It has been a great first week at Columbia Elementary

August 22, 2014

Dear Valued Parents:

We have had an outstanding first week here at Columbia Elementary School! We are on our way to Excellence!  I want to inform you of a few updates:

1)School Required Paperwork- Make sure all beginning of the school year paperwork is returned to school by next Friday, August 29th.  These documents include Emergency Medical Cards, Custodial Paperwork (Signed by a Judge -if applicable), the Free and Reduced Meal Application, etc.  All of this paperwork is very important!

2) Free Universal Breakfast-We have adjusted the time for our breakfast program to 8:30am.  All students will have the opportunity to begin eating breakfast at 8:30am.  Students will need to be in class by 9am. Our doors will be open at 8:30am.

3) Nut Free School-To better protect our students, we have adopted a “No Bake and a Nut-Free” Procedure.  All snacks for all classrooms (K-5) must be prepackaged.  No nuts or peanut butter will be allowed in snacks brought in for special occasions such as birthdays or parties.  Teachers must be able to read the ingredient description on the prepackaged items.  There will be a designated table in the lunchroom that will be nut-free for those students needing this precaution.  This procedure is effective immediately.  If food arrives in the classroom that does not meet these requirements, it will either be returned or thrown away. Please do not misunderstand, we do appreciate birthday and party treats, we just need to better protect our students.

4) Morning Announcements- FYI-We have changed the way we do morning announcements at Columbia Elementary.  Now the students are watching the morning announcements through YouTube.  This allows us to reiterate specifics with the students both verbally and through text.  It also allows the teachers to better use our instructional time.  

5) Kindergarten Fire Prevention Assembly-Students in Kindergarten will participate in a Fire Prevention assembly on Friday August 29th at 9:30am.  Trent Kaufman (Upper Arlington Firefighter), Mount Vernon Fire Department, and I (Jefferson Twp-Bellville Firefighter/EMT-Basic) will be putting on the assembly.  Trent and I will be instructing the students on fire prevention strategies, while the MVFD will be showing the students the ins and outs of a Fire Engine.  I want to give a special thanks to the MVFD and Firefighter Trent Kaufman for all of their efforts. Without these gentlemen, this great learning experience would not be possible.  

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions at 1-740-393-5975 or mdill@mvcsd.us.  

Yours in education,

Matthew J. Dill, Ed.D

Columbia Elementary, Principal