MAIZE unified school district 266
CONNECTING.
LEARNING.
LEADING.


Maize Elementary School
September 2021
Principal's Message
Important Dates and Information

Labor Day-No School
September 6th

Watchdog Information Meeting
September 7th at 6:00 via Zoom

Conferences - No School
September 23 8:00 am-8:00 pm

No School
September 24th

PTO Outdoor Movie Night
October 14th 6:30-8:30 pm

Chick fil a spirit night
October 14th 3:00-10:00 pm

Fall Individual Photos
October 21st
WatchDOG's are returning!
Join us for an informational meeting on September 7th at 6:00 pm via Zoom. Mr. White will be sending out a link.

All volunteers will need to visit the district website and do a background check.
Follow this link to sign up for a time to be a WatchD.O.G.
Maize Elementary School Marathon
Dear Parents, 
It is not too late for your Maize Elementary student to participate in the MES School Marathon!  Starting September 1st students will be running/walking a marathon (26.2 miles) over a 6 week period. This is a sponsored event and FREE to your child! Each student will need to be registered individually. Feel free to contact the MES Marathon Volunteers at mesmarathon266@gmail.com with any questions.
Student Responsibilities:
  • The program will run from Wednesday, Sept. 1st – Monday, Oct. 11th. (dates may be affected by weather conditions and make-up day scheduling).
  • Students in grades K-4 are invited to participate.
  • Four mornings per week (M-Th) we will run/walk 1 mile. This is 4 laps around the softball field. Fridays are makeup days when students can run/walk with an adult volunteer for days missed due to rain or illness.
  • This activity will be held each scheduled morning from 8:15 – 8:40 a.m. around the softball field next to MES.
  • Students must be dropped off. Bus riders are not eligible since drop off times are too late.
  •  All adult family members/teachers are welcome to run/walk with their child.        
  • We will have adult volunteers to help check-in students, safety route monitors, and encourage the students.
  • This will be a true marathon complete with mileage incentives, t-shirts and medals for each student that completes this lofty goal.
Parent Responsibilities:
  • Online registration completed (please email mesmarathon266@gmail.com for assistance.)
  • Make sure your child is at the Drop-off Area at MES by 8:15 a.m. on scheduled run days.
  • Make sure your child has appropriate shoes.


Nurses Corner
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Welcome back to school everyone! As the school year starts, here are some important things to remember to help us care for your student’s health.

Illnesses:
Please keep your student 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. Please contact me if you have questions regarding COVID and your student for example:
  • My child is exhibiting these symptoms, should my student stay home or go to school?
  • What if my student may have been exposed to COVID, what do I do?
  • What if someone around us, or my student, has been tested for COVID?
**You can also refer to the T4T plan on the district website.

Immunizations and Health Assessments:
Don’t forget to turn in your child’s most up-to-date immunization records as well as an updated Health Assessment (physical) if this is the first time your child has been in a Kansas school.

Skyward Health History:
It is the parent’s responsibility to update health conditions in Skyward and notify the school nurse as needed for health concerns.

Medications:
Under certain conditions medication may be given at school per the Board of Education Policy. A new medication consent form must be filled out EVERY school year BEFORE any medication is administered at school. Please feel free to ask me for this form.

Food Allergies:
In order for a food allergen to be removed from the school lunch tray and be replaced with another option, a meal modification form 19 B MUST be completed and signed by a parent and healthcare provider. Please feel free to ask me for this form as well.

Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions or concerns about your student. Thank you all for taking an interest in your child’s health and well-being.

Erin Ingalls, RN
Phone: 316-350-2911                     Email: eingalls@usd266.com
From The Counselors
We are excited to be back in school and see all of the students! We have been going into each classroom and introducing ourselves. We tell the students that we are here to help and support them during their school day. 
During the month of September, the classroom counselor lessons are about bullying prevention and compassion. We talk about being a good friend and showing compassion for others. We will both take turns teaching in your child’s classroom once a month. 
If you have any concerns or ways we can help your child be successful at school—please contact us! We are here to help every child have a great year!  

Andrea Nietfeld               Becky Stephens
anietfeld@usd266.com         bstephens@usd266.com
350-2912                350-2913
Coach's Corner
I am so glad to see all of your kids this year! We are all taking precautions to keep kids safe as we move through this season of uncertainty. Your students have been busy reviewing important rules and locomotor skills in PE. For the rest of August we will be focusing on general space while moving, and working with a new rock wall that was installed over the summer! In October, the third and fourth grades will be learning and reviewing muscles. Second and first graders will be learning the locations and functions of their bones. Kindergarten students are going to learn basic body parts and functions (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) We will be doing numerous activities to make our bodies stronger and more flexible. We have already completed a few fitness tests and will be starting on a throwing and catching unit.
First quarter grades will be entered later in October. Please do not be alarmed if your student doesn’t have a grade for something. Grades will filter in as tests are completed. Items will be made up if they missed a day.
Thank you for taking an interest in your child's health and well-being.

Keep moving!  

-Coach Horn
Box Tops For Education
No More Clipping! Now Just Scan Your Receipt!
Don't like to clip? There's a new way you can support our school with Box Tops for Education. Simply download the Box Tops for Education app, choose Maize Elementary School in the setup, and then just scan your receipt every time you grocery shop. It will pick up from your receipt whether or not there are box tops and credit them to the school. So easy! For more information, Click Here.
MES PTO Information
MES Spirit Wear Store Now Open!
We have a new online spirit wear store for MES! T-Shirts, Hats, Sweatshirts, Masks!

A portion of the proceeds go back to the PTO and to the school. Here is the link to shop! MES Spirit Wear Store

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!

*Please visit our Maize Elementary PTO Facebook Page for more information and to follow everything that is happening within our Parent Teacher Organization.
Library News
Our Book Fair is back at MES!!

Families are welcome to visit the book fair in person during conference day on September 23rd. Students may also shop for books at school using an eWallet. You can use the Scholastic Book Fairs app or visit our school website for the book fair link to put a limited amount of money on your child’s account. Students will have the opportunity to shop at school beginning on
Monday, September 20 – Wednesday Sept. 22nd. Your card will only be charged for the purchase(s) made. Any money that is not spent will be saved for your student to spend with Scholastic at a later time. Shop online for free shipping to your house for an order over $25.00. If you have questions, please feel free to email Mrs. Mayo at mmayo@usd266.com
OUR LIBRARY HAS NEW BOOKS!! 

Our first order of library books has been delivered to our library!! Thank you MES PTO for accepting our grant for $6,000 worth of new library books! They have been a huge hit with all the students at MES. We are anxiously awaiting the shipment for the rest of the books!! We will have a total of a little over 400 new books when everything has been received. 
Important Information
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 in and sign them in on the clipboard in the vestibule.

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.

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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New Policies
Masks are not required at this time, but are voluntary. Only district partners are allowed into the building during the school day.

Deliveries & Invitations
Please be aware that school district policy does not allow us to accept flowers, lunch 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. 
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. 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 $2.50 each and extra milk is .40 cents. 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!
ONEMA1ZE  #OneMa1ze