East School Panther Press #1

September 6th, 2024

Message from the Principal

Welcome to a New School Year at East Elementary!

Dear East Elementary Families,

We are thrilled to kick off another fantastic year filled with learning, growth, and community building. We extend a warm welcome to all our new staff members and students. We can't wait to continue building our school community and strengthening the relationships that make East Elementary such a special place. Remember, at East, Everyone Achieves Success Together!

Important Reminders:

Field Trips & Background Checks

If you plan to volunteer or join us on any field trips this year, please remember that background checks are required. This is a crucial step in ensuring the safety of all our students. If you haven't completed one yet, please reach out to the office for more information. We appreciate your support in maintaining a secure environment for everyone.

Snack and Treat Guidelines

To keep all of our students safe, we want to remind everyone that no homemade treats, birthday cakes, or similar items are allowed. Please refer to the Elementary Handbook for a list of acceptable snacks. Your cooperation in following these guidelines helps us ensure that all students can enjoy safe and healthy treats at school.

Exciting Events & Dates to Remember:

Culver’s Share Night: Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 24th for our Culver’s Share night! A portion of all sales will go to our Parent Support Group to fund school activities.

Fall Fundraiser: Our Penny Challenge Fall Fundraiser kicks off on September 9th. Keep an eye out for more details on how you can support our school programs and activities.

Homecoming Week: Show your school spirit during Homecoming Week from Sept 23rd-27th. We'll have themed days, games, and activities to celebrate our East Elementary and Baraboo School District pride.

A Focus on Safety:

Safety is always our top priority at East Elementary. In addition to our snack guidelines and background checks for volunteers, we will be conducting regular safety drills throughout the year. These drills include fire, tornado, and lockdown drills, ensuring that our students and staff are well-prepared for any situation.

Communication is Key:

We believe that open communication between home and school is essential for student success. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in our system so that you receive important updates throughout the year. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or the front office with any questions or concerns.

Join the East Parent Support Group:

Our East School Parent Group (ESPG) plays a vital role in our school community. We encourage all families to get involved, whether through volunteering, attending meetings, or supporting events. Together, we can make a big difference!

Looking Ahead:

This year promises to be full of learning and growth. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where every student can thrive. Thank you for being a part of our East Elementary community. We look forward to a successful year ahead!

Best regards,

Jori Ruff

Principal

East Elementary

Contacts

Jori Ruff

Principal

608-355-3920 ext. 4010

jruff@barabooschools.net

Andrea Schroeder

Administrative Assistant

608-355-3920

aschroeder@barabooschools.net

815 6th Street

Baraboo, WI 53913

Attendance

Please call the office to report an absence or if your student will be late to school

or leave early.

Call 608-355-3920

and leave a voicemail

or send an email to aschroeder@barabooschools.net

Rebecca Christensen

School Nurse

(608)355-3920, Ext. 4160

rchristensen@barabooschools.net

Fax: 608-355-3975

Pat Gavin

Kidstop

(608)355-3925, ext. 7150

pgavin@barabooschools.net

Important East Elementary Routines including drop off and pick up information

Click Here!

ELECTRONIC ONLINE PAYMENT

Parents/guardians can pay fees and add funds to the child's lunch account from a phone or computer without having to send cash or check. If parents/guardians wish to make payments in person, each school has a credit/debit card reader available. Pay with a checking account online to avoid service fees.

Convenience: Electronic online payments can be made at any time, without having to physically come to the school.
Efficiency: Electronic online payments are posted immediately at the time of the transaction.
Safety: Electronic online payments reduce cash handling which lowers the risk of theft and misplacing funds.

East Elementary Staff

Click here for our staff list and their contact information

Vacations

It's important that you inform your child's teacher and and the office in regards to vacations.

From the Student Handbook: Parent requests for their child to be absent for more than two days in a row must be made in writing at least one week in advance to the building principal. Please email Ms. Andrea in the office with any vacation plans.

Field Trip Chaperones and Classroom Volunteers

Please complete a Raptor Background Check if you plan to chaperone this year. Don't wait until the last minute, sometimes they can take anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks to be returned. They are good for 2 years and if you are unsure if you have one on file, you can login here to check.

EAST SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

PENNY CHALLENGE!

SAVE THE DATE

A NOTE FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

Illness Management

We continue to require that students and staff who are ill stay home if they have a fever (100.4 or higher), are vomiting, or have diarrhea.
Students will need a medical note to return to school after five (5) consecutive illness absences, per the Student Handbook.
We will also continue to follow the District’s Communicable Disease Policy 453.3

If you have questions regarding current illness guidelines or have a positive test to report, please email or call the East Health Office.

rchristensen@barabooschools.net

bhelton@barabooschools.net

or 608-355-3920 x4160

Calling All Volunteers

The Baraboo School District will use Raptor Background Check moving forward to streamline the process and provide further protection to volunteer information. All applications will be completed online no longer requiring volunteers to bring information into the buildings for application. Click the link above to access the form.

This is needed if you plan to volunteer for any upcoming field trips with your child.

EAST SCHOOL PARENT GROUP

The East School Parent Group (ESPG) has many plans underway for ways to support the students and staff at East. The funds we raise throughout the year are used by classroom teachers and to support special school projects and events, such as the Pumpkin Walk and school Carnival!

There are a couple of easy ways to support the ESPG with things you're probably already doing. Follow our facebook page for volunteer opportunities, donate to our Venmo account for special events, and you can even earn money for the school by scanning eligible receipts with the Box Tops for Education app.

We would love to see you at our meetings, held the first Tuesday of each month in the Library at East from 6pm-7pm. Can’t attend? No problem! Visit our Facebook page to just learn more about ways you can help out. If you have any questions about ESPG, send us an email espgbaraboo@gmail.com or a Facebook message.

Future meetings:

Sept 10th

Oct 1st

Nov 12th

Volunteers Needed for Culvers Share Night. Sign up Here!

Volunteers Needed for The Baraboo Night Market Bartending. Sign up Here!

CLASSROOM SNACKS

CLICK HERE FOR THE APPROVED SNACK LIST

Home baked community/classroom treats are no longer allowed to be distributed in classrooms. This would include shareable items such as cupcakes, cake, brownies, fruit, vegetables, etc. Only pre- packaged, factory sealed, individual snack items are allowed to be shared in a classroom. Please make sure the ingredients list is on the box or package as well.

A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE

Families with students entering All-Day 4K-Grade 5 may enroll their students in the Fall 2024-2025 Kid Stop Program. Enrollment forms and information may be viewed on the district website or paper copies will be available at all elementary school offices and the East and GLW Kid Stop sites. Online registration is not an option. You may complete the registration form and schedule and either turn in to Gordon L. Willson Elementary School office or scan to the coordinator’s email at pgavin@barabooschools.net Once your enrollment form has been processed you will receive an email from the coordinator regarding whether your child is enrolled or on the waitlist.

Registration is on a first come first serve basis.

With questions, please contact Pat Gavin, Kid Stop Coordinator, at pgavin@barabooschools.net or phone (608) 355-3925 ext. 7150.