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Cassingham Newsletter #31: 03/29/2026

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Cassingham Newsletter #31: 03/29/2026

Cassingham Newsletter #31

Dear Families:

Ohio State Tests for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will occur on the following dates: 

  • 3rd, 4th, & 5th: English Language Arts: Wednesday, April 8th & Thursday, April 9th 
  • 3rd, 4th, 5th: Math: Wednesday, April 22nd & Thursday, April 23rd
  • 5th grade only: Science: Wednesday, April 29th & Thursday, April 30th

You can assist your child through this endeavor by planning appointments around the morning test sessions, encouraging your children to have a good breakfast (everyday!),  and ensuring that their Chromebook is fully charged and with them at school for each testing session.

It is important that students are on time to school. Students who are late may not enter the classroom once testing begins. 

Thanks for your partnership!

Nyesha Clayton, Montrose Elementary School Principal

Rachel Niswander, Maryland Elementary School Principal

David Schottner, Cassingham Elementary School Principal

 

Digital Wellness and Personal Security Spring Cleaning

As we move into a well-earned spring season, it’s a great time to help students refresh and reflect on their digital habits. Just like cleaning out a backpack or tidying a bedroom, our online lives benefit from a little “spring cleaning,” too. This week is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk with their kids about online safety, privacy, and healthy technology use.

Young learners are just beginning to understand what it means to be responsible digital citizens. Parents can use these suggestions to talk about personal information, explore what passwords do, and better understand what accounts children may have already created.

Family Activities and Discussions:

Understanding Passwords

For our youngest students, explain to your child that passwords are “secret words that protect your digital stuff,” helping kids visualize them as digital locks.

Family Password Practice

Together, brainstorm strong, memorable passwords using phrases or favorite book titles (without sharing them online). You can include numbers, symbols, or long phrases that are easy to remember but not easily guessable.

Personal Account Awareness Check

On personal devices, ask your child:

  • “Do you have any apps or games where you log in with a username or password?”
  • “Who helped you sign up?”
  • “Can we look together at which ones we still use and want to keep?”
  • “Do you know what personal information you should never share online—like your name, school, or address?”

Encourage open conversation, focusing on curiosity instead of consequence. Kids are more likely to share when they feel you’re partnering with them, not policing them.
 

Class Lists for 2026-27 

Our staff takes months to build our class lists, using everything we know about your child and what they need to succeed in the future.  Therefore, we kindly ask you to not make any requests about teachers and classmates.  Class Lists Info for Cassingham Families
 

Kindergarten Registration

If you know of any families who have a child starting Kindergarten in the fall, please share this enrollment link with them!  Enrollment for the 26-27 school year is now open!  All registered kindergarten parents/guardians are invited to kindergarten orientation in their respective elementary school library on Thursday, April 23, from 6-7 p.m. This event is for adults only.  

Students will be invited to a Meet and Greet session with kindergarten teachers, which will take place the week before school starts in August. We look forward to meeting our Moose, Mallards, and Cubs who will one day be the Bexley Lions Class of 2039!
 

Children's Hope Scale

In preparation for our author visit with Brad Montague, your student has been learning and discussing hope and how it can help us achieve our goals and  spread positivity. Research has linked hope with overall physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. The school counselors are administering the Children's Hope Scale during the SEL lesson the week of March 30th. This brief survey is optional. Please reach out to your student's school counselors (sarah.marrone@bexley.us or oliver.bellamy@bexley.us) if you have any questions or concerns.  

Participation in the survey is optional and families can opt their students out if they do not want their student to take the survey. Please reach out to your student’s school counselor by Friday April 3rd to opt your student out.
 

Sports Camps

 

Wheeled Vehicles

Wheeled vehicles (bikes, scooters, etc.) are not to be used on school grounds during or after school hours. Students may walk their wheeled transportation to and from the bike racks on school property, but please refrain from riding them on school grounds for the safety of all.
 

Summer School 2026

Just three years ago, federal grant (ESSER/COVID) funds were still available to help offset the costs of summer enrichment and intervention classes. Federal funds were no longer available last summer, so the costs were passed along to families. That resulted in low enrollment and the cancellation of many offerings. 

This summer, Bexley Schools are taking the same approach:  

  • Elementary students are encouraged to take part in Camp Invention, which is held in Cassingham Elementary School. Get more information online, including discount codes for early registration.
  • Elementary students and middle school students are encouraged to participate in summer programming provided by the Bexley Recreation and Parks Department. Information and registration are expected to be available in April. See their website.
  • Bexley Schools will provide academic intervention at no cost to families for students needing additional support in reading and math during the summer. Intervention classes are by invitation only and invitations will be sent prior to Spring Break.
  • Credit-bearing high school courses, including physical education, health, and personal finance, will be available for a fee, similar to last year. Registration for these courses will open before Spring Break.
  • A college application writing course will be available for a fee, similar to last year.

Course Dates

Summer intervention, credit-bearing courses, and the college application writing course will take place during the weeks of June 15, June 22 and June 29, on Mondays through Thursdays.

Camp Invention will take place June 8 through June 12, at Cassingham Elementary School.

Watch for more information about summer school. Program details are still being finalized.
 

Attendance

It is important for every student in Ohio to attend school every day. Missing too much school has long‐term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. By using data to identify and support students who may need extra support and services, districts can implement targeted supports to help students get to school every day. In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy.

Like all schools in Ohio, your child’s school cannot (and will not) suspend or expel students for missing too much school. Districts will amend or adopt policies that outline their interventions and plans for students who miss too much school. Regular school attendance is an important ingredient in students’ academic success. Excessive absences interfere with students’ progress in mastering knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school and be prepared for higher education and the workforce. 

To support academic success for all students, the district will partner with students and their families to identify and reduce barriers to regular school attendance. The district will utilize a continuum of strategies to reduce student absence, including, but not limited to:

  • Notification of student absence to the parent or guardian
  • Development and implementation of an absence intervention plan, which may include supportive services for students and families
  • Counseling
  • Parent/guardian education and parenting/guardian programs
  • Mediation
  • Intervention programs available through juvenile authorities
  • Referral for truancy, if applicable.
  • Definition of Truancy & Excessive Absences 

The definition of “habitual truant” is:

  • Absent 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse
  • Absent 42 or more hours in one school month without a legitimate excuse
  • Absent 72 or more hours in one school year without a legitimate excuse.
  • The definition of “excessive absences” is:
  • Absent 38 or more hours in one school month with or without a legitimate excuse
  • Absent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without a legitimate excuse.

(See Policy JEDA.)
 

Head Lice

It is very common for head lice to be a problem in an elementary school setting. Lice is not caused by lack of hygiene. Lice is spread mostly by head to head contact and has been proven to be primarily spread outside of the classroom setting (playdates, sleepovers, etc). It is imperative that parents are proactive about checking their child’s/children’s head(s) regularly, especially elementary aged children. If head lice is present you should notify the parents of any close contacts that your child may have had. Additionally, please inform the school health office immediately, so that we can send out a timely notification.  

If you receive a notification from the school, please check your child’s head at that time and report any positive lice findings to the school health office.  Please contact your healthcare provider or your school nurse for recommendations on treatment.  

Please review Head Lice Procedures for Bexley City Schools as well as links to the science behind this protocol. Please take the time to read the recommendations from the CDC, AAP and NASN.    

CDC 

American Academy of Pediatrics

National Association of School Nurses

How to treat head lice
 

Cassingham

Playground

  • Students must go home before returning to the playground after school, unless they have an adult with them.  School supervision ends at 3:00 PM.  It has been reported to me that students are exhibiting unacceptable behaviors, including physical contact, using profanity, and being unkind to other Cubs, on the playground after school.  We encourage you to contact other parents when this happens.  If students are unsupervised directly after school, we will ask them to return home.

Rising 6th Grade Meeting

  • For our 5th grade families that could not attend the recent meeting with the middle school leadership team, here is the video recording of that meeting.

Extra Clothes Needed

  • Sometimes we have students who have bathroom accidents or rip their clothes, and don’t have extras in their backpack.  To help with that, we have two requests.
  • Please keep an extra change of clothes in your child’s backpack or locker.
  • If you have gently used clothes that your child has outgrown, please bring them to the Cassingham office so we can have them on hand when needed!