Montgomery Elementary News
April 2, 2021
Contact Us
Dr. Amy Debelak, Principal
Ms. Sally Ganz, Asst. Principal
Office 686-1730
Absence Line 686-1707
FAX 792-6131
School Nurse 686-1733
Cafeteria 686-1735
Transportation 686-1785
Website: http://www.sycamoreschools.org/Domain/13
Location: 9609 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: 513-686-1730
Facebook: www.facebook.com/montgomeryelementaryofficial/?fref=ts
Twitter: @Montgomery_Elem
AIR testing begins this week in Grade 3. Please see your teacher’s individual newsletter for details as each class’s schedule is unique. While we ask students to do their best, we realize children are so much more than a score on assessment. I am so proud of all of our students each and every day. They consistently show compassion, curiosity, and kindness. These traits are much more important in who will they will become. Thank you for always being such valuable partners in your child’s education.
Best,
Amy
APRIL
9 - PBIS Spirit Day (wear your blue t-shirt)
MEDIA CENTER
Dear Families,
Recently we shared information with you regarding an exciting grant awarded to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Sycamore Community Schools as a part of Governor Dewine’s K-12 Prevention Education Initiative. We have started the engagement process with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Adapt for Life team, we are in need of your feedback to assist our student, staff, and family planning. Completing this anonymous 5 question survey will inform our process and assist us in developing strong programming for our future.
In April, we anticipate hosting virtual parent information sessions about the Adapt for Life program and our grant partnership. We look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks and months.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor, at zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org
Diverse Book Read Aloud
The Sycamore elementary administrative team is excited to share with you a collaboration on one of our favorite topics - reading! We love books and the different places they can take their readers. We also love how diverse books can help us learn more about ourselves and others, as well as the world around us. We partnered up after one of our favorite holidays - Read Across America Day on March 2 - to select and read with you some of our favorite new books brought to our Sycamore classroom libraries this past summer by the wonderful group Diverse Books for Sycamore. We hope that you enjoy hearing the books we have selected to share!
Please click HERE for our introduction video.
Please click HERE for the kindergarten book, Thank You Omu, read by Maple Dale.
Please click HERE for the first grade book, Happy in Our Skin, read by Blue Ash.
Please click HERE for the second grade book, We Came to America, read by the Virtual Learning Commons.
Please click HERE for the third grade book, The Day You Begin, read by Montgomery.
Please click HERE for the fourth grade book, We are Water Protectors, read by Symmes.
If you'd like to check out all of the readings at once, you may find them all gathered in a folder HERE.
Happy Reading!
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Please read our entire Newsletter as so much of this
information concerns both F2F and VC Students!
Dear Montgomery Families,
Whether your child is attending school face to face or virtually the PTO continues to strive to make sure you are kept up to date with information. Thank you for your patience and please see all the new information below in the S'more and also on the PTO website and Facebook!
The Montgomery PTO is an organization that consists of parents, teachers, and school staff that works together to enhance the education of every child. We support the school and teachers with volunteers, provide a forum for two-way communication, happily fund many school items/teaching tools, and host a variety of events. This year, obviously, looks much different than any other school year, but we want to let you know that the PTO is working hard to provide the same support as we always have.
This years Directory is up and running and available through the Directory Spot App! In light of this unusual school year we have decided to make the Directory Spot App available to ALL our Montgomery families and staff. New families should receive an email how to set up your account. If you have issues logging on or have any questions please email mtptodirectory@sycamoreschools.org but please make sure that you have not opted out in Final Forms first please. A special thank you to Wendy Andersen for all of her help with the Directory!
Please consider (if you are able to do so) making a donation to the PTO for this school year. Our typical membership fees usually only cover about the cost of our yearly DirectorySpot membership! In the past few years the PTO has been fortunate enough to donate a new sound system for the gym/cafeteria, a new kindergarten playground, technology like chromebooks/iPads, and countless activities/programs for our students, such as the Author Visits this past school year. A link for PayPal is available after completing the Google Form and can also be found on the PTO Website if you wish to make a donation. This school year will not have the traditional fundraisers (Boosterthon and Carnival) so we ask that you please take this into consideration as we are not able to do what we do without the generosity of our families. We are brainstorming ideas for additional Hassle-Free donations, in addition to Kroger, Box Tops for Education, and Pipkins (see below for more information) and considering adding a spring fundraiser if possible, but nothing has been finalized.
As always please make sure that you are following updates from the PTO via these three ways:
1) Montgomery Elementary Facebook Group
2) Sycamore District Montgomery Elementary PTO Page (https://www.sycamoreschools.org/domain/648)
3) Montgomery Elementary Weekly Newsletter (S’more)
Building a strong Montgomery Elementary Community for ALL is a goal for the PTO. We are working hard on ways to increase student/teacher support this school year and thinking of ways to still have fun (and some FUN-Draising) activities throughout the year.
Wishing everyone a wonderful spring break! Please be on the lookout after spring break for upcoming PTO events this school year! In April we hope to have a Virtual Cultural Heritage Night and we need your help to do so! If you would like to volunteer/participate please email mtpto@sycamoreschools.org and more information will be released soon! We are also excited to announce that we will be having a spring Boosterthon Fun Run this May! More information to follow but this event will be for All Students (both virtual and face to face). If you were unable to attend the PTO Virtual General Meeting please make sure to visit the PTO website to view the meeting and see the presentation from Greene School!
Many thanks,
Kristy Felss
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If you are part of the Montgomery Elementary family, we encourage you to join us in making our school a great place for all of our kids! PTO membership offers you many opportunities to learn about what is going on at the school, to be involved and make some friends along the way. PTO members can vote on the PTO budget and receive access to our directory via the DirectorySpot app. Joining the PTO does not obligate you to volunteer; it's just a great way to show your support of Montgomery Elementary!
Joining the PTO is a simple process! Please just fill out the Membership Form!
General PTO Virtual Meetings:
Wednesday, May 12 @ 9:30-11am - Link to follow
HASSLE FREE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOL
KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS
You can earn money for Montgomery Elementary PTO just by using your Kroger Plus card at Kroger. But first, you must log onto your Kroger account and designate Montgomery Elementary as the organization you want to receive Community Rewards. Here is how…
1. Log onto your Kroger.com account
2. Click “My Account”
3. Click “Community Rewards”
4. Choose Montgomery Elementary PTO (Organization # VP832)
5. You can verify if you are already set-up by looking at the bottom of your most recent Kroger receipt. It will indicate that you have designated Montgomery Elementary PTO as the organization you chose to receive your rewards.
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
GOT CLIPS? Drop off all your unexpired Box Tops at school in the Healthy Drop Box (outside the front doors) between 10am-2pm Monday-Friday! Please make sure they are in plastic ziplock bags and at the school.
GOT LABELS? Use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase. The app will automatically find the products and instantly add Box Tops to your school’s earnings online. No clipping required! NO MORE CLIPPING! SCAN YOUR RECEIPT! SEE HOW AT BTFE.
Click here for a video demonstrating how to scan your receipts and receive credit via the App. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-bNcykyK5Y
PIPKIN'S MARKET
Anytime you shop at Pipkins Market they will donate a percentage of your spending to Montgomery Elementary PTO. All you have to do is bring your receipt(s) to school just like the box tops!
Bring Box Tops and Pipkins Receipts to school between 10am-2pm in a plastic bag and drop them outside the front doors in the Healthy Drop Box! Please do not send them to school with your child at this time or drop them off during Morning Drop Off or Afternoon Pick Up!
R&J The Musical will be performed April 8-10 @ 8 pm at an outdoor theatre venue behind Blue Ash Elementary School. For this event and three other spring productions, Sycamore is transforming this field into an outdoor performing venue complete with a stage, lights and professional sound system. Patrons are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the show from designated socially distanced areas on the grass. Visit avestheatre.com for more info.
The Montgomery Farmers’ Market needs you and your children (or grandchildren) to officially ring in and open the 9am Market opening each Saturday morning, beginning May 1st to November 20th.
Parents and friends can nominate and register deserving children for this highly coveted responsibility by contacting Jeff Gartner at montfarmersmkt@gmail.com.
Just let us know which Saturday is best for your family and we'll get back to you. In your email, please also include your name, your child(ren)'s name, your email address, and your cell phone number (so we can send you a day-before reminder text).
Thank you … the Montgomery Farmers' Market Board