Marshall E-News

It was great week at Marshall! Our 3rd graders enjoyed a wonderful morning of hands-on learning at Hueston Woods today. Experiences like these give our students the opportunity to explore, discover, and make meaningful connections to their learning outside the classroom. We love seeing our students engaged, curious, and learning together!

As always, thank you for being such an important part of our Marshall family. We appreciate your continued support and love seeing our students grow, learn, and make memories each week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Stephanie Jones

Principal

Greater Oxford Educational Collaborative

Miami University Athletics & Talawanda Elementary Schools

On Wednesday, November 11, 2026 our students once again have the fantastic opportunity to attend the Miami University Women’s basketball game “Class at the Court” at Millett Hall during the school day. Thanks to the generous support of Miami University and our educational partnership our students will attend the game free of charge.

We will leave school shortly after we take attendance, heading to Millett Hall at 9:30AM, and will return to school after the game. Any student that has NOT arrived at school on 11/11/26 before 9:30AM, will not be able to participate in this activity. Please make note of this.

We will contact the parent of any student that experiences illness or behavior issues and the parent will need to pick their student up at Millett Hall.

Permission slips will be shared with our families the last week in October.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), formally called the Ohio Department of Education, has shared with public schools across the state Senate Bill 288. This legislation requires that health education curricula be updated to include (K-12/developmentally appropriate) prevention education information in the areas of sexual abuse and sexual violence for students in public schools.

As promised, the district is providing an opportunity for families to review the curriculum, and parents may opt their students out of the lessons if they choose. For more information from the Ohio Department of Education- Click HERE.

Instruction occurs annually. This year the district will conduct these updates with students October 12-26, 2026.

SHARE YOUR PASSION AT SPARK DAY!

Marshall will be hosting our bi-annual SPARK Day on Friday November 6th. We are looking for presenters who are passionate about a hobby or career. We will have a morning session for 3rd-5th graders from 9:30 - 11:15 and an afternoon session for K - 2nd graders from 1:30 - 3:00. If you or someone you know is willing to participate, please contact Teresa Peter at petert@talawanda.org or 513-273-3628.

How Important is the Alphabet?

The alphabet is very important! The alphabet is the foundation or building block for reading, writing, and spelling. It is important for each child to recognize and name all the letters and combinations of letters in and out of order and also the sounds associated with them, to be successful with literacy.

In Kindergarten, students are taught the letter sounds in conjunction with the letter names. For example, a teacher might say, “Today we are learning the letter that says /b/. What are some words that have the /b/ sound? This is the letter that spells the /b/ sound. It is called the letter b. This is how we make the letter b.” It helps students to connect sounds to known words, as this helps develop a memory aid.

As students begin to recognize the letters and understand their sounds, they are able to begin reading and writing independently. This emergent reading begins in Kindergarten (or preschool) and continues through the elementary school years.

It is also important for early learners to know the symbols or ways we write the letters or combinations of letters or graphemes that represent sounds. A combination of 1,2,3, or 4 graphemes can represent a phoneme or sound. For example: 1 letter p, 2 letters ch, 3 letters igh, 4 letters tion. Recognizing letters, sounds, and combinations of letters and sounds is a skill that is needed to read unfamiliar words independently.

As students progress in their knowledge of the alphabet and phonics, they are directly and explicitly taught the more advanced letter-sound relationships in a progression from least difficult to more difficult. This instruction continues through the early elementary years.

What can I do to help my student?

• Read to/and with your child every day

• Request a copy of alphabet flash cards

• Matching games for uppercase and lowercase letters

• Car games could include saying a word, and your child has to tell you what the beginning sound of the word is, then progress to ending sounds. The ultimate goal is that your child can tell you all the sounds in the word.

Student Fees:

Fees have been loaded to PaySchools if you wish to pay online. You can also pay in the office with cash or check.

Lunch Accounts:

As a reminder, you are able to add funds to your student's lunch account through the PaySchools system. If your student's account reaches -$50 it will be rolled into your school fees. Please be mindful and keep your student's account current. You can use PaySchools, send a check or cash to the school office to take care of your student's balance. The link for PaySchools is attached here; PaySchools Central.

Free and Reduced:

If you would like to apply for free or reduced lunches, please reach out to the Marshall office or the Marshall social worker Chrissy Rolfes at rolfesc@talawanda.org. We can help walk you through the online application or help you fill out a paper form in the office. If you qualify for FREE lunch, your fees will also be waived. (EXCEPT for 5th grade Chromebook fee) If you qualify for REDUCED, fees will be reduced by 85% (EXCEPT for 5th grade Chromebook fee) and meals will be FREE.

Dismissal:

Thank you for your help in keeping dismissal safe and smooth for everyone. We ask that when your child is called to your car, you please help them climb in and then pull forward to the upper lot to buckle them into their car seat. Remaining stopped in the dismissal lane to buckle your child slows down the process for all families and, more importantly, it creates an unsafe situation when other cars attempt to go around. Your cooperation makes dismissal safer and quicker for all of our students.

Final Forms:

Remember, if you have any changes to your information (phone number, address, who can pick up your student, etc) throughout the school year, change it in Final Forms! The office is notified of these changes and will update our information. IF you have an address change, you must submit new proof of residency to the office before we will update your address.

As we continue with our volunteer policy this year, please remember that any adult volunteer who wishes to enter the school building must have a volunteer application on file with the office every school year. After a parent’s second visit to the building, they are required to complete fingerprinting and a background check through the Central Registration Office. Please plan to complete this process at least 3 weeks prior to the event. This allows adequate time for the background check to be completed and for the appropriate information to be provided to the school administrator for planning purposes. Once completed, your background check is valid for 5 years.

Central Registration Office:

Ruth Michael

📞 513-273-3101

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to keep our students, staff, and school community safe. Public schools have implemented these regulations to comply with state and federal safety requirements regarding volunteers and visitors in schools.

Talawanda School District is pleased to use Peachjar, a digital flyer delivery service, to provide families with information about educational, athletic, cultural, and community opportunities available to students and families.

Using Peachjar helps reduce paper waste, ensures flyers are delivered directly to families electronically, and provides a convenient way to access current community information at any time. Families will receive an email each week.

November

3rd: NO SCHOOL - PD DAY

4th: Picture Retake Day

9th: PTG Meeting 6:00 pm

11th: 3rd Grade Veterans Day Concert

13th: Bookmobile

23rd - 27th: NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK

December

10th: 2nd Grade Winter Concert

11th: Bookmobile

21st - 31st: NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK

January

1st: NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK

4th: NO SCHOOL - TEACHER WORK DAY

5th: NO SCHOOL - DATA DAY

8th: Bookmobile

18th: NO SCHOOL - M.L.K. DAY

February

8th: PTG Meeting 6:00 pm

12th: Bookmobile

15th: NO SCHOOL - PRESIDENT'S DAY

March

8th: PTG Meeting 6:00 pm

9th: Spring Picture Day

12th: Bookmobile

16th: 1st Grade Concert

22nd - 26th: NO SCHOOL - SPRING BREAK

29th: NO SCHOOL - CONFERENCE EXCHANGE DAY

April

21st: 4th Grade Concert

9th: Bookmobile

12th: PTG Meeting 6:00 pm

29th: 5th Grade Concert

May

3rd: NO SCHOOL - DATA DAY

4th: NO SCHOOL - PD DAY

10th: PTG Meeting 6:00 pm

27th: Last Day of School

Community Events & Flyers Page- Click HERE