PRM School Rocker

Greetings PRM Families,

May has arrived, and we are quickly approaching the end of another incredible school year at Pleasant Ridge Montessori. As we continue through the final weeks of school, we are proud of the tremendous growth, perseverance, and accomplishments of our students and staff.

This year has been filled with meaningful learning experiences, exciting opportunities, and continued growth, which we hope makes you feel proud of your child's development and our shared journey.

📚 Finishing Strong

Our students are wrapping up the Spring Assessment Cycle, and we are incredibly proud of the focus and effort they have demonstrated throughout testing season.

At PRM, we continue supporting students through:

• Strong daily classroom instruction
• Our WIN (What I Need) Block for targeted support and enrichment
• Schoolwide character development and leadership opportunities

Students will continue participating in end-of-year i-Ready and Acadience diagnostic assessments through May 15, 2026, to monitor ongoing growth and prepare for a strong transition into the next school year.

⏰ Attendance Still Matters

These final weeks of school are important! Please continue encouraging:

• Daily attendance
• On-time arrival by 7:40am
• Positive routines and strong effort

Your partnership helps students finish the school year successfully and confidently.

🎉 Looking Ahead

The final weeks of school will be filled with celebrations, special events, and opportunities to reflect on a wonderful year together. Please continue checking school communication and teacher updates so you do not miss important information and upcoming activities.

Thank you for your continued trust, support, and partnership. We are grateful for our PRM families and look forward to finishing the school year strong together! PRM, you ROCK!

With gratitude,

Principal Simpson & Interim Assistant Principal Pitts

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Event updates throughout the month continue to be available on www.prmrocks.org/calendar

*You can subscribe to this calendar at any time by finding the green “subscribe” button on the top right side of the calendar page and following the directions for your personal device.

Monday, May 4-Friday, May 8 – Staff Appreciation Week

Friday, May 8 – PR Margs Fundraiser from 6:00-8:00pm at Community Happens Here

Wednesday, May 13– LSDMC Meeting @ 3:00pm at PRM (Library)

Wednesday, May 13 – PTO Meeting @ 6:00pm at PRM (Library)

Wednesday, May 13 – Foundation Meeting @ 7:15pm at PRM (Library)

Thursday, May 14 – Kindergarten Round Up from 4:00-7:00pm at PRM

Friday, May 15-Sunday, May 31 – Fall Sports Registration (online)

Monday, May 18 – ILT Meeting @ 2:45pm at PRM

Tuesday, May 19 – Strings and Band Concert at 6:30pm at PRM

Wednesday, May 20 – Transition Day (8:30-9:00am)

Friday, May 22 – Field Day (rain or shine – canceled if storming)

Tuesday, May 26 – 6th Grade Recognition @ 5:00pm at PRM (in the gym/cafeteria)

Thursday, May 28 – Last day of school for students; end of 4th quarter

We must be consistent in acknowledging and enforcing our school uniform policy. Our uniform policy is liberal enough to include several options for families. All PRM Spirit Wear is considered part of the school uniform.

While we don't like to take time away from instruction to deal with uniforms. We must all be consistent to ensure this doesn't become a major issue as we close out the school year.

Please see the policy below and in the PRM Student Handbook.

We are excited for May! We will continue learning new content and reviewing what we already know in our communities. Kindergarteners will be going to the zoo on Tuesday, May 12th. Kindergarteners will also participate in Transition Day on the morning of Wednesday, May 20th. On Transition Day, students will meet their communities and teachers for the next school year and bring home some information to share. On Friday, May 22nd, we will have Field Day. Traditionally, the 3-6 team stays at the school for these activities. The last day of school is Thursday, May 28th. Teachers individually plan their end-of-the-year celebrations. They will communicate their plans to your community.

Time really does fly! Thank you so much for reading each week, asking questions, providing feedback, and showing up. The 6-9 team cannot express how grateful we are for your support this year. There are many events the 6-9 team is participating in this month: a Green Acres Field Trip, Transition Day, Field Day, End-of-Year Celebrations, and a 3rd-Grade-Only Field Trip! We are finishing our EOY assessments, classroom studies, and some are even participating in our Science Fair. Please reach out to your specific community if you have any questions about these opportunities. We have our final unit in our Outdoor Education program, and we look forward to our new space next year. As our learners start to feel the school year come to an end, please continue with your typical routines and procedures at home. We often see an increase in behaviors during these last few weeks due to the excitement of summer and the nervousness of transitioning for some students. Sometimes, being a kid can be so hard. As always, we are your partners on this journey!

Spring is in the air! The 9-12 floor is electric, with promises of summer and a look ahead to the future. In ELA, our 6th graders are working hard to prepare speeches for consideration for presentation at the 6th Grade Recognition Ceremony. Many PRM "lasts" will be happening for these students, and we would like them to enjoy their experiences. To do this, students must continue to demonstrate appropriate behavior. We are seeing some negative behaviors ramping up. It would be so helpful if families could support us by having conversations with their student(s) about following classroom and school expectations. We have many fun activities coming up and would like these planned events to go smoothly and safely. Student cooperation is crucial to making this happen!

Here are some important dates to look forward to:

• Week of 5/11-5/15 iReady Diagnostic testing and make-up testing

• May 11- Estimated "Hatch Day" for Mrs. North's ducklings

• May 19- Spring Musical Concert at 6:30pm

• May 20- Transition Day at 8:30am

• May 22- Field Day

• May 26- 6th Grade Recognition Program at 5:00pm

• May 28- Last Day of School for Students

We are looking forward to finishing the year strong with all our 9-12 students!

Welcome to the finish line, families! You can expect a lot of artwork to be sent home over the next few weeks. Please check your child's backpack frequently.

Kindergarten students recently created paper bag puppets using collage techniques and are preparing to create monoprints by painting a flat surface and scratching away lines to create an image.

6-9 students finished creating a design using radial symmetry and painting their ceramic projects. Ceramic projects are getting wrapped and sent home this week. The work is for decoration only and is not food safe. I also need paper grocery bags and newspapers for wrapping work to send home. Please send some in if you can. 6-9 students will finish the year by creating a collagraph printing plate.

9-12 students have been working hard, developing skills that can be utilized across mediums. During the fourth quarter, they practiced drawing in one-point perspective, creating compelling compositions, adding contrast to their work, and drawing from observation using value. For their final project, students are choosing a skill to highlight in their work and using drawing materials of their choice. For families with rising sixth graders, it has been a joy getting to know your kids over the years. I wish them well on their journey to middle school and beyond.

Thank you for supporting the art program. Have a wonderful summer!

Library classes are currently wrapping up units across all grade levels as we approach the end of the school year.

I am also excited to share that, beginning next year, Mr. David will incorporate Spanish instruction into library classes. Research consistently shows that young children are especially receptive to learning foreign languages, and early second-language acquisition can significantly support literacy development. Studies indicate that learning an additional language strengthens cognitive flexibility, vocabulary development, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension, while also promoting the transfer of literacy skills between languages.

My hope is that introducing Spanish in the library setting will not only support students’ literacy growth but also foster greater cultural appreciation, encourage meaningful communication with our ESL students at PRM, and inspire students to continue exploring world languages in the future.

9-12: Using Tinkercad, each student designs their own keychain for 3D printing. We have learned the basics of 3D design, including the X, Y, and Z axes, creating holes, grouping and aligning objects, and more. I'm so proud of their creativity and can't wait to watch their designs come to life!

6-9: Starting the week of Earth Day, we began a unit focusing on Rainforest Conservation. Currently, we are using online sources to research different animals of the Amazon rainforest and the layers in which they live. In the last few weeks of school, we will begin a STEM project where students design solutions to combat deforestation and save their species.

Kindergarten: We are ending the year with a STEM project. In April, we learned about Jane Goodall and her work with chimpanzees. We went on a virtual field trip to different rainforests around the world to learn about the plants, animals, and people who live there and to better understand the life of a chimpanzee. For the last few weeks of school, we will be focusing on one of Jane Goodall's greatest discoveries: chimpanzees using tools. Students will be provided an assortment of supplies (popsicle sticks, rubber bands, spoons, pipe cleaners, etc.) and tasked with designing a tool to complete a task of their choice. I am excited to see what they design.

Outdoor Education has been a huge success this spring! Students learned about plant and animal life cycles, ecosystems, photosynthesis, and more. Students are celebrating and showing gratitude for their beloved school garden by creating a PRM sign for the new garden space, participating in fun, hands-on exploration stations, and continuing their garden chores. Can't wait to make more memories in the new space!

We are excited to announce that the last two weekends of May will be volunteer days to help move the garden in preparation for the Outdoors Reimagined project. See the attached flyer. Sign up to volunteer here! It's an all-hands-on-deck project. Hope to see you there!

For more information about Imago's programs, visit www.imagoearth.org. For questions about PRM's Outdoor Education program, contact Zoe Vanasse at zvanasse@imagoearth.org.

Gifted Testing & Identification – The iReady diagnostics in Reading and Math are used for gifted identification for students in grades 2-6. We usually get a few new gifted identifications each spring. A score at or above the 95th percentile meets the criteria in the State of Ohio to be identified as gifted in the specific academic area of Math and/or Reading. If your child is newly identified based on spring testing, I will let you know before the end of the school year.

Math Acceleration- I am reviewing requests and evaluations for math acceleration. Once I have the State Math results, I will complete the reviews and let you know whether your child meets the criteria for acceleration.

Enrichment Pullout Groups- May 15 will be the last day of Enrichment pullout groups for this school year. I will collect green enrichment folders on May 18.

6th Grade Transition- If you have a sixth-grader I have worked with, I will have an envelope of work and gifted documentation for you at the 6th-grade recognition ceremony. Please see me before or after the ceremony.

Looking Forward to Next Year- I have already started planning for next year, and I look forward to continuing my work with our incredible students, families, and staff.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you have about our Gifted & Enrichment Program, giftedness in general, or just to chat about your child.

☀️ Beat the "Summer Slide" with PRM! Did you know that summer break can sometimes lead to a dip in reading and math skills? This is often called the "Summer Slide," and it’s especially common for our youngest learners (in K-2) who are right in the middle of mastering big skills like letter sounds and addition. The good news? Keeping those skills sharp doesn't have to be hard work—it can actually be fun! To help your student stay on track, PRM’s Reading Specialists have created a customized summer resource pack based on your child's specific needs.

📅 Watch for it: These materials will be sent home with all students (K-6th) in the final Wednesday folder of the year. Have a safe and fun summer, PRM! And Happy Reading! 📖✨

Ms. Kait Metersky (metersk@cpsboe.k12.oh.us)

Ms. Sarah Kleymeyer (kleymes@cpsboe.k12.oh.us)

📚 Summer Reading Adventures!

Keep the learning alive this summer with these fantastic (and mostly free!) resources. Whether you’re hitting the road or hanging out at home, there’s something here for every reader.

1. Summer Discovery Challenge - Join the Cincinnati Public Library from May 31st – July 31st to participate in their annual summer challenge. It’s a great way to keep kids motivated with fun prizes.

2. Unlock "Decodable" Magic - If your child is still mastering the basics, ask your librarian for the "decodable" shelf. These books are specifically designed for beginning readers to help them build confidence and sound out words successfully.

3. Expand Your Digital Library – Did you know Ohio residents can join multiple library systems digitally? Sign up online to access thousands of extra titles from:

• Cincinnati Public Library

• Akron-Summit County Public Library

• Cleveland Public Library

4. Screen-Free Stories (Podcasts & Audiobooks) - Audiobooks and podcasts are a "secret weapon" for literacy. They allow kids to enjoy complex stories above their current reading level while building vital comprehension skills. Our Top Picks:

• Brains On! (Science & Discovery)

• Smash, Boom, Best (Funny Debates)

• Story Pirates (Stories written by kids!)

• Also check out: Highlights Hangout and Magic Woods

5. Digital Tools for Home

• Storyline Online: Watch famous actors read beloved children’s books aloud—it’s like a front-row seat to story-time!

• GetEpic.com: A massive digital library with over 25,000 books and videos (subscription-based).

• Reading.com: Perfect for a quick 15-20 minute daily lesson to boost phonics, blends, and vowel sounds.

As we wrap up the school year, we want to thank our PTO community for the time, energy, and support that went into making this year a success. From events and fundraisers to everyday behind-the-scenes efforts, your contributions helped strengthen our school in meaningful ways.

Looking ahead, the PTO is actively seeking a treasurer for the upcoming year. This is a key role that helps keep everything running smoothly, and we need to find someone to fill it. If you—or someone you know—might be a good fit, please reach out to learn more.

And plan to join us at our next PTO Meeting on Wednesday, May 13th, at 6:00pm in the library.

As we close out this school year, the PRM Foundation is excited to break ground on the first phase of the Reimagining the Outdoors Initiative! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this happen — right on schedule! The first step will be clearing out the current garden space and moving items to safe storage while construction takes place this summer. Volunteers are needed to help make this happen. Sign up here.

Flamingo Flocking is back and headed to a yard near you. This fan-favorite fundraiser is fun for all ages and runs from May through July. Register your flock and sign up to be a sneaky volunteer moving the flamingos

Stay tuned for some possible Restaurant of the Month events in June and July — a great way to keep the community connected all summer long.

And finally, we still need a few great people to join our volunteer team for the next school year. These fundraisers only happen because of people like you, and we'd love to have you involved. Come to our next meeting to learn more and see where you might fit! Join us on Wednesday, May 13th, at 7:15pm in the PRM library.

At our recent meeting, ILT discussed the allocation of the funds received from our cell phone tower grant. Teachers submitted applications to receive funding. Teachers are also completing the placement process for the next school year. Our positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) committee is collecting data on intervention and office referrals to better support their Character Strong program. ILT meetings take place on most first and third Mondays of each month at 2:45pm at PRM and are open to all. Our next meeting is Monday, May 18th.

The next LSDMC meeting is on May 13 at 3:00pm in the PRM library. All are welcome.

Spring sports will begin wrapping up their seasons shortly. Volleyball teams will participate in an end-of-season tournament the weekend of May 16th and 17th. The track team will have its final meet on May 16th. And soccer teams will conclude their seasons on May 17th. Our baseball teams will continue playing into early June. Teams will celebrate their seasons with individual parties supported by Boosters.

As school and spring sports come to a close, registration for fall sports is gearing up. Fall sports registration will open on Friday, May 15th, at noon and close on Sunday, May 31st, at midnight. Fall sports offerings include soccer, volleyball, tennis, and Little Roadrunners soccer. You will find information and all registration links at www.prmrocks.org/athletics. Remember, spots are limited, so sign up early. And email with any questions – prmathletics@gmail.com.

Please keep the electronic link to the Code of Conduct handy for your records. There will not be paper copies printed this school year.

All parents/guardians are asked to submit this form to acknowledge receipt and review of the Code of Conduct.

Cincinnati Public Schools:

513-363-0123

Cincinnati Children's Hospital PIRC intake line:

513-636-4124

Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect:

513-241-KIDS

Suicide Prevention Hotline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Textline:

Text 4HOPE to 741741

Disaster Distress Helpline:

1-800-985-5990

Domestic Violence Hotline via Women Helping Women:

513-381-5610

Our Character Program centers around:

Respect, Ownership, Compassion, Kindness and Safety, Safety, Safety!

Below are the three school-wide expectations that we expect students to follow throughout all parts of our learning community. Please support us by reinforcing these at home.

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be a Problem Solver

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us
Website: www.prmrocks.org
Location: 5945 Montgomery Road
Phone: 513-363-4400