April 22nd, 2026
Yearbooks----Did you forget to order or miss the deadline?
YOU ARE IN LUCK.......
We have additional yearbooks for sale. They are $30 a piece and will be distributed to your child in May when all other students receive them. We only have a limited amount of books left. Please call the office or stop by if you would like to purchase a yearbook.
ABC Countdown!
Participate with us starting on Friday, April 17th as we begin our countdown to the end of the school year. Please see the attached ABC Countdown Calendar below for all of the special days.
Parent's Night Out!
Parent's Night out is a 3 hour event where parents drop their kids off at Life Time Fitness Pickerington. While there, kids play games, make crafts, have a pizza party, play relay races, and get their bodies moving.
Life Time Fitness will be hosting a Parent’s Night Out event on May 16, 2026 from 4-7pm. The event is open to kids ages: 3-12 (**Children must be potty trained to attend**).
If you are interested in having your children participate, email adrienne_bowden@plsd.us by May 1st. Spaces are limited and will be filled in the order requests are received.
Art Show Volunteers Needed
Family Fun Night is coming up! If you would like to volunteer to help Mrs. M hang artwork or tear it down, sign up with the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BA9AB2DA3FEC25-63451622-artshow
SCE Family Feedback Request
Hello families,
Our administration team would greatly appreciate your feedback on this school year. We are always striving to improve and your input helps us continue building an already amazing school community. Please provide your feedbak using the link below. Thank you so very much for your time.
First Grade Performance
Please see the attached flyer regarding the First Grade Performance being held at Sycamore Creek Elementary on May 20th.
SCE Talent Show
Calling All 3rd & 4th Graders: Talent Show Tryouts!
Our first-annual Talent Show is just around the corner, and we’re excited to see the amazing talents our students have to share! This year, sign-ups will be completed by parents to help keep tryouts organized and ensure students are excited and prepared to participate.
If your child is interested, please talk it over together and complete the sign-up form. The form must be submitted by April 24.
Tryouts will take place during the school day (dates coming soon), and families will be notified if their child is selected to perform in our school-wide Talent Show on May 18.
We can’t wait to see all the fun and unique talents our students bring to the stage!
EmpowerED Pickerington
Mark your calendar for the upcoming EmpowerEd Pickerington
Event Announcement: EmpowerED Pickerington
Join us for our next EmpowerED Pickerington series, a resource series dedicated to special education support.
Date: April 22, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM
Format: Virtual - please use this link to log on to the session
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/oes-vqzk-jcb
Focus: Supporting Every Learner, Supporting Every Family
This Month's Topic - Supporting Families During the Transition from Middle School to Junior High
How to help families navigate scheduling, class placements, electives, and IEP supports to ensure a smooth and positive transition.
This event is a great opportunity for families and educators to gain valuable insights and resources to support students with special needs. We look forward to seeing you there! Please remember that all past episodes are uploaded to our district website/YouTube channel.
Learning Opportunity for Families and Staff
The Office of Engagement and Student Success is offering a Connect and Learn opportunity. Please review the flyer below.
Help with a Community Participation Initiative
If you would like to help, you can register here.
Attention: Kindergarten Parents/Guardians
KINDERGARTEN ONLY - Mark Your Calendars – Last Day of Classes: May 20, 2026
GET READY FOR SUMMER!
Students’ last day of classes will be Wednesday, May 20.
*Tussing Elementary School’s kindergarten program is not impacted by these moves and will adhere to the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar with the last day of classes being May 22.
Teachers and staff will use May 21–22 to pack classrooms for moves to the new Diley Middle School and Kindergarten Center.
We can’t wait to see everyone at the new buildings in August!
Sycamore Creek Third Grade Spring Concert and Love our Languages Event
OST Preparation
Testing season has arrived and we are so proud of the hard work our students have put in this year!
Tips for a Successful Testing Season
The Power of Rest: A consistent bedtime is a game-changer. Aim for a full 8–10 hours of sleep so your student wakes up refreshed and focused.
Fuel for the Brain: A protein-rich breakfast provides the sustained energy needed for concentration. Whether at home or at school, a healthy start makes a huge difference!
Attendance Matters: Try to avoid scheduling appointments during testing mornings. Being in the classroom with their peers helps students stay in their routine and feel more comfortable.
Additional Tips By Grade Band
Team Tressel Fitness Challenge
The Team Tressel Fitness Challenge will run through May 2nd. Please continue to work through the workbook with your child as they work toward their goals. This is totally optional, but we are hoping to recognize as many students as possible for completing the challenge.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Jack Haas.
If your child has completed the Team Tressel Challenge, please complete and sign the certification form in the back of the workbook so they can receive a certificate. This form can be turned into your child's homeroom teacher.
Sycamore Creek Media Center
SAVE THE DATE!
BOGO Book Fair coming May 11 - 15th and the library will be in need of volunteers! Plan ahead to help set up the fair, work during or tear down. All help is much appreciated! Please fill out and submit the Level 1 volunteer form below if you haven't already! And watch in the coming weeks for the sign up sheet!
Join us for FAMILY FUN NIGHT!
PTO News!
Congratulations to first grader Albert for selling the most items in our Spring Flower Sale! Albert won the grand prize, a ride to school in a police car. A special thank you to Officer DeBolt from the Pickerington Police Department for making this such a memorable experience!
Spring flower sale pick up is May 11th and we need your help! If you are willing and able to help please sign up at the link below. We appreciate any help we can get!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0F4EAEAA2FA0FDC34-63598917-flower?useFullSite=false
Fun Day is coming up on May 19th! We still have a few open spots for volunteers in our pm session! If you are available and would like to volunteer please click on the link below!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054FA5AC2CABF49-63434341-funday
Counselor's Corner
Our Student of the Month focus will be courage. Here are some suggestions for reinforcing the concept of courage with children.
Teaching courage to children involves modeling brave behavior, validating their fears, encouraging small, manageable risks, and celebrating effort over outcomes. Key strategies include using positive self-talk, reading stories about brave characters, and fostering a "growth mindset" where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.
Key Strategies to Teach Courage:
- Model Courageous Behavior: Show children how you face your own fears or try new things, demonstrating that courage isn't the absence of fear, but acting despite it.
- Validate and Normalize Fear: Acknowledge their feelings rather than saying "don't be afraid." Explain that fear is a normal emotion, which helps them process it.
- Encourage "Small" Bravery: Encourage taking small risks, such as trying a new food, talking to a new friend, or playing a new game.
- Use Positive Self-Talk: Teach phrases like "I can handle this," or "I have courage to do this".
- Celebrate Effort Over Outcome: Praise the act of trying, even if the result isn't successful. This teaches that bravery is not about being perfect, but about trying.
- Read Stories about Courage: Use books, movies, or biographies of historical figures to discuss what it means to be brave.
- Gradual Exposure to Fear: Help children gradually face specific fears in a supported, controlled way, such as visiting a pet store to manage a fear of dogs.
- Foster Independent Problem-Solving: Encourage children to navigate challenges on their own first, which builds confidence and self-trust.
3rd and 4th grade will be taking the Math OST Monday April 27th-30th. We want to ensure all students are well rested and ready to go! Friendly reminder to have chromebooks charging at home each night before and they have a good breakfast in the morning!
We appreciate all of your support!
Instructional Coach
Greetings Families of Third and Fourth Graders,
Below are the dates for the Math Ohio State Test:
OST Math April 27 -28 (4th grade)
OST Math April 29- 30 (3rd grade)
Here is a link to practice past released test questions from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development.
https://oh-ost.portal.cambiumast.com/families.html
This is a time for students to “show what they know.”
Encourage your child to do his or her best!
All the Best,
Mrs. Horsford
K-4 Instructional Coach
Sycamore Creek and Violet Elementary
Clinic News
Please continue to refer to the Monthly Clinic Newsletter link below for important information.
2025/26 SCHOOL CALENDAR
PLSD 2025-2026 District Calendar - click here
Districtwide Activities Calendar
Upcoming events and important dates are listed in the Districtwide Google Events Calendar, which is synced with individual building, program and athletic team calendars. Once inside the district wide calendar, to display the events of a particular building, team, program or activity, you will need to check the specific corresponding color-coded box(es) from the list on the left-hand side.
Pickerington Schools partners with the City of Pickerington and Yodel to bring you the Pickerington Community Calendar!
Visit this link to view all Pickerington Schools activities included on the calendar and don’t forget to “favorite” our Pickerington Schools schedule! Once favorited, Pickerington Schools' events will be front and center on your calendar, enabling you to see what’s coming up.
Upcoming Dates/Special Reminders
Please call the Sycamore Creek Elementary Attendance line at 614-834-6201 to leave a voice-mail message to report an absence for your child. Our secretaries check messages throughout the day.
If you have a doctor's note that you need to share with the school to document an absence, please email it to:
April 27th and 28th
*4th Grade OST Testing (Math)
April 29th and 30th
*3rd Grade OST Testing (Math)
April 30th
*3rd Grade Performance at 6:00 p.m.
May 4th-8th (I Ready Reading Testing)
*Please reach out to your child's teacher regarding specific days/times if you have upcoming appointments
May 11th-15th (I Ready Math Testing)
*Please reach out to your child's teacher regarding specific days/times if you have upcoming appointments
*Book Fair is also this week
May 19th
*Fun Day!
May 20th
*First Grade Performance at 2:30
May 22nd
*Last Day of School!