
Welcome Back to School!
August 4th, 2023
A Message from Mrs. Harris
Dear families,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I hope you all had an enjoyable, relaxing summer. I would like to welcome back our returning families and extend a warm welcome to all of our new families spending their days with us here at Orchard Hollow! We hope that you will find Orchard Hollow Elementary to be a very special place where staff and families work closely together to ensure our students reach higher to be their BEST selves!
Please take some time to read all of the important information included in this newsletter. You will find that some processes and procedures have changed from previous years. I also kindly request that all families update their contact information in the Parent Portal so that you can be sure to receive district updates as soon as they become available.
It is an honor and privilege to begin my fourth year as principal and I am committed to continuing to help make Orchard Hollow an exceptional learning community for all our students. As always, should you have questions or concerns, or would just like to share some good news, please feel free to reach out via phone or email. Attending a PTA meeting is another good way to ensure some conversation. We always strive to increase membership and involvement! The Orchard Hollow staff is excited and eager to welcome our students to another amazing school year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jeniffer Harris
Principal
#THEPACKISBACK
Welcome!
Please join me in extending a warm Orchard Hollow welcome to some new staff members and welcome back to some familiar faces!
WELCOME TO THE PACK!
Mrs. Morna Konitsky who will serve as a Unit Classroom Assistant replacing Mrs. Foor
Mrs. Shelli Lahrmer who will serve as a new 5th Grade Teacher replacing Mrs. Magistrelli
Ms. Skylar Randall who will serve as a new ESSER Intervention Teacher
Ms. Matea Cubela who will serve as a new ESSER Intervention Teacher
Ms. Nicole Tessmer who will serve as our new School Nurse
WELCOME BACK!
Ms. Elizabeth Geduldig will return as an ESSER Intervention Teacher
Ms. Annie Petro will return as the long-term sub for Mrs. Erickson
Mrs. Terri Schrembeck will now serve as a Classroom Assistant for K-1
Mrs. Coleen Silvestro will return as our Building Substitute
Mrs. Lexy Spraggins will return as our 4/5 Unit Intervention Specialist
Mrs. Abbey Strodtbeck will return as our Gifted Intervention Specialist
NAME CHANGES!
Ms. Halle Ezell who is now officially Mrs. Halle Sabo
Ms. April Haladyna is now officially Ms. Lynch
Ms. Kori Perko is now officially Ms. Prokop
Ms. Amy Vinopal who is now officially Mrs. Amy Hughes
Important Dates!
August 09
- Kindergarten Orientation, 9:AM -11:30 AM
- New Student Orientation 1:00 - 2:00 PM
- Teacher assignments are posted on the parent portal at 4:00 PM
- Bus assignments are posted on the parent portal at 4:00 PM
August 17
Meet the Teacher Night, 4:00-6:00 PM * Kindergarten Teachers Do Not Attend
- 4-5 PM Families with last names A - L
- 5-6 PM Families with last names M-Z
- First Day of School (grades 1-5)
- Kindergarten Individual Screening Appointments
- Kindergarten Group A Attends
- Kindergarten Group B Attends
- All Kindergarteners Attend
- Labor Day, No School
School Supply Lists
Please CLICK HERE for the school supply list.
Our supply list is also posted on Mentor Public Schools Summer Central as well as our Orchard Hollow Elementary website.
If your child will be absent from school, please call the office at 440-257-5955. You may call after hours and leave a message for the office staff to retrieve in the morning. Please note that in the event that the office staff does not get a hold of a parent/guardian to confirm an absence, the absence will be marked as unexcused. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
UPDATED ARRIVAL PROCEDURES FOR 2023-2024
8:30 AM - STAFF REPORTS OUTSIDE FOR SUPERVISION.
There is no supervision before 8:30 AM. Students will not be permitted to enter the building before this time unless they are signed into We Care by a parent/guardian.
8:30 AM - CAR RIDER DROP-OFF
- ENTER the parking lot by TURNING RIGHT off of Hendricks Rd.
- PLEASE DO NOT TURN LEFT INTO THE PARKING LOT
- Pull to the MIDDLE LANE of the parking lot.
- Staff will direct six cars at a time into the DROP-OFF ZONE.
- Parents/guardians must remain in their vehicles during the drop-off process.
- Please ensure that your child is ready to exit the car promptly to avoid traffic congestion.
- Students walk along the path to the blacktop area where they are supervised until 8:40 AM.
- Please EXIT the parking lot by TURNING RIGHT on Hendricks Road
It is not acceptable at any time to pull up to the sidewalk and drop your child off or for a child to walk unsupervised through the parking lot. This area is to remain clear for buses and emergency traffic at all times.
8:30 AM - BREAKFAST - Students who have pre-paid for breakfast through the Parent Portal will be escorted in for breakfast.
8:40 AM - MAIN DOORS OPEN - ALL students enter through the main doors.
8:50 AM - THE TARDY BELL RINGS - Children should be in their seats by 8:50 AM. when announcements begin. At 8:50 AM parking lot/door duty ends. The main doors to the building are locked and the instructional day begins.
If you bring your child to school after 8:50 AM, you must park your vehicle and escort your child to the main office where the secretary will greet you and note the reason for the tardy.
UPDATED DISMISSAL PROCEDURES FOR 2023-2024
If you are making changes to your child's dismissal process for the day, please call the office before 2:00 PM to ensure that the information can be communicated to the teacher. No changes to dismissal will be accepted after 2:00 PM, except in unavoidable emergencies. Thank you for your cooperation. Dismissal will begin at 2:55 PM.
2:55 PM - WE CARE/WALKERS/CAR RIDERS DISMISSED
2:55 PM - CAR RIDER PICK-UP PROCEDURE
- ENTER the parking lot by TURNING RIGHT off of Hendricks Rd.
- PLEASE DO NOT TURN LEFT INTO THE PARKING LOT
- Pull to the MIDDLE LANE of the parking lot.
- Staff will direct six cars at a time into the DROP-OFF ZONE.
- To expedite the dismissal process, please have the CAR RIDER TAG VISIBLY displayed on your vehicle's dashboard.
- Parents/guardians must remain in their vehicles during the drop-off process.
- Staff members will supervise and assist students as they enter vehicles.
- EXIT by TURNING RIGHT on Hendricks Rd.
To ensure safe dismissal for our car riders, families with car riders must complete the Orchard Car Rider Request Form to receive a tag for their vehicle. These tags will allow staff to call cars and correctly match the child to the correct vehicle during dismissal. Tags will be handed out during the first week of school.
3:05 PM - BUS RIDERS WILL BE DISMISSED
We Care
At this time, the Orchard Hollow We Care program is filled. If you would like to add your child's name to the waitlist or have further questions regarding the We Care Program, please contact the We Care Coordinator, Mrs. Sharon Blanock directly at (440) 255-1230 or email Sharon at blanock@mentorschools.org
Lunch:
Students will have a twenty-minute lunch period either prior to or following a recess. The cost is $3.25 which includes milk. The reduced lunch cost for those eligible is $0.40. Milk and water can also be purchased for $0.50. Lunch menus can be accessed online at www.mentorschools.net and click on Lunch Menus. Elementary Breakfast is $2.00. Our elementary schools will continue to have a prepay-only lunch system through the Parent Portal to help increase the efficiency of our food service program. Parents not using this online payment system may submit cash or checks in advance to the office or to their child's teacher, however, cash will not be accepted in the cafeteria.
$3.25 - Elementary Lunch
$2.00 - Elementary Breakfast
$0.40 - Reduced Lunch
$0.30 - Reduced Breakfast
* No charge for students eligible for free meals.
Free & Reduced Lunch Application:
Free & Reduced Meal Applications are available through the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus.
The online application is immediately sent to the Nutrition Services Department upon completion. If you choose to complete a paper application instead, you may download one from the Mentor Schools website or pick one up in the office. If you have any questions, please call School Nutrition Services at 440-974-5227 or contact Ginni Vaccaro via email vaccaro@mentorschools.org
Recess
Annual Update & Parent Portal
It is REQUIRED that parents or guardians complete the Annual Update promptly. The parent portal can be accessed through the Mentor Schools website, www.mentorschools.net, under the Parent tab.
Technology and Devices
Mentor Schools continues to provide all students with a device to support learning. Students in grades K-3 are issued iPads and students in grades 4-5 are issued Chromebooks. It is the responsibility of the student and family to ensure that the device gets brought back to school each day, fully charged, and ready for use. It is critical that the devices are kept in a safe place at home, and are used appropriately, as they do belong to the school. Mistreatment of these devices can result in disciplinary action and/or fees. Please do not allow your child to add stickers and other adhesives to the devices. Teachers will continue to work closely with the students to help increase their responsibility and independence with the care of these devices as well as to ensure access to all learning platforms. Throughout the year, technology support is available by emailing: it-support@mentorschools.org.
If you'd like assistance or have questions about your child's device, there will be teachers available during Meet the Teacher Night to help.
Medication Drop Off
Medication Administration paperwork is required to be completed by the Doctor and parent. Orchard Hollow cannot accept medication without completed paperwork. Medication needs to be in the original prescribed bottle, with the Doctor's directions on administration at school. The paperwork and the bottle need to match. Medication Administration forms can be found on the Mentor Schools website.
Our new school nurse, Miss Tessmer, will be available for medication drop-off:
August 11 and August 17th, 12:00 -2:00 PM.
Otherwise BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please email tessmer@mentorschools.org
School Communication
PTA & Volunteers
We love our Orchard Hollow PTA and volunteers and need your help! Orchard Hollow PTA offers several programs throughout the year both during the day and in the evenings. We hope you will join us in making these programs successful for our students, families, and community. Click HERE to join Memberhub and Orchard Hollow PTA. You can also keep up to date on the latest news and fundraising events by liking our Facebook page.
All volunteers must be background checked. This can be done at the Mentor Board of Education Building (door 1) on M/W/F from 11:30 AM-4:30. Photo ID is required and you will need to provide your social security number. No appointment is necessary. Please complete this early if you plan to volunteer this school year as it takes time to be cleared.
FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING ORCHARD HOLLOW PTA Please contact our PTA President, Mrs. Susan Bean: BZBEAN1214@YAHOO.COM