This is my 11th year in education and my 6th year being a Crestline Bulldog. Over the past 11 years, I have taught 5th grade Reading, Writing, and Social Studies. I received my bachelors degree in education from The Ohio State University and my Master’s Degree in Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. I am currently working on a second Master’s Degree in School Leadership from Concordia University in Chicago. I have been married to my wife for 14 years and we have two sons who are also Crestline Bulldogs. We also have two golden doodles, Paisley and Rhett. I am excited for my new role in Crestline and look forward to supporting you and your children! Go Dogs!

September 4th: 1 hour early release

September 9th-23rd: PTO Fundraiser

September 13th: Staff PD Day- NO SCHOOL

September 17th: Parent Workshop

Save the date: Elementary Picture Day- 10/03/24

Dear Families,

What a great start to the 24-25 school year at Crestline Elementary School. I hope everyone enjoyed our Open House event. We were very happy to see so many families and community partners attend the event!

I wanted to share a few reminders. First, when dropping off students in the morning please be sure to use the loop. The loop in the morning should operate the same way as picking up your child in the afternoon. Please drop off your child at the spot that the teachers on duty direct you to. We would like all five spots filled with cars at all times. Also for safety reasons, we are requesting the no child gets out of the car on the pavement side of the loop. Please have your child or children exit the vehicle on the sidewalk side of the loop. We are also requesting that no parents exit their vehicles while in the loop due to safety reasons as well.

Second, we are working on sending home Progress Book parent access in the coming weeks. This will allow you to check your child's grades at anytime. New to this year is an app that you can download on your phone!

We are exited to bring back Class Dojo this year. If you have not signed up for your child's class dojo please reach out to your child's teacher to get a code. This will be for our PBIS program as well as our main point of communication.

We thank you for your support and look forward to working with you to achieve success for our children. If you need anything, you can contact me at gearheart.austin@crestlinebulldogs.org or 419-683-5351 ext 5850. And remember, it’s a great day to be a Bulldog!

➖ATTENDANCE FACTS AND INFORMATION➖
According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, chronic absenteeism is a huge problem in Ohio and our school. Last year, we had more chronic absenteeism than the previous year. Students who miss just 2 days per month miss 10% of the school year! 🤯 If your child misses 2 or more days on average per month, they may fall behind academically.

Ways you can help:
⏰Set alarms and routines
🤒Only keep your child home if they are truly sick
📆Try to avoid scheduling appointments during school hours
✈️Try to plan trips and vacations on days off of school

This year, we will be offering incentives every 6 weeks for students who meet the terms.

🌟GLOW PARTY ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE INFO🌟
📅 Official start date is Monday, August 26 and end date for the first 5 weeks is Friday, September 27.
🚫 No more than 2 absence points - if your child accumulates over 2 absence points in that period, they will miss that incentive, but can try again for the next one
🔵Each full day counts as 1 absence point.
🔵A tardy or leaving early counts as 1/4 of an absence point.
🔵A half day counts as 1/2 an absence point

We want your children to be here, so we can see them grow! If you have any questions, please message Mrs. Iacobucci or myself directly.

Families, we hope you know that every child, regardless of ability to pay, has the opportunity to receive a ⭐FREE⭐ breakfast and ⭐FREE⭐lunch.

With that being said, breakfast for the elementary is served from 8 am until 8:20 am on regular school days.
🥞If your child is a bus rider and the bus is running behind, we will have breakfast items for them.
🥞If your child is a car rider and you would like them to have breakfast, they need to arrive before 8:20 am to receive their breakfast.

Our school is participating in an important district initiative. It is called Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS).

What is PBIS?

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is an important part of the school environment to encourage positive behavior. There are clear expectations throughout the school that are taught consistently throughout the year. The four expectations promoted at Crestline Elementary School are:

Behavior

Attitude

Responsibility

Kindness


When students do not respond to teaching of the building or classroom expectations, we will view it as an opportunity for re-teaching, not just negative consequences. Students still receive consequences for negative behavior. The goal of the consequence is to teach students so they will not repeat the negative behavior.

We wanted to inform you about an important change we are implementing at Crestline Elementary School starting this upcoming academic year. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, we will be transitioning from a quarterly academic calendar to a trimester system.

What does this mean for your child?

Extended Learning Periods: Instead of four shorter terms, your child will now have three longer terms per academic year. This adjustment allows for more in-depth exploration of subjects and concepts.

Revised Curriculum: Our educators have carefully revised the curriculum to align with the trimester format, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all necessary learning objectives.

Focused Assessment and Feedback: With longer terms, teachers will have more time to assess student progress and provide meaningful feedback that supports your child's academic growth.

Stability and Consistency: The trimester system provides a more consistent and stable schedule for students, which can enhance their overall learning experience.

What should you expect?

Updated Academic Calendar: We will share the revised academic calendar with you, including term start and end dates, holiday breaks, and assessment periods.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: There will be opportunities for you to meet with teachers throughout the year to discuss your child's progress and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Support and Resources: Our school staff and administration are committed to supporting both you and your child through this transition. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or for additional information.

We believe that this transition to trimesters will positively impact your child's educational experience by providing more instructional time, deeper learning opportunities, and enhanced teacher-student engagement.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. We look forward to the exciting academic year ahead.

1st Trimester ends November 8th, 2024 (PreK-5)

2nd Trimester ends February 21st , 2025 (PreK-5)

3rd Trimester ends May 22nd, 2025 (PreK-5)

The Crestline Exempted Village School District is committed to fulfilling our district mission of achieving excellence through education. At the elementary level, part of fulfilling this mission includes using standards-based report cards to provide students and parents specific, timely and actionable feedback.

What is a standards-based report card?

A standards-based report card is designed to provide accurate information about student performance in meeting the standard. In other words, rather than focusing on a percentage or number of points obtained, standards-based reporting focuses on student understanding or competency. With standards-based reporting, the conversation shifts from “What is my child’s score?” to “What is my child able to do?” While student work habits are important skills, these skills are reported separately. Marks for the standard are intended to reflect student performance in meeting the standard.

Why do we use performance levels for the standards instead of letter grades?

The learning progressions of children are too complex to be reduced to a simple letter grade. Our standards-based reporting system is designed to provide specific and timely information about the specific skills students are progressing towards mastering.

We need you for PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)! The number one reason to join the Parent Teacher Organization is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help our school!

The PTO has monthly meetings and organizes multiple fundraisers throughout the year. If you are interested in joining please email Mrs. Miller (miller.tylana@crestlinebulldogs.org) or Mrs. Heiby (heiby.maggie@crestlinebulldogs.org).

As we enter into the 2024-2025 school year, we would like to stress the importance of completing the FinalForms information that is required for each student within our district. This information is necessary for the school to have in case of an emergency or any other information we need to know about your child.

Please go to: https://crestline-oh.finalforms.com/ and follow the prompts to create your account, create your student’s account, and sign the necessary forms. If you created an account last year most of the student information should roll over which should make it easier to complete.

If you need help or do not have a computer please call the school and we will be happy to assist you in any way possible.

Thank you for your assistance in streamlining our paperwork process at Crestline Exempted Village Schools.