PRM School Rocker

Greetings PRM Families,

December brings the signs of winter and all the celebrations and traditions associated with the season. We will also close out the first semester of the 2023 school year as we anticipate with great hope the positive changes of the new year. We have been working tirelessly to provide high-quality Montessori instruction and to equip students with the necessary tools to become productive citizens of the world. Your partnership means so much on our journey to success.

I invite you to participate in the learning process and build positive relationships with your child’s teachers by attending conferences, school events, and volunteering whenever possible. Your presence is always welcome. We will host 2nd quarter parent conferences on Thursday, December 7th, from 3:00-6:00pm. We hope you can secure a preferred conference time to discuss your child's progress.

We need your help. We still have many students coming to school late every day. Please do your best to ensure your child is at school by 7:40am. We also need to ensure that students are not sent to school when ill. It is flu season, and several viruses have been going around, including COVID. Please help us keep our school healthy and safe by not sending your child to school when sick.

I sincerely hope you will have a safe and enjoyable holiday season with your family and friends. We are excited about the classroom celebrations and community events that we are preparing to showcase our students' talents and celebrate the spirit of the season. Be sure to view the dates for upcoming events included in this newsletter so that you can plan to attend as many events as possible.

Love,

Principal Simpson & Asst. Principal Brown

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

7:40am-2:10pm

Thursday, December 7th~Parent Teacher Conferences from 3:00-6:00pm at PRM

Saturday, December 9th~PRM Handmade Market from 10:00am-3:00pm

prmrocks.org/prmhandmademarket

Wednesday, December 13~LSDMC Meeting @ 3:00pm (virtual)

Wednesday, December 13th~Gingerbread House Party from 6:00-8:00pm at PRM

Thursday, December 14th~ Winter Music Performances 5-7pm at PRM

Friday, December 15~End of second quarter

Monday, December 18 through Monday, January 1~ No School: Winter Break

Tuesday, January 2 ~ School resumes, beginning of 3rd quarter

Event updates throughout the month will be available on www.prmrocks.org/calendar

*You can also subscribe to the calendar on your device- find the green “subscribe” button on the top right side of the calendar page.

The Cincinnati Public Schools Magnet and High School lottery is now open for all high schools, magnet schools and programs, siblings, and out-of-neighborhood applications through March 1, 2024.

For the past two years, CPS placed and assigned students from PRM to Clark Montessori High School. CPS is no longer offering this option to families due to Clark Montessori High School's limited available seats, making sure the process and prioritization remains aligned to existing board policies. Returning to this process ensures the application submission remains equitable for all and follows the east-west designation based on the student's home address. Please note applications are not processed in a first-come-first-served order.

All rising 7th-grade students interested in Clark or any other high school must apply through the lottery. To register for the lottery, you must create an account in Focus - CPS' new student information system for the 2024-2025 school year. Instructions were sent home with students in Wednesday folders December 6th.

In addition, we will soon announce a parent meeting in partnership with district officials to discuss further, answer questions, and provide application assistance. Stay tuned for meeting dates and times.

For more information or to begin the lottery application process, please visit www.cps-k12.org/lottery or contact CPS Customer Care at 513-363-0123. If you have direct questions for PRM, please call us at 513-363-4400 during school hours. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

We would like to welcome Ms. Paige Matthews to our office staff team. We truly appreciate the knowledge and efficiency she has brought to our school. She comes to us from Woodford Elementary School. She has been with CPS for several years as a senior support specialist.

Ms. Andrea Ehoodin's last day with CPS was Friday, December 1st. We are so grateful for her valuable contributions as she begins her new journey with another organization.

We will be welcoming additional team members after the first of the year. Ms. Judith Miller will be supporting us from the Clerical Resource Team until our new members are onboarded.

Please be kind and considerate as we work through these challenges. Your patience is appreciated.

3-6 News:

The 3-6 team is working hard to finish up the second quarter of school along with everyone else. The Kindergarteners will be doing their winter assessments for iReady reading and math. Please dress your child appropriately for the weather, as we will go to recess whenever possible. Hats and gloves are a good idea now, too. Speaking of hats and gloves, if you know of something your student is missing, please come to check the lost and found (during office hours), as it is overflowing with coats, lunch boxes, and more.

The school will have a spirit week, December 11-15, the last week of school before winter break. Some communities will learn about some of the larger holidays of December, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Some communities will have a winter party or celebration. Check with your child's teacher about how they plan to celebrate. Please enjoy the time off with your family and friends.

6-9 News:

The 6-9 Team has been very busy with our academic learning over the past few months! Students are working on fractions, time, money, and measurements in their math lessons and continuing to build fluency and writing skills during language instructions. Most classrooms are diving into large vocabulary during cultural lessons where many are learning about North America, the United States, biomes, or different types of animals. This is our last week for Outdoor Education until the spring.

We are finishing up our middle-of-the-year assessments and will be able to share those results with you at conferences next week!

We request that you help your child prepare for these upcoming chilly days. Please encourage them to wear coats, hats, and gloves to school. Many students still arrive with a thin zip-up jacket and then complain when we have outdoor recess. If you need any winter clothing, please let us know, as PRM is hosting a beautiful coat drive right now.

9-12 News:

Many exciting things are happening in the 9-12 classrooms. We are working hard to finish the second quarter strong! Please make sure your child is reading for at least 20 minutes daily. Also, PLEASE send your child to school with their planner, computer, AND charger every single day! Last week, our 9-12 students finished ELA winter diagnostic testing and will prepare to take Math winter diagnostic and MAP Science assessments this week. We look forward to meeting with you on December 7th for Parent Teacher Conferences. Contact your child's homeroom teacher if you still want to schedule a conference. The fourth graders have started their field trips to the Art Museum. The homerooms that have gone have reported that they had a great time. Coming up in February... 9-12 science classes will have a visit from the Cincinnati Observatory. Don't forget...Holiday Spirit Week is next week!!! We hope everyone has a wonderful winter break and look forward to our return in January.

News from the Specialist Team:

Library:

Exciting things are happening in the library! This month, for all 6-9 and 9-12 classes, we wrap up watching Akeela and the Bee in preparation for Spelling Bee tryouts next week!

Kindergarten is finishing up a review of the alphabet.

Look for amazing changes to library in January. I have recently begun my Masters in Literacy and have a dream of converting the Library Special into more of a Literacy Lab (thank you, Ms. Jackie, for the name suggestion!). To that end, I'm working closely with Kate Metersky in preparation for dividing 6-9 classes into reading-level groups to focus on reading intervention. These flexible groupings will allow students to move from one group to another as they master specific skills. I'll also be working with Ms. Jackie to create a separate reading curriculum for those identified as gifted in reading!

Art with Ms. Kate:

More News Coming Soon!

Outdoor Education:

Outdoor education is wrapping up for the fall semester. We've enjoyed celebrating our time with your students by painting rocks to decorate the garden and making garland bird feeders for the birds visiting the garden. We will be back with in-person classes in the garden in March. Have a wonderful winter!

Gifted & Enrichment with Ms. Bonfield:

More News Coming Soon!

PTO & Equity:

There will be NO MEETINGS in December for PTO or Equity. Both groups look forward to meeting again on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024. A huge THANK YOU to those who donated time and resources to make Grandparents and Special Friends Day a success. It was a morning filled with student performances, heartwarming stories, and lots of proud grandparents. Thank you also for contributing to the classroom Thanksgiving Boxes. We are grateful to have such a giving community at PRM.

Tomorrow (12/7), PTO will feed the PRM Staff to express our appreciation for all their hard work. Support us and our teachers by clicking the link below to donate items:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084FACA82FA7FDC43-45448593-chili#/

The Gingerbread House Party will be on December 13 from 6:00-8:00pm at PRM. Don’t forget to buy your tickets. Questions can be sent to event champions, Sam Frazier samfrayz08@gmail.com or Ashlee Tuke ashleetuke@gmail.com

Champions Needed! If you have experience with event planning or are willing to learn, please contact Eva Borho, PTO President, at prmptoprez@gmail.com for more details. We would love to have an individual champion for each day of Staff Appreciation Week in early May and co-champions for the Spring Luau on Friday, April 26.

Have a great winter break; remember, the best way to stay connected is at PRMRocks.org. If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to subscribe to emails https://prmrocks.orgemailupdates/

Foundation:

Save the date and line up those babysitters! The Foundation's Annual Fund Silent Auction Party is back in person this year! The Silent Auction will run virtually starting Wednesday, January 24th, and end during the in-person, adults-only party at the Nine Giant Fermentorium on Saturday, January 27th. Questions? Please contact prsfpres@gmail.com.

ILT:

The instructional leadership team meets on the first and third Monday of the month. ILT is currently dividing up the classroom supply fund among staff. This fund is used for staff to purchase the supplies they need for students with a focus on Montessori materials.

Spirit Week for students will be the week before winter break. Details came home in Wednesday folders. Looking ahead: Transition Day will be May 15th, and Field Day is May 17th.

LSDMC:

The Local School Decision-Making Committee comprises representatives from the school staff, the principal, community members, and parents, and it acts as the primary governing body of the school. The LSDMC will meet virtually on Wednesday, December 13th, at 3:00pm. This will be the start of three months of virtual meetings to ensure we do not have any weather-related cancellations. Please reference the prmrocks.org calendar for the Google Meet code.

During the last LSDMC meeting, members reviewed the approved One Plan working document that outlines PRM's academic goals. We also discussed the school's Culture & Climate initiative, noting how LSDMC members could assist. In addition, representatives attended the November district LSDMC meeting, where PRM's Equity Group members were recognized for creating a model program.

Boosters:

All 12 of our basketball teams are excited to start the season. PRM will host home basketball games on Sunday, December 10th, and Friday, December 15th. Watching the teams learn and grow throughout the season is always fun. Games will be played at home on various weekends through February. Our cheer team will also be at several home games throughout the season. Information about all booster opportunities can be found at www.prmrocks.org/athletics, and any questions can be directed to prmathletics@gmail.com.

PRM community, The CLC Center is here to provide various services you may need. Contact our Resource Coordinator- Ms. Monique Johnson, at johnmon@cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

• We have to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our wonderful volunteers who participated in many of the activities at PRM during November. You all truly ROCK!

• PRM community, I want to send a huge virtual hug to you all. We provided 70 Thanksgiving Boxes to our families and community members at PRM. If you helped, thank you for your time, dedication, commitment, and service. It has not gone unnoticed. I also want to thank our many partners who also assisted in making this happen: PRM Foundation, PRM PTO, Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, Crossroad Church-Oakley, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, Kroger, Meijer’s, Aldi, all the volunteers.

• Coat Drive- We have collected coats for our Annual Coat Drive. The committee has been working hard to ensure the coats are ready for distribution this week. Let us know if you would like a coat or if you know someone who needs a coat or winter accessories. Our students are picking out their coats this week, and our families can shop on Thursday, December 7th, during our 2nd Quarter Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3-6 pm.

• Lost and Found- Our lost and found area is overflowing with items. If your child has misplaced or lost any of their items, we want to encourage you to come by the school and retrieve any of the items. Mrs. Birgit Hooker and her daughter have been keeping the area looking good and posting many of the items on our Facebook page. All unclaimed items will be donated on Friday, December 15th.

• Classroom Holiday Parties and Events- Your child’s teachers will reach out to you about holiday parties and festivities that are being planned. Be on the lookout for upcoming activities and volunteer opportunities.

• Winterfest- We are excited about this year's program that will be held on Thursday, December 14th, from 5 to 7:30 pm. Our students have been preparing for weeks for this extensive performance, and we would love for every one of you to join us in this holiday celebration.

• PRM Handmade Market- It's Back Bigger and Better! The market is Saturday, December 9th, from 8 am-3 pm. Over 40 or more vendors will be selling all types of items, along with about 20 of our students selling them. So stop by and grab some items!

• PRM Gingerbread House Making Party- Who is ready for this special annual holiday celebration? This event will take place on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. There are two time slots to choose from: 6 pm or 7 pm. The cost is $5.00 per family, and you can register on our PRM Rocks webpage at https://prmrocks.org/event/gingerbread/. They are also looking for volunteers to help with this event.

• Open this link: https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/dytehcwq

• Enter event ID#: dytehcwq

• High School Lottery- The portal opened today, and we want to encourage our 6th-grade students and families to sign up for the high school of their choice. Letters went home today in each 6th grader Wednesday folder with important information about the lottery. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the school.

• Clark Tours/Shadow Day- They do not have any open slots for Junior High shadowing or tours. Due to capacity, they cannot open additional slots for the remainder of the 23-24 school year.

• Help is Available for you!

If you need assistance with food, housing, health care, utilities, jobs, childcare, or other expenses, please contact your child’s School Resource Coordinator. They are always available to assist you with your needs or answer any questions.

• If you are looking for something to do, Check out Michaels. They have in-store and online free classes for the entire family. Click on the link and see what you can get into. Link: https://www.michaels.com/classes

• Skating + Bumper Cars are Now Open-November 1-February 22- Click the link to reserve your skating time.

Ice Rink Link: https://myfountainsquare.com/ice-rink/

• Kennedy Heights Art Center- is offering Winter Camp classes for students 5-12 years old! Tuition is $40.00 per day with financial assistance if needed. Check out the flyer below for more information.

• Coney Island’s Night of Lights- is a Holiday classic your family will love. You will drive through the region’s largest synchronized holiday light spectacular show while experiencing more than two million lights synchronized to a mix of traditional and rocking holiday music. Visitors of all ages will be awed by the Christmas trees, snowflakes, dancing candy canes, fantastic tunnel lights, and so much more! You can check out the light show every day, rain or shine, until January 2, 2023. For more information and tickets, click on the link. https://coneyislandpark.com/event/holiday-light-show/?keyword=NightsOfLights

• Festival of Lights- Cincinnati Zoo- The zoo has become a Wild light show for all to enjoy. The show runs from November 18, 2023, through January 8, 2023. The activities start at 4 pm and end at 9 pm on the weekdays and at 10 pm on the weekends. Click on the link for tickets and more information. https://cincinnatizoo.org/events/festival-of-lights/

CPS has updated the Code of Conduct to include more restorative practices, clearer language around offenses, and suggested responses.

Please keep the electronic link to the Code of Conduct handy for your records. There will not be paper copies printed this school year.

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

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us
Website: www.prmrocks.org
Location: 5945 Montgomery Road
Phone: 513-363-4400