Blacklick Bulletin

Dear Blacklick Families:

We had a great first two days at school at Blacklick! It was wonderful seeing all of our new and returning students. We spent the majority of the first two days of school teaching and reinforcing our procedures and expectations. We call this following Blacklick PRIDE! We have expectations of being respectful, responsible, positive, prepared and safe for all locations within the school. We are off to an amazing start! Thank you for all of your support at home getting your students ready for a new school year!

In addition, thank you for your patience as we work through the logistics of arrival and dismissal at the beginning of the school year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at 614-759-5100 or by email at grovesk@gjps.org.

Respectfully,

Kristen Groves

Mrs Ciaira Warfield, School Counselor

warfieldc@gjps.org 614-643-0773

Mrs Warfield is our School Counselor. She will be providing classroom lessons for grades K-4 as well as supporting students with school concerns as requested. Mrs Warfield works with students using a short term, 3-5 sessions, solution focused model. Mrs Warfield provides both group and individual counseling sessions as requested by students, teachers and parents.

Mrs Dawn Jenkins, Mental Health Specialist

jenkinsd@gjps.org 614-479-1327

Mrs Jenkins is our Mental Health Specialist. She will be providing classroom lessons in grade 5 as well as social lunch opportunities for students who request to eat with a small group of their peers. These are prevention opportunities and are not counseling groups. In addition she will be working with students who need long term counseling support in both individual and group counseling. Mrs Jenkins will reach out to you for permission if your child has been referred for counseling support.

If you feel your child could benefit from counseling support please reach out to your child's teacher or one of our counselors for guidance and referral information. We are always happy to help!

Mrs. Ball is looking for volunteers to shelve books in the library! If you can commit to coming in for about an hour one day per week and are willing to help keep our library in order, please email Mrs. Ball about the details. Thank you in advance for considering!

**Duty teachers will be outside at the car rider line at 7:50 AM each day.

7:50 AM Breakfast offered in the cafeteria for interested students.

7:55 AM Students enter classrooms.

8:05 AM School starts - Students are to be in classrooms and ready to learn by 8:05 AM! Students entering the building after 8:05 AM will need to be signed in to the office by a parent/guardian.

2:35 PM Dismissal begins.

GRIN Snack Bag Sign Up

Dear Blacklick Elementary Families,

Gahanna Residents In Need (GRIN) has partnered with Blacklick Elementary to offer a “Weekend Snack Pack” program for our students.

The program is to benefit families who are experiencing food insecurity or who NEED supplemental food at home for the weekend.

If you would like to participate in this program you will receive a bag of non-perishable food items that will be sent home from school with your child every Friday. No refrigeration is required.

In order to participate, please complete the form below. If you have more than 3 students complete the form until you have entered all children.

We want students to be engaged in learning and not distracted by devices.

"CELL PHONES & SMART WATCHES

Cell phones are permitted at school, but must remain off and in the student’s book bags throughout the school day AND while riding on the school bus.

Smart watches are also permitted, but should only be used as a clock while at school. Please make sure that your child's smart watch is in school mode prior to coming to school.

Students are not permitted to send or receive text messages or phone calls on cell phones or smart watches during the day or while on the bus. Additionally, photos may not be taken with cell phones or smart watches at school.

On state testing days, smart watches are not permitted to be worn.

If a parent/guardian needs to reach their student during the school day, they should call the school office at 614-759-5100. The school is not responsible for cell phones or smart watches that are lost, stolen, or damaged.

We are excited to be implementing new Math (Bridges) and Reading/Writing (Wit and Wisdom) Curriculum throughout the district this year in all K-5 classrooms.

Our teachers have participated in training for both curricular tools at the end of last school year as well as just prior to the beginning of this school year. With anything new, there is a learning curve and teachers will continue to learn as they dive into the tools and planning process.

Below are resources for families for both math (Bridges) and reading/writing (Wit and Wisdom) if you are interested in learning more:

BRIDGES MATH

WIT AND WISDOM

Please reach out to Kristen Groves with any questions at grovesk@gjps.org.

Please click on this document to learn all about Blacklick!

"Everything You Need To Know About Blacklick Elementary - The Blacklick Basics"

If you are visiting Blacklick for any reason, you will need to enter the building through the front doors.

We kindly ask that ALL visitors follow the steps below each and every time you visit Blacklick:

1. Once at the front, exterior doors of the school, press the buzzer. A member of the office staff will ask your reason for visiting Blacklick.

2. Once inside the vestibule, you will enter your drivers' license or state ID into the scanner. ALL visitors/guests/guardians need to scan their drivers license EACH and EVERY time they visit Blacklick.

3. Once your license has been scanned and processed you will be permitted to enter the main office area to pick up your visitor/volunteer badge.

**As a reminder, if there is a non-guardian planning to visit Blacklick for any reason (to eat lunch, read a book in the classroom, visit the bookfair, take your child to an appointment etc.), we ask that the guardian email the teacher and front office (lindseyk@gjps.org) to let us know prior to the visit.

Background Checks are needed each year for all volunteers!

To increase safety and security protocols, all GJPS volunteers who may have the potential to interact with students in an unsupervised setting or may have access to confidential information will be required to complete an online application that includes a background check. The district will provide the background checks at no cost to the volunteer. Background checks are required EACH school year. If you completed a background check last school year, you will need to complete the process again for the 2024-2025 school year.

EXAMPLES

• Examples of volunteer experiences include but are not limited to: cafeteria helpers, reading aides, mentors, hall monitors, field day volunteers, library helpers, office helpers, tutors, field trip chaperones, small group or individual student work in the hallway, party helpers, concession workers, fundraising volunteers, book fair volunteers, mobile dentist volunteers, etc.

Interested in Volunteering?

Click on the link below and fill out the necessary information:

Volunteer Form - Link is currently activated for the 24-25 school year!

To report an absence, please call the front office at 614-759-5100 or email Lindseyk@gjps.org by 8:30am if possible.

Pursuant to House Bill 410, student attendance is now calculated in hours. This includes absences that have been identified as both excused and unexcused by the school, as well as planned absences. Being late or tardy to school does calculate into the total hours absent.

In an effort to encourage regular, on-time attendance and avoid habitual truancy, families are encouraged to:

• Make getting to school on time every day a high priority.

• Discuss the importance of regular school attendance and the negative impacts of excessive absences.

• Create a safe space for students to discuss what is keeping them from school.

• Develop a backup plan for getting your student to school when transportation challenges, illness, or other challenges arise.

• Schedule vacations during a time when school is not in session.

• Monitor your student’s attendance records to identify any disruptions or patterns of change.

• Contact your student’s school to discuss preventative services and supports available to promote regular attendance.

PLANNED ABSENCES (Such as vacation):

The time missed will be counted as an authorized, UNEXCUSED absence but shall not be a factor in determining grades unless the make-up work is not completed. Students who are absent 38 hours in a month or 65 hours in a school year with or without legitimate excuse are now considered Excessively Absent. These students will receive a letter from the District and will be required to follow the District Truancy Plan.These hours include approved planned absences. Planned absences will not be approved if your child has already met or will meet (based on this request) the absence threshold for Excessive Absence and/or Habitual Truancy.

If you have a planned absence, please fill out this form and send it in to the office. For more information or questions, please visit the GJPS website.

Bus Riders:

All students that ride the school bus to school will enter the building through the front doors at 7:50 AM each day for breakfast. Students that do not want to eat breakfast at school will walk to their classroom at 7:55 AM. There will be duty teachers outside to assist students from the bus to the building. In addition, duty teachers will assist students that will be riding a shuttle bus to another elementary school.

Car Riders:

All students that are car riders to school will enter the building through the doors by the cafeteria. The doors will open at 7:50 AM each day for entry into the building for breakfast. Students will be permitted to walk to classrooms beginning at 7:55 AM. The car rider line follows the perimeter of the back parking lot. Duty teachers will be in the back parking lot starting at 7:50 AM each day.

*Duty teachers will be outside in the back parking lot until 8:05 AM. Any student arriving after 8:05 AM need to enter the building through the front doors and be signed in by a parent/guardian.

If you plan to drive your child to school, please follow the directions below:

1. You will need to enter the back parking lot and drive along the perimeter of the parking lot.

2. You can access the back parking lot from Reynoldsburg New Albany Road and follow the back access road or from Havens Corners Road.

3. Please follow the car in front of you - please do not try to drive around other cars - stay in the car rider line.

4. Pull up to the drop off sign - they are numbered.

5. Please have your child exit the car from the right side of the car.

6. Please do not get out of the car. If your child needs assistance, we will have duty teachers available.

7. Your child will enter the school using the doors by the cafeteria. We will have duty teachers available to walk your child to the classroom.

** If you plan to walk your child to the classroom, you will have to follow our visitor procedures by entering the building through the front doors, scanning your license, and wearing a visitor badge.

If you plan to pick up your child from school in the afternoon, please follow the directions below. Dismissal is at 2:35 PM each day:

1. You will need to have your child’s FIRST and LAST NAME in the windshield of your car.

2. You will need to enter the back parking lot and drive along the perimeter of the parking lot.

3. You can access the back parking lot from Reynoldsburg New Albany Road and follow the back access road or from Havens Corners Road.

4. Please follow the car in front of you - please do not try to drive around other cars - stay in the car rider line and do not get out of the car.

5. Pull up to the pick up signs.

6. Once you pull up, we will bring your child out to your car.

This drop off/pick up process takes awhile. We will try to move as quickly as possible. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work through the beginning of the day drop off and end of the day pick up routine.

Please visit You can find almost anything you need on our website

www.gahannaschools.org

• Infinite Campus: Please log in to the parent portal and complete the Annual Information Update. Update all Emergency Medical Forms, make sure all contact information is current, apply money to lunch accounts, and more! Click Here for DIRECTIONS
• Bus Information: find your student's bus route, contact information, and download the bus app.
• District Calendar
• Free and Reduced Lunch Applications: Apply for free or reduced price lunch using the Parent Portal. Directions and more information can be found on the Food Service Website. If you need assistance please contact our head cook, Lisa Hughes at hughesl@gjps.org.
• LUNCH MENU LINK with ingredient information.
  

GJPS Elementary Student Handbook 24-25

The first PTO meeting of the school year is scheduled for September 10, 2024 at 6:30 PM in the Blacklick library. All parents/guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend!

PTO Officers for 2024-2025

Karen Davidson - President

Kristin Stewart- Vice President

Ashley Dean - Treasurer

Jess Waxler - Secretary

Need to contact the PTO?

PTOBlacklick@gmail.com

The elementary Chinese Enrichment Program is now accepting registrations for the 2024-2025 school year. This program is open to all students in grades 2 through 5 with classes taking place before or after school. Please visit our website for more details. Registration will be accepted online now through August 30, 2024.

August 15 - 21 Staggered Entrance for Kindergarten Students

August 22 Second day of school for all Kindergarten Students

September 2 Labor Day No School for Students and Staff

September 10 PTO Meeting in the Blacklick Library at 6:30 PM

September 12 First Grade Vision Screening

September 13 School Photos

September 23 Teacher PD Day No School for Students

October 3 Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 8 PTO Meeting in the Blacklick Library at 6:30 PM

October 10 Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 18 End of Quarter 1

October 21 Conference Comp Day - No School for Students/Staff

October 22 Staff Work Day - No School for Students

October 25 Report Cards for Quarter 1 go home with students

The Heart and Pride Award recognizes two outstanding staff members each month who make a profound impact on our students and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. Families are encourage to nominate a staff member today! The Heart & Pride Nomination Form will remain available year-round and is open to any member of our staff, regardless of position.