OLMC PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
9-10-2020
Welcome Back Everyone.  This year all Thursday Principal Messages will be sent via email to all families.  This message can also be found on our website along with all other important forms.

IMPORTANT FORMS:
If you have not sent back all the important forms, please do so by Monday, September 14^th.  The forms can also be found on our website. 
            Iris Alert Form
            Emergency Form
            Income Survey
            NYS Textbook Loan
            Health Screening Checklist (Only has to be completed once)

PHYSICALS AND IMMUNIZATIONS:
Please make sure you send a current copy of your child’s Physical and Immunizations to the Main Office.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:
We are not able to celebrate student’s birthdays as we have in the past.  This year parents cannot send in cupcakes and goodies for the class.  In order to be able to help celebrate your child’s birthday, a student can “Dress Down” on their birthday.  If a child’s birthday falls on a weekend, he/she can Dress Down on Monday.  For students who already had a birthday in September, they will be given a day to Dress Down before the month ends.

HOMEWORK:
This year we have decided that we would like to try a “No Homework” program.  Because of the circumstances with COVID-19, we feel that the students are sitting at their desks or on a Chromebook all day, so when they arrive home, they need to be able to go outside and play and be with their families.  Therefore, the only homework a student would have is any classwork they do not finish in class.  Of course, a student will have to study for a test, and we would like the student to read every night, but it is important for the students to be able to have some fun when they get home.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT:
As we are not permitted to have out normal Back to School Night in the school this year, we are working on having a virtual Zoom Back To School Night.  We hope to schedule this before the end of this month.  Once the schedule is set, we will send out all the information to the families.  As many of our families have more than one student, we are trying to create a schedule to accommodate families getting to visit each teacher.

EMAILING AND GETTING IN TOUCH WITH TEACHERS:
The teachers are using email as a form of communication with the parents this year.  Of course, if your child attends school in person, it is easy to send in a note, however, if your child is a remote learner, an email is the best way to communicate.    Many parents send emails to the teacher during the school day or late at night, please understand that the teacher may not be able to respond right away especially during the school day.  Teachers usually check their emails before the start of the day, during their prep or lunch, and at the end of the day.  If there is an emergency and you need to get a message to the teacher immediately, please call the office and Mrs. Coburn will get the message to the teacher.

SNACKS, LUNCH, WATER:
I just want to remind everyone that we are not providing snacks or lunches for the students at this time.  Many students are coming in without a snack or lunch.  Please make sure that you pack your child a “Healthy” snack and a lunch.  You child should bring at least two bottles of water to have during the school day.  If a child does forget his/her lunch we will call the parent to see if something can be brought to the school, if not we will have individual boxes of cereal we can provide, but we will have to charge you.  We understand during these humid days, students are drinking their water quicker then expected.  If a child runs out of water and needs water, we will have water available for $1.00. 

ABSENT FROM SCHOOL:
If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, please make sure you call the Main Office by 9:00am even if you have already emailed the teacher.  Mrs. Coburn reviews attendance each morning and if a child is listed as absent and we have not heard from a parent, we will call home.  We ask parents of remote learners to also follow this protocol.  You can also send Mrs. Coburn an email letting her know if that is easier. 

If your child is sick or you are keeping them home for any reason, your child can attend class via remote learning.  If they do attend remotely, they will not be marked absent.

GOOGLE CLASSROOM:
All students in grades K-8 have been assigned a school Gmail account.  Each teacher has sent an invite to the student to join their Google Classroom.  Please make sure you have your child sign into their Google Classroom before the end of the week, even if they are doing in-person learning.  We will be utilizing Google Classroom with our in-person students as well as our remote learners.  Students cannot use a parent’s Gmail address to sign into Google Classroom as when it comes time to submit work, it will not be submitted.  If you have a question about your child’s school Gmail or Google Classroom, please contact the teacher.

SMART TUITION ACCOUNTS:
Everyone’s SMART tuition accounts should be active at this time. For most of our families the tuition began in August, however, for those families who registered in August, the tuition will begin in September.  Tuition must be paid on time each month.  Tuition is due the 20^th of each month.  If you have not yet paid your August tuition, please do so as soon as possible.  We can set up your SMART tuition account as an automatic direct withdrawal if you would like, just let us know.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Sunday, September 13^th          Grandparents Day
Wednesday, September 16^th   Orange County Emergency Evacuation Drill
                                                (2:45PM dismissal, more details to follow)

Please do not hesitate to stop by the office if you have any questions or concerns. 

Ms. Langford

 

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
~Frederick Douglas