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CONNECTING.
LEARNING.
LEADING.
Maize Elementary School
February 2020
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Hello Panther Family members!
Thank you to everyone who participated in or contributed to our Valentine’s parties on Friday. Whether it was sending treats, helping your student with their valentines, making valentine boxes, attending the party, or any number of other contributions . . .THANK YOU! Your generosity and thoughtfulness never cease to amaze us at MES.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend and contribute to our annual Snowed In family night on January 30. It was such a great time for the Panther Family to have an opportunity to come together for our students. I would like to thank our staff members who worked hard to make sure this year’s event had some variation from last year’s stations as they provided engaging activities for all of our students in attendance. I welcome your feedback, so please feel free to email me at kwhite@usd266.com with specific comments. We’re already planning for next year’s event, so keep late January open on your calendars.
With that said, I need your help at future family events. One bit of feedback I have received related to our family events is that students are often times dropped off and are not accompanied by a parent. Unfortunately, we are not able to allow that going forward. I will be sure to circulate that message as we prepare for other events such as PTO family nights including Family Movie Night, Jammin’ In the Gym, and Color Run. These are opportunities for students to come WITH their family members. Student supervision at these events is actually up to each students’ parents/guardians rather than event helpers. Through discussions with our Site Council, administration, and teacher groups, I have decided that students who are not accompanied by at least one family member/guardian will have to be picked up if dropped off. This is 100% about student safety through supervision. Thank you for your cooperation.
I hope you are planning to attend our Parent/Teacher conferences this week on Wednesday (tomorrow) or Thursday. Please contact your student’s teacher if you are not sure when your conference is. Communication is the key for success, so thank you very much for partnering with us to achieve shared goals.
Have a fantastic February MES Panthers!
Kyle White
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Book Fair "Jungle" During Conferences This Week
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The Book Fair is going on now!
Online sales are happening now and run through Tuesday, Feb. 18. There is a new feature this year called eWallet. You can find details about it on the website. Click
HERE
to shop online.
The Book Fair will be open in the Library for shopping during conference times this week - Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 4 to 8 p.m., and Thursday, Feb. 13, from noon to 8 p.m. Children should be accompanied by an adult when they visit. Thank you!
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Spirit Week Contest at Andy's Frozen Custard
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Do you or your kids love frozen custard? Be sure to visit Andy's Frozen Custard on 21st and Maize Road from
Feb. 17 - 22, and mention you're there for Maize Elementary! The USD 266 Elementary School with the most points will win free custard for the entire school! Click
HERE to visit the spirit week Facebook page and feel free to share!
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Special Breakfast Item on Wednesday, March 4
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Wednesday, March 4
- In celebration of National School Breakfast Week, Food Service will be serving a special menu item at MES -
Breakfast Banana Splits
. They will be served to students getting breakfast during normal time, and for the standard breakfast price of $1.80.
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Fundraiser to Benefit Maize Solar Foundation
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The Maize Solar Foundation is fundraising with Charlie's Car Wash to raise money to help install solar panels at all of the Maize schools. You can support this initiative with your purchase of a car wash from Feb.10 - 16, or by purchasing an e-gift online to use for yourself or to give as a gift.
Stan Bergkamp leads the Maize Solar Foundation at Maize High School. Many of you may remember him as the Science Guy at our Snowed In event! Click
HERE for the fundraiser details.
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Pre-K, Kindergarten Enrollment Night March 31 at Maize High School
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If you have an incoming Pre-K or Kindergarten student who will start school at Maize USD 266 in August 2020, please plan to attend our enrollment night, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., March 31 at
Maize High School
, 11600 W. 45 St. N. in Maize.
For incoming Pre-K families:
Maize USD 266 is excited to offer Pre-K to all children who live within the Maize School District.
Our Pre-K sessions are at our
Maize Early Childhood Center
on Monday through Thursday and use Pre-K Reading and Literacy curriculum along with developmentally appropriate activities and are taught by licensed teachers. If your child meets at least one of our state's at-risk criteria, there is no fee for the program other than the curriculum fee. If you would like your child to attend and he/she does not meet a criteria, a monthly fee applies.
For incoming kindergarten families:
If you have an incoming Kindergarten student who will start school at Maize USD 266 in August 2020, please plan to attend the come-and-go enrollment night. Online pre-enrollment for Kindergarten will start Feb. 10 through March 30 and must be completed prior to arriving at the March 31 Kindergarten and Pre-K enrollment session. Please note that arriving early has no impact on your child's building assignment or class placement.
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The counselor lessons in February are about honesty and making good choices.
We are starting the process of class placements for next year. The goal of student placement is to design balanced classes, according to established criteria, which create the optimal learning environment for all Maize Elementary School students. Each classroom is a small community that must be representative of the diverse social, academic, and physical needs and abilities of all students. If you have any concerns about your child’s class placement for next year, please visit with us, Becky Stephens and Andrea Nietfeld—you can call us or email at
bstephens@usd266.com
or anietfeld@usd266.com.
Frequently Asked Questions about class placements:
If my older child had a teacher, will my younger one have that same teacher?
Not necessarily! Sometimes that happens, but it’s not always followed or done purposely. So again, if you have concerns—please let us know.
Friends?
Let us know friends or separations. We want every student excited about the new year.
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We do start working on class placements this early.
If you need to schedule a time with us, please feel free to email or call.
Becky Stephens and Andrea Nietfeld
MES Counselors
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Submitting at the end of the month!
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Please keep your clipped Box Tops coming! We'll be submitting these again at the end of February. We appreciate these so much. Thank you for all of them that have been sent so far this year!
Did you know that there's a new way you can submit box tops to earn money for our school? There's no clipping involved, just an app and scanning. For more information,
click here.
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FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL DENTAL HEALTH MONTH
A few health tips…
- Your child should be flossing daily and brushing twice a day.
- Change their toothbrush every 3-4 months
- They should see a dentist every 6 months.
- Avoid sugary foods and drinks
DENTAL SCREENINGS
We will be holding our annual Dental Screenings this year on Friday, February 21, 2020 in the Band Room.
HEALTH REMINDER…
Please remind your children to practice good hand washing, proper covering of their coughing/sneezing, and help them by getting their vaccinations to keep them healthy for school.
Please keep your children home if they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms: fever over 100 degrees, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, continuous coughing, chest discomfort, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
Fever MUST be gone without the use of a fever reducing medication (i.e. Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Motrin (Ibuprofen)) for a full 24 hours before student is to return to school.
Just a reminder that we do not have a supply of Tylenol or Ibuprofen here at school. We can only give medications that parents have supplied along with a signed document.
GIVING YOUR CHILD MEDICATION AT SCHOOL:
- Complete a request — Administration of Medication Form
- The medication MUST be in the original container.
- The medication must be current. Expired medication will not be administered.
- The medication must be age appropriate. Any medication for a person older than the child will require a signed form from the child’s physician.
- All prescription medications MUST have the pharmacy label with the student’s name on the bottle/box.
- Students MAY NOT self-administer medications in the elementary schools.
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Our Yearbook volunteers are hard at work gathering pictures of events around Maize Elementary. If you have any pictures from events you've attended that you'd like to submit for consideration, you can send them to anietfeld@usd266.com. Thank you!
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Hello everyone! We are finishing up basketball skills and testing. Next will be our volleying unit where we will focus on bumping and setting a volleyball. After that is our jump rope unit, so if you have some laying around, dust them off! Hopefully the weather is going to start warming up a little bit by this time and we can do some more activities outside!
Have a great February, and keep moving!
Coach Horn
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Reminders for the School Year
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WatchDOG T-Shirts
We think we might be missing a few youth size WatchDOG shirts. If you have one that accidentally made it to your home, could you please return it back to the school as soon as possible. We know it's hard to remember sometimes at the end of the day!
Bus Riders
If there is a change in your bus transportation that involves riding a different bus with another child, a child riding home with your child, or getting off the bus at a different stop, we need a note from the parent of EACH child involved in the change. All parties must have a note. Have your child bring the note to the office, we'll get them signed by Mr. White or Mrs. Vincent and get them back to your kids to get to the bus driver. Thank you!
Stay Up To Date
- Visit our website at www.usd266.com/mes for lots of great information.
- Like the Maize Elementary PTO page on Facebook to stay up to date on PTO events and activities.
- Watch your email for our monthly newsletter with important dates, and information about what's happening at MES.
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Important Dates and Information
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Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 12, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
February 13, Noon to 8 p.m.
NO SCHOOL
February 13, 14 & 17
Breakfast with Dad
February 27, 7:45 - 8:30, Kdg - 2nd
February 28, 7:45 - 8:30, 3rd - 5th
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Individual & Classroom Group Pictures
March 3, 9 a.m.
Spirit Night at
Chick Fil-A
March 12
Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
March 16-20
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Start Times & Transportation
Our school day starts at 8:45 am every day. Student drop off begins at 8:35 am.
It is important that students are not dropped off prior to that time. This is a matter of safety as there are no staff members supervising until 8:35 am.
Thank you for your cooperation.
If you need to drop your student off before this time, the YMCA has a latchkey program at MES. For more information, please call the YMCA at 316-264-1610.
Students who arrive after 8:50 am will be counted tardy. If a student is brought late to school, the parent must come into the office and sign them in.
The district dismisses students 40 minutes early every Wednesday to accommodate the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The teachers participate in the PLC to discuss curriculum, instructional strategies, data review, technology training, etc.
School is dismissed at 3:20 pm every Wednesday.
Please call the office at 316-722-8230 if your child is going to be absent or if you have a transportation change.
For student safety, please let the office know of a transportation change before 3:00 pm, and before 2:30 pm on Wednesdays.
If your student is riding a different bus home with a friend, a note is required from both sets of parents.
These need to be given to the office for Mr. White to sign and can then be given to the bus driver.
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Deliveries & Invitations
Please be aware that school district policy does not allow us to accept flowers or other deliveries to students at school. Please contact your student's teacher to arrange a time to celebrate a special occasion with treats, etc.
BOE policy does not allow party invitations to be distributed at school. Please refer to the Skyward Family Access Student Directory or your classroom directory for student addresses.
Dillons Community Rewards
Dillons is committed to helping our communities grow and prosper. Year after year, local schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations will earn millions of dollars through Dillons Community Rewards.
Now you can link your Dillons shopper card to Maize Elementary and help us earn funds! Click
here
to learn more! When registering, be sure to use our organization number 12736. Thank you for your support!
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Food Service
USD 266 uses the Skyward Food Service and RevTrak fee payment systems. Please check your email and phone numbers in Skyward, so you may be alerted when your child only has 2 lunches left. Parents receive an email when your child has $5.00 left in their account. Parents receive a 2nd email after your child has 1 lunch left. When your child doesn't have any money in the account, we have your child go to the office and call you. Please put money into the account that day. You will also receive a 3rd email when your child has a zero balance.
Parents may keep as large a balance as they wish in a child's account. If the student doesn't have enough in his/her lunch account to cover a meal, the account will be charged for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk if the student chooses to take one. No meal charges will be allowed and we are not allowed to go into one child's account to pay for a sibling.
Daily lunches are $2.45 each and extra milk is .40 cents. Feel free to join your student for lunch. Please notify the front office or your child's teacher of the day you are coming. Lunches are $3.65 for adults; please bring exact change as adult lunches cannot be taken from your child's account. Lunch menus can be found online at
usd266.com
.
If you have any questions regarding Skyward and the RevTrak system, please call our school office. We want every child to have a good lunch, every day!
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