Springmill STEM Family Newsletter

Hello STEM Families!

I hope you had a good weekend. It seems that school germ season is in full swing! There have been lot's of sneezes and coughs going around. We make sure that tables and equipment are cleaned every day. If you are able, sending a container of sanitizing wipes to school would go a long way fighting the germs!

NOTE: Please follow the flow of traffic in the parent drop off and pick up lines on Everett Lane. Traffic goes only one way when picking up or dropping off kids. Stay in line until the person in front of you pulls away (unless there is a special situation and you are specifically told to by one of the adult monitors). It only takes us 10 minutes to unload all the students waiting, so it is not that long of a wait. Please also watch your speed! We do have our new School Speed Limit signs up now!

I'm looking forward to seeing families again during parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday from 4-7:30! Since we just got started 4 weeks ago, there is not a lot to talk about yet. Some classes have not completed their fall iReady diagnostics, which means they won't have data to show where your child is compared to where they need to be for this year. We never turn away a chance to meet with parents and families, though!

Cara Will

Building Principal

Springmill STEM Elementary

Our first Parent Teacher Conferences are Tuesday, September 24th. Because the district has scheduled only one evening every quarter, elementary schools struggle to be able to meet with all parents. Because of that, the teachers prioritize the families of students that they need to see the most. If they have openings in their schedule outside of that, they open it up to the rest of the students. If you have not received any information about signing up for a parent conference, please call the office on Monday.

Our PBIS store has opened for the year! Students will have the opportunity to go to the store approximately once every two weeks. They can choose small toys and snacks, to bigger items like a Nintendo Switch!

Many people have an understanding of what "truancy" means, however, the term "chronic absenteeism" is relatively new. What is the difference? According to the State of Ohio,

Truancy - measures only unexcused absences

Chronic Absenteeism - measures both excused & unexcused absences.

Why did they make that distinction? Based on studies done by a variety of places, it is clear that being out of school - for ANY reason - reduces the amount of time students are learning. A student's attendance in 6th grade is a good predictor of whether or not they graduate high school! Students that miss kindergarten fall behind in significantly in reading, which causes them to struggle to pass the state's 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee.

Students missing 2 to 4 days in September are five times more likely to be chronically absent throughout the school year!!

What are "legitimate" reasons to be excused in Ohio?

Student illness

Illness or death in immediate household

Religious Holiday

Medical or Dental Appointment (must have doctor's note)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vacations are not an excused absence. Birthday absences are not an excused absence. Missing the bus or not having transportation is not an excused absence.

Any absence, including tardies and leaving early, count toward student's attendance. If they are 30 minutes late to school 3 times a week, that's 1.5 hours of absence in one week. This can add up quickly and put a students in the truancy process.

If you have any attendance questions, please contact the school office.

1 hour early release for students

Parent - Teacher Conferences 4pm - 7:3pm *More info about scheduling will come later*

Mid Terms Sent home

No Students - Staff Training Day

Picture Day

Literacy Night - Family Night

Our 3rd Graders helped Mansfield's Mayor Jodie Perry with a problem - How can we encourage the people of Mansfield to be good citizens. After learning about being a citizen and doing research, students created t-shirts, handbooks, posters, and buttons to show the Mayor. There were even a couple new trash can designs! Learning how to solve problems is a big part of being a STEM student.