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Otsego Elementary Extra
Principal's Weekly Update - February 9, 2024
Upcoming Events
February 12-16 - Random Acts of Kindness Week - Daily Dress-up Themes
February 19 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
February 20-23 - Kids Heart Challenge - All donations due February 23
February 21 - If You Give A Knight Some Knowledge (Literacy Night and more - 6pm-7pm, Elementary Commons
February 23 - PTO Spirit Day, Wear Pajamas for $1
February 28 - ALL money and Calendars Due
March 4-21 - PTO Spring Flower Sale (Delivery Date = May 11)
March 6 - PTO Meeting 6pm, Elementary Commons
March 7 & 8 - Author Visit - Diana Perry (more information to come)
March 13 - Kindergarten Round Up, 5:30, Elementary Commons (for students entering KG in Fall of 2024)
March 15 - PTO Spirit Day - Wear a Hat for $1
March 19 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day for Teachers
March 27 - 2nd Grade Music Performance, 7pm, HS Auditorium
March 29 - April 8 - NO SCHOOL - SPRING BREAK
April 9 - School Resumes
April 9 - PTO Meeting, 6pm, Elementary Commons
April 10 - ELA State Test for grades 3-5, Part 1
April 11 - ELA State Test for grades 3-5, Part 2
April 16 - Math State Test for grades 3-5, Part 1
April 17 - Math State Test for grades 3-5, Part 2
April 18 - 1st Grade Music Performance, 7pm, HS Auditorium
April 19 - PTO Spirit Day - Wear Tie Dye for $1
April 23 - Science State Test, Grade 5, Part 1
April 24 - Science State Test, Grade 5, Part 2
District Calendar
PTO Calendar Fundraiser Information
You may have seen some posts last fall mentioning a new fundraiser. Here are a few details to explain the process and what to expect. Don’t worry, a letter outlining the process, and prizes will be coming home with your student in their sales pack this week. We’re so grateful for the donations from area businesses and cannot wait for everyone to see them!
Yearbook Orders
Friday, March 1st is the last day for parents to order a yearbook. A few extra books will be available for purchase in May when the order arrives, however, the number will be very limited and will be on a first come first serve basis. It is best to get your order placed before March 1st.
Sign Up to Help at the Mother/Son Dodgeball Game!
If You Give A Knight Some Knowledge...
5th Grade Scheduling for 6th Grade
Scheduling information for 6th grade went home to all 5th grade students this week. All the information is on the Junior High Website.
Staff Spotlight: Rachel Koeniger
Every 2 weeks, a different staff member will be highlighted. It will start with teachers that are new this year.
Rachel Koeniger, Preschool Teacher
Hi there! My name is Rachel Koeniger, I graduated from BGSU in the Spring and live in Waterville so I am familiar with the area. I also had the pleasure and privilege to student teach in Third grade at Otsego my final year of college and am very excited to be back and in Preschool this year! When not at school I love to spend time outdoors doing anything, reading, and spending time with my family. A random fact about me is that I love bees and everything about them. I look forward to joining the Otsego team and working with everyone!
2024-2025 Preschool Registration Information
Opens on Tuesday, February 20th at 8:00 a.m. in the Elementary Commons. Forms will be available in person only (forms will not be available online or via mail). Please bring your child's birth certificate as well as custody paperwork if applicable.
To get on the PK list, we will need three pages completed that morning, as well as the $216 deposit & $50 supply fee. The $266 must be cash or check (made payable to Otsego BOE). Students must be 3 years old on or before August 1st and fully potty trained to attend.
**Please note that out-of-district students will be put at the bottom of the placement list.
2024-2025 Kindergarten Registration Information
There will be a Kindergarten Round-Up on Wednesday, March 13th at 5:30 p.m. in the Elementary Commons. Students must be 5 yrs. old on or before August 1st to register for kindergarten
Registration is online through Final Forms beginning on March 13th. Please bring your own electronic device if you would like to enroll that evening. Help will be available to assist parents in the process.
Items to bring to the Round-Up include your child’s:
Certified Birth Certificate
Immunization Record
Custody papers—if applicable
Parent’s Proof of Residency
We will also have a signup sheet for kindergarten screening times;
screenings will take place on June 3rd and 4th.
Kids Heart Challenge
Event dates are February 20-23.
All donations are due February 23.
Mobile Dentist - March 20, 2024
Shrek The Musical
Otsego High School is hosting two blood drives during the spring semester, with the first one being held March 12th from 8:00-12:30 in the high school gym. The importance of donating blood cannot be stressed enough. One pint of blood has the potential to save 4 lives. Donors must bring ID and, if they have donated blood before, a Red Cross donor card. Donors should make sure to drink plenty of water and iron-rich foods a couple days before the drive. Community members sign up with this link; https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time. Happy donating!
Youth Soccer Clinic
Mother & Son Dodgeball
School Fees
Fee notices have been sent home. All students in grades K-5 have a $50 yearly school fee.
Parents can send cash or check to the school with their student(s) to pay the fees.
Checks can be made payable to Otsego BOE. The school can ONLY accept cash or check.
Parents may pay online with a credit card by setting up an account at payschoolscentral.com.
If you have completed a free lunch waiver and have qualified for FREE lunch, your school fees will be waived. If you received a notice of fees due and you believe you should have qualified for free, please contact Emilia Bires at ebires@otsegoknights.org.
ANY CARRYOVER FROM LAST YEAR SHOULD HAVE ENDED ON 10/1, A NEW APPLICATION IS NEEDED EACH YEAR
**Please note that free lunch waivers are for the current year only and the previous year's fee (SOY balance) is still due. Please contact the office with any questions.
Dyslexia Information from the State of Ohio
On January 9, 2021, Governor Mike DeWine signed a set of laws strengthening dyslexia supports for Ohio’s children. The new dyslexia support laws establish dyslexia screening measures (ORC 3323.251), professional development for identifying dyslexia and instructing students with dyslexia (ORC 3319.077), a structured literacy certification process for teachers (ORC 3319.078) and the Ohio Dyslexia Committee (ORC 3323.25). The following is a summary of the new set of laws:
- Requires the Ohio Department of Education to establish the Ohio Dyslexia Committee consisting of 11 members;
- Requires the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to develop a dyslexia guidebook for screening, intervention and remediation for children with dyslexia or displaying dyslexic characteristics and tendencies;
- Requires the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to prescribe the number of clock hours of dyslexia-related professional development required for teachers;
- Permits the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to make recommendations regarding ratios of students to teachers who have received certification in identifying and addressing dyslexia, the school personnel who should receive the certification and whether professional development requirements should include completing a practicum;
- Requires the Department, in collaboration with the Ohio Dyslexia Committee, to identify screening and intervention measures that evaluate the literacy skills of students using a structured literacy program;
- Requires school districts and other public schools to administer annual dyslexia screenings beginning in the 2022-2023 school year;
- Phases in over three years dyslexia-related professional development requirements for public school teachers;
- Requires school districts and other public schools, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, to establish a structured literacy certification process for teachers.
What does this mean at Otsego Elementary School?
OES is following all of the requirements outlined above. All students in grades 1-3 were screened for dyslexia risk factors through the Fall administration of the iReady. Any students that were "flagged" for potential risk factors were then screened again (Tier 2) through a variety of other screeners. The Tier 2 screening then allowed us to identify any students that needed additional small group instruction in the areas of phonics and decoding. We are not identifying any students with dyslexia. Any student who was flagged through the initial iReady screening was sent a letter with their Tier 2 screening results and what the next steps for them are. If you have any questions, please email Erica Morgan, Dyslexia and Multi-sensory Literacy Specialist, at emorgan@otsegoknights.org or call the Elementary Office.
Birthday Treats
This means that we do NOT allow birthday treats in the classrooms. So, please keep the birthday treats at home!
Dana and Cali are Here!
Cali
Dana
Dana's Grooming is Sponsored by:
212 Farnsworth Road
Waterville, Ohio
419-266-4636
School Counseling Newsletter
PTO
OES Student Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures
Morning Drop-Off
Please use the entire length of the drop-off zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can exit at a time. This will make drop-off go quicker while maintaining safety.
Students should only be let out on the side of the car that is next to the curb. This is to avoid students being hit by a moving car in the lane farther away from the curb. If your student needs to get out on that side of the car, please park in a parking spot and have your student walk into the building using the crosswalk.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are dropping a student off, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should be let out of the car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be exiting cars onto the sidewalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get students into the school in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the drop-off line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces.
Afternoon Pick-Up
Please use the entire length of the pick-up zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can get into their vehicles. This will make pick-up go quicker while maintaining safety.
Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are picking a student up, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.
The second lane is for driving only. No students should get into their car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be entering cars from the sidewalk or by using the crosswalk so that we can ensure their safety.
Please remember to NOT park and leave your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get vehicles out of the pick-up zone in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces. If you are parked while you are waiting for your student (and you are IN the car), that is fine.
Students must be picked up by 3:35pm. At 3:35pm, students will be taken to Otsego Extended Care at the cost of the parent/guardian (unless previous arrangements have been made).
THANK YOU so much for your understanding and compliance with these procedures to ensure our students’ safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal.
PaySchools
You can use Payschools to pay for fees and lunches online.
Quick Setup Guide:
Manage your account:
Payschools Signup Information:
Extended Care Information
OES Extended Care is available for students aged 5 through the summer before entering 6th grade. There is a $10.00 per family yearly registration fee for the OES Extended Care Program. The registration fee will be applied from June 1 to May 31 each school year and will be charged to the credit card on file. If you are registering your child for the summer program you will not be required to pay an additional registration fee for the coming school year.
Contact Info and Hours
phone: (419)823-4381 ext 4408
email: extendedcare@otsegoknights.org
Before School ~ 6:30 a.m. to THE START OF SCHOOL
After School ~ END OF SCHOOL to 6:00 p.m.
School Year 2023-24: August 23 (first day)
The program follows the school calendar
In the event of a school cancellation after a two-hour delay, OES Extended Care will remain open. If school closed before 6:30, Extended Care is closed also.
Pricing and Registration Info
The hourly rate charged is $3.50 per hour for the first child, $2.00 per hour for the second child, and $1.50 per hour for the third child. The hourly rate is billed to the quarter-hour. The Credit Card form in the registration packet MUST be filled out in order to register.
The Credit Card Form will be used to pay your Extended Care amount.
Please print out the registration form located at the bottom of this page (all 5 pages MUST be completed in their entirety) and send it to the elementary school office, attention: Becky Hatfield.
Questions may be emailed to:
Billing: Steve Carroll 419-823-4381 extension 1101 or scarroll@otsegoknights.org
Becky Hatfield 419-823-4381 extension 4401 or bhatfield@otsegoknights.org
Registration: Becky Hatfield bhatfield@otsegoknights.org
Knight in Shining Armor Nominations
Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Please use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.
Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!
These funds are not for routine expenses such as utilities, bills, rent, etc. It is designed for assisting community members in an emergency situation. This can include, but is not limited to unforeseen medical expenses, medical related travel expenses, and household emergencies such as a fire, water leaks, etc. Please keep this in mind when submitting a nomination.
Please refer to this link at any point during the year as a need arises, and KISA will do their best to help out!
Community Events
Town Ball Sign-Up
Use the link below to sign up for Town Ball.
Otsego Town Ball -- T-ball/Baseball/Softball Registration Form
10U Crush Boys Baseball
The 10U Crush Boys Baseball team is looking for more players. Please call Justin Iler at 419-575-3095 if you are interested in signing up your child.
In 2023, Courageous Community Services launched a revolutionary Peer Buddies pilot program. Peer Buddies are neurotypical, non-disabled kids ages 7-17 who join us for our two-day camps. They act as friends and role models to our campers. Our Peer Buddies program pairs disabled participants with a same-age peer for a fun-filled week of swimming, adapted sports, art, and more. Our camp experience breaks down barriers and lets kids and teens see how similar they are. Summers at Courageous Acres make inclusion a reality. Given our resounding success last year, we are opening enrollment again to the community. Being a Peer Buddy is a great way for young people to meet others different from themselves and have a fun week (or two) at summer camp while they're at it.
Box Tops Are Digital!
Want to help raise some money for the school but hate cutting out all the box tops? Or forget they are there and throw them away? Well now you don't have to worry about that; box tops have gone digital! You just need to download the app, set up Otsego as your school, scan your receipt and we will receive the credit. Check out the Box Top website for more information- we will be adding more as well when we get it.
Don't want to download ANOTHER app?
Just send your receipts into school with your kid and we will scan them for you. Please make sure you put them in a bag or envelope labeled box tops for PTO so the teachers know where they go.
Heard a rumor or have a question?
Katrina Baughman
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4005)
Twitter: @OES_Principal
Becky Buchman
Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4009)
Twitter: @buchman_becky
Lauren Miller
Email: lmiller@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4010)
Twitter: @OEScounselor
Kayla Phillips
Email: kphillips@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4105)
Jenny Helberg
Email: jhelberg@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4001)
Angie Norman
Email: anorman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4003)