Hickory Ridge Highlights

SAFETY DRILLS

Throughout the academic year, Brunswick City Schools will conduct regular safety drills in compliance with Ohio state regulations. These exercises are designed to ensure that our students and staff are well-prepared to respond effectively in the event of a real emergency. Our School Resource Officers will also participate in these drills to monitor and provide valuable feedback to our staff.

We have scheduled our initial exercise for this Tuesday. The drill will proceed as follows:

1. Students will view the district's "Run, Hide, Fight" Safety Video.
2. This will be followed by classroom discussions led by our teachers.

Both students and staff will discuss the additional drill procedures, including:

• Lockdown procedures
• Barricade techniques
• Evacuation practice (similar to our regular fire drills)

Our second drill will be September 24th. Students will participate in the above practical exercises. After each drill, teachers will facilitate discussions and address any questions or concerns that students may have. We believe these conversations are important for processing the experience and reinforcing the importance of emergency preparedness.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. We appreciate your support and cooperation in making our school a safer place. If you have any questions or concerns about our safety protocols, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Bailey.

Please read the reminders below:

STUDENT CLUBS

We are excited to be able to offer the following student clubs for our Hickory Ridge Students. Each club will focus on the different competencies in the Journey of a Blue Devil. Students will show empathy, demonstrate adaptability, live responsibly, think critically, and communicate effectively through club activities and lessons. It is our goal to include as many students as possible by keeping a safe amount of students in each club. (There will be a student maximum for each activity) Please read through the club description, days of the week, and potential cost to choose a first, second and third choice for your student on this form. Once students have been placed in the clubs, the club advisor will send out notification.

PICTURE DAY

Our school picture day will be on Thursday, September 12th. Please Click Here to order online.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bailey

Principal

Hickory Ridge Elementary

330-273-0483

jamiebailey@bcsoh.org

IMPORTANT DATES:

September

9/2 - Labor Day - NO SCHOOL

9/4 - MAP Reading Test (2G-5G)

9/4 - PTG Meeting 6:30 pm

9/5 - MAP Math Test (2G-5G)

9/6 - PTG Popcorn Day

9/10 - Safety Drill

9/12 - Picture Day

9/13 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development

9/13 - Trike and Bike Community Event @ BHS

9/18 - PTG Dine to Donate (Valley City Chill & Grill)

9/19 - Fire Drill

9/24 - Safety Drill

9/27 - PTG Plant Sale Delivery

9/30 - Literati Book Fair

Our amazing art & music educators inspire creativity & growth, nurturing critical thinking, empathy & adaptability through self-expression. Thank you Mrs. de Wever and Mrs. Tilbert for challenging & inspiring our students every day! Your dedication makes a difference!

Welcome back to school everyone!! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and is ready for the 2024-2025 school year! Last week we got to welcome our new kindergartners during our Kindergarten Kickoff. I look forward to having them be part of our Hickory Ridge family! I also have been having lunch with our new students that have moved in to get to know them and help them become acclimated to our school. Please continue to use the counselor referral request form on the principal’s newsletter if you would like me to meet with your child. Or you can call or email me directly at the contact information listed below.

Our Second Step SEL classroom lessons will begin in September. Please remember there are activities and explanations of the Second Step lessons online. Please see the parent links (listed below in this newsletter) for more information and how you can work with your child on these concepts at home to help with their social emotional learning. I will also begin small groups in September. This first round of groups will mostly be based on groups from last year and/or teacher referrals. If your child is recommended for a group, you will receive a letter home explaining what group they are being placed in.

Routinely Excellent: Good home routines boost learning

Want your child to have a great school year? Then take a look at his or her daily routines at home. Why? Because good routines improve school success–and make your life easier! Here are some ideas:

• Start the day right. Studies show that young minds function best with a healthy breakfast. If mornings are too rushed, consider earlier bedtimes and wake up times. If breakfast won’t fit into your child’s schedule, check with the cafeteria about breakfast options that are available.

• Home sweet home(work)... Dealing with homework can be frustrating, but good routines help. Your child needs a reasonably quiet place to work and some school supplies. Also, set up a regular homework time. If completing assignments is a problem, insist that homework be done before other activities begin.

• Show your interest. Take a few minutes after school to hear about your child’s day. Ask about upcoming class projects and what the class is studying. What was the best thing that happened today? Any funny stories to share? Tip: Keep the conversation light and enjoyable.

• Read all about it! Good reading habits begin at home. Set aside a time every day when the TV and video games are off and books, magazines and newspapers are on. Even 15 minutes of reading-or being read to-can make a big difference in building your child’s desire to read. And regular reading strengthens vocabulary, language and imagination.

• Make bedtime their time. Spend some quiet time together just before bedtime. Talk about how the day went and what tomorrow may bring–both good and bad. Many kids, even older ones, enjoy a short, relaxing story or a few pages of a good book. These few minutes of your attention will help your child feel important and loved. .

Source: Home & School Connection: Working Together for School Success

The Second Step Program has a link that parents can utilize to reinforce the skills that their children have learned for the week. All you need to do is the following:

Use this link www.SecondStep.org then enter the following Activation Key:

Kindergarten- SSPK FAMILY70 Look for Lessons under Home Link

1st Grade-SSP1 FAMILY71 Look for Lessons under Home Link

2nd Grade-SSP2 FAMILY72 Look for Lessons under Home Link

3rd Grade-SSP3 FAMILY73 Look for Lessons under Home Link

4th Grade-SSP4 FAMILY74 Look for Lessons under Home Link

5th Grade-SSP5 FAMILY75 Look for Lessons under Home Link

Families, at times, struggle to make ends meet. See links below for local food distribution centers and food banks.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RalJnbgkrdrLo6pBCXSCbEKRgM39O1R1SQ_Ysznsr

vw/edit

Referrals

Please contact me via the Mach Form attached to the Principal’s newsletter if you have any questions or concerns about your child. In addition here is a link to outside counseling services.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TMReVSoDhrRu2Q4GNJB3e1ERjlrLtsfHUUiNmBJ3t8Y/edit

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me:

Leanne Lalos

School Counselor

Brunswick City Schools

Hickory Ridge Elementary School

330-225-7731 ext. 1518

llalos@bcsoh.org

At the start of each academic year, we have a procedure in place with our families to obtain updated information for every student enrolled in BCSD. This information is crucial to various district departments, such as the main office, school nurse, and technology department. Please log in to your Final Forms account to ensure all details are current.

VOLUNTEERING

We're looking for helping hands to continue to make amazing things happen at our school! Check out our Google form for some volunteer opportunities available this school year!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdx2HNqHR1nAkxNsIJe9YRrm9R-HGcM_6TM8d9NW-f4Gwr7dA/viewform

**Currently Seeking a Volunteer to Chair Breakfast Buddies this year! If you are interested, please reach out to hrptg@bcsoh.org.

CLASS PARTY VOLUNTEERS

It’s Classroom Party Volunteer Time! The form is ONLINE ONLY this year. Please respond by the end of FRIDAY 9/6/24 if you are interested in helping at a party. Volunteers will be selected for all class parties and notified the week of 9/16. Please note we try our best to get every interested parent a party, and volunteers will be randomly selected.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZsGkF8B63eaB85yIOxeaUDLCaAEqs_AgVZkDERmrrHJPnIA/viewform

PTG MEETINGS

Our first general meeting of the year took place on Wednesday, September 4th. Thanks to all who joined us at our first meeting! We were excited to see familiar faces as well as meet new ones! Our next meeting is on Wednesday, October 30th beginning at 6:30 PM in the pit at school. The remainder of our meetings take place on January 8th, March 5th, April 2nd, & May 7th.

FALL MUM SALE

We're excited to partner with Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse for this highly anticipated fall mum sale! Every student has been given a unique online shopping link that can be shared with family, friends, and neighbors for easy online ordering. Each student has also received a catalog & order form for anyone who prefers to order in person. Get your home ready for fall while supporting our school! Our sale kicked off Monday, August 26th & runs through September 9th. Orders will be delivered to the school on September 27th. Money raised from this fundraiser will be used for assemblies, field trips, teacher appreciation, and general school needs.

Dates to Remember:

September 9th - online orders due

September 27th - plants are delivered to Hickory Ridge

There will be a class popsicle party for each grade level class that sells the most items. Happy Selling!

BREAKFAST BUDDIES

A tradition & favorite! We're hosting *Breakfast Buddies* where each student is encouraged to invite one buddy to join them for a donut and a drink on the school playground on their designated date. Breakfast Buddies is from 8 AM - 8:40 AM. Bring a camp chair or a picnic blanket to sit on. Should the weather not cooperate, we'll move inside to the cafeteria. The Book Fair will also be open during this time to allow students to shop with their buddy if they choose.

• Tuesday, October 1st - students with last names starting with letters A - G

• Wednesday, October 2nd - students with last names starting with letters H - O

• Thursday, October 3rd - students with last names starting with letters P - Z

*More to come on how to RSVP!

SKATE NIGHT

Our annual skate night is always a fun time out with our school family! Brunswick Skate Station gives back a percentage of admission, too! We encourage all to come on out on Thursday, October 10th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Look for info to come home on how to RSVP!

POPCORN FRIDAYS

The first Friday of every month is POPCORN FRIDAY! PTG pops up this yummy, crunchy treat for just $.50 per box.

DINE TO DONATE

These are easy opportunities to support our school while also supporting a local business. We all need to eat, right? And some nights it needs to be quick or maybe we just don't feel like cooking ourselves.

Our first dine to donate of the year is on Wednesday, September 18th, at Valley City Chill & Grille during their open hours of 11:30 am - 8 pm. Stop by this SUPER CUTE little place just a short drive west on 303 in Valley City owned & operated by an amazing Brunswick family. You MUST MENTION FUNDRAISER in order for us to get credit for your order. They encourage calling ahead food orders (330) 483-2020 even if you plan on eating in.

HALLOWEEN TRUNK OR TREAT

Save the Date: This year Trunk or Treat will be held on 10/31. More information to come!

COMMUNICATION

Please reach out to us via our email hrptg@bcsoh.org with any questions, comments, suggestions you may have!

Like us on Facebook @HickoryRidgePTG & Follow us on Twitter @HickoryRidgeOH!

2024 Fire Safety Poster Contest:

The Division of State Fire Marshal is pleased to announce we are again conducting our annual statewide Fire Safety Poster Contest, which will take place during Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6–12! The purpose of this contest is to recognize individuals who have demonstrated an understanding of issues related to fire safety education and have shown the ability to visually demonstrate that knowledge. This year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!"

Fire Safety Poster Contest Rules

• Posters must include a fire prevention theme. An example is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!” Posters should display positive behavior statements of what students can do to prevent a fire at home. This may include identifying common places where fires can start, showing what steps to take when a smoke alarm sounds, and having fire escape plans with two ways out.
• Posters must only be on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
• Any colors may be used; however, a white or light-colored background is preferred.
• Crayons, markers, pencils, etc., can be used.
• All artwork must be original. Computer-generated, photographs, traced images and clippings from magazines, newspapers, and books will not be accepted.
• The poster surface should remain flat.
• All posters become the property of the Division of State Fire Marshal and will not be returned. (Please copy or photograph your artwork before submitting it.)

If interested in participating, all entries must be turned in to Mrs. de Wever by September 20!

Right at School will be returning to Hickory Ridge to provide before and after school programming. For additional information or to sign up, please https://ras.news/enroll. Our Right at School program has been very successful and students enjoy a variety of activities and support.

If you'd like to have your student's name on the electric sign the week of their birthday, please fill out the form and send in $5. Feel free to bring them up for a picture to celebrate in front of their name in lights. If your child had a summer birthday, no problem... we will celebrate for their half-birthday!

Over the summer, BCSD transitioned our lunch and student fee payment system to a new vendor, PaySchools. Click here for PaySchools Central to register and create your account.

Please note that any balances on your student’s lunch accounts (from MySchoolBucks) have already been transferred to PaySchools and will be available immediately upon creating your account in PaySchools. Also, any outstanding student class fees have been transferred to PaySchools. You will also have the option to pay any Athletic and Marching Band Pay to Participate fees through your PaySchools account.

Additionally, parents interested in applying for free and reduced lunches can submit applications starting July 31, 2024, using their PaySchools account.

There are no fees involved when paying your student's fees online.

There will be a small transaction fee for the Meal Accounts.

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions less than $25.00) $1.65 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions $25 to $49.99) $2.00 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions greater than $49.99) 4.5%

• Electronic Check (All transaction amounts) $1.75 per transaction

Several PaySchool links are provided below. At the bottom of each informational document, you will find PaySchools customer service contact information. Feel free to reach out to PaySchools if you encounter a problem when creating your account.

If you have a district-related question regarding your fees please contact Tina Campbell, Administrative Assistant to the Treasurer, at tcampbell@bcsoh.org. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this transition.

PaySchools Parent Registration

PaySchools Free and Reduced Application

PaySchool Meal Account

In case you missed an email message from our school Superintendent Mr. Niedermeyer. Click here to view all previously sent notifications.

Website: https://www.bcsoh.org/Domain/12
Location: 4628 Hickory Ridge Avenue, Brunswick, OH, USA
Phone: (330) 273-0483
Twitter: @BCSDHRidge