Holiday Greetings from Onondaga Road

Holiday Greetings to All!

How did the holiday season sneak up on us without snow?  As the season is fully upon us, we tend to get wrapped up in the busy time and our schedules can get a little hectic!  Remember to reflect and enjoy the season, enjoy one another’s company, and be sure to keep the health and well-being of you and your family at the forefront.    

 Safety First

The well-being and safety of our students is always a priority, and your help is needed regarding safety protocols.  As a small school community, we tend to become lax about safety rules, until something drastic happens in the news calling for our attention.  At this time, it is necessary for me to remind everyone to be vigilant in adhering to these practices:

·         Always announce your arrival in the school.  Once you are “buzzed in” the front door, or if someone from inside opens the door to you, you must stop at the main desk.  Parents and guardians arrive at various times during the day to pick up a child, drop off an item, or bring a child in late, so stopping at the main office should always be a priority. 

·         NO visitors should be in the school hallways without a visible visitor’s badge.  Refrain from walking down the hallways unannounced.  While it may seem harmless to drop off something to your child at his/her classroom door or to go pick your child up from his/her classroom, this is a violation of our safety protocols.  As stated above, you must stop at the main office upon every arrival at school.

·         Dismissal should take place at the main entrance only.  Even if you have parked in the back parking lot, you must walk around to the front door for your child to be dismissed from there.

·         If you are picking your child up at the end of the day, remember that dismissal time is 3:15 and you should wait in the main lobby near the office.

·         You must sign your child out at the main office if he/she is being picked up from school for any reason, including dismissal.  This helps us to keep track of all students’ whereabouts.

Together we can keep our children safe, but everyone needs to follow the established guidelines!

Renovations Are in Our Not-So-Distant Future!

You may have noticed a new addition parked at the north end of our front yard.  Last week we welcomed the arrival of our contractors’ work trailer.  This trailer will remain on site for the duration of our construction project.  While the bulk of our school renovation will take place next summer, the work will begin after the holiday season.

In January, contractors will be creating a driveway into the courtyard.  This driveway will lead from the front of the building (the north end where the work trailer is located), around that side, and into the courtyard closest to the primary wing.

In February, we will be relocating some teachers and reconfiguring some small group teaching spaces.  I do not anticipate moving full classrooms at this time, but I will keep you informed if/when the time comes to move any classes.

Weather permitting, we anticipate breaking ground on or around March 1^st.  Literally, this means digging the ground in the courtyard, which will eventually be the floor of our new library.  Recall that the existing library will be converted to a cafeteria, and a new library will be built as an extension into the courtyard.  The students will be excited to watch the trucks and equipment as we enter this phase of the renovation.

Please understand that as always, the safety of our students and staff remains a priority.  There will be very few contractors inside the building during the school year, but those who will be here have district-approved identification badges and access to the building.  This is not my first school renovation, and I am very familiar with the rules and safety regulations.  I will be working closely with the foreman, and I will do my best to keep you informed of the progress and phases of the project.  If at any time you have any questions about the construction, please do not hesitate to call me.  I will also give updates at our monthly PTA meetings, so be sure check the calendar for those dates.

Thank you for your continued support from home.  Have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Clark

Dates to Remember

• Wednesday, 12/16 – Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 at WGHS
• Wednesday, 12/23 – Whole-school Sing-Along - Students are welcome to wear pajamas to school!
• Wednesday, 12/23 – Classroom Holiday Celebrations – Last day of school before holiday break.
• Thursday, 12/24 through Friday, 1/1/16 – School closed for holiday break
• Monday, 1/4/16 – Welcome back to school!  Happy New Year!
• Wednesday, 1/6 – Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 at WGHS
• Wednesday, 1/13 – PTA meets at 6:00 at WGHS, not at OR. *Please note the time and location change!
• Monday, 1/18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Schools are closed.
• Friday, 1/29 – Report Cards are distributed.  This is a half-day 11:30 dismissal for students.

News and Notes from OR…

Special Note: Spirit Wear and Cherrydale orders are here!  If you participated in the PTA Cherrydale fundraiser, or if you ordered West Genesee Spirit Wear, please pick up your merchandise from school on Wednesday, November 18, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

November brings us to a time when we are reminded to extend our thanks and gratitude to all who are special in our lives.  When I attended the Veterans’ Day Parade last week, I was especially moved, feeling great pride and eternally grateful to all who have so bravely served our country.  I would like to extend great thanks to all of our Veterans.  I would also like to thank the West Genesee High School Marching Band for their contribution in celebrating our Veterans.

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee participants:  Sophia Van Horn, Sean O'Neil, Caleb Williams, Annemarie Myers, and Julianna Russo.  After a written spelling test administered to fourth and fifth grade students, these students were our top five spellers from Onondaga Road.  From here they went to Camillus Middle School to participate in the district's annual Spelling Bee with other representatives from elementary and middle schools across the district.  Congratulations once again for your great efforts!

We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy this long stretch of warm fall weather, but we know how that can change in a moment’s notice!  Be sure to talk to your child about the importance of proper bus behavior.  The driver’s role becomes increasingly difficult when the weather takes a turn, and students need to be aware of their role in keeping each other safe on the bus. 

A time for giving…

We have several “Caring and Compassion” projects underway, and I am always touched by the generosity of our school community.  For the Thanksgiving season, we are in the midst of our annual Salvation Army canned food drive.  If you would like to make a donation, please send your canned goods to school by November 30. 

Additionally, we are excited to announce our Holiday Giving Projects.  This year we have opted to help two different organizations.  Our primary wing (K, 1, 2) has been introduced to a Books and Band-Aids project for a non-profit organization called Griffin’s Guardians.  Students can bring in new books and fancy, decorative Band-Aids to be donated to Golisano Children’s Hospital.  Our intermediate wing (grades 3, 4, 5) has “adopted” a family of six.  After reading The Mitten Tree, then plucking a mitten from our tree in the front lobby, students can help make another family’s wishes come true.  If you are interested in either of these giving projects, please see the details on flyers that are coming home with your children and give what you can.  Any and all donations are greatly appreciated and help to make others happy during the holiday season.  Thank you!

Dates to Remember
November 18 – Cherrydale Fundraiser Merchandise Pick-up, 5:00-7:00
November 18 – Bus Safety Drills at School
November 18 – Board of Education Meeting at WGHS, 7:00
November 23 – Half-day Dismissal at 11:30 for Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 24 – Half-day Dismissal at 11:30 for Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 25-27 – School Closed for Thanksgiving Recess

Unity Day at Onondaga Road

Unity Day

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

WEAR ORANGE, Onondaga Road!

Together against bullying — united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Make it ORANGE and make it end! What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? If you care about safe and supportive schools and communities make your color ORANGE on Unity Day. That’s the day everyone can come together - in schools, communities, and online - and send one large ORANGE message of support, hope, and unity to show that we are united against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Other news and notes:

Thank you for your participation in the annual Cherrydale Fundraising event.  Please return all order forms to school by Wednesday, October 21, 2015.  This is a PTA sponsored fund raiser, and proceeds benefit our school and your children.

Monday, October 26, 2015 through Wednesday, October 28, 2015 we will hold our annual Scholastic Book Fair in school.  Children will bring flyers home highlighting some of the available books.  Also, mark your calendar for an evening of fun with reading on Wednesday, October 28, 2015.  All are invited to attend this PTA sponsored event full of stories, fun, and the book fair!

Halloween is near, and the thrills are in the air!  Please be aware when you are selecting Halloween costumes for your child that horror costumes and weapons of any kind are prohibited from our school parade and parties.  Keep those types of costumes and props for your at-home festivities if you so choose, and help us to keep Halloween at school kooky, not spooky, for our children! Our Halloween parade will be held outdoors at 2:00 on Friday, October 30, 2015.  Classroom parties will take place immediately after the parade.  Watch for details to come home on a note with your child

Onondaga Road Blog

This month’s character trait is RESPECT.  We continue to learn what it means and what it looks like to be respectful. 

At our monthly R2D2 Assembly we were able to focus specifically on school bus behavior and being respectful of one another.   Thank you to our third graders who hosted our R2D2 Assembly this month.  We were able to invite our bus drivers to our assembly and thank them for the difficult job they do getting us to and from school safely every day.  Our drivers were appreciative of our students’ efforts, and it is apparent that respectful behavior is always noticed and goes a long way!

Parents, it’s time for you to get involved!  Our first PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30 in the Onondaga Road library.  All are welcome and encouraged to attend!  We can’t do it without you, so please consider coming to this meeting and finding other ways you can be involved at school.

PTA is currently sponsoring a Spirit Wear sale.  Watch for a flyer to come home or click on the link below to go directly to the online store:

West Genesee Spirit Wear Online Store

Dates to remember:

• Monday, 10/12 – Columbus Day (no school)
• Wednesday, 10/14 – PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.  in the library
• Monday, 10/26 through Wednesday, 10/28 – Scholastic Book Fair in school
• Wednesday, 10/28 – Reading Night, 5:30-7:00 p.m.  All are welcome!
• Friday, 10/30 – Halloween parade at 2:00, and classroom parties immediately following