

The Family Connector
June 1, 2023

Superintendent's Wellness Week Video Message
As we prepare for the upcoming holiday, Columbus City Schools is excited to celebrate Wellness Week from November 25 to November 29! Wellness Week is dedicated to nurturing the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families. It’s a time to pause, recharge, and focus on self-care—physically, emotionally, and socially.
Let’s embrace this opportunity to find joy in the little moments, share hope for the future, and reconnect with loved ones. Together, we can return refreshed and ready to finish the semester strong. We are wishing everyone a joyful and hopeful Wellness Week!
Help Columbus City Schools Stuff the Bus!
The holiday season is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to spread cheer and generosity! We’re excited to kick off our annual Stuff the Bus toy drive, which runs from now through December 11. In partnership with our dedicated transportation team, custodial staff, and NBC4, this celebrated tradition brings together our CCS family and community to make the holidays a little brighter for children across our city.
This year, giving is easier than ever! Drop off any new, unwrapped toys for children 12 and under at any donation box located throughout our schools and administrative buildings across the District. Each gift supports the Firefighters 4 Kids campaign, helping families in need experience the season's joy.
Join us in sharing the holiday spirit and making a difference. Mark your calendars and help us Stuff the Bus with kindness and holiday cheer for our community’s children!
November is National Family Literacy Month, a time dedicated to fostering a love for reading and learning within families. This initiative began in the early 1990s when alarming statistics revealed that millions of American workers lacked basic literacy skills. In response, Congress collaborated with the National Center for Families Learning to establish this important month.
At Columbus City Schools (CCS), we recognize how essential literacy is to our students' overall development. We believe the partnership between district leaders, teachers, and families is crucial in supporting our students’ growth. CCS is dedicated to providing families with resources that enhance learning both at home and in the classroom.
As families embrace November, we encourage you to explore various opportunities to read together—whether it’s through our #TogetherWeRead book bundles or a selection from your local library. Join the movement and remember #LiteracyIsACivilRight and #LiteracyAndJusticeForAll!
Here are 10 fun ways to celebrate National Family Literacy Month:
Explore Your Home Library: Dive into your own collection of books! Thanks to our community partners, CCS has ensured that every student has access to new titles throughout the year.
Visit Sora: Discover the joys of a digital library where students can check out books from home.
Utilize Teaching Books: Access a treasure trove of resources at Teaching Books to explore books and authors in depth.
Join the "Learning Together Challenge": Participate in this free initiative that offers a month-long calendar filled with engaging family activities to inspire learning.
Read and Watch: Choose a book and then watch its movie adaptation. Discuss the similarities and differences as a family.
Try Audiobooks: Experiment with different reading formats, such as audiobooks or e-books, to mix things up.
Host a Book Exchange: Organize a neighborhood book exchange and chat about your favorite stories with friends and family.
Start a Book Club: Create a family or neighborhood book club with fun games and snacks related to the book you're reading.
Reimagine Stories: Rewrite or reenact classic children's tales together.
Visit Your Local Library: Take a trip to the nearest Columbus Metropolitan Library branch and discover a new book to read!
Let’s make this National Family Literacy Month a month-long celebration of learning, reading, and bonding!
Step Into Your Future at FAM U's College, Career, and Military Pathways Event
Join us at Arts Impact Middle School on Saturday, December 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for an enlightening exploration of post-graduation opportunities. This special edition of FAM U will unlock a world of possibilities for middle and high school students and their families.
Discover invaluable resources and gain insights from past graduates, learn about financial management through interactive games with Huntington Bank, and explore diverse career paths with experts from various fields. Don't miss out on the chance to shape your future — pre-register today!
Tune in! Episode 2 of FACES Explores Career and Technical Education
Columbus City Schools proudly welcomes back FACES, our online Family and Community Engagement Series! The new season kicked off on Thursday, October 17, and we’re excited to continue informing and connecting our families, community, and schools. You can find FACES exclusively on Columbus City Schools Facebook and YouTube channels.
On Episode 2 of FACES, Columbus Downtown High School showcases their manufacturing classroom. There will also be an in-studio discussion with Fort Hayes Allied Health Instructor Vicky Pate, Columbus Downtown High School Advanced Manufacturing Instructor Rob Ying, and Director of Career and Technical Education Jenny Meade to learn more about exciting new career pathways at Columbus City Schools!
Be sure to tune in every second and fourth Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for FACES, and let's build a stronger CCS community together!
CCS Students Shine at OSU’s Newbery Symposium!
On Friday, November 15, Parkmoor Elementary and World Language Middle School students had an inspiring day at the Newbery Symposium held at The Ohio State University (OSU)!
The event celebrated five acclaimed Black authors who received the John Newbery Award, the highest honor in children’s literature. Students read the authors’ works and created artwork inspired by their themes.
The day’s highlight was an interactive roundtable and book signing with the authors, sparking creativity and a love for storytelling among our young readers and middle school scholars—proving that great stories inspire even greater imaginations! Thank you to OSU for hosting our students!
Inside CCS News
All Aboard! Come and see the Huntington Holiday Train at the Main Library!
The Huntington Holiday Train has delighted people of all ages since 1992. This downtown holiday treasure was generously loaned to Columbus Metropolitan Library by Huntington National Bank in 2009 and is displayed in the Main Library’s Grand Atrium.
Bring your family to see the display with its trains, tracks, tunnels, bridges, castles and other features to delight visitors of all ages, now on display through January 18, 2025, at the Main Library, 96 S. Grant Ave.
Visit during regular library hours, with free one-hour parking in Main Library’s attached garage.
Highland Youth Garden to Offer Fresh Produce this Saturday!
The annual Thanksgiving Market will be held this upcoming Saturday, November 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fresh produce and shelf-stable goods will be distributed to the community. Those looking to contribute can donate shelf-stable items by dropping them off at the Highland Youth Garden House, located at 106 S Wheatland Ave, Columbus, OH 43204; please leave items on the back porch. For any questions, email info@highlandyouthgarden.org.
Columbus Recreation and Parks Presents: School’s Out Program for Fall Break!
Looking for a fun and enriching way to keep your young scholars engaged during Columbus City Schools' fall break? Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is excited to offer the School's Out Program, designed to provide students with a safe and enjoyable experience during their time away from school.
The School's Out Program offers a range of hands-on enrichment activities that promote learning, creativity, and physical activity—all while having fun! Your local community center is the perfect place for students to participate in exciting programs that will keep them engaged throughout the break.
Program Details:
- Dates: November 25 – November 30, 2024 (Monday–Friday; closed on November 28)
- Time: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
- Location: Your nearest Columbus community center
Registration:
- Registration opens Tuesday, October 29, at 12:30 p.m.
- Spots are limited, so make sure to register early!
- For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/3pQn0Ex.
Don't miss this fantastic opportunity for your children to enjoy a week filled with engaging activities in a positive environment. We look forward to seeing them at the School's Out Program this fall!
**Attention CCS 5th Grade Parents: Get a FREE COSI Membership!**
Give your family the gift of science learning with a free membership to COSI! Thanks to the generosity of the Robert Weiler Company, Columbus City Schools fifth grade students and their families can receive free year-round visits to COSI!
Visit https://cosi.org/CCS5 to sign up for your COSI FREE membership!
Memberships are limited. Don't wait. Apply today! First come, first served. Application closes on February 28, 2025.
We look forward to welcoming you to COSI!
Donate to the NBC4 Thanksgiving Turkey Drive!
Columbus City Schools is proud to support the 2024 Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, in partnership with NBC4, Urban One, and the United Way of Central Ohio, to help feed Columbus families this holiday season. This three-day event, running from November 21 to November 23, plans to provide 2,500 turkeys across three locations. The final day will take place at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center (670 Jack Gibbs Blvd.) on Saturday, November 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Your generosity makes events like this possible! Let’s continue to donate and support local families in need as we come together to ensure everyone has a meal to enjoy this Thanksgiving. Together, we are making a difference!