|
Le Journal
AL News & Updates
| |
| 26-27 School Hour Adjustments | |
Dear AL Community,
As shared in Tuesday’s communication to families, Académie Lafayette plans to adjust school hours again beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. While last year’s staggered schedule was implemented with good intentions, it ultimately did not meet the needs of our students, families, or programs. Guided by our commitment to student learning, well-being, and long-term program strength, we made the decision to revise the schedule.
These adjustments are designed to protect instructional time, support academic and program growth, and strengthen our French Immersion model, from elementary through high school. At the secondary level, earlier start times will reduce the amount of learning lost to early dismissals for athletics, debate, and other competitive activities, while better supporting IB and career pathway requirements. The revised schedule also aligns more closely with metro-area middle and high schools, improving access to events and supporting admissions, retention, and student balance beyond the school day.
The new schedule will also improve transportation. An earlier start at Armour allows for more effective bus route staggering, reducing delays at Cherry and Oak and improving overall reliability for families.
Families are encouraged to review the full mailing for specific start and dismissal times by campus, which will be linked in this newsletter. We also invite families to join us for the District General Meeting on Thursday, January 22, at 6:00 pm in the Cherry auditorium, where this topic will be discussed further. The meeting will be recorded and shared afterward, and a feedback form is available ahead of time.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership as we make thoughtful decisions in the best interest of students across all campuses.
Have a good extended weekend.
Elimane Mbengue
Superintendent
embengue@academielafayette.org
| |  | |
January 19
NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 20
Restaurant Giveback Night at City Barrel Pizza and Patio
January 22
District General Meeting, 6 pm, Cherry
January 24
Oak Open House & School Saturday, 10-noon, Oak
January 29
Cherry Literacy Night, 5:30-7 pm, Cherry Families Only
ALIHS 9th College & Scholarship Night, Online
January 30
K-5 Birthday Lunches
January 31
Girls' 4th-8th Grade VIP Dance, 6-8 pm, Armour
February 9
Board Meeting, 6 pm, Armour & Online
February 11
K-5 Valentine's Day Parties
Cherry Pre-K-1st Grade Open House, 5:30 pm
February 12-13
NO SCHOOL - Parent-Teacher Conferences
February 16
NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
February 17
NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day
Summer School 2026
June 8-July 8. No school on 6/19.
| |
Access our live academic and athletics calendar here.
Want to see all of our links in one place? Click here!
|
| | Summer School will be held from Monday, June 8 to Wednesday, July 8. No school on 6/19. Summer School is open to all 26-27 K-8 students. Summer School enrollment information will be shared at a later date. Stay tuned! | |
- Upcoming Open House - Volunteers Needed
- Volunteers Wanted: Cherry Lost & Found
- Cold Weather Reminders
- From the PTO
- Wanted: 26-27 Intern Host Families
- Needed: Volunteers for Cherry Market
- Armour MS & ALIHS Open House Information
| | |
- Cherry Families Invited to Literacy Night
- Buy Your Ethnic Food Festival Tickets
- Apply to Reserve Your Sibling Seat for 26-27
- School Communications
- Ads:
- Franck's Real Estate Corner
| | |
💡 Did you know? Our newsletter is often so full of important updates that some browsers cut it off early. Be sure to click "View entire message" at the bottom so you do not miss a thing!
| | Upcoming Open House - Volunteers Needed | | |
Académie Lafayette - It’s our time to shine! We are gearing up for three opportunities to showcase all that Académie Lafayette has to offer, and we need your help! All three campuses will be hosting Open House events where interested families can hear more about our school, French immersion, and our educational approach. Families will have the opportunity to meet some of our wonderful teachers and staff, interact with current AL families and tour our campuses. Please consider volunteering at one of these events to help us highlight our Académie Lafayette community.
Oak Open House | Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 10 am-12 pm
Armour Open House | Thursday, February 5, 2026 | 5:30-7:30 pm
Cherry Open House | Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 5:00-7:00 pm
Interested in volunteering? Sign up here!
| | Volunteers Wanted: Cherry Lost & Found | | |
We are looking for 1-3 volunteers to take over organizing the Cherry campus Lost & Found! This can be done by a single volunteer or as a small team, whatever works best!
This role typically involves:
- stopping by every 1-2 weeks for about an hour to check items for names, pass labeled items to the front office so they can be returned to students and tidy the remaining items.
- gathering and bagging unclaimed items at the end of each quarter and helping to let families know when these items will be donated.
If you enjoy organizing and helping our community, this is a great way to support the Cherry campus! Interested? Contact Danielle Coates at dcoates@academielafayette.org.
| | |
As colder weather sets in, we want to emphasize the importance of ensuring children are dressed appropriately for outdoor activities. Fresh air and physical activity are vital for students’ health and well-being, even during the colder months. Please help us by sending your child to school with weather-appropriate clothing, such as warm coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and sturdy shoes or boots. Outdoor clothing does not have to follow the AL dress code.
Our school policy adjusts outdoor recess schedules based on the wind chill to ensure safety:
- Recess will be shortened if the wind chill is 20℉ or below.
- Recess will be indoors only if the wind chill is 10℉ or lower.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students safe, comfortable, and healthy.
| | |
Girls 4th-8th Grade VIP Dance
Calling all girls in grades 4-8 - it's dance time! Grab your dancing shoes and join AL PTO for the season’s VIP dance on Saturday, Jan. 31, 6-8 pm at the Armour campus. This fun evening is for 4-8th grade students and their adult VIPs. There will be a DJ, raffle, photo wall, snacks, and lots of fun. Dance and dress in the style of your favorite decade! Tickets are on sale now at alpto.org/vip. Visit the VIP Dance page for a full schedule of VIP dances and FAQs. Volunteers needed to make this event a success. Click here to sign up!
Restaurant Giveback Night at City Barrel Pizza and Patio
Tues. Jan. 20, 2026, all day | City Barrel, 120 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64114
Enjoy a meal at City Barrel Pizza and Patio in Waldo and a portion of the sale will be donated to AL PTO. Please mention Académie Lafayette during your visit or when placing your to-go order.
AL Day at the K
The AL PTO invites you for a day at The K to cheer on your boys in blue and support your PTO, as a portion of each ticket will go to the organization! Get your tickets now!
White Sox at Royals | Sun, Apr 12, 2026 • 1:10 PM CDT
| | Wanted: 26-27 Intern Host Families | |
Needed: Volunteers for Cherry Market | | Volunteers needed for the Class Dojo Musketeer Market at the Cherry campus. Click here to sign up! Slots are 2-3 hours (9-12pm or 12-2pm at the beginning of the month as listed in the SignUp Genius). A list of student winners will be provided. This is our 'store' with prizes for students who have met the month's Class Dojo point goals. | |
Armour MS & ALIHS Open House Information | | AL families interested in learning more about our Armour campus should plan to join us on Thursday, February 5th for our Armour Open House. We will share information about the IB Middle Years and HS Diploma Programs, along with other academic highlights. Families will also learn about student life, connect with current Armour students, tour the building and meet some of our teachers and staff. We will run two back to back identical sessions; please pick the one that works best for your family. Session 1 (5:30-6:30 pm) / Session 2 (6:30-7:30 pm). We hope to see you there! | | Cherry Families Invited to Literacy Night | |
Buy Your Ethnic Food Festival Tickets | | |
The Third Annual Ethnic Food Festival will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Armour campus. It is a benefit for high school international trips. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students.
Click here to purchase tickets.
| | New Students Only: Apply to Reserve Your Child's Sibling Pre-K, Kindergarten, First Grade, and High School Seat | |
If you have a new incoming child or sibling entering in the fall of 2026, please apply here starting November 8 until March 1st, 2026 for the 26-27 school year. The process will take you less than one minute! Sibling applications received after the deadline will be placed on the waiting list. For additional information, click here.
Please note this only applies to new siblings not currently enrolled at AL. All current pre-K-11th grade students will re-enroll at a later date. Remember All 8th grade students have a guaranteed 9th grade seat at ALIHS. When re-enrollment opens in January make sure to let us know if you want to reserve your ALIHS seat.
Questions? Email enrollment@academielafayette.org. After you fill out your child's application, share with your friends and neighbors wanting to join the AL family!
| |
Armour MS & ALIHS
201 E. Armour Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-800-8771
| |
Cherry K-5
3421 Cherry St
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-888-7400
| |
Oak K-5
6903 Oak St
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-361-7735
| | | | |
