Hello OCRS families,
We are thankful that the hurricane moved by us without causing any major issues! Besides the rain forecasted for Monday, it looks to be a nice, cool week. Looking forward to our second full week of school!
Open House, Wednesday 9/20
The OCRS Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, 9/20 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Drop-in any time between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM to meet your child's teachers, visit our classrooms, and see the great things happening at OCRS! There is no set schedule, so families can attend the Open House at any time during the two hours.
Students are welcome to come with their family to the Open House, but all students must stay with and be supervised by their family at all times. Also, please be aware that, while the Open House is a terrific opportunity for families to meet their child's teachers, it is not intended to be an in-depth parent/teacher conference or a discussion about specific issues and concerns. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled to take place on December 13th and are a more appropriate time for comprehensive discussions about individual students.
We are looking forward to seeing you the evening of Wednesday, 9/20!
Reminder about Attendance
One of our main goals this year is to improve daily attendance for all students. Regular and punctual daily attendance is essential to the overall academic, personal and social development of students and required by RI law.
Unfortunately, there were no classes with perfect attendance this past week. At the end of September we will be partnering with the RI Department of Education to send out monthly notices to families whose students who have missed more than 10% of the scheduled school days. We will be doing this on a monthly basis in close partnership with RIDE.
Daily attendance for all students in the school district is monitored and reported to the Rhode Island Department of Education. The cooperation of families in not scheduling personal appointments, activities, or vacations during school days is strongly encouraged whenever possible.
Parent Volunteer Training and Volunteer Opportunities
If you have reviewed the Volunteer Handbook and you are interested in possibly volunteering at school, we are offering Volunteer Training for any parent/guardian that has never completed a training session. To make it as convenient as possible for families, both training sessions will be offered online and will take less than 30 minutes. Please see the information below and you are welcome to join either session!
Thursday, September 21 · 4:30 – 5:00pm
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ozf-ieci-oyo
Or dial: (US) +1 541-649-2375 PIN: 172 211 283#
We would love to have some parents volunteer during 1st lunch to assist our youngest students with opening the items in their lunches (those Lunchables and Capri Sun packages are tricky!) First lunch is 11:30 to 11:55 each day, so let Mr. Barrette know if you would be interested in volunteering. You will need to have a recent (within 1-year) BCI on file and have completed the Volunteer Training.
Free/Reduced Meal Information
Here are links to Free/Reduced Lunch/Breakfast Application Packets in English (https://5il.co/22o2z) and Spanish (https://5il.co/22o30). If a family needs an application in another language please contact Kerri Dailey at kdailey@smithfield-ps.org. Families can also submit an online application at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application.
Students with Free or Reduced meal benefits from the 22-23 school year will have a 30 day carryover period that will end on October 11th, 2023. Please complete and submit a new application as soon as possible to ensure that your child is able to receive meal benefits.
Families can find all lunch and breakfast information, including menus, on the district's website at https://www.smithfield-ps.org/page/school-meal-program.
Annual Dental Screening
Rhode Island State Law section 16-21-9(b) mandates that all students in elementary schools be examined by a dentist at least ONCE a year and once during Grades K thru 10.
Students who are seen yearly by their own dentist do not need to be screened at school.
Please complete this online form if you would like your child to be screened by our school dentist this year, https://forms.gle/BYSmxnDtNWeS8WYh7
Support and Resources for Families from Tri-County Community Action Agency
Please see the attached resources and opportunities from the Tri-County Community Action Agency (Free Fresh Produce Pickup, Postpartum Parent Support Group, Free Adult Yoga).
Apple Valley Girl Scouts
Please see the linked flyer from the Apple Valley Girl Scouts and how to join.
Revive the Roots Rootstock 2023
Where: 374 Farnum Pike
When: September 23rd from 12 pm - 6 pm
Tickets: Rootstock is designed to be an inclusive festival experience. All activities are free to do and tickets are pay-what-you-like. The average donation is $15 per ticket. Do what feels right to you!
For more information, visit the Rootstock website.
SSELAC Information and Activities
The Smithfield Special Education Local Advisory Committee has activities and meetings scheduled for the next few weeks. Here are the details:
- The first SSELAC meeting of the year is Wednesday, September 27th in the SHS Media Center starting at 6:30PM. The meeting will highlight a nonprofit organization that is VERY special because it is Smithfield's own, Gwen Glavet. Gwen is a 9th grade student working hard to make a difference.
- Friday, September 29th is Unified Day in ALL SCHOOLS and town-wide. SSELAC asks that everyone wears green to signify awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for all children with 504s and IEPs.
- Sunday, October 15th in the Police Community Room SSELAC will be hosting a FREE Basic First Aid and CPR class starting at 9AM. Space is limited, so those who want to participate must register. Link to register is: https://forms.gle/Uzsvrwwrp2Pg6WJH7
Upcoming Dates and Events
View and subscribe to the OCRS Public Events Calendar at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org/o/old-county-road-elementary/page/monthly-calendar. Click on the "Add to Google Calendar" button to subscribe to the calendar using your own calendar app.
Volunteer Training, Wednesday September 13th at 4:30 PM
CHANGED: PTA General Meeting, Wednesday September 13th at 6:00 PM
Open House, Wednesday September 20th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Volunteer Training, Thursday September 21st at 4:30 PM
Unified Day (Wear Green), Friday September 29th
Thank you,
Mr. Barrette
Hands-on Math Learning
