IMPORTANT DATES! Inside this issue: Who s Who at Blendon: SCHOOL FEES Message from the Principal

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1 Volume 3, Issue 1 Message from the Principal July 2017 Blendon Middle School 223 South Otterbein Ave Westerville, OH Phone: Inside this issue: Transportation, Student Drop-Off, Cafeteria Info Dress Code, Pictures, Handbook, Attendance Nurse Notes, Immunizations, PE Athletics, PTO Info 5 Clubs, Activities, Entertainment Books, Library Link Communication 7 WCS District Website: Who s Who at Blendon: Principal: Kendall Harris Asst Principal: Fred Tombaugh Secretary: Tina Showalter Registrar: Kathy Hayman Attendance: Jodi Dixon Guidance Counselors: Marcia Childs childsm@wcsoh.org All 8th Grade & 6th Grade Girls Amy Weinrich weinrica@wcsoh.org All 7th Grade & 6th Grade Boys Resource Officer: Matt Ware Dear Blendon Families: Welcome back to the school year! The Blendon staff and volunteers have been working during the summer planning and preparing to continue a challenging and supportive academic program. We look forward to meeting all of our new families and seeing all of our returning families during Schedule Pick-Up on the dates listed below. School ID pictures will be taken during schedule pick-up. Please make sure your student is prepared! You should have already received order forms from HR Imaging in the mail to order picture packages. There will also be a picture make-up day on August 24, Schedule Pick-Up dates will provide the opportunity to pay all school fees, obtain class schedules and locker assignments. Please note, the school district has mandated that all school fees be paid before we are permitted to distribute your class schedule prior to the first day of school. SCHEDULE PICK UP WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, :00-3:00 pm & 5:00-7:00 pm NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION 6:00 PM OR THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, :00 am-12:00 pm IMPORTANT DATES! Computers will be available to complete important Emergency Medical and Parent Permission online forms if you have not already completed them on your own through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Regardless of any changes, these forms require your digital signature every school year. Staff members will be available if you need assistance logging in at Schedule Pick-Up or you may contact the school office any time at Food service will be on hand to set up lunch accounts via finger scans and we hope you will visit our PTO station to see what exciting things are going on at Blendon. Blendon will implement a new policy this year regarding backpacks/string bags and/or bookbags. Students will not be permitted to carry backpacks, string bags or bookbags to classrooms throughout the day, however they will be permitted to go to their lockers at any time between classes. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! THURS., AUGUST 17, 2017 All students in Grades 6-8 are to report to school by the start of class at 8:00 am. CURRICULUM NIGHT THURS., AUGUST 24, :00-8:00 pm Mr. Kendall Harris We are all aware of the high academic expectations and community support that identifies Blendon MS. Increasing the academic achievement of your student at Blendon is our number one priority. We look forward to another great school year. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions throughout the school year. I am honored to be a Bulldog and serve the Blendon community. Sincerely, Mr. Kendall Harris, Principal Go Blendon Bulldogs! SCHOOL FEES th Grade: $40 7th Grade: $40 + $8 Required Art Fee = $48 8th Grade: $35 + $12 Elective Art fee = $47 *All fees must be paid in order for students to participate in any sports or other extracurricular activities

2 Page 2 The Bulldog Bark TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION BUS SCHEDULE Please check the district website to see if your student will receive bus transportation. For those students who do receive transportation, bus routes, numbers, pick-up/ drop-off times will be available through the Power School Parent Portal after August 8th. You can also access general information regarding transportation in your area by going to the district website and clicking the Infofinder icon on the Transportation page. The bottom of the Transportation page will also provide route status during the school year. STUDENT MORNING DROP-OFF Students will be permitted to enter the building as of 7:35 am. Students eating breakfast may go directly to the cafeteria. Breakfast begins at 7:35am. All 6th and 7th graders may also enter the cafeteria area prior to the 7:50 am bell. All 8th graders not eating breakfast must go directly to the gymnasium. No students should remain outside of the building after 7:35 am. STUDENT AFTERNOON PICK-UP Parents, we understand that many of you will need to pick your children up at the end of the school day rather than have them ride the bus or walk home. Please keep in mind driving around the buses can be very dangerous. If you plan to pick up your children from school, I encourage you to do so after 2:55 p.m. By that time, the buses are completely clear of the parking lot, leaving a much safer environment for you, your child, and your car. Regardless of when you pick up your child, your utmost patience is appreciated. Blendon dismisses 720 student within a 10 minute period. Please do your part to keep this process as safe and orderly as possible. Blendon s Parking Lot: Driving Do s and Don ts It is imperative to follow the traffic signs and designated traffic patterns. Here are some friendly tips: DO NOT drop off your student on or in the middle of Otterbein Ave. DO be aware of students crossing at marked crosswalks on Otterbein Ave. DO NOT pull in between or in front of the busses along the main driveway. DO pull up as far as possible past the recycling dumpster so cars can continue to safely enter the lot. DO NOT enter through the one way exit. Please only use the designated entrance. FROM THE CAFETERIA Lunch prices have increased for the school year. The Middle School daily plate lunch is now $3.00, including milk. Milk alone will remain $0.60. Students may purchase A La Carte items as well including pizza, sandwiches, fruit, salads, snacks and milk in the A La Carte line. Many students choose to bring a packed lunch from home. Breakfast continues to be available to all students for $1.50. Students who forget to bring lunch money or a packed lunch from home may borrow from the cafeteria ONE time until their loan is repaid. Students are expected to repay any loans the following day. Students may always use the office phone, with permission, to contact a parent to have lunch or money delivered to them before their scheduled lunch period. The EZPay system will be available at or through the district website. Parents may use this resource to make deposits into student lunch accounts. You may deposit any amount you choose but, please be aware that money deposited using EZPay will take hours to be available to your student. Students may always bring cash, checks or money orders to school as well. FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM A new form must be completed every year to qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. Your personal information remains confidential and secure whether you apply online or complete a paper application. To apply online, simply go to and click on APPLY NOW, then follow all the prompts. You will need the six digit student ID number for each student on the application. You will be notified by mail regarding your eligibility. A letter from Food Service regarding Direct Certification indicates you are already approved and an application is not necessary.

3 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 3 DRESS CODE Each year there are many questions about dress code. Trends and fashions don t make it easy, but here some guidelines to follow when shopping for school clothes. Clothing with profane or obscene pictures and/or lettering or which refers to alchohol, tobacco, chemicals, or related material is prohibited. Clothing related to gang colors, symbols or clothing styles is prohibited. Pants must be worn at the waist; sagging is specifically not permitted. Immodest or inappropriate clothing also include: hats, hoods, bandanas, scarves, and do-rags (except for religious and/or medical related reasons), cut-off T-shirts, halters, spaghetti strap tank tops or any clothing exposing cleavage, the midriff, or back. Sweatshirts with hoods are permitted, but the hoods must be kept down. Students shall be required to wear shoes at all times. SCHOOL PICTURES Again, School Pictures and ID photos will be taken at schedule pick-up. Student Photo IDs are necessary to check out library books and access Internet. HR Imaging is mailing information home detailing the ordering process regarding picture packages. Please look for this flier in your mail. Please Dress Appropriately! Makeup photos will be taken on August 24, Students who are not in compliance with the dress code will be allowed to call home for appropriate clothing or will be provided with clothing from the school. Repeated violations will result in disciplinary action. STUDENT HANDBOOK The Blendon Parent-Student handbook is available on our website: under Links/Downloads. It should answer most of the questions concerning school programs, policies and procedures. Each student is responsible for following the rules and regulations as explained in the handbook. We encourage parents and students to read and study it before the first day of school. Students and guardians are required to digitally sign the Code of Conduct form in PowerSchool. If you have any questions about anything in the handbook, please call the school office. ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES The Ohio Missing Children Act requires that schools implement certain procedures for monitoring student absences. In the Westerville City School District, the parent or legal guardian of the student must notify the school to report a student as absent. The Blendon Attendance Line is available 24 hours a day. If you fail to notify us of a student s absence, our attendance clerk will make every effort to contact you. *Call or send a note regarding early pick-ups for appointments so we can send your child a pass to get out of class and be waiting in the office! Blendon s Attendance Line Available 24 hours a day! *A Note About Emergency Cards. Please note the importance of keeping all Emergency Medical Contact information accurate and up to date. The information you provide is what school personnel will use if it is necessary to contact a parent during the school day. In case of an emergency and a parent cannot be reached, we will proceed to call the contacts you list in your preferred order. Additionally, important school related information is often provided through an automated One Call system via , voice mail, or text based on the most current contact information listed in PowerSchool.

4 Page 4 The Bulldog Bark FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE Please advise your student to always come to the clinic first before contacting a parent or guardian! It is important that the clinic is aware of all health issues. If it is deemed necessary for a student to be sent home the student may call a parent or guardian from the clinic. Students using a cell phone during instructional time are subject to discipline consequences and the office has no way of knowing a student may be leaving. Blendon s nurse or health Blendon Clinic Mrs. Bright-Health Aide M,W,Th Mrs. Rudik-School Nurse Tues/Fri aide will not hesitate to contact a parent regarding any urgent health concern. The nurse or health aide is also then able to notify the office staff that a student will be going home. As a reminder, your digital signature is required on the online Emergency Medical form to confirm your child s medical information is accurate and current. Westerville City Schools Medication Policy When medication is stored and/or administered through our school clinic, appropriate forms need to be signed by parents and the student s physician. These forms are available from the clinic or online through the district website. Please contact our clinic if it becomes necessary for your student to take medication during the school day. Vaccine Requirements for Incoming 7th Graders EFFECTIVE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR! 7th Grade: 1 dose of Meningitis Vaccine & 1 dose of T-dap Vaccine is required. *Check with your student s Pediatrician and get Booster shots now. *Provide updated immunization records to the school nurse as soon as possible. UPCOMING IMMUNIZATION CLINICS AROUND TOWN Westerville Immunization Clinic 400 W. Main St August 8 August 22 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month To attend a clinic at this location call or shots@franklincountyohio.gov. Find more Immunization Clinics at: Franklin County Public Health 280 East Broad St Columbus, OH In Memorial Hall Saturday, Aug. 5 Tuesday, Aug. 8 Tuesday, Aug. 29 Saturday, Sept. 9 Tuesday, Sept. 19 Visit to schedule online or call PHYSICAL EDUCATION Your child will need the following for their Physical Education class this year: Shorts or sweat pants plain grey, blue or black T-shirt or sweat shirt/jacket (consider purchasing a shirt from the Blendon PTO during schedule pickup!) Comfortable tennis shoes that he/she can run in a forward direction and move sideways in without turning his/her ankles. The 2 inch thick soled tennis shoes are not appropriate for Physical Education class. Please make sure your child s first and last name are on their clothing. It is much easier to assist them when they lose their clothes if their name is on their clothes and readable.

5 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 5 ATHLETIC INFORMATION Blendon offers opportunities for 7th and 8th graders to participate in a variety of sports throughout the year. In general, fall sports begin in early August, winter sports in late October and spring sports in late February. Fall sports include football, girls volleyball, and cross country; winter sports include basketball and wrestling and spring sports include girls softball and track and field. Cheerleading squads perform during the fall and winter seasons. There is a selection process for students wishing to participate in volleyball, basketball, softball and cheerleading. There is an athletic fee of $75.00 for your child s first sport due to the athletic office before the first game or match for all athletes. A second sport is $50, a 3rd sport is free and there is a family cap of $300 for participation fees in the WCS district. Students will not be allowed to participate in any team activity until all athletic and school fees are paid in full. All students must have current physicals on file in the athletic office before they may participate in any team activities, including tryouts. Physicals are good for one year from the date of the doctor s examination and must be renewed each year. The OHSAA physical form is available from the Blendon office or Westerville City Schools website and must be signed and dated by the doctor s office. Be sure to schedule your student s physical well in advance of the start of the season, so the student does not miss tryouts while waiting for an appointment FALL SPORTS Blendon Athletic Director: Kenny Farrow: farrowk@wcsoh.org Phone: Football: 7th Grade Coach: Roger Hulett rhulett63@ymail.com 7th Gr. Asst Coach: Justin Hughes jhughes83@buckeye-express.com 8th Grade Head Coach: Abram Estes abramestes@gmail.com 8th Gr. Asst Coach: Kameron Montgomery montgomk@wcsoh.org Volleyball: 7th Grade Coach: Shannon Johnson johnsons@westerville.k12.oh.us 8th Grade Coach: Christy Olson christyhl9@att.net Cross Country: Head Coach: Jeff McMillan mcmillaj@westerville.k12.oh.us Cheerleading: Coach: Morgan Lundquist ml225611@ohio.edu Fall Sports Info & Links CROSS COUNTRY: dogxc/ VOLLEYBALL TRY OUTS: If you missed tryouts August 7 & 8, There will be a makeup tryout on August 14, Blendon GO BULLDOGS! BLENDON PTO BRINGS BULLDOG PRIDE The Blendon PTO organizes and manages school dances, pays for incentive activities, offers scholarships to collegebound graduating seniors who attended Blendon MS, supports teacher ad staff requests, and provides volunteers for many school events such as Renaissance and Career Day. With parent participation Blendon s PTO strives to support the school as much as we possibly can, both financially and through volunteer efforts. Please be sure to visit the Blendon PTO table at Schedule Pick-Up to introduce yourself and see what we are all about. Order your Blendon Bulldog Spirit wear: T-shirts, hoodies, or string bags. Spirit wear is one of our major fundraisers. Sign up to be in our Blendon Student Directory; no cost or membership is required to be in the directory. A printed directory will be distributed to students and staff in late September. Have a business or service you would like to advertise? Business card-sized ad space is available in the directory for just $10. Sign up to volunteer for future events & activities. Membership is not required to help support school events, but a $5.00 membership fee will allow you voting privileges at all PTO meetings throughout the year. You can also help us earn funds all year long by using Kroger Community Rewards, Target Red Card, Giant Eagle Apples for Education, and Meijer Rewards. Save your Boxtops for Education to specifically help support our library. Every little bit makes a difference! Join our Yahoo Group at groups/blendon_middle/info

6 Page 6 The Bulldog Bark CLUBS & ACTIVITIES AT BLENDON Something is always happening at Blendon! Students have endless opportunities to get involved and show their Bulldog Pride. Clubs include Ski Club, Chess Club, and Bowling Club to name a few. Drama Club and Girls Growing Girls Club will return this year and there is also our very active groups, Builders Club/Student Council and the National Junior Honor Society. Look for more information at Schedule Pick Up! ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS ARE HERE Blendon will once again be selling Entertainment Books at the beginning of the school year. They are only $30 each and full of great deals! You will find discounts for a large variety of local restaurants, stores, and fun places; not to mention services such as dry-cleaning, car washes, and even car rentals. There are even plenty of discount offers for online shopping. Details about purchasing books will be sent home with your student at the beginning of the school year. We only sell these for a short time, so don t miss out! It s not too early to be thinking ahead about holiday gifts! Entertainment books may be ordered for different states too! Available at Schedule Pick UP! LIBRARY LINK The Library Link service began in 2004 and has been growing ever since. The Link delivers materials to all 23 Westerville City Schools, St Paul s Catholic School, Oakstone Academy, and Central College Christian Academy 5 times a week during the school year. The program is wonderful because it turns the schools into mini branches of the library, allowing students of all ages to safely and easily obtain resources from our local public library. Students and staff can sign up for cards by filling out a library card application provided at each of those schools or the Westerville Public Library. Once student applications are signed by a parent or guardian, a card is sent to them via U.S. mail. Then, you can simply go online and start ordering from there. Be sure to specify your school (Blendon Middle School) as the pickup location. Each school has their own designated pick-up location where students pick up their materials. When done, materials can be returned to pick-up locations to be returned to the library. Blendon s Library Link location is in the main office. A representative will be on hand to help with sign ups at Schedule Pick-Up.

7 COMMUNICATION IS KEY! VISIT BLENDON S WEBSITE! Page 7 Read morning announcements every day on Blendon s web page available through the district website! Go to > Our Schools > Blendon MS > Announcements Check out current and past Blendon newsletters! Go to > Our Schools > Blendon MS > Resources > Newsletters Join the Blendon PTO Yahoo Group! Receive notifications from our PTO regarding all the activities going on at Blendon. Go to > Our Schools > Blendon MS > Announcements > Blendon News Be sure phone numbers & s are current in Power School s Parent Portal! One Call is an automated notification system used throughout the Westerville City School district to send out important information via voic , text, and . All Blendon newsletters are sent via through One Call in addition to being posted on our website.