Aviator Air Newsletter

We want to take this opportunity to formally “Welcome Back” our students to Maple Dale! Weather face to face or virtual….we are so excited to see you and get started on another year of learning!

Starting school can be a time that produces a lot of anxiety in children. “Who will I sit with?” “Who will my teacher be?” “Who will play with me?” “Do I have any friends in my class?” and “Will I know what to do?” are common questions that arise at this time of year.

This year, there is a lot of uncertainty as we navigate how school will look and feel in the midst of COVID 19. We have found, in our experience as teachers and as mothers, that sitting quietly with your child and reading together can be a calming and proactive way to allay fears. Maple Dale teacher Jane Hillenbrand brought to our attention a new book that blends beautiful illustrations and prose to remind us all that there is hope in every new beginning.

We would like to encourage you to sit down with your child and take a few moments to listen to this beautiful story, Rain Before Rainbows.

The 2019-2020 yearbooks were distributed to students throughout the summer. If you did not receive your pre-ordered yearbook at that time, your student will receive it on their first day of school.

For rising F2F 1st - 4th graders - books will be given to their new homeroom teachers to be sent home on first day of school.

For rising F2F 5th graders - books will be sent to the Greene School for distribution.

If your child is going virtual, please make arrangements with Kathy Lake (lakek@sycamoreschools.org) or Angie Spyrou (spyroua@sycamoreshcools.org) to pick it up from the Maple Dale office.

We are excited to welcome back our students to school whether they will be attending school face-to-face or virtually! For our students who will be attending school face-to-face, Sycamore has decided to implement transition days for our Kindergarten - 4th grade students to help make the transition back to school a little bit easier.

For the face-to-face students whose last names begin with A through K, their transition start date will be on Thursday, September 3rd. For the face-to-face students whose last name begin with L through Z, their transition start date will be on Friday, September 4th. All students (virtual and face-to-face) will begin attending classes on Tuesday, September 8th.

This transition day for face-to-face learning will allow our students to begin to learn the new safety protocol routines more easily as well as to ease our students back into the buildings.

More information will be coming soon regarding transition activities for our virtual classroom learners.

Preschool families - you will receive more details in regards to preschool’s start date soon.

• Last name begins with A through K will attend school on Thursday, September 3rd.

• Last name begins with A through K will NOT attend school on Friday, September 4th.

• Last name begins with L through Z will attend school on Friday, September 4th.

• Last name begins with L through Z will NOT attend school on Thursday, September 3rd.

The first day of school for all students, virtual and face-to-face, will be on Tuesday, September 8th.

On Monday, August 24th you will receive your child’s class placement and half-day kindergartner's will find out if they are in our AM or PM program via email. Please be looking for this. We have carefully placed each student in our building so they may have an optimal experience this year.

If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email.

Have a great weekend,

Ann Marie (reinkea@sycamoreschools.org) and Mindy (zellnerm@sycamoreschools.org)

Please be sure to forward your child’s immunization records to me if they have been updated. If you have any questions regarding the requirements for Ohio please refer to the following link from the Ohio Department of Health. ODH_Imm fall2020.pdf

Medication Administration at School

Our school district medication policy is the same for students in kindergarten thru 12th grade and can be found at our website as well as the medication administration form needed yearly for each over-the-counter and prescribed medication. https://www.sycamoreschools.org/Page/2305

The specifics regarding dropping off the medications this year will soon follow.

I am so looking forward to seeing all the students and want to assure you that I will do my very best to keep them safe and healthy while at school. There are many unknowns with this pandemic, but the love and dedication I have for our students, staff and families of Maple Dale is unwavering. Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Carolyn Adee, RN, BSN, MSM LSN

Maple dale School Nurse

adeec@sycamoreschools.org

Information about Chromebook distribution will come from our Technology department. Please hang tight!

Coming soon, our families will receive a schedule from our administrators regarding the drop off of Chromebooks, on September 1st, that were used over the summer. Our Technology Department is going to need those Chromebooks back since all F2F students will be receiving a Chromebook at school. This Chromebook will be kept at school only for school use. Thank you and we'll see you on September 1st.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 we will not be hosting a face-to-face New Family Orientation, however, our administrators know the importance of families and students to "see" the school. This year, we are working on a very special slideshow presentation with pictures so families and students can visualize a classroom and other areas around our school.

We have many families who have chosen to provide transportation for their child to and from school. As many of you know, we use a car tag system. This year we will be providing ALL families with NEW car tags. These car tags will be passed out at the end of the day on your child's first of school. On this first day ONLY, we will be asking all families coming through the curbside pick-up to place their last name in the car window. This will allow us to pass out your assigned car tag to you. Curbside Pick-up Procedures will be announced soon.

Transportation is working hard on putting together the bus routes. Once they are complete (August 28th) you will be able to find your child's bus stop information by going to our district website: www.sycamoreschools.org and clicking on the Transportation Tab, then Bus Stop Information. You will then type in your student's ID number and get their bus stop information.

Your student's six digit student ID number can be found under your child's name in Final Forms. See photo to the right.

Dear Maple Dale families,

If you have already purchased your school supplies, GREAT! We only made a few adjustments to the lists due to limited space the children will have in their desks. Do not send them with ALL supplies from the old lists, please refer to the updated lists. Thank you!

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Child Nutrition is working diligently to try and get families information about how to place online meal orders. More information will coming soon!

This resource along with the video below, were made by one of the behavior specialist psychologists at Children’s Hospital Departmental of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. They work with many children on the Autism spectrum or kids that have other special developmental needs, though all kids could benefit from these resources.

Sycamore Community Schools will proudly continue to provide families access to private mental health services for students in the 2020-2021 school year at Maple Dale Elementary School.

After an extensive interview process with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCHMC), the district is excited to announce the addition of Renee Bernecker as an on-site licensed therapist. Renee will be joining the staff at Maple Dale Elementary to confidentially serve students. Renee will be replacing Jamie Wiener who accepted a position outside of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“Social and emotional wellness is at the forefront of our return to school planning. In this unpredictable time, we are grateful for our partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Through telehealth appointments and at times, in person treatment, our students can continue to access care during a time when they need it most,” said Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor.

Meet Renee Bernecker:

Our Partnership:

Sycamore Community Schools began collaborating in Spring of 2017 with Children’s Hospital and Mindpeace, a non-profit organization that helps align the partners, infrastructure and processes for children’s mental health solutions between schools and local agencies. The district welcomed therapists for all seven buildings in the 2019-2020 school year and can continue to increase staffing in 2020-2021 as needs arise.

Sycamore’s partnership with Cincinnati Children’s gives students an additional option for access to mental health services beyond the services offered by our highly-trained school counselors and school psychologists. The school counseling program is an integral component of all aspects of our schools, as it helps students be emotionally healthy and ready to learn, and as mental health needs increase, so does the need for more acute care.

How families can access care:

The partnership with Cincinnati Children’s and their services does not require any financial support from the district. Students and families needing services can cover therapy visits through private insurance, Medicaid, or private pay options. Assistance may be available for families experiencing financial difficulty.

Parents, teachers and school counselors can make student referrals for service. Students can also self refer for services. Ultimately, the decision to move forward with therapeutic services is up to the family.

Medication Management Services:

Beginning in September 2019, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital began offering medication management services to families engaged in school-based therapy. These services include the evaluation, prescription, and management of medication for clients. Medication management services are delivered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).

The APRN will continue to serve students in the school based program at Sycamore in 2020-2021. At this time, face to face and telehealth appointments are available. If parents are interested in engaging with medication management services, parents can schedule appointments directly through their building therapist. To receive these services, students must be active clients of the school-based therapist.

To discuss services available or with questions regarding services, Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor, can be reached at (513) 686-1700 or zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org. If you are interested in Renee’s services, you can contact her directly at Maple Dale Elementary or via email at berneckerr@sycamoreschools.org.

The PTO Board is excited to welcome our entire Maple Dale Family back to school this year! Though some of us are learning in the building and some are learning at home, we are all one school! We personally represent all grade levels, as well as both at home and face to face learning, and we are eager to answer any questions you may have about our beloved school. We are:

Jeff Stechschulte, President - mdpto@sycamoreschools.org - has a 2nd grader learning face to face (and also a 5th grader at Greene).

Jen Peri, Vice President of Fundraising - mdptovpfund@sycamoreschools.org - has 1st & 2nd graders learning face to face.

Chase Aston, 1st Vice President of Programs - mdptovp1@sycamoreschools.org - has a 2nd grader learning face to face (and also two 5th graders at Greene).

Harshana Patel, 2nd Vice President of Programs - mdptovp2@sycamoreschools.org - has K, 2nd, & 4th graders learning virtually.

Becky Gohr, Treasurer - mdptotreasurer@sycamoreschools.org - has 1st & 3rd graders learning face to face.

Anne Berg, Secretary - mdptosecretary@sycamoreschools.org - has a 2nd grader learning virtually (and also 7th & 9th graders at the JH & HS).

Sycamore Schools and Cincinnati Children's Hospital are proud to present: Back to School "I Feel Nervous..." A Group Discussion for Face-to-Face Students. These virtual small group will include:

• Strategies to manage back to school anxiety
• Sharing with other students with similar fears
• A chance to ask questions of our experts
• A caring Sycamore team member to reassure your child about their safe return

We will hold multiple sessions by grade level band:

• Grades K-2 Sign Up: Aug.27-28, 3:30-3:50 pm (students are asked to attend both sessions)
• Grades 3-4 Sign Up: Aug. 26, 4:00-4:30 pm & Sept. 1, 6-6:30 pm (students only need to attend one of the two sessions)
• Grades 5-6 Sign Up: Aug. 27, 6:00-6:30 pm & Aug. 31, 4:00-4:30 pm (students only need to attend one of the two sessions)
• Grades 7-8 Sign Up: Aug. 26, 3:30-4:15 pm & Aug. 31, 7:00-7:45 pm (students only need to attend one of the two sessions)

We are similarly holding sessions for our Virtual Classroom Learners.

Sycamore Schools and Cincinnati Children's Hospital are proud to present: Back to School "I Feel Nervous..." A Group Discussion for Virtual Classroom Students. These virtual small group will include:

• Strategies to manage back to school anxiety
• Sharing with other students with similar fears
• A chance to ask questions of our experts
• A caring Sycamore team member to reassure your child about back to school

We will hold multiple sessions by grade level band. Please look for additional information next Friday regarding the dates/times and how to sign up. We are similarly holding sessions for our Face-to-Face learners beginning next week.

The new online store at aveshangar.com features 150+ Sycamore Aviators-licensed items and other gifts including:

• School supplies and required readings;
• Aves Face Masks;
• Spirit and sportswear from Nike, Under Armour, and Champion brands sized infant through adult; AND
• Novelty and gift items (stickers, water bottles, flags, magnets, mugs).

We offer free contactless delivery within the District (including any school locations for

teachers and staff) on all orders $19.99 and above on Fridays. You will find the local

delivery option under Shipping in the checkout.

If your order is less than $19.99 or you live outside of the District, curbside pickup is

available at the Sycamore High School Athletic entrance on Wednesdays in August. If that

time doesn't work for you, please reach out, and we will do our best to work out other

arrangements.

As always, enjoy tax-free shopping at the Aves Hangar. As a non-profit organization, we

never charge tax on any items and sales benefit Sycamore High School. For questions or

more information, email Amy Browns Taylor at aveshangar@sycamoreschools.org.

At Maple Dale Elementary, staff, parents, and students work as a team to promote success and provide a welcoming, safe, and positive learning environment for all.

Email: reinkea@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