PRM School Rocker

Greetings PRM Families,

Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! We have persevered and learned a lot over the last 18 months. I am so inspired by the strength of this community and our ability to make the best out of the most difficult situations. This hasn't been easy for any of us. It is important that we continue to be considerate of each other and open to the progress we can only make as a united community of students, parents, staff, and partners.

If we haven't had a chance to meet or interact, my name is Ms. Amber Simpson (Principal Simpson). I am thrilled to begin my 3rd year as the instructional leader at PRM and my 23rd year in Cincinnati Public Schools. I am a proud member of this community and a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. I am the parent of a phenomenal daughter Zora, who will begin 7th grade this school year. I attended a Montessori school from PreK-6th grade. I am also a Montessori ages 9-12 trained teacher. It is my great honor to lead this remarkable school community along with my amazing assistant principal, Tina Stegman and this awesome staff.

We are so excited to start the year with in-person learning 5 days a week. It is our sincere hope that we are able to keep our students in school for the entire school year. Let's all do our part to help make this happen. Please review the safety protocols, school procedures, and communication resources provided in this newsletter.

Remember, we are all in this together. Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions or concerns. We hope to see many of you at our Back to School Open House on Tuesday, August 17th from 5pm-7pm. Please see the flyer below for more details. We value your partnership as we look forward to a successful year!

Love,

Principal Simpson

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us
Phone: 513-203-9087

7:45am-2:15pm

ILT Meeting~ Monday, August 16th @ 2:45pm

PreK-K Parent Orientation~ Monday, August 16th @ 6:30pm

Back to School Open House Event~Tuesday, August 17th 5-7pm

Million Fathers March~Thursday, August 19th 7:15-8am

CPS Board Meeting~ Monday, August 23rd 6:30pm

Labor Day~ No School Monday, September 6th

PTO Meeting~ Wednesday, September 8th 6:30pm

CPS Board Meeting~ Monday, September 13th 6:30pm

ILT Meeting~ Monday, September 20th 2:45pm

No School Staff Professional Development Day~ Monday, September 27th

CPS Board Meeting~ Monday, September 27th 6:30pm

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17IRPdq6SPuhmldRJ_mJZ5X0njVDR_CRYhKT5NeRcqiE/edit

Masks are required to be worn in all Cincinnati Public School buildings. They are also recommended during outdoor school events where social distancing is not able to be accommodated.

Be sure that your child has a mask that covers the mouth and nose. Please support us by teaching your child to wear the mask properly covering the mouth and nose except for when eating or during an individual mask break provided by the teacher.

Please click the link to the full document below. We will notify families immediately if there are any updates or changes.

Please help us by following these procedures:

• Arrival begins at 7:40am. Please do not arrive before 7:30am so that our staff can park and get in place.
• Masks must be worn on our campus and/or when dropping off and picking up students.
• Please be courteous to our staff. We are only trying to keep everyone safe.
• The park and walk option is available at the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church. You may park your car and escort your student to the proper arrival entrance.
• Please be mindful of your speed. The School Zone speed limit is 20mph. Please keep your speed to 15mph when driving on campus. Citations will be given for violations.
• There is no drop-off on Montgomery Rd. This is not safe. The police officer on duty will be giving citations if this happens.
• When dropping off students in the car line, please make sure they are ready to exit the car from the passenger side with all of their belongings. We want to keep things moving as efficiently as possible.
• Families dropping off a PreK student must merge to the right side of the carline for morning dropoff. The staff will complete the safety check and escort the student and any siblings to the PreK entrance.
• Dismissal is from 2:05-2:15pm. Please do not arrive too early for the carline. The gate will not open until 1:50pm. You can minimize frustration and wait time by timing your arrival according to the dismissal times for your child's grade level or floor. (See Arrival/Dismissal document below)
• Be sure to select a daily dismissal method for your child and stick to it. Dismissal changes must be communicated to the teacher in writing 24 hours in advance or the morning of the change. Students will be sent home the normal way if this communication is not received. There is no early dismissal after 1:40pm.

• Please watch out for our staff as they support traffic flow on Montgomery Rd.
• Be prepared for your child(ren) to be loaded into your car on the passenger side only.
• Please pull forward once your child(ren) loads the car. You may buckle them in further up the driveway.
• Please follow safe distancing guidelines and school signage when waiting for your child to come out for walker dismissal.
• You may park at the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church to walk over to pick up your child in the front. Students may not walk to the church parking lot without a parent.
• Keep the positive energy flowing. We are in this together!

Welcome back to a new and exciting 2021-2022 School Year!

The office staff will be in the building Monday- Friday 7:30am-3:00pm if you need assistance. Please be sure to bring your mask and practice safe social distancing when visiting. Appointments are preferred.

We are excited to welcome our teaching staff back to the building beginning August 16th. If you need to contact them for any reason please use the attached staff email list.

We are pleased to welcome the following new staff members to the PRM team:

• Denisha Brazzle~ 3-6 paraprofessional
• Amber Williams~ 3-6 paraprofessional
• Tori Wilson~ 3-6 paraprofessional
• Beth Jones~ 6-9 paraprofessional
• Claire Birmaher~ 6-9 paraprofessional
• Amber Mallory~ 1:1 paraprofessional
• Nikila Shekaran~ 6-9 teacher (replacing Kaitlyn Metersky)
• Andrea Tell Summers~ 6-9 teacher (replacing Roseann Warburg)
• Chavonne Taylor~ 6-9 teacher (replacing Megan Kline)
• Brittany Wells~ 6-9 teacher (replacing Catherine Guimaraes)
• Bethany Houlihan~ 9-12 teacher (replacing Jasmine Rollins)
• Morgan Makinin~ 9-12 teacher (replacing Erica Watson)
• Aimee James~ 9-12 teacher (replacing Christina North)
• Leroy Brazile~ security
• Jerome Thomas~ ALC paraprofessional/Mindpeace Room Facilitator
• Terra Brulport~ School Nurse
• Ally Oakes~ Strings teacher

We are partners in this work. Teachers are always willing and available to address concerns, support students, and assist parents as needed. You will receive specific information from your child's classroom teacher regarding their methods and procedures.

We will continue to share news and updates in our monthly school newsletter The PRM School Rocker. We will also communicate using robocalls and robo emails. Please be sure to provide the school with current phone numbers, home address, and email so you don't miss any important news. You may check the school website PRMROCKS.org and the PTO Sponsored Facebook page for updates as well.

Community News: Join us for the Back to school Open House Event on Tuesday, August 17th from 5-7pm! Supply Drop off, Meet the Teachers, Food Trucks, Tie dye, Info Table, Uniform Exchange (free gently used uniforms), Free Ice Cream Social, Spirit wear, Boosters, Foundation, Community Partners and More!! On the first day of school, the men’s group and Ms. Simpson invite caregivers to the Million Fathers March to welcome the students back to the first day of school on August 19th!

Parent Organization Updates

Welcome back for the 2021-2022 School Year! It will be a year of new beginnings and a time to start fresh! We invite all to check out the Connection Flyer to introduce or remind families about how to be connected and about all the parent groups. The Big Flyer: Connecting you to PRM! We need volunteers at our Back to school event, if you are able, please click here.

Girl Scouts: Anyone interested in signing their kindergarten (and up) daughter for Girl Scouts can contact Diane O’Brian at dianeobrian@gmail.com for more information.

Upcoming Meetings and Dates

CPS Board Meeting - Monday, August 9th 6:30p

Back to School Open House Event - Tuesday, August 17th 5-7p

Million Fathers March - Thursday, August 19th

CPS Board Meeting - Monday, August 23rd 6:30p

Labor Day - No School Monday, September 6th

PTO Meeting - Wednesday, September 8th 6:30p

CPS Board Meeting - Monday, September 13th 6:30p

ILT Meeting - Monday, September 20th 2:45p

No School Staff Professional Development Day - Monday, September 27th

CPS Board Meeting - Monday, September 27th 6:30p

What are “Buddy Families”? Organized by the PRM Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), “Buddy Families” matches existing school families with new families to help ensure a smooth transition to PRM. Buddy Family Ambassadors will assist New Families with answering questions, connecting to Room Parents, providing information about school programs and events, and in general, supporting new families throughout the year as they become part of our school community. New Buddy Family Students will receive a FREE PRM T-shirt that can be worn as their uniform shirt! Go to prmrocks.org/buddy to sign up! Existing families willing to help out go to prmrocks.org/ambassador

Welcome Back, we are so glad that you are here to learn and grow with us. The CLC Center is here to provide you with various services that you may need. Feel free to contact either our Resource Coordinator- Ms. Monique Johnson at johnmon@cpsboe.k12.oh.us or our Asst. School Community Coordinator- Mrs. Jamie Donaldson at donalja@cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

• CRC After-School Care at PRM is currently full. There is a waiting list at this time if you are interested.

• Mayerson JCC has a couple more open spaces for their after-school care.

• YMCA Before & After-School Care is back up and running and is currently accepting applications.

• Bootsy Collins Foundation is hosting their Annual Operation Backpack on Saturday, August 14th from 1-4pm at the Cincinnati Museum Rotunda. This event is free to the public with free admissions to the Science & History Museum.

• Million Fathers March is quickly upon us and we would like to see as many men out at PRM to welcome our students on the 1st Day of School- see flyer above for more information.

Community Resources:

• Fresh Produce and Food Drive Thru Distribution at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, every Wednesday from 4:30-6:30 pm. Let them know that you are PRM

• Community Happens Here- Family Happy Hour- every Saturday in April from 11am to 1pm. Stop by to enjoy a free slushie and some great conversation.

• YMCA offers a new class: Salsannati which is a Salsa and Bachata Dance Lesson.

• Cares Act Rent and Utility Assistance- If you or someone you know is in need of financial assistance due to Covid-19, you can click on the link below to fill out an application https://hcjfsonbase.jfs.hamilton-co.org/AppNet/UnityForm.aspx?key=UFKey or you can contact myself- Monique Johnson by phone at 513-363-4429 or through email at johnmon@cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

Cincinnati Public Schools is now a 1:1 student device District. This means that every CPS student has or will be issued a device to use as an educational tool. CPS preschool and kindergarten students are provided iPads. Students in grades 1–6 receive Yoga laptops. Due to the structure of the Montessori program, all 1st graders will exchange the iPad issued to them last school year for a Yoga laptop. This exchange will occur on September 1st during the school day. Please be sure that your child has their iPad to exchange on this day.

If your child returned his/her device at the end of last school year it will be reissued during the first two weeks of school. Devices for students new to CPS will also be distributed during this time.

Cincinnati Public Schools:

513-363-0123

Child Mental Health Crisis

Cincinnati Children's Hospital PIRC intake line:

513-636-4124

Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect:

513-241-KIDS

Suicide Prevention Hotline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Textline:

Text 4HOPE to 741741

Disaster Distress Helpline:

1-800-985-5990

Domestic Violence Hotline via Women Helping Women:

513-381-5610

Our Character Program centers around:

Respect, Ownership, Compassion, Kindness and Safety, Safety, Safety!

Below are the three school-wide expectations that we expect students to follow throughout all parts of our learning community. Please support us by reinforcing these at home.

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be a Problem Solver

Website: https://pleasantridge.cps-k12.org/about
Location: 5945 Montgomery Road
Phone: 513-363-4400