Ralph E. Waite Elementary School

Dear Waite Families:

It is with much appreciation we thank the Medina community for the passage of the school operating levy. The passage of the levy ensures that we can move forward and continue providing high quality educational opportunities for all of our Waite students. We have much to look forward to in the future. Thank you.

In the spirit of thanksgiving, I would like to thank all of our Waite families for your ongoing collaboration and commitment to the education of your children. It is a privilege working with your children each day. We have much to be grateful for at Waite Elementary.

Highlights from October:

Conferences

Grade 2 Special Guest Speaker

Terra Nova Testing

PTO Dine to Donate – Chipotle

Spirit Week

Homecoming Parade

No School, Work Day

Unity Day

Grade 2 Cleveland Museum of Art Virtual Learning

Great Waite Pumpkin Challenge Fundraiser

Field Trip, Grade 1, Ramseyer Farm

Grade 3 Animal Celebration

Field Trip, Grade 4, Severance Hall

Food Drive Collection

Halloween Parade

United Way Read to Me Day

Grade 5 Presidential Debate

Wishing all of your families a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Have a great month!

Sincerely,

Mr. Mattie

Principal

11/1/24: Grade 4 Medieval Festival and School Store open

11/3/24: Daylight Savings Time Ends - Turn Clocks Back 1 Hour

11/4/24: Book Fair Week Begins and Coats for Kids Week Begins

11/5/24: Election Day

11/6/24: Book Fair Family Night, 4:00

11/7/24: Coats for Kids Collection Bus at Waite 11:15-12:15

11/8/24: End of Trimester 1 and Veterans Day Ceremony

11/11/24: Veterans Day and No School / Staff Work Day

11/13/24: PTO Dine to Donate at Culvers and Scrabble Club Begins

11/14/24: PTO Meeting, 7:00pm

11/15/24: Report Cards Go Home

11/18/24: Toys for Tots Collection Begins

11/21/24: PTO Ornament Night

11/26/24: Early Release (Dismissal 1 hour early)

11/27/24: No School – Thanksgiving Break

11/28/24: No School – Happy Thanksgiving

11/29/24: No School – Thanksgiving Break

A reminder that this Wednesday (11/13) is the next PTO Dine-to-Donate event at Culver’s.

Take a night off of cooking and join us next week at Culver’s on Medina Road from 4-8 pm. A few surprise teachers and staff will be there to serve you!

Culver’s Dine-to-Donate: Information Here

There are four (4) teacher work days this school year when elementary students will not report to school. Please note these dates below:

• September 27 - (No school K-5)
• November 11 - (No school K-5)
• February 24 - (No school K-5)
• May 23 - (No school K-5)

The most solemn assembly of the school year. Veterans Day is always poignant at Waite. It was an honor to welcome our Waite family veterans and active military service members into the building for a special program in appreciation for their service to the United States of America. It was a wonderful learning opportunity for our students as well.

5th grade student speakers did a fantastic job!

Dressed like dad because he is so proud of his dad's service to the United States!

Waite PTO:

Lauren Rismiller, President

Ericka Cook, Vice President

Julie Warfe, Secretary

Allison Waite, Treasurer

Waite Staff:

Mrs. Sharon Terrion, Waite Secretary

Mrs. Laura Wyatt, Waite Secretary

Mr. David Cooke, Waite Head Custodian

Mr. Joe Ortenzi, Waite PE Teacher

Mr. Mike Hartshorn, 5th Grade Teacher

Mrs. Tracy Gabrielsen, Music Teacher

Mrs. Jenn Hayden, Art Teacher

Waite Teachers for helping students create decorations

5th Grade Teaching Team - Mrs. Caleris, Mrs. Garafolo, Mr. Hartshorn,

Mr. Metzner, and Ms. Thomas

4th grade enjoyed a special field trip to Severance Hall to see and hear the Cleveland Orchestra perform a program of music composed by American composers. Thanks to Mrs. Gabrielsen for organizing this amazing experience for our students!

Special thanks to our amazing PTO for helping to coordinate this event for students! It took many hours, but the kids love and appreciate the experience.

3rd grade students learned about animal classifications in the new CKLA language arts curriculum. Mr. Blue came for a visit with an assortment of turtles and other reptiles.

What a huge success! We surpassed our fundraising goal! Thanks to all of our Waite families for your generous donations of time and money to help PTO support our Waite students!

Miss Pappano's 1st grade class took a virtual field trip to a small village in Italy as a culminating CKLA unit activity. This was part of a unit called Different Lands, Similar Stories. Students were very excited for this special field trip!

October

Jobe Glass

Autumn Hughes

Ben Dayton

Sawyer Goad

Addie West

Nolan Painter

Evie Kirby

Vivian Fischer

Mila Wolff

Clara Long

Evie Fligor

Emily King

Emma Wolff

Luke Pace

Lucy Stassinis

Harper Waidley

Jacob Dayton

Austin Campbell

Lincoln Singleton

Miranda Coe

Owen Daubenspeck

Finley Ewing

Gautham Siramoju

Savian Gailyard

Maggie Hutzel

Chelsea Workman

Jonny Brink

Dylan Murray

Ryan Toth

Henry Warfe

Congratulations to Darrah Beaver (President) and Andrew Reyes (Vice President)

Number sense is the ability to think about numbers in a flexible and critical way, and to use them to solve problems. Kindergarten students are working hard to develop their number sense skills!

This November school counselors are excited to share with you an overview of the lessons your child will be engaged in. Lessons and resources are designed to promote personal development, enhance social-emotional skills, and support academic success. Please click on the link below for more information.

School based health services (SBHC) are provided to students in person monthly on the 1st Thursday of every month and virtually EVERY SCHOOL DAY. The Nurse Practitioner can provide well visits, immunizations, sports physicals, sick visits and chronic disease (such as asthma) management. For virtual visit days she uses a special telehealth equipment called tytocare. This equipment allows her to do a more complete physical exam using attachments that let her assess the ears, throat and skin with a special camera. She can even listen to heart, lungs and belly sounds with a stethoscope attachment. The SBHC even have the ability to test patients for things such as strep throat or a urinary tract infection without them leaving the school building.

School Based Health Services Video

Students and families can refer themselves to the SBHC by calling to make an appointment or turning in a completed consent form to their nurses office. School nurses offices can directly refer students who may need or services. School staff can also refer students or families that may need assistance with care. Services are billed though medical insurance. Families without insurance will receive help in obtaining insurance and will not get billed for services rendered before they obtain of medical insurance.

See the forms below for further information regarding this optional service for students.

Please do not send your child to school if any of the following symptoms or conditions are present:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours: Call your child’s healthcare provider for guidance on when to return to school. Students must be fever free without use of fever reducing medications (acetaminophen/ibuprofen).

• Vomiting: If your child has an episode during the previous day or night, they may not attend school. Call your child’s healthcare provider if vomiting continues for more than 48 hours, your child has a fever or his/her condition worsens.

• Diarrhea: If your child has two or more episodes during the previous evening or night, they may not attend school. Call your child’s healthcare provider if diarrhea continues for more than 48 hours, your child has a fever or his/her condition worsens.

• Rash: Call a health care provider for guidance if your child can remain in school.

• Bacterial infection: Your child may return to school after taking prescribed antibiotics for 24 hours or when the health care provider states.

•Cough/Colds can be contagious for at least 48 hours. Returning to school too soon may slow the recovery process and expose others unnecessarily to illness.

*If you are unsure about whether to send your child to school, please contact the school health clinic staff.

We offer an online free and reduced-price meal application through PaySchools Central for families that believe they may qualify.

Remember, all students are able to enjoy breakfast at school every morning. Doors open at 8:35 AM for breakfast in the cafeteria.

PaySchools Central has provided How-To-Guides to set up your account and to complete an online free and reduced meal application. If you choose not to use the online application you can fill out the paper free and reduced meal application and return to the Food Service & Child Nutrition Department located at the Board of Education Office, 739 Weymouth Road.

The form can also be obtained and returned (completed) to any school office. You will be notified by email of your child's status. Until notification is received, you must provide your child with breakfast/lunch or money in their student accounts.

Also new this year, the signed Ohio Budget Bill included the provision for the State to cover the cost for reduced-price breakfasts and lunches for this school year. This means if you qualify for reduced-price meals, you do not have to pay the $0.30 for breakfast or the $0.40 for lunch.

Lunch

Elementary $3.25

Milk $0.50

Breakfast

Students $2.50

Milk $0.50

Payment of school meals can be made by cash or check at each individual school. For your convenience you may also pay online by ACH Check or Credit Card through PaySchools Central. You will be charged a small fee if you use PaySchools Central. Note: You cannot combine lunch payment with payment of school fees.

Absence/Tardy Procedure

If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the attendance line at 330-636-4504 before 9:00 am. Please do not email the teacher or secretary. Please remember to call the attendance line only.

If a student is returning to school from an appointment or arriving late to the building:

• The parent and student will enter the vestibule together.

• The parent signs the student in on the attendance log which will be located in the office vestibule.

• After signing the student in, ring the buzzer & the office staff will unlock the door for the student to enter the office.

If a student needs to leave school early:

• The parent will enter and remain in the office vestibule.

• The parent will speak through the intercom to provide the name of the student they are picking up. The parent/guardian will be required to show ID through the office window.

• The office staff will call the student down to the office.

• The parent will sign the student out on the attendance log.

• The parent waits in the vestibule for their student.

As cell phones and smart watches continue to grow in popularity, we like to remind parents of the expectations for these devices during the school day. From the student discipline code:

RULE 4 - ELECTRONIC DEVICES

● Electronic devices such as (laser pointers, video cameras, cameras, etc.) are prohibited in

school.

● Cell phones, smartwatches, electronic devices such as (Ipods, MP3 players, Ipads, Nooks,

Kindles, Gizmos, etc) and any video game devices must be turned off and in the student’s book bag during school hours.

Please make sure to have a conversation with your child about this expectation so that

everyone is on the same page in regards to these devices!

Weekender Bags

Waite Elementary School is excited to participate in the 2024-2025 Weekenders program! The Weekenders for Children program is made possible through a partnership with Feeding Medina County. The purpose of this program is to support elementary children who qualify by providing a bag of food to eat over the weekend. Weekender Bags will be given to your child to take home every week during the school year, except during breaks.

If you are interested in your child/children participating in the Weekenders program, please fill out this form as soon as possible. Please call the office with any questions. Thank you!

If you are interested in being an approved volunteer, please click HERE to complete the volunteer application process. All volunteers must have a background check on file and be approved by the Medina City Schools Board of Education.

Save the Date!

Annual Pancake Breakfast & Spotlight on Students

I am attaching a Save the Date flyer for the Annual Pancake Breakfast & Spotlight on Students. The event will be held at Medina High School in the main cafeteria on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Student performances will be in the PAC from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Medina City Schools will once again participate in the Annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, November 23. We invite students, staff, parents, guardians, alumni, and their families to join in riding the festively decorated bus. The parade begins at Medina High School at 5:30 PM as it makes its way around the Square. If you are interested in participating, please complete this form by Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Please plan to arrive at the C Lot by the school bus by 5:00 PM. Please try to park at the Board of Education office, as parking will be limited at the high school.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Email: mattiem@medinabees.org
Website: www.medinabees.org
Location: 4765 Cobblestone Dr, Medina, OH 44256
Phone: 330-636-4500