 The Amity Weekly Minute:
October 18, 2020
What's New?
From the Desk of Mr. Drouhard
Dear Amity Families,
One of the toughest things about being in a pandemic is trying to preserve some of the things that create a sense of normalcy for our students. I understand that a big tradition in October at Amity is Halloween. In trying to still have a little fun with our students, we are going to allow students in grades K-6 to dress in costume on Wednesday, October 28th!
Please see the section below with some of the rules for costumes.
While we are allowing our students to dress in costume, we will not be having a parade for safety reasons. We will have a small celebration at the end of the day, in individual classrooms, to send the students off before the long weekend. There will be no food or candy in the classrooms during this celebration. Even with all these changes we hope that students enjoy the day!
Take Care,
Josh
Weekly Photo Gallery
Back by popular demand: We're bringing back the Amity Weekly Minute Photo Gallery! Click the link below to access photos from all around Amity Elementary during the week!
Halloween Costumes- Wednesday October 28th
Students in grades K-6 will be allowed to dress in costumes on Wednesday, October 28th.
- No makeup/face paint
- No masks other than facial coverings due to COVID19
- No weapons
- Violent or offensive costumes may be asked to be modified at teachers’ discretion
- If your student is not purchasing a costume this year, they can wear orange and black, wearing crazy socks for “Sock-Tober”, or dress in a costume they create from home as they do on our spirit days. (Cowboy/girl, doctor, person on vacation, Superhero, etc.)
- Please have students wear the costumes to school that day, as we will not be changing into them.
- Please make sure students are able to wear the costumes comfortably for the entire day. We still want students focused on their academics.
- Please leave small pieces of the costume that could be lost at home.
- There will be no Halloween parade that day.
Please do not send candy or food to school that day.
Grade Cards
Hard copies of grade cards will be going home on Friday, October 23rd. For grades 3-6 there is slight change on how we are reporting out academic progress due to being in a hybrid learning setting. We recognize that it was tough for some families to provide academic support to their students while they were learning away from Amity. We have changed from giving a percentage grade 1st quarter in grades 3-6 to using the check system that is currently implemented in our grades K-2. These checks will be listed under “HYBRID LEARNING GRADE” on the report card and reflect a students academic progress during hybrid learning.
Drop Off/Pick Up Reminders For Car Riders
Please help us by not using your cell phone while in the drop off and pick up car lines. With children moving in a lot of directions, we want our parents focused on their surroundings and able to hear any directions from teachers.
Please also help us by not smoking within your cars while going through pick up and drop off lines. We understand that you are in your personal car, but Amity is a tobacco free campus, so we really want to uphold that standard for our students.
Amity Fall Conferences
We are looking forward to meeting with you on Thursday, October 29th from 1:00-8:00PM and Friday, October 30th from 8:00AM-3:00PM for our fall conferences. Due to COVID19 we will be meeting virtually or by phone for safety measures.
This is a great time to check on your child’s progress or hear about the great things that are happening in the classrooms at Amity. Our teachers have worked hard to provide digital conference sign-ups in one spot to help ease the sign-up process. Please click the Amity Conference Link below to start signing up.
How to Sign-Up
Click the link below to sign up for a time slot. Simply click on the link next to the teacher or teacher team, then select the available times for your conference. Our teachers will send out invites for those that choose a digital conference the week of October 25th. Time slots can sometimes fill up fast, so please try and sign up as soon as you can!
If you have any questions, please contact your teacher(s) or call the Amity office at (513) 891-5995.
Attention Parents of 3rd Grade In-Person Students:
We will be administering the state AIR assessment for Language Arts on 10/20 (Part 1) and 10/21 (Part 2). Please make sure that your child is well-rested and has a great breakfast. The testing will be in the morning, so please make sure that they are on time. We are excited to see what they know!
Attention Parents of 3rd Grade Virtual Students:
All virtual students will be required to take the state AIR assessment for Language Arts. The testing information is below:
Who: All 3rd Grade Virtual Students
What: 3rd Grade AIR assessment- Reading and Writing
When: Wednesday, October 21st at 9:00-12:30
Where: Holmes Elementary PDC
Materials Needed: Pencil, masks, district assigned Chromebook (if applicable)
The room where testing will occur will be sanitized and we will have plastic barriers for the students. All students are required to wear a mask and follow social distancing measures. Further, we will have their temperatures taken and hands will be sanitized at the door.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me, Michelle Ellis, at 513.891.5995 or ellis.m@dpccsd.org.
Wickshire Senior Living Drive Through Trick Or Treat
Wickshire Senior Living will be hosting a drive through trick or treat on Wednesday, October 28th from 3:00-5:00. This is the same day we will be dressing up at Amity, so it could be an easy stop before heading home. Please see the flyer below for more details.
Deer Park C.A.T.S Community Coalition
Deer Park C.A.T.S. Community Coalition is looking for Deer Park community members interested in preventing youth substance abuse. Please see the attached flyer.
In Case You Missed It
Neighborhood Traffic At Arrival and Dismissal
With bringing all students back and not being able to provide a shuttle due to COVID19, we have increased our traffic around Amity Elementary. Please remember to be respectful of our neighbors by not parking in their yards, blocking driveways, or using driveways to turn around. We want to forge strong relationships with our neighbors and your efforts can help!
Deer Park Dance Program is still accepting new dance registrations!
Dance classes are now in full swing, but will be accepting new registrations until November 6th. The non-profit community dance studio offers a variety of classes and levels including tiny tots, ballet, tap, flag, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, swing, pointe, clogging, pom and multi-discipline. Dancers can be age 3 through high school. Please visit our website deerparkdance.org to view fee’s, covid policy, class schedule, etc. and reach out to us by email: thedeerpark.danceprogram@gmail.com or on Facebook with any questions or for additional information.
Tuesday, November 3rd- Remote Learning Day
Tuesday, November 3rd will be a district wide remote learning day. All students (K-12) will remain at home and engaged in learning activities assigned by their teacher.
Outdoor Recess
With a return to cooler temperatures, please remember to send your child to school with appropriate outdoor attire for recess. We are working hard to go out to recess daily, especially as it allows for a time that our students can take a socially distanced mask break. Our recesses are 30 minutes in length this year so it is important that our students be comfortable while they are outside.
"Sock"-tober
During the month of October, the Amity staff and students will be collecting NEW socks for the Deer Park Clothing Room located in the Holmes Building. Students, staff and community members are invited to drop off new pairs/ packages of socks. We are in need of infant, child and adult sizes.
We are looking for…
- sports socks
- fun socks
- fuzzy socks,
- any kinds of socks.
To end the “Sock”-tober collection, students and staff will have a “CRAZY SOCK” day on October 28th.
UPDATE! AMITY PICTURE DAY
With the return of a 5-day school week for our Hybrid A & B (on-site) students, Amity’s previously scheduled Fall picture days have been reduced to a single day. Please note the following new schedule for our onsite and virtual students.
Tuesday, October 13 at 8 AM - All on-site students, including AM/PM Kindergarten and Preschool.
RETAKES for on-site students 9 AM - Monday, November 9, in the PDC.
Wednesday, November 11 from 9 AM-Noon - All Virtual Learners (check-in at the front office, pictures taken in the PDC).
Please complete your photo order online before picture day.
Traditional paper order forms were sent home to on-site students, and there are a few available in the front office. We would, however, prefer that you place your order online before photo day.
Pre-Ordering
To pre-order student photos, please choose one of the two options below:
- Go to https://ritchiephoto.simplephoto.com/ and enter Amity’s code: AMIE21U into the "Private Gallery Search." Then, enter the information requested (Student Name, Grade, Homeroom) and confirm. You must select a background before choosing a picture package.
OR
- Print and complete this order form ahead of time. On picture day, your student will hand his/her form to the photographer, along with cash in the correct amount, or a check made out to Richie Photography. Payment is required on picture day when placing orders in paper form.
NEW OFFER! If you would like a class picture, Richie Photography will create a composite of your students’ classmates. You can order a class picture from the Richie Photo site, using code: AMCP21. Note: class pictures can only be purchased online.
Safety/Questions?
Our new photographers have assured us that every precaution will be taken to keep our students safe while having their pictures taken. Ritchie Photography will clean and sanitize surfaces between uses and work with our students to maximize social distancing. If you have any questions about picture day, please refer to the order form above for more information or call Ritchie Photography at 513-941-6120.
Help with Utility Bills
Below are information sheets by Duke Energy to help customers navigate past due or current utility bills - including new options of moving due dates, paying bills over many months and details on assistance programs (LiHEAP, PIPP, etc.). Customers can always call United Way's 211 for additional support or connection to community resources.
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Information Page
A page on the Deer Park website has been created which is dedicated to bringing you the most up-to-date information on all things affecting Deer Park Schools. It includes several quick links to local, state, and national health organizations, along with a frequently asked questions section. Please visit the page to stay up to date with all COVID-19 information.
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