Elementary Parent Newsletter

Dear Tiger Families,

January was a month filled with celebrations and accomplishments! We recognized our students' hard work and dedication during our Honors Assemblies, where we celebrated their academic achievements and positive behavior. It was wonderful to see so many students reaching their goals and being recognized for their efforts. As we move forward, we remain committed to fostering a school culture that encourages excellence, perseverance, and kindness in all areas.

In addition to academic success, we continue to instill the value of service and leadership in our students. Through initiatives like Bags for Buddies and Koehrsen’s Kids Care, our students are learning the importance of giving back and making a difference in their community. We are also proud of our BETA Club, whose dedication to leadership and service will take them to Columbus on February 13th to compete in the Ohio BETA Convention. We wish them the best of luck as they showcase their talents and hard work!

Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome our newest little Tigers as Kindergarten registration begins on February 10th! We appreciate the ongoing support from our families in helping make our school a place where students can grow, achieve, and lead. Thank you for being our partners in education—we look forward to another great month of learning and success!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Witt                                        Mr. Crowder   

K- 3 Principal                                4th & 5th grade Principal

Director of Student Services         Transportation Director

.Mrs. Metheny’s class celebrated the end of Module 1 in Wit and Wisdom with a culminating writing project that showcases the impressive growth of her first-grade students. Writing has been a key focus for our school this year, and Mrs. Metheny's students have embraced this challenge with incredible enthusiasm and hard work. Through their efforts, these young learners have shown significant improvement, moving from simple sentences to more complex, thoughtful writing. This culminating project gives them the opportunity to reflect on their learning and apply their growing writing skills to demonstrate their understanding of the module's themes, all while taking pride in their progress.

The growth these students have demonstrated is truly amazing, and much of this success is attributed to Mrs. Metheny’s expert teaching and high expectations. She consistently sets a high bar for her students, encouraging them to push beyond their limits and always strive for excellence. Her thoughtful instruction and dedication to fostering a love of writing have helped her students develop both their skills and their confidence. As a result, the final project serves not only as a reflection of their understanding of the material but also as a celebration of their tremendous progress as young writers under Mrs. Metheny's guidance.

We warmly invite you to join us for our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences, where we can discuss your child’s progress, strengths, and areas for growth. Your involvement in your child’s education plays a crucial role in their success, and these conversations provide a valuable opportunity to work together in supporting their learning journey. We truly value your insights and partnership, as open communication between home and school helps create the best possible learning experience for your child. We look forward to connecting with you and strengthening our collaboration to ensure a successful school year! 

It’s time to welcome our newest little Tigers! Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year opens on February 10th, and we are excited to begin this journey with our incoming students. To be eligible for kindergarten, children must be 5 years old by August 1, 2025. We look forward to meeting our future learners and helping them take this important first step in their educational adventure!

To make the process as convenient as possible, we are offering evening appointment times on February 13th for families who need a later option. 

As part of our ongoing efforts and policy to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all students, we would like to remind everyone about the importance of keeping childrens home from school when they are feeling sick:

Do not send your child to school or back to school if sent home from the clinic, if any of the following symptoms or conditions were/are present

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours. Call your child’s healthcare provider for guidance on when to return to school. Students must be fever free without use of fever reducing medications (acetaminophen/ibuprofen).

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea. If your child has two or more episodes during the previous evening or night, they may not attend school. Call your child’s healthcare provider if vomiting and/or diarrhea continues for more than 48 hours, your child has a fever or his/her condition worsens. Diapered children can return to school after diarrhea when stool is contained in the diaper, stool may remain loose.

• Rash. Call health care provider for guidance if your child can remain in school.

• Untreated infected skin patches that have weeping fluid and are on an exposed surface that cannot be covered with a waterproof dressing. Preschool requires exclusion of untreated infected skin patches per preschool regulations.

• Bacterial infection. Your child may return to school after taking prescribed antibiotics for 24 hours.

• Pink eye. If your child has thick mucus or pus draining from the eye (pink eye), call health care provider for guidance if your child can remain in school. If an antibiotic is prescribed, the child must be on the medication for 24 hours before returning to school.

• Any sick symptoms that prevent participation in school, examples include:

o Excessive tiredness, pale, difficult to wake, confused or irritable, lack of     

appetite

o Productive coughing, sneezing, continuous coughing

o Headache, body aches, earache, sore throat

• A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset. Contact your healthcare provider as your child needs a special test to determine if it is strep throat.

• Colds can be contagious for at least 48 hours. Returning to school too soon may slow the recovery process and expose others unnecessarily to illness.

Thank you,

Mrs. DeLuca, RN

Newton Falls EL/MS School Nurse Phone: 330-872-0695 ext 105