OR August Update

Greetings from Onondaga Road! We’re working hard on our reopening plan, and I hope this update will provide a few more answers as we go along…

Welcome, Class of 2033!  

Kindergarten screening will take place on Tuesday, August 25. All registered Kindergarten students received a phone call and a letter in the mail regarding your screening appointment.  Please pay close attention to the time, as we are following social distancing and safety protocols.  The school nurse will be present at the main entrance for temperature checks (parents and students) prior to entering the building!

Masks 

Students will be required to wear masks throughout the day. Teachers will give students "mask breaks" during the day (when all students are seated and the teacher is not moving about the room) and students will obviously be able to remove their mask when they eat. Face shields cannot be worn unless they are in addition to a mask. 

Classrooms 

Due to the limited number of students we can have in a classroom, we have had to make several adjustments and shift teachers to different areas of the building. Teachers and staff are in the midst of "moving out" and "moving in." This is a very daunting task, and I cannot thank our entire staff enough for all of their hard work over the last couple of weeks. 

Class Rosters 

Keeping in mind all social distancing spacing, class sizes could range between 10-24 students depending on the size of the room space. All social distancing requirements will be followed in all settings. We are currently working on class rosters and look to have that completed at the end of this week. You will receive a letter in the mail early next week.  

Instruction

Due to the additional classes we had to create,  many different grades could be working as a team and teachers could be rotating between classrooms throughout the day to deliver instruction. Certified teachers within those teams will be delivering the bulk of the academic instruction and core curriculum.  In an effort to limit student movement throughout the building, special area teachers will come to the classrooms. When the weather is nice, physical education will take place outside. 

Arrival Procedures

School begins at 9:00 a.m. You will receive information about drop-off and pick-up procedures in the mail.  Parents may drop off their children between 8:40 and 8:55. Students cannot begin unloading from cars until 8:40. Parents must stay in their car at all times. Buses will enter the parking lot at 9:00. If parents are late in dropping off their children, they will wait to enter the parking lot until after the buses have unloaded. Students will be given a designated door to enter. 

Daily Screening Sheets

Families will be provided with Screening Sheets. These slips, which indicate that a child’s temperature has been taken prior to arrival at school, the temperature is less than 100℉, and that the child is symptom-free, will be given to school staff upon entering the building. If a child does not have the screening slip, their temperature will be taken. Students will then walk directly to their assigned classroom.

Dismissal Procedures

Bus dismissal will be at 2:15-2:30. After all buses depart from school, parents can enter the parking lot beginning at 2:30 for student pick-up. Parent pick-up number tags, similar to the sample pictured below, will be provided for all students being picked up. Each family will get two car tags with the same number. Students will be provided with a backpack tag with the corresponding number. School staff will be able to easily identify the correct car in the pickup line outside of school. If a parent is designating someone else to pick up a child on a particular day, it will be up to the parent to make sure they provide that person with their pick-up tag ahead of time. This is for safety purposes, as we need to be sure each child gets into the right car. Again, parents must stay in their car at all times. More information will be sent in the mail next week.

Lots more to come!  Stay tuned…

Sincerely, 

Jeannette Clark

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

Happy Summer!  We were happy to see our fifth graders as we sent them off with a congratulatory parade on Monday.  We wish you nothing but the best as you venture off to middle school, and we miss you already!

Click here to view a slide show from 5th grade parade

West Genesee's Strategic Planning Committee has begun working with a consulting firm to conduct a facilities study. The purpose is to answer this question: "How can the District maintain and enhance the educational opportunities for West Genesee students in its tradition of excellence while continuing to ensure efficient and effective utilization of staff and facilities as well as fiscal responsibility for the District's taxpayers?"  Meetings are monthly and open to the public. For more information click here! 

 The Onondaga Road School main office will be closed until August 4, 2020.  Have an enjoyable summer with your family! 

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

On behalf of all of us here at OR, we would like to thank you for your continued support throughout this time of extended school closure.  We have learned a lot from one another, and we have learned that we truly are all "better together."  While we wait to see what the future for our return to school will entail, take this time to rejuvenate and have some good, old-fashioned summertime fun!

Here are a few updates to close out this school year:

Grade 5 Recognition
Grade 5 students and parents, we have our drive-through parade on Monday morning, June 15!  A half-hour time block is designated for each class so we can celebrate our 5th graders and safely manage traffic.  Please come to the school at the time assigned for your class, and enter through Kent Place.  Drive slowly, and be careful that you do not block traffic or stop in Onondaga Road.  We will be there to help guide you and celebrate!

- 9:00-9:30 – Mrs. Barnello’s class
- 9:30-10:00 – Mrs. Kupiec’s class
- 10:00-10:30 – Ms. Grazul’s class

Returning Chromebooks and Laptops

It's time to return the Chromebooks and laptops.  Please remember to bring the power adapter/charger when you return your device to the transportation building located between the high school  and Applebee's.  You may drop off at any of these dates and times:
- Tuesday, June 16 - 12:00-6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 17 - 7:00 a.m. - noon

- Thursday, June 18 - 12:00-6:00 p.m.
- Friday, June 19 - 7:00 a.m. - noon
Contact the technology department directly if you have any questions at  wgtechhelp@westgenesee.org.

Yearbooks
We are sorry to say that our yearbooks have not yet arrived.  Understandably, like other companies and businesses, our yearbook company, LifeTouch, experienced many delays. We are still working on a plan for distribution when the yearbooks do arrive, so stay tuned for more information at a later date. 

Report Cards
Your child's report card will be available for you to access after June 20th through the Parent Portal on SchoolTool.  Below are the links for directions to help you view and/or print the report card.  If, however, you are unable to access it, or for some reason you require a hard copy, please make that request by emailing me or your child's teacher. 

printable version of information about schooltool  Parent Portal Update Email/Phone rent-Portal-View-Download-Print-Report-Card.pdf

Portal view/Print report card from website

School Supply Drive for Fall 2020
 Thanks to our WG District Council for this school supply drive information!

Stay tuned for updates throughout the summer.  Be well, and stay safe!
Sincerely, 
Jeannette Clark

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

In Superintendent David Bills' recent note to families, he wrote, "West Genesee Schools remain committed to the important conversations of social awareness, acceptance, and celebration of uniqueness that is part of our being stronger together."
While we continue to educate ourselves to talk to and support our children, perhaps this might be helpful:  On Saturday morning, June 6 at 10:00, Sesame Street is hosting a Town Hall for parents and kids called Coming Together: Standing up to Racism.  According to the overview found in this link, "The show will talk to kids about racism, the recent nationwide protests, embracing diversity and being more empathetic and understanding."  This website has information about how to watch the Town Hall and how to submit questions for the discussion. 

  

We have had a busy week here at Onondaga Road as families have come to get kids' belongings.  As is true every year, we do have lots of things that were left behind in the "lost and found." While I am sorry that more of the goods haven't been claimed, you can rest assured that we will do a great community service, just like we do every year, by making a donation to the local Rescue Mission!

I hope that this June Happiness Calendar from the Greater Good Science Center will give you some ideas to use with your family to continue to find connection and joy!

Student report cards will be available through SchoolTool at the end of June.  Next week I will send a reminder about how to access report cards.  However, if you are in need of a paper copy, please email me or your child's teacher with that request.   We have one more full week of learning ahead.  Stay motivated, and finish the school year strong!

Sincerely, Jeannette Clark