PRM School Rocker

Greetings PRM Families,

As we approach the time of year set aside for giving thanks, we want to express our sincere gratitude to our school community for all your encouragement, patience, and support thus far. We are still facing some very challenging times as a united community. We are working so hard every day to meet the growing needs of our school as we focus on being "Here For Kids."

Midterm week is the week of November 4th. We will be sending midterm report cards in Wednesday folders on November 13th. Please continue to nurture and build a strong partnership with your child's teacher so that we can achieve outstanding student outcomes.

We need your help. Punctuality is key to a successful school day. Many students come to school late every day, and it affects their learning. Please do your best to ensure that your child is at school by 7:40am. Every minute counts. Our school social worker, Allie Quinter, will reach out to families to support them with resources and create Attendance Improvement Plans.

We sincerely hope you will continue to intentionally show love and care for your family and those you are connected to. Celebrate the meaning of Thanksgiving and how much we have to be grateful for. We appreciate every one of you and the role you play in our school community. Stay safe and cherish each other.

Love,

Principal Simpson & Asst. Principals Brown and Gray

Email: simpsoa@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

7:40am-2:10pm

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

*You can also subscribe to the calendar on your device- find the green “subscribe” button on the top right side of the calendar page.

Friday, November 8 – Second Quarter Midterm

Monday, November 11 – No School – Veterans’ Day

Wednesday, November 13 – Picture Re-take Day from 8:00-10:00am

Wednesday, November 13 – Service-Learning Project Donations Due

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

Wednesday, November 13 – PTO/Equity Group Meeting @ 6:30pm at PRM (Library)

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

Wednesday, November 20 – Foundation Meeting from 6:30-7:30pm at CHH

Friday, November 22 – Grandparent ~ Special Friend Day from 7:45-9:30am

Friday, November 22 – Compassion Leadership Assembly at 1:00pm

Monday, November 25 – Friday, November 29 – No School – Thanksgiving Break

Save these future December dates:

Thursday, December 12 – Parent Teacher Conferences from 4:00-7:00pm at PRM

Saturday, December 14 – PRM Handmade Market from 10:00am-3:00pm

Thursday, December 19 – Winter Music Performances at PRM

Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3 – No School – Winter Break

Parents may submit a concern to the CPS Customer Care Department using this form.

Please remember that all the perimeter parking is for PRM usage only EXCEPT by the basketball hoop. Any other white-striped spots are for PRPC only.

The yellow-striped spots are already contracted for the property across the street (Montgomery/Lester)--not even we at PRPC are permitted to park in them. As time goes on, towing may occur from their end.

This reminder comes to all due to the activity we here at PRC are experiencing with our new weekly ongoing meetings and events.

Also, PRM staff have said to our building manager they were unaware of the parking limitations so we are resending a photo to share -- Only Green markings are permitted for PRM staff/volunteers/parents.

***EFFECTIVE October 10th Any cars NOT parked in permitted spots as described above will be towed. We have signs now posted with towing company information.***

Thank you again for your attention to this matter!

Greetings PRM Families,

Dear PRM Families, we are reaching out to you with a crucial request for your support and collaboration in addressing social media issues and electronic communication among our students, particularly those in grades 9-12. This year, we have observed several instances of students creating accounts to bully and harass their peers and staff members. While we are taking action for any incidents that occur during school hours and on school devices, we need your assistance and support to tackle this growing problem outside of school hours. We urge you to familiarize yourselves with the following Board Policies on Social Media usage, Bullying/Harassment, and Cell Phones/Electronic Communication and to discuss these issues with your children.

Board Policy 9126- Social Media Policy For Students:

Important Takeaways:

Social media use by students that causes a substantial disruption to the school environment violates the Code of Conduct or interferes with the rights of others and may be subject to school discipline. Students should respect the privacy of others. Students should exercise good judgment and caution when posting photographs and videos of others and when using the recording capabilities of electronic devices. It violates the District’s Code of Conduct to record, post, and publish prohibited activities on social media. Students should represent themselves honestly and ethically online and not mislead others by impersonating another person (student, employee, or any other person). Students shall not share confidential information about themselves or others. Sharing personal information about oneself, family, peers, or others can lead to safety and privacy concerns. Students should not engage in social media activities that harass, intimidate, bully, taunt, or threaten others based on their physical appearance, race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin, religion, or other protected status.

Board Policy 5517.01- Prohibition On Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

Important Takeaways:

It is the policy of the Board of Education that any form of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, whether in the classroom, on school property, to and from school, on a school bus, or at school-sponsored events, is expressly forbidden. Students determined to have engaged in prohibited behaviors are subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion from school. However, the District’s commitment to addressing such prohibited behaviors involves a multifaceted approach, which provides for education and the promotion of a school atmosphere in which harassment, intimidation, or bullying will not be tolerated by students, faculty, or school employees. We are committed to creating a safe and nurturing environment for all our students. It is imperative that harassment, intimidation, or bullying be identified only when the specific elements of the definition are met because the designation of such prohibited incidents carries special statutory obligations. However, misconduct by one student (or a group of students) against another student, whether or not appropriately defined or not, will result in appropriate disciplinary consequences for the bullied student. “Electronic act" means an act committed through a cellular telephone, computer, pager, personal communication device, or other electronic communication device. Harassment, intimidation, or bullying also means electronically transmitted acts, i.e., Internet, cell phone, personal digital assistance (PDA), or wireless hand-held device that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both Causing mental or physical harm to the other student including placing an individual in reasonable fear of bodily harm and damaging of student's personal property; and Being sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student.

Board Policy 5136- Cellular Telephones and Electronic Communication Devices Possessed by Students

Important Takeaways:

Students are not to possess a cell phone for use at any point during the instructional school day. Cell phones must be turned off and secured in the student’s bookbag. Students may not turn on or access a personal cell phone until they are dismissed for the day. There are phones in every classroom for parents to communicate with teachers during the day, or they may contact the main office.

Students found possessing a cell phone during the instructional day will have the phone confiscated, and a parent will be contacted to pick it up from the main office.

PRM’s Student Handbook

We are deeply grateful for your support and assistance in addressing these important issues. We encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification. Your involvement is crucial in ensuring the safety and well-being of all our students.

Thank you,

Principal Simpson

In the month of November, we have several days off of school. It is our hope that you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and/or friends. Picture re-take day is in the morning on Wednesday, November 13.

We are well into the school year now with it being the midterm of the second quarter. We continue learning and growing daily. Please help us by ensuring your student is on time to school and well rested each and every day.

Kindergarteners are using iReady MyPath for individualized Tier 2 instruction. They do this on an iPad for both Reading and Math. Please talk to your student's teacher if you have any specific questions or concerns. Second quarter conferences are on Thursday, December 12.

The 6-9 Team has been exploring! Our field trips are finally taking a break over the next few months and our students can find routines and normalcy in their classrooms. 3rd grade testing has also come to an end!

If you see our hallways right now, you would think you are in outer space! Our 6-9 hallway is covered with beautiful work showing our study of the solar system and planets. Now, most classrooms are moving on and diving into specific continent research. We are excited to welcome grandparents and other special adults into our spaces to show them our big learning!

Now that the weather is getting cooler, we ask that you help your child as best as possible to dress appropriately. Students will still continue to go outside for recess and Outdoor Education each week. We know it can be tough but having warm clothing here at school is a big help, that way as classroom teachers we can always offer it as an option.

Many classrooms are also celebrating before Fall Break so please reach out to your classroom teacher if you have any questions on what that might look like for your student.

Our 9-12 students will be going on a field trip to the Cincinnati Observatory on various dates starting in late November. We are focusing on compassion this month and shouting out our students who show compassion to others. In science, we are studying cells and body systems. Students will share their knowledge with classmates through various visual representations, such as models and posters. We are also gearing up for our mid-year benchmark testing, which will take place before and after Thanksgiving Break, from November 25th through 29th. Please be sure to review and discuss the uniform policy with your child, it will help us hold students to our PRM standard of dress each day.

Other 9-12 Testing Dates: Science MAP: 11/18-11/22, Reading iReady: 12/9-12/13, Math iReady: 12/2 - 12/6 and Make-ups: 12/16-12/20

Kindergarten- We are finishing up a unit on farm animals. Each week we use a different animal to help us learn about steady beat and moving along to music.

6-9- We are finishing a xylophone unit with a focus on improvising music.

9-12- We are learning about the difference between melody and harmony and are practicing playing both on xylophones with the song "La Bamba"

Winter Choir- Winter Choir will be performing the musical "Snow Way Out" at 6:30pm on December 19th during Winterfest.

Spring Musical- Alice in Wonderland Jr. auditions have concluded and the final cast list will be posted on November 22nd. Full cast rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, December 3rd. Evening performances of the show will be March 7th & 8th.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

The BUZZ is… the PRM Spelling Bee returns this year! The first round of the Spelling Bee will take place during the week of December 2–6 during library class for each 6-9 and 9-12 community. During the first round, we select the classroom Spelling Bee winners who will be invited to compete in the school-wide Spelling Bee in January.

A few classes will be on field trips that week so we will schedule those classes for the following Monday in my room. Spelling word lists will be shared the week of November 12th. Any student that wishes to participate is welcome to do so. Classroom winners will receive a certificate, and the school winner will receive a medal plus will be invited to advance to the next level of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

For more information, please see the latest Enrichment Newsletter – link below:

https://secure.smore.com/n/z63yb

Contact me with any questions at bonfiej@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Coming soon!

The season of gratitude is almost upon us and we are grateful for the parent champions and volunteers who are an important part of making PRM special. At the end of the month, we have a big event where we need help – can you be a volunteer?

On Friday, November 22nd, we will be hosting our annual Grandparent ~ Special Friend Day from 7:45-9:30am at PRM. Volunteers are needed the night before as well as the day of the event. Please reach out to Allie Goodman at ALGoodman3@aol.com if you are interested.

And remember, the best way to stay connected is at PRMRocks.org. If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to subscribe to emails https://prmrocks.orgemailupdates/

On Wednesday, November 13th the PTO/Equity Group will be meeting at 6:30pm in the PRM library. Please enter through the back parking lot doors. For the first third of the meeting, we will share updates from parent leaders and PRM administration. For the last two thirds we will learn more about how to navigate CPS’ new information system, FOCUS. You are invited to bring a computer or tablet to see your account info for yourself as we explore its features.

Childcare is provided, as well as snacks and drinks. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Questions should be directed to prmpto@gmail.com. Immediately following the meeting, everyone is encouraged to gather and continue socializing at The Fermentorium.

Save the Date for the annual PRM Silent Auction Party which will take place on Saturday, January 25th at the Nine Giant Fermentorium. If you are interested in contributing an item to the auction, please reach out to your student’s teacher, room parent or contact prsfpres@gmail.com directly.

If your family would like to be a sponsor of the event or if you know of a business interested in sponsoring, check out the Silent Auction Sponsorship Guide.

The Foundation meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm at Community Happens Here. All are welcome!

That's a wrap on fall sports! Thanks to all our volunteer coordinators and coaches who made sure all our teams had success this fall!

Basketball practices begin in November. We have a record number of basketball teams this year playing in the Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League; we have 14 teams comprised of 2nd through 6th grade students! Basketball games will begin the first weekend in December.

Cheer registration closes on Friday, November 8th. This in-house program will begin practices in mid-November and cheer on our 5th and 6th grade basketball teams at select home games throughout the season.

Spring sports registration (baseball, soccer, track, and volleyball – including tee-ball, Little Roadrunners soccer and a volleyball clinic for our youngest athletes) is currently slated to open on January 31, 2025. More information will be available on the website in the new year. Questions should be directed to prmathletics@gmail.com.

The Instructional Leadership Team continues to meet on the first and third Mondays of each month at 2:45pm. At the last ILT meeting these were the discussions:

- small group accommodations for students with a 504 and how they will look moving forward

- allocating funds for the classroom supply stipend the school will be receiving

- delegating team assignments

The Local School Decision Making Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 13th at 3:00pm at PRM, in the library – all interested stake holders are welcome to attend.

Hello, everyone. The CLC Center is here to provide various services you may need. Contact our Resource Coordinator- Ms. Monique Crosby, at johnmon@cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

• State of the Schools Address- Superintendent Wright will speak at SCPA on Wednesday, November 6th, at 6 pm. Come out and hear what progress and improvements are coming to CPS. RSVP by clicking on the link to attend this event. Seats are limited. https://bit.ly/StateOfTheSchools2024
• High School Lottery—The lottery is open to all students heading to high school. It will run from November 1st to December 31st. All parents/guardians will be notified by February 28th, 2025, and you will have until March 21st, 2025, to accept your choice.
• Distribution—We are hosting our PRM Thanksgiving Distribution again this year. Parents, if you need a Holiday box, please contact our Resource Coordinator, Monique Crosby, Social Worker Allison Quinter, or your child’s teacher. Boxes will be distributed the week of November 18th-22nd from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
• Winter Coat Drive—Our Annual coat drive has started. Coats and gently used winter items will be collected from November 1st through November 21st. The distribution of winter coats and items will take place in December. If you would like to donate, you can come by the school and drop off your donated items in the box in the lobby. Order forms for shopping are also in the front office and in your child’s take-home folders for next week.
• Spelling Bee Trials- All 1st-6th grade students went home with a list of words for the Scripps Spelling Bee. This is the practice list; the test will take place during your child’s library time. More information about the actual Spelling Bee will be provided later. If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Mrs. Bonfield.
• Countdown to Winter Break—You ask, and you shall receive. During the last week of school, the entire school will celebrate in spirit. The flyer with all the information is below.

• Freestore Foodbank Holiday Distribution is November 1-24, 2023 from 8 am-4 pm. They are providing food boxes for the holiday season for you and your family to enjoy. The Freestore Foodbank is located at 112 E. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

• Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church- Rummage Sale: Friday, November 15-Saturday November 17, 2024. All are welcome to come out and shop with them.

• The Caring Place- Is located at the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church and the provide food and clothing every Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Pleasant Ridge Montessori Library- There are many programs and events taking place at the local library. Check out all the programs and activities that are happening by clicking on the link. Cincinnati Public Library Link: https://cincinnatilibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?_gl=1*1g09vbr*_ga*MjE2NzQ1MzAzLjE2OTA5OTE4NTU.*_ga_G99DMMNG39*MTY5NDAyNTc1NC4yLjAuMTY5NDAyNTc1NC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_QQ6PLFKMN0*MTY5NDAyNTc1NC4yLjAuMTY5NDAyNTc1NC4wLjAuMA..&locations=PL

Pleasant Ridge Community Council Meetings- This takes place every 1st Tuesday of the month at 7pm at the CRC Building on Ridge Ave.

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

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.

Cincinnati Public Schools:

513-363-0123

Child Mental Health Crisis

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