Welcome Back 2026!

What an incredible first two days at the School of Innovation! We are officially "All In" for an extraordinary school year, and I cannot wait to see all of our Sparks together in the building this coming Monday. Let's bring the energy and make every single moment count! ⚡

Dropoff & Dismissal Updates 🚗

• Kudos to Our Families: A big thank you to our parents for doing a fantastic job navigating our dropoff and pickup procedures during these first two days! Special thanks to the front desk crew and the entire SOI staff for keeping things as smooth as possible.

  
  

• Morning Dropoff Extension: To help our car riders moving forward, morning dropoff in the back will be allowed until 7:40 AM.

  
  

• Transportation Changes: If you have a change in dismissal plans for your student, please send that information to Nancy Suszek, our attendance secretary, by 1:30 PM so we can get it accurately placed on the dismissal log.

  
  

Mark Your Calendars 🗓️

• Picture Day: Get ready to flash those smiles—Picture Day is coming up on September 8th! Check out the ordering flyer detailed below.

  
  

• Box Tops for Education: We are excited to keep building up our school programs! Please review the Box Tops information detailed below to see how you can support our Sparks.

  
  

Thank you for your incredible partnership as we kick off this amazing year together. Have a wonderful, restful weekend—and Go Browns and Guardians! 🏈⚾

Warmly,

Mr Bonick

Arrival and Dismissal Times

• Beginning next school year, car riders can arrive at 7:15 am.

• For afternoon dismissal, we ask that parents begin arriving at school at 2:20 pm.

• To help ensure a safe and efficient dismissal process, families are encouraged to arrive at or near the designated dismissal time. Arriving significantly before dismissal can create traffic congestion around the school and does not expedite student pickup.

• Car Drop Off and Pickup will still be in the back of the building

Don’t Need a Bus in 2026-2027?

To help us plan efficient bus routes and transportation services, we are asking that any family that used district busing in 2025-26, but will not need bus transportation in 2026-27, to please complete the Transportation Opt-Out Form linked below. This is simply an opportunity to opt out of transportation services. Eligible students will continue to have access to district bus transportation, and families may request transportation in the future if circumstances change. If you will continue to use bus transportation, no action is necessary and you do not need to complete the form.

CLICK HERE to Opt-OUT of Transportation.

Hello SOI Families—

For your convenience, all required ODCY forms attached and linked below.

Required Y‑CARE Enrollment Forms for SOI

Please complete all forms accurately. Use “N/A” where applicable. Incomplete or blank sections will delay enrollment. Drop off hard copies at your Elementary school at your earliest convenience.

All Forms attached or can be found at the following link: Child Care West End Willoughby | Lake County YMCA

Required Documents/no exceptions:

• Y School Age Child Care Registration

• ODCY Child Enrollment Form
  (Required for all children per state licensing guidelines)
• ODCY Medical Care Form
  (Completed only if applicable—e.g., allergies, inhaler, or EpiPen; expires annually)
• Parent Release Form
  (Allows a child to transition from licensed space to a Y staff member for parent pick‑up)

• Walking Trip Permission Form
  (Authorizes children to walk between licensed program spaces within the building)

Thank you again for choosing Y‑CARE. We truly value your partnership and look forward to supporting your family in the upcoming school year! Please email me if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Pattie Ritt

Senior Child Care Director
LAKE COUNTY YMCA - WEST END YMCA at Union Village

36909 Ridge Road, Willoughby, OH 44094

(P)440 710-6754 (F)440 946 2963
(E)pritt@lakecountyymca.org (W) lakecountyymca.org

Progress with Chess is BACK! If your Spark is interested in playing chess and wants to join the club, please see the flyer below.

This year's registration will be handles directly by Progress with Chess

• The club will be from 2:30-3:30 on the designated days to coincide with the new building times

The Drama Club is full and I will be emailing the participants separately, but a few things to note:

• Start time each day is 2:30 to coincide with the new building times. The club ends at 4:00 each Wednesday.
• The starting date has changed to September 2nd and the club will not meet Sept 23
• The ending showcase/performance will be Dec 9th with a Fun Day on Dec 16th

Please sign up if you are interested. We typically cap this at 25 Students

President - Kathryn Toma

Secretary - Rachel Stone

Treasurer - Leigh Klekar

Vice President of Fundraising - Amy Bell

Vice President of Events - Jody Kipsoi

For tryouts/practices/Schedules or any other information regarding district sports please visit the website of the school your child will be participating for. Also, make sure you know which middle school they would be competing for...this will be their home middle school if they did not attend SOI.

• The School Smiles Dentist is coming to our School! All students who have signed up for the program and are eligible to be seen will be receive dental services on September 21st by the dental team. As a reminder, the dental team will set up in the school and see your child during the school day. School Smiles offers an Exam, Cleanings, X-Rays, Fluoride, as well as same day treatment if needed. This treatment can consist of Fillings, Sealants, or SDF. If you are interested in signing up your student to be seen please follow the link to the School Smiles Website at www.schoolsmiles.com/student-signup. For any questions, please call 855-497-6453

Renovare are the Defending Champs! Who will win Session 1??

New 3rd Graders will be selecting their Houses Next Tuesday!!

Mr Bonick (Principal): 440-283-4234

Attendance Line: 855-612-7207

Nancy Suszek (Secretary): 440-283-4445

Angela Buemi (Principal's Secretary): 440-283-4235

Michelle Messina (Guidance): 440-283-4146