Aviator Air News
Maple Dale's Family Newsletter
November 19, 2021
Coming Up...
11/23: Opposite Day
11/24-11/26: Thanksgiving Break
11/28 Hanukkah begins
12/1: Last day to donate to OGB Food, Coat, and Toy Drive
12/9: PTO Meeting at 9:30 am* more information below
12/13-12/15: Elementary Grade Optional CogAT Testing* see below
12/22-1/2: Winter Break
Adapt for Life Program in our Schools
In partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Sycamore Community Schools was awarded state funding to develop mental health programming for students. The grant that we received in the spring of 2021 expands the Adapt for Life Program for grades K-12. We launched the program in our schools this week.
Aligned with our PBIS framework, the Adapt for Life Program features ten lessons throughout the school year. The ADAPT framework—Ask, Describe, Assess, Plan, and Talk—is a model to help students develop healthy behaviors and essential life skills to tackle stress, whether it’s during everyday moments or in times of crisis.
Beginning the week of November 8, classroom teachers will teach lessons in grades K-4 and grades 11-12. In grades 5-10, students will experience lessons with the classroom teachers and trained facilitators from the Adapt for Life team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Lessons teach students how to better manage everyday stress through developing healthier habits and skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.
This grant is part of Governor Mike DeWine’s K-12 Prevention Education Initiative, which awarded $18 million to school districts in Ohio through their mental health partners. Sycamore Schools was one of 11 districts in Hamilton County to receive a one-time grant to create sustainable evidence-based mental health programming.
We are excited to be engaging in this exciting partnership with Adapt for Life. For more information about the program, tools for students, and tools for families, please visit the Adapt for Life website at https://www.adaptforlife.org. Should you have questions regarding Adapt for Life, please reach out to Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor, at zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org.
Time of Giving
Just a friendly reminder regarding the annual Operation Give Back Donation Drive. SHS Student Council will place collection bins at each school and at the Central Office. We invite you, your students, and your families to support OGB this holiday season. Have some fun~ encourage everyone to give~ share your Aviator Spirit!
During the holiday season, Operation Give Back (OGB) is more focused than ever on providing assistance to more than 700 economically disadvantaged children and their families who live in the Montgomery, Blue Ash, Symmes, Sycamore Township and Sharonville communities. We are asking for your support! Maple Dale is collecting donations for the annual OGB Holiday Store through December 1st.
We will have a collection bin in the office for the requested following items:
· Donate NEW toys to our Toy Drive · Collect NEW pajamas, socks, hats & gloves · Collect NEW (or almost new) winter coats
Change in Dismissal or Transportation Plans?
Is your student arriving late to school or leaving early? Any upcoming travel or vacation-related absence? Please email Heather Voellmecke at voellmeckeh@sycamoreschools.org with any dismissal, attendance, or transportation changes.
It's Not Too Early
Please send Julie any pictures you may have like; the first day of school, sports, cheer, cub scouts, clubs, etc.
Thank you,
Reporting any Covid related illnesses
Covid -19 Daily Checklist
More helpful information can be found in the link below.
Next meeting: December 9th
While this year is one like we’ve never experienced, the Maple Dale community is still strong! The Warrior Challenge Fundraiser was a huge success because so many participated. Together We Are Better! THANK YOU!!
As a PTO Exec Board, we work hard to ensure we are thorough and thoughtful in the way we invest back into our school. In addition to the numerous programs we fund and the support we provide the teachers, every year the PTO makes intentional choices on where to invest incremental money via school grants. Thanks to your generous support of the Warrior Challenge, the PTO has even more to invest this year. Since your kids raised the money, we want you to be part of the choices that we make on investing.
Please plan to attend a special meeting of the PTO at 9:30am on Thursday, December 9th. The entire agenda will be set to address the ideas submitted for how to wisely invest proceeds from the Warrior Challenge.
Do you have an idea for how to spend the proceeds? All members of the Maple Dale Community (Parents, Teachers, Students, Staff, Administrators - everyone) are invited to submit a funding request for items and projects they think would be a good use of these funds. Submit your request at: Click here to fill out form Be sure to read the tips below for how to write a good funding request. Requests are due by November 30th.
How did we get here? Budgeting for this school year was a challenge not knowing which PTO events/programs we’d be able to do and not knowing what impact there may be on fundraising. The PTO adopted a conservative budget that projected a large decrease in fundraising versus last year. To balance the budget, expenses for grants were reduced.
We are thrilled by the response and success of the Warrior Challenge. As a result, we have a lot more money than we had budgeted to be used to enhance existing programs, start new ones, or provide for extras around the school.
Do we have to spend it all? No. We don’t have to spend it all and the PTO Exec Board feels strongly that we shouldn’t if we don’t have good things to spend it on. We also believe that the money has been raised by this year's students and should be used to benefit them, if possible.
Tips for a good funding request:
We are better together - talk to others about your ideas and gather co-sponsors
Talk to the school or a board member if you have a major request or a really new idea. We might be able to give some input so that your idea is the best it can be.
Be specific. As much as possible, know exactly what you are proposing. Get quotes or firm costs. Have a budget.
Ask any of the board members if you need help.
I would like to conclude by thanking the Warrior Challenge committee (Barbie Bergan, Jen Peri and Carly Lefton) for the awesome job they did on the fundraiser.
Thank You From the PTO
Harshana Patel
Elementary Grade Optional CogAT Testing
When?
Dec 13, 2021, Dec 14, 2021, & Dec 15, 2021
Parent Referral Option: In the mornings on December 13th, 14th, & 15th before school starts
Montgomery - 7:50 Drop off in the circle.
Students will not be permitted in the building after 8:00
Blue Ash - 7:40 - 7:50 Drop off in the front circle by the front door.
Students will not be permitted in the building after 8:00
Symmes - 7:55-8:05 Drop off at front office entrance.
Students will not be permitted in the building after 8:10
Maple Dale - 7:40 - 7:50 Drop off at the circle.
Students will not be permitted in the building after 7:55
The student must attend all three mornings to complete the assessment
Families are responsible for transportation.
There will be another testing opportunity offered in the spring.
Where?
Your child’s elementary school
Who?
Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade is by parent referral before the start of the school day.
How?
Register your child for the CogAT here only if they are in grades K, 1st, or 3rd. (All 2nd & 4th graders take the test with their classroom teacher)
Registration deadline is Monday, December 5th, 2021 by 11:59 pm
Questions?
Contact Jamie Jackson at jacksonja@sycamoreschools.org
Looking for a new career path?
Bus drivers wanted! The Sycamore Transportation Department has been working hard to keep the busses running and now they are seeking your help to find safe drivers who are interested in working with our Sycamore students. Did you know it takes approximately 40 hours to train a bus driver? We need you! For more information please contact our transportation department at 513-686-1785. Drivers must pass a background check and have a valid drivers’ license. They must be over the age of 21.
No previous bus driving training is required!
Know! Healthy Ways to Handle Holiday Stress Ready or not, the holiday season is here, along with all the festivities and fun that go along with it: family gatherings, shared meals, gift-giving, party planning, special school and church events, hosting out-of-town family stays, and on and on. It’s enough to make your head spin just thinking about it. Help young people avoid turning to substances for stress relief by sharing healthy coping strategies: Cleveland Clinic: Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Alcohol During Times of Stress. April 2020 About Know! Parent Tips Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all. Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, Start Talking! and the Ohio Department of Education.
The question is, how do you plan to handle the extra stress that accompanies this time of year?
If your route to relieve stress includes pouring a glass of wine or grabbing a cold beer, you’re certainly not alone. Many adults reach for alcohol to relax and destress. While an occasional drink is ok for most people, depending on alcohol to lift your mood can be problematic, both emotionally and physically, for yourself and your children.
While alcohol is a sedative, and can help ease nerves momentarily, it is a short-term fix to what can become a long-term problem. It is an unhealthy coping strategy that can increase a person’s anxiety and depression, and lead to addiction.
We also must remember that our children are always observing our behavior, whether we recognize it or not. If they learn from us that it is ok to reach for alcohol when we are stressed, worried or feeling down – that is a problem.
Instead, we can teach by example healthy ways to handle stress, that do not involve the use of substances.
The Mayo Clinic offers a stress-reducing strategy called the 4 A’s, that we can put into practice for ourselves and role model for our children: avoid, alter, accept, or adapt. The way it works is that with any given situation that increases our stress, we look for ways to apply one or more of these concepts.
Avoid: Believe it or not, a lot of stress can simply be avoided. Plan ahead, learn to say no, and ditch parts of your to-do list (low priority items).
Alter: Take inventory of whatever stressful situation you find yourself in, then consider ways you change or modify it for the better.
Accept: Sometimes we have no other option than to accept things the way they are. When this is the case, it is important to talk to someone, to forgive, to practice positive self-talk, and to learn from our mistakes.
Adapt: There are times when we need to adjust or revise the standards and expectations we set upon ourselves, which many times are unreasonable. What can help to change one’s perspective is to ask yourself, “Will this matter in a year or in five years?”
Just because you’ve traditionally hosted Thanksgiving doesn’t mean someone else can’t take a turn. If your holiday to-do list becomes overwhelming, look it over and see what you can cut out. If you’re tired of being the punchline of your cousin’s jokes at family gatherings, ask him or her to leave you out of the comedy routine. Give yourself and others grace and do your best to put a stressful situation in perspective.
In addition to a well-balanced diet, exercise, social connectedness, and quality sleep, the Mayo Clinic’s 4 A’s technique can help you balance the stress equation for a more peaceful, enjoyable holiday season for yourself and your children.
Tips For Mentors and Adult Allies
Maintain a well-balanced diet
Sources:
Mayo Clinic: Need stress relief? Try the 4 A’s. July 2021.
We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
Prevention Action Alliance | 6171 Huntley Road, Suite G, Columbus, OH 43229 Sent by contact@preventionactionalliance.org powered by
Attention Registered Nurses
The Sycamore Community School District is currently looking for registered nurses who would like to be employed as substitute nurses. Applicants must have current nursing experience, preferably with children, special needs, diabetes and an active nursing license.
If you qualify and are interested, please call Julie Ferron, R.N. at 686-1743 or email at ferronj@sycamoreschools.org.
About us
Email: zellnerm@sycamoreschools.org
Website: http://www.sycamoreschools.org/Domain/12
Location: 6100 Hagewa Drive, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: (513)686-1720
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapledaleaviators/
Twitter: @MapleDaleElem