Hickory Ridge Highlights

It's hard to believe we have already wrapped up the first quarter of the school year! It has been wonderful to see the growth our students have made, both academically and socially, in just a few short months. We are so proud of their hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments!

As we head into the second quarter, we want to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance. Every school day matters! Being at school each day helps students build strong routines, develop friendships, and stay engaged in their learning. Thank you for your continued partnership in making school attendance a priority and supporting your child's success. We look forward to another great quarter of learning and growth!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bailey

Principal

Hickory Ridge Elementary

330-273-0483

jamiebailey@bcsoh.org

• If your student was absent on the first picture day, no worries! He/she can get their picture taken on retake picture day.
• If your student was absent on the first picture day, there will be an ordering site available so you can order online at cavanaughphoto.com/order. If you placed an order before the first picture day and didn’t realize your child would be absent, your order will still be honored.
• If your student had pictures on the original picture day and they would like a retake, please return the original picture packet that was ordered. If you only ordered a hi-res digital file, simply send a note in with your student stating that a hi-res digital file was purchased. If the packet or note is not returned, a new package can not be printed until the original is turned in.
• If you did not place an order and would still like a retake, please just let your child's teacher know to send them down for the retake.

If you have any questions, we're happy to help! 440-973-4390 or info@cavanaughphoto.com

October 2026

10/19 - Morning Announcements 8:00 am

10/19 - Good Vibe Guides

10/20 - Growing Gardeners 3:30 pm

10/21 - 4G Officer Garcia Lesson

10/21 - 5G Officer Garcia Lesson

10/22 - Picture Retake Day

10/22 - HHDC Group 2 7:45 am

10/23 - Report Cards Viewable

10/23 - Puzzle Club K-2 7:45 am

10/26 - Morning Announcements 8:00 am

10/26 - Good Vibe Guides

10/26 - Family First Night (No HW)

10/28 - 3G ELA OST

10/28 - BookWorms K-2 3:30 pm

10/29 - 3G ELA OST

10/29 - HOUSE MEETING 2:30

10/30 - Trunk or Treat 9-11:30 am

10/30 - Halloween Parade (outside if weather permits) 1:45 pm class parties to follow at 2:00 pm

Dear Parents and Guardians of 3rd Grade Students,

In two weeks, all Brunswick City School District 3rd grade students will be taking the English Language Arts Ohio State Test. The assessment is given over two days; Part 1 will be administered on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 and Part 2 will be given on Thursday, October 29, 2026. During the spring, 3rd grade students will once again take the English Language Arts Ohio State Test, as well as the 3rd grade Mathematics assessment.

The purpose of the fall test is to help us better understand students’ strengths and areas of growth in the skills outlined in Ohio’s English Language Arts Learning Standards. Your child’s teacher will use the data from the assessment to help guide instruction to meet the individual instructional needs of all of our students.

There are a variety of things you can do to help prepare your student to do their best on this assessment:

1. Avoid doctor’s appointments and other planned absences on October 28th and 29th.

2. Encourage your child to get a good night of sleep.

3. Provide a healthy breakfast.

4. Ensure your child arrives at school on time.

Additionally, you can access practice resources for your child by visiting the following website: https://oh-ost.portal.cambiumast.com/families.html

Ultimately, one of the best things parents, guardians, teachers and principals can do for our students is to encourage them to do their best!

Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or principal with any questions. Additionally, I invite you to reach out to me at any time.

Sincerely,

Patrick Geschke

Director of Instruction and Innovation

Brunswick City School District

(330) 273-0458

wgeschke@bcsoh.org

A representative from Girls Scouts will be visiting the lunch periods on October 21st. The organization will be sharing information about their program and how students can get involved. If you do not want your child present during the talk, please email Mrs. Bailey and your child's teacher.

• Girl Scouts - October 21st.

26-'27 PTG email distribution

If you wish to be on the 2026-2027 distribution list please sign up using the below link.

2026-2027 PTG Email Distribution

Trunk or Treat

Our 4th Annual Trunk or Treat event will be on Friday, October 30th from 9:00 - 11:30 AM

Keep an eye out for the sign up sheet to volunteer! You can also help support this fun event by sending in treats or trinkets to Hickory Ridge by Friday, October 23rd. We have approximately 350 students at Hickory Ridge, and need around 7,000 pieces to pass out!

• Kindergarten: Non-edibles (think squishies, bubbles, sticky hands, creepy crawlies)
• 1st: Non-edibles (think squishies, bubbles, sticky hands, creepy crawlies)
• 2nd: Non-candy (fruit snacks, pretzels, cheese balls, etc.)
• 3rd: Candy (Skittles, Starburst, Airheads, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, etc.)
• 4th: Candy (Lollipops - Ring Pops, Blow Pops, Tootsie Pops, Dum-Dums, etc.)
• 5th: Candy (Chocolate and Candy Bars)

Dine to Donate

PTG tries to organize one Dine to Donate a month. October's Dine to Donate will be Wednesday, October 21st at the Chipotle on Center Road in Brunswick. Keep a lookout in your student's backpack for a flyer. Upcoming Dine to Donates are Panda Express (December 11th) and Dairy Queen (March 16th).

Get to Know Our Teacher's Favorite Things

Want to make a teacher’s day? Get to know our teachers a little better by checking out their Favorite Things! From favorite snacks and drinks to hobbies, restaurants, and classroom supplies, this is a fun way to discover the little things that bring our teachers joy. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift, a way to show appreciation, or simply want to get to know the amazing people who make our school special, their Favorite Things are a great place to start!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wMMrsBKLQDe6uBgvm3TAUXzvkXG1pu0quTv0usJv3NA/edit?gid=514390586#gid=514390586

PTG Meetings

Our meetings take place at Hickory Ridge in the Pit. Upcoming meetings are:

November 18, 2026

January 13, 2027

February 24, 2027

April 7, 2027

May 12, 2027

Box Tops

Last year we earned $800 simply by scanning receipts! Let's see if we can beat that again this year. A flyer will be sent home with your student(s) if it has not already!

Save the Date:

Santa Shop: December 3rd & December 4th

We will be looking for volunteers to help students shop. Sign up link will be posted at the end of October.

As always, please reach out to the PTG email if you have any questions! We are looking forward to a GREAT '26-'27 school year!

Popcorn Fridays

PTG hosts Popcorn Fridays on the first Friday of each month.* If you missed the Popcorn Pass Sign Up, don’t worry, students can bring in money for Popcorn that Friday. Popcorn Friday Dates are below:

November 6, 2026

December 11, 2026

January 8, 2027

February 5, 2027

March 5, 2027

April 9, 2027

May 7, 2027

Happy Fall everyone! I hope everyone has settled into the school year nicely. Please reach out to me if you need any support for your child or have any questions about anything. My contact information is listed below.

We will be continuing with the Second Step lessons in October. This month we will be focusing on Bully Prevention. Your child(ren) will learn the definition of bullying, how to recognize it, refuse it and report it. They will also learn what a bystander is and how to help deter any bullying behavior at our school. Please continue to reinforce these concepts at home with your child(ren). See the parent links (listed below in this newsletter) for more information on this topic (and others) and how you can work with your child on these concepts at home to help with their social emotional learning.

Teach Your Child How to Put an End to Bullying at School

Parents often think that bullying is just a part of life, but it should be taken seriously. Bullied children often become anxious. Some end up not wanting to go to school. Kids that bully others are often in pain themselves. They can use aggressive behavior to cover up their shortcomings. To stop bullying from happening, parents can:

• Watch for symptoms that your child is being bullied. These may include withdrawal, a drop in grades, torn clothes or needing extra money or supplies.

• Listen to your child. Encourage them to talk about school and other kids. Ask about the walk or ride to and from school.

• Show your child how to protect themselves. Practice walking with confidence, role-play how to stand up for yourself verbally.

• If your child complains about another child, dig deeper. Children are often embarrassed or afraid to say they’re being bullied. When probed, a seemingly minor complaint might reveal a more serious problem.

• If your child is being bullied, tell the school. Teachers can take steps to ensure your child’s safety.

• Get together with other parents. Ensure that children in your neighborhood are supervised to, from and after school.

• Don’t be a bully yourself. Don’t yell, tease or hit others.

• Praise your child when they are kind toward others.

If you think your child may be a bully, get help. Talk to a teacher, counselor, principal or psychologist. Your child might be acting out feelings of insecurity, anger or loneliness.

Source: Parents Make the Difference!, The Parent Institute, a division of NIS, Inc.

The Second Step Program has a link that parents can utilize to reinforce the skills that their children have learned for the week. All you need to do is the following:

Use this link www.SecondStep.org then enter the following Activation Key:

Kindergarten- SSPK FAMILY70 Look for Lessons under Home Link

1st Grade-SSP1 FAMILY71 Look for Lessons under Home Link

2nd Grade-SSP2 FAMILY72 Look for Lessons under Home Link

3rd Grade-SSP3 FAMILY73 Look for Lessons under Home Link

4th Grade-SSP4 FAMILY74 Look for Lessons under Home Link

5th Grade-SSP5 FAMILY75 Look for Lessons under Home Link

Click here for PaySchools Central to register and create your account.

Also, any outstanding student class fees have been transferred to PaySchools. You will also have the option to pay any Athletic and Marching Band Pay to Participate fees through your PaySchools account.

There are no fees involved when paying your student's fees online.

There will be a small transaction fee for the Meal Accounts.

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions less than $25.00) $1.65 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions $25 to $49.99) $2.00 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions greater than $49.99) 4.5%

• Electronic Check (All transaction amounts) $1.75 per transaction

Several PaySchool links are provided below. At the bottom of each informational document, you will find PaySchools customer service contact information. Feel free to reach out to PaySchools if you encounter a problem when creating your account.

If you have a district-related question regarding your fees please contact Tina Campbell, Administrative Assistant to the Treasurer, at tcampbell@bcsoh.org. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this transition.

PaySchools Parent Registration

PaySchools Free and Reduced Application

PaySchool Meal Account

Website: https://www.bcsoh.org/Domain/12
Location: 4628 Hickory Ridge Avenue, Brunswick, OH, USA
Phone: (330) 273-0483
Twitter: @BCSDHRidge