Otsego Elementary Extra

Elementary Parents,

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to take a moment to show gratitude for our incredible teachers, para-professionals, coaches & other staff members. We're inviting you to share a few words of appreciation for any staff member who has made a positive impact on your child.

By taking just a moment to fill out a quick form, your message of thanks will be presented to the staff member as a special note of appreciation. These heartfelt messages will be delivered as certificates to teachers and displayed to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and care they show every day. Your kind words will mean the world to them, and together, we can make this Thanksgiving season a truly meaningful one for our school community. Thank you for helping us show our staff members how much they're valued!

November 18-22: Book Fair Preview for Students

November 21: 5th Grade Music Performance, 7pm, High School Auditorium

November 22: PTO Dress Up for Dana Day - Wear your Favorite Team Gear for $1

November 25: Parent/Teacher Conferences 10am-8pm - NO SCHOOL

November 26-29: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

December 2-6: Scholastic Book Fair Shopping

December 3: 3rd Grade Music Performance, 7pm, High School Auditorium

December 4-6: PTO Holiday Shop

December 23-January 3: NO SCHOOL - Holiday Break

January 6: Students Return to School

January 7: PTO Meeting, 6pm, Elementary Commons

January 16: PTO Dress Up for Dana Day - Hat Day for $1

January 16: End of Second Quarter

January 17: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Professional Development

January 20: NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 25: Father Daughter Dance, 7-9pm, Elementary

Spirit Wear will be on sale from now until November 26th. The expected delivery date to the school is the week of December 16th, so just in time for Christmas!

Students will make a wishlist during our Preview days November 18th-22nd. The fair will be open for purchases on November 25th during conferences from 12-8p and then December 2nd-6th for students. You can check out the books and set up wallets at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/otsegoelementaryschool4

#ScholasticBookFairs

We can't do it without you! Please consider volunteering to help at the Book Fair. Use this link to sign up

The story starts with you!

It's almost time! Otsego Elementary Holiday Shop! It will be during the school day on December 3rd, 4th and 5th.
We are so excited to offer this fun opportunity to our students for another holiday season!

With all the holiday prep and planning, comes holiday help too. And we will take all the holiday help we can get!

You can sign up for half day, full day, all the days... whatever works best for you!
Teachers have signed up for a scheduled date and time so check out that list to help guide your sign up slot!

THANK YOU FOR THE HELP MAKING THIS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY SEASON FOR THE KIDS!

Due to additional staff training needs during the 2024-2025 school year, there will be two days that the Elementary School will not have students.

On Friday, September 27th and on Friday, February 28th there will be NO SCHOOL FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. Students who attend the Junior High and the High School will have school.

There will be NO Extended Care on these two days.

School Pictures are Ready!

If your child had their pictures taken at Back to School Day:

View and order at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

• OTSEGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• Event Code: FE76524

Otsego Schools is ALWAYS in need of having more substitutes on our list! At the Elementary, we are always in need of Aide Substitutes (HS Degree Needed) and Teacher Substitutes (Bachelor Degree Needed). If you are interested in helping out, or know someone that is, please apply using the link below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eOEgL2bhHJLy9dEe7MQ5QoSpi68gMVTBmw9UXhSvGEQ/edit

We're excited to announce our upcoming "Donuts with Grown-Ups" event at Otsego Elementary School! This is a special morning where students can bring their favorite grown-ups to enjoy delicious donuts and quality time together.

Due to the overwhelming success of last year’s event, we kindly ask that each family limit the number of grownups attending to four adults. This will help ensure that everyone has a comfortable and enjoyable experience. We look forward to making this event another special experience for everyone involved!

To ensure everyone has a great experience, we've divided the event dates by the student's last name:

• March 24th:(Last Names A-D)
• March 25th: (Last Names E-K)
• March 26th (Last Names L-R)
• March 27th (Last Names S-Z)

Keep an eye out for the RSVP link, which will be sent out closer to the event. We can't wait to see you there!

Every 2 weeks, a different staff member will be highlighted.

Jenny Helberg: Administrative Assistant

Jenny Helberg has been an Administrative Assistant at the elementary since 2012. Before that, she worked at the high school for 3 years as well as Weston Elementary for 3 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Administrative Management. She, her husband, and two children graduated from Otsego. She enjoys watching sports and spending time with her family.

Morning Drop-Off

1. Please use the entire length of the drop off zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can exit at a time. This will make drop-off go quicker while maintaining safety.

2. Students should only be let out on the side of the car that is next to the curb. This is to avoid students being hit by a moving car in the lane farther away from the curb. If your student needs to get out on that side of the car, please park in a parking spot and have your student walk into the building using the crosswalk.

3. Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are dropping a student off, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.

4. The second lane is for driving only. No students should be let out of the car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be exiting cars onto the sidewalk so that we can ensure their safety.

5. Please remember to NOT park your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get students into the school in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the drop-off line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces.

Afternoon Pick-Up

1. Please use the entire length of the pick-up zone (even past the crosswalk) to keep the line moving. If all cars pull up as far as they possibly can we can fit more vehicles along the sidewalk and more students can get into their vehicles. This will make pick-up go quicker while maintaining safety.

2. Please do not stop in the crosswalk. If you are picking a student up, please do not stop your car in the crosswalk. This is a safe place for students to cross, and when there are cars in the crosswalk it creates a safety concern.

3. The second lane is for driving only. No students should get into their car in the lane farther from the curb. Students should only be entering cars from the sidewalk or by using the crosswalk so that we can ensure their safety.

4. Please remember to NOT park and leave your car in front of the school! The line needs to keep moving to efficiently get vehicles out of the pick-up zone in a timely manner, and when there is a parked car in the line, the whole process gets backed up. If for some reason you need to leave your car, please use the available parking spaces. If you are parked while you are waiting for your student (and you are IN the car), that is fine.

5. Students must be picked up by 3:35pm. At 3:35pm, students will be taken to Otsego Extended Care at the cost of the parent/guardian (unless previous arrangements have been made).

THANK YOU so much for your understanding and compliance with these procedures to ensure our students’ safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal.

The Otsego Hall of Fame is designed to recognize individuals who have brought honor to themselves by making significant impacts or contributions to the school, community, or students. The Otsego Hall of Fame also exists for all alumni who have earned distinction beyond graduation. These individuals have made noteworthy achievements as successful adults in their chosen careers and/or have served as benefactors of mankind. The Otsego Hall of Fame also recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Otsego Local Schools as a staff member, coach, or friend of Otsego.

2024-2025 Hall of Fame Nomination Form

2024-2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Friday, January 17, 2025 (6:00 pm at the High School)

Nomination Due Date: Monday, November 18, 2024
Nominations can be submitted via Google Forms or to the Otsego Central Office.

Please review our updated cell phone policy. Students and parents will be expected to adhere to these guidelines to minimize distractions and maintain a focused learning environment.

At OES, we celebrate ALL student birthdays by providing cupcakes at lunch for ALL students who have birthdays during that month! (June and July birthdays are also assigned a month).

This means that we do NOT allow birthday treats in the classrooms. So, please keep the birthday treats at home!

Greetings!

The Ohio School-Based Center of Excellence for Prevention & Early Intervention (SBCOE) is thrilled to announce the launch of our No Wrong Door – a growing online resource library offering curated mental health materials for schools, parents, and pediatricians across Ohio.

What We Offer:

For Educators:

Access a variety of actionable materials for mental health, prevention, early intervention, and professional development, right at your fingertips.

For Pediatricians:

Find mental health screeners for well-visits and downloadable resources to share with patient families.

For Parents and Caregivers:

Explore tools designed to support your child’s well-being and expand your knowledge on mental health and prevention.

Key Features:

• An ever-growing library that includes training, screeners, downloadable materials, posters, guides, toolkits, videos, and more!
• Continuous updates to meet the needs of schools, doctor offices, and families.
• Credible, evidence-based resources linked directly in item descriptions.

Visit us today at No Wrong Door and explore the wealth of resources available to support children and youth in all 88 Ohio counties.

Visit No Wrong Door

This initiative is a collaborative effort by the SBCOE and Abre. We are dedicated to making high-quality, accessible mental health resources available to all who support children’s healthy development.

Together, let's make a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of Ohio’s young people!

Best regards,

Ohio School-Based Center of Excellence

for Prevention & Early Intervention

Dana and Cali will both be returning for the 2024-2025 school year. IF your student has allergies and/or fears related to dogs (and you did not already make us aware last year), PLEASE fill out the form below!

The Dazzled Dog

212 Farnsworth Road

Waterville, Ohio

419-266-4636

OES Extended Care is available for students aged 5 through the summer before entering 6th grade. There is a $10.00 per family yearly registration fee for the OES Extended Care Program. The registration fee will be applied from June 1 to May 31 each school year and will be charged to the credit card on file. If you are registering your child for the summer program you will not be required to pay an additional registration fee for the coming school year.

Contact Info and Hours

phone: (419)823-4381 ext 4408

email: extendedcare@otsegoknights.org

School Year 2024-25: August 21 (first day)

The program follows the school calendar

• Before School ~ 6:30 a.m. to THE START OF SCHOOL
• After School ~ END OF SCHOOL to 6:00 p.m.

In the event of a school cancellation after a two-hour delay, OES Extended Care will remain open. If school closed before 6:30, Extended Care is closed also.

Pricing and Registration Info

The hourly rate charged is $3.50 per hour for the first child, $2.00 per hour for the second child, and $1.50 per hour for the third child and any additional children. The hourly rate is billed to the quarter-hour. The Credit Card form in the registration packet MUST be filled out in order to register.

The Credit Card Form will be used to pay your Extended Care amount.

Please print out the registration form (all 5 pages MUST be completed in their entirety) and send it to the elementary school office, attention: Becky Hatfield.

Questions may be emailed to:

Billing: Steve Carroll 419-823-4381 extension 1101 or scarroll@otsegoknights.org

Becky Hatfield 419-823-4381 extension 4401 or bhatfield@otsegoknights.org

Registration: Becky Hatfield bhatfield@otsegoknights.org

Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Please use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.

Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!

These funds are not for routine expenses such as utilities, bills, rent, etc. It is designed for assisting community members in an emergency situation. This can include, but is not limited to unforeseen medical expenses, medical related travel expenses, and household emergencies such as a fire, water leaks, etc. Please keep this in mind when submitting a nomination.

Please refer to this link at any point during the year as a need arises, and KISA will do their best to help out!

https://goo.gl/forms/mG7IctP7q8ZAaQOX2

Want to help raise some money for the school but hate cutting out all the box tops? Or forget they are there and throw them away? Well now you don't have to worry about that; box tops have gone digital! You just need to download the app, set up Otsego as your school, scan your receipt and we will receive the credit. Check out the Box Top website for more information- we will be adding more as well when we get it.

Don't want to download ANOTHER app?

Just send your receipts into school with your kid and we will scan them for you. Please make sure you put them in a bag or envelope labeled box tops for PTO so the teachers know where they go.

Please send me an e-mail or give me a call!

Principal

Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4005)

Assistant Principal

Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4009)
Twitter: @buchman_becky

School Counselor

Email: lmiller@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4010)
Twitter: @OEScounselor

School Counselor

Email: kphillips@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4105)

Administrative Assistant

Email: jhelberg@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4001)

Administrative Assistant

Email: anorman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4003)

School Nurse

Email: kyeuler@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4002)

School Facility Dog

School Therapy Dog