Greetings from Onondaga Road!

 Here are just a couple updates as we get this school week under way.

Dismissal
Our new dismissal procedure went quite well today, so thank you for your support.  Just as a reminder, or in case you didn't know, we will be dismissing walkers and students being picked up first, at 3:10, then we'll do our bus dismissal immediately after that.  If you arrive before  3:10, you are welcome to pull into the bus loop (even) or side lot (odd) rather than wait in the road.  At 3:20, we will stop the cars to allow the buses into the bus loop.  Today, most of our cars were actually finished before 3:20, which was great!  Thank you again, and please give us a call if you have any questions.

Grades 3 & 4 Concert
Finally, after two long years, we will have our first OR concert Tuesday evening, December 7, at 7:00 in the high school auditorium!  Our children are so excited to perform for you, and it's a very big deal for them to be in the auditorium.  Here are a few hints to help all of you, first-time concert parents!

• Students need to be at the high school at 6:45.  Enter through the fine arts door, closest to the Applebee's side of the building, then we will direct 3rd graders to the orchestra room and 4th graders to the chorus room.  
• 3rd graders will keep their coats with them when they go to the orchestra room at 6:45, and parents of 3rd graders will go and be seated in the auditorium.  The 3rd grade chorus will perform first, and then they will return to the orchestra room when they finish performing.  We will bring the 3rd grade children with their coats out to you in the auditorium after the 4th graders finish performing.
• 4th grade parents, you will drop your child off at the chorus room at 6:45, and you will keep your child's coat with you when you go to be seated in the auditorium.  After the 4th graders perform, we will dismiss them from the risers to you, parents, in the auditorium.
• All guests, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask the entire duration of your stay in the school.
• Have FUN!

#PositivityInAction
This week our children are focusing on the Other People Matter Mindset by learning how our words and actions affect others.  Speaking of which, I must extend a HUGE thank you for the food and gift contributions you all have made.  These actions surely affect people positively!

Enjoy the week!
Sincerely, Jeannette Clark

Greetings from Onondaga Road!

 PLEASE READ! 

 Onondaga Road School 

CHANGES to the ORDER of  DISMISSAL TIMES for CAR PICK-UPS and BUSES

 

Beginning Monday, December 6, 2021

 

Early Pick-up

• On occasion, you may need to pick your child up early from school  for an appointment, which is understandable.  If this is the case, please do so before 3:00, and send a note ahead of time.  This will help avoid traffic back-ups and minimize confusion as we prepare for regular dismissal time.

Beginning Monday, December 6, we will switch the order of the cars and buses, so car pick-ups and walkers will be dismissed at 3:10, and bus riders will be dismissed at 3:20.  This means we have a 10-minute widow for car pick-ups, and then buses will pull into the bus loop.

3:10 - Walkers and Car Pick-ups

• Cars may begin pulling into the front bus loop (even numbers) and side door parking lot (odd numbers) at 3:00.  We will begin bringing students outside to cars promptly at 3:10.

• “Walkers” will still be dismissed out the front door at 3:10.

• At 3:20 we will stop all car traffic to allow buses into the bus loop.

 

3:20 - Buses

• At 3:20, buses will pull into the bus loop, and we will dismiss students to their buses.

• Buses will depart from school at approximately 3:25, so you may see a slight difference in the time that your child(ren) arrives at home. 

 

NOTE:   If a parent is designating someone else to pick up a child, please be sure to communicate this 10-minute time difference!  Car pick-ups should be complete by 3:20.

Thank you for your continued support from home, and please call if you have any questions.

Sincerely, Jeannette Clark

Greetings from OR!

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

Greetings from Onondaga Road School!

 

Here are some November reminders from Onondaga Road School.  Please mark your calendar!

• TOMORROW!  Tuesday, 11/9 is picture make-up day and retake day.

• Wednesday, 11/10 is red, white and blue day to honor our Veterans.

• Thursday, 11/11 is Veterans’ Day.  Schools are closed. 

• Looking ahead...
  Monday, 11/22 and Tuesday, 11/23, we have half-days for elementary schools due to parent-teacher conferences.  Dismissal will run as follows:
  11:10 - Walkers
  11:15 - Buses
  11:20 - Car pick-ups
  
  

• Wednesday, 11/24 through Friday, 11/26, schools are closed for Thanksgiving recess.