Blacklick Bulletin

Dear Blacklick Families,

PTO Meeting on Tuesday, September 9

The first PTO meeting of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9 at 6:30 PM in the Blacklick library! All parents/guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Why Attendance Matters

• Students who attend regularly are more likely to achieve academic success.

• Good attendance builds responsibility and shows commitment.

• Being on time helps create a calm, positive start to the day.

Together, we can help every child “stay in the game” by making attendance and punctuality a priority. Take the pledge now to stay in the game at Blacklick: https://stayinthegame.org/pledge/!

Thank you for teaming up with us to make every school day count!

Important Reminders:

Emergency Medical Authorizations (EMAs):

Please be sure to have your child’s EMA completed in Infinite Campus by September 15. This is an important step to ensure we have up-to-date emergency contact and medical information for your student. Please see the information farther down for directions.

MAP Testing:

Students in grades 1-5 will be taking the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment this week. These assessments help us understand each student's' learning needs. The testing schedule is below:

September 10: Grade 2 and 3 - Math MAP

September 11: Grade 4 and 5 - Reading MAP

September 12: Grade 1 - Math MAP

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at 614-759-5100 or by email at grovesk@gjps.org.

Respectfully,

Kristen Groves

Please click on the link for the Blacklick Family Directory 2025-2026.

A big thank you to Mrs. Stump and the Blacklick PRIDE Partner PTO for putting this directory together for our families this year!

Scan the QR code below or click on the link:

https://peprallyapparel.com/collections/blacklick-elementary

All orders will be delivered to Blacklick Elementary and sent home with students.

The sale runs through September 12, 2025.

Dear Parents,

We invite you to share a few kind words or a heartfelt message for your child's teacher or Blacklick staff member. Our staff works tirelessly to provide the best education and support for our children, and your appreciation can make a significant impact on their day.

Please take a moment to express your gratitude, share a positive experience, or simply say thank you.

Your messages will be shared with the staff member to brighten their day and acknowledge their hard work and dedication.

Thank you for your participation and support!

Staff Tribute: Share Your Thanks

Starting strong in September makes a big difference for the whole school year. Research shows that students who miss just 1–2 days in the first month are much more likely to become chronically absent later on. That’s why we’re working together to build positive attendance habits now!

When students come to school every day they:

• build routines that help them feel confident

• stay connected with friends and teachers

• have the best chance to succeed academically and socially
  
  

This year, as an All-Star District in the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network we are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month as a part of our campaign. Each week, we’ll celebrate attendance with fun activities, and students will have chances to:

• Win prizes sponsored by the Columbus Crew
• Be featured on Stay in the Game! social media
• Most importantly, we want you to know that we are here for you. If your child faces challenges getting to school, please reach out. Together, we can find solutions—because showing up today builds a stronger tomorrow. Inspiring Learners. Building Futures.

Thank you for being our partners in helping every student become an Attendance All-Star!

Do your part in ensuring you get to school on time and ready to learn! If you haven't done so already, take the pledge!

Student attendance is calculated in hours. This includes absences that have been identified as both excused and unexcused by the school, as well as planned absences. Being late or tardy to school does calculate into the total hours absent.

If your child is going to be absent for any portion of the school day, please notify the school. You may report an absence by using our Online Absence Reporting available in the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. To enter a request follow these simple steps:

1.Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.

2. Select your child’s profile.

3. Navigate to the Absence Request section.

4. Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.

5. Submit your request.

You will be able to view the status of your request using the View Requests button.

You may also call Blacklick at 614-759-5100 or email our secretary at lindseyk@gjps.org.

Medical excuses from a doctor can be submitted to Kim Lindsey, our school secretary, through email (lindseyk@gjps.org) or sending in a paper copy.

Gahanna Residents In Need (GRIN) has partnered with Blacklick Elementary to offer a “Weekend Snack Pack” program for our students.

The program is to benefit families who are experiencing food insecurity or who NEED supplemental food at home for the weekend.

If you would like to participate in this program, you will receive a bag of non-perishable food items that will be sent home from school with your child every Friday. No refrigeration is required.

In order to participate, please complete the form linked here.

For food assistance, please come to GRIN. No appointment needed. Come during the listed pantry hours. Bring your photo ID & proof of residency. You may come 2 times/month for canned foods, fresh produce, dairy, meat, toiletries & cleaning supplies.

Pantry Hours:

Every Tuesday 6-8:00 PM

Every Wednesday 10 am - Noon

Every Saturday 9 am - 11:00 am

Questions? Contact Beth Bentley, Program Director at pd@grin4gahanna.org.

"GRIN is an equal opportunity provider."

ALL Families (either new to Blacklick or returning families) need to update your information in the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus. Directions for how to update Infinite Campus are linked below:

1. Log into the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus at: https://gahannajeffersonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/gahanna_jefferson.jsp

2. Click MORE from the left hand column

3. Click on ONLINE REGISTRATION from choices on the right

4. Click START next to "Existing Student Registration"

5. Go through each step to complete the registration

Families New to Blacklick Elementary: If you are a new family to Blacklick (including all of our kindergarten families), you received an email from Mrs. Lindsey, school secretary, detailing directions on how to log into the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus to update your information. She emailed you an ID that you will need as you log in for the first time.

Returning Families: If you need assistance - please call the school office at 614-759-5100. Mrs. Lindsey will be happy to help.

We want to inform you of an important update regarding the Infinite Campus Payment Portal. Beginning July 23, Infinite Campus is transitioning to “Stripe” as its new merchant service provider. This change affects how online payments are processed for food service accounts and student fees (including instructional, athletic and technology fees).

All families will need to update payment information and re-enter any recurring payments, as your previous data will not carry over to the new system.

1. Add Payment Method(s)

Payment methods are used for both food service and school fees. Your current payment information will not be transferred. For security reasons, you must manually re-enter your payment methods.

You can add:

• Credit/debit cards

• Bank accounts

  • To validate bank accounts:

    • Automatic Validation: Log into your bank to confirm.

    • Manual Validation: A 24-48 hour delay for confirmation.

Steps to Add a Payment Method:

1. Go to "Food Service" in the Infinite Campus menu.

2. Click on "My Accounts."

3. Select the "Payment Methods" box.

4. Click the blue "New" button, enter your info, and hit "Save."

2. Re-establish Recurring Food Service Payments

Recurring payments will not carry over for security reasons. You must reconfigure them using your newly established payment method.

Steps to Set Up Recurring Payments:

1. Click on "Food Service" in the Infinite Campus menu.

2. Select "My Accounts."

3. Click the "Recurring Payments" box.

4. Under "Food Service," click "View."

5. Set your frequency, amount and payment method.

6. Click "Save."

For more detailed instructions, including screenshots, please see the documents listed below. There are no other changes to the way you experience online payments.

We appreciate your attention to this important update. If you have any questions or need help, please fill out the Infinite Campus Help Form.

How to Add Fee Payments to Infinite Campus

If you are visiting Blacklick for any reason, you will need to enter the building through the front doors.

We kindly ask that ALL visitors follow the steps below each and every time you visit Blacklick:

1. Once at the front, exterior doors of the school, press the buzzer. A member of the office staff will ask your reason for visiting Blacklick.

2. Once inside the vestibule, you will enter your drivers' license or state ID into the scanner.

3. Once your license has been scanned and processed you will be permitted to enter the main office area to pick up your visitor/volunteer badge.

**As a reminder, if there is a non-guardian planning to visit Blacklick for any reason (to eat lunch, read a book in the classroom, visit the bookfair, take your child to an appointment etc.), we ask that the guardian email the teacher and front office (lindseyk@gjps.org) to let us know prior to the visit.

Background Checks are needed each year for all volunteers!

To increase safety and security protocols, all GJPS volunteers who may have the potential to interact with students in an unsupervised setting or may have access to confidential information will be required to complete an online application that includes a background check. The district will provide the background checks at no cost to the volunteer. Background checks are required EACH school year. If you completed a background check last school year, you will need to complete the process again for the 2024-2025 school year.

EXAMPLES

• Examples of volunteer experiences include but are not limited to: cafeteria helpers, reading aides, mentors, hall monitors, field day volunteers, library helpers, office helpers, tutors, field trip chaperones, small group or individual student work in the hallway, party helpers, concession workers, fundraising volunteers, book fair volunteers, mobile dentist volunteers, etc.

Interested in Volunteering?

Click on the link below and fill out the necessary information:

Volunteer Form - Link is currently activated for the 25-26 school year!

The first PTO meeting of the school year is scheduled for September 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM in the Blacklick library. All parents/guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend!

PTO Officers for 2025-2026

Kristin Stewart - President

Jess Waxler - Vice President

Emily Smith - Treasurer

Laura Valido - Secretary

Andrea Stump - Board Elect

Need to contact the PTO?

PTOBlacklick@gmail.com

Ohio State Testing Dates are ready for the 2025-2026 school year. Please avoid scheduling vacations or appointments over these dates.

September 9 PTO Meeting in the Blacklick Library at 6:30 PM

September 9 First Grade Vision Screening

September 18 School Photos for anyone that did not have their photo taken on 8/7/2025

September 23 Parent/Teacher Conferences

September 25 Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 2 Professional Learning Day for Staff - No School for Students

October 3 Conference Comp Day - No School for Students and Staff

October 14 PTO Meeting in the Blacklick Library at 6:30 PM

October 17 End of Quarter 1

October 20 Staff Work Day - No School for Students

October 24 Report Cards for Quarter 1 go home with students