Wednesday, March 20 – Kindergarten Grandparents’ Day – 9:30 (AM) & 2:00 (PM)
- 4:00 Lightning Squad Club
- Marching Kittens Baton Recital Rehearsal – Junior School
Thursday, March 21 – 2nd Grade Grandparents’ Day – 10:00 am
- 7:00 pm – Harrison Marching Kittens Baton Recital – 7 pm @ Junior School
- 7:00 pm – Board of Education Meeting – Crosby
Friday, March 22 – 1st Grade Grandparents’ Day – 10:00 am
March 23 – April 1 – Spring Break – No school for students and staff
DISTRICT MISSION: "Academic and Social Growth for ALL students, EVERY DAY!"
DISTRICT MOTTO: "Excellence through Relationships"
HARRISON ELEMENTARY MOTTO: "Where Children Come First"
DISTRICT CORE VALUES: Trust, Respect, Ownership and Leadership