Welcome Back, Sweeny families!
We are so excited to kick off the 22-23 school year with you! The Sweeny team is looking forward to serving you and the Republic community! This newsletter features all of the back to school information to help you get started! Each month we will send an update on the fun and learning that occurs at Sweeny Elementary. We also want to keep you informed of Sweeny events. Please let us know what questions you have and don't forget to check our Facebook page often for additional information and photos.
We cannot wait to partner with you all and enjoy the year together!
Mr. Lockmiller
Principal
Ms. Whitlock
Assistant Principal
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Safety and Security
As outlined in the new Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP), the Republic School District’s mission is to prepare each student for future excellence through a safe educational environment. We understand your child’s safety is at the forefront of your mind when they are at school. The safety of every single student and staff member is a major priority for our district, building and classroom leaders.
Our district has system-wide security measures in place to ensure a safe environment for all students and staff. At our building, our district and building leaders have implemented the following protocols in partnership with our School Police:
- There are multiple School Resource Officers who visit each elementary building multiple times a day.
- All exterior doors remain locked.
- Every visitor is screened before entering through a secure vestibule at the front entrance.
- Every building is monitored through video surveillance inside and outside.
- Emergency operations plans are reviewed and updated during the summer months and throughout the school year.
If you have any concerns about school safety you can contact building leaders or our Director of School Police, Scott Umbarger, at 417-732-3605 ext. 6200.
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Class Lists & Kindergarten Orientation
Class lists for all students will be posed on the front doors of Sweeny August 12th by 4:00pm. Your child's teacher can also be viewed through the Parent Portal.
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Open House
Class lists for all students will be posed on the front doors of Sweeny August 12th by 4:00pm. Your child's teacher can also be viewed through the Parent Portal.
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The First Day of School is August 22nd!
- Only incoming kindergarten students can be walked into Sweeny on the first day of school
- Kindergarten families wanting to participate should arrive at 8:50 a.m. Please bring your driver's license and allow extra time as we will check in each parent through our secure Raptor visitor system. Once this is done, your ID will be in our system for any further visits to the building.
- This will only occur on the first day of school.
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Back to School Forms
Nearly all back to school forms will need to be completed online through the SISK12 Parent Portal by August 10. As a reminder, the Parent Portal is a tool that parents can use to monitor items like meal balances, grades, attendance, etc. We recommend using it throughout the school year!
This tool makes the back to school form process as easy and smooth as possible for our families. Please login to the Parent Portal and complete the needed forms by August 10. ALL students (preschool through 12th grade) must have a parent/guardian complete these required forms. Take note that specific forms must be completed for students to participate in various activities, including technology usage.
To find the Parent Portal CLICK HERE or simply visit republicschools.org and click on the "Parent Portal" icon. This can also be accessed through the district's free mobile app. As a reminder, to login use the email address you have provided to the district and enter the password you have created. If you’ve forgotten it, simply click on the “forgot password” button and follow the prompts.
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RepMO Technology Plan
Every student in kindergarten through 12th grade will be issued a take home technology device as part of the RepMO Ready plan. Our goal is to provide a digital learning device to all students for use both at school and at home. Students are responsible for the care of their assigned device at all times, both at school and home. The district strongly encourages families to purchase an Accidental Damage Protection Plan explained in the online form found on the Parent Portal. Students will not be allowed to use school technology resources until the appropriate online form has been completed. To purchase the ADPP follow the link: https://republicschools.revtrak.net/protection-plan-1/ or payment can be made at open houses or in the building office. The deadline to purchase ADPP is August 30.
Elementary students will keep their devices at school until winter weather season approaches. During these winter months elementary students will join our secondary students in taking home devices daily, which allows the district to implement AMI (virtual learning) days, if needed.
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Lunch Prices and Free & Reduced Lunch
The district Food Service Department offers daily breakfast and lunch options. We have been very thankful to participate in the FDA free meal program over the last few years providing free meals to all students! That program has now ended, so paid meals will be reimplemented.
Meals may be prepaid by submitting cash/check to the school office in a sealed envelope with the student(s) name and amount enclosed on the outside of the envelope. In addition, through the SISK12 Parent Portal families have the option to make online meal payments through a secure system, ConnexPoint. Like other online payment systems a processing fee is applicable. ConnexPoint charges a 3.99% processing fee for transactions. To make an online meal payment simply login to the SISK12 Parent Portal, select the Meal Service Balance icon and follow the prompts.
Meal Prices 2022-23
- Elementary Breakfast $1.15
- Elementary Lunch $2.50
- Reduced Breakfast FREE
- Reduced Lunch $0.40
- Adult/Visitor Breakfast $2.25
- Adult/Visitor Lunch $4.15
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The application for free/reduced meals is also now available through the SISK12 Parent Portal. Take note, qualifications for this benefit may have changed. While this application was not required for the last two school years, it must be filled out to utilize this benefit during the 2022-2023 school year.
Even if your family does not anticipate qualifying for discounted meals, the free/reduced meal status of our students provides many other opportunities outside of meals. As noted in the graphic, the percentage of students who qualify for free/reduced meals in our district allows our schools to receive important federal funding that supports student literacy growth, Leader in Me resources and various programs that provide needs for our most at-risk learners.
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Parent & Student Handbook
The parent and student handbook provides a summary of the practices, policies and procedures our district follows. Please review the document at https://www.republicschools.org/studenthandbook. The handbook will remain on the website throughout the entire school year, and printed copies can be requested by contacting our building office. Digitally signing the online Policy and Procedure Acknowledgment form indicates approval of this document.
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Traffic Flow Information
As you may recall, our school’s start and end times have shifted in an effort to help with the traffic congestion around Highway 174 and Main. Our school day will be 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. In addition, there is also a minor adjustment to our car line route this school year! Our families will no longer be sharing a line with Lyon and will have two lanes of vehicles that will need to zipper merge near the building. Please see the map below.
As requested in the past, please do not begin lining up until 3:25 to help avoid traffic congestion. Please have your car line sign visible in the window of your car. You will pick these up at open house or kindergarten orientation. Those who aren't able to attend can stop by the Sweeny Office after August 15th to pick up their car line signs.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when dropping off or picking up students:
- Only let students out of your car in the designated drop-off sections of the traffic route.
- Be aware of potential pedestrian students along the traffic route.
- Please follow the arrows on the maps. Deviating from the provided traffic route can be a potential safety hazard for pedestrian students, and can cause other drivers frustration.
- Do not park along the traffic route at any time.
- Be courteous of other drivers.
- From the time of dismissal, it will only take 13-15 minutes for every child to be picked up.
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Pick-Up and Drop Off Times
Monday-Thursday, the building will be open for students to enter beginning at 8:20 a.m. with the school day beginning at 8:35 a.m. Students will be dismissed at 3:40 p.m.
Each Friday is an early release day. Students may still arrive beginning at 8:20 a.m. with the school day starting at 8:35 a.m. Dismissal will occur at 2:40 p.m. For more information on weekly Friday early release, please visit our webpage to find answers to frequently asked questions.
If your child will have a change in their daily transportation plan, please contact the Sweeny office at 417-732-3670 by 3:10 pm to notify the office of this change. If your child needs to be picked up early, they must be picked up by 3:25 pm. For Fridays, transportation changes will need to be made by 2:10 pm and early pickups will need to be done by 2:25 pm.
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Transportation Department:
Students who selected they will be riding a bus this year during online registration will need to login to the Parent Portal to see bus information. Bus letters are no longer mailed out. For those who have completed online registration by August 10, bus information will be viewable on August 18 in the Parent Portal. Those who have not completed online registration by this date will experience a lag in being able to view transportation details in the Parent Portal.
If you do not see any bus information in the Parent Portal August 18, 2022, please call the Transportation Department at 417.732.3680. Information is updated nightly in the Parent Portal.
Due to the volume of students being routed, bus stop locations and times need to be adjusted, so please check the Parent Portal the day before school starts for the most up to date bus stop information. Questions regarding transportation can be directed to 417-732-3680.
All Hardship Waivers for transportation must be renewed every year. Forms can be found at https://www.republicschools.org/transportation or you may contact the transportation office for further assistance. Hardship Waivers can take a few days to process for approval and routing.
The safe transportation of our students is a top priority for the Republic School District. To ensure that each route and trip provided to our students is safe and pleasant, it is imperative that a safe, clean and controlled environment is provided on the bus. In that regard, we ask that all bus riders and guardians review the bus riding expectations listed HERE.
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Weekly Friday Early Release
As a reminder, the Republic School District implements a weekly Friday early release. Sweeny students will be released each Friday at 2:40pm. If you would like to learn more about early release and find answers to frequently asked questions, visit the district website at https://www.republicschools.org/fridayearlyrelease.
Tiger STRIPES (elementary) & Tiger PALS (full-day preschool) will be available on weekly early release day (Fridays) at no extra cost to families already enrolled. For families who only need care on the early release day, Tiger STRIPES & Tiger PALS will be available at no cost for one hour of care (2:40-3:40 p.m.) and/or a cost of $5.00 per weekly release day for students needing care until 4:30 p.m. To attend Tiger STRIPES & Tiger PALS, families will need to sign up in advance and pay the one time registration fee of $30 per child. Registration details can be found at https://www.republicschools.org/STRIPES360.
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Tiger STRIPES
STRIPES 360 is looking forward to another great school year serving our families through before and after school care programs. An initial enrollment period will take place for Tiger STRIPES, Tiger PALS and Tiger TEENS on July 18-August 12 to begin on the first day of school. Enrollments received after August 12th will not be able to begin until August 29th.
Like many other organizations and businesses, STRIPES 360 is struggling to fill staff openings, which impacts the number of students we are able to serve. That said, to best ensure your student’s spot, it is important that you register as soon as possible. Spots will be first come, first served. Within a few days from you registering you will receive communication from STRIPES 360 with either confirmation of your student’s registration along with an invoice for your first payment OR notification that your student has been placed on a waiting list. STRIPES 360 continues to be committed to providing a fun, safe environment for students needing before and after school care. We will continue to work diligently to fill our staff openings so that we can serve as many students as possible.
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Communication
Please call the Sweeny office with changes in contact information as soon as possible throughout the year. Sweeny educators value communication with families and are always available for students and parents.
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District Website
- Building Website
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District Twitter: @republicschools
- District Facebook: Republic School District
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Building Facebook: Sweeny Elementary School
- Building Principal, Chris.Lockmiller@republicschools.org, Assistant Principal, Claire.Whitlock@republicschools.org, 417-732-3670
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Peachjar E-Flyer Service: Weekly optional email with school related and approved e-flyers to keep families informed of district and community information.
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Tiger Talk e-newsletter: Sent on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month during the school year. Parents who have provided an email account are automatically signed up. Others can sign up on our website.
- Mobile App
- Voice calls and text messages at the building and district level (All numbers provided will receive these notifications, there is no longer a need to opt-in as in the past. However, opting out is still an option)
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August 8th: PTO Meeting in Sweeny Library 6-7 pm
August 12th: Class lists posted by 4:00 p.m. Class lists can also be viewed on your parent portal
August 15th: Kindergarten Orientation 5:30-7:00 pm
August 18th: Open House (1st-5th grade) 5:30-7:00 pm
August 22nd: First Day of School
September 5th: Labor Day, District Closed
September 6th: Fall Pictures
September 9th: First WIG (Widely Important Goal) Cycle Begins
September 12th: PTO Meeting in Sweeny Library 6-7 pm
September 13th: Grandparent's Night
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