AELC Monthly Message

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful break and got to spend time with friends and family! We definitely enjoyed a quiet holiday :) Excited to being back with our students and a great start to 2026!

***Don't forget to follow us on X (Twitter) @AVONELC

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nora Fox

AELC Principal

JANUARY

• 5th - First Day Back to School
• 13th - Picture Retake Day
• 16th - No School- Teacher In-Service Day
• 19th - No School- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• 21st - Eagle Pride Day
• 22nd - Kindergarten Info Night 7:00
• 23rd - Kindergarten Registration Opens
• 31st- Someone Special Dance (see details below)

FEBRUARY

• 13th - (classes celebrate Valentine's Day)- No food allowed (see below)
• 16th - No School- President's Day
• 18th - Eagle Pride Day
• 27th - End of the 2nd Trimester

Every school day matters. Attendance law changes with HB 96 will start to go into effect as we return from Winter Break.

Some Changes to Note Include:

• Parent Notifications about absences (Excused and Unexcused) going out sooner when a student reaches 3%.

• Avon Local Schools Tier 1-3%, II-7%, III-10% approach to improving attendance. This might include but not limited to: additional communication, informal meetings/talks, and assigning a check in for a friendly face, text message nudges and/or Attendance Intervention Plan.

• Medically excused absences are no longer exempt from the total % of hours.

• Updated website outlining attendance policies, procedures and resources.

When students are healthy and able to attend, it gives them the chance to keep learning, connect with friends, and grow both socially and academically.

If your family or your child needs support, please reach out to your child’s teacher, building administrators or Christine Thomas (Attendance Officer) for help.

The passing of HB 114 changes the age requirement cutoff for students entering kindergarten starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

HB 114 now requires children to be 5 years old by the first day of school for the district rather than by the August 1st cutoff previously used by the district. This change means that your child will now be age eligible to attend kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year if they will be 5 years old on or before August 19th.

This also will apply for our preschool programs. We will now use the first day of school for the district (August 19th this year) as the day your child needs to be 3 or 4 years old to enroll.

Please reach out with any questions!

As we move into the second half of the school year, we wanted to share some important information about the upcoming mid-year assessments, including DIBELS and MAP testing. These assessments help us understand how your child is progressing academically and identify areas where they may need additional support.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. DIBELS Testing
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a short, timed test that measures your child’s reading skills. The test helps us track their progress in areas such as phonics and fluency. We will be administering the mid-year DIBELS assessments throughout this month. Your child’s results will help us continue to support their growth in reading and will be sent home once all testing has been completed.

2. MAP Testing
The MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test is an adaptive assessment that measures your child’s knowledge in math and reading. It helps us understand how your child is progressing compared to grade-level expectations. The mid-year MAP testing will take place this month (see your child's teacher for specific dates) and results will give us valuable insight into how we can best support your child’s learning moving forward. Just like Dibels, a report will be sent home once all testing has been completed.

What You Can Do to Support Your Child:

• Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep before testing days.
• Encourage a healthy breakfast to help them feel their best.
• Remind them that these tests are just one way to show what they know, and that they should take their time.

We are committed to helping every student succeed and these assessments provide important information for us to support your child’s learning in the most effective way possible.

If you have any questions about the testing process, or if you would like to discuss your child’s progress, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your continued support!

Picture Retake Day will be Tuesday January 13th for any students who missed Picture Day or would like their photo retaken.

• If you wish to exchange your student’s photos from original Picture Day for their retake photos, please return the entire package on Retake Day.
• It is helpful to send an email to your child's teacher letting them know that they are participating in retakes so they know to send them down :)
• Any questions call the AELC main office.

Your Online Ordering Code is: 473HCCR5

Your Online Ordering Link is: https://ripchostudio.orderphotos.online/ordering/with?key=473HCCR5

kellyr@avoneagles.org

Tickets will be sent home WITH students! No need to purchase a student ticket!!

(No siblings are permitted to attend)

When: Saturday January 31st 5:00pm-7:00pm

Where: Avon Middle School Gym

Whats Included? Dj, photobooth, snacks, waters, glow party fun!

Parent ticket ($25) required: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/glow-with-someone-special/items

Valentine's Day information will come from your child's teacher as we get closer to the date. Please remember if you're sending in any items that we have a "no food policy" for our elementary buildings. Unfortunately, if food (candy) is sent in, we will have to send it back home.

This year, give an all-new experience they’ll love! Camp Invention® combines the tradition of camp with hands-on STEM exploration. This one-of-a-kind gift sparks a love for learning and exploration. Register today and give the gift of fun and learning!

Visit invent.org/gift/stem-camp and use code SUM35 before Feb. 21, 2026, to save $35! If you are registering two of your children please use the code: SIBSAVE30 to receive $60 ($30 per child) offf. If you are registering three of your children, please use the code SIBSAVE40. These codes work for campers only.

If you have any questions please contact Pamela Hartwell for more information at 440.724.8247 or hartwellp@avoneagles.org

Please remember if your child is going to be absent from school for any reason to call them out by 9:00 am. We have to make contact daily with every absent student to verify. A reminder call will go out at 9:00. In cases where we are unable to make contact with families an officer can be sent for a well-check. Thanks for your help with this!

• As the weather changes, please make sure to send your child with coats, hats, gloves, etc... We will go out for recess/outdoor time as the weather allows.
• Don't forget to label EVERYTHING so items can be returned to the correct student if misplaced.
• Many students have clothes for warm weather as their extra clothes. Please make sure to send in clothes for the colder weather in case your child needs to change.

• Please be prepared to show your IDs when you're picking up your child for an early dismissal. Our staff will be asking for IDs any time that your child leaves our building with an adult. Thank you for your cooperation!
  
• If you are planning to take a vacation that your child will miss school, please remember to fill out a vacation form ahead of time. CLICK HERE to view the form on our website.

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. It is a framework of strategies for achieving social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior. Our district uses the acronym SOAR which stands for Say It, Own It, Act It and Respect It. We teach students expected behaviors in each part of the building. Our staff uses Eagle Bucks as a reward for students demonstrating SOAR behavior. Students can then shop our SOAR cart with their tickets.

Once a month we celebrate Eagle Pride Day. We celebrate students each month by nominating students who demonstrate our monthly attribute for a Pride Day Award. We encourage all students to wear Purple and Gold on those days. Students can also be nominated as a Positive Eagle award for showing SOAR behavior in the building. We are so happy to have a Book Vending Machine at AELC! All students will earn a book throughout the year.

Avon Early Learning Center

3075 Stoney Ridge Rd.

Avon, OH 44011

Office (440) 934-5124

Attendance Line (440) 695-0561

Nora Fox - AELC Principal

foxn@avoneagles.org

Brandie Rush - Preschool Supervisor

rushb@avoneagles.org

https://www.avonlocalschools.org/buildings/early-learning-center