PRM School Rocker April 2021

Greetings PRM Families,

We are blooming with excitement now that we have our students in school 5-days a week! Our staff is working so hard to meet the learning and safety needs of our school. We thank you for your support and consideration as we navigate this transition.

It is our goal to finish the year strong and to ensure that our procedures are efficient and eliminate frustration. Your support is needed with the following arrival and dismissal procedures:

• Safe arrival begins at 7:45am. Please do not arrive before 7:40am 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 now 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.
• Safe dismissal is from 1:50-2:15pm. 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!

As our city begins to relax some of the safety measures that have been in place over the last year, let us not lose sight of our commitment to the health and safety of our family and school community. Please continue to use caution and be safe as you enjoy the beautiful weather and the awesome businesses in our region. We want all of our families to feel confident that our school is safe for students to attend every day.

Our 4th Quarter conference date has been changed to Thursday, April 22nd. Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for sign-up information in the next few weeks.

Specific details about summer learning will also be shared in the coming weeks. Secure your child's space in the PRM Summer Scholars program by returning the permission form sent home on 4/8/21 by the deadline.

Thank you for being so incredibly thoughtful and supportive as we work through the challenges of this unique school year. It is our hope that you appreciate all of the things we have gained through our perseverance. This is the best school community and I am proud to lead us on the path forward. PRM, you ROCK!

Love,

Principal Simpson

Safe Arrival~7:45-8:15am

Safe Dismissal~1:50-2:30pm

• National Poetry Month-April 1st-30th

• CPS Board Meetings - April 5th @ 6:30p, April 14th @ 4p, April 26th @ 6:30

• Summer Learning Forms Due- April 12th

• Restaurant of the Month - Catch-a-Fire Pizza, April 12th, 11a-9p

• PTO Meeting April 14th @ 6:30p

• LSDMC -April 14th @ 3pm

• High School Lottery Application Deadline- April 16th

• PRM Spring Dance For All Drive Thru Pictures - April 16th @ 6:30-7:30p, for more information, click here.

• Placement Feedback Due- April 18th at 11:59pm

• ILT - April 19th @ 2:45p

• Foundation - April 20th @ 7p

• Earth Day- April 22nd

• Title I Surveys Due- April 22nd

• Parent Teacher Conferences - April 22nd 3-6p
  

• PRM Fossil Finding Event - April 24th, for details, click here.

• PRM Equity Group - April 27th @ 6:30p, for more info, click here.

• Benken Flower Sale! www.prmrocks.org/flowers

• Foundation - April 20th @ 7p
  

• Cookbooks still available!

• LaRosa's Buddy Cards available!

Our District is committed to supporting our students and families with addressing unfinished learning and additional gaps, created as a result of the instability of school operations this school year and last spring. Our school team will be working in the coming weeks to fully develop our instructional plan for summer learning and to secure partners for the enrichment portion of the day.

We recognize that our families are anxious to make their summer plans. We sent a permission slip home with all students on April 8th with a return date of Monday, April 12th. If you will need transportation for your child to attend summer learning you may contact the office to let us know. The form is also available below.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Each year parents and guardians of students in Title I schools are asked to respond to the Title I Parent Survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather information regarding the Title I program. Parents and guardians with children in selected classrooms received a copy of the survey from their children in backpacks on April 1st. The materials in the packet include pre-slugged ScanTron forms for the designated school. Please do not fold or staple surveys because this causes machine scanning errors. All surveys should be returned to the main office by Monday, April 22, 2021.

You may also complete the survey using the link below:

https://www.cps-k12.org/news/whats-new/parent-survey-please-share-your-thoughts

We are preparing to begin the placement process for our students transitioning from kindergarten to 1st grade, 3rd grade to 4th grade, and 5th grade to 6th grade. While we do not accept parent requests, we do provide the opportunity for parents to share valuable information about student needs to support the best decision.

Please refer to the attached letter for the guidelines as to how your input can be shared. This input is due via email to Principal Simpson by Sunday, April 18th at 11:59pm. Emails received after the deadline will not be considered.

You may contact Principal Simpson at 513-363-4400 if you have any questions or concerns.

This update includes specific guidance for recess, cloth face coverings, and how to respond to a confirmed case or exposure to a confirmed case in your building. Please take the time to read the safety plan at the link below.

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

Nurse Tobi Jessenn joined the PRM school team this month. She spent time training with Nurse Meg to prepare to serve our students and families in an excellent way.

Nurse Tobi is continuing to accept Covid testing consent forms. Testing of any student with consent can be completed by Nurse Tobi on campus. The results almost always come back the next day by 6am.

If your child has symptoms consistent with Covid while at school they will be sent home and cannot return until they either have a negative Covid test or isolate for a minimum of ten days. Testing at school can markedly cut down on the amount of time they have to stay out.

You can either print off the consent form below and bring it to school or you can scan it and email it to Nurse Tobi. It must be signed.

Email: jessent@cpsboe.k12.oh.us
Phone: 513-363-4421

If a student is identified as having symptoms in a building:

• Any student who displays symptoms of COVID-19 will go to the isolation room to be evaluated by the nurse.
• Based on the nurse’s assessment, the student will be tested, ONLY if the consent document is on file.
• Parent/guardian will be called to pick up their child regardless if they are tested or not.

• Children directed to the isolation room due to displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be sent home. This is out of an abundance of caution to keep everyone safe.
• All students will be given a letter to explain the next steps.
• Students who are not tested are asked to follow up with the primary doctor.
• The principal and building staff will work to identify any students that were in close contact with any student who has a positive test result. We go back 48 hours from the onset of symptoms.

In the event of a confirmed case in a school building:

• A temporary closure (1-5 days) of a classroom, grade, or entire building will be considered so we may thoroughly clean/disinfect and conduct a risk assessment based on the potential for viral spread.
• In the case of temporary closures, all students will shift to distance learning.
• When would a classroom switch to distance learning? This decision would be made with the Health Dept. based on factors such as multiple confirmed cases in one classroom or if 6’ distancing was not followed.
• When would a school switch to distance learning? This decision would be made with the Health Dept. based on factors such as a cluster of confirmed cases in one school and/or a high percentage of staff absences.

April 2021:

• Thank you to all the teachers and families who participated in our Read Across America Activities. We had an awesome time sharing our love of reading and dressing up as our favorite book character or wearing our favorite pajamas. I want to give a huge shout-out to our community leaders for creating a book reading for everyone to enjoy.

• Thank you to our wonderful PTO for our fantastic luncheon that was provided during our Teacher Professional Development Day on Monday, March 8, 2021.

• PRM Tutoring: We have moved our tutoring program to after hours from 3-6pm. We are currently focusing on 1st grade-Reading and 4th/5th grade Math. If you have a student that needs additional support in these areas please feel free to contact Jamie Donaldson through email at donalja@cpsboe.k12.oh.us for assistance.

• CPS High School Lottery: Have you enrolled your 6th grade students up for their high school of choice. Deadline for the lottery is fast approaching. Make sure your child has a seat at one of CPS High Schools by Friday, April 16th.

• Earth Day will be a 2-day event on Thursday, April 22nd and on Saturday, April 24th. Our theme for this year is “ Watch As We Grow Together”. On April, 22nd, each class will have the opportunity to plant several flowers around our garden and school. On Saturday, April 24th- Fossil Finding Event-Students and Families will have the opportunity to dig for fossils at several Cincinnati parks. If you and your child is interested in participating in this event make sure to register your family by the end of the day on April 16, 2021. Click the link to register: https://forms.gle/DpBL3ZsQy25wQdoM6

• Imago Rangers are still going strong through our virtual unit. Please stop by and enjoy the activities that they have developed for your child. Many of the activities can be done with the entire family. This month we will focus on worms. Have you ever done a worm search? Click here to see: https://imagoearth.org/virtual-lessons/

• Are you hungry? See the flyer below to see PRM’s Breakfast and Lunch Menu.

• PRM After-School Care is still taking applications. Stop by the school, CRC, or email Monique Johnson (PRM resource coordinator at johnmon@cpsboe.k12.oh.us) for an application.

• Keep watch for the Possip Communication- The district will send out communication twice a month. We ask that you respond back to the question(s) that they are posing to us. This information is tabulated and comes directly to the CLC office and Ms. Simpson which helps us in making improvements to PRM.

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

• Frozen Meals for any age from La Soupe can be picked up every Monday from 3-6 pm at Deer Park Library (3970 E. Galbraith Rd.). For more information call 513-369-4450

• Meal Boxes for youth from UMC Food Ministry can be picked up every Monday from 3-5 pm at Pleasant Ridge Library (6233 Montgomery Rd.). For more information call 513-369-4488

• Kennedy Heights Arts Center will be offering in-person Art Summer Camp this year! They are offering a variety of one-week camps for youth exploring visual arts, media arts, dance, music, theatre, and so much more. Visit their website at www.kennedyarts.org or call 513-631-4278 to learn more.

• 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- The 15th Annual Mayor's Career Expo will be held VIRTUALLY this year on Friday, April 9th from 10a.m.-2p.m and April 30th 11-3pm. Please register for the Mayor's Expo on this site: https://jainspirecareerexpo.vfairs.com/#

• Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC)- Summer Camp is coming soon. This is a day camp that will run from 7 am-6 pm. If you need financial assistance don’t worry, they are offering scholarships. Be on the lookout for the registration forms.

• 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.

• Do you Need Assistance with your Taxes? United Way of Greater Cincinnati is offering free service and so is the Cincinnati Public Library.

• For the United Way information click on the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kkWVAyQg1tbeSYHP9LI0grMYk7PuCGRR/view?usp=sharing.

• The Library link has not come out yet, but check on their website for more information.

In the month of March, the PRM community enjoyed Read Across America day where students dressed up as their favorite characters, a virtual movie night, restaurant of the month at Chipotle and the first PRM equity meeting! Families enjoyed a much needed spring break and returned to five day in person learning.

Hola! Hello, from South America. In geography, we are traveling to South America. We will learn about several different South American countries, their flags, and the animals who live there. We will also be studying the largest biome in South America, the rainforest. We will learn about the 4 layers of the rainforest and what animals make their home in each layer. In science, we are learning about amphibians. We will learn which animals are amphibians, the characteristics that make an animal an amphibian, and the differences between reptiles and amphibians.

The 6-9 Team has loved having all of our learners back in the classroom! The hallways are lined with amazing classroom projects that students have been working on at home and in the classroom. These projects focus on each classroom's cultural studies! Our learners have loved diving into big works and enjoy using our Montessori materials every day. Students are continuing to build relationships, establish routines, and take ownership of their classroom environment. 1st and 2nd graders are building their math and language skills by having lessons with both teachers and paraprofessionals each day. Our 3rd grade students are preparing for their state test beginning on April 20th! We loved seeing their faces as they return from outdoor recess each day.

It has been wonderful having all of the students back! They are adjusting well and working hard. We are loving the beautiful weather and enjoying our recess time each day. The 9-12 team begins testing next week. Be on the lookout for a testing schedule from your homeroom teacher. In ELA we are moving into Module 4 of Wit and Wisdom. In math students are working on fractions. Thank you all for your continued support!

Happy Spring! We would love to see you at the parent meetings and hear your contributions! We are looking for a vice president of PTO for next year! No experience necessary, just a desire to build community! Check PRMRocks.org/calendar for links to meetings! Some major things to highlight this month are the restaurant of the month will be Catch-a-Fire Pizza on April 12th and there will be a PRM Spring Dance For All Drive Thru Picture event on April 16th. Enjoy a date with your student and swing by PRM for a gift and a free picture! These photos are a treasured memory and loved by many! Photos will be by Artist photographer Missy Kyrlach. Also, there will be a special Fossil Finding Event! See dates and links to details below! Thank you to all who ordered flowers for the Annual Benken Flower Sale! We had almost 200 orders! They will be ready for pick up at the school on May 1st! The PRM Equity Group will meet again on April 27th at 6:30pm.

Sports Update: Some of our soccer teams will be facing off against each other this season.

• Saturday, April 10th, PRM Boys Passers (K and 1st graders) teams will play each other at Salway Field 3 at 12:45p.
• Saturday, May 15th, PRM Boys Wings (2nd & 3rd graders) teams will play each other at Salway Field 5 at 12:45p.

Directions to Salway: Take 1-75 S to Mitchell Ave Exit. Go north to Spring Grove avenue. Turn West (left) on Spring Grove and go approx. 1/2 mile through 2 traffic lights. The field is across from Spring Grove Cemetery on the left. Field 3 is closer to the intersection with Winton Rd.

Quick Summary of Current and Upcoming Meetings, Events and Fundraisers:

• CPS Board Meetings - April 5th @ 6:30p, April 14th @ 4p, April 26th @ 6:30
  
• Restaurant of the Month - Catch-a-Fire Pizza, April 12th, 11a-9p

• PTO Meeting April 14th @ 6:30p
  

• LSDMC -April 14th @ 3pm

• Parent Teacher Conferences - April 22nd 3-6p

• PRM Spring Dance For All Drive Thru Pictures - April 16th @ 6:30-7:30p, for more information, click here.

• ILT - April 19th @ 2:45p

• Foundation - April 20th @ 7p
  

• PRM Fossil Finding Event - April 24th, for details, click here.

• PRM Equity Group - April 27th @ 6:30p, for more info, click here.

• Cookbooks still available!
  

• LaRosa's Buddy Cards available!

• May Restaurant of the month will be Frisch's on May 4th!

• The traditional End of the Year celebration with Kona Ice will be May 27th at Thousand Hands Park from 2:30-4:30p!

Questions or need support from the Parent Community? Reach out to Elizabeth Johnson, PTO President at elizabethjohnsonedd@gmail.com, Missy Kyrlach PTO Vice President at mkyrlach@gmail.com.