November 17, 2021
Greetings from Onondaga Road!
PTA Meets Tomorrow at OR
Please join us for our monthly PTA meeting at Onondaga Road School library tomorrow at 6:30 (Thursday, November 18). Each month we decide whether our meetings will be “live” or virtual, and this month we will meet in person here at school. There is no PTA meeting in December, so the next one will be in January.
Canned Food Drive
Our annual food drive for the Salvation Army is under way. If you would like to send non-perishable food items to school with your child, they can put them in one of the bins in the front lobby. We’ve tried to make a little game with the receptacle bins. One is labeled with “FALL” and the other is labeled “WINTER.” Students can vote for their favorite of the two seasons by placing their goods in either of the bins. By the end of our food drive, we will see if Onondaga Road students prefer fall or winter, and we will donate all of the goods to the Salvation Army. Win-win for all!
Breakfast
Speaking of meals and food offerings… As you know, school breakfast and lunch are provided to all families this year free of charge, which is great! I do, however, want to draw your attention to one lesson that I think you can help with at home. Unfortunately, we have seen more food waste this year than in previous years, especially breakfast food. I think it’s because children have “learned” to come into school and take a breakfast from the cafeteria, which again can be a great way to start the day. We are serving between 100-200 breakfasts every day! However, I am seeing much of the breakfast that is taken end up in the garbage.
Here’s where you can help. Please have a conversation with your child. If they want breakfast at school, that is perfectly fine. If they are having breakfast at home, there is no need to waste the breakfast here, and they do not need to go through the breakfast line.
This is a real teachable moment. During this season, we frequently ask for food donations to support others, but the irony at this point in time is that we are seeing more waste than ever. Let’s work together to teach our children about want vs. need, about take vs. give, and about use vs. waste. Thank you for your support from home with these little life-lessons.
#PositivityInAction
During our Positivity Project lessons for the next two weeks, we are talking about being grateful and what it means if a person has gratitude as a personality strength. People who show gratitude are aware of and thankful for good things that happen, and they work toward making good things happen for others. Here are some links to help you talk to your child about being grateful and appreciative: grades K-2 and grades 3-5 (Note: The password is P2).
Be the “i” in KIND!
After our Thanksgiving break, we will spend some time learning about what it means to truly be kind to one another. That is our next positivity trait, and you can find a link here for your reference. As a parent myself, I try to hold high expectations for my own children, but more than anything, I hope they will always be kind.
Special Referendum Capital Project Vote
Mark your calendar for the vote! Monday, December 6, 2021, you can vote on the proposed Capital Project for West Genesee Central School District. There’s a little something for every school, and you can find more information about the special referendum linked here.
In the Very Near Future:
PTA meets tomorrow, Thursday, 11/18, 6:30 at Onondaga Road.
Parent-Teacher conferences are Monday, 11/22 and Tuesday, 11/24, so half-day dismissal for students will run as follows:
11:10 - Walkers
11:15 - Buses
11:20 - Car pick-ups
Schools are closed Wednesday, 11/24 through Friday, 11/26 for Thanksgiving recess.
Please take time to remember all that we have to be grateful for, and have a Happy Thanksgiving next week with your family and friends!
Sincerely,
Jeannette Clark
