Graham Elementary Schools

Students and staff alike enjoy an hour each month to Sharpen the Saw by participating in interest-based clubs!

Teachers facilitate fun and engaging activities for our learners, and everyone is all smiles!

Hello Falcon families!

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are entering the Winter season at GES⛄. Teachers and staff will continue focusing on content and high levels of learning. As students return from the Thanksgiving break, the excitement for all-things-Wintertime will build, and there will also be days for fun and seasonal activities! Please remind your children to come back to school on Tuesday ready to work hard and show us all that they know!

This issue of News From the Nest is packed full of many updates and important reminders. Please take time to read it entirely. If you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share with us, please do so.

As our teachers continue to work hard to facilitate powerful learning opportunities for your children at GES, we are thankful for the support and partnerships we are developing with each family we are lucky enough to serve at Graham Elementary! Thank you for trusting us with your children's education and development both as learners and as people!

This school year continues to be filled with learning, achievement, success and LOTS of smiles!

Our Graham Elementary Staff is the best in the land!

Stay informed about all things happening at Graham Elementary by following us on:

Facebook: Graham Elementary School

ClassDOJO

Graham Local Schools website: grahamlocalschools.org. (Graham Elementary School)

Emily Shreve, Graham Elementary School Principal

Aaron Myers, Graham Elementary School Assistant Principal

Reminder...the safety of our learners as they enter and depart our school is our top priority. Please see the graphic below for details and be mindful of our A.M. drop-off procedures at Graham Elementary School...

⏰UPDATE...as the weather declines and is cold/rainy/snowy, grades K-2 drop-off students who are not eating breakfast will not enter the primary side of the school building until 8:45a.m. Families who drop off K-2 students are encouraged to wait and approach the school building at 8:43a.m. to avoid students standing in the cold/rain/snow⏰

🦺The east lane (closest to Urbana) is the ONLY lane that can be used to drop students off in the morning.

🦺The west lane (closest to St. Paris is ONLY to be used for drop-off of handicapped students. No other vehicles are to enter the west lane of the parking lot at drop off.

🦺Cars parking in the west parking lot (closest to St. Paris) must exit their cars and escort their children across the lane and to the sidewalk.

Thank you for your cooperation!

The temperatures are dropping quickly, and winter weather is here to stay for several months! Please see the handbook information on outdoor recess below and be sure children come to school dressed appropriately to be outside (weather-permitting).

RECESS

Children should dress appropriately as they will be going outside, weather permitting. A note must be sent every day that the child must stay inside. A doctor’s statement is needed if your child is to stay in on a regular basis or for an extended period of time. Children will have indoor recess when the temperature is below 25 degrees or when the wind chill is 25 degrees.

Children will be brought in immediately when responsible staff are aware of changing weather conditions. The official temperature and wind chill will be determined by The Weather Channel, http://www.weatherchannel.com. Graham Elementary trusts the judgment of parents in selecting weather appropriate attire.

As the weather cools off, Miss Sam's and Miss Shelley's preschoolers will know just what to prepare to warm their bellies!

Students completed a chef unit by preparing vegetable soup to enjoy. The table was set, and our preschoolers practiced good table manners while enjoying soup and bread.

Fun times!

We continue to be thankful for your support of Graham Elementary School through your participation in the annual Tasty Traditions fundraiser!

We are excited to share some of the big ways that your generosity will soon benefit students, families and the Graham community!

Coming soon...

⭐The Boonshoft Museum will be visiting Graham Elementary School in January and February for exciting day-long presentations. Students in PK-2 and 3-5 will enjoy an assembly AND science-based station rotations. During these activities, learners will have opportunities to extend and enrich all that they learn each day. More to come as the time draws nearer!

⭐Graham Elementary will soon have a new digital sign out front! Communication with GES families and the Graham community is critical, and this improvement will allow for increased sharing of school and community news. We are excited to collaborate with Bright Now Signs on this project. The GES PTO plans to assist with the cost of the project, and we appreciate their continued support of our learners, teachers and families!

Your children and our GES teachers work hard each day to maximize learning, and your partnership in your child's education is critical.

Developing thinkers and problem-solvers happens both at school and at home. Please see the graphic and list below for some ways to continue helping your child develop as a thinker and learner.

We appreciate you!

Math

Choose two or three of the following strategies and use them at home. They are intended to help increase your child’s understanding of math skills and to develop confidence in learning.

General mathematics improvement strategies

• Provide activities that enrich and relate mathematics to daily life:
  • Talk about how many bowls to put out for dinner
  • Fold napkins in different shapes
  • Have your child count similar items as you put away groceries
  • Have your child help measure ingredients for recipes
  • Give your child change to count out to pay for small purchases at the store; have older children calculate the change
  • Ask your child to compare prices of items by asking things like, “Which can of beans costs more?”
  • Allow your child to weigh the fresh produce; have older children calculate the price by multiplying the price per pound by the number of pounds
  • Read the days and dates on a calendar, talk about the number of days in the month, the number of days remaining until a special event, etc.
  • Draw a scale map of your home and determine the best escape route in case of an emergency
  • When traveling, write numbers on a grid and have your child color in the box as they see the numbers on signs or license plates
• Check your child’s assignment list daily
• Monitor daily work and be aware of the content being studied
• Use computer software or online games or apps to practice math skills at home (K-3: eSpark and 4-5 MAP Math Accelerator)
• Provide some math activities at home:
  • Each person rolls the dice and adds, subtracts, or multiplies the numbers
  • Dice and Money. Each person rolls a die and gets the number of pennies as dots shown. When someone gets five pennies they trade it in for a nickel, dime, and so forth, until they’re trading for a dollar
  • For two people, give each person 13 cards from a deck of cards, have each person flip a card, then have your child decide whose card has the higher value to determine who wins the set of cards. In a tie, place three additional cards face-down, then turn the last card up; the higher card on that turn wins all the cards. Play until one person has all the cards in the deck
  • Newspapers and Magazines. Find numbers in print and cut them out, then glue them in the correct order onto a larger sheet of paper
  • Keep empty containers, write different prices on them, then play Store by using a calculator to add up the prices for different purchases

Reading

We have had such a fun and busy school year so far! Here are some things to keep in mind for the upcoming cold, winter months:

If you are in need of coats, hats, or clothing, please reach out to us and we can get you connected with some services to help! Nurse Morgan’s email address is boggessm@grahamlocalschools.org.

Consider getting your flu shot! They are available at the health department and many pharmacies. Call and check with your insurance to see where you are covered or reach out to Nurse Morgan and she can help find an affordable option for you!

Remember to practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette:

• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and dispose of tissue immediately after.

• If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands!

• Always remember to wash your hands!

Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent sickness among those around you. Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Try singing “Happy Birthday” two times to make sure you are washing for long enough.

A reminder of when to keep your child home:

• If your child is ill to attend/participate in school, please keep them home. This will decrease the spreading of germs to others.

• Students must be fever/vomiting free for 24 hours WITHOUT the use of medication in order to return to school.

• Please keep your child home for the following:

Fever or Chills (Temp of 100 F or Higher)

Frequent/Disruptive Cough

Shortness of Breath/Trouble Breathing

Extreme Fatigue

Muscle and/or Body Aches

Extreme Headache/Migraine

Nausea or Vomiting

Sore Throat

Diarrhea

Rash/Skin Lesions of unknown cause

Open or draining sores

Head lice or nits

Bed Bugs

Red/Pink Eye until cleared by doctor/treated for 24 hours

Thank you for helping to keep our school safe and healthy!

-Nurse Morgan Boggess

When GLS students and staff return from the Winter Break, we will be welcoming an exciting new addition to our school district!

In January 2025, Community Health and Wellness Partners will begin serving Graham Local Schools!

Graham Elementary will house both medical and behavioral health clinics. Students, staff and their families will benefit from this "urgent care-like" service.

Keep your eyes out for more information coming in the next issue of News From the Nest and other district communications👍

Graham High School FCCLA students are embarking on a leadership project to collect toys for a Christmas Toy Drive. Please see the flyer below for more information.

**This activity is not associated with Graham Elementary School.**

Back by popular demand, please see the 2024-2025 Family Falcon Focus for important dates at GES. This document will be updated as the year progresses. Dates are subject to change if/when necessary.

Thank you!

December

2: CONFERENCE MAKE-UP DAY - NO SCHOOL

6-14: PTO Holiday Shop (more information coming soon)

12: St. Paris Library visiting Kindergarten for Story Time @ 9:30a.m. to 3:30p.m.

16-20: GES Winter Spirit Week (more details to come)

17: K and 1 Christmas evening performance K @ 5:30p.m. and 1st @ 6:30p.m.

18: PTO Meeting in library @ 3:45p.m.

19: CLUB DAY

20: Inflatable Day

23-January 3: WINTER BREAK - NO SCHOOL (students return on Monday, January 6)

January

6: Students return from Winter Break

9: Last day of Quarter 2

9: grades 3-5 Boonshoft day-long assembly activities

9: St. Paris Library visiting Kindergarten for Story Time @ 9:30a.m. to 3:30p.m.

10: IN SERVICE/RECORDS DAY - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

13: First day of Quarter 3

13: PTO Meeting in first grade pod @ 5:30p.m.

17: PTO Movie Night

20: MLK DAY - NO SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE

27 - February 7 - Student Council Candygram sale

31: 2-hour early release PD day

**Previously posted on ClassDOJO (September 3, 2024)**

Hello Falcon Families! If you are interested in volunteering at Graham Elementary, please use this link - https://www.grahamlocalschools.org/page/volunteer-portal-and-information - to view updated information regarding the volunteer process at Graham Local Schools.

If you are considering volunteering and/or helping with classroom parties at Graham Elementary, you must complete an application and be approved through the Secure Volunteer site before you volunteer.

Please email Mrs. Shreve (shrevee@grahamlocalschools.org) with any questions.

Thank you for your partnership in your child's education!

This is a reminder that free and reduced lunch applications expire at the end of every school year. If your child qualified for free and/or reduced lunch last year and you have not completed a new application for this year, please do.

Paper applications can be found here:

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/.../Graham

Free and Reduced Lunch forms can also be sent home with your child. If you would like a copy, please contact the GES office and we will send one home.

Online applications can be found on PaySchools Central here https://www.payschoolscentral.com/

If you are in need of before or after care for your children, please see this flyer to learn more about this opportunity.

**Reminder...A.M. preschool students enter the building at 8:30a.m. to begin their A.M. session**

As stated in the Graham Elementary Student Handbook,

"All school fees must be paid in order for students to attend field trips (Glen Helen included) or participate in preschool promotion and/or 5th grade promotion."

Fees can be paid by cash or check (Graham Elementary School) or online at https://www.payschoolscentral.com/. Please contact Mrs. Shreve with any questions.

At Graham Local Schools, we take a proactive approach to attendance. If/When GES students accumulate 50 hours of excessive absence, families will be provided with Absence Warning Letter #1. When students accumulate 65 excessive hours of absence, families will be provided with Absence Warning Letter #2.

An absence intervention meeting will be scheduled when students accumulates 72 excessive hours of absence

Please see the GES Handbook language below for the steps to report an absence...

A. When a student is ill or for some other reason is unable to attend, the parent/guardian is ex­pected to contact the school office by phone before 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. For your convenience, you may call the night before and leave a message on the answering machine (937-663-4449).

B. A written reason for all absences properly signed and dated by a parent/guardian is required. Written notes not filed in the office within one day after the student returns to school following an absence will result in an unexcused absence. Administration reserves the right to excuse student absences with reasonable cause.

C. For each unexcused absence, the student is responsible for obtaining work and following make-up work policies.

The end of day pick-up procedure will make our out front pick-up safer for our students at Graham Elementary . Thank you for your cooperation!

Permanent Pick-Up

• Students will be dismissed at 3:25pm each day.

• Each student/family who is a permanent pick-up will be given 2 numbered tags and their child will have a numbered tag with a corresponding number for their bookbag.

• Those students who are picked up by a babysitter with proper transportation forms on file will have a number for their babysitter.

• Each grade level will have a designated area marked outside and the family will come to that area to pick up their student(s) from each area - families should have their numbered tag with them.

• Families must park and come to the sidewalk to pick up their students. There will be no parking in the fire lanes of the building.

Students who are not permanent pick-ups who will be picked up on a day must call the elementary office or send in a note to pick-up their child. When picking your child up, please follow the procedure below:

• Families who are not permanent pick-ups must come to the front doors, provide ID and sign out their student from inside the building.

• Students will be dismissed to their family once the family has signed them out at the front office.

We do understand this process takes time and we thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work through this process together. Our #1 priority is our students safety.

*In an effort to remediate behaviors through reflection versus consequence, Graham Elementary will institute Restorative Recesses when deemed appropriate. This opportunity is a consequence targeted at reflection instead of punishment. It provides students the chance to work alongside an adult to reflect on their behavior and make plans for corrective behaviors.

*Cell phones and Smart Watches are to remain off and in student bookbags upon entering the building and should not be used until after the final dismissal bell and students have exited the school building. In effect, cell phones should not be “seen, heard, or used” during this time. Also, cell phones should NOT be used to take any type of photograph, video, or recording at any time unless directed by a staff member.

Students cannot contact parents via a personal cell phone during the day; they are to utilize a classroom or office phone. If violations of this policy should occur, a CELL PHONE WILL BE TAKEN AND CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE END OF THE DAY.

1st offense – warning 2nd offense – parent called 3rd offense – detention/parent picks up phone.

*Clothing must cover the chest, stomach, back, buttocks, upper thighs, and undergarments when the student sits, stands, raises his/her hand, or bends over. Any article of clothing that reveals an excessive amount of skin will be deemed inappropriate for the school environment.

Therefore, the final decision regarding the professionalism of clothing and accessories will be made by the building administration.

Clothing or accessories bearing patches, drawings, and/or sayings (stated or implies), which refer to drugs, alcohol, sex, profanity and obscenity, shall not be permitted.

Shoes shall be worn for health and safety reasons. Footwear with only toe support (ex - thongs, flip flops, etc.) shall not be worn. High heels or platforms, roller shoes can present safety concerns and are not to be worn. Socks are recommended as a good hygiene practice.

Pupils are not to wear hats, overcoats, jackets, or other outer wear in the building unless the principal has granted permission. This dress code will be in effect for all school days and related activities except for those “special” days and/or activities as approved by the principal.

*ZERO QUARTERLY REFERRALS REWARD AND END-OF-THE-YEAR REWARD

Students with zero bus/office referrals will earn a reward for each quarter that they meet this qualification.

When Graham Elementary reaches 30 cumulative days of zero bus/office referrals, all students will participate in a day-long school-wide celebration.

Students who have three or less bus/office referrals and no suspensions (bus or school) will participate in an additional special activity during the school-wide celebration if/when Graham Elementary reaches 30 cumulative days of zero bus/office referrals.

Details of the reward will be shared during the school year.

Administrator holds the right to remove a student from the day-long celebration due to excessive referrals or extreme behaviors.

Emily Shreve - Principal - shrevee@grahamlocalschools.org

Aaron Myers - Assistant Principal - myersa@grahamlocalschools.org

Jon Comer - School Counselor - comerj@grahamlocalschools.org

Morgan Boggess - School Nurse - boggessm@grahamlocalschools.org

Kristina Thornton - Administrative Assistant - thorntonk@grahamlocalschools.org

Kayla Yoder - Administrative Assistant - yoderk@grahamlocalschools.org
Website: grahamlocalschools.org
Location: 9464 U.S. 36, Saint Paris, OH, USA
Phone: 937-663-4449
Facebook: facebook.com/FreddieFalcon
Twitter: @GESFALCONS