Greetings from Onondaga Road!

 I know that as the weather gets warmer and summer is lurking around the corner, it might be harder to stay focused on our lessons and learning.  Just remember, however, that our kids deserve every opportunity for success, right up to and through the last school day.  Don't give up on them.  Be productive, stay motivated, and finish strong!  Our last day of school is June 15.

Along with daily lessons, communications, and support from your teachers in Google Classrooms, remember to access the many varied opportunities for learning and exploration with our special area teachers on our Online Learning Portal. 

Here's another opportunity to expand your mind... consider joining an online chess tournament!  Mr. Mercado and the chess team from Stonehedge Elementary are inviting students from all of our elementary schools to take part in this event at 2:30 on June 10th.  See the flyer below, and feel free to email Mr. Mercado at DMercado@westgenesee.org with any questions.  

Just as a reminder, please see the chart below which outlines a schedule for picking up your children's belongings.  You may want to review the letter you received in the mail for details, and for safety's sake, remember that you must wear a mask when entering the school.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Monday,  June 1	Time	Tuesday, June 2	Time	Wednesday,  June 3	Time	Thursday,  June 4	Time	Friday,  June 5	Time
A	8:00	Di - Dw	8:00	Jes - Ke	8:00	Pe - Pu	8:00	Wor - Z	8:00
Ba	8:30	Ea - Ew	8:30	Ki - Kle	8:30	Q - Re	8:30	TBD	8:30
Be - Bl	9:00	F	9:00	Kli - Lu	9:00	Ri - Ry	9:00	TBD	9:00
Bo - Br	9:30	Ga - Go	9:30	Ly - Mac	9:30	Sa - Sc	9:30	TBD	9:30
Bu - Car	10:00	Gr - Gu	10:00	Mad - Mc	10:00	Se - Sm	10:00	TBD	10:00
Cas - Col	10:30	Ha - He	10:30	Me - Min	10:30	Sp - Sw	10:30	TBD	10:30
Con - Cu	11:00	Hi - Ho	11:00	Mit - Ne	11:00	Ta - Tu	11:00	TBD	11:00
Da - De	11:30	Hu - Jen	11:30	O - Pa	11:30	Ve - Woo	11:30	TBD	11:30

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

During the week of June 1-5, we have scheduled times for families to walk through the school to pick up belongings that students may have left behind.  Hopefully you have received a specific schedule in the mail, so be sure to contact your teacher or me if you have any questions.  

Thank you to all of our new families who have registered for kindergarten for the fall. Welcome, incoming kindergarten students; you are the class of 2033!  We look forward to welcoming you in person soon, but for now, with our current school closures, please understand that our kindergarten screening dates that were scheduled for June 29-30 need to be postponed.  Once we have new dates established for screening, you will receive a letter in the mail, so stay tuned!

Each year as part of our recognition ceremony for students in grade 5, we share a "through the years" type of video with pictures of our 5th graders.  This year's slideshow may include some different scenery and settings since we've been away from school for the past several weeks. Fifth graders, be sure to send three or four pictures of what you have been doing at home during this time of distance learning to  oroadyearbook@gmail.com.  You never know; your pictures might end up in your special end-of-fifth-grade slideshow! 

Did you know that each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m?  I hope you can take a moment to express gratitude and remembrance in some way.  This Memorial Day weekend, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our military service members, and pay honor to those who lost their lives in service.

Be well, and enjoy your weekend as we embrace the unofficial beginning of the summer season!

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

Today is Wildcat Wellness Day
Hopefully you have been able to participate in some of the Virtual Wellness Week activities provided by the West Genesee Mental Health Team this week. Today is Wildcat Wellness Day! Students are encouraged to take a break from academics, and a break from the screen, and try a few of the activities on this Well-being Board. I'm going to try some of these things, too! 

  

Get Your Digital Public Library Card

Here is some news from our public libraries that you might find interesting!
Public libraries are currently working on a curb-side pickup system for library books, scheduled to be available toward the end of May.  What a great outing for families!  Our district librarians have shared this Google Slides Library Presentation on how students can get their own digital library card for the public libraries! I know a lot of our students utilize the public libraries, so I hope this will help you to get some new books soon.  You can also find this "how to" link in the library section of our Online Learning Portal.

  

Student Belongings
All families, be on the lookout for a letter in the mail from school.  Within the next week or so, you will receive specific information about getting into the school to retrieve students' belongings that may have been left at school.  In this letter, you will find specific dates, times, and instructions for health and safety.  While we know how important it is for you to get your belongings,  we will work together, as an Onondaga Road School community, to follow all health and safety guidelines carefully.

Schedule Reminder

We scheduled to have next Friday, May 22nd off, and then we have the following Monday off for Memorial Day.  Students will only receive four days of instruction for the next two weeks. Don't forget to go to the West Genesee Online Learning Portal to access PE, library, P2 and counseling activities, as well as enrichment activities for both music and art. Also, please don't forget to have your child complete the weekly PE Exit Ticket.

  

You will be happy to hear that we are almost ready to share with you a special plan for an end-of-year fifth grade celebration parade!  Families of fifth graders, be on the lookout for a special letter in the mail with details, coming soon.

Be well, and enjoy your weekend!

West Genesee Wellness Week

Greetings from Onondaga Road!  We have all been working hard during this time of distance learning, and as you now know from the governor's message, our buildings will be closed for the remainder of this school year. Health and safety first!  That doesn't mean that our teaching and learning stops!  We will continue to instruct from afar, and you can continue to reach out to your teachers and to me if you have questions.

I will speak on behalf of our entire staff when I say that we appreciate each and every one of you for your part in helping to make the children's lessons most meaningful.  The next few weeks of May are actually four-day academic weeks with time built in for purposeful rest and wellness.  Take a look at these links for our West Genesee Wildcats "Stronger Together"  Virtual Wellness Week and some choices for mindful activities for you and your family. Feel free to email me or your teacher some pictures of your family engaged in any of these wellness activities!

Over the next few weeks, we will continue planning for some other events and details related specifically to building closures. Many people have asked, and I want you to know that in the weeks to come you can expect information regarding:

• how and when to get into the buildings to retrieve belongings
• kindergarten screening
• grade 5 recognition

Thank you for your patience and participation as we continue to plan and work together. Remember that school is still in session, even if our buildings are not open at this time! Keep up the good work!

Happy Mother's Day

To all of the moms out there, a heartfelt happy Mother's Day to you!

Weekly Greetings from OR

Happy May Day! 
Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month?  During this time of many questions and much confusion, it is a good time for us all to focus on our own and each others' well-being.  The Mental Health Association in NYS, inc. "is a community organization that strives to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities by raising mental health awareness, ending stigma and discrimination, and promoting wellness and recovery."  I think this BINGO chart offers user-friendly ideas to use right now; maybe you could encourage a friend or two to complete the board with you, in no particular order!   

May Wellness BINGO

A Note from Special Areas
We hope you have been able to access and enjoy taking part in many, varied activities from all of our special areas like art, music, PE, library, and P2 through the Online Learning Portal.  Activities are updated every week!  This week check out the new "exit tickets" provided so we can keep track of our physical activity through the PE portal page.  Let's see how active our OR kids can be, especially as the weather starts to get nicer!  Fill out an exit ticket each Friday to track your week's participation.

Remote Learning
Many thanks to those of you who took part in the district survey regarding distance learning.  We continue to analyze all feedback and provide ways to best meet our students' and families needs, all while we, too, learn to navigate online lesson planning and instruction.  If you do have specific questions about lessons that are delivered on your teachers' Google Classrooms, feel free to reach out to your teachers during their "office hours." Also, please reach out to me at jclark@westgenesee.org if you have any questions that I may be able to help you answer.

Hope you are all doing well!