What's New?
From the Desk of Mr. Drouhard
Dear Amity Families,
I stopped in Mr. Huster’s 1st grade class this week and was quickly sized up by his students. The first student inquired, “Mr. Drouhard, how tall are you?” Before I could answer, the second student then chimed in, “I think our golden cat cards taped together are taller than you!” It was requested by the class that I stand up against the whiteboard in the front of the room to be measured up against the cat cards taped together down the wall. Sure enough, they got me, even when I got up on my tippy-toes! (My judges quickly informed me that tippy-toes was cheating!) This must mean that a big celebration is in order in Mr. Huster’s class, although it wasn’t shared with me what it would be!
Classes earn golden cat cards through our Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) program. They are “golden”, because there are times that the whole class is doing expected behaviors and recognized by another staff member for being respectful, responsible, or safe. Celebrations or special days are set by each class upon reaching a certain goal. Congrats to Mr. Huster’s class!
Take Care,
Josh
Weekly Photo Gallery
Click the link below to access photos from all around Amity Elementary during the week!
Spelling Bee
Amity Elementary will be hosting its annual Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 26th at 1:15. We will not be inviting guests to observe the Spelling Bee this year, but will be providing a live broadcast of the event. The broadcast will go live at approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, and can be accessed using the link below:
Deer Park Soccer League
Registration for the Deer Park Soccer League is open. Deer Park Soccer has age groups for everyone starting as young as 4-year-olds who turn 5 this year. You can find more information and register your child at the link below!
January Lunch Menu
Due to supply issues, lunch menu options change frequently based on availability. The most up-to-date menu is below, however, please continue to check the Deer Park Food Services website for the latest information.
Looking Ahead
Please mark these important dates on your calendar!
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Boys Varsity Wrestling at Thunderbird Invitational: Friday, January 28-Saturday, January 29
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Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Taylor HS: Friday, January 28 | 7:30 p.m.
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Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Madeira HS: Saturday, January 29 | 12 p.m.
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Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Reading HS: Monday, January 31 | 7:30 p.m.
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Board of Education Work Session: Tuesday, February 1 | 4:30 p.m.
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Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Mariemont HS: Tuesday, February 1 | 7:30 p.m. (Senior Day: Boys Basketball, Bowling, Cheer, Dance, Wrestling)
In Case You Missed It
Mask Requirement Through January 28th
In an effort to slow the spread of COVID over the next two weeks so we can ensure in-person schooling without a disruption to our services, we have made the decision to implement a temporary mask mandate for all staff, students, and visitors in Deer Park Schools effective Tuesday, January 18th through Friday, January 28th. This mandate will be in effect at all times while in a Deer Park Schools facility.
PTO Sponsored Special Person Daughter Dance
SAVE THE DATE for Friday, February 11th from 6:30p - 8:30p. Currently the school calendar has this on Friday the 18th, but we're MOVING this to the 11th. More details to come next week so be on the lookout!
MAP Testing
MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing in reading, reading fluency and math will start occurring throughout the month of January. We took these tests in the fall as a baseline and will take them in the spring to check progress along the way. This will encompass all of our grades at Amity. This is not a high stakes test, like the Ohio State Tests, but we do always want our students to do their best. These online tests allow us to understand where students are currently in the tested subject area, so that we are better able to tailor how we teach them. I just wanted to keep you informed that this will be occurring in our classes.
Booster Seat Reminder
Please see the attached document regarding booster seat reminders for children under the age of 8 or 4 feet 9 inches. As a reminder, children under these measurements are required by state law to use a booster seat. See the flyer for more information.
Please Help Reduce Tardies To School
I recognize that as the school year rolls on, our ability to get our students up in the morning becomes harder. We need to renew our efforts in the morning to get our students up and out the door. School starts at 8:00, and our teachers are starting the educational process at that time daily. While it may not feel significant to be a couple minutes late, if done daily it will add up to a lot of educational minutes! Thank you for your help!
Champions Program At Amity
Champions offers before and after school programs at Amity Elementary to help working parents. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Recess During Cold Weather
With a return to colder temperatures, please remember to send your child to school with appropriate outdoor attire for recess. We will be going outside whenever the “feels like” temperature is 25 degrees or above. This gives our students time to burn some energy and allows for a time that our students can take a socially distanced mask break. Our recesses are 30 minutes so it is important that our students be comfortable while they are outside.
Attendance
Please remember to call our attendance line (513-891-2414) or email Betty Jung (jung.b@dpccsd.org), our attendance secretary, by 9AM if your student is going to be out.
This is especially important with the number of people that are either required to quarantine by the health department, or quarantining on their own accord. We need to be aware of these situations outside of school so that we can appropriately mark the attendance and provide guidance from the district if necessary.
Thanks for all your help!
School Nurse
Moving forward, all student COVID-19 cases occurring outside of school hours (evenings/weekends) should be submitted in one of the following ways:
A district nurse or administrator will reach out within 24 hours of the reported case to collect further details.
Deer Park PTO
Become a PTO Member! The PTO needs you to share your ideas, volunteer at events, plan fundraisers, and so much more! Use the link to become a member and stay up to date on all the PTO information.
Staying Connected
There are multiple ways to stay connected to Amity Elementary School.
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Newsletter: All parents who have completed FinalForms should receive Amity Weekly Newsletters. If you are not currently receiving them, please register for the e-mail communication. To register, simply go to https://www.deerparkcityschools.org/ and click on the button on the bottom of the page that says “Subscribe to District News”.
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Twitter: Follow Deer Park Schools for the most up-to-date news and happenings at @DeerParkSchools or @DeerParkAmity
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Facebook: Follow us at Deer Park Community City Schools.
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Inspiring & Empowering Lifelong Success
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