Ada Elementary Newsletter

We welcome you back for a new school year! This is such an exciting time for us and hopefully for you and your family!

We have a few new faces and changes this school year. We welcome two new education aides to our building, Ms. Paula Bevery and Mr. Collin Stephens. Also, Mrs. Katie Ulrey will serve as a teacher assistant in the preschool. Mrs. Smittle has moved from teaching kindergarten to first grade this year. Additionally we have new staff from Midwest Regional ESC in our school building as well. We welcome Mr. Zack Spence (SWSD unit), Ms. Alexandra Manley and Ms. Laura Tattrie (both preschool).

Open House will be held on Monday, August 19 from 6:30-8:00 and the first day of school is Wednesday, August 21! We can't wait to see all of you and begin a new journey with you.

There will be a lot to share with you throughout the year. Make sure you follow us online at Facebook and/or Twitter to see all of the exciting things that are going on.

Finally, thank you to all of you who have completed your forms in FinalForms. For those that have yet to complete your forms, they should be completed by the start of the new school year. If there are any changes to your address, phone or other important information throughout the year, you can update your forms at any time.

The Ada Elementary Staff would like to welcome you to the 2019-2020 school year! Together we have the opportunity to help shape the future! It is the goal of the elementary staff to provide your child with a supportive and caring environment that develops self-esteem, self-motivation, and a sense of responsibility. We strive to provide many opportunities for successful student academic achievements.

We encourage parents to be actively involved in the education of their children. We invite you to participate and help enrich your child’s experience. Please read the K-12 Student/Parent Handbook at www.adabulldogs.org and refer to it for information such as school times, lunch prices, absence notification, code of conduct, busing, and emergency weather information.

We hope all students have a very enjoyable and successful school year. Please read this Newsletter for additional information. If any personal information changes (address, phone number, and/or emergency contacts) throughout the school year please update Final Forms as soon as possible. If you should have any questions or concerns, please call the elementary office at 419-634-2341.

School begins at 8:35 a.m. each morning, the doors from the foyer to the high school and elementary offices will be locked. Visitors will be able to enter the foyer

where school personnel will then be able to buzz them in and to use the intercom if necessary. Our main focus is for the safety of our students while maintaining an environment that welcomes the community into the school.

Student drop off and pick up will be at the north entrance (off of North Street, State Route 81) to the building. The south parking lot is reserved for bus traffic only. Please do not drop your students off before 8:10 a.m. The building will not be open until 8:15 a.m. Please follow the established traffic pattern and follow the directions of the school staff and SRO to keep the area safe.

Parents/guardians may walk their child to class at the beginning of the school year as students adjust to school life. However, beginning on Monday, September 9, parents may only take their child as far as the foyer.

Visitors to our school are reminded to sign-in and sign-out in the elementary office. Visitor badges will be provided and must be worn while visiting in our school.

Eligible students are placed on a bus route to their Ada residence. Students must go their regularly scheduled dismissal way each day unless a written parent note is received. If students are to go to a sitter on a regular basis, a bus request form must be completed and approved by the transportation supervisor. If a change in the student’s regular dismissal is necessary, please inform the teacher or office by written note.

No transportation changes will be made after 2:00 p.m. for that day. Written notes may be sent with your child to school and given to the homeroom teacher or turned into the office by 9:00 a.m. for same day changes.

All walkers should enter from Grand Avenue. The bike racks will be located by the south entrance to the building. All bike riders are to walk the bikes down the sidewalk and mount their bike once they are clear of foot and vehicle traffic. Those who are crossing the street should be encouraged to walk the bike across the street, then mount the bike and ride off. We also suggest that students use bike locks to help safeguard their bike while in the bike racks.

Hot lunches are offered to the students each day. Kindergarten thru fifth grade student lunches cost $2.15. Sixth grade lunches are $2.40. Extra milk is .50 cents. Breakfast is $1.25. Kindergarten snack milk is .50 cents a day regardless of free or reduced. Elementary students may pay for their lunch or milk by the day, week or any amount parent(s) prefer. Students that pay for more than one lunch should bring their money in an envelope with their name and the classroom teacher’s name identified.

All students will have a lunch account through the cafeteria. Parents are encouraged to deposit lunch money to the account. Students may purchase extra food items or milk on their account if they have a positive balance. Parents can block this feature on the account and not allow their child to purchase additional items. They can request this block through the cafeteria.

Parents can also now check lunch balances from the school website at www.adabulldogs.org to check your child’s cafeteria account balance, follow the instructions given to log in. You will need your child’s four digit student ID number to use as a pin number. This is the same number that your child currently uses in the cafeteria. Balances will automatically update daily.

Food and Nutrition Services have on-line menus. Follow the instructions below to view our current menu:

Go to – www.adabulldogs.org

Go to – Food and Nutrition Services

Go to – Menus

Go to – Going Green Menus and click on it

Type in – Your name, Email address, Confirm email

Click on the box for Ada School Menus

Click on sign up - You will receive a menu each month by email

We will follow the expectations set in our Behavior Matrix.

Additionally:

• Parents may eat a school lunch with their child by checking and signing in, at the elementary office and taking a visitor’s badge. Outside food will not be permitted in the cafeteria.
• No take-out food will be permitted in the cafeteria. Students may not order out food or have food delivered or brought to them during school hours without prior approval from the principal. Any outside food that is brought to the school will be eaten in the office not the cafeteria. Deliveries during school hours are considered unnecessary interruptions of learning.

When you find yourself in need of assistance with educational planning, interpretation of test scores, occupational and career information, study help, help with home, school and/or social concerns, you should feel free to contact the guidance secretary to arrange an appointment with our counselor, Mrs. Breidenbach.

Each class usually plans three parties a year, one in the fall, one at Christmas time, and one around Valentine’s Day. At other times, students who want to share birthday treats are welcome to bring enough for all in the class. Please check with your teacher about how many students and the best time to celebrate. We do not allow distributing invitations to personal parties at school unless all children in the class are invited.

In order to maintain a minimum of class disruptions, it is preferred that student balloons or flowers not be delivered to the school. However, in very special situations we can call students to the office for pick up at the end of the day. Please keep in mind that glass vases, large flower arrangements and balloon bouquets are not allowed on the bus.

Ada Schools (K-12) will hold two hour early dismissals typically on the last Tuesday of each month to hold professional development sessions for the staff. The following dates are scheduled:

• Tuesday, September 24
• Tuesday, October 29
  
• Tuesday, November 19
  
• Tuesday, January 28
  
• Tuesday, February 25
  
• Tuesday, March 31
  
• Friday, April 24

Additionally we will have professional development days for staff. There is no school for students on these days. Professional development days are:

• Monday, September 16, 2019
• Monday, October 24, 2019
• Friday, February 14, 2019

Fall picture day for Ada Elementary will be Thursday, October 10. Retakes will be on Thursday, November 14. Spring pictures will be Monday, March 23.

It is imperative that students be in attendance each school day in order not to miss a significant portion of their education. Many important lessons are learned through active participation in classroom and other school activities which cannot be replaced by individual study. Unexcused absence from school (truancy) is not acceptable.

If a student will be absent, parents must notify the Elementary Office (419-634-2341) for grades K-6 before 9:00 a.m. the morning of the absence and provide an explanation. When no excuse is provided, the absence will be unexcused and the student will be identified as truant for that school day.

A student whose parent/guardian has called in more than 5 days of absences per semester will receive an unexcused absence for every day over 5 days unless a medical excuse or legal appointment is presented to the office. Parents will receive a letter when a student has accumulated 5 parent excuses in a semester.

A student cannot have more than 18 days of total absences in a year. In order to receive credit for half AM attendance, a student may not sign out before 12:00. In order to receive credit for half day PM attendance, a student must sign in before 12:00. Arrival to school by 9:20 a.m. is considered tardy. Arrival after 9:20 a.m., but before 12:00, will be counted as an AM absence.

Procedures for tardies (grades K-5)

3 unexcused tardies – parents notified in writing

Ongoing tardiness - parent meeting will be conducted with the principal and SRO

ALL tardies are considered unexcused. Tardiness will only be excused by a written medical note or if the student was on a late bus.

Fair participation (New): Students participating in the fair will need to complete a Fair Attendance Request Form available in the elementary office which requires a signature of the parent and advisor prior to the absence.

Please see the student handbook for more attendance information.

Cell phone usage of any kind during the school day for elementary students K-5 is prohibited. Phones, if brought to school, must remain in the students' backpack and turned to silent or off.

The State of Ohio mandates evacuation, safety, and tornado drills for all schools in the state. Drills will be coordinated by the principals and carried out by staff members.

We will conduct 3 School Safety Drills every school year according to state requirements. Students will not be released during a “Lock Down” due to security reasons. The facility will be secured and only Law Enforcement will be allowed to enter during this time period.

The Honor Roll will be based on academic subjects only. Band, vocal music, art, handwriting, and physical education will not be counted in earning recognition for the honor roll. Placement on the honor roll will be based upon the grades earned on the nine weeks report card for reading, mathematics, writing, social studies and science/health.

Three different honor rolls will be compiled. The “All A” Honor Roll and the “A-B” Honor Roll will be listed. The “All A” Honor Roll will be awarded based upon the earning of the grade of A in all academic work. The “A-B” Honor Roll will have a minimum requirement of B’s or better in all academic work. An “Improvement” Honor Roll will be awarded during the second, third, and fourth grading periods. Students that have improved grades in at least two subjects and have not decreased in any subject will qualify for this award.

Ben Thaxton - Principal

Robin VanBuskirk - Director of Teaching and Learning

Tracy Breidenbach - Guidance

Alane Collins - Administrative Assistant

Jean Stavenger - Office Assistant

Website: https://www.adabulldogs.org/2/home
Location: 725 West North Avenue, Ada, OH, USA
Phone: 419-634-2341
Facebook: www.facebook.com/adabulldogs
Twitter: @Ada_Schools