FAIRVIEW NEWS

Germany Travel and Exchange Program News
Attention parents of recent Fairview/Clifton graduates: Your child has the incredible opportunity of traveling to Donaueschingen, Germany with fellow Fairview students. Many consider this 3 week trip to be the culmination of the Fairview experience. The students spend time with their host family, attend the host school and take side trips to nearby cities and other points of interest. For more info contact Apolonio Garcia, 2009-2010 Travel & Exchange Coordinator, at travel.gebas.org.  

School Tours for Prospective Fairview Parents
Do you know anyone who is considering Fairview-Clifton for their child? If so, they should call the school office at 363-2100 to sign up for one of the following tour dates: November 11 and 13th. Questions may be directed to Heather Herman, GEBAS Public Relations, kittywuu2004@yahoo.com.  

Extra Clothes Needed For Nurses Station
Accidents happen at all ages. The nurse’s station is in need of underwear and bottoms for both boys and girls of all ages. Donations may be dropped off at the nurse's office. Any questions please call Mary Lee Haase 513-368-6165.

Save Pop Tabs for Ms. Thomas' 3rd Graders
Miss Thomas’ class made a few trips to the Ronald McDonald House for a tour and to drop off the incredible amounts of aluminum pop-tabs collected by all of the wonderful students, parents and staff members at Fairview-Clifton. We thank you for you generous donations. So start saving today and send the tabs in to your child’s homeroom teacher. The third graders in room 2212 will be around to collect the tabs from each homeroom monthly.  

Recycling News
THE ALUMINUM CANS MYSTERY (and other recycling matters)
First of all, kudos to the great recycling response for paper products!! It is great to see all those paper products in the Abitibi bin; and doesn’t it feel wonderful to get rid of junk mail, phone books, magazines, catalogs, and cardboard boxes, while at the same time making money for Fairview? Now, where in Cincinnati are the aluminum cans?  Not in the Rumpke dumpster located on the school’s parking lot! In fact, the amount of aluminum cans has been quite low; and if it stays low, Rumpke might end the program, which would mean no money for Fairview. So, here’s a challenge to all the Fairview children and their families: please, pretty please, bring as many aluminum cans to the school as you can; tell your friends, grandparents, and other relatives about the challenge; collect aluminum cans at your office from your co-workers and/or at the fitness club you attend (I do both); when you go for a walk, bring a big garbage bag and a pair of tongs (or plastic gloves) and collect discarded aluminum cans (I do that too); you’ll be surprised and shocked by the amount of cans you can find…And as always, NO plastic bags and NO Styrofoam in either the Abitibi bin or the Rumpke dumpster; and break down cardboard boxes as much as possible. 

Recycle Your Used Soccer Gear
Speaking of recycling, soccer parents if you’re like me and struggle to buy new soccer cleats and shin guards every season-(for twins), then think about recycling with Fairview.  In our GEBAS’  office (across from Frau Mulligan’s office) in the main office we have a box of soccer cleats, shin guards, soccer socks, shorts, Fairview jerseys and more. Bring in your child’s outgrown things to put in the box and go through the box to see what will fit your son or daughter this year. It may help with having to buy new cleats or a jersey this season. Come check out the Soccer Recycle Box soon!  

New Faces at Fairview

Meet our School Psychologist, Jacqueline Gajus

By now you have probably read some of the helpful articles submitted by our new School Psychologist in the Falkenpost.  Ms. Gajus has lived in Evansville, Indianapolis, and Strongsville but has been in Cincinnati since 4th grade.  She attended school in Forest Hills school district, got her Bachelors in Psychology at Ohio University and attended the University of Cincinnati's school psychology graduate school program.  She has 2 brothers and 1 sister and currently lives in Oakley.  Ms. Gajus enjoys being outdoors and is training for the Washington D.C. marathon which she is going to run with her mother and sister.  She also LOVES watching sports- especially all Cincinnati teams and Duke basketball!   Welcome to Fairview-Clifton Ms. Gajus!

In the Nurse's office and on the Kindergarten staff, we welcome Mrs. Diane Valentine and Nurse Bill Robb.                               

Mrs. Valentine is team-teaching kindergarten this year with Mrs. Bevington. She is originally from the Columbus, OH area. She graduated from OSU with bachelors degrees in French and Elementary Education. While at OSU she played trumpet in the marching band. Most Labor Day weekends, you will find her marching with the alumni band and performing Script Ohio. She is a HUGE Ohio State fan, especially when it comes to football. She earned her MA from UC in Special Education. In addition to working with our children at Fairview Clifton, she also teaches swim lessons and life guards at the Clippard YMCA. She has 4 children (twins -8, son  -6, another son - 5) who are all on swim team at Clippard. She officiates swim meets on a regular basis. In her "free time"  Mrs. Valentine LOVES to read. 

We introduce the new School Nurse, Bill Robb. If your child has been sick or injured at school this year, you have likely heard our new School Nurse' caring voice on your phone, or received follow-up papers regarding your child. Nurse Robb has worked for the Cincinnati Health Department for 17 years and has been a School Nurse in CPS for the last 13 years. He and his wife have two wonderful sons, a 2nd grader and a 6th grader. Like many of us, they enjoy going to the Children's Museum, the Zoo, and watching their children participate in sporting events.

We welcome Herr Scott Rooksberry to our kindergarten teacher team. Herr Rooksberry is originally from the Chicago area and went to UC for his MA in German and Xavier for his teaching degree. He teaches two German I classes at Walnut Hills and all six Kindergarten classes at Fairview. He is also working with the recruitment team and is the foreign language faculty rep at GEBAS meetings. He is ecstatic to be back at Fairview both as a teacher and a parent! Herr Rooksberry likes to spend free time with his wife and two daughters. He also enjoys biking, playing tennis (with Herr Pearson), and following his horribly inept Chicago sports teams. Any other free time he spends speaking German with his puppets! 

We also welcome Mrs. Sonya Edmonson and Mrs. Judy Enderle, our front office support staff.  Please introduce yourself when you come into the office so that they can begin to put our faces with our names and connect us with our children.

Mrs. Edmonson is from Cincinnati and has worked for the district for 28 years.  Her official title is Support Specialist, and she is likely the person who answers the phone when you call the school.  She is also the first person to greet you when you come to the office!  Her duties are centered around the students and she maintains the student data records, so please let her know if your contact information changes during the year.  When Mrs. Edmonson is not working on our behalf, she loves to spend time with her husband of 18 years who also works for CPS as Building Engineer at Hughes HS.  She especially enjoys family gatherings.

Mrs. Enderle came to us near the end of last year.  She was also born and raised in Cincinnati, and is a veteran CPS employee.  As Senior Support Specialist, her duties are centered around personnel, but she is also very likely to answer the office phone and greet you with a smile when you come into the school office.  She loves being at Fairview-Clifton, but when not at school, she enjoys spending time with her family.  She has 3 grown children, one just out of the Marine Corps, and another about to finish nursing school.  An interesting bit of info is that Mrs. Enderle's husband of 27 years painted the art on the office wall, and her mother-in-law was the Fairview Office Support person years ago!

Next time you visit the school office, please extend a warm welcome to these very important members of the Fairview-Clifton community!

There are many new members of the Fairview-Clifton staff this year.  We will be presenting them to you here in the Falkenpost one by one. Be sure to introduce yourself when you are at school and see them in the office or hallways.  This week we welcome Ms. Janice Pitts, our new Vice Principal!

 

A Cincinnati native, Ms. Pitts graduated from Hughes High School, has an undergraduate degree from OSU and holds an MA in Montessori Education from Xavier University.  She has been with Cincinnati Public Schools for 28 years, and has been an administrator for the past 7.  She comes to us from Quebec Heights Elementary School in Price Hill.   Regarding Fairview-Clifton she says, "I LOVE being here.  The children are just absolutely wonderful.  This is a welcome change!"  Some of her duties as Vice Principal include managing the buses and transportation, handling discipline issues, overseeing the lunchroom, and making sure teachers have the materials and supplies they need.  When Ms. Pitts is not working on behalf of our children, she loves bowling or reading a good book.  Every so often, you might even find her "gone fishing." We welcome Janice Pitts to our community!

Talking to Children About the Flu (Novel H1N1): A Parent Resource
Concern over novel H1N1 flu and seasonal flu can make children and parents anxious. We know that this strain of flu spreads easily; what we don’t know is how virulent or dangerous it may become. Acknowledging some level of concern, without panicking, is appropriate and can result in people taking actions that reduce the risk of illness. Helping children cope with anxiety regarding the flu requires providing prevention information without causing alarm. For the complete flyer on talking to your children about the Flu please click here.

Walkers
If you child is a walker they are dismissed by the classroom teacher. They are escorted out of the building with the bus riders. This has caused some confusion because parents and teachers do not have a plan in place for those parents who want to meet their child at school and walk home with them. If your child can walk home on their own please inform your child’s teacher. If you do not want your child to walk home alone please contact your child’s teacher regarding the door they will be exiting. (For example most kindergarten teachers exit their playground door with the exception of Mrs. Privett who does not have a playground door.) Teachers will either exit the south door by the parking lot or the front door by the exit.

Walkers do not go to the gym for dismissal as there are too many car riding students.
If you are walking a child home please help us by not congregating near the car pick up area in the back playground or on the steps that lead from the gym. We are keeping this area clear for car dismissal.

Yellow Bus
If your child is eligible to ride the yellow bus I encourage you to use the bus. The bus is paid for no matter if your child rides or not. It is also a great way to conserve gas. First Student has done a great job this year in being on time in transporting our students. The next reroute is in a few weeks. If your child has not ridden the bus by then they will be dropped from the bus roster. Please consider having your child ride the bus.

If your child rides the yellow bus and you have a question or need assistance please call Mrs. Pitts our Assistant Principal at 363-2168 or First Student at 761-6100.

Car Pick Up
We have more students being picked up by car this year than last year. We have over 250 children getting picked up by car.

•    If you are a parent picking up a preschool child, please park in the school parking lot and pick up your child at the preschool back door. Preschool parents must sign out their child.

•    The car pick up children will assemble in the gym. Keep in mind it takes a few minutes to get them from their classroom and organized in the gym.  Parents do not get out of their cars this year.  This is because we listened to parents last year who had small children who couldn’t leave them in their cars. Parents also complained that they were waiting outside in the rain and cold weather. Having parents come in the building hinders dismissal as there are too many people in the halls and in the gym. The chance that a child gets lost in crowd is very real.
•    Please make a name sign in large black letters. Attach the sign to the inside of the passenger side visor. Flip the visor down when you arrive to pick up your child. We will see your name and get your child to you without you having to get out of the car.
•    When arriving at school to pick up your child, do not pull up beyond the No Parking sign next to the front drive on McAlpin as this is needed for buses. You will see a green telephone pole which is the start of the pick-up line.

•    If the spots along McAlpin down to the first neighboring house are already filled, please pull down in the recreation center lot to wait. Please DO NOT stop in the street and block traffic. Children will not be permitted to cross the street or walk out into the street to get in cars.
•    The process should go as follows: When a parent pulls up, we will see your child’s last name. We will call on the walkie talkie for your child. Your child will get in the vehicle and you can then depart. This will keep the pick-up lane open for other parents.

•    If you are on McAlpin parked next to the curb waiting for your child – please pull up as far as you can behind the next waiting car. If the car in front of you has pulled out then move up again. This will free up space at the end of the line.

Wednesday’s and Friday’s car pick up went pretty well. All the cars were loaded and gone by 4:05.  Below are a few things that I have heard from parents and staff that I would like to bring to your attention. These will keep our students safe and will make car pick up more efficient.

1.    If you are on McAlpin parked next to the curb waiting for your child – please pull up as far as you can behind the next waiting car. If the car in front of you has pulled out then move up again. This will free up space at the end of the line.

2.    **If there are no more spaces available on McAlpin (you are at the end of the school property in front of the houses) then pull into the Recreation Center lot across the street from the school and wait.  This will avoid blocking the intersection of McAlpin and Middleton. There are cars that are going around Fairview parents to get through the stop sign on Middleton because our cars are not pulling into the recreation parking lot.

3.    Please keep in mind that Your Child Should Wait For You – You Should Not Wait For Your Child.   With the number of children getting picked up it is not possible to get all car riders out at 3:45. Your patience = the safety of all of our children.

Communication is key between home and school when it comes to dismissal. Children often tell staff that they are going home a different way on any given day when in fact they are not. This usually happens when a child is told that the parent may be picking them up. The child then tells the teacher he/she is not getting on the bus that night. We then have to call the parent because no one has come to pick up the child. For this reason please do not pass on alternate plans via your child. Please call your child’s teacher, send a note to school or call the main office by 2:00 if you have a change in dismissal plans.

Early Dismissal
1.    If you are going to go to an appointment after school and are concerned that you will be late – Send a note to your child’s teacher asking to pick them up early. The teacher can send the child to the office to meet you.

2.    If you have a change of transportation for that day – Send a note to your child’s teacher telling him/her what the change will be for that day/date.

3.    If you have a change of transportation for that day or need to pick up your child early but have not sent a note – Call the office by 2:00 so the secretaries can inform the teacher.

4.    If it is between 3:15 and 3:45 and you come to the office to pick up your child but have not informed the teacher or office then you will need to wait until after dismissal. Pulling students out of the dismissal process at that late time is not safe for our students.

As always your thoughts, ideas and input are always welcome. Please know that the above information is not meant to make you feel unwelcome at school. Parents can come to school any time. Please stop in if you are bringing your child to school. Stop in for lunch any day of the week. Feel free to park on a side street and meet your child as a walker at the door and play on the green space or playground.   Thank you for all your support.    

--Karen L. Mulligan