Académie Lafayette Newsletter 9/8/23

Le Journal

AL News & Updates

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8 September 2023

Bus Transportation Update

Dear Académie Lafayette Parents,

We would like to address the ongoing bus transportation challenges affecting all three of our campuses and share the proactive steps we are taking to ensure a more dependable transportation experience for our families.

As many of you are aware, we faced a significant hurdle just days before the start of the school year when we were informed that First Student could not provide drivers for the Cherry campus routes. This situation led to adjusting the Cherry and Armour operating hours so that our Académie Lafayette buses could step in to provide transportation for those students.

Regrettably, the already challenging task of securing sufficient drivers has been further complicated by the fact that two of our drivers are currently on medical leave, and we have had to deal with four buses being out of operation. To address this issue, we are actively working on procuring three newer buses specifically for tiering with the Cherry campus as well as recruiting more drivers. Our ultimate aim is to establish two dedicated routes for Cherry and implement three tiered routes in coordination with the Armour campus.

Moreover, it has come to our attention that First Student, despite their initial commitment, has only been able to provide three drivers for Oak instead of the promised four. This shortfall has resulted in more disruptions to our transportation services, leading to understandable frustration and inconvenience for both our students and their parents.

We genuinely understand the impact these transportation challenges have had on our families and students, and we deeply appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this period of adjustment.

Upcoming Events

September 11

Board Meeting, 6 pm, Armour & Virtual

September 12

ALIHS Financial Aid 101, 6:30 pm, Virtual

MS Girls Volleyball, 5 & 6 pm, Ewing Marion Kauffman School

September 13

Late Start

Supplemental Instruction Annual Fall Meeting, 5:30 pm, Oak

September 14

2024 7th Grade France Trip Meeting, 6 pm, Oak

September 15

ALPTO Playground Mixers, Oak & Cherry, 15 min after dismissal to 6:30 pm

September 19

Oak Parent-Principal Coffee, 7:45 am

September 20

Late Start

MS & ALIHS ManageBac Workshop, 6 pm, Virtual

MS Girls Volleyball, 5 & 6 pm, Ewing Marion Kauffman School

September 21

Armour Parent-Principal Coffee, 7:30 am

September 22

Cherry Parent-Principal Coffee, 8:00 am

September 23

MS Girls Volleyball, 10 & 11 am, Ewing Marion Kauffman School

September 25

NO SCHOOL - School Improvement Day

September 26

ALIHS College Fair, 6 pm, Armour

September 27

Late Start

September 29

K-5 September Birthday Lunches

Access our live academic & sports calendars here.

Late Start Wednesdays Hours

Armour

Upper Room starts at 7:30 am

Doors opens at 8:45 am

Classes start at 9 am

School dismisses at 3:15 pm

Cherry

Upper Room starts at 8:00 am

Doors opens at 9:30 am

Classes start at 9:45 am

School dismisses at 4:00 pm

Oak

Upper Room starts at 7:45 am

Doors opens at 9:15 am

Classes start at 9:30 am

School dismisses at 3:45 pm

Table of Contents

Needed: 2023 Raffle Volunteers & Sponsors
Board Meeting Notice
From the Nurses
MS Math Club
Oak 3rd & 4th Grade Math Club
MS Gardening Club
ALIHS College Fair
Annual Supplemental Instruction Meeting

GreenAL Committee Updates
GreenAL Student Club Sign-Up
MS Cheer
AL PTO Trash Bag Sale
Meals
School Communications
Ads:
Free Chiropractic Consultation
Franck Brichet - Realtor

AL Insights

Needed: 2023 Raffle Volunteers & Sponsors

The $10,000 CASH Raffle is coming soon, and we need your help! Contact communication@academielafayette.org if you are wanting to volunteer. From calling local businesses to ask if our students can sell in front of their store to organizing shift sign-ups, there is something to do for everyone!

Also, would you or someone you know like to have their business logo on the back of the 2023 raffle shirts? Please contact communication@academielafayette.org to get started.

Board Meeting Notice

The Académie Lafayette Board of Directors will meet online & in the Armour conference room at 6:00 pm on Monday, September 11. You can view the meeting live on our YouTube channel. Click here to read the agenda.

From the Nurses

Thank you families for notifying the nurse at your child's campus when they are out ill. Please check out this helpful link with important information on illnesses going around school, what illnesses require a possible doctor's visit, and the time frame for returning back to school after an illness.

If you have not turned in your students medication or a new asthma or allergy action plan please get those to your campus nurse as well.

Kindly,

Nurse Alexis Schloss- Oak, aschloss@academielafayette.org

Nurse Megan Whisenant- Cherry, mwhisenant@academielafayette.org

Nurse Stephanie Cook - Armour, scook@academielafayette.org

MS Math Club

Middle School Math Club is beginning. Math club is for students who like math and are interested in an extra challenge. It is also the primary means by which Académie Lafayette students prepare for math competitions. We have been quite successful at competitions recently, so come be part of a winning team! I am particularly interested in adding more 6th graders, but any middle schoolers are welcome. Email Bill Kalahurka at bkalahurka@academielafayette.org for more information.

Oak 3rd & 4th Grade Math Club

The lottery for 20 spots in the Oak 3rd and 4th Grade Math Club is open. We will meet weekly on Tuesdays directly after school until 5 pm for six weeks starting Oct. 3rd, with the last session on Nov. 7th. The math club is all about having fun with math and exploring topics that might not be covered in the classroom. Fill out this form to enter the lottery by September 24th. The math club is free. Questions? Email rachel.l.moyer@gmail.com.

MS Gardening Club

Middle School Gardening Club begins on Monday 9/11/23 at 3:20 pm in the Armour garden.

No supplies needed. Snack and water bottle is encouraged. Wear clothing comfy for gardening.

Pick up is 4:20 pm. Parents, if you are interested in helping out, please email anachum@academielafayette.org.

ALIHS College Fair

Annual Supplemental Instruction Meeting

The Académie Lafayette annual fall meeting for parents will be in the Oak auditorium on Wednesday, September 13, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

Because AL is considered Schoolwide Title I, any AL parent is welcome to attend and hear about the program. If you have received notification that your child is receiving Supplemental Instruction services this year, please consider attending to give your feedback. This meeting is an opportunity for you:

to learn about AL's obligations to parents under Title I.A,
to gain a better understanding of what Supplemental Instruction does for your child or children,
to ask questions about our efforts, as well as
share your thoughts on Supplemental Instruction.

If you are able to attend, please email the Supplemental Instruction (Title I) Coordinator, Keith Christensen, at kchristensen@academielafayette.org, and specify how many people will be in your group.

Please also know that we are available to answer questions and address concerns at any time. Keith can answer questions by email. Online meetings are also possible by appointment.

GreenAL Committee Updates

Students at the Oak campus received a visit from Eco Elvis, who gave an amazing performance that taught students how to recycle more and recycle better. Students received a new recycling bin in each classroom and "recycling how-to" flyers to take home. Thank you to the Mid America Regional Council Waste Management District for sharing their resources and talent!

Also, we are excited to reveal our new logo! Thank you to all the students who participated in the logo contest last school year, and thank you to the parents who volunteered their time to help finalize the graphic! If you are interested in participating in various GreenAL Committee initiatives, please reach out to us by emailing GreenAL.AcademieLafayette@gmail.com.

GreenAL Student Club Sign-Up

GreenAL after-school club is open to grades 2-5 at Oak. Through hands-on activities and fun presentations, students will learn about sustainable thinking and the environment, and how we can make a positive impact. The fall session will meet from 4-5 PM on Tuesdays for six weeks from September 19 through October 24. The club is offered at no cost and we are still recruiting parent/caregiver volunteers. Click here for more information and to sign up. Please email GreenAL.AcademieLafayette@gmail.com with any questions.

MS Cheer

AL PTO Trash Bag Sale

The ever-popular AL PTO trash bag sale is back!

Online orders are now open.

These durable trash and yard waste bags are available in a variety of sizes and colors for $12 a roll. More details are available on the AL PTO website.

Meals

We need every family, regardless of eligibility status, to fill out the 23-24 free and reduced lunch application (select START MEAL APPLICATION after choosing your language, do not use log in or register). This is a critical step to get many grants and funding. If you have questions, you can call 816-743-4973 or email foodservice@academielafayette.org.

Need help? Come fill out your application in person at Meet the Teacher night. A food service employee will be there to help you at each campus.

All meals can be paid for by logging into your child's Tyler account, where you will also find a current balance.

Breakfast and lunch menus are published on our website once received from the catering company. You can find more information about meals on that page as well.

School Communications

If you know someone who is not receiving this newsletter, encourage them to contact communication@academielafayette.org.
In addition to the weekly newsletter, the periodic all-calls, and email blasts, we also use Facebook to communicate with our families. Please "like" us at https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteKC/ and join our private FB group!
Changing emails? Phone number? Let us know at communication@academielafayette.org.

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