We will be presenting a single newsletter divided into two sections - one section for F2F and one section for VIRTUAL. You will have the ability to read only the section that pertains to your child's situation or read everything, if you choose. Information from the PTO always applies to both families, so don't forget to check that section out! Thank you for helping us stay connected to you!

October 29 - Evening Conferences

November 4 - Fall Picture Retakes

November 6 - End of 1st Quarter

November 9 - Teacher Work Day - NO SCHOOL

November 13 - Report Cards go home

November 19 - Evening Conferences

November 20 - Daytime Conferences - NO SCHOOL

November 23 - Evening Conferences

ALL conferences will be held virtually, for both Virtual Classroom and Face-to Face students. Parents will receive details regarding the conferences as they get closer. Dates are as follows:

Oct. 15 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)

Nov. 19 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (K-6)

Nov. 20 (Friday) Daytime conferences (No School-K-8 only)

Nov. 23 (Monday) Evening Conferences (K-4 and 7-8)

Dec. 1 (Tuesday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 5-6 only)

March 4 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)

Dear Maple Dale families,

Due to Covid, we are unable to keep and maintain a Lost & Found like in year's past. We are asking and pleading with you to LABEL EVERYTHING! If you want to see that North Face coat again, LABEL IT! If your child has an attachment to that Marvel lunch box, LABEL IT! If grandma spent hours knitting that shark hat for "Janie", LABEL IT! Items will have no chance of getting returned to their owner if they aren't labeled.

Thank you so much for all you do to keep everyone and everything where it belongs! Let's work together!

ALL K-6 parents are asked to call 686-1707 to report a student absence each morning before school begins. The message will prompt parents to do the following:

• To report an absence that may be related to COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or diagnosis, please press 1.

• To report an absence unrelated to COVID-19, all K-6 parents of students in the Virtual Classroom should press 2.

In the event of an emergency where an evacuation of the school building is necessary, students will be transported to safety at Sycamore Community Schools’ reunification site:

Blue Ash Recreation Center 4433 Cooper Rd. Blue Ash, OH 45242

Detailed information can be found on the district website under Reunification Plans.

For more information on safety & security at Sycamore Schools, visit the district Safety & Security web page.

We realize there may be times when you need to pick up your child during the school day for an appointment. We appreciate your efforts in limiting these instances as much as possible this year.

In order to comply with our obligation to have a written record of a child leaving our school during the day, and to help parents with this process, we have established a “contact-less” sign-in and sign-out system.

Posted on our front doors (see image above) you will see three QR codes: one for Late Arrival, one for Early Dismissal and one for Return to School. We ask that parents scan the appropriate code with a phone or device and enter the information on the form. This will serve as the written record we need to ensure that each child is accounted for.

Once you have entered the information, press the call button and we will have your child come out to meet you. Or, we will open the door for your child to enter our school.

Our front office team, Kathy Lake and Angie Spyrou, will be asking for parent/grandparent/guardian identification the first time a child is picked up this year. Identification can be shown by placing a driver’s licence in front of the camera outside.

We hope this new system helps all of us be safe and efficient this year!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Ann Marie Reinke, Principal.

reinkea@sycamoreschools.org

USDA and ODE passed a new waiver for all schools that participate in School Nutrition Programs. As of today, Sycamore Schools is now able to serve breakfast and lunch to all students for FREE until the waiver expires on December 31st (or until the allotted program funds are no longer available—whichever comes first.)

This does not change anything in the process of receiving breakfast or lunch at school for your Sycamore student other than that if a student makes a reimbursable school meal they will not be charged. A student has to take 3 components and one HAS to be ½ cup of fruit or vegetable for their meal to be considered reimbursable. Click on the links below for more information by learning model:

Virtual Learning- Free Meal Information

Face-to-Face- Free Meal Information

Change in Pre-Ordering Meals

The Child Nutrition Department has made a change to the pre-ordering deadline for Elementary students. Families now only need to order by Noon the day before, rather than a week at a time. This is to better serve our parents and students.

Please note: You can order up to 2 weeks in advance. If choosing to do this, please understand that if you ordered a meal for your student and they are present at school they need to take the meal that was ordered.

Thank you for being patient with this new program and way of providing meals to students in the safest way possible. The Child Nutrition Department is doing everything possible to fix any issues that are found in a timely manner.

Continue to send questions and concerns to warrenk@sycamoreschools.org or by calling the office at (513) 686-1796.

Email helpdesk@sycamoreschools.org (it will create a ticket and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.)

Sycamore High School’s speak up AVES student group invites you to join our team for the annual 1N5 Warrior Run. This year’s event is a virtual “choose your own path” event that encourages participants to complete a 5K - YOUR WAY! The challenge runs from September 26 through October 10. Registration proceeds support the work of 1N5, our community partner, committed to mental health education across the state, city and our district. Sponsorship funds raised come directly back to Sycamore Schools to support mental health programming. Additionally, if Sycamore High School can win the high school challenge, they earn additional funds and opportunities to support mental health at Sycamore High School, and most of all, bragging rights! Visit our team page for more information and register or donate today!

We are looking for one representative from each in-person room to act at the Homeroom Parent. As with most roles, this year the responsibilities will look a little different and still to be defined. This job will be mainly acting as a contact between the teacher, room parents and the PTO. We are still trying to determine what any celebrations will look like this year, so we appreciate your flexibility. To volunteer, follow this link: https://forms.gle/7UFeog9qeAvsxQLA7

With the virtual classrooms being a blend of students from different schools, we are working across the 4 elementary schools to determine the best way to handle homeroom parents for virtual classrooms.

Maple Dale Cub Scout Pack 189 is recruiting families for the 2020-21 school year. Boys and Girls ages 5-10 are welcome to join. The Pack supports a wide range of activities from Camping, Rock Climbing, Range Day, various Community Service Projects, Blue Ash Memorial Day Parade, and the ever-popular Pinewood Derby. Along with Pack and Den activities, we work on preparing young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

To join or for more information come to our open House:

Wednesday September 23th

6-7pm

Maple Dale Parking Lot

Still not sure, contact Judson Armentrout for more information.

The Maple Dale PTO is committed to making our school the best it can be! We have decided to waive the membership fee this year. You must still join in order to receive the school directory! Join here: http://mdpto.3dcartstores.com/PTO-Membership-2020-2021_p_242.html

This year's programs look a little different than they have in the past. Operating under the pandemic has put many of our programs on hold. We hope to bring many of our usual events back in the spring - stay tuned for more information! Thank you for your patience and for the help you are able to provide with the programs we are able to provide in our current operations! Please follow this link to sign up to help: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PZtntS33lxY81hVBOjiKpTdICZVt7crQcR8q5EySzwQ/edit

You can earn money for Maple Dale just by shopping for groceries! Kroger gives a percentage of their sales to Maple Dale through their community rewards program - you can sign up today! This is a nice fundraiser for us, so please follow these directions to link Maple Dale to your Kroger card.

1) Create a digital account. A digital account is needed to participate in Kroger Community Rewards. If you already have a digital account, simply link your Shopper’s Card to your account so that all transactions apply toward the organization you choose.

2) Link your Card to an organization. MAPLE DALE PTO’s number is MG536. Selecting the organization that you wish to support is as simple as updating the Kroger Community Rewards selection on your digital account. Steps:

1. Sign in to your digital account.
2. Search for your organization here.
3. Enter the name or NPO number of the organization you wish to support. Maple Dale- MG536
4. Select the appropriate organization from the list and click “Save”.

Box Tops is alive and well, but your clipping days are over! Now you can simply download their app and take a picture of your receipt - and you're done! Follow these instructions and start earning money for Maple Dale in this easy, convenient, and updated way!

1. Go to your devices App Store and download the Box Tops for Education App
2. Fill out your name, email and zip code
3. Search for school using the 45242 zip code
4. Select Maple Dale
5. Begin earning money for our school just by taking a picture of your grocery receipts! The school gets $2 just for you signing up!

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).

Virtual Meals

Thank you to everyone who ordered and picked up meals for the virtual curbside pickup service this past week. We served 368 students for a total of 3680 meals! Also, thank you for patiently waiting in the line at the high school, as we know the line was very long.

To avoid such long lines and traffic concerns we have decided to make each Sycamore School a pick up location EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH. Please see location and times below:

Blue Ash- 10:00-11:00 am at the front entrance of the school

Maple Dale- 1:30-2:30 pm at the front entrance of the school

Montgomery- 10:00-11:00 am at the front entrance of the school

Symmes- 10:00-11:00 am at the front entrance of the school

EH Greene Intermediate- 9:30-10:30 am at cafeteria doors

Junior High- 10:00-11:00 am in the back parking lot

High School- 11:00-12:00 am at the athletic entrance doors (has not changed)

We ask that you pick up at your student’s assigned school location. IF you have multiple students that attend different buildings, meals for all of your children will be available for pick up at the OLDEST child’s school. You do not need to visit multiple schools.

If you have not already signed up and would like to do so, please sign up here. You can also find all the virtual meal information you should need by clicking here.

Mrs. Reinke and Mrs. Zellner miss seeing our virtual classroom students around the school. We solved this problem by working with Mrs. Teszlewicz to set up "Principal Picnics" so we can visit with our virtual classroom students each month!

Starting in October, your child will have the option to join a "Google Meet" to hang out with Mrs. Reinke, Mrs. Zellner....and other guests! Lunches will be held on the following schedule:

Kdg - 1st Thursday of every month

1st Grade - 1st Tuesday of every month

2nd Grade - 2nd Tuesday of every month

3rd Grade - 3rd Tuesday of every month

4th Grade - 4th Tuesday of every month

*Links to the meetings will be shared by your classroom teachers. Please only have your child attend their grade level meet so we can more easily manage our numbers.

This is optional for students, and is an additional time for us to stay connected.

We know that there will be some months that we will not be able to get together, but we look forward to seeing you all as often as possible!

Many thanks to our families who have provided us with feedback over the past two weeks. We have heard you and are working towards an even better experience for our learners each and every day. We truly appreciate our partnership with our parents and our virtual Learning Partners!!

One frequent point of feedback has been that technology challenges appear more problematic during whole class sessions, either over Google Meet or Blackboard Collaborate. The promising news is two-fold; 1.) the new devices recently provided to our K-2 learners are helping with connectivity and 2.) all K-6 teachers are now making the natural shift from large group community building into the use of more small groups in their instruction, typical of best practice at this point of the school year in an elementary classroom. While there certainly will be opportunities for whole class meetings and sessions, the evolution towards more targeted small group learning should reduce the number of technology challenges that some virtual families have experienced. This shift will also result in less consecutive and focused screen time, including some natural breaks for our youngest students as they move between different learning experiences provided by their teacher.

Learning Partners will begin to notice more utilization of student-centered, small group instruction/activities on a regular basis. In practice, students will be grouped by the teacher to participate in differentiated activities and learning experiences designed to provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. In the face to face classroom, this often entails centers, stations, or small group activities around the classroom as well as individual meetings with the teacher. In the virtual classroom, this may include breakout room activities, individual sessions with the teacher, or other virtual grouping techniques.

Learning Partners will play a pivotal role in helping our younger students navigate the various learning activities being developed for small group instruction and will be key to helping them manage their time. This might include helping the student navigate to and from online and offline work throughout the day, completing assignments, or joining the teacher online at a specific time. The following chart provides some additional guidance using our 4 Be’s

The 4 “Be’s of Being a Learning Partner

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Safe

Be a Problem Solver

• Allow the teacher the autonomy to lead the lesson

• Respect the use of specific platforms selected by the district

• Prioritize your communication with teachers so they are able to respond in a timely manner (within 24 hours and during the work day)

• Find a quiet place in your home for your online class - keep siblings and loud pets out of the learning environment

• Let your child attempt to do the work before helping

• Stay where you can see/hear your child. Sometimes you need to be right by them, while other times you can be nearby in case they have a question

• If you have a question or concern, schedule a time during the teacher’s office hours to talk privately (parent comments in the chat interrupt teaching)

• Allow your child the opportunity to experience and adapt to the different learning styles of different teachers

Our elementary teachers are highly trained in student-centered instruction, as this is a key element of their craft. With ongoing professional development and on-site support from our instructional technology specialists, our teachers will continue to translate key learning practices into virtual learning opportunities. With your continued partnership in this endeavor, we will continue to work toward creating a high quality, engaging virtual learning experience for our youngest students.

As always, please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Virtual students grades 1-6 will be taking MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing next week. This assessment measures each student in both Reading and Math. For virtual students grades 1-6, they will have their Reading MAP test on Tuesday, September 29 and their Math MAP test on Thursday, October 1. Virtual students will need to take this assessment on their district issued Chromebook. Teachers will be sharing information directly with their students about the schedule for the day including how to begin the testing. It is imperative that each student - especially your youngest students - have a Learning Partner with them at the start of testing to help them access the testing and begin the assessment. Similarly, once the assessment is started, it is imperative that students complete this assessment completely on their own without any assistance from their Learning Partner or anyone else. This very useful information will help us to better understand each student’s current level of understanding and will be a data point in considering their next steps instructionally. Make ups for virtual students who miss a Map test on Tuesday or Thursday will be held on Friday, October 2 with a morning session for Reading and an afternoon session for Math. Virtual students who registered to and take the MAP assessment in person on Saturday September 26 will not need to take the assessment(s) a second time - meaning that if they took the Math MAP in person on Saturday, they would not need to take the Math MAP again remotely on Thursday.

We are thrilled to be settling into the routine of our virtual classrooms! Now that we are a few weeks in, Learning Partners will notice more utilization of student-centered, small group instruction and activities within the classroom. In practice, students are grouped by the teacher to participate in differentiated activities and learning experiences designed to provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. In the face to face classroom, this often entails centers, stations, or small group activities around the classroom as well as individual meetings with the teacher. In the virtual classroom, this may include breakout room activities, individual sessions with the teacher, or other grouping techniques to provide targeted learning.

Our virtual teachers are already highly trained in student-centered instruction - as this is a key element of their craft - and we are thrilled to have the ongoing support of our instructional technology specialists to help our teachers translate these key learning opportunities into virtual learning opportunities.

This natural shift that happens in every classroom will highlight the key role of the Learning Partner in virtual learning, especially for our youngest learners. Learning Partners play a pivotal role in helping younger students navigate the various learning activities and managing their time. This might include helping the students log on, navigate to and from online and offline work throughout the day, completing assignments, or joining the teacher online at a specific time. Please see the chart below for a list of Learning Partner roles that were communicated in our Healthy Back to School Guide.

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS

Parents/Caregivers serving in the role of “Learning Partner”:

• Elementary students will need a parent or other responsible adult for daily support throughout the learning experience.

• Provide a stable internet connection for students.

• Provide daily and ongoing guidance, supervision, and motivation for their student.

• Guide the student through the lessons, tools, and games as needed.

• Oversee assignments and help facilitate hands-on learning.

• Check for understanding and discuss concepts being taught.

• Keep the student on schedule and on pace.

• Ensure all components are done completely with fidelity (workbook activities, assessments, independent reading, novel studies, practice activities, etc.)

• Communicate questions and concerns immediately to Sycamore assigned the teacher.

• Parents/Caregivers will, at times, need to be very hands-on through the process (read text, submit assignments, choose answers, help with technical aspects, etc.).

While there will certainly still be opportunities for whole class meetings and sessions, the natural shift towards more targeted small group learning should reduce the number of technology challenges that all virtual students and Learning Partners have experienced, as there will be more time in small groups and less overall time spent in whole group settings. This will result in less screen time and some natural breaks for our youngest students as they move between different learning experiences provided by their teacher.

ALL conferences will be held virtually, for both Virtual Classroom and Face-to Face students. Parents will receive details regarding the conferences as they get closer. Dates are as follows:

Oct. 15 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)

Nov. 19 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (K-6)

Nov. 20 (Friday) Daytime conferences (No School-K-8 only)

Nov. 23 (Monday) Evening Conferences (K-4 and 7-8)

Dec. 1 (Tuesday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 5-6 only)

March 4 (Thursday) Evening Conferences (Gr. 9-12)

Hello Virtual Students and Parents,

If you are experiencing an issue with your school student Chromebook, please review the video below that provides tips on how to update your Chromebook, check your Internet settings and connection.

Chromebook Support Tips

If you are still experiencing a Chromebook issue, please contact our helpdesk 686-1793 (8a-3p) or submit a ticket by sending an email to helpdesk@sycamoreschools.org

Thank you,

Technology Department

ALL K-6 parents are asked to call 686-1707 to report a student absence each morning before school begins. The message will prompt parents to do the following:

• To report an absence that may be related to COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or diagnosis, please press 1.

• To report an absence unrelated to COVID-19, all K-6 parents of students in the Virtual Classroom should press 2.

Any K-6 parent of students in the Virtual Classroom reporting an absence after 9:00 should call the Sycamore Learning Commons at 686-1708.

All families that qualify for free and reduced-price meals or feel like they might qualify this year need to fill out their application ASAP. Ohio Department of Education in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services is running another round of Pandemic-EBT cards, but ONLY for families who have children learning virtually 5 days a week.

The P-EBT program provides families eligible for free or reduced-price meals with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, in the amount of $5.86 (the federal reimbursement rate for breakfast and lunch) for each day a school has remote learning provided for the month of September. All children eligible for free and reduced-price meals are eligible for these benefits, including children who were approved through Direct Certification and children approved based on a free or reduced-price student meal application, as long as the student has remote learning periods lasting at least five consecutive days.

IF you want to be included on this list that will be sent to ODJFS early next week, you need to have your free and reduced applications for the 2020-21 school year turned in by 8:00 am on Monday morning either online OR o the Child Nutrition Office - 5959 Hagewa Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242. We encourage whoever is able to do their application online to do so by visiting www.payschoolscentral.com. Online applications will have an automatic response. Find more information on filling out a free and reduced meal form by visiting https://www.sycamoreschools.org/Page/2292.

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