What's New?
From the Desk of Mr. Drouhard
Dear Amity Families,
I stopped in a classroom this week to see what was going on. The teacher gave instructions to the students regarding a math problem that they would be solving in groups. Groups were randomly assigned, and the students moved around the room to their group spots. The teacher presented the problem on the board. Instantly the students sprung into action. Strategic conversations were had about how to best solve the problem. Students pushed back against each other's ideas before coming to an outcome they would present to the class. The students were happy and joking as they did their work. Some students took quick peeks at the other groups displayed work to affirm their own. Other groups tried to hide their work so it couldn’t be seen. It was the type of engagement and classroom environment I like to see at Amity!
There’s only one twist to the story above. The students mentioned above were our Amity teachers. They were being led by a Math Coach from Hamilton County ESC, who was acting as their teacher for the day. The coach was brought in to lead our math teachers in professional development. The lesson was showing our teachers how to make situations which create thinking classrooms vs mimicking classrooms. Our students, I mean teachers, learned a lot!
I share the story above for several reasons. Our teachers are grown students! They continue to grow and learn everyday so that they can better serve our Amity students! Our teachers enjoy each other's company, yet take their jobs seriously in seeking the best answers. They look to other schools for teaching ideas to steal. They are also extremely competitive and want to be the best! It is an amazing combination which makes our staff one of the best in the state! I feel so lucky to get to work with them daily!
Take care
Josh
No School- Thursday & Friday
Just a reminder that there will be no school for students on Thursday, March 3rd and Friday, March 4th. There will be parent conferences occurring at Amity on those days.
AP Corner: Notes from the Assistant Principal on additional happenings around Amity
Hanging around the hallways of Amity you will find collaborative pieces of artwork that have been created by our Amity Families. Amity Families is a time when students of different grade levels come together and connect. This year our students have been slowly creating images of trees. Each time the students come together they create new portions to add and have wonderful discussions centered around our school pledge. I recently enjoyed being a part of a discussion with Mrs. Fortener’s 6th grade class and Mrs. Beiting’s 3rd grade class as they were discussing what makes them feel empowered. Makes me proud to be a part of our Amity Family.
PTO Meeting
Our PTO will be hosting a meeting on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 PM in the Amity PDC. Please come and join this wonderful organization which supports our students and staff at Amity. The PDC is located next to the library in Amity. Enter the main entrance and go up the staircase to the right upon entering to reach the PDC.
PTO Son Sand-tastic Night of Fun
Amity Spring Pictures
Amity spring pictures will be held on Tuesday, March 8th. Only students whose parents purchased pictures will be photographed. Please see the link below for the picture form.
Kindergarten Registration
Online registration for kindergarten will begin on March 1st for the 2022-2023 school year. Please remember our Board Policy when planning to register for kindergarten.
“A child is eligible for entrance into kindergarten if s/he attains the age of five (5) on or before August 1st of the year in which s/he applies for entrance.”
March 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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Wednesday, March 2: Junior High Band Concert | 7 p.m.
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Board of Education Work Session: Tuesday, March 8 | 4:30 p.m.
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Friday, March 11: PTO Special Person/Son Date Night | 7 p.m.
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Wednesday, March 16: Junior High Choir Concert | 7 p.m.
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Saturday, March 19: Band Sponsors Cakewalk | 6:30 p.m.
In Case You Missed It
Champions Summer Camp
Spring Conferences: March 3rd and 4th
Spring parent teacher conferences will be held March 3rd and 4th. Conferences are a great time to connect with your child’s teacher to check on their academic and personal growth this year. Conferences will be held Thursday, March 3rd from 1:00-8:00 PM and Friday, March 4th from 8:00-3:00 PM. Below is the link to sign up for conferences. We look forward to seeing you on one of these days!
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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