Principal's First Newsletter
August 2023
August 24, 2023 Volume 1
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to a new school year! The faculty, staff, and I are excited and ready to provide an exceptional educational experience for your children. We are a team committed to creating a challenging learning environment in a loving Christian community. You are also a vital part of that team, and we count on your support.
Included in this newsletter and Brown Envelope is some very important information for the 2023-2024 school year. All of the policies are included in the revised Parent Student Handbook that all families receive. Please review all information in the handbook. If you have any question on the procedure or policy, please contact me for clarification. Be sure to sign and return the last page of the addendum on the Diocesan Transgender Policy. Please complete all forms and return them tomorrow in the Brown Envelope. Thank you for your continued dedication to St. Mary Central School, and for entrusting us with your most precious possession, your children.
Christ’s peace,
Mrs. Theresa Young, Principal
New Faces - This summer has been a summer of changes for a lot of us, including changes to our SMC Faculty and Staff. As sad as we are to lose Mr. Stecker and Mrs. Burns to retirement, we wish them well. But we aren’t losing Mr. Stecker completely! He has agreed to stay on a few hours a week to make sure our technology is up to date and working well for us. Mrs. Padgelek and Mrs. Gesualdo have moved on to other schools to make a difference with their students, but we are thrilled to introduce three new teachers to complete our SMC family! Welcome to Mrs. Michele Martin (grade 3), Ms. Karleigh McCardle (grade 4) and Mrs. Lisa Schlanz (grade 5).
Brown Envelope - On Thursdays look for a BROWN ENVELOPE sent home with your oldest child. It will contain important school communications including papers, messages, schedules, fundraisers, etc. for you to read. Each time your child brings it home, we ask that you take out the information, read it, sign the front of the envelope where indicated, and return the empty envelope to school the next day. We have found this procedure to be the most effective way to ensure that parents are receiving the school information that they need. Thank you for your cooperation.
Aftercare begins today! Mrs. Cherella Haines will once again be providing this service in the school gym from 2:15 - 5:30 PM daily. If you intend to utilize this service for your students, please contact the school by call or note for the required forms.
Cafeteria Reminders – Menu with orders for August 28 – September 22 is due tomorrow, Friday, August 25. Students purchase lunch on a monthly basis. The price again this year is $4.25 per day (includes milk). Extra entrees will be available to order for $1.25. Purchasing milk alone is 60¢ per carton. If your child packs lunch and brings a drink for lunch, please do not send soda. Any healthy fruit/sport drink or water is a much better choice. Students may pack lunch or purchase school lunches, but please do not deliver Subway or McDonalds etc. at lunchtime.
*****Please examine guidelines for free and reduced lunches carefully. We ask you to please apply for free or reduced lunch if you fall in the income brackets, it is strictly confidential who receives this aid – even your children don’t need to know. If your income status changes during the year, you can apply at any time. Financially the more free and reduced lunches we have the more our program benefits. ******
Snack Time - Each morning everyone K- 8th grade has snack time. Lunch will be served at 11:15 for grades K-3 and 12 noon for grades 4-8, so a mid-morning snack will help get them through the morning. Appropriate snacks include fruit, veggies, Goldfish, peanut butter crackers etc. Doritos and cookies are not appropriate school snacks. Also, please think about the snacks/treats you send to school for birthdays, etc. We don’t prohibit any items, but we do discourage treats high in sugar and fat. Please wrap all treats individually.
Tuition - First month’s tuition was due August 15th. Please pay your tuition by the 15th of each month. If you are receiving financial aid you must still pay the remainder of the tuition each month. We count on consistent monthly income to cover our expenses and it is vital that you don’t fall behind. Late notices will be sent home regularly. ** If you have applied for the Ed Choice Scholarship and have not yet heard from the ODE about an awarded scholarship, you may delay sending your August tuition payment.
Homework Assignment Books - Every student, grades 1-8, is required to purchase an official Homework Assignment Book ($6.00). The faculty is totally committed to informing the parents every day what assignments are due. Assignment books must go home every night in grades 4-8, and at the direction of the teacher in grades 1, 2, and 3. Books are on sale in the office daily. They are very substantial and a bargain at $6.00.
Covering Books - All textbooks must be covered by Tuesday, September 5. Purchased stretchy covers are fine as are the old standard paper covers. Students who damage or lose books will be charged a replacement fee.
Arrival - Please enter the building between 7:00 – 7:25AM through the double gym doors in the alley. Please drive south down the alley, towards McDonalds. If you are exiting your car to assist or escort children, please pull into the school parking lot so as not to hold up traffic. *Please Note: Habitually tardy students will be required to make up missed time during after school detention. See the Handbook for more information. The authorities will also be notified. Tardiness will affect perfect attendance records.
Dismissal – Buckeye Local bus students are dismissed at 2:10 through the front door. Martins Ferry bus students are dismissed at 2:15 through the front entrance. Walkers are dismissed at 2:15 through the gym door in the alley. There is no parking directly in front of the school at dismissal. Parking is available in the rear parking lot or on 3rd Street behind the parking lot. Please use caution crossing the alley. Barriers will remain up in the alley until all students have been dismissed. St. John Lutheran Church has asked that we do not use their parking lot as they lease their parking to the doctor’s offices across the street. *Please note, students may be in the parking lot/playground area in the afternoons until 2:00. For the safety of the students, please DO NOT enter the parking lot if there are children in there.
Absences - Parents/guardians, please notify the school office on the answering machine, or between 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. when your child is absent. Please indicate who is responsible for transporting or picking up homework assignments. Please make every effort to schedule doctor and dental appointments after 2:15. Although considered excused absences, these will affect perfect attendance records.
Busing: Please check the newspaper or district bus manager for your child’s bus schedule. If you have any Martins Ferry bus questions, please call Randall Reasbeck @ 740-633-2965. For Buckeye Local busing issues call Lori Vinci @ 740-769-7395. PLEASE, send a dated note if your child’s busing/pick-up routine changes. We understand that family schedules are often in flux, but the school office needs parental notification by noon as to your child’s dismissal plans for that day.
Security: All school doors are always locked, and 22 cameras have been installed inside and out. For admittance, please buzz at the front entrance, identify yourself, and someone will assist you. Not everyone will be admitted upon ringing the doorbell for the sake of added security. Due to constant hospital traffic, we barricade the alley during school hours. Parking lot access is still available except during lunch recess and gym classes.
Handbook and Transgender Form – the Diocesan Policy will again accompany the school handbook. Please sign and return the last page. In addition, there is an updated Dress Code page in your brown envelope. Please read the coversheet, add the new page to your handbook, and sign and return the coversheet.
Medication - See Student - Parent Handbook - Please indicate ALL allergies and medications including those for ADHD. We need those on file in case of an emergency. This information is kept confidential, but teachers are informed of allergy conditions. Permission to distribute OTC medicines is also needed. Please complete that form if you want us to give your child acetaminophen, ibuprofen, cough drops, antacids, etc. Any medication you send in MUST be sent in the original bottles.
Allergies - For your child’s safety, please indicate ALL allergies and their severity. The school office must be aware of the action necessary to treat every allergic reaction. Prescription Epipens may be left in the school office to treat your child’s severe allergies.
Walking Permission Slip (Coming next week) – Please complete for each child. This allows teachers to walk students to various close locations such at the Library, bowling alley or City Park without special individual forms. All bus field trips will have special forms for parents to complete.
Address/Phone Changes - Please notify the office if your address or phone number changes or did so over the summer. Please do not assume that your child knows your most recent contact phone number. It is imperative that the school has the ability to contact immediately a parent or guardian. It is also important to include your area code for every emergency phone contact. It is very disturbing when the school has no current parent phone number for a child.
Box Tops for Education has gone digital. Please download the app if you have not done so yet and ask your friends, family, and fellow workers to help earn points for SMC as they profit our fieldtrips and playground equipment.
Recycling - Help SMC and the environment! We recycle all paper products: newspapers, magazines, junk mail, books, catalogues, etc. Place articles (no plastic bags) in the large blue bins located in the southeast end of the school parking lot. This project has really been successful, and we fill the bin twice weekly earning about $200/mo. This helps defray fieldtrip expenses and reward treats. (No
pizza boxes, used food cartons, glass, or plastic, please.)
Uniforms – Please refer to pages 17 & 18 of the Parent & Student Policy Handbook for information.
All Call Form – Coming next week. Indicate only the changes. We plan to initiate text messages this year, so please indicate which number the message should go to.
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to a new school year! The faculty, staff, and I are excited and ready to provide an exceptional educational experience for your children. We are a team committed to creating a challenging learning environment in a loving Christian community. You are also a vital part of that team, and we count on your support.
Included in this newsletter and Brown Envelope is some very important information for the 2023-2024 school year. All of the policies are included in the revised Parent Student Handbook that all families receive. Please review all information in the handbook. If you have any question on the procedure or policy, please contact me for clarification. Be sure to sign and return the last page of the addendum on the Diocesan Transgender Policy. Please complete all forms and return them tomorrow in the Brown Envelope. Thank you for your continued dedication to St. Mary Central School, and for entrusting us with your most precious possession, your children.
Christ’s peace,
Mrs. Theresa Young, Principal
New Faces - This summer has been a summer of changes for a lot of us, including changes to our SMC Faculty and Staff. As sad as we are to lose Mr. Stecker and Mrs. Burns to retirement, we wish them well. But we aren’t losing Mr. Stecker completely! He has agreed to stay on a few hours a week to make sure our technology is up to date and working well for us. Mrs. Padgelek and Mrs. Gesualdo have moved on to other schools to make a difference with their students, but we are thrilled to introduce three new teachers to complete our SMC family! Welcome to Mrs. Michele Martin (grade 3), Ms. Karleigh McCardle (grade 4) and Mrs. Lisa Schlanz (grade 5).
Brown Envelope - On Thursdays look for a BROWN ENVELOPE sent home with your oldest child. It will contain important school communications including papers, messages, schedules, fundraisers, etc. for you to read. Each time your child brings it home, we ask that you take out the information, read it, sign the front of the envelope where indicated, and return the empty envelope to school the next day. We have found this procedure to be the most effective way to ensure that parents are receiving the school information that they need. Thank you for your cooperation.
Aftercare begins today! Mrs. Cherella Haines will once again be providing this service in the school gym from 2:15 - 5:30 PM daily. If you intend to utilize this service for your students, please contact the school by call or note for the required forms.
Cafeteria Reminders – Menu with orders for August 28 – September 22 is due tomorrow, Friday, August 25. Students purchase lunch on a monthly basis. The price again this year is $4.25 per day (includes milk). Extra entrees will be available to order for $1.25. Purchasing milk alone is 60¢ per carton. If your child packs lunch and brings a drink for lunch, please do not send soda. Any healthy fruit/sport drink or water is a much better choice. Students may pack lunch or purchase school lunches, but please do not deliver Subway or McDonalds etc. at lunchtime.
*****Please examine guidelines for free and reduced lunches carefully. We ask you to please apply for free or reduced lunch if you fall in the income brackets, it is strictly confidential who receives this aid – even your children don’t need to know. If your income status changes during the year, you can apply at any time. Financially the more free and reduced lunches we have the more our program benefits. ******
Snack Time - Each morning everyone K- 8th grade has snack time. Lunch will be served at 11:15 for grades K-3 and 12 noon for grades 4-8, so a mid-morning snack will help get them through the morning. Appropriate snacks include fruit, veggies, Goldfish, peanut butter crackers etc. Doritos and cookies are not appropriate school snacks. Also, please think about the snacks/treats you send to school for birthdays, etc. We don’t prohibit any items, but we do discourage treats high in sugar and fat. Please wrap all treats individually.
Tuition - First month’s tuition was due August 15th. Please pay your tuition by the 15th of each month. If you are receiving financial aid you must still pay the remainder of the tuition each month. We count on consistent monthly income to cover our expenses and it is vital that you don’t fall behind. Late notices will be sent home regularly. ** If you have applied for the Ed Choice Scholarship and have not yet heard from the ODE about an awarded scholarship, you may delay sending your August tuition payment.
Homework Assignment Books - Every student, grades 1-8, is required to purchase an official Homework Assignment Book ($6.00). The faculty is totally committed to informing the parents every day what assignments are due. Assignment books must go home every night in grades 4-8, and at the direction of the teacher in grades 1, 2, and 3. Books are on sale in the office daily. They are very substantial and a bargain at $6.00.
Covering Books - All textbooks must be covered by Tuesday, September 5. Purchased stretchy covers are fine as are the old standard paper covers. Students who damage or lose books will be charged a replacement fee.
Arrival - Please enter the building between 7:00 – 7:25AM through the double gym doors in the alley. Please drive south down the alley, towards McDonalds. If you are exiting your car to assist or escort children, please pull into the school parking lot so as not to hold up traffic. *Please Note: Habitually tardy students will be required to make up missed time during after school detention. See the Handbook for more information. The authorities will also be notified. Tardiness will affect perfect attendance records.
Dismissal – Buckeye Local bus students are dismissed at 2:10 through the front door. Martins Ferry bus students are dismissed at 2:15 through the front entrance. Walkers are dismissed at 2:15 through the gym door in the alley. There is no parking directly in front of the school at dismissal. Parking is available in the rear parking lot or on 3rd Street behind the parking lot. Please use caution crossing the alley. Barriers will remain up in the alley until all students have been dismissed. St. John Lutheran Church has asked that we do not use their parking lot as they lease their parking to the doctor’s offices across the street. *Please note, students may be in the parking lot/playground area in the afternoons until 2:00. For the safety of the students, please DO NOT enter the parking lot if there are children in there.
Absences - Parents/guardians, please notify the school office on the answering machine, or between 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. when your child is absent. Please indicate who is responsible for transporting or picking up homework assignments. Please make every effort to schedule doctor and dental appointments after 2:15. Although considered excused absences, these will affect perfect attendance records.
Busing: Please check the newspaper or district bus manager for your child’s bus schedule. If you have any Martins Ferry bus questions, please call Randall Reasbeck @ 740-633-2965. For Buckeye Local busing issues call Lori Vinci @ 740-769-7395. PLEASE, send a dated note if your child’s busing/pick-up routine changes. We understand that family schedules are often in flux, but the school office needs parental notification by noon as to your child’s dismissal plans for that day.
Security: All school doors are always locked, and 22 cameras have been installed inside and out. For admittance, please buzz at the front entrance, identify yourself, and someone will assist you. Not everyone will be admitted upon ringing the doorbell for the sake of added security. Due to constant hospital traffic, we barricade the alley during school hours. Parking lot access is still available except during lunch recess and gym classes.
Handbook and Transgender Form – the Diocesan Policy will again accompany the school handbook. Please sign and return the last page. In addition, there is an updated Dress Code page in your brown envelope. Please read the coversheet, add the new page to your handbook, and sign and return the coversheet.
Medication - See Student - Parent Handbook - Please indicate ALL allergies and medications including those for ADHD. We need those on file in case of an emergency. This information is kept confidential, but teachers are informed of allergy conditions. Permission to distribute OTC medicines is also needed. Please complete that form if you want us to give your child acetaminophen, ibuprofen, cough drops, antacids, etc. Any medication you send in MUST be sent in the original bottles.
Allergies - For your child’s safety, please indicate ALL allergies and their severity. The school office must be aware of the action necessary to treat every allergic reaction. Prescription Epipens may be left in the school office to treat your child’s severe allergies.
Walking Permission Slip (Coming next week) – Please complete for each child. This allows teachers to walk students to various close locations such at the Library, bowling alley or City Park without special individual forms. All bus field trips will have special forms for parents to complete.
Address/Phone Changes - Please notify the office if your address or phone number changes or did so over the summer. Please do not assume that your child knows your most recent contact phone number. It is imperative that the school has the ability to contact immediately a parent or guardian. It is also important to include your area code for every emergency phone contact. It is very disturbing when the school has no current parent phone number for a child.
Box Tops for Education has gone digital. Please download the app if you have not done so yet and ask your friends, family, and fellow workers to help earn points for SMC as they profit our fieldtrips and playground equipment.
Recycling - Help SMC and the environment! We recycle all paper products: newspapers, magazines, junk mail, books, catalogues, etc. Place articles (no plastic bags) in the large blue bins located in the southeast end of the school parking lot. This project has really been successful, and we fill the bin twice weekly earning about $200/mo. This helps defray fieldtrip expenses and reward treats. (No
pizza boxes, used food cartons, glass, or plastic, please.)
Uniforms – Please refer to pages 17 & 18 of the Parent & Student Policy Handbook for information.
All Call Form – Coming next week. Indicate only the changes. We plan to initiate text messages this year, so please indicate which number the message should go to.