Dear Parents and Community Members,

As I step into my second year as principal of our beloved elementary school, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the successes we achieved together in our first year. Your unwavering support and the commitment of our loyal School Board and treasured Superintendent have been instrumental in these accomplishments.

The past year has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education. I remain dedicated to ensuring every child in our care receives the opportunities they need to succeed and reach their dreams. Our school is more than a place of learning; it is the heart of our community. Together with our dedicated staff, I will continue to foster a strong sense of belonging and hope for our students. We will turn challenges into opportunities and create lasting impacts on their lives.

I invite each of you to join us once again on this incredible journey of growth. Your involvement, guidance, and support are crucial in shaping the future of our school and, most importantly, the future of our remarkable students. Let us stand united in our commitment to nurturing a generation of compassionate and accomplished young individuals. I eagerly look forward to continuing our partnership and meeting with you in the days ahead.

Joyfully,

Stephanie Tear
Principal

On Sunday, August 25 from 5:30-6:30, teachers and staff will be on hand to joyfully welcome you back. We will happily help you find your classroom, drop off any supplies, and complete your first day dismissal plan. If you are in need of supplies- do not worry. We have additional supplies available to support your needs. Completing these tasks the day before school makes for a smooth first day. We encourage you to attend our Back to School celebration.

Teachers have a very significant, lifelong impact on our children. Your children knowing their teacher will foster a sense of excitement, and ease any anxieties they may have. Classroom teacher assignments will be sent via email and posted on the Elementary entrance doors Thursday, August 22 for students in grades 1-6. These postings will also be available at the Back to School Celebration on Sunday, August 25 from 5:30-6:30.

School is in session from 8:55-3:30. Doors open at 8:30 for students arriving by car. Students need to be in their classroom prior to 8:55.

In order to ensure safety for all students, the following are guidelines regarding transportation.

• For kindergarten student DROP OFF, there MUST be a parent/guardian present at the bus stop. If the driver does not see a parent/guardian present, the student will be brought back to school to be picked up.
• Students will be assigned only one pick-up and one drop-off location. These assigned stops must be the same every day.
• Any changes to a student's dismissal plan must be communicated to the elementary office prior to 2:30PM via the SchoolPass app.
• If you wish to make different arrangements for bus transportation (change to pick-up/drop-off location), you MUST submit the request in writing by completing a Bus Transportation Change form available in the elementary office.

Please note the following morning procedures:

• Students arriving by car can be dropped off beginning at 8:30AM to the main entrance of the elementary.
• Students should be ready with their materials for the day and immediately exit the vehicle on the driver's side near the curb.
• For the safety of students, do not pass other vehicles that are dropping off students.
• Drivers must remain in the car. If needed, staff will assist students in exiting the vehicle.
• Students arriving after 8:55am MUST be signed in by an adult in the elementary office.

Please note the following dismissal procedures:

• All cars arriving for student pick up MUST have their Commodore Rider card displayed.
• Each driver should proceed down the east drive beside the creek and around the softball diamond to place themselves in the pick-up line.
• Drivers must follow the direction of all staff at all times.
• Drivers must remain in their car at all times. If needed, staff will assist students with entering the vehicle.

Perry Elementary has partnered with SchoolPass and their Parent Change Management app to empower families to manage and communicate dismissal plan, late arrivals, early dismissals, and student absences via a mobile app that communicates in real-time to the office staff, teachers, and administrators.

During the week of August 19, look for an email from SchoolPass too establish your family's account. Not sure if we have the correct email on file? Please contact the office to verify.

Perry Elementary is excited to welcome approved visitors, volunteers, and mentors back in-person for this school year. In an effort to maintain the safest environment possible for our students and staff, Perry Elementary will be utilizing SchoolPass' Visitor Management System. SchoolPass provides an added level of security to protect our students and staff by screening and managing visitors with instant sex offender check, detailed visitor badge printing, and visitor notifications to staff.

When visiting:

• All visitors are encouraged to utilize the visitor parking area in the first row of the parking lot.
• All visitors must enter the main entrance and be buzzed into the elementary office.
• All visitors to the elementary building will be required to present a picture ID to the office staff.
• Only visitors issued a visitor badge may visit designated areas.
• In an effort to honor your request, you are encouraged to pre-arrange any classroom visits/observations with the building principal.

Important Information about Your Child's School Meals

MEAL SERVICE PLAN FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

For the 2024-2025 school year, Perry Local Schools are happy to announce we will operate under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to allow ALL students to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of household income. More schools in Ohio are qualifying for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in the 2024-2025 school year due to a change in the program's rules. Previously, a school needed at least 40% of its students identified as eligible for free meals through direct certification (such as those receiving SNAP benefits) to participate in CEP. This threshold has been lowered to 25%, making it more accessible for schools with a lower percentage of directly certified students to qualify (USDA Food and Nutrition Service) (USDA Food and Nutrition Service).

This adjustment aims to increase access to free meals for students, reduce the stigma associated with free meal programs, and simplify administrative processes for schools. As a result, more schools in high-need areas can provide no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students, ensuring that more children receive nutritious meals without financial barriers or the need for families to submit meal benefit applications (Ohio Department of Education).

Breakfast

All students will receive free breakfast. Breakfast is offered daily from 8:30-8:45am. Students arriving by car must arrive prior to 8:45 to receive breakfast.

Lunch

Students may bring their own lunch from home or receive school lunch. Fast-food and outside food deliveries are not permitted.

Q&A

Can my child bring extra food to school even if (s)he is buying lunch?

Extra food/snacks brought into the cafeteria must be in a small snack size package. Each child must eat ONLY his or her OWN food. Food-sharing of foods/snacks brought from outside of school is not permitted due to the risks and dangers of food allergies and contamination.

What should a student do with school lunch foods that (s)he doesn't want to eat?

If a child does not want to eat fresh fruits or packaged foods and/or packaged foods and/or drink his/her milk/juice, then the child can place the uncontaminated fruits, unopened packages of food, and unopened drinks in the center of the lunch table. Other students who would like the fruits, food, or drinks in the center of the table may have them to eat during breakfast and/or lunch only. Students are not permitted to bring foods/drinks from breakfast to lunch. Uneaten fruits should NOT be put in bookbags to take home due to messes made when fruits are smashed. If a child wants to take home a packaged item, it must be placed in the student's bookbag and immediately removed when the child goes home.

Birthday parties and birthday treats are not acceptable for classroom activities. Food that is brought into the school often contains ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction in some children.

In lieu of birthday treats, we offer the opportunity for families to submit a Commodore Celebration Video to celebrate their child's birthday.

Follow these three steps to submit a video:

1. Record a video wishing your child a happy birthday.

2. Send your video to: happybirthdayperry@mycommodores.org

3. Notify the school office or teacher that a video has been sent.

PLEASE take advantage of our Text Messaging Service!

Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts, and more. You can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number, 67587. You can also opt out if these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with "Stop" SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy PledgeTM, so you can rest assured that your information is safe and will never be given or sold to anyone.

The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free service that accepts calls and texts 24/7. The tip line allows students, parents, school administrators and staff members to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety. The tip line is 844-723-3764.

The OSSC encourages reporting on:

• Bullying and cyberbullying incidents;
• Self-harm or suicidal behaviors;
• Withdrawn student behaviors;
• Verbal or written threats observed toward students, staff, or the school itself;
• Weapons/suspicious devices on or near school grounds;
• Gang-related activities
• Illegal drug use; and
• Unusual or suspicious behavior of students or associates.

Website: www.mycommodores.org

Location: 2770 East Breeze Road

Phone: 419-221-2771

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perrycommodores

Twitter: @MyCommodores