Important MCE News for February 2020

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February 2020

MAIZE CENTRAL NEWS

We will begin the Kansas State Assessments March 24th and 25th with the 5th grade students taking the state science assessment test. The science assessment consists of two sessions. March 30th and 31st, grades 3-5 will be tested on the English/Language Arts (ELA) portion of the test. The ELA test is comprised of two test sessions. Lastly, April 6th and 7th, grades 3-5 will take the math portion of the state assessment. Like the ELA, the math assessment is made up of two test sessions. The teachers have been working very hard teaching the Kansas College and Career Readiness Standards and preparing their students for the state assessments. Please look for your child's class testing schedule from the teacher. Please take note of some ways that you can support your child:

Attendance is extremely important during testing, so please schedule any appointments around the testing schedule.
Make sure that your child is getting enough rest each night.
Our students need food to fuel their brains during testing, so encourage them to have a balanced breakfast.
Let your child know that you are aware of the testing. Encourage him/her to do well by writing an encouraging note and staying positive.

I would like to remind you that the front door and the southeast door will be unlocked at 8:25 A.M. each morning. If your child arrives at that time, he/she will be asked to wait in the supervised cafeteria until the 1st morning bell at 8:35 A.M. We ask that children are not dropped off prior to 8:25 A.M.

Children waiting in the cafeteria may eat breakfast beginning at 8:25 A.M. All other students may receive breakfast beginning at 8:35 A.M. MCE teachers are not able to receive guests prior to 8:35 A.M. Thank you for your understanding.

Please join us on Friday, February 21st for Family Bingo Night. There will be a silent auction and basket raffles. The doors will open at 5:15 P.M., with Bingo games beginning at 6:00 P.M. We hope to see you there!

ANDY'S FROZEN CUSTARD SPIRIT WEEK

The Maize Education Foundation is partnering with Andy's Frozen Custard to promote a Spirit Week Contest between our PreK - 5th Grade students.

Visit the Andy's Frozen Custard on West 21st and Maize Road and you can help your school win Andy's Mini's for the whole building!

Every order from Monday, February 17 until the store closes on Saturday, February 22, will earn your school one point. The school with the most points for the week will win!

These six schools are competing: MECC, MES, MCE, VES, PWS, and MSES. Make sure to tell them your school name when you order so that you get your points!

Contact Maize Education Foundation Executive Director Travis Bloom at [email protected] with any questions.

Good Luck!

3rd GRADE VOCAL MUSIC CONCERT

YOU ARE INVITED TO

MAIZE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY’S

3 ^rd GRADE VOCAL MUSIC CONCERT

Yee-Haw!

Thursday, February 20th at 6:30 p.m.

Maize High School

Please note that each child should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the performance. The children will meet in the Maize High vocal music room to warm-up. The concert will be held in the Maize High School Auditorium ( 11600 W 45 ^th St N, Maize KS 67101 ).

We are looking forward to sharing with you!

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF AWARDS

Congratulations Maize Central Elementary School Kitchen Manager Cindy Denning!!

Pictured from left: Dr. Chad Higgins, Superintendent of Schools; Food Service Substitute Debbie Halderman; Maize Central Elementary School Kitchen Assistants Kim Conway and Christine Wilson; Cindy Denning; Maize Central Elementary School Principal David Jennings; Director of Food Service Megan Barnard; Assistant Director of Food Service Lynette Drevo; Maize Central Teacher Stacy Wagner, who nominated Cindy; and Maize Education Foundation Executive Director Travis Bloom.

2019-2020 MAIZE USD 266 CALENDAR

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECENTLY APPROVED

USD 266 2020-2021 DISTRICT CALENDAR

CAPTURING KIDS' HEARTS

Part of the Capturing Kids' Hearts curriculum focuses on teaching students to be responsible for their own behavior. Teachers focus at the beginning of the year on team building activities and creating a classroom family. Students are then taught to give their classmates a "help signal" when they break the social contract. This teaches students to look out for one another and teaches them to advocate for themselves when someone is bothering them. It has led to positive conversations about being a team and conflict resolution in our classrooms.

A MESSAGE FROM PTO

MCE Families,

We can't wait to see everyone at Family Bingo Night! We are excited that so many of you have pre-registered to join us! Please park in the north parking lot and come in the back doors. Look for the signs. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. and bingo games will start at 6:00 p.m. There are over 30 raffle baskets for you to have a chance to win. We also have a number of Silent Auction items for you to bid on.

We again want to send a big thank you to those companies and individuals who made donations for the Raffle Baskets or for Silent Auction Items. We’d also like to thank the volunteers who helped with Bingo Night preparations or who have signed up to help at the event. Your help is greatly appreciated.

We are also looking for PTO volunteers for next school year. If you are interested in being involved, at any level, we'd love to have an opportunity to visit. We have multiple opportunities with different levels of commitment available. We are continuing to grow PTO and are looking forward to the fun we'll have next year while helping support Staff at MCE.

CHECK IN - CHECK OUT

A reminder that all visitors who wish to enter the school during school hours must present a government - issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, on their first visit. This includes parents, guardians, and grandparents. Please allow for extra time to either run the driver's license or to look up the information if already in our system. This includes parents picking up sick students from the nurse's office. Thank you for allowing us to keep our students and staff safe.

If you must pick up a student early, please plan to arrive with enough time for the student to be called from the classroom. This could take extra time if the student is in Music/P.E., lunch, and/or recess. Please allow us extra time to call down the student.

Thank you for your patience.

STATE ASSESSMENT TESTING DATES

State Assessment Testing Dates:

March 24-25

5th Grade Science Assessments

March 30-31

3rd-5th Grade English/Language Arts Assessments

April 6-7

3rd-5th Grade Math Assessments

With Kansas State Assessments right around the corner, parents are encouraged to discuss test taking strategies with your child. Encourage your child to do his/her best!

Get plenty of rest the week of the tests. You've been working hard all year learning the standards. Don't blow it by staying up too late the night before your tests.

The morning of the test: Did you know that you think better with a full stomach? Make sure you eat breakfast the morning of the test.

Attendance is important! Parents, please check with your child's teacher for exact testing dates for your child. Please try not to schedule appointments during testing dates. State Assessments: All Kansas State Assessments will be administered online.

ADOPT AN ANIMAL ZOO FUNDRAISER

ADOPT AN ANIMAL

ZOO FUNDRAISER

March 30 ^th -April 3 ^rd

Maize Central Elementary would like to help the Sedgwick County Zoo by adopting an animal for the 2019-2020 school year. Each student may bring in one or more dollar bills to be placed in containers around the school. This fundraiser will be held during the week of March 30 ^th -April 3 ^rd . We will try to reach our goal of $700.00 by the end of the week. The money raised helps feed and provide care for our adopted animal and also pays for a zoo assembly where we will learn more about the animal we adopt. Join in on the fun and help us support the Sedgwick County Zoo!

NOTE FROM NURSE LONI . . .

GIVING YOUR

CHILD MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

Complete a request for 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 doctor.
All prescription medications require a signed form from the doctor.
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.

PICTURE DAY

Casual Individual and Classroom Group Picture Day at Maize Central Elementary School is scheduled on Thursday, March 5th.

Classroom Group Pictures - Please use the order form that is sent home and return it to school on or before Picture Day. Classroom Group Picture Payment is due by Picture Day.

Casual Individual Portraits - Pick The Look That Says 'You'. Choose your favorite look on the pose selection form that will be sent home. Bring the order form to school on or before Picture Day. If no look choice is returned, your student will still be photographed. Casual Individual Pictures will be sent home for family preview and optional purchase.

Wear your Favorites:

- Look Your Best!

- Choose fun, bright colors

- Solids work best

- Avoid Sleeveless Tops

SAVE THE DATE

Pre-K, Kindergarten enrollment night March 31 at Maize High School

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.

Spaces are limited! Enrollment is first come, first served. Learn more by clicking here or by calling 316-722-3105.

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.

For more information about kindergarten enrollment, please click here or call the enrollment hotline at 316-350-2050

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

Before school, children should not be dropped off before 8:25 AM, at that time, they will be allowed to wait in the cafeteria until the first bell rings at 8:35 AM.

Parents are required to enter the office and sign your child in for the day if you arrive after 8:45 AM. The child will be counted as tardy if you arrive after 8:45 AM.

After school, parents are required to enter the building and sign out their son/daughter if they are picked up after 4:05 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or after 3:30 PM on Wednesday.

Just a reminder that Latchkey is available for anyone that is in need of before or after school care.

LUNCH MONEY

USD 266 uses the Skyward Food Service and RevTrak fee payment systems for our students' breakfast and lunch accounts.

Please check your email and phone numbers in Skyward, so that you may be alerted when your child has a balance of $7.00 or less.

Parents will be contacted when your child has $7.00 left in their account. We will contact parents a second time when your child has one lunch left. When no money is left on the account, your child will go to the office and call his/her parents. Please put money into the account that day. We will contact parents a third time when your child has a zero balance.

Please check with your child if he/she is eating breakfast at school or getting a second milk, the charges add up quickly. If you have more than one child, please check both lunch accounts. We are not allowed to go into one child's account to pay for a sibling.

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.

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!

VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECK

Maize USD 266 is extremely thankful for the many volunteers who selflessly give of their time in our classrooms. Our schools are stronger thanks to the help and support of our community members, and our students benefit from this relationship.

Safety is a top priority for the district, which since 2008 has conducted background checks of potential volunteers. According to Maize Board of Education policy, (Section 20, Item D) "volunteers who work in a classroom on a regular basis, supervise students during a field trip when a staff member is not present, or work with students away from the supervision of a classroom teacher are required to have a background check." This extra step helps ensure that we are keeping our students safe.

Those interested in becoming elementary school volunteers can visit their child's school page on our district website and click on the "Volunteer Background Check" under "Families," to begin their background check process through the National Screening Bureau.

Thanks to all parents and volunteers for the continued support of our students and district!

MOVING?

If you have moved or will be moving, but are still in district, please send a Proof of Residency to the school office as soon as possible. You can email it to [email protected] or fax it to the school office

at 316-722-8307.

An Acceptable Proof of Residence includes a copy of your mortgage/lease agreement, including signature page, or a current copy of your gas, water, trash or electric bill.
If you have any questions regarding Proof of Residence, please feel free to contact the school office.

If you are moving OUT of district, please contact Shelly Lambert at [email protected] or by phone at 316-722-0427. Please include the new school, city, and state you will be transferring to so we can prepare your student's records for transfer.

CHARACTER ED TRAITS

Each Friday morning, after a designated class sings the school song, one student from each classroom is recognized as a Star Student. The students' names are announced over the intercom and at that time they come to the office to receive a pencil and a personalized certificate signed by Mr. Jennings.

MONTHLY CHARACTER ED TRAITS

January - Self Discipline

February - Honesty

March - Cooperation

April - Acceptance

May - Perseverance

August - Friendship

September - Compassion

October - Respect

November - Responsibility

December - Generosity

NO PARTY INVITATIONS ----------- PARENT NOTIFICATION

Party invitations CANNOT be distributed at school per USD 266 District Policy. You may find the information on page 46 of the Student Handbook under Parties/Events. We ask that you mail invitations to personal events or parties directly to the home of the student(s) you are inviting. Parents and guardians may now opt to include your address, primary phone number, email addresses, student's school and student's grade level in the Skyward Family Access Student Directory so that other families with login rights to Family Access can view your contact information.

We would like to remind everyone that MCE CANNOT accept deliveries of flowers, balloons, candy, cookies etc., per USD 266 District Policy. You may find the information on page 25 of the Student Handbook under deliveries. We appreciate your cooperation!

In the event of an emergency in your child's school, the Blackboard Connect parent notification system will be used to notify you of the situation and will alert you to steps you need to take in order to reunite with your child. Voice messages will be sent to all phone numbers and emails listed in Skyward Family Access "Family 1." To view the contact information that the district has on file, please log on to Skyward Family Access and click on "Student Information." If you are unsure how to log on to Skyward Family Access, please contact your child's school for assistance.

NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK

Food Service is celebrating National School Breakfast Week with a special menu on Fri. March 6th.

These will be served during normal breakfast time and for the standard breakfast price of $1.80

SKYWARD HEALTH INFORMATION

It is the responsibility of the parent to update medical information and contact numbers in Skyward Family Access during enrollment and throughout the school year. Teachers, coaches and other school staff rely on Skyward for important health information like asthma, seizures, diabetes, and food allergies. In addition to updating Skyward, the parent/guardian must also personally communicate this information to the school nurse who will educate and train the appropriate staff. If parents and/or student have questions regarding school guidelines and policies in keeping students safe and healthy at school, please contact the school nurse.