Greetings PRM Families,

Happy New Year!!! The new year brings fresh energy and promise as we forge ahead. Our team is focused and ready to continue to provide high-quality instruction for our students. We are working to meet the unique needs of our students as we support their growth and achievement. We are extremely grateful for each of you and we appreciate the support you provide to our school community. As we continue learning remotely, our teachers are partnering with families to provide reasonable accommodations for those that may have unique child care situations or other circumstances. Our goal is to make sure that every student has access to the lessons provided and the follow-up work expected. Please make sure you are clear on the expectations, instructions, schedule, meeting codes, and office hours communicated by your child's teacher.

We know that some may have traveled or gathered during the holiday season. Let's continue to do our part to ensure the health and safety of our school community. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please report it to our school nurse, Margaret Shroeder by calling (513) 363-4421. Please report your child's absence by calling the main office or the classroom teacher. Nurse Meg will likely follow-up with a call to see if support is needed. She will also continue to provide on-site COVID testing for any CPS students. She cannot test adults. Be sure to wear a mask at all times if you need to come to our campus. We also ask for your help by wearing a mask when out in public and washing your hands frequently. We want to be able to return to blended learning in the coming weeks.

It is my sincere hope that you were able to safely enjoy the holiday season with your family. We look forward to improvements in the health data that will allow us to return to blended learning soon. Thank you for your resilience as we get through these tough times.

Love,

Principal Simpson

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us
Phone: 513-203-9087

• Distance Learning~January 4th-TBD
• 2nd Quarter Report Cards Available via Powerschool~ January 8th
• Professional Development Day~ January 11th--No Students
• LSDMC~ January 13th @ 3pm
  
• PTO~ January 13th @ 6:30pm
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday~ January 18th--Schools Closed
• Foundation~ January 19th @ 7pm
• Winterfest~ January 22nd 5pm-7pm
• PRM Town Hall Meeting~ January 27th @ 6:30pm
• PRM Read-A-Thon~ February 19th-25th
• CPS Board Meetings~ January 6th @ 4pm, January 11th @ 6:30pm, January 20th @ 4pm
  

All students in grades PreK-6 transitioned to full remote learning on November 23rd.

Monday-Thursday~ Synchronous(teacher-guided lessons) Learning for all students 7:45am-2:15pm

Friday~ Asynchronous (self-directed) Learning Day; Teacher office hours; Specials Courses are Synchronous on this day

To ensure engagement, safety, and comprehension during remote lessons and class sessions students are expected to have their cameras on at all times. Instructions have been provided to change the background screen if desired. Just as students are expected to be present and engaged during in-person learning, the same is expected virtually.

Teachers will provide multiple prompts and reminders to correct this behavior. If there is no response, a warning will be given that the student will be removed from the class session since their identity and participation can't be verified. If a teacher removes a student from a class session there will be follow-up communication with the student and parent to resolve any issues or provide support. Removal from the class session will only occur if the camera is off without permission or without response. Special circumstances will be considered as long as student engagement and participation can be verified.

Please contact Principal Simpson or your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

To accommodate working parents and virtual learning times, Student Dining Services will have meal distribution at all schools (with the exception of Lighthouse and RSA Cheviot/Westwood) on Wednesdays -- December 2nd, December 9th, and December 16th on the following schedule:

· Elementary schools will distribute meals 7am-12noon

· Secondary & K-12 schools will distribute meals 12noon-5pm

Student Dining Services is currently exploring meal distribution for Winter Break and will share information with Principals as soon as possible.

The CPS High School Lottery application period is open from Tuesday, January 12, 2021, until the close of business, Friday, April 16, 2021.

There is only one application period. This lottery is for students who are grade eligible and reside inside the attendance boundaries of Cincinnati Public Schools.

The high school lottery gives parents/guardians and students an opportunity to apply to up to three CPS lottery-participating high schools. Oyler School, Lighthouse School, SCPA and Walnut Hills do not participate in the lottery.

Procedure: CPS parents or guardians, and CPS students in grades 6, 7, and 8, submit an online lottery application using their PowerSchool login credentials on any computer with Internet access. Families without internet access may schedule an appointment to submit their high school lottery application using one of the computers in the Customer Care Center lobby.

PRM's team of 6th-grade teachers will partner with our CLC team and the office team to support this process as shared below:

• Facilitate an information session for high school choices.
• Make informal recommendations for high school programs.
  

• Support students/parents with entering lottery choices as requested.
• Direct student/parent questions and messages to the School Counselor at your school.
• Collect and handoff all submitted high school lottery paper forms to your school counselor. School counselors will enter the applications.

The Customer Care Center and other departments are also working with families to help them with the application process.

Click here to view the High School guide and to learn more about the lottery.

The District Safety Plan for Reopening Schools was updated recently with some additional information below.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17IRPdq6SPuhmldRJ_mJZ5X0njVDR_CRYhKT5NeRcqiE/edit

This update includes more specific guidance for recess, cloth face coverings, and how to respond to a confirmed case or exposure to a confirmed case in your building. Please take the time to read these updates in the safety plan at the link above.

Hello! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had some important downtime. I wanted to talk to everyone about illnesses and absences while the students

are learning remotely. It is still very important that you reach out to your teacher or directly to me to report symptoms your child might be having that could be related to COVID.

We also need to be informed of any positive COVID results. I know this might seem strange to you and some have even wondered if there is a potentially evil reason behind this and I want to give you some assurance and ask for your help.

I am sure you are aware that COVID rates are again increasing. The severity of illnesses from COVID is also increasing. The data that we are able to collect regarding students attending Cincinnati Public Schools can help keep our students and our families safer during this time. This information is not used to track you or to punish you. It's being gathered to show trends. To show where we might need to improve. It will help determine what we need to do to keep this awesome school up and running in January. We are fortunate to be working with a program with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the Cincinnati Health Department, and Cincinnati Public Schools. Many people are involved in this project and every day they meet to see what they can do for CPS. So please, if you have a student who is sick or is positive please email me @Schroem@cpsboe.k12.oh.us. You may also call me at 513-363-4421. I will answer any/all questions you have that might help you recognize the importance of this information.

And now an important message about COVID testing. I can do testing at the school. This is part of the program I talked about above. It cannot be easier. It is free. We almost always get our results back by 6am every morning. I think one very busy day they did not come back until 7:15am but still that same day. I just waited six days for my results! It is quick. If you call me/email me I will try to have all of the paperwork ready and you can be in and out of my office in 10 minutes. Testing can help keep your family safe. If you know one of your family members is positive you can help watch for symptoms but also can help stop the spread to other family members. I am here Monday through Friday from 7am until 3:30ish but will also stay later (within reason!) to accommodate your schedule. (This Thursday I am only working 7-12 BTW) I do need you to make an appointment but I can be flexible on all of this. This is how strongly I feel about the need for testing. I am not getting any extra pay for testing. I am not getting any extra retirement points. I am pushing this because I truly believe this will ultimately help our students and our families.

Specifics about testing: I can test any student who attends a Cincinnati Public School with symptoms related to COVID. I cannot test adults. I cannot test students not enrolled in CPS but can refer you to a Cincinnati School-Based Center where you can get care. You will have to sign a waiver. The test is relatively quick and relativity painless.

I am also asking for your help in dispelling rumors about the reason we are asking for this information and providing testing.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me either via email or my office.

Take care!

Meg Schroeder MSN, RN, PHNII

School Nurse Pleasant Ridge Montessori

Cincinnati Health Department

Cincinnati, OH 45214

513.363.4421 (o) | 513.363.4420 (f)

We hope you had a relaxing and healthy holiday break! We are so excited to be back with your children and are counting down the days until they can be in the classroom again. We are busy in our 3-6 classrooms this month. In geography, we are headed to Antarctica. We will learn a little bit about the continent itself, the climate, and the animals who live there. We will also learn about animals who live in Antarctica vs animals who live in the Arctic. In science, we are going to be studying birds, specifically penguins. We will learn about some of the main characteristics that make an animal a bird and learn the names of some birds. In math, we will continue to work on numbers 1-20. In language, we will continue to practice writing and reading as well as handwriting.

Happy 2021! PRM is returning to our distance learning model for the month of January. Please check in with your classroom teacher if you have any questions regarding your learner's schedule. There will be no virtual school on January 11, 2021 and January 18, 2021 - don't forget to mark your calendars! Classrooms will continue to provide meaningful instruction in Language, Math, and Cultural skills while also building community and making connections!

A huge congratulations and thank you goes to all those who participated in our Virtual Winter Variety Show! The performances were outstanding and it was a huge treat to share with our school community.

• Thank you to our PRM and Golf Manor community who provided over 60 of our students and families with holiday gifts and goodies. A big kudos to Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, CRC, Golf Manor Police Department, and many of our community members. Our students were truly blessed and overjoyed with the abundance of love, support, and gifts that they received.

• BIG UPS to our Coat Drive committee- These ladies worked very diligently to provide coats and winter accessories for our students here at PRM. We were also able to provide coats to our community to the Caring Place and Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church.

• CLC hopes that each and every one of you had the opportunity to participate in many of the wonderful activities that were provided to you through the school or within the community. Each activity brought a sense of joy, pride, and excitement for the holiday season.

• Winterfest is coming your way on Friday, January 22, 2021, from 5-7 pm here in the back of the school.

• PRM Town Hall Meeting- Wednesday, January 27, 2021, at 6:30 pm be on the lookout for more information.

• Possip Communication- The district will send out communication twice a month. We ask that you respond back to the question(s) that they are posing to us. This information is tabulated and comes directly to the CLC office and Ms. Simpson and this will help us in making improvements to PRM.

• CPS Meal Distribution- Every Wednesdays from 7 am to 12 pm

• CRC is still taking applications for PRM After-School Care. Stop by the office for an application.

• Do you want to learn Spanish? Children’s Classes and Adult Classes are starting up soon at the Cincinnati Spanish School.

• Imago Rangers are still going strong through our virtual unit. Please stop by and enjoy the activities that they have developed for your child. Many of the activities can be done with the entire family. This month we will focus on animal tracks. I wonder what animals are lurking in our community?

• Kennedy Heights Art Center is offering their winter art classes. Classes start on January 25th, so make sure you sign up to get those paintbrushes moving. To reserve your spot click on the link https://kennedyarts.org/blog/#tab3

Community Resources:

• Fresh Produce and Food Drive Thru Distribution at Plesant Ridge Presbyterian Church, every Wednesday from 4:30-6:30 pm. Let them know that you are PRM

• Frozen Meals for any age from La Soupe can be picked up every Monday from 3-6 pm at Deer Park Library (3970 E. Galbraith Rd.). For more information call 513-369-4450

• Meal Boxes for youth from UMC Food Ministry can be picked up every Monday from 3-5 pm at Pleasant Ridge Library (6233 Montgomery Rd.). For more information call 513-369-4488

• Community Happens Here is providing coding classes to adults- Check them out or just stop by for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Their doors are open and ready to welcome you. For more programs, check them out on their website at https://thecommons-pr.org/ or just pop up at 6238 Montgomery Rd between the hours of 9 am-1 pm (Tuesdays- Saturdays) or 11 am-3 pm (Sunday)

• CPS-Pop Up Food Truck is coming to several neighborhoods on Wednesdays in January. See the flyer below.
  

Hello PRM families. We are excited about our upcoming Winterfest-Wishing on a Brighter Future! Your student should be receiving in their take-home packets either the week of January 4th or the week of January 11th, a ribbon where they are to write their wishes, hopes, or dreams for the New Year. Once this is completed, we ask that you return the ribbon to your child’s homeroom teacher by the 19th of January. We would love for all students to participate in this PRM celebration.

Our school community will be able to view and enjoy a beautiful winter display at our drive-thru Winterfest event on Friday, January 22nd from 5pm-7pm.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the PRM Winter Events! Virtual Gingerbread House Event, PRM Virtual Movie Night, Coat Drive, Virtual Variety Show, Poinsettias, Cookbooks! Thank you to everyone who donated for Giving Tuesday, we raised $13,000!

Happy New Year from PTO, Foundation, ILT, LSDMC and Boosters! PRM parents and administration want to make sure all voices know they can be heard and are welcome. Please see the meetings, reminders and updates below, we would love to see you! All meetings are virtual and will be posted on prmrocks.org/calendar Our big event next month is the Read-a-thon! Get ready to read!

• PTO Meeting - January 13th at 6:30pm
  

• Foundation - January 19th @ 7p

• LSDMC - January 13th @ 3pm

• ILT - January 4th and February 1st @2:45pm

• CPS board meetings - January 6th @ 4pm, January 11th @ 6:30pm, January 20th @ 4pm

Fundraisers: Our Awesome Pleasant Ridge Foundation is working hard to raise funds to support these community events, our community garden, the amazing PRM staff and students and all the unique needs we have this year of remote learning. Check out the links to the awesome fundraisers we have!

• Read-a-thon! prmrocks.org/readathon February 19th-25th!
• PRM Cookbook prmrocks.org/cookbook
  
• Magazine Sale
• Box Tops, Kroger Card and other No-Cost Fundraisers - https://prmrocks.org/give/fundraisers/

Reminders of Community Events:

• 6th Grade Families! Need help navigating how to sign up and plan for next year! Go here: https://prmrocks.org/6th-grade-families/
  
• Subscribe to the PRMRocks.org Calendar here: https://prmrocks.org/calendar/
• Interested in Scouts! Girl Scout Troops and Cub Scouts are active at PRM and you're welcome to join! Go to https://prmrocks.org/connect/scouting/
• PRM Community Town Hall, January 27th @ 6:30pm

Technology throws a curve ball occasionally when software is going haywire or a laptop simply will not start.

For CPS students and their families, help is a phone call away by dialing the Family Technology Support Center, (513) 363-0688 or emailing. Tech support is available in English and Spanish from 8 a.m.– 6 p.m., Monday through Friday when school is in session.

The Family Technology Support Center has been created to assist students and their families when they are not at a CPS school. The move is in response to feedback received from families during the district’s Parent Town Hall meetings held recently.

Some examples of available tech support include:

• Resetting passwords for Google, Schoology and Powerschool
• Troubleshooting connectivity issues
• Logging into the computer
• Offering assistance with Google Meet, Calendar, Gmail and standard software
• Coordinating the repair of a CPS device that is damaged, broken or not working

"We understand that technology issues arise, and we are here to support our CPS families," said Jeremy Gollihue, chief information officer. "It's important that students do not lose valuable learning time and it is our goal to resolve situations quickly so students can go back to completing assignments, doing research or connecting with their teacher."

Parents will continue to call the Customer Care Department, 363-0123, with other school-related questions.

VIRTUAL MINDPEACE ROOMS Many of our students (and staff) are missing our MindPeace Rooms used to help students deescalate and learn coping skills. During this stressful time while students are not in schools and don't have access to a physical MindPeace Room, we are providing a virtual experience as a resource for students of all ages. Please share this link to 3 Virtual MindPeace Rooms (one for K-2nd grade, one for 3rd-6th grade and one for middle and high schools) on the updated MindPeace website with the students and families you serve. https://mindpeacecincinnati.com/virtual-mindpeace-rooms/ Virtual MindPeace Rooms™ mindpeacecincinnati.com

Cincinnati Public Schools:

513-363-0123

Child Mental Health Crisis

Cincinnati Children's Hospital PIRC intake line:

513-636-4124

Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect:

513-241-KIDS

Suicide Prevention Hotline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Textline:

Text 4HOPE to 741741

Disaster Distress Helpline:

1-800-985-5990

Domestic Violence Hotline via Women Helping Women:

513-381-5610

Our Character Program centers around:

Respect, Ownership, Compassion, Kindness and Safety, Safety, Safety!

Below are the three school-wide expectations that we expect students to follow throughout all parts of our learning community. Please support us by reinforcing these at home.

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be a Problem Solver

Website: prmrocks.org
Location: 5945 Montgomery Road
Phone: 513-363-4400