Here we go, ORANGE, here we go! 

It’s fun to feel the community pride as our SU Orange men’s and women’s basketball teams advance to the Final Four!  Let’s show our Orange Pride this weekend.  Go ‘Cuse!

March was certainly a busy month here at OR.  Be sure to ask your child about any of these events:
We started the month with our annual Science Fair where our 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders showed their savvy science skills and amazed us with their scientific processes and experiments.  We also had CODE assemblies for all grade levels.  We welcomed Irish dancers, bag pipers and drummers on St. Patrick’s Day.  Many grade levels participated in lessons from Mr. Gramlich, our very own Science Guy (like Bill Nye!).  Our 5^th graders experienced a science dissection demonstration.  All of our 1^st grade classes made a visit to Hospital Land.  Our 3^rd graders performed an awesome “Makin’ Music” choral concert.  We all participated in bus safety drills, so remember to talk to your children about their role in staying safe.  And our Student Council is hosting a book drive in collaboration with one of the Syracuse City elementary schools. 

April showers bring… Construction!  If you have yet to visit our school and see the progress of our renovation, be sure to ask your child about the view out the lobby windows!  They are witnessing history in the making here! Progress is coming along nicely, and you can see the outline of what will be our new library.  When the children grow up and move from Onondaga Road, they will have “I remember when…” stories to share about how we used to eat lunch in our classrooms because we didn’t have a cafeteria!  Once the library is complete, which will be this summer, the existing library will become the new cafeteria.  Stay tuned for progress updates as we continue to renovate!

We need YOU!
Our Shared Decision Making Team (SDMT), in collaboration with our Parent Teacher Association (PTA), are asking for your input…

Have you and your children attended or participated in any of these events: 

• Ice Cream Social?  Family Picnic?  Reading Night?  The Book Fair?  Field Trips? Purchase of a Yearbook?  Classroom Parties?  The Science Fair? Assemblies and Author Visits?  If so, we hope you have truly enjoyed your experience and have become a part of the school community.  We also hope you will consider helping with future events; we can’t do it without YOU!
• Do you or your family have any suggestions for new or different school events?  We would love to hear from you!  Our SDMT will work closely with our PTA to listen to your input and work collaboratively toward saving our OR traditions and also bringing new events to life.  Please take a few minutes to answer these few questions so that we may continue to improve our school community.  Here is a link to our questionnaire: 

    School Community Survey

Dates to Remember:

• April 5, 6, 7 – NYS ELA Testing for Grades 3, 4, 5
• April 8 – Report Cards are Distributed
• April 12 – Merry-Go-Round Theater Visits Grades K-2
• April 13, 14, 15 – NYS Math Testing for Grades 3, 4, 5
• April 13 – 6:30 pm, PTA Meeting in the OR Library
• April 20 – 7:00 pm, Board of Education Meeting at WGHS
• April 21 – “Poem in Your Pocket” Day
• April 25-29 – Spring Break (School is Closed)

Onondaga Road March update

March certainly came in like a lamb!  Spring is in the air! 

A few updates for your calendar:

Tonight’s PTA meeting, March 9, was originally on the calendar as an executive session, but that has been revised.  PTA tonight is open to all!  Please join us at 6:30 in the OR library.  Come one, come all!

Let’s show a little school spirit next week.  Here’s hoping you will help your children participate in as many of the following days as possible from Monday, March 14 through Friday, March 18.

• Monday – Dress Like a Teacher (or Principal) Day
• Tuesday – Mismatch Day
• Wednesday – Rainbow Day

Each grade level can wear a different color on this day:
Kindergarten – Red
Grade 1 – Orange
Grade 2 – Yellow
Grade 3 – Green
Grade 4 – Blue
Grade 5 – Purple

• Thursday – St. Patrick’s Day Green
• Friday – Read a Shirt Day

Onondaga Road - Welcome Back from Winter Recess

A few quick reminders as February comes to an end:

Please send in all of your Box Tops for Education by Friday.  We appreciate your support with this endeavor, as it helps us to acquire points and presents for our school.  We need to submit all box tops by March 1st, so any that you have at home will help!

Parents of grade 5 students, please join us Wednesday evening at 7:15 if you are interested in helping to plan the 5th grade end-of-year celebration.

Thursday, March 3, 6:00-8:00 p.m. is our annual Science Fair for grades 3, 4, 5.  Even if your child chose not to participate this year, you are all encouraged and welcome to attend the event and see the science displays.

If you or anyone you know has a child who will be attending Kindergarten in the fall, please remember to register.  All registration will take place at the District Office.  Feel free to call our school if you have any questions about how to register for Kindergarten!

Onondaga Road February update

Kindergarten Registration

If you or someone you know has a child who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, it is time to get registered for school!  Registration will be a little different this year, as all families will register at the West Genesee District Office.  You can register your child any time, but preferably between February 1 and March 4, 2016.  The process starts by making an appointment.  You can visit this website or call this number to make an appointment:

    

 https://wgkregistration.youcanbook.me/  

    or call 487-4683

PTA News

Thanks go out to our PTA for coordinating another successful Enrichment Day for our students.  Fun was had by all!  We look forward to many more programs and activities, but we cannot do it without your help.  Please consider attending a PTA meeting, or getting involved as a volunteer in another way.  Our next PTA meeting will be on Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 PM in our library.  In March, we have a new meeting date added to the calendar, Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30.  Please join us to learn how you can participate in a variety of ways!

New Science Fair Coordinator Needed

Thanks to Greg Couture for coordinating our past three Fairs, but as his children move on, we will be looking for other parents to step up and take over.  If you are interested in getting involved, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, we need you!  Maybe you’d like to work with a partner or two, or maybe you have some ideas to share, or maybe you’d like to come shadow our current coordinator to see what it entails.  Please send a note with your child, or call the main office if you have any interest in helping out.  We will get you all the information you need!  This year’s Science Fair will be on Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 PM.

Grade 5 News

It’s time to start planning our year-end activities!  If you are a grade 5 parent and would like to join in the festivities, please plan to attend a meeting immediately following our PTA meeting on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:15 in the library.

Construction Update

If you have been to school lately, then you have surely have seen some changes!  We have eliminated some trees in the courtyard to make room for our new library.  We have also moved some classrooms and teachers to make way for the next phase of construction.  We witnessed the back-hoe digging out some tree stumps and roots yesterday and leveling some land in the courtyard which will become the library floor.  Very exciting stuff! 

Dates to Remember

• Friday, 2/12/16 – Valentine’s Day classroom parties
• Monday, 2/15 through Friday, 2/19 – School closed for Winter Recess
• Monday, 2/22 – Back to school for all!
• Wednesday, 2/24 – PTA meeting at 6:30 PM
• Wednesday, 2/24 – Grade 5 Parent meeting at 7:15 PM

Have a great week with your family and friends.  We’ll see you soon.

Jeannette Clark