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WVE Update

Posted on: September 17, 2020
Update

Regardless of whether your child is learning under our roof face-to-face or virtually first semester, our teaching staff and students are connecting in many ways.  You can learn about the connections and relationships by asking your child(ren) questions about how the school day went.  Have conversations about school, and try the following questions:

  • What made you laugh today?
  • Let's see what you worked on today.
  • Can you describe a book you enjoyed today?
  • Pretend you're the teacher.  How would you describe the day?
  • How were you helpful today?
  • What was the most creative thing you did?
  • What is the coolest thing that happened?
  • How was someone kind to you?
  • How did you spread kindness?

Face-to-Face Families 

School Picture Day - WVE has partnered with Lifetouch for our 2020-21 school pictures and yearbook.  Our school picture day is September 28th.  Lifetouch photography teams have gone through extensive training to ensure that safety and our student's health are a priority on picture day.  Lifetouch photographers will be wearing masks during the entire photo session with your child and will maintain a safe 6 ft. distance.  Check-in procedures are all electronic, so our students don't have to carry cards to hand to the photographer this year.  You can order before picture day on mylifetouch.com with our Picture Day ID: EVTSX9JZ9

​​​​​​​Parent-Teacher Conferences -  Our fall Parent-Teacher conferences will be October 13 & 15.  All conferences will be completed using video conferencing (Google Meet for grades K-4, Microsoft Teams for 5th grade, and ZOOM for our MD Dept.).  The office staff is working on the final touches of our online sign-ups. Stay tuned for a follow-up email with the link to reserve a time that is convenient for you to discuss your child's progress!

Help us stay hydrated! -  Please remember to pack a refillable water bottle for your child each morning.  Several students are forgetting their water bottles.  Since our drinking fountains are turned off, water bottle refilling stations are our only source of hydration at this time.  If you would like to donate a case of bottled water, please drop it off in the lobby.  We are keeping cases cold and ready to distribute to students if they happen to forget their refillable water bottles.  

Arrival -  We are not starting temp checks and health screenings until 8:40.  Students cannot enter the building before 8:40.  If your child is a car rider, please keep them in your vehicle until 8:40am.  We do not have teachers and staff members to supervise students out front until that time.

Face Covering clarification- Neck gaiters meet the definition of a “FACE COVERING” per the Governor’s mandate. Yes, we are allowing them. No, they are not the best version of a face covering, but allowable. Cloth masks or paper masks that we are handing out are a much better option, but we are allowing gaiters.  Bandanas are the same as face shields because they do not cover the mouth fully) and are not permissible.

Virtual Families 

School Picture Day - ​​​​​​​WVE has partnered with Lifetouch for our 2020-21 school pictures and yearbook.  Our school picture day is September 28th from 4:00-6:00pm in the library for virtual students.  We're using www.signup.com for virtual families to sign up online for a specific time to meet with the photographer.  Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/login/entry/16992281167392079
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com)
3. Sign up! Choose your child's school picture time - SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!
Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Mrs. Reese in the WVE office (513-367-5577) and she can sign you up manually.  Lifetouch photography teams have gone through extensive training to ensure that safety and our student's health are a priority on picture day.  Lifetouch photographers will be wearing masks during the entire photo session with your child and will maintain a safe 6 ft. distance.  Check-in procedures are all electronic, so our students don't have to carry cards to hand to the photographer this year.  Please have one adult enter the building with the student being photographed.  We will check temperatures and complete a quick health screener in the lobby before you head to the library for pictures.  You can order before picture day on mylifetouch.com with our Picture Day ID: EVTSX9JZ9  

Freestore Foodbank -  Our school is receiving Power Packs for students once again this year.  If your child has received Power Packs on Fridays in the past and is learning first semester virtually, you can stop by school between 9:00am-2:00pm Monday through Friday to pick up their Power Packs.  We are unable to deliver Power Packs like we did last spring.

Virtual Orientation -  Please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqEDjo_B6q0&feature=youtu.be to watch the SLSD webinar orientation, led by Southwest Local School District Assistant Superintendent Corinne Hayes.  This orientation explains how students log in and navigate the virtual learning platform.  Mrs. Hayes also discusses the expectations for students working on the virtual learning platform during the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year.  

​​​​​​​Parent-Teacher Conferences -  Our fall Parent-Teacher conferences for virtual students are happening on a consistent basis.  Parents are Learning Coaches and communicate often with the virtual grade level teachers.  You do not have to schedule a separate conference Oct. 13 or Oct. 15.  If you would like a one-on-one video conference with your child's virtual teacher, please email the teacher directly as they will not be included in the online sign ups.

Virtual Help Desk -   If your child is experiencing Virtual problems, please visit the SLSD VR Help Desk at https://www.southwestschools.org/departments/curriculum-3/virtual-instruction-87/. We have several tech team members monitoring this system and can be of assistance. If you cannot fill out the form, call the WVE office and we can complete the form with your child's information for you.

Welcome, Mrs. Jackson! -   Mrs. Ashley Jackson has joined the WVE virtual teaching team as our long-term intervention specialist.  Mrs. Jackson is working closely with our virtual grade level teachers to meet the needs of Special Education students on IEP's.  We are lucky to have her on board! 

Meal Distribution - For students who are learning virtually first semester, SLSD will be providing a distribution of 5 breakfast and lunch meals for pick up similar to what we did over the summer.  If interested in these packs of meals, please contact Sue Toelke at 513-728-8414 to place an order.  Orders must be placed by the end of the day on Thursday the week before the meal distribution is requested.  Locations and times will be communicated to families once meals are prepared based on community demand and space available in our kitchens and refrigerators.

Virtual Time Log -    If your child logs in to the Accelerate program and completes his/her lessons and time logs, this counts as full attendance no matter how long the lesson took.  We are giving grace and understand that all children learn at different rates, especially as we navigate using the Accelerate program.

PTA  

Our phenomenal PTA helped our teachers and staff members get started comfortably this school year by providing fans for teachers in need and also giving each teacher a $50 gift card to www.amazon.com for classroom supplies and resources.  You can help support the generosity of PTA in the following ways:

Membership - Become a member!  PTA is collecting $ for membership here:  https://wvepta.membershiptoolkit.com/home

Meetings - We would love to have more parents attend PTA meetings and now it's easier than ever!  First semester, the monthly meetings will be held via video conferencing on Google Meets.  The first meeting is September 22 at 7:00.  You can use the following code to join us from the comfort of your home:

meet.google.com/pmd-oubk-fws   or by phone: (US) +1 401-702-0541 PIN: ‪430 276 040#

Mumkins Fundraiser - Our PTA fundraiser will be ending in two days!  The final day for online orders is 9-19-20.  Contactless Mumkin order pick-up has been scheduled for 9-24-20.  If you are available to help with Mumkin pick-up on 9-24-20, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080849aea82ba6fb6-mumkin2

Box Tops - PTA is collecting Box Tops for Education virtually this year.  You can learn more by visiting https://youtu.be/Hh94b2BvFK4.  Please share this opportunity with extended family, friends, and grandparents.  We look forward to having everyone scan receipts so our school can earn more money through the Box Tops for Education program!

SLSD District Office & Facilities for the Future 

The Southwest Local School District offices and staff have relocated to our secondary campus located at 9860 West Rd.  Many departments are in the modular trailers between the Junior School and High School.  Some offices are now inside the High School building.  Call (513) 367-4139 before making the trip to our temporary district office so the secretary can help you locate exactly who you need.  The district office at 230 Elm St. has been demolished as part of our new facilities project in order to make room for the new Harrison Elementary.  If you have not driven by any of our build sites, I highly suggest it as the progress is simply amazing!  You can also check out updates by visiting our website, www.southwestschools.org and clicking "Facilities for the Future"  https://www.southwestschools.org/departments/facilities-14/.  Whitewater Valley Elementary will be transformed into the new district office and early learning center for pre-school students next summer after we take occupancy of our three new elementary buildings!

SLSD Food Service

The USDA and the state of Ohio have determined that all students, regardless of your financial situation, may participate in school breakfast and lunch programs for free through December 31, 2020.  Starting last week, no child is required to pay for breakfast or lunch meals at any of our Southwest Local Schools.  Extra entrees, snacks, individual milk, and other a la carte items that are not considered complete “meals” in the school lunch program are not covered by this waiver, but will be available for purchase as they have been in the past.  At Whitewater Valley Elementary, students can purchase snacks for $0.80 on Wednesdays starting the week of September 21.  The first week will be cookies and the following week is chips.  The snack choices will rotate every other week after that.  Juice and bottles of water can be purchased daily for $0.80 and are not included in the waiver program.

In order to continue to receive free or reduced meals, as well as qualify for a fee waiver or assistance from local churches (especially during the holiday season), we are asking all families to complete the free and reduced online application.  This form can be found using this link: https://mealapp.lunchtimesoftware.net/ or by visiting our “Food Service” department tab on the district website.  If you have already submitted an application for this school year, another application does not need to be completed.