Sycamore Scoop

After a week into the school year, there are a few things we want to address to help keep our students safe and things moving as smoothly as possible.

1. Please check your PikMyKid App and make sure that what you have listed as your child's dismissal is correct. Every family should have already set a default dismissal method. To check your child's default dismissal, once you have logged into the app, click on your child. On the next screen, at the top, it should say what you have marked as your child's default pickup. The default should be the usual way that your child is going home. If you have done this, you should be all set, unless there is a day that you need to change the way your child is going home. If you check in the app and your default method of dismissal is incorrect, please contact the school. We have turned off the ability for parents to edit this, but we will happily adjust this if necessary.

2. If your child is going to be in the car rider line, you MUST STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE. This will help to keep the line moving and our dismissal happening at a reasonable pace. If your child needs to be buckled in a car seat, which requires you to get out and do that, then please change your pick up mode to walker with, park your vehicle in the parking lot and walk up to get your child from the walkers with line. Call the office if you want to make this adjustment.

3. We have moved our walkers without line to the door by the playground this year. If you are here to meet your child that is a walker without, please stand near the play ground, or up by the sidewalk to help clear the area where we are doing the car rider line. Car riders are now coming out of Door B, so we need that area clear for those students to make their way quickly to the car line.

If your child forgets their lunch at home, it is absolutely fine to drop of their lunch box at school. However, we will not be accepting fast food drop offs for students in the office.

Please make sure that your child is dressing in clothing that is moderate in nature and should not cause undue attention to the student and/or disrupt a positive and safe learning atmosphere." Please make sure that your child's tops and bottoms meet and if wearing shorts they are of a reasonable length.

We are starting to see more students wearing smart watches to school. I want to address this before it becomes a problem. This is from the student handbook:

For purposes of this policy, "personal communication device" (PCD) includes, but not limited to, computers, tablets (e.g., iPad-like devices), electronic readers ("e-readers"; e.g., Kindle-like devices), cell phones, smartwatches, smartphones (e.g., iPhones, Android devices, Windows Mobile devices, etc.) not owned by the district.

Students in grades preschool-6 may use personal communication devices (PCDs) only before and

after school. Use of PCDs, except those approved by a teacher or administrator, at any other time is

prohibited and must be powered completely off (i.e., not just placed into vibrate or silent mode) and

stored out of sight. Students should not loan out personal devices or district devices assigned to the student. The district is not responsible for items that have been loaned out, lost and/or not-returned.

My name is Dawn Conley and I am the new school counselor here at Sycamore Creek Elementary. I am very excited to join this team of teachers and professionals! It is my hope to incorporate the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of our students into our school counseling program. My desire is to provide opportunities for student growth via:

• Classroom Guidance Lessons

• Small Group Counseling (based on teacher, parent, or administrator referral)

• Individual counseling (based on teacher, parent, or administrator referral)

• Referrals for students and families of community counseling services; other community health, safety, and wellbeing services; or other related services

• And many other ways 🙂

• Here at Sycamore Creek, we have been learning about RESPECT, what it means, why it’s important and how to do it!

• Learning happens best when it is done both at school and at home. Below are some ways that you can help your child continue to learn about the theme of RESPECT through practicing it, talking about it, and/or reading about it!

• Practice it: Think about the specific needs and preferences of everyone in your house. Make a list. Spend one week together trying to be mindful of each other’s needs and wants. Talk about the effects this experiment has on your family.

• Talk about it: Here are some discussion points to help you talk about RESPECT with you child

• What do you think it means to be respectful and why is it important?

• What are some ways you can be more respectful at home, at school and in the community?

• Are there any ways that you would like me to be more respectful to you?

• What are some reasons it can be hard to be respectful?

• Read about it: Here are some books to help you learn more about RESPECT

• Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watson

• Dude That’s Rude by Pamela Espeland

Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller

• Each Friday the H.O.P.E. Packs Program offers a weekend bag of food for children who meet one of the following requirements:

• a) your child has received a H.O.P.E. Pack in the past, or

• b) your child has been eligible for free or reduced lunch, or

• c) your household income is low.

• The food is intended to be kid-friendly, easy to prepare, and to supply supplemental food over the weekend. The bags are not to be opened until your child gets home.

• To sign up for this free program, contact Mrs. Conley, School Counselor at Sycamore Creek Elementary School. She can be reached either by phone: (614)834-6200 or by e-mail: Dawn_Conley@plsd.us.

This program is not the PLSD Food Service program.

This is a supplemental food program offered by Violet Baptist Church and they get their food from Mid Ohio Food Bank.

Meal Prices

Breakfast - $1.80

Lunch - Elementary and Middle School - $3.25

Adding Money to Your Child's Lunch Account

1. Food service payments can be made at mypaymentsplus.com. My Payments Plus Parent Helpline 1-877-237-0946

2. You can send in cash or check with your child. We also accept cash and checks made payable to “PLSD Food Service” in the kitchen. No change will be given and funds will be deposited into the student’s meal account.

Free and Reduced Meals

PLSD participates in the USDA National School Lunch Program. Parents/guardians can apply for free and reduced meals by completing an application which can be found on the PLSD website. Applications for free and reduced meals must be completed each school year.

Notification of eligibility determination is emailed from our point of sale system (Solana), or mailed to the parent/guardian stating if the application was approved for free, reduced, or denied.

Free – student may receive one breakfast and one lunch daily at no cost

Reduced - breakfast is .30 and lunch is .40

Denied – application does not meet USDA eligibility requirements and meals are full pay

If you have any questions, you can reach the food service office at 614-833-3645