Good Morning Muraski Families,

We had an incredible week, last week, ending with our PRIDE Incentive. It was a beautiful day for our students to enjoy some fun in the sun, pieing their principals, and a few teachers, and enjoying some outdoor games in our outdoor learning space. Please take a look at everything going on in a busy month of October. We have conferences, many fall activities, including the Greet & Treat at SHS, as well as our first school parties. Let's have a wonderful first week of October!

Sincerely,

Mike Griffen

We had an awesome day on Friday, celebrating the students who earned the PRIDE Incentive for the month of September. The Pie in the Face Picnic was a great success. Thanks goes out to Mrs. Agbuya and all of the parent volunteers who made this day possible for our students.

Please DO NOT use your Chromebook to charge your phone!

Using your Chromebook as a charger for your phone can result in severe consequences

1. Potential Damage: Charging your phone through your Chromebook can cause damage to both devices, leading to costly repairs or replacements.

2. Warranty Void: This action voids the manufacturer's warranty for your Chromebook, leaving you without its protection against unforeseen issues.

3. Optional District Insurance Void: It also voids the district insurance coverage for your Chromebook, which means you'll be responsible for any future damages or losses.

This cautionary notice comes in response to an increase in the number of student devices being turned in due to these issues. We want to ensure the longevity and functionality of your Chromebooks and, by extension, your learning experience.

The Strongsville City Schools annual “Greet & Treat” event will be held at Strongsville High School’s Pat Catan Stadium on Monday, October 23 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm. Dress up in your best Halloween costume and collect candy and treats in an outdoor, family-friendly atmosphere. We will also be accepting donations of non-perishable items, especially peanut butter and jelly, pasta, and pasta sauces, for the Strongsville Food Bank and other local food pantries that evening. We hope to see lots of families at this year’s “Greet & Treat” on October 23!

Join the FUN at Casino Night - a fundraiser for The Strongsville Education Foundation. Enjoy table games, food, and drinks on Saturday, November 11 from 7pm - 10:30pm at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center. Purchase tickets HERE (link also includes information for raffle prize donations and other sponsorship opportunities).The mission of the Strongsville Education Foundation is dedicated to raising and disbursing funds to support and foster creativity, innovation and outstanding achievement for the students, the teachers and the community served by the Strongsville City Schools.

Thank you to everyone who attended our first PTA meeting last week! If you were unable to attend and would like to sign up to volunteer for any committees, please fill out this form and the committee head will be in touch when they need help! Remember, you can volunteer as little or as much works for you!

Calling all Elementary Artists! PTA Council Reflections is starting a Reflections Club for all elementary students that will be meeting once a month.

What is Reflections? It is a program put on by the State and National PTA that provides students an opportunity for recognition and access to the arts which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, students can create and submit original works of art in response to a student-created theme. The 2023-2024 Theme is "I am hopeful because . . ." Students can create in six categories. Those categories are Film Making, Choreography/Dance, Visual Arts, Music Composition, and Literature.

This Elementary Reflections Club will meet September 18th, October 16th, and November 13th and 27th at the Strongsville Public Library, with the goal of giving students a chance to explore the art categories they can compete in. To sign up please click HERE - please know that space is limited and there is a cost of $5.00 per family for art supplies. Learn more about PTA Reflections at PTA.org/Reflections.

To determine eligibility for free / reduced lunch, as well as various additional state and federal program benefits inclusive of possible district student fees being waived, an application must be completed online at PaySchoolsCentral.com. HERE is a link with directions to apply.

It is important to note the following for those that qualify for Reduced Lunches in the 23-24 school year: The recently passed Ohio biennial budget includes a provision for the State to pay the meal charges for Reduced students ($0.30 for Breakfast and $0.40 for Lunch) effectively allowing them to eat for free. This will be in effect for the 23-24 and the 24-25 school years.

As a reminder, all school fees that have not been paid are now considered past due. To check the balance and pay outstanding school fees, go to Pay Schools Central by clicking HERE. In addition to Pay Schools Central, school fees can be paid by cash/check to your student’s building secretary or with the Treasurer's Office. If you have questions related to this, please contact the building secretary or Dawn Evangelista (devangelista@scsmustangs.org) within the Treasurer's Department. As we are approaching a new school year, as well as the start of fall sports, per Board of Education policy, the consequences for outstanding prior year school fees will prohibit students from participating in any school extracurricular activities (i.e., athletics, student council, school clubs, etc.), field trips, and school sanctioned dances / events that require a purchased ticket. For additional information on District Fee Collection Procedures and Consequences CLICK HERE.

Over the summer, the district expanded our partnership with Blocksi to include student content filtering and alerts. We no longer utilize SecURLy for these services. CLICK HERE to view an informational flier about joining the Blocksi Parent Portal to gain insights on your student’s online behavior with their scsmustangs account and set parental controls beyond the school school. If you have any questions, contact Dave Binkley, Director of Instructional Technology at dbinkley@scsmustangs.org.

Email: mgriffen@scsmustangs.org
Website: https://muraski.strongnet.org/
Location: Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 440-572-7160
Twitter: @MuraskiPrin