Good Afternoon Muraski Families,

We are officially one week away from the start of the school year. I know this last week comes with excitement for the upcoming year, but it also comes with nerves, as we start to think about new friends, new teachers, and a new school year. It also comes with so many more thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I know this because I'm going through it for the first time with my own children. Emily, our oldest, is off to Kindergarten this year in Columbia Local Schools. Although we are both excited and nervous, we know that the staff is going to do their very best to take care of her and make sure that she has an environment to learn and grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

That is the same commitment we will make to you. We are committed to helping your child succeed, feel safe, and feel comfortable. But, most importantly, we are committed to making sure that your child has an environment where they can learn and grow at Muraski, each and every day!

It is going to be a great year! We can wait to get started with your children in a week!

Sincerely,

Mike Griffen

I am deeply honored and excited to be the new Assistant Principal of Muraski and Kinsner Elementary Schools this year! My name is Monica Cooney, and this is my tenth year working in Strongsville City Schools. Prior to leaving the classroom, I taught kindergarten and first grade, and for the past three years I have had the joy of serving as an Elementary Literacy Coach. I grew up in Strongsville and will forever call this community home. I am happily married to my best friend, Mike, and together we have two rambunctious doodles.

As a former student, and now educator, in this incredible community, I am committed to fostering an environment where every child can thrive academically and personally. I look forward to working with you and together helping your child(ren) achieve their goals and reach their fullest potential. It is going to be a great year together!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The Supply Drop & Meet the Teacher Night is for Grades 1-5. Kindergarten students/families will not have access to their classrooms or teachers, as they have orientation on Monday, August 19th, and do not have an assigned teacher. Kindergarten students will be asked to bring in supplies starting on Monday, August 26th.

For our incoming full day kindergarten students, we are excited to share with you our Kindergarten Connections program we will be implementing in the fall. Kindergarten Connections is designed to ensure every full-day kindergarten student has a smooth transition into our school environment, while also making connections to peers and staff they will be working with throughout the year. During the first first few days of school, students will participate in playful activities and interact with grade level peers while teachers and staff members note their behaviors and interactions. Phonemic awareness skills, such as sounds of letters and basic phrases, are also assessed to gauge each child's foundational literacy abilities. Based on these observations and assessments, students are then placed into a classroom where they will thrive best academically and socially. This holistic approach ensures that each child's unique strengths and needs are considered, setting the stage for a successful educational journey from the very beginning.

You will learn more about this on Kindergarten Orientation, scheduled for August 19th, 2024. The exact time will be forthcoming in early August via email. There is more information about both the Kindergarten Connections program and orientation in this document. This is all in addition to the kindergarten screenings starting in early August that will take place at Strongsville Early Learning Preschool. There is nothing you need to do at this time. Building principals and secretaries will return to the elementary school buildings in early August. As always, please reach out if I can answer any questions for you.

Erin Green, Director of Elementary Education

Strongsville City Schools

Please update your annual forms by August 23rd, 2024. To update forms, log in to Powerschool, select Quick Links, then find "Information Update 22-23" under Custom Links. Please call the office with any questions.

Update to Parent Portal: Parents and guardians will sign in with their username (email address) and their password. When logging in for the first time this school year, please click "Forgot Username or Password" link to reset your password.

Incoming kindergarten families: You should have received an email from Linda Konopinski (after registering) containing directions on how to create and access your parent account in our online Powerschool Unified Classroom Parent Portal. If you need this information again, please contact Linda Konopinski at lkonopinski@scsmustangs.org or 440-846-4137. This will be important to set up to access important information.

Click HERE for the Welcome letter from our Food Services Department.

It is important to note the following for those that qualify for Reduced Lunches in the 24-25 school year: The recently passed Ohio biennial budget includes a provision for the State to pay the meal charges for Reduced students ($0.30 for Breakfast and $0.40 for Lunch) effectively allowing them to eat for free. This will be in effect for 24-25 school years.

CLICK HERE for the Free & Reduced Lunch Application.

CLICK HERE TO GET TO LUNCH MENUS FOR THE YEAR

To download medication administration forms and action plans for the 24-25 school year, visit: https://www.strongnet.org/departments/student-services/health-services

In order to avoid disruption of the educational environment and protect students' right of privacy, student use of cell phones are prohibited, in school classrooms and on field trips, excluding use as approved by the classroom teacher or the Principal. Cell phones may be prohibited in any other areas within the school building as deemed necessary by the Principal. Possession of a cell phone by a student at school during school hours is a privilege that may be forfeited by any student who fails to abide by the terms of this policy, or otherwise abuses this privilege. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action and/or confiscation of the cell phone. The Principal will also refer the matter to law enforcement or child services if the violation involves an illegal activity (e.g., child pornography, sexting).

In practice, here is what this will mean for our students.

• PreK-5. Cell phones and airpods / earbuds are not permitted during any time of the school day. Students that have these devices should keep them stowed in their book bag and locker (if applicable).
• SMS. Cell phones and airpods / earbuds are not permitted during any class or in the hallways. During class, cell phones will be stored in the classroom caddy / storage system or kept in a locker. During class changes, cell phones should be in a student’s pocket or purse. SMS students may use their cell phone in an academic lab or at lunch.
• SHS. Cell phones and airpods / earbuds are not permitted during any class. During class, cell phones will be stored in the classroom caddy / storage system or kept in a book bag, purse, or locker. SHS students may use their cell phone at lunch, in study hall or in the hallways during class changes.

Smartwatches & Other Devices

Although there is not a global policy on Smartwatches at this time, we recognize that more and more students are wearing smartwatches that have the same functionality as cell phones (i.e. text message, apps, etc.) Currently, students are permitted to wear them, but while they are at school they need to be used as a watch and not a cell phone for the reasons listed above. Therefore, we will follow these guidelines for devices in the classroom:

It is recommended that you have your child place any smartwatch or device into Airplane or School mode while at school. This decreases the functionality and limits what is possible on the watch while at school.

If, for any reason, a staff member believes that your child is using their watch for reasons that align with the cell phone policy or their watch is becoming a distraction in the classroom to their learning, they will be asked to remove the watch and place it in their backpack.

If a cell phone, smartwatch, or other device needs to be addressed for any reason we will utilize this protocol:

1. First Offense - The staff member will ask your child to place the device in their backpack or a safe location. If they don't feel that their backpack or locker is safe, they can turn it into the teacher.

2. Second Offense - The staff member will ask that the device be turned into them, they will store it safely, and return it to your child at the end of class. You will receive communication from the staff member.

3. Third Offense - The staff member will ask the device be turned in, they will give it to the administrative team, who will address the issue with the student, including a phone call to parents, and return the device to the student at the end of the school day.

4. Any Additional Offense - We will follow the same protocol as above and require the parent/guardian pick up the device in order to hold a meeting.

It is important to note that you can always call our building to get immediate support if necessary.

Email: mgriffen@scsmustangs.org
Website: https://muraski.strongnet.org/
Location: Muraski Elementary School, Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 440-572-7160
Twitter: @MuraskiPrin