Welcome Back, Lyon Families!
We are so excited to kick off the 2022-2023 school year! This newsletter serves as a one-stop shop that features all of the back to school information you need to know! Each month we will send an update on the excitement and learning occurring at Lyon Elementary. We also want to keep you informed of events throughout the year at Lyon. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. 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!

Dr. Boehmer, Principal
&
Mrs. Gove, Assistant Principal
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.
Lyon Open House and Kindergarten Orientation
Kindergarten will have Orientation on August 11th, and 1st-5th grade will have Open House on August 16th! Details are below.
Kindergarten
August 11th
Kindergarten teacher assignments will be posted on the front doors at Lyon on August 10th by 4:00pm. On August 11th, Kindergarten families will have the opportunity to meet their teacher, drop off supplies, and tour Lyon. Kindergarteners will go on a short bus ride, while parents will have time with classroom teachers to learn about the Lyon Kindergarten experience.
1st-5th Grade
August 16th
Class lists will be posted on the front doors of Lyon on August 12th by 4:00pm. Your child's teacher can also be viewed through the parent portal.

On August 16th, we will have a come and go Open House for all students in grades 1st-5th grade. Students and families will have the opportunity to meet their teacher and drop of school supplies.
The First Day of School is August 22nd!

On the first day of school students are encouraged to ride the bus to school or to be dropped off using the car line. In an effort to limit the number of visitors in our facilities, we are asking that only incoming kindergarten students be walked into school if they choose not to use the bus or car line.

Kindergarten families wanting to participate should arrive at 8:30 a.m. on the first day as this will allow all other students to be settled into classrooms and out of hallways prior to escorting your Kindergartener to class. This will also help with traffic congestion outside. Please park in the lot in front of the building. Walking students to class will only be permitted on the first day of school.
Parent & Student Handbook

The 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.
Lunch Money &
Free and Reduced Lunch Form

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, families have the option to make online meal payments in the SISK12 Parent Portal 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
 
Secondary Breakfast $1.30
Secondary Lunch $2.70
 
Reduced Breakfast FREE
Reduced Lunch $0.40
 
Adult/Visitor Breakfast $2.25
Adult/Visitor Lunch $4.15

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 above, 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.
 
Our goal is to get 100% of these forms returned by August 10, which is when online registration also closes. Go to https://rb.sisk12.net/RB360x3/parent to complete yours form!
New Lyon Car Line Route

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 8:20 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. In addition, we also have a new car line route this school year! We are asking our families to enter a different driveway than they did last year, which is the one previously used to exit. It is the same entrance we use for summer school pick-ups and drop-offs. Please see the map.
 
As requested in the past, please do not begin lining up until 15 minutes before dismissal to help avoid traffic trouble. Please have your carline sign visible in the window of your car. You’ll receive this at our open house. If you cannot attend, we will ask that you come into the office to pick them up at another time.  
 
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. 
School Bus, Drop-off, and Pick-up Procedures

School Start Time:
8:20 a.m. (Doors will open at 8:00 a.m.)
Please drop off before 8:20*, especially if your student is eating breakfast.
*The car line will close at 8:15. If arriving after 8:15, please walk your student in to the office.

School End Time:
3:20 p.m. Monday-Thursday
2:20 p.m. on Fridays only for early release (see
below for details)
Please do not line up prior to 3:05 p.m. due to traffic congestion.

Arrival Procedures:
Students may proceed directly to their classrooms after arriving at school. Students eating breakfast will stop by the cafeteria before going to class.

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, 2021, 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.  

Drop off and Pick Up:
Again, please note that the car line traffic flow will be different than previous years. Please refer to the Traffic Flow Map on the building's website under "Resources" for drop-off and pick-up procedures. Building doors will be opened at 8:00 a.m. each morning. Please do not drop children off at the building prior to 8:00 a.m. Students are not permitted to wait outside or in the foyer of the building prior to 8:00 a.m. Adults will be present outside for supervision beginning at 8:00 a.m. Students may only be dropped off from the main car line. Parents are also welcome to park and walk students to the building. Please do not allow students to walk across the parking lot unattended.

School will be dismissed Monday - Thursday at 3:20pm., and 2:20pm. on Friday. In order to decrease congestion, please do not line up prior to 3:05pm. (2:05pm on Fridays). It is our goal to get students with families within 13-15 minutes. 
Weekly Friday Early Release

As a reminder, the Republic School District implements a weekly Friday early release. Lyon students will be released each Friday at 2:20pm. 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 (2:30-3:30 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.
RepMO Ready 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.
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 top of mind for you 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.

Any parent or staff member with concerns about school safety can contact building leaders or our Director of School Police, Scott Umbarger, at 417-732-3605 ext. 6200.
Communication

Please call the Lyon office with changes in contact information as soon as possible throughout the year. Lyon educators value communication with families and are always available for students and parents.
  • District Website 
  • Building Website
  • District Twitter: @republicschools
  • District Facebook: Republic School District
  • Building Facebook: Lyon Elementary School
  • Building Principal, [email protected], Assistant Principal, [email protected], 417-732-3630
  • Peachjar E-Flyer Service: Weekly optional email with school related and approved e-flyers to keep families informed of district and community information.
  • 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)
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.
 
Visit republicschools.org/STRIPES360 for details and to register.
Dates to Remember: visit republicschools.org for a full calendar
August 10th: Deadline for online registration through SISK12 Parent Portal; Kindergarten teacher assignments emailed to families

August 11th: Kindergarten Orientation, 5:30-7:00pm

August 12th: Class lists posted on front doors at 4:00pm (class assignments can be seen on the SISK12Parent Portal)

August 13th: Lyon Beautification Day, 8:00am-12:00pm

August 16th: Open House (1-5), 5:30-7:00pm

August 18th: Transportation details available on the SISK12 Parent Portal

August 22nd: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

August 30th: ADPP Due

September 5th: No School - Labor Day

September 15th: Grandparent's Night

September 23rd: Fall Picture Day

September 30th: SI Day - No School

October 25th & 27th: Parent-Teacher Conferences