April at Onondaga Road

April showers bring…

 You might be inclined to say “May flowers,” but across the community you will see blue pinwheels spinning and sparkling in the school yards.  In collaboration with the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center, we have “gone blue for kids” as our way of raising awareness for child abuse prevention.  The blue pinwheels symbolize a happy and healthy childhood, so we talked to our children about keeping all children safe and happy.  Each child had the opportunity to place a blue pinwheel in the school yard.  Thank you for your support from home.

School Safety…

With each new season comes the re-teaching of school safety procedures.  Yesterday we had our spring bus safety drills.  Our drivers talked to the students about where to stand while waiting for the bus, how to cross the road safely in front of the bus, how to exit the bus in an orderly way whether using the front or back door, and general on-board safety expectations.  Parents, you can help, too!  Remember to never pass a school bus with flashing red lights!  We will also revisit playground safety now that the weather is looking springy, and we’ll practice some fire drills and emergency evacuations. 

At the end of this week, your child will bring home a third quarter report card.  Please take time to look it over, and feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any specific questions.  It’s hard to believe we’re already into our fourth and final marking quarter of this school year.

We are excited to say that next school year, 2017-18, our West Genesee elementary schools will be using a new standards-based grading and reporting process, and your child’s progress will be communicated to you using a new report card.  Be on the lookout later this spring and early in the fall for specific information about next year’s report cards! 

Congratulations, Artists!

The annual art exhibit for Onondaga Road and Split Rock Elementary Schools has begun at Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus. Students’ artwork will be on display until April 23, 2017. You are cordially invited to visit the library to view all of the wonderful pieces that represent these two schools. Congratulations to the following students whose artwork has been chosen to represent Onondaga Road as part of the exhibit:

• Kindergarten: Corinne Chan
• First Grade: Cole Willis, Shannon Phillips, Elizabeth Schneid, Gianna Puccia, Alexis Scweitzer and Mason Baggett,
• Second Grade: Benjamin Jessen
• Third Grade:  Alexa Young, Bryce Wells, Shayla Pryor and Emily Hanlon
• Fifth Grade: Emma Trapasso, Sara Adams and Jaclyn Rivaldo

Maxwell Memorial Library is located at 14 Genesee Street in the village of Camillus.

Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Friday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

State Assessments:

We have completed our NY State English Language Arts assessments for this school year, and in May our students in grades 3 through 5 will take the NY State Math assessments.  These will be administered on May 2, 3, 4.  As always, the best way you can help your child prepare is to have them get a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast. 

 Remember that there is no school on Friday, April 14.  This is the start of our spring break week, so enjoy your time with your children!  School resumes on Monday, April 24.

Dates to Know…

• Thursday, April 13 – Report Cards are distributed
• Friday, April 14 – No school
• Week of April 17-21 – Spring break, no School
• Monday, April 24 – Back to school
• Tuesday, April 25 – PTA meets at 6:30 at West Genesee High School, followed by the Superintendent’s budget presentation at 7:00
• Thursday, April 27 – National “Poem in my Pocket” Day!

Onondaga Road Reminders

Just a few reminders:

• There is no school for students tomorrow, Friday, March 17, due to a Professional Development Day for staff.
• Tonight, Thursday, March 16, 6:00-8:00, is our Grades 3, 4, 5 Science Fair.  We have more than 60 science displays, so all are welcome to come see!
• Sunday, March 19, 8:00-10:00 a.m., is our annual Flapjack Fund Raiser breakfast at Applebee's Restaurant.  Come support our fifth grade hosts!

March Happenings at OR…

A Bit O’ Green in the Air!

This Friday, March 10, we’ll be wearing traditional St. Patrick’s green and welcoming a performance by the Irish step dancers from Francis Academy of Irish Dance.  Thanks to our Onondaga Road PTA for supporting the traditional assembly this week, as our students will not have school on March 17.

 Trip to Hospital Land

Our first graders will be visiting Hospital Land on March 13, 14, 15.  This gives our little ones the opportunity to see what it is like at the hospital, learn about who works at the hospital and what they do, and gain an understanding of the purpose for the hospital in the greater community.

 Fourth Annual Science Fair

Hopefully students from grades 3, 4, 5 have their science projects and experiments well under way!  Our Science Fair is just around the corner, Thursday, March 16, 2017 at 6:00-8:00.  Come one, come all to experience the wonders of science!

March 17 Staff Development Day

Students will not have school on Friday, March 17, since this is full day of professional development for staff.  All staff will be engaged in professional learning.  Please remember to make your child care arrangements for that day if you have not already done so.

 Music in Our Schools Month

This month our third graders, our youngest chorus members, will perform their first ever concert!  The third grade concert will take place in our Onondaga Road School gym at 7:00 on Thursday, March 23.  They will perform a preview of that concert for their school friends that afternoon.

Looking Ahead…
Onondaga Road student art work, from grades K-5, will be displayed at Maxwell Memorial Library from April 11 through April 22.  Please visit the library to see our display!

A Note about Educating for Character

Many of you have been school guests as your children perform concerts or teach lessons about universal, enduring character traits during our monthly schoolwide assemblies.  Our assemblies are always well attended, but I wonder if we are truly engaged in understanding the meaning behind these monthly gatherings.  Let me explain a little…

As part of the greater West Genesee Central School District community, Onondaga Road students partake in learning, practicing and applying what it means to be of strong character. 
We focus upon a different theme each month, like this:
September – Responsibility
October – Respect
November – Thankfulness and Being Grateful
December – Caring and Compassion
January – Perseverance
February – Honesty and Trust
March – Patience and Acceptance
April – Citizenship
May – Kindness and Courtesy
June – Cooperation

I am confident that our children can explain the meaning of these character traits and can give you many examples of each.  As a parent, a teacher, and an administrator, I am also confident that you would expect that your child demonstrate such characteristics, and continue to grow and learn about what it means to be of strong character. 

At school, we take our roles in educating your children very seriously; we try to model and mold positive character traits and to hold your children to high expectations, as you do.  We learn from our mistakes, and most importantly, we take care of one another, even when mistakes are made.

 

In sharing this with you, it is my hope that you will take the time at home to discuss regularly with your child the importance of being respectful and responsible, and being kind and compassionate toward one another.  Focus this month on patience and acceptance, and what those words really mean and look like in action.  Please continue to help us help your children understand the true meaning behind our monthly character assemblies, and then hold high expectations for great citizenship.  Together, we really can make a difference!

Onondaga Road Important Dates

Mark Your Calendar:

• February 14 – Valentine’s Day classroom parties
• February 15 – Library research night for the Science Fair, 4:00-6:30 p.m.
• February 17 – Last day of school
• February 20-24 – School closed for Winter Recess
• February 27 – Back to school
• March 2 – CODE lessons with Officer Brand
• March 7 – PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m. 
• March 10 – Irish dancers perform for our students
• March 16 – Science Fair, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• March 17 – Happy St. Patrick’s Day – No school for students (Staff Development Day)