ELLA CANAVAN
APRIL NEWSLETTER 2012

Principal’s Perspective
I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Spring Break. The April showers allow the May flowers to be plentiful. The flowers are coming up in the courtyard, leaves on the trees and Third Graders receiving their Arbor Day seedlings tell us Spring has arrived at Ella Canavan. While all these activities are going on there is much learning to accomplish and prepare students for next year. Please help us make these last few months of school exciting and enriching for your child.

Spring Photography Session
Look for information coming home soon regarding our spring photography session. The pictures will be taken on Wednesday, April 11th. Please remember to bring forms back on April 11 or you may order online using the code printed on the envelope.

Take Your Child to Work Day – April 26
Medina City Schools recognizes the value of children learning about the adult world of work by participating in job shadowing opportunities. However, regular school attendance is critical to school academic success. We strongly discourage any 3rd or 4th grade student from participating in this day due to the fact they will be taking the Ohio Achievement Assessment in Math. If feasible, we encourage you to take your child to work on a non-school day, such as during a school vacation day or during the summer.
If you choose to have your child(ren) participate in the national “Go to Work with Your Parent” day, please:
1. Notify the school office as far in advance as possible that your child will be missing a day of school (a form is available in the school office). This allows the teacher to prepare makeup work for the student and for the student and the teacher to reach a mutually agreeable due date for the following required project.
2. Turn in a project or report to share highlights of the day and what the student learned from the work experience. Individual teachers may request that this project be shared with the entire class through a presentation. This project is in addition to the regular schoolwork which must be made up from the missed day of school
3. Complete the attendance in industry form and submit it to the school office by May 1st.
Students who fulfill these requirements will be given an excused absence. Students who do not fulfill these requirements will receive an unexcused absence for the day.

Student/Class Assignment 2011-12
The faculty will be meeting to begin the process of assigning children to classes for next fall. The selection of a child’s teacher is an involved process.
Parental input is often very helpful, however we cannot honor specifically named teacher requests for a variety of reasons. Letters or emails that ask for specific teachers will be returned. We can take into consideration information you provide to us regarding your child’s academic, social/emotional well being or concerns that would impact his or her placement. Our main focus is the establishment of a harmonious group of students as possible. The class must work together everyday for an entire year. If there is anything you feel must be considered in your child’s placement for next year, please send your concerns in writing to Mr. Condit by April 16th. SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR TEACHERS WILL BE RETURNED. We will not be honoring any written requests past this deadline.
Over the summer, last minute changes are made to balance the total number of students for each classroom. Students move in and some move away from our school and this causes a few changes. We want what is educationally best for each child.
In conjunction with this, please notify the school if your child/children will not be attending Canavan for the 2012-13 school years. This information will help us plan in advance relative to staffing needs and other related matters.

Attention Third Grade Parents
Third grade students will be given the Ohio Achievement Assessment in Reading on April 24th and the Achievement Assessment in Math on April 26th. Please be sure your third grade son or daughter is present, well rested and well fed for school during this assessment period. This is a very important assessment and is governed by many rules and on time regulations. April 26th is also Take Your Student to Work Day, as the OAA’s are very important you may consider taking your student on a non-school day.

Attention Fourth Grade Parents
All fourth grade students will be given the Achievement Assessment in Reading on April 24th, Math on April 26th. Please be sure your fourth grade son or daughter is present, well fed and well rested for school during this assessment period. This is a very important assessment and is governed by many rules and on time regulations. April 26th is also Take Your Student to Work Day, as the OAA’s are very important you may consider taking your student on a non-school day.

Attention Fifth Grade Parents
Fifth grade students will be given the Ohio Achievement Assessment in Reading on April 25th, Math on April 27th, and Science on April 30th. Please be sure your fifth grade son or daughter is present, well fed and well rested for school during this testing period. This is a very important test and is governed by many rules and time regulations.

Warm Weather Clothing
We will soon (hopefully) be having weather that is warm enough to allow more and more students to wear shorts to school. With this season always comes some concern from our students, staff, and parents asking us to clarify our expectations for the shorts policy.

In an effort to give guidelines, we request that you use the following:
Bermuda length is most acceptable
No tight fitting shorts
No short shorts or gym shorts

Students may not wear tank tops, spaghetti straps, shirts or blouses that expose the “tummy”, halter tops, cut-off t-shirts, baseball caps, scarves, bandanas, heavy metal chains, or bright fluorescent sprayed hair.
Shoes must have backs. No slides or flip flops. It makes running on the playground dangerous. Students who wear tennis shoes with wheels must take them out before they wear them in the school.
If these guidelines are not followed and clothing is deemed by our staff to be unsafe or inappropriate for school, your child may be given a warning or a phone call may be made asking you to bring a change of clothing. It is not our goal to embarrass children or inconvenience families we simply believe that a child’s appearance should be appropriate for school, the child’s workplace.

Lost and Found
Please have your child check the lost and found table in the lobby and in the commons for anything they may have lost recently. Small items such as jewelry are kept in the office. We have many jewelry items that have been taken off for P.E. and forgotten. All lost and found items will be donated to the community center at the end of May.

Technology Usage
Game boys, walkie talkies and cell phones are not permitted to be used on school grounds. Students may utilize the walkie talkies or cell phones enroute to school for safety purposes. This is not a problem. However, these items, if brought to school, must remain in book bags and the school cannot be held responsible if they are lost or stolen.
Rollerblades/Skateboards/Bicycles/Scooters
Please be advised that rollerblades and skateboards are not permitted at school or as transportation to school. We have also had reports of students skateboarding or rollerblading in the middle of Lawrence Street during high traffic times. Therefore, please be advised that NO STUDENT SHOULD USE ROLLERBLADES OR SKATEBOARDS TO COME TO SCHOOL OR TO LEAVE FROM SCHOOL. IN ADDITION, THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED FOR ANY RECESS TIMES.
When traveling to and from school students must obey all traffic regulations. The school assumes no responsibility for bicycles/scooters. However, provisions have been made to safeguard bikes by requiring them to be properly parked and locked in the school bike racks. Bicycles/scooters are not to be ridden on school grounds. Only students in grades 3, 4 and 5 are allowed to ride bicycles or scooters to and from school. Students in grades 1 and 2 may ride their bides to school if they have a sibling in grades 3, 4 or 5 who rides his/her bike to school. Students are strongly encouraged to wear helmets.
When riding to school students may ride until they reach the area of school property or the first safety patrol post, whichever comes first. Then students must disembark from their bicycles/scooters and walk the rest of the way. The reverse is true on the return trip.
Remember bike riding is a privilege that may be taken away if students are unable to follow safety rules. Skateboarding and rollerblades are not permitted on school property or as transportation to and from school.

Upcoming Events
April 11th - Spring Pictures
April 24th – 3rd and 4th Reading OAA
April 25th – 5th Reading OAA
April 26th – 3rd and 4th Math OAA
April 27th -5th Math OAA
April 30th- 5th Science OAA
May 4th - 17th Annual Run.4.Fun, 7:00 pm
May 9th -K registration @ Canavan

Intra District Enrollment Option for the 2012/13 School Year
Intra District Enrollment Option will be available to all Medina City Schools’ students who wish to attend an elementary or middle school other than the one they are assigned within the school district during the 2012/2013 school year. This option is based on enrollment numbers, as well as space and staff availability. Class assignments are made only to those grades that are at the district class size less one.
Intra District Enrollment requests will be available on the Medina City Schools Website as of Monday, April 2, 2012 at http://www.medinacityschooldistrict.org (go over to Administration then scroll down and click on the link to the Student Services page to find the link to Intra District Open Enrollment Option) or call the Office of Student Services 330-636-3100. Requests will be accepted via online submission only from Monday, April 2, 2012 through Friday, June 30, 2012 for the 2012/13 school year. Parents will be notified in writing of their child’s acceptance/non-acceptance no later than the second week of August of 2012. Assignments may be revoked in reverse order of date received (last in, first out) if enrollment figures no longer allow for additional classroom space.

Check our website www.medinacityschooldistrict.org for applications. Use the drop down and click on student services, the applications are available after April 2th 2012.

Kindergarten Registration
May 4th is the date that has been selected for Kindergarten registration for the 2012-13 school year for Canavan students. Students must be 5 by September 30th. Kindergarten registration will take place at Ella Canavan Elementary. You must complete the forms available online at www.medinacityschooldistrict.com, then visit registration by calling 330-636-3100. You must bring the registration papers, immunization records and proof of residency.
Incoming Kindergarten Information
We’ve been asked by many parents about a.m. and p.m. kindergarten classes.
• Kindergarten students are assigned to a.m. or p.m. kindergarten based upon their place of residence. The transportation department determines which geographical areas are a.m. and which are p.m.
• In June/July you will receive a letter indicating whether your residence is in the a.m. or the p.m. attendance area. Please be aware that these am/pm assignments are tentative. Medina is a district with rapidly growing enrollment. We have had to make last minute changes the week prior to the start of school.
• With our enrollment we are unable to make any changes to this policy. We ask that you please arrange childcare arrangements to accommodate your assignment based on residence.
Teacher assignments are not made until August. Typically children receive a letter from their kindergarten teacher in mid to late August. Class lists are posted in each building late in August. While principals are happy to hear from parents regarding a child’s learning styles or needs, specific teacher requests cannot be honored.

Cafeteria News
May 13th will be the last day for any negative charges on lunch accounts. If a student has a negative balance, they receive a peanut butter sandwich and milk. If they have a zero balance on his or her lunch account and does not have cash to buy a lunch after this date, other arrangements will need to be made BEFORE lunch (such as a call home).
We are recommending that payment for lunch accounts be added a week at a time so that lunch accounts can be depleted as much as possible by the end of the school year. If a balance does remain it will carry over to the next school year. We'd like to also encourage you to pay off any negative balances as soon as possible. (We will be accepting cash or checks through the end of the school year.)
Thank you!

School Board seeking questions to address on Cable Access Channel 36

The Medina City School Board of Education seeks opportunities to talk with the community and address community members, questions or thoughts about the district. A number of district initiatives are aimed at reaching community members in a variety of mediums including the Bee Informed, the district’s e-newsletter, Facebook, the district Blog, and the web site. A new initiative being launched by the Board of Education is a show called “Ask the Board.” Community members can email questions to hurtj@mcsoh.org with questions about the school district. Board members will address these questions along with administrators if the questions are pertinent to their area.
These shows will be taped on a monthly basis therefore community members can send questions in on an ongoing basis. “Ask the Board” will be aired on Channel 36 and video streamed on the district web site.

Media Center News!

Birthday Book Club
Ray Cipro November 26, 2011 Explore Titanic
By Peter Chrisp
Alex Rohlke December 6, 2011 The Underdogs
By Mike Lupica
Matt Rudolph December 15, 2011 Pip & Squeek
By Ian Schoenherr
Jayda Pearson December 17, 2011 The Fast and the Furriest
By Andy Behrens
Dolphin Tale: The Junior Novel
Adapted by Gabrielle Reyes
Bayethe Rowell December 17, 2011 LEGO Harry Potter
By Elizabeth Dowsett
Joseph Cipro December 28, 2011 Boogie Nights
By Lisa Wheeler
Sydney Hazelwood December 28, 2011 City Dog, Country Dog
By Mo Willems
Lauren Calvey March 9, 2012 Every Thing On It
By Shel Silverstein

Donated by
Timmy Armstrong December 18, 2011 Jumanji
By Chris Van Allsburg
Mister Seahorse
By Eric Carle
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
By Dr. Seuss
The Snowman Storybook
By Raymond Briggs
Detective LaRue Letters from the Investigation
By Mark Teague
& MANY, MANY, MANY MORE!!!!!!

Thank you for the WONDERFUL books!