Avalon Eagles Newsletter

• By driving slowly and carefully through the line
• Dropping off no earlier than 8:30 am (unless student attends Latchkey in the mornings)
• Having backpack on and student ready to exit the vehicle independently on the school side of the vehicle
• Holding questions for staff to a minimum to keep the carline moving (calling the school or emailing specific teacher or staff member before or after drop-off instead)
• Arriving to school before 9:00 a.m. to avoid being tardy. If a student arrives after 9:00 a.m., he or she will be considered tardy and will need to push the call button (can be out of reach for small children) to the left of the door on the outside wall to be let inside. Students who are tardy will need to stop at the window to give their name and get a slip to take to class.

One of the ways that Avalon teachers and staff communicate with parents & caregivers is through the use of your child's green folder.

Please remember to check your child's green folder every night for:

• Homework
  
• Permission slips
  
• Forms & announcements

Thank you!

• Month of November: Operation Warm - free coats and shoes to families in need.
• Monday, November 4: Parent Teacher Conferences
• Tuesday, November 5: No School (Professional Development Day)
• Wednesday, November 6: Parent Teacher Conferences
• Wednesday, November 13: Vocabulary Parade Workshop, 3:45 - 5:00 pm parent & students may come work on their costumes for the parade Dec. 6 at 2:00 pm.
• Friday, November 15: Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Meeting, 9:30 am - 10:30 am
• Friday, November 15: November Eagle Zoom Room (Virtual Office Hours), 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Wednesday, November 20: Avalon 2nd - 3rd Grade Community Circle Event at Karl Road Library, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
• Monday, November 25 - Friday, November 29: No School (Wellness Week)
• Wednesday, November 27: Compensatory Day for Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher conferences were held on November 4th and November 6th.

We hope that this time was well spent, with many productive and fruitful conversations taking place. Our goal is to ensure quality communication with each and every parent & caregiver of each Avalon scholar. We are invested in making sure that your scholar succeeds academically.

Please note that you are encouraged to have continual communication with your child's teacher throughout the school year. You can call the school office to set up an appointment. The worksheet below shows examples of questions you could ask during this time.

You can always check your child's grades by logging into your Parent Portal account here: Columbus City Schools Parent Portal

You will also be able to view any additional comments and feedback that your child's teacher may have.

Through the Parent Portal, you can securely access all of the following information:

• Grades and Course Schedules
• Sign Important Documents
• Daily Attendance
• Teacher Contact Information
• Update Contact Information
• Pay Fees
• Transportation Information
• Paperless Applications for School Choice, Summer School, and Career Tech

For more information on the Parent Portal or to set up your account, please visit the Parent Portal page.

If you need a brand new FREE coat and a brand new FREE pair of shoes for your student, please complete the application that went home in your child's backpack to the best of your ability and return to the office.

This is thanks to Operation Warm. Operation Warm’s mission has always been focused on the whole child. Their tagline, ‘more than a coat’ means that the coats and shoes they provide don’t just provide physical warmth, but also emotional warmth, the confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future.

The application in your child's backpack looks like the pictures shown below.

We are planning a vocabulary parade for Friday, December 6th @ 2:00 p.m. Parents are encouraged to participate and come watch. We want every student to be able to participate.

In preparation, we are hosting a Vocabulary Parade Workshop on Wednesday, November 13th from 3:45 - 5:00 pm. Families will be able to come in and work on the costumes during this time.

If you are able to donate materials, please bring them with you: construction paper, large paper bags from the grocery store, cardboard boxes, yarn, etc.

Teachers will be distributing information to go home soon. They will also be working within the classroom to support students in selecting grade-level appropriate vocabulary words.

The next Parent Advisory Council Meeting will be held on Friday,

**It will be a hybrid meeting, taking place both in person at the Avalon (check in at front desk), and on Zoom.

Topic: November PAC Meeting

Time: Nov 15, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting in our Principal's Zoom Room:

Taylor's Zoom Room

The Avalon Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of caring and committed parents, school staff, and community volunteers collaborating and working together on parent-centered goals and activities to benefit Avalon students.

Since Avalon Elementary is a Title 1 funded school, PAC is also a great way for parents and caregivers to share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement, and to build a partnership that will help children achieve the state's high standards.

PAC is also a great way to:

• be connected with other Avalon parents
  
• support your child's education
  
• get involved with the school
  

PAC meets once a month in a hybrid format (the meeting takes place both in person at the school library and virtually on Zoom). Additional time commitments would be to help volunteer with any school & social events that we plan.

If you are interested in joining PAC or have questions, please contact Family Ambassador, Candace Walker at: cwalker9@columbus.k12.oh.us.

View photos of last year's PAC events and activities here: https://www.ccsoh.us/Page/12547

If you have questions about anything, we are here to help! Stop by online and speak to one of our Family Ambassadors. There's no question too big or too small. We can also show you how to get connected with district and community resources.

Friday, November 15

12:00 pm -1:00 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://ccsoh-us.zoom.us/j/81351986192?pwd=v4CfendnqXp4ELnwX9NsqBKRmazPqE.1

Meeting ID: 813 5198 6192

Passcode: 958212

Calling all parents, caregivers, and guardians of 2nd & 3rd Grade scholars!

Come join us at Karl Road Library as we partner together to learn ways to better support our little scholars. Meet with Avalon's Principal, Dr. Taylor, as well as Family Ambassadors and other community partners.

Date: Wednesday, November 20th

Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Location: Karl Road Library, 5590 Karl Rd, Columbus, OH 43229

Wellness Week is from November 25 - 29, and there will be no school on these days.

November's arrival unofficially marks the start of the holiday season, and soon we'll all be getting together with family and friends to celebrate and give thanks.

During this time, it's also important for our teachers, staff, students, and families to focus on their overall health and wellness.

Enjoy this time and remember to keep being safe, respectful, and responsible!

Avalon held a canned food drive the week of October 28th - November 1st. There was a race to see which class could collect the most canned goods.

The winner of the Avalon's canned food drive was....

Ms. Straughter's class with 99 nonperishable items!!!

Congratulations to Ms. Straughter's class! Way to go!!

On October 30th, Avalon held it's very first "Avalon K-1st Grade Parent & Community Circle" at our local Karl Road Branch Library. The event was for parents and caregivers of Kindergarten and 1st Grade Avalon scholars.

The following guest speakers gave valuable information for Avalon families:

• Megan Derby from Nationwide Children's Hospital Triple P Program
• Monica Presume from Ready Set Grow/ Directions For Youth
• Edie Smith-Henry from Columbus City School's Attendance Department
• Emily Walker from Karl Road Branch Library

Triple P:

Ms. Megan Derby gave us information about the Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). Triple P gives parents and caregivers of children 0 to 12 years old new ideas and a chance to meet other parents. They help you with common parenting issues and challenging behavior. All sessions are free.

Perhaps it’s your toddler’s supermarket meltdowns… or nightly bedtime battles with your daughter… or your son’s disobedience or aggression. We give tips on how to settle the problem – quickly and calmly!

The program won't tell you how to parent. But they will give you simple, practical strategies you can adapt to suit your family’s values, beliefs and needs. Happier families lead to better relationships... and successful kids!

To register for workshops, contact: triplep@nationwidechildrens.org or (614) 355-8099.

Ready Set Grow / Directions For Youth:

Ms. Monica Presume gave us information about Ready Set Grow. Ready Set Grow is a Kindergarten-Readiness program for Franklin County children ages 3-6 (who are not yet enrolled in Kindergarten), who have been identified for being at risk for not being ready to enter school. The program is free - there are no fees for these services.

This program provides home visits, and develops an individualized plan for each child.

It is a 6-month program with weekly 1-2 hour sessions. The program includes child education and parent involvement, and also connects parents with community resources.

For more information, please visit: https://dfyf.org/ready-set-grow/

Columbus City School's Attendance Department:

Mrs. Edie Smith-Henry is from our school district's Attendance Department. She informed families about how attendance is calculated by the school district. Minutes and hours that are missed in class add up, and can result in being counted as an absence. Therefore, it is very important that parents and caregivers make sure that students are brought to school on time (not late), and are not picked up early from school.

We learned that absence from school can lead to increased academic risk for students' success.

Frequent absences from school can be devastating to a child's future. The effects start early and spiral dramatically over time.

• A student is chronically absent if he/she missed as few as two days of school a month.

• Children who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade are much less likely to read on grade level by the 3rd grade.

• Students who cannot read at grade level by the 3rd grade are 4x more likely to drop out of high school.

• By high school, attendance is a better dropout indicator than test scores.

• A chronically absent student, in any year between eighth and twelfth grade, is seven times more likely to drop out of school.

Attendance is a top priority at Avalon. We want to work together to ensure your student's success!

If you have any questions or need to contact Avalon about your student's attendance, please send an email to Avalon K-3 Attendance Secretary - Simone Ooten at: attendance.avalon@columbus.k12.oh.us

Columbus Metropolitan Library - Karl Road Branch:

Ms. Emily Walker gave families information about all of the resources and programs that the library offers. For example, did you know you can check out the "Culture Pass"? The Culture Pass allows families to attend various events for free such as:

• Ballet Met
• CAPA
• Columbus Children's Theatre
• Columbus Clippers
• Columbus Museum of Art
• Columbus Zoo
• Ohio History Center
• .... and so much more!

As a student of Columbus City Schools, your child already has a library card: it is their student ID!

They can check out books and continue to renew them, until another person is waiting to use the item.

Check out photos below from the event!

Above Photo: Ms. Megan Derby from Nationwide Children's Hospital - Triple P program.

Above Photo: Ms. Megan Derby from Nationwide Children's Hospital - Triple P program.

Above Photo: Ms. Monica Presume from Ready Set Grow / Directions For Youth

Above Photo: Mrs. Edie Smith-Henry from Columbus City School's Attendance Department.

Above Photo: Dr. Taylor (Avalon Principal) and Mrs. Edie-Smith from the district's Attendance Department.

Above Photo: Ms. Emily Walker from the Karl Road Library.

Above Photo: Dr. Taylor, Avalon Staff, and parents all joined in a circle to discuss what is working well and what can be improved?

Above Photo: Grab bags for parents & caregivers.

Above Photo: Breakfast was served, courtesy of Panera.

Above Photo: Play area for the toddlers.

Below Photos: Many resources were also laid out on tables for parents to browse and collect. There was information about Title 1, Reading Logs, local food pantries, medical resources, language resources, children's books, coloring sheets & crayons, and applications from Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services (Medicaid, financial assistance, food assistance, childcare assistance, etc.).

Many of these resources are uploaded and published in the "Avalon November 2024 Resource Newsletter".

In Mrs. Blosco's class, scholars are building their writing at the sentence level by learning and using the basic conjunctions ("because" and "but") properly. This will eventually support their paragraph writing and revision strategies.

Melanie, Earnest, and Hamsa completed the sentences using the conjunctions "because" and "but" to express their thoughts on the summer!

In Ms. Beck's Class, scholars did a deep-dive study all about sharks, and they eventually showcased their incredible shark projects! This creative and educational experience was part of a week-long integrated lesson plan centered around the Rigby Reader book All About Sharks by Carmel Reilly. The project combined reading, science, and art, culminating in an impressive display of student knowledge and craftsmanship.

Learning Through Exploration

Scholars began their journey by diving deep into the fascinating world of sharks. Through the informational text All About Sharks, scholars learned about different shark species, their unique adaptations, and their role in marine ecosystems. This text not only captivated the scholars’ imaginations but also aligned with key Ohio Academic Content Standards in both reading and science.

By exploring various sharks such as the Hammerhead, Great White, and Whale Sharks, scholars developed skills in text comprehension, main idea identification, and fact-finding.

The highlight of the project was when the scholars got hands-on, transforming their newfound knowledge into clay models of one of the shark species they had studied. With a focus on details like fins, gills, and teeth, students honed their fine motor skills while reinforcing their understanding of shark anatomy.

Alongside their clay models, scholars wrote informational paragraphs about their chosen shark, describing its habitat, diet, and any special characteristics that make it stand out.

Scholars explored the natural world by identifying characteristics of living organisms and understanding their environments.

Celebrating Scholar Achievements

Ms. Beck’s classroom became a mini shark exhibit during the Open House, where families were invited to view the shark models and read the scholars’ written work.

This project was more than just a fun activity; it provided an opportunity for students to integrate skills from multiple subjects, building their confidence and creativity along the way.

A Shark-Tastic Success!

The shark projects in Ms. Beck’s class were a fantastic way to combine reading, science, and art, allowing scholars to deepen their understanding of marine life while expressing their creativity. These young shark experts have not only expanded their knowledge but also gained valuable skills that will serve them well in future projects.

P.B.I.S.

Positive Behaviors Interventions & Supports

Avalon teachers, staff, and members of the PBIS Team seek to support the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral competence of all students with supports and opportunities within Tiers 1, 2, & 3.

See below for more details given in the PBIS Parent Handbook.

Also, see below for a request form to fill out if you would like to receive this service for your child.

Stacy M. Callahan, MA

Licensed Professional School Counselor

Avalon Elementary School

Columbus City Schools

614-365-5361

The District calendar is available at: https://www.ccsoh.us/calendars.aspx

It is helpful for planing ahead for time off work, childcare needs, and more!

For further questions, please contact our School Nurse,

Stephanie Dillon at (614) 365-5361 or sdillon@columbus.k12.oh.us

See below for information about immunizations that are required for 2024- 2025 school attendance.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Otterbein University (America Reads & Sports Pals)

Junior Achievement

Vineyard Community Center

Avalon Eagles Newsletters

Acronyms

Faculty & Staff Directory

Family Resources

Feeder Pathways

PBIS Parent Handbook

Tutoring Resources

Uniforms

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