Hello OCRS families,
Thank you to the 5th grade families and PTA for planning the all school BINGO event this past Friday. It was a BIG hit and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun!
Importance of Student Attendance
As a school we monitor student attendance regularly because regular attendance is crucial to a student's success, not only because it's state law and district policy. Regular and punctual attendance is essential to the overall academic, personal and social development of students. It is a joint responsibility of the parents/guardians of students and the teachers/administrators of the Smithfield Public Schools to convey to students the importance of regular and punctual school attendance.
As of now, 27% of OCRS students are identified by the state as being chronically absent (absent for more than 10% of the scheduled school days). By comparison, Pleasant View has 12% of students who are chronically absent and LaPerche has 14% of students who are chronically absent. Even absences considered "excused" contribute to a student's attendance calculation and count as absences.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a peer issue or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
- By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three warning signs that a student may drop out of high school. By 9th grade, regular and punctual attendance is a better predictor of graduation success than 8th grade test scores.
- Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
HOW CAN YOU HELP MAKE ATTENDANCE A PRIORITY?
- Talk with your child about the importance of showing up to school everyday and make that the expectation.
- Help your child maintain daily routines for physical and emotional wellness, such as finishing homework, getting a good night’s sleep and staying active. Encourage participation in school and community activities.
- Try to schedule dental and medical appointments after school hours. Schedule family vacations while school is not in session.
- Don’t keep your child home unless truly sick or if you are following the COVID guidelines. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of stress and/or avoidance. If you are unsure of whether to keep your child home or to send them to school, please consult your doctor and/or contact the school nurse.
- Talk to your child’s teacher if you notice sudden changes in behavior or academic performance. Seek help from school support staff and administration if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.
Students Using Lunch "Tickets" During Lunch
Our food service staff is working with students to use "tickets" with students during lunch to help speed up the lunch service AND make sure that meals are charged to the correct student. Each students' "ticket" has a barcode printed on it and a number. The goal is for students to be able to quickly scan their ticket at the register instead of the food service needing to look up their names. Older students will most likely quickly memorize their ticket numbers. It's going to take a little while for our food service staff to work out the best way for students to use their tickets, so we appreciate everyone's patience as we work out the kinks.
Flag Football League at Bryant University
Registration is open for the NLPA Flag Football League which will be held at Bryant University. Please see the linked flyer for details or visit https://www.nextlevelpa.com/.
PTA Information
FREE Skate Night at United Skates on Tuesday March 14th from 6:00-8:30 PM
The PTA has organized a Skate Night for OCRS students and families at United Skates of America on Tuesday, March 14th from 6:00-8:30 PM. FREE admission courtesy of the Old Country Road School PTA!
* $4.50 skate rental * $5.00 rollerblades rental
You may also bring your own roller skates or rollerblades with you.
This is a PRIVATE party for Old County Road School. All students and their families are welcome. The building will be closed to all public skaters and is OURS for the night! Not interested in skating? There is also laser tag, rock climbing and video games available for an additional fee.
Tickets are available at the door on the night of the event. See the linked flyer for additional details.
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" to subscribe to the calendar on your own calendar app.
PTA Skate Night, Tuesday March 14th 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at United Skates of America
"Wear Green" Spirit Day, Friday March 17th
Teaching and Learning Night, Wednesday April 5th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
NO SCHOOL, Good Friday, April 7th
Thank you,
Mr. Barrette
BINGO Night
