Blue Ash Elementary Weekly News

Dear Blue Ash Families,

I hope this message finds you well and safe as we continue to navigate the winter season. I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your understanding and support during our recent snow days. We appreciate your flexibility as we work to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Winter weather can present challenges, and your cooperation makes a difference!

As temperatures continue to dip, please remind your children to dress warmly for school. Layering up with coats, hats, gloves, and scarves will help them stay comfortable and healthy while outside during recess and other activities. A quick check each morning to ensure your child has all the winter essentials will be much appreciated.

If your child is participating in our PTO production of 101 Dalmatians, we ask that you read the information below that outlines drop off and pick up for practice starting tomorrow.

Thank you again for your ongoing support, and I look forward to another great week ahead at Blue Ash.

Warm regards,
Natalie

January 13th ~ 101 Dalmatians Play Practice (8-9 AM Cast/ 4-5 PM Cast) **More Info Below

January 13th ~ B&G Bistro (Rescheduled from 1/10)

January 17th ~ Erins Law Presentations

January 20th ~ MLK Holiday - No School

Our yearly required Erin's Law Presentations will occur next Friday, January 17th. Please see below with additional information:

Senate Bill 288, also known as Erin’s Law, mandates annual health education curriculum requirements focused on child sexual abuse, dating violence, and sexual violence prevention. Erin’s Law also allows parents to opt their child out of this learning.

Under the law implemented last school year, all schools must provide annual state-approved, developmentally appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse prevention to students Grades K-6. This instruction aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for their safety and protection.

Sycamore has partnered with Family Services to deliver this instruction to students. You can find a complete review of the K-6 programming, including videos that will be shown, by clicking here. If you have questions about the curriculum you can contact Michael Maresca at mmaresca@fsadayton.org or 937-222-9481. Family Services also provides additional services not included in the curriculum that can be found here.

We recognize that every family is unique, and the educational needs of each student may vary. As a result, the law allows for parents and legal guardians to request that their child be excused from child sexual abuse prevention instruction. If you wish to opt out your child, please complete this opt-out form. Even if you have filled out this opt out form in the past, you need to complete it again for the new school year and each school year going forward.

If you have concerns about these requirements, we encourage you to reach out to your local representative and senator to express your concerns directly. Thank you for your understanding, and for working together to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.

Illness Reminders

We are in the Cold and Flu season! Please make sure you are following our illness guidelines before sending your child to school each morning!

If your child is ill, remember to call the school absence line at 513 686-1707. It can be difficult to decide when and how long to keep an ill child home from school. The timing of the absences is often important in order to decrease the spread of disease to others.

If your child has a fever, is vomiting or has diarrhea they must stay home until they no longer have the symptom for 24 hours without the use of medication to control the symptoms.

Check our school illness guidelines at Illness Guidelines .The school district health handbook page 9 has more information and found on the district website at School Nurses

How can I prevent the spread of illness in my family?

• Review and practice good hand washing and respiratory etiquette with your children especially after using the restroom and before meals

• Avoid touching the “T Zone”- eyes, nose and mouth

• Keep hard surfaces clean- especially door knobs, cell phones, keyboards and laptops

• It’s not too late to get your flu shot….protect yourself and those you care for https://www.cdc.gov/flu/signs-symptoms/index.html

Lice 101

Lice cannot jump or fly and are transmitted by direct head to head contact with another person with lice or sharing items placed in the hair. Children should be instructed against sharing hats, clothing or hair items with others. Children should use their own pillows and sleeping bags when spending the night with a friend. Household pets do not transmit lice. Consult your school nurse and the Sycamore Student Health Handbook for more great information about lice. Here is a link from the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding best practices with lice management Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know - HealthyChildren.org

Call Nurse Wyrick at (513)686-1713 if you have any questions about your child’s health.

Blue Ash Absence Line is (513)686-1707 option#3

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-26 school year will be held January 13-February 10, 2025. As a reminder, children must be 5 years old by September 30, 2025.

We are still updating our website with new information regarding the process. Please check back in early December for the latest information.

Do you have a child who will be starting preschool or kindergarten in the Fall 2025? Sign up now to receive information and updates about registration!

Dear Families,

As we continue our theme of “Compare and Contrast”, this week children will explore the differences between real and make-believe. They will learn about the inspiration of imagination and dream. They will also analyze fairy tales and learn the characteristics that many fairy tales have in common.

This week’s Family Connections activities can be found at https://lilypad2.frogstreet.com/public/resouce-detail/e226076d-3342-456c-b000-c2d8835227e3

This week’s storybook, “A Fantastic Pet” can be found at https://lilypad2.frogstreet.com/public/resouce-detail/63cf7fc3-b9ac-490e-9c70-fcce2a16a3d0

Looking forward to enjoying these fairy tales together!

Preschool Lottery

The Sycamore Preschool Lottery for the 2025-26 school year will be held January 13th - 24th 2025. More information will be shared on our Facebook Page and our website. We look forward to welcoming new Aviator families next fall!

SAVE THE DATE!

This Tuesday, January 14th -- City Barbeque is donating 20% of orders to Blue Ash Elementary PTO! Take a night off from cooking and join us in eating for a great cause. City Barbeque accepts Dine-In, Takeout, and Pick up orders made online using the promo code GIVE or in store/by phone mentioning Blue Ash Elementary PTO. Thank you for supporting the PTO!

101 Dalmatians Information

Sycamore Schools has officially transitioned to PaySchools for academic fees, fines, and school meals. You will need to create a log-in during your first visit. PaySchools will allow you to pay for items such as AP test fees, classroom fees, summer school tuition, as well as school meals. Athletic fees should be paid through Final Forms.

Our old online payment system through Parent Portal no longer exists. If you need help with your PaySchools account, check out the PaySchools user guide on our Online Payments page.

All district-approved flyers will be listed on Sycamore Schools' website instead of in our weekly newsletters. This will help condense our newsletters to important school information. If you are still interested in viewing community flyers about events and activities for students, please click here: LINK