MWE Update
They say April showers bring May flowers, and we hope that proverb holds true! This week's rain and threat for severe weather hasn't put a damper on the positivity and happiness here at MWE. Our students are thrilled to be back into a routine after a week off! Students in grades 3, 4, & 5 started taking their OST ELA (English Language Arts) tests this week. The ELA assessment window is open from April 2-April 19. The Mathematics & Science assessment window is open from April 22-May 10. Your child's teacher or Intervention Specialist will share specific testing days and times with you via Class Dojo or in weekly newsletters.
We know how hard our teachers and students have been working all year to master the grade level standards. As a district, we consider this to be our "Super Bowl" of sorts. Accountability is important & we need to have student growth and achievement measures in place, but there is something very important you must know. The OST scores do not show how many of our young wildcats love to sing. It does not show their talents in dancing or drawing. It does not show their determination at basketball or football practice. It does not show their attentiveness and kindness toward their friends and classmates. This test does not show how helpful they are at home with their siblings. It does not show their thoughtfulness or how they stop running on the playground to push a friend with special needs on the swings. The OST tests don't show how much joy they bring to me each day! It does not show the effort they put in every day at home and school. The scores they get on this test will show some things, it will show their achievement in ELA and Math. So while they are preparing for the test, remind your kiddos that there are many ways to be smart and amazing. Let them know how much you love them and how proud of them you are. Just encourage them to do their best!
Here are some suggestions of things you can do to help your child prepare for spring assessments:
SLEEP - Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep before the test. This will help them to be cheerful and to stay alert during the test.
BREAKFAST - Please make sure your child eats breakfast, at school or at home. Overly sugary things are not recommended. This will help them to have energy and to stay focused during the test. We provide mints, bottled water, and snacks for each test session.
ENCOURAGEMENT - Please encourage your students to do their best! Send them to school with an encouraging letter to read before they take the test. Some students may be feeling a little anxious or nervous about the tests. Please reassure your students that they have been practicing and preparing for the entire school year, and that they are ready for this assessment.
Total Solar Eclipse- Next Monday, 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:
Today, we distributed one pair of solar eclipse glasses to each of our students and staff members so they may view the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse safely. We do not have extras, so please store your kiddo's glasses in a safe spot until next Monday. School will resume as normal on Tuesday, April 9th.
Elementary Art Show - There is artwork on display at the Harrison Branch Library throughout the month of April. Students from Miami Whitewater Elementary, Crosby Elementary, and Harrison Elementary have created masterpieces for this annual show. Kudos to our phenomenal Art Teacher, Mrs. Tracy Ferguson, for sharing her passion and talent with our young artists. We're lucky to have her here! The SLSD Art Show flyer has more information as well as the library's address: ART SHOW 2024
Did You Know?? - In the last few years, we've made it a priority to try and get every student in the Southwest Local School district to participate in at least one extracurricular activity. During our town halls this year, we heard a lot of participants who wanted to see more involvement and more opportunities for our students. We continue to strive for 100% participation, and we are making great progress! We've seen increased participation across all of our buildings, and we went from 88.9% participation last school year, to nearly 93% participation as a district this year. Click HERE to see more.
We want all of our students to thrive inside AND outside of the classroom. Involvement in these activities is critical in development of discipline and paving a path to success for all our SLSD students. We will continue to push for our goal of 100% participation with your help on the home front. Miami Whitewater Elementary has several extra-curriculars that are led by parent & guardian volunteers. American Sign Language (ASL) Club was started by Mrs. Alexis Salsman, Olivia's Mom, and will have it's first meeting this afternoon, for example. Have ideas for other extracurricular activities we could add to the options we provide students? Let us know your thoughts via email (mia.neckel@southwestschools.org).
Elementary Dances - The annual Elementary Dances are coming soon! This year’s theme is “Under the Big Top”. They’re open to all SLSD preschool through 5th graders. Both dances run from 7-9 PM at the Activity Center. Admission is $20 per couple, and $5 for each additional child. The price includes music and dancing, snacks, photo stations and games.
The Daughter Dance takes place on Friday, April 19. Purchase tickets: https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/32539
The Son Dance takes place on Saturday, April 20. Purchase tickets here: https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/32540
The dances are sponsored by the Harrison High School Student Council. If you are interested in purchasing a corsage or boutonniere, O'Reilley Floral Design is offering a great special. Click these links to find out more: Mom Prom & Daddy Daughter
Food Service Update - Southwest Schools prides itself on offering the lowest school lunch prices in the area, while still covering all operational costs associated with our food service program. With that in mind, we do not anticipate raising prices for the 2024-25 school year. As a reminder, if you feel like your family may be eligible for free or reduced lunch prices based on your household income, then you should apply online via the “Food Service” tab of the district website (www.southwestschools.org). Applications for the 2024-25 school year will be open in early- to mid-July. Acceptance into the free or reduced lunch program could also provide other benefits that may include academic fee waivers, holiday church help, or summer EBT program benefits. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sue Toelke or Adam Lohbeck at (513) 367-4139.
Facilities & Enrollment - Throughout our town halls, surveys, and our recent building tours, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about our facilities. Specifically, some concern was raised that our newer buildings were built too small for the rapid pace of enrollment in our district. We will be exploring the impacts of enrollment more in the coming weeks, but we believe it’s important to share the facts about our buildings with the community. Financing a construction project is complicated, and for better or worse, there are a lot of people outside our district that have a say in the final product. The State of Ohio plays a large role in both financing buildings and impacting what they look like. Prior to beginning a construction project, the State of Ohio employs Future Think (a third party consultant) to predict enrollment. It’s not unusual for the district to disagree with the analysis of the State and their consultants, but they hold the final decision making power. Then it’s left up to us to make it work in reality. Click HERE for more information.
So, the bad news is we SLSD has a limited say in the size of any building we construct. The good news…the State of Ohio, in our most recent projects, paid 32 cents on the dollar toward completion. This means, that by partnering with them, local taxpayers were saved from funding an additional $32 million toward those projects. SLSD is constantly working to make improvements and adjustments based on increasing enrollment - stay tuned in the next few weeks to learn about how!
UPCOMING DATES:
APRIL
April 2-19 - OST ELA Assessment window
April 4 - National School Librarian Appreciation Day
April 8 - No School - Solar Eclipse
April 12 - First Grade grandparent’s Day 9:30am
April 16 - Erin’s Law Assemblies (AM Kdg., Beasley Kdg., 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade)
April 17 - Erin’s Law Assemblies (PM Kdg., Ard Kdg., 1st grade, MD Dept.)
April 17 - Student Banking
April 19 - SLSD Daddy-Daughter Dance (7:00-9:00)
April 20 - SLSD Mom Prom (7:00-9:00)
April 22 - 3rd grade field trip to Great American Ballpark
April 22 - May 10- OST Mathematics & Science Assessment window
April 24 - Administrative Professionals Day
April 30 - PBIS Assembly 2:30pm
May
May 1 - Student Banking
May 1 - Kindergarten Field trip to Cincinnati Zoo
May 2 - 3rd grade Field Trip to Miami Whitewater Forest & Whitewater Whippy Dip
May 6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6-10 - AIMSWeb Plus fluency Spring benchmark (grades K-3)
May 7 - 2nd grade Field Trip to Sharon Woods
May 8 - School Nurse Appreciation Day
May 8 - 4th grade field trip to Gov. Bebb Pioneer Village
May 10 - Wildcat Walk 2:30pm
May 10 - First Grade Field Trip to Cincinnati Museum Center
May 7 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30 PM
May 8 - CAT Store
May 10 - First Grade field trip to Cincinnati Museum Center
May 14 - MWE Enrichment Day
May 15 - Student Banking + Bike Giveaway
May 16 - Harrison HS Class of 2024 Grad Walk 9:30am
May 16 - Field Day & PTO Walk-a-Thon
May 17 - Teacher In Service Day - No School
May 20 - Field Day & PTO Walk-A-Thon - Rain Date
May 21 - High School Graduation
May 22 - Last Day of School
May 22 - 5th Grade Graduation
May 23 - End of Second Semester - No School
May 24 - Teacher Records Day
May 27 Memorial Day - School Closed