Le Journal

AL News & Updates

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30 January 2026

Immigration Updates and Support

Dear AL Community,

We are aware that recent federal immigration and travel policy changes have raised questions and concerns for our school community, particularly as they relate to educators across the country. Académie Lafayette is closely monitoring these developments and working proactively to support our staff while keeping our students and community safe.

At the federal level, new immigration measures have been announced that affect visa processing and international travel for individuals from approximately 75 countries in addition to the travel restrictions affecting 39 countries. These changes may include longer processing timelines, increased documentation requirements, expanded reviews of employer-sponsored visas such as H-1B visas, and heightened scrutiny when traveling internationally. Some of these measures may impact a few of our educators, particularly those who are renewing visas, awaiting approvals, or traveling abroad. We recognize that the uncertainty surrounding immigration policies can be stressful. Académie Lafayette is working closely with experienced immigration attorneys to stay informed, plan responsibly, and support our staff through any additional steps that may be required.

We also understand that recent developments across the country have raised concerns about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At this time, we have no verified information indicating any reason for alarm at our campuses. Please be assured that the school has established procedures in place should ICE or any other official agency come to AL. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and staff, and we will continue to follow all applicable laws and protocols while keeping our community informed as appropriate.

We know many families have reached out wanting to support, and we are truly grateful for that care and solidarity. At this time, we are being thoughtful about how much public attention we draw to immigration-related matters, keeping our focus on the safety and well-being of students and staff. Our efforts are centered on supporting our educators through appropriate legal guidance and internal planning.

We appreciate our community’s understanding, trust, and compassion as we navigate this evolving situation responsibly. As more clarity becomes available, we will continue to share updates as appropriate.

Thank you for your continued support of Académie Lafayette.

Have a great weekend.

Elimane Mbengue

Superintendent

embengue@academielafayette.org

Upcoming Events

January 31

Oak Open House & School Saturday, 10-noon (Rescheduled from 1/24)

Girls' 4th-8th Grade VIP Dance, 6-8 pm, Armour

February 3

Cherry & Oak Parent-Principal Coffees, 7:15 am

February 5

Armour Parent-Principal Coffee, 8:30 am

ALIHS and Armour MS Open House, 5:30-7:30 pm

February 7

3rd Annual Ethnic Food

Festival, 6-8 pm, Armour - Buy tickets now!

February 9

Board Meeting, 6 pm, Armour & Online

February 10

2 Restaurant Giveback Nights: Sayachi Sushi and Jarocho (in KCK)

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

February 19

Cherry 2nd & 3rd Grade Concert, 6 pm, Oak Auditorium

February 22

Oak Orchard Wassail Party, 1-3 pm

February 25

6th Grade 2027 France Trip Meeting, 6 pm, Oak Auditorium

February 27

K-5 February Birthday Lunches

Summer School 2026

June 8-July 8. No school on 6/19 or 7/3.

Access our live academic and athletics calendar here.

Want to see all of our links in one place? Click here!

Summer School 2026

Summer School will be held from Monday, June 8 to Wednesday, July 8. No school on 6/19 and 7/3. Summer School is open to all 26-27 K-8 students. Summer School enrollment information will be shared at a later date. Stay tuned!

Table of Contents

From the PTO
Math Club for Oak 2nd & 3rd Graders
Buy Your Ethnic Food Festival Tickets Today
Auction Item Solicitation Volunteers Needed!
Order Your 25-26 Yearbook Today
Upcoming Open House - Volunteers Needed

Armour MS & ALIHS Open House Information
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!

AL Insights

From the PTO

Girls 4th-8th Grade VIP Dance

Calling all girls in grades 4-8 - it's dance time tomorrow, 1/31, 6-8 pm at the Armour campus. Tickets are on sale now at alpto.org/vip. Visit the VIP Dance page for a full schedule of VIP dances and FAQs. Click here to volunteer!

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

Math Club for Oak 2nd & 3rd Graders

The math club is all about having fun with math and exploring topics that might not be covered in the classroom. The club will be on Thursday directly after school until 4:30 starting February 5th, with the last meeting on March 26th. Space is limited. Sign up to enter the lottery for seats by January 31st at 11:59pm. Space is limited. Questions? Email rachel.l.moyer@gmail.com.

Note: The ending time has been moved to 4:30 to accommodate families who need to pick up a student at Armour.

Buy Your Ethnic Food Festival Tickets Today

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.

Auction Item Solicitation Volunteers Needed!

We need YOU to join the Evening in Paris Auction Solicitation Team!

All materials are prepared - we just need helping hands to reach out to local businesses. With nearly 200 businesses still waiting for a volunteer, even a small effort makes a big difference. Many hands make light work, and since the auction is the heart of our event, your help will truly make it shine!

Have a unique item or experience to donate? Community Parties (Wine Walk, Shrimp Boil, Survivor) or special items, like last year’s lab-created diamond studs, add excitement and make the event even more memorable.

Contact Hollie Vogel if interested, hvogel@academielafayette.org.

Order Your 25-26 Yearbook Today

K-8 Yearbooks

Send any pictures you would like to submit for consideration to communication@academielafayette.org. Kindly include the grade level and campus.

Ordering deadline is 3/08/26. Distribution will happen by the end of the school year.

Order K-8 Yearbook

ALIHS Yearbooks

Ordering deadline is 3/08/26. Distribution will happen by the end of the school year.

Order ALIHS Yearbook

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 31, 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!

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!

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!

Click here to view the ALIHS brochure!

School Communications

If you know someone who is not receiving this newsletter, encourage them to contact communication@academielafayette.org.
We 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.