Slate Hill Newsletter
April 8, 2024
Message from the Principal
Hello Slate Hill Families!
It is hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the end of the school year. During our town hall meetings last week where we meet with each grade level, we reminded our stars about the importance of finishing strong- being on time to school every day (be there by 8:00 so not to be late), giving their best each and every day on all of their school assessments and classwork and being a kind and respectful friend and student! We also talked to them about testing as the month of April will be MAP and OST testing time. It is important on these testing dates for our students to be on time, eat a good breakfast (at home or school), to get plenty of sleep and try their very best. I have listed the testing dates below so that you are aware. We always appreciate your partnership in your child's learning!
MAP testing:
Kindergarten: ELA/ Math 4/30 and 5/2
1st grade: ELA/Math 4/30 and 5/2
2nd grade: ELA/Math 4/30 and 5/2
3rd grade: Science 4/30
4th grade: Science 4/30
OST testing:
3rd grade ELA test April 16th and 18th & Math test April 23rd and 25th
4th grade ELA test April 16th and 18th & Math test April 23rd and 25th
5th grade ELA test April 16th and18th & Math test April 23rd and 25th & Science test April 17th and April 24th
Just a couple attendance reminders! Please remember if your child is sick, to call our office to report them absent at 614-450-5000 and leave a message with their first and last name, classroom teacher's name and reason for their absence. You can also email Jessica Porter at jporter@wscloud.org with the same information. If you take your child to the doctor, please send the doctor excuse to the office with your child also. Your child's attendance at school directly correlates to their growth in learning!
Our Slate Hill PTA Un-fundraiser is officially here! Time to donate!! You can help us reach our goal of $3,500! Click here to make your donation. Our fundraiser is open to anyone who would like to participate. Share our fundraiser page link with all your friends and family! This fundraiser is all about supporting our students and teachers. Any donation amount is greatly appreciated! Each year our PTA covers the cost of our inflatables at Star Fun Day which is around $3500 every year. We need your support!
We will see you on Tuesday, April 9th. Be safe today viewing the solar eclipse!
Julie Gulley, Slate Hill principal
April 8th – Eclipse
Ohio will experience a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. In Worthington Schools, we have decided to CLOSE school for Monday, April 8th. Surrounding school districts, Columbus, Dublin, Olentangy, and Westerville have all previously announced that they will not have school. The concern on this day is the traffic expected in our region and the ability with that traffic to get students safely home from school. For more information regarding considerations for closing, superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers blog explains the decision in more detail.
Prior to the eclipse, each student will receive a pair of viewing glasses. We encourage families to discuss how to safely view the eclipse with your child. Information regarding safe viewing can be found HERE and can be useful in helping to discuss eclipse viewing safety with your child.
If you would like to explore the eclipse further with your child, the following resources are suggested.
TimeAndDate.com has a great interactive map to get details for any specific location.
NASA - Eclipse 2024 Activities
NSTA Eclipse resources
National Solar Observatory activities
Kate Carney Summer Camp Scholarship
The McConnell Arts Center (MAC) is now offering tuition assistance for 4 students to take summer camps at the MAC. Information on how to apply for these scholarships is below!
In 2024, the Kate Carney Fund will offer tuition assistance for the following:
1 student for full day Camp Creativity (June 3-7, 9a-4p)
3 students for Mini Camp Creativity (June 24-28, 9a-12p) (June 24-28, 1p-4p) (July 22-26, 9a-12p)
(Note: This is a partial scholarship. Students who are selected will need to pay partial tuition. Full Day Camp Creativity participants will need to pay $50 towards the $350 tuition. Mini Camp Creativity participants will need to pay $25 towards the $200 tuition.)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, April 22, 2024 by 5pm
NOTIFICATIONS WILL BE MADE BY: Monday, May 6, 2024
Application FAQs
- Who can apply for this scholarship? Any family who has financial need and wouldn’t otherwise be able to send their child to summer camp at the MAC.
- What does the scholarship cover? Registration cost for the summer camp, with the exception of the $25 or $50 contributed by the student’s family.
- Can more than one member of the family apply? No, only one application per family please.
- Do I need to supply financial documentation with my application? No, families will be asked to write a short narrative describing their need but do not need to include documents.
- What programs can I apply for with this application? At this time the scholarship is only available for camp creativity summer camps, but we will be expanding our opportunities for Fall 2024!
- How do I apply? Simply complete the form section of this application and submit it online, or print and return it to the McConnell Arts Center.
- How will I be notified if I have been awarded a scholarship? All applicants will be notified by email on Monday, May 6, 2024.
PTA Corner
* The Slate Hill PTA Un-fundraiser is officially here! Time to donate!! You can help us reach our goal of $3,500! Click here to make your donation. Our fundraiser is open to anyone who would like to participate. Share our fundraiser page link with all your friends and family! This fundraiser is all about supporting our students and teachers. Any donation amount is greatly appreciated!
*A big thank you to all the families who participated in the Marco's Pizza restaurant night fundraiser!! Mrs. Osgood's 3rd grade class won the Pizza Party!
* Please join us for our last PTA Meeting of the school year on May 9th in the Slate Hill Library at 7:00pm!
* We hope that you will join our PTA this year and support great things that we are doing for our Slate Hill Stars! Please go to our PTA website and sign up today!
Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember
April 8th: Total Solar Eclipse - No School
April 19th: Slate Hill International Night! (5pm-7pm)
May 9th: PTA Meeting (7:00pm)
May 11th: Limited Edition Choir Trip to King's Island
May 16th: Spring Musical Concert (7:00pm)
May 20th: Star Fun Day!
May 22nd: Last Day of School
Active and Engaged Learning Times
DOORS OPEN: 7:55am
START TIME: 8:10am
TARDY after: 8:10am
Breakfast served from 7:55-8:10am
Dismissal begins at 2:50pm for all students*
*For students who are car riders at dismissal, please ensure that they are picked up each day no later than 3:00pm. The school is unable to monitor students past this time. Thank you for picking up your students in a timely manner.
*PLEASE STAY IN THE CAR LINE AND IN YOUR CAR WHEN DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP YOUR CHILD! IT MOVES QUICKLY AND SAFELY WHEN THIS IS FOLLOWED! Mrs. Gulley
Slate Hill International Night
Mark your calendar's for April 19th from 5-7pm to join us in celebrating cultures around the world!
We will have food trucks, student performances, art fun and more!
School Counselor's Corner
Hi Slate Hill Families!
Last newsletter we shared some helpful tips and tricks for making your morning routine more positive. However, there are always going to be mornings where the hustle and bustle of getting you and the kids out the door is a challenge. Have you ever noticed that it seems that these are also the morning that the kids may be a little slower moving than usual? You may find yourself feeling scattered, frustrated, and maybe even anxious. A natural response is to yell “hurry up!”; but what if there was a better way to encourage the kiddos to keep it moving. Check out the attached PDF. You will find an explanation of why “hurry up” isn’t always the best method to use, and more productive language suggestions to try out.
You got this!
The Slate Hill School Counseling Team
Summer Camps!
There are many summer camps being offered in the Worthington area! Here is the link to the district website. There are also summer camp flyers in the eBackpack!
Check this out! 4KicksNation started by an 8th grader at Perry Middle School
Hi, it’s Annie Hoyt, an 8th grader at Perry Middle School. I am starting a basketball shoe donation program for kids in our community named 4KicksNation. I will work with coaches and administrators in basketball programs to get shoes for kids who need them. A nationwide program that provides shoes shows that kids who have proper shoes are more likely to be involved in extracurricular activities, they have higher self-esteem, better school attendance, and they participate in more physical activities. To start, I am looking for shoe donations! If you have any gently used basketball shoes at home, please bring them to the school's office. I’ll have a box there where you can drop them. If you have any questions please feel free to email 4KicksNation@gmail.com. Thanks so much for helping me get started! ~ Annie Hoyt
Finley's Smile 5K!
The 2024 Finley’s Smile 5K & Smile Mile fundraising event will be held on Sunday, April 21st! Register now for early bird rates! https://racepenguin.com/events/finleysmile5k/
Our family is so thankful for our returning participants and families and we hope to see you again this year to support Finley’s Smile! As always, this event is family friendly and includes activities for all ages! (And of course what would Finley’s birthday celebration be without butterfly cupcakes?!) -Kristin Hollinger, first grade teacher
Although it’s a 5K & mile event, you don’t need to be a runner to register and join us for some fun! (You can also register as a virtual/nonrunner and join us!)
FYI from Tech Services
Low Balance Alerts were reset by My Payments Plus. Parents should check their settings and update them if necessary by logging in at My Payments Plus with their personal account, go to My Account (left panel) and then view the Low Balance Alerts to update their settings.
MyPayments Plus
My Payments Plus is where you will pay school fees, Full day Kindergarten tuition, school field trips and put money on your child's lunch account. Look under parent resources for this website.
For My Payments Plus, parents can find their child's 9-digit Student ID # by logging in to Infinite Campus and clicking on Today. The 9-digit student number is under student name, visible on both the app and when accessing Infinite Campus through the Parent Portal or the Infinite Campus website.
School Fees for the 2023-24:
Kindergarten: $24.00
Grade 1-3: $42.00
Grade 4-5: $36.00
If you feel you qualify for free and reduced lunch, we suggest you fill this form out online or print out a paper copy and turn into the office. If you qualify your student's fees or Kindergarten tuition could be free or reduced.
HERE is the free and reduced application. Here is the link to the printable applications. You never know if you will qualify and it could help with reduced school student fees as well as Kindergarten tuition. If you have any questions or I can help you in anyway, please reach out to me.
MUST DO THIS for your child to attend a Field trip!
Have you completed your Emergency Data Review for your child?
Parents can access their own login credentials by clicking the Password Recovery link under Quick Links on the Worthington Schools main page. They enter their email address (it needs to be the email that we have on file for them) and will immediately get an email sent to them with their district-provided username and password, which they can use to login to the Parent Portal as well as Infinite Campus.
Slate Hill Elementary School
Follow us on Instagram! @slatehillstars
Email: jgulley@wscloud.org
Website: https://www.worthington.k12.oh.us/Domain/21
Location: 7625 Alta View Boulevard, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: 614-450-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/ourschool
Twitter: @SlateHillstars