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Greetings from Knox Elementary School! We are just weeks away from opening the 2015/16 school year and I hope you have enjoyed the fun that comes with summer. It is my goal to keep the lines of communication between school and home open at all t imes.
A litt le about myself-this will be my sixth year as a principal and my eleventh year as an educator. I began my career in North Carolina teaching high school social studies. I returned to Ohio and taught at Tuscarawas Valley High School before moving to Alliance. I was an assistant principal at Alliance High School for four years and spent last year as the principal at Northside Intermediate School. I have a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree from Kent State University and am also working on my Doctorate. I l ive in Alliance with my wife, Karla, and our 5 month old daughter, Lydia.
During these next few months, I hope to get to know the students, parents, staff , and community that make up West Branch Schools. It is my absolute privilege to serve as principal of Knox Elementary and I look forward to the next chapter of our school's success.
Lastly, we need you! The success of any school is rooted in an active parent group. We have a fantastic PTO which I hope you will consider joining. Meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm at Knox.
Please stop by any time you have questions, concerns, or ideas for Knox's continuous improvement. Enjoy these last weeks of summer vacation and we'll see you on the 24th. Sincerely,
Stephen M. Fowler, M.Ed.
Principal-Knox Elementary
August, 2015
On Monday, August 24th, Knox w i l l host an Open House from 4:00-6:00pm. Students and parents can:
- meet teachers- drop off supplies- tour the bui lding- get answers to any
questions.
Supply l ists were sent home in the spr ing w ith r epor t cards and are also avai lable in this newsletter.
School star t s t uesday, august
25t h
Knox NewsMESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
OPEN HOUSE MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH
knox's new pr incipal - Mr . Fowl er
Knox Elementary School-West Branch Local Schools
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MEET OUR NEW STAFFMr . Tim Basal l a-Inter vent ion
My name is Mr. Timothy Basalla and this will be my f irst year at West Branch. I have spent the last 7 years teaching for Alliance City Schools. When I am not working on IEP?s, 504?s, BIP?s, and all other acronyms, I spend my free time with my growing family. I have been married to my wife, Rachael, for the past 4 years and have a very sweet 2 year old son, Donovan. We are expecting our second child this Christmas. I also enjoy being outside and doing construction/ remodel projects. I am very excited to join the West Branch community.
Mr s. Vanessa Em m ons-1st Gr ade
My name is Mrs. Vanessa Emmons. I am a 2009 graduate of Kent State University. I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education certifying me to teach preschool - grade three. In 2012, I attended Walsh University to expand my teaching capabilit ies through the f if th grade. I began working at West Branch as a Title I Tutor during the 2009-2010 school year. Last year, I taught second grade at Damascus. As a Salem High School graduate, I can say whole-heartedly that I now BLEED GREEN! After l iving in West Branch for the past 10 years and working here for 6, I can't speak more highly about this fantastic community. I feel blessed every single day that I have the opportunity to make a dif ference in the lives of so many kids. I will work my hardest to ensure your children have an amazing school year that is full of discovery, hands-on learning, love, and compassion! I will forever more view you and your children as part of my family! Thank you for all of your support and love! I look forward to a WONDERFUL year with WONDERFUL students!
Ms. Kayla Rolston-Counselor
Hello! My name is Kayla Rolston and I am thril led to be the new elementary counselor for both Damascus and Knox Elementary Schools! This is my second year in West Branch having served as a West Branch Middle School counselor lasst year. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Youngstown State University, and earned my Master of Arts in Education; School Counseling at The University of Akron. The academic and social development of children is something I am truly passionate about. What attracted me most to West Branch was their strong sense of community pride. I cannot wait to get involved in this year's school sponsored extracurricular activit ies and show my West Branch Warrior pride! I am very much looking forward to collaborating with parents, teachers, and community resources to help your child reach their full potential. I hope you will stop by and visit and share your Warrior school pride with me!
Mr s. Bar r i Jo Vavr ock-1st Gr ade
My name is Barri Jo Vavrock. I am new to Knox this year and will be teaching f irst grade. I am very excited to be joining the West Branch staff ! I am a graduate of Marlington High School, Baldwin Wallace University and Grand Canyon University. I have been teaching for 12 years ,and have taught kindergarten, f irst and second grades. I am married to my husband Craig Vavrock, and together we have a rambunctious and wonderful son named Sawyer. In my free time I love to read lots of books and spend time doing fun activit ies with family and friends. I look forward to getting to know all of our Knox families, students and staff .
Miss. Evelyn Woods-Physical Educat ion
I am a proud graduate of West Branch High School from the class of 2005. I went to West Liberty University on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Physical Education. Coaching is something I love to do, and have coached anything from elementary to high school basketball, volleyball, and softball. For the past four years, I taught at Hubbard Middle School as a health and physical education teacher. I love to be active, play with my nieces and nephews, and spend time with family and friends! I am looking forward to my f irst year at Knox Elementary!
Mr s. Abbie Zim m er m an-1st Gr ade
Hello, I am Abigail Zimmerman, a new f irst grade teacher at Knox. I have been a Title 1 teacher at Knox for six years and then moved to teach kindergarten at Damascus last year. I love Knox! I am very excited to be back home with the families and staff that I adore. My favorite part of teaching is getting to know my students and observing them grow. I will cherish and love every child that enters my classroom just l ike my own children. My husband, Mark Zimmerman, and I have been married for 8 years. We have two beautiful children! Audrie is 4 ½ and will be attending kindergarten at Knox next year. Carson is 2 ½ and he is full of energy. I am excited to get this new year started!
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REPORTING A STUDENT OFF FROM SCHOOL?
Please call the school office at 330-938-1122. REASON FOR ABSENCE
Section 3301.69.02 of the Ohio Revised Code sets r egulations governing excuses for past absence from school and they are as fol lows:
per sonal i l lness i l lness in the family
quarantine of the home death of a r elative
home work due to absence of obser vance of r el igious holidays
parents or guardians
emergency or set of ci r cumstances which in the judgment of the school consti tutes a good and suff icient cause for absence from school.
All other r easons are considered unexcused absences.
Students w ith unexcused absences w i l l not be permitted to make up missed work. Al l medical or w r i tten excuses to cover absenteeism must be turned in to the school w ithin 48 hours of your absence.
PICK- UP/ DROP- OFF INFORMATION
Students should be dropped off between 8:45-8:55am. The tardy bell rings at 9:00am.
Car riders will be dismissed at 3:20pm. Bus riders will be dismissed at 3:25pm.
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ABSENCE AND ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
1. Students are not permit ted to leave the school grounds after they arr ive at school unless the office grants permission.2. Students who need to leave school dur ing the day should br ing to school a note addressed to the Pr incipal and signed by a parent /guardian, stat ing the reason for leaving and the t ime the parent /guardian will pick up the child at the school off ice. I f a child is to leave school by means other than the school bus or the parents' automobile, the parent /guardian must grant permission. The parent /guardian picking up the child must come to the main office and sign the child out of school, except at the High School where students may sign themselves out as long as an excusal note has been presented.3. The parent /guardian of any student that is absent is required to not ify the school by phone before 10:00 am on the day of the absence. An answering machine will record your message 24 hours
a day. The school will at tempt to not ify each parent who did not call their child off for the day. A wr it ten excuse signed by the parent /guardian of a student absent for all or part of a day must be submit ted to the Office in compliance with the Missing Child Act . Failure to submit a wr it ten excuse within 48 hours of the absence will result in an
unexcused absence. Please note that a wr it ten excuse does not guarantee an excused absence. See ?Reasons for Absence? for acceptable reasons to be considered an excused absence. Students who are absent may not at tend school act ivit ies that same night .4. In the case of prolonged absence, the parent /guardian should contact the school off ice to make arrangements for picking up the child's assignments and books. Teachers will t ry to update web pages and/or voice mail with daily homework assignments. 5. After the tardy bell r ings, all students must enter and exit the building through the school off ice.6. Students who become ill or suffer an injury at school must report to the clinic/main office to be seen by the school nurse. I f necessary, the nurse will make contact with the parent or guardian.
7. For at tendance purposes, the following guidelines will be in effect , a wr it ten excuse is required for all absences and tardies:Elementary Schools:a. Students who arr ive at school after 9:00 a.m. and before 10:00 a.m. will be marked as Tardy.b. Students who arr ive at school between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. will be counted absent for a half day. Students who leave school
between 10:30 and 2:30 will be counted absent for a half day.c. A full day of at tendance may be granted for any student who leaves school after 11:00 a.m. and returns by 1:00 p.m. A medical excuse is required upon return. Students who leave at any other t ime of the day and return within an hour and a half will not be counted as absent and a medical excuse is required upon return.
EXCUSAL FROM EL EMENTARY SCHOOL S
Students who must leave school dur ing the school day must br ing a note from home signed by the parent /guardian and present it to the Classroom Teacher before 9:00 a.m. Students who are excused to a doctor or dent ist must return a doctor/dent ist visit cert if icate to the Building Secretary. No student is allowed to leave school without office approval. Writ ten ver if icat ion will be required from the doctor, dent ist , or place of appointment for the t ime away from school to be excused. Students are discouraged from leaving the building dur ing school hours.
st udent achievement is dir ect ly r el at ed t o at t endance. if your chil d isn't at school , t hey ar en't l ear ning.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
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At Knox, our goal is to keep you connected to your chi ld's education. Our websi te is updated regular ly w ith upcoming events and impor tant r eminders. A paper newsletter goes home ear ly each month. We uti l ize an "al l cal l" system so be sure your phone number is updated.
Star ting this year, we are also introducing Remind. Remind is a text message ser vice through which parents can receive impor tant upcoming information. I t 's simple and easy to use. Follow the instr uctions on this page and rest assured that your cel l phone number is never visible to anyone in the group.
Visit our Websit ewww.west br anch.k12.oh.us
STAY CONNECTED
DON'T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT? START HERE!
Knox Elementary School
2900 Knox School Road Al l iance, Ohio 44601
Phone: 330-938-1122 Fax: 330-938-1121
If you have questions, please be sure to start with your child's classroom teacher. We appreciate questions and concerns starting at this level f irst.
If you need general informat ion, please contact Mrs. Kim Sabatine, secretary at 330-938-1122.
Individual ized Educat ion Plan (IEP) questions should be directed to your child's intervention specialist.
School psychologist questions should be directed to Ms. Stephanie White.
Speech questions should be directed to Ms. Kristen Bartolotta.
Health and medical questions should be directed to Ms. Tif fany Fitt is.
Transportat ion questions should be directed to Ms. Sherri Malloy.
Food service questions should be directed to Ms. Lorrie Weingart.
To contact any staf f member, use the fol lowing format:
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Knox Elementary Student Supply List for 2015-16
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Grade One 24 SHARPENED pencils (Send original # 2 Ticonderoga, please) 1 large, individual eraser 24 pack Crayola crayons Scissors 4 oz. White Elmer?s glue bottle 6 glue sticks 1 Mead composition wide ruled notebook 1 box Ziploc bags ? sandwich size (Girls) 1 box Ziploc bags ? gallon size (Boys) Large box of t issues Lysol/Clorox wipes 1? hard binder 2 pocket folders with three hole punch (no brad fasteners) Book bag, no wheels Tennis shoes for gym Small school box 4 black Expo dry erase markers Personal headphones
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Grade Two Scissors 24 SHARPENED pencils (Send original # 2 Ticonderoga, please) 1 large, individual eraser 24 pack Crayola crayons 4 large Elmer?s glue sticks 1 small bottle Elmer?s school glue 1 ?Take home? folder (3 hole punched) School box/container that will hold all supplies 1 large box of t issues 1 box of zipper style gallon baggies One 1? 3 ring binder 1 spiral notebook (70-100 pages) 4 black Expo markers ? Mrs. Coffee?s class only
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Grade Three Two 24 count boxes of # 2 Ticonderoga pencils Scissors 1 bottle of Elmer?s white school glue 2 glue sticks 1 sturdy 3-hole zipper pouch (NO SCHOOL BOXES) 2 boxes of t issues 1 container of Lysol/Clorox wipes 8 pack of Expo dry erase markers 3 spiral notebooks (70 pages, wide ruled, 1 purple, 1 green, 1 blue) do not label with child?s name 1 sturdy folder with 3 holes and 2 pockets 1 roll of Bounty paper towels 1 pack of 3x5 Index cards, l ined, white (Boys) 1 pack of 4x6 Index cards, l ined, white (Girls) One 1? binder Tennis shoes for gym
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Grade Four 1 box of SHARPENED wooden # 2 pencils, no mechanical pencils 1 box of colored pencils 4 dry erase markers, black only 1 box of t issues 1 roll of paper towels Lysol/Clorox wipes 1 package of yellow highlighters Three 1? binders 1 package of loose leaf paper, wide ruled 4 plastic folders (1 red, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 orange) Tennis shoes for gym
**Please DO NOT bring/purchase anything that is not on the students? supply list as these items will be sent back home. There is not enough room for extra things in cubbies and desks.
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The philosophy governing the dress and grooming practices for the students in the West Branch School District is based simply upon the principles of health, personal
cleanliness and hygiene, good grooming, proper attire, and parental
responsibil ity for their child/ children?s appearance. The cit izens of the West Branch community take pride in the young men and women who attend their schools and are concerned about their appearance and well-being. Each parent is ult imately responsible for the action, appearance, and safety of his/her child. As new trends in fashion or dress occur, the District will review the changing standards of the community. Extremism will not be accepted and if that condition or status is reached in any aspect of the school, the action necessary to correct or alleviate that situation will be taken. Action will be taken according to the following guidelines:
1) Students are permitted to wear nylon sweat pants/appropriate length gym shorts.
2) Clothing containing pictures and slogans which are suggestive (stated or implied), provocative, obscene, negative, or contains reference to tobacco, alcohol, drugs or are questionable in nature are unacceptable.
3) Men should be clean-shaven with moustaches neatly trimmed. Sideburns may not extend past the earlobes. Beards are not permitted. Coaches may set their own guidelines concerning facial hair.
4) Hair should be clean, combed, and worn in a fashion that does not hinder sight. No unnatural hair coloring is permitted.
5) Shorts may be worn during the entire school year.
6) Low cut tops, sheer and/or f ishnet clothing, tank tops, strapped undershirts and improperly f itted clothing, cut-offs, pajama attire, sanitary shorts, spandex biker shorts, yoga pants, leggings/ jeggings and other tight f itt ing clothing are not proper school attire. No bare midrif f shirts will be allowed. Shoulders must be covered. Torn or ripped clothes, or holes in the clothes are not appropriate.
7) Skirts, shorts, and pants must be of contemporary length; extremes in length (short or long) will be unacceptable. A rule of thumb signifying length is f ingertip length or longer when standing with your hands to your side. Jeans, slacks, and shorts must be secured at the waist so that undergarments are covered.
8) Footwear is required at all school activit ies for all students.
9) Hats/hoods/head coverings are not to be worn in the building at any time. The only exception to this rule will be on special designated days.
10) Except for pierced ears, students may not display piercings on the face, tongue or other visible areas of the body during regular school hours. Gauges in the ears are not permitted.
11) Jackets/ coats/book bags are to be put in your locker upon arrival at school. The mentioned items shall remain in your locker for the day.
12) Regulations for dress and grooming for individual classrooms or activit ies will be governed by the person in charge of the activit ies under the direction of the Principal.
13) It is within the providence of the building Principal to interpret appropriateness in all instances. The administration will be responsible for determining extremes in styles and the determination of what is in compliance with or noncompliance the dress and grooming code.
Outdoor Recess
Don't Forget to Dress for Recess! Children need time to play and we will do our best to get them outside as often as the weather will permit. Generally, students will be outside any time the temperature is above 22 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure they come with hats, gloves, coat, and scarf.
dr ess code r eminder s
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The Knox PTO is looking for ward to the upcoming school year. We w i l l have many activi ties that w i l l give you the oppor tuni ty to be involved this year. We are exci ted to announce some new activi ties for the year. These activi ties include grandparent's day, a Thanksgiving Feast, Donuts w ith Dad, and Muff ins w ith Mom. Watch for the committee sign up sheets that w i l l be coming home w ith your chi ld(r en), to help w ith al l the events we do throughout the year. Have a great year ! -The Knox PTO
pt o event sSept ember / Oct ober
November / December
j anuar y/ Febr uar y
mar ch/ apr ilDiscount Card Sales, Texas Roadhouse Sales, Muff ins w ith Mom, Spr ing Par ties, Tye Dye Shir ts (K-2)
Donuts w ith Dad, Valentine's Day Par ties
Grandparent's Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Feast, Secret Santa, Hot Pots Family Night, Candle Light Lunch, Classroom Holiday Par ties,
Sno Cone Day, Fall Fundraiser, Spir i t Sales, 3/4 Activi ty Night, Book Fair, Har vest Walkthrough, Shir t Sales
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION
We welcome all parents, teachers, and community members to our PTO! We meed the second Tuesday of each month at 4:00pm. Here are the dates: September 8th; October 13th; November 10th; December 9th (Wed); January 12th; February 9th; March 8th; April 12th; May 10th
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE P.T.O.?may/ j uneTeacher Appreciation Week, Tye Dye Shir ts (3-4), Field Tr ips, Carnival
MATH UPDATEThe math department has been busy this summer learning new content, looking into Common Core State Standards across grades, and developing strategies for students of multiple abilit ies to work at their own learning levels. As an elementary teacher team and with the support of administration and the Board of Education, we chose Everyday Mathematics by McGraw-Hill to pilot during the 2015-2016 school year for grades K-6. This research-based approach is embedded with activit ies and technology components that can be used both in the classroom and at home. There will be many resources available to support you and your child. To get started, here is a video introduction of what to be expected with Everyday Mathematics. http:/ /www.everydaymath.com/program-overview
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about mathematics in our elementary schools, feel free to contact West Branch K-4 Math Coach, Rachael Basalla, at [email protected]
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upcoming event s
august 24
august 25
sept ember 2- 7
Sept ember 21- 25Spir i t Week
Labor Day Break
Fir st Day of School
Open House 4:00pm-6:00pmKindergar ten Parent Meeting 5:30pm
2900 Knox School Road Al l iance, Ohio 44601
Phone: 330-938-1122 Fax: 330-938-1121
Website: w w w.westbranch.k12.oh.us
KNOX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
sept ember 8PTO Meeting 4:00pm
Sept ember 17Picture Day
Have You Moved and changed Addresses or Telephone Numbers?
Please contact the Superintendent 's Of f ice at 330-938-9324.
Al l address and telephone number changes must be reported to the Superintendent 's Of f ice. Proof of Residency is required to be brought in too if you plan to move over the summer. Acceptable forms of Proof of Residency are your rental/ purchase agreement or gas/electric bil l. Proof is requried for all students and is also necessary if you want to be placed on a bus route for the new school year. All new student registrations and address/ telephone changes must be made by August 19, 2015. Thank you.
august 10 & 11Kindergar ten Screening @ Damascus
