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!