Mrs. Lisa Courtney
Principal
513-947-7900
courtney_l@my.westcler.org
Mrs. Lisa Courtney
Principal
513-947-7900
courtney_l@my.westcler.org
Ms. Cheryl Lowe
Assistant Principal
513-947-7900
lowe_c@my.westcler.org
Dear Summerside Families,
School's Out for Summer!!! It has been another incredible school year! Thank you for sharing your children with us as we partnered in our collective commitment to excellence for every child, every day, in every way! We will be working hard this summer to continue to find opportunities to ensure we are truly on the RISE. We welcome your feedback as we reflect on this past year and plan forward for the 2024 - 2025 school year ahead. We will be sending parent updates on an as-needed basis during the summer. Please see the summer office hours below for in-person support this summer.
You may have noticed that your child came home with a Clermont County Library book bag filled with books for them to keep, read, enjoy, and share on field day! These are books that were donated by classroom teachers and from previous curriculum materials that are no longer used by our district. We urge ALL students to continue to read and write over the summer, to keep the momentum moving as learners and leaders. See below for more information about our partnership with the Clermont County Public Library Summer Reading program and our Summerside Writes initiative!
We wish you all a safe, fun, book-filled Summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Courtney & Ms. Lowe
Grade-level newsletters will be updated every two weeks.
Our Discover team newsletter will be updated quarterly.
Updated 5/18/24
Fly high, Eagles! Have a wonderful summer; we will miss you!!
Kindergarten Promotion Ceremony
Congratulations to our rising first graders!
5th Grade Farewell
We will miss you! Good luck in middle school!
The rain cleared just in time for a fun-filled Field Day! Thank you to our PTO, Mrs. Vicario, and Mrs. Brunner for all of your help in making it a day to remember!
As we prepare for the 2024 - 2025 school year, be sure to mark your calendars for your child's first day of school dates.
*Group A - All 6th and 9th graders, K-5th with last names that begin with A-M will start school on Thursday, August 15 and then attend daily starting Monday, August 19, 2024.
*Group B - All 7th, 8th, 10th-12th, and K-5th with last names that begin with N-Z will start school on Friday, August 16 then attend daily starting Monday, August 19, 2024.
2024 - 2025, Here we come!
It's Re-Registration Time! All currently enrolled West Clermont families received a re-registration email this past week to update their child(ren)'s information for the 2024 - 2025 school year. Summerside is currently at a 15% completion rate, this includes our fifth graders heading into the middle school next year.
We also encourage all students who will be 5 years of age on or before 8/1/2024 to enroll their child in kindergarten.
Need help registering, you can come to the school to use our computers during office hours of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.
Our Union Township Library provides free access to computers every day.
Translation services are available to support individual family needs as well. Your child's teacher will reach out with specific supports as needed.
Registration/Enrollment Directions
Link to the PowerSchool Parent Portal
Register for the 2024/2025 school year ASAP!!
August 3 - West Clermont Back to School Event, 9:00 am - 12 pm, WCHS (see flyer above to register)
August 15 - First Day of School Group A, for all 6th and 9th graders, K-5th with last names that begin with A-M (then attend daily starting Monday, August 19, 2024)
August 16 - First Day of School Group B, for all 7th, 8th, 10th-12th, and K-5th with last names that begin with N-Z (then attend daily starting Monday, August 19, 2024)
President: Dana Montgomery
Co-Vice-Presidents: Sadie Williams and Betsy Brown
Secretary: Nicole Vicario
Treasurer: Dana Montgomery
PTO Email Address, summersidepto@gmail.com
The rain cleared just in time for a fun-filled Field Day! Thank you to our PTO, Mrs. Vicario, and Mrs. Brunner for all of your help in making it a day to remember!
Thank you to our PTO for our staff breakfast on Friday, 5/24. We so appreciate all you have done to support our students, staff, and Summerside community this school year!
Our Core Values: Together We are, ON THE RISE. R-Relationship, I-Innovation, S-Student Centered, E-Empowerment
We are creating a courageous culture by focusing on our mission of committing to excellence with every learner, every day, every way. We strive to have a safe, caring, positive learning environment where all students have a sense of belonging.
NEW: Understanding School Finance Video Series
Over the last few weeks on West Clermont's social media, we have rolled out our first two videos in our Understanding School Finance series. In the first video, we provided a broad overview of how the West Clermont School District is funded. It’s important to understand all the sources of revenue that provide resources to our district every day. If you missed that kickoff video, you can view it HERE.
Last week in part 2 of our video series on school finance, we continued the conversation on how West Clermont is funded, specifically on the share that local residents and businesses contribute. In total, about 50% of West Clermont’s annual budget comes from local taxpayers each year. Another key takeaway is that our district collects the minimum amount from taxpayers as required by state law. You can watch Part 2 HERE.
We continue to work hard to provide the community with the information that they need. This series, as in all of our communications, is directly based on feedback gathered through all of the engagement opportunities we offer throughout the district, from town halls, to surveys, and more. We are thankful for your input, ideas, and questions, and we look forward to continuing the conversation!
District Update - Wednesday, May 22, 2024
(For an archive of all of our previous District Updates, visit the WolfPack Hub at westcler.org/hub)
Summer Communication Rhythm
As we have done the last several years, you can expect to receive District Updates around the 15th and 30th in June and July. The WolfPack Hub is also your one-stop-shop as a West Clermont family! In addition, your child's principal will communicate with you once we get closer to school starting in August.
Your opinion is needed!
As we wrap up a year-long focus on facilities in West Clermont, your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of our master plan that will be revealed in early fall. We want to know your understanding of our greatest challenges including our aging buildings (Holly Hill, Merwin, and WCMS), rising operational costs to maintain these facilities, and the impact of projected increased enrollment and a growing diverse student population. We are seeking your input on various aspects of the potential building projects including your core values, preference for neighborhood schools vs grade level schools, optimal sizes for elementary school buildings, your interest in moving 5th grade to the middle school campus to free up space in the elementary schools, and your interest in designing buildings for the unique needs of middle-level learners. Your insights will help us address these challenges effectively. Please share your opinions with us by completing this survey!
Summer Office Hours
June - Beginning Monday, June 3rd through Friday, June 28th, the office hours for the district office and all schools throughout the district will be Monday through Thursday, 8 AM-4 PM and closed on Friday.
July - During July, all offices at the elementary schools are closed. The July office hours for the district office, middle school, and high school are Monday through Thursday, 8 AM-4 PM and closed on Friday.
August - All district facilities will resume regular office hours on Thursday, August 1st.
Re-Registration for Current Students
Thanks to those parents and caregivers who have completed the re-registration process for next school year on the PowerSchool Parent Portal! We still need 53.78% of our students to be re-registered for the 2024-25 school year. If you have questions about the re-registration process or have difficulty logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your child's school office. You can find the contact information for every school at westcler.org/schools.
Summer Grocery Benefit for Kids - "SUN Bucks"
Thanks to a partnership between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, any family that has completed and has been approved for Free and Reduced Meals for the 2023-24 school year will receive a one-time benefit of $120 from the state of Ohio for each eligible child and can use the money to buy food during the summer at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other authorized retailers. More information can be found at https://sebt.ohio.gov/.
Families who have already applied for Free and Reduced Meals for the 2023-24 school year will automatically receive this benefit. Families who have not completed an application for the 2023-24 school year, but feel that they may qualify, can still apply for this benefit. For more information on how to apply for Free and Reduced Meals, please visit the WolfPack Hub at westcler.org/hub.
NOTE: In order to receive the benefits of the SUN Bucks program, families must have completed a Free and Reduced Meals application for this school year (2023-24). The Applications for Free and Reduced Meals for next school year (2024-25) will be available starting July 8th, 2024.
Summer Meals and Snacks for Kids - "SUN Meals"
Thanks to a partnership between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the US Department of Agriculture, all children ages 1 through 18 are eligible to receive free meals during the summer months at participating program sites. In addition, individuals ages 19 through 21 who have been identified as having mental or physical disabilities and are following Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through their current enrollment in educational programs also are eligible for free summer meals. For more information call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (486479) or visit education.ohio.gov/KidsEat.
Understanding School Finance Video Series - Video #3
Today, part 3 of our video series is available to watch! In this latest installment, we walk through the ins and outs of the State of Ohio’s involvement in school funding. The State of Ohio provides funding to every public school in Ohio, but there is a specific process to determine how much each district receives. In the last fiscal year, the State of Ohio accounted for 31.4% of West Clermont’s General Operating Fund. It’s critical to understand the State’s involvement in school funding, along with how that funding evolves as circumstances change in our district. You can watch part 3 HERE. If you missed them, be sure to check out the part 1 and part 2 videos.
We continue to work hard to provide the community with the information that they need. This series, as in all of our communications, is directly based on feedback gathered through all of the engagement opportunities we offer throughout the district, from town halls, to surveys, and more. We are thankful for your input, ideas, and questions, and we look forward to continuing the conversation!
Upcoming District Closures
In observance of federal holidays, the entire district will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th (Juneteenth) and Thursday, July 4th (Independence Day).
Translated versions of this message:
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Ushbu xabarni oʻzbek tilida oʻqish uchun bu yerga bosing.
इस संदेश को हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिए यहां क्लिक करें।
આ સંદેશ ગુજરાતીમાં વાંચવા માટે, અહીં ક્લિક કરો.
West Clermont families and staff,
We are pleased to share that the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce announced last week that West Clermont School District is a 2022-2023 Momentum Award winner! In addition, West Clermont Middle School and Willowville Elementary also received this same award.
The award recognizes the achievements of Ohio’s school districts and individual school buildings for improvements made on the School Report Card. Awardees must improve their Performance Index by 3 or more points over the previous year’s Report Card and receive a Progress rating of 4 or more stars. Out of over 600 school districts in the state of Ohio, West Clermont is one of only 42 districts to receive the Momentum Award.
For more information, please see this press release.
West Clermont Schools
Clermont County Suicide Prevention Summit | May 31, 2024
The Clermont County Suicide Prevention Coalition is hosting a free Suicide Prevention Summit. This is an all-day training where we will provide opportunities for leaders, community, and professionals to learn about mental health, prevention, and best practices. We have a variety of topics focusing on youth to aging adults. Please use the link to register and feel free to share amongst colleagues and friends.
YES! I would like HealthSource of Ohio to send me the permission form for School-Based healthcare for my student.
West Clermont Board of Education
Ryan Patton, President
Jim Rudy, Vice President
Tina Sanborn
Michael Chumley
Tammy Spencer