Birch School Newsletter
Most of the information in this newsletter is repeated from August 7th as a reminder and for new families who have registered since the last newsletter was sent out.
Dear Birch Families,
We are very excited to welcome our Preschool and Kindergarten students to the 2026-2027 school year at Birch! It is our goal that your child and your family build positive relationships with our school team! Your child will learn so many important skills this upcoming school year. Additionally our staff incorporates social skills into our students’ daily routines each day. We look forward to our students' first days of school which are listed below.
First Day of Kindergarten is Monday, August 24th
The Kindergarten school day begins at 8:50 AM and ends at 3:30 PM. Kindergarten is in session Monday through Friday.
First Day of Preschool is Wednesday, August 26th
The Preschool morning session begins at 8:50 AM and ends at 11:20 AM. The Preschool afternoon session begins at 1:00 PM and ends at 3:30 PM. Preschool is in session on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (students do not come to school on Friday).
Please continue reading the below items in the newsletter as it relates to Kindergarten and Preschool Orientation information, Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures, a link to access the school supply lists, and a link to access the Preschool and Kindergarten calendar for the school year.
Please call the school office if you require assistance by dialing 440-588-5413. In the meantime, enjoy the remaining days of summer, and we look forward to meeting you soon.
Sincerely,
Mr. Frank Samerigo, Birch Primary School Principal
Kindergarten Orientation Information
Kindergarten orientations will take place on Thursday, August 20th at Birch School. Session times are listed below:
Last Name beginning A - M will attend the morning orientation beginning at 9:30am
Last Name beginning N - Z will attend the afternoon orientation beginning at 1:00pm
Orientations should last for one hour, but our staff is available to spend time with you following orientations so all of your questions are answered before the first day of school.
Please plan to bring your Kindergarten student to orientation. Bringing and dropping off school supplies on this day is extremely helpful as well. Supply lists are on the website and can also be accessed by clicking the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Class/Teacher placements will be made available to families on the parent portal on August 12th. Our staff will assist you at orientation to help you find your child's teacher and classroom if you require assistance.
Preschool Orientation Information
Preschool orientations will be held on Friday, August 21st at Birch School. Session assignments (AM or PM) will be emailed to all families next week from Mrs. Kelly in our Pupil Services department. Session times are listed below:
Morning parents will attend orientations at 9:30am.
Afternoon parents will attend orientations at 1:00pm.
Orientations should last for one hour, but our staff is available to spend time with you following orientations so all of your questions are answered before the first day of school.
Please plan to bring your Preschool student to orientation. Bringing and dropping off school supplies on this day is extremely helpful as well. Supply lists are on the website and can also be accessed by clicking the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Class/Teacher placements will be made available to families on the parent portal on August 12th. Our staff will assist you at orientation to help you find your child's teacher and classroom if you require assistance.
Starting School Jitters
Welcome to a new school year. For many students this is an exciting time but for others it can cause some worry and anxiety. As school approaches, children may be clingy, whiny, have physical complaints, and have disrupted sleep patterns. This is very normal and may occur for the first couple weeks of school. This transition can be difficult for many reasons including missing one’s parents/family, it being a long day, having to complete lots of school work and worries about friends. Warm weather can also be a factor.
As parents, it can be difficult to watch your child go through this struggle. Listed below are some tips to help with the transition.
Listen and empathize with your child’s concerns. Let him/her know you understand that it may be scary. Encourage your child to do their best and let them know mistakes are O.K.
Help your child develop relaxation techniques.
Deep breathing: Try 4-5 deep breaths to turn off the stress response. Have them breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Music: Listen to music or use progressive relaxation techniques that can be found on music apps.
Exercise through sports, walks, bike rides, and playgrounds.
Help your child use positive self-talk. Create a phrase that can be repeated such as, “I’m safe. I can handle this. Keep breathing.” This phrase is taught to students during guidance lessons.
Have a dress rehearsal for the first day of school. Develop routines for morning, study time and bedtime. Try to establish the bedtime routine a week before school starts to avoid tiredness the first week of school. Set clothes out the night before to ease the morning rush.
Practice/roleplay different ways to make friends.
Have your child dress in comfortable clothing and shoes when at school. Make sure clothes are appropriate for the weather. The first few weeks of school will be warm in the building.
Create a short goodbye routine. Hug, high five, “I love you.”
Focus on the good things that happen at school.
Children’s books can be helpful. The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, I Love You All Day Long, by Francesca Rusackas. With the help of your child, you can create your own story.
Schedule a playdate with a friend from your child’s class.
Avoid keeping your child home from school unless he/she is sick. When a child misses school, they miss instruction, which can cause them to fall behind and increase anxiety.
I look forward to working with your child this school year!
Mrs. Gina Mayle, School Counselor
Birch's Arrival and Dismissal Routine
This is a lot of information, so thank you for reading this section carefully as it relates to Birch's Arrival and Dismissal Procedures. We are happy to answer any questions you may have during orientations.
All cars must enter the lot heading west on Palm Drive from Coe Avenue.
ARRIVAL PROCEDURE: Kindergarten and AM Preschool Begins at 8:35am:
We are welcoming our youngest students in the district each morning. This process will take time. Safety is our first priority always! Thank you for your patience.
Buses and Cars will begin to unload at 8:35am each day and school begins at 8:50am. Our school staff will come out each morning at 8:35 to assist with this process. Children should not be dropped off and left unattended. All children will need to wait in a car or on a bus until our school staff is present outside.
Buses enter the drive keeping to the right lane and park along the east sidewalk to unload. We do have a couple of Buses that will unload along the front walk due to special needs.
Again, cars must enter the school's driveway from Coe Avenue (cars will not be permitted to enter the driveway heading east on Palm). Cars should enter the driveway keeping to the left as they pull into the lot. Cars will stay in a single file line and pull up as far as possible against the front curb for students to exit vehicles. Parents, please stay in your car and allow our staff to assist. As cars exit the lot, we ask that you make a right turn toward Columbia Road to minimize traffic congestion near Coe.
Our staff will teach our students how they enter the building. All Preschool students will enter through the front doors on the East Side of the building and Kindergarteners will enter through the front doors on the West side of the building.
Please be cautious when driving around the school, allowing for plenty of room for buses and allowing our buses the right of way.
Thank you for your patience and remaining in a single file line of cars, so we can keep all safe during our students' arrival.
MIDDAY AM Dismissal and PM Arrival of Preschool:
Our preschool staff begins loading cars and buses at 11:20am to dismiss our morning Preschool students.
Our Preschool staff begins unloading cars and buses at 12:55pm in preparation for our afternoon session beginning at 1:00pm.
Please follow the direction from our staff outside at these times to allow for a safe transition. Have your students' name tags displayed.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURE: Kindergarten/PM Preschool Begins at 3:30pm:
We are dismissing our youngest students in the district. This process will take time. Safety is our first priority always! Thank you for your patience.
If you are picking your child up by car, there is no need to come to the school any earlier than 3:20. It will take time for us to begin the car line process after the majority of buses are loaded.
Our staff members will assist the children on the buses at dismissal. Cars are to wait on the street (wrapping back onto Coe Avenue - please be courteous not to block neighbor's driveway aprons) until the majority of our buses are loaded and out of the school parking lot. After the majority of buses are loaded and leave the parking lot, cars will be invited to come into the school driveway. Cars must enter the lot from the east side of the building coming off of Coe Avenue and then exit the parking lot heading West toward Columbia Road.
Preschool cars will stay to the right of the driveway for their pick-up line.
Kindergarten cars will stay to the left of the drive for their pick-up line.
For families who have both a Kindergarten student and a PM Preschooler, we will arrange for them to be picked up at the same location together.
Student name plates with student name will be provided the first week to be placed on the drivers' side car visor. Please leave the name plate on your visor down until you approach the pick up area where your child is waiting for you. Students will be called in order to go to a specific location and drivers will pull up to meet their student for pick up.
Walkers will exit the west doors with adult supervision. School employees will escort the students across Palm Drive using the crosswalk where we ask parents to meet their children.
Please know that the first week, dismissal might go slower at first as we are establishing the routine for our new students and families, but it will improve as all become more comfortable with the procedure. When our Preschool students begin after Kindergarten's first couple of days, things will go a little slower as those families get accustomed to our procedures.
Thank you for your patience as we work hard to maintain safety and make any necessary adjustments necessary in our Arrival and Dismissal Plan.
What do I do if I need to change the way my child will come home from school?
If your plans change for how your child will be going home from school (for example: your child is typically a bus rider, but you will be picking up your child by car on a specific day), it is important that you call the school office no later than 3:00pm. This way we have time to alert the classroom teacher of the change and we can make certain that your child is in the correct transportation line. In most cases, our buses will leave the parking lot before car riders are put into vehicles.
School Attendance
If your child will be absent from school, parents should call the school office no later than 9:30am on that day to let us know. You are able to leave a message and include your child's name, your name, and the reason why your child will not be in school. The attendance line is available and open to calls 24 hours a day. Your support with this is greatly appreciated.
Student attendance is very important to help build students' routines and support their learning continuum. We understand that children become sick and should not come to school on those days.
By law, it is our responsibility to make certain students are accounted for during the school day. Many absences can be problematic, and could lead to a meeting with school personnel to discuss how we can improve your child's school attendance.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we want your child to have a successful school year!
Birch PTA
The Birch PTA welcomes parents to become members and get involved this upcoming school year.
Please join Birch PTA! Even if you are unable to attend meetings, membership and dues help the PTA support activities for the children. The link to become a member is below.
https://birchprimaryeagles.givebacks.com/shop
Meetings will take place at Birch, but beginning in January, meetings will take place at the new campus once we transition into that new location. Birch PTA meetings begin at 6:00 PM and the dates are listed below.
September 15
October 13
November 10
December 8
January 12
February 2
March 9
April 13
May 11
We hope to see you become involved with your child's PTA this school year!
Birch Preschool and Kindergarten Supply Lists
The link below will provide access to the Preschool and Kindergarten supply lists for the 2026-2027 school year.
NOCS Preschool and Kindergarten Calendar 2026-2027
The link below will provide access to the Preschool and Kindergarten calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. Please note that this calendar is slightly different than our grades 1-12 due to our midyear move to the new campus.
https://www.northolmstedschools.org/MenuItem/Calendar%20Pk-K%20Birch%20Approved.pdf