Bear Facts

Email: fleminge@usd231.com
Website: https://www.usd231.com/o/madison
Location: 800 W Madison St, Gardner, KS, United States
Phone: (913) 856-0400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadisonElementaryBears/
Twitter: @MDEBears

Monday, December 11th -

• Grinch Day
• 4th grade field trip

Tuesday, December 12th -

• Tree Topper Day
• 3rd and 4th grade spelling bee

Wednesday, December 13th-

• Holiday Cheer Day
• Full day! No early dismissal!
• Dental screenings
• Mathletics for 3rd and 4th grade
• Madison night at Papa John's

Thursday, December 14th-

• Pajama Day
• Madison Mart
• All school sing along
• Winter Parties @ 2:30- parents are invited to attend!

Friday, December 15th-

• No School! Have a wonderful winter break!

Monday- Day 1

Tuesday- Day 2

Wednesday- Day 3

Thursday- Day 4

Friday- No School

Bear Family,

I'm not sure how this has happened, but we're almost done with our first semester of school! Your students have been working so hard and I've been impressed with how focused and well behaved most of them have been leading up to winter break! Next week will be packed full of special events and lots of fun. Make sure you check out the winter spirit week graphic. On Thursday, we will have our winter parties at MDE. Just as with our fall parties, we ask that parents sign in at our tables inside the front doors before going down to classrooms. We will let parents head down no earlier than 2:20. No party animals, please 😊 (pets are not allowed). If you intend to take your student with you after the party, please make sure you indicate that when you sign in. Let us know if you have any questions about the 14th!

As the weather gets colder, please make sure you are sending your student in appropriate dress. Teachers like to get outside whenever possible...students need to get winter energy out! If the wind chill is 32 or above, students will be having recess outside, as usual. If the wind chill is between 31 and 11 degrees, outside recess is still an option but for a shorter amount of time. If the wind chill is 10 degrees or below, we will have indoor recess. So coats, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. will be important! If you are missing clothing items, our lost and found is overflowing! Come check it out!

Family time is so important and I hope that you all have a fun, relaxing winter break where you are able to connect or reconnect with those you love. Be safe and I look forward to seeing our bears in 2024!

Happy holidays!

Emily Fleming

Principal

Congrats to our Bear P.A.W. ticket winners this week! To earn a Bear P.A.W., kids must go above and beyond to show adults in the building a Positive attitude, Act of kindness, or Work ethic. When we catch students working hard, helping others, and staying positive, they can be awarded with a ticket. At the end of each week, a ticket is drawn in each classroom. The students who get their ticket pulled, get to come to Mrs. Fleming's office, get a gumball, and write their name on the map in our front hallway...because these kids are going to change the world and put their mark on the map!

The City of Gardner plans to have the new crosswalk on Madison, West of Poplar, completed this week (see aerial below). This will become the primary crossing for students living north and south of Madison to get to Madison Elementary & Gardner Edgerton High School. The crossing guard will move to this location. This new crossing will be equipped with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) Same as they have at Madison and the Gardner Greenway.

Due to the snow over Thanksgiving break, the project was not completed as expected. However, it should be completed soon. Gardner PD will have an officer on site at the Madison and Poplar intersection for a few days to direct students to the new crossing.

Today is the last day of our spirit wear sale.

Parents,

Please make sure you are sending your children to school in athletic shoes on P.E. days. If students do not have athletic shoes on their designated P.E. days, they will have to sit out for an alternative activity & will not be able to participate in the soccer activities.

Thank you,

Coach Perkins

The Madison Elementary health room is available if your child becomes ill or injured while at school. Please familiarize yourself with the USD 231 Parent Handbook with details of our Health Services guidelines and procedures. Kansas law requires all students to have on file evidence of required immunizations prior to attending school. The Medication Authorization Form must be completed and signed by the parent or guardian for all medications given at school. It is recommended that medication NOT be sent to school with children. Parents should bring the medication to the health room (8:15 am to 3:45 pm).

A student will be sent home from school with any of the following:

• Temperature 100 degrees or greater, or with incidents of vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• Symptoms related to a possible communicable disease.
• Excessive drainage from eyes, ears, persistent earache, constant cough, or painful sore throat with enlarged lymph nodes.
• Students with acute infectious disease or parasite

Mrs. Angie Serrano, Madison Elementary’s Health Room Nurse, is available to answer any additional questions you might have and you may contact her directly at 856-0450.

We know many families are experiencing financial challenges so we wanted to make sure everyone is aware of some of the awesome resources in our community! Please contact Mrs. Sleeper, school counselor, if you would like additional resources, more information, or to utilize any of these resources.

Joy Closet-

975 E. Lincoln Lane, Gardner

Hours: Mon 10-7, Tues 10-7, Wed 10-4, Thurs 10-7, Sat 10-2

This is a low cost thrift store in Gardner and they have generously provided us with vouchers for FREE clothing, shoes, linens, books, and small household items. Each voucher is good for 20 items of clothes, shoes, and bedding PLUS 10 books per household! If you would like a voucher, please email Mrs. Sleeper, at sleeperm@usd231.com.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace-

This is an organization of amazing volunteers in Gardner who build, assemble, and deliver top-notch bunk beds and new bedding to children and families in need.

BackSnacks-

Harvesters’ BackSnack program provides a weekly sack filled with nutritious, child-friendly food for school children to take home over the weekend throughout the school year. Mrs. Sleeper will deliver these to students at the end of the day on Fridays, putting them straight in their backpacks. We will start this in October so please sign up your children by emailing Mrs. Sleeper at sleeperm@usd231.com.

Hope Market-

This is an awesome food pantry in Gardner!

233 E Main St., Gardner

Hours: Tuesdays 5pm-8pm; Thursdays 9am-11am; Saturdays 9am-12pm

They don’t have any requirements other than to have a need for food.

See additional USD 231 Family Resources

In the event USD 231 closes school due to inclement weather or other school-related closures, the information is communicated as soon as the decision is made in the following ways:

• Posted on our website - www.usd231.com
• Posted to social media ( https://www.facebook.com/gardneredgerton and https://twitter.com/gardneredgerton.
• Local television stations (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)* Please know we are at the mercy of these stations as to whether or not they relay the information. There have been instances when the district has provided information, and the news station did not get it posted.
• Thrillshare App ( Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.gardner&hl=en_US OR Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/usd-231-gardner-edgerton/id1446800227)

Our inclement weather procedures can be found here: https://www.usd231.com/o/district/page/inclement-weather-procedures

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

We are excited to inform you about the convenient way to add money to your student's lunch account (Available now!). All funds can be added through My School Bucks, which is available via Power School.

For step-by-step instructions on adding money to your students lunch account, please refer to the attached guide: How to Add Lunch Money

Additionally, you can set up a low balance alert at your preferred minimum balance amount or automatically fund accounts when balance reaches a desired amount.

USD 231 Nutrition Services

We are writing to remind you of our employee and student recognition programs.

• The "Gardner Edgerton Students of Distinction" (GESD) program is designed to recognize students throughout the school year (approximately 3 to 4 employees a month - 30 or more a year).
• The "Great Employees Serving the District" (GESD) program is designed to recognize employees throughout the school year (approximately 3 to 4 employees a month - 30 or more a year).

Answers to a few questions you may have:

1. Nominations from previous years have been removed from the database.
2. Even if a student or staff member has been selected as a GESD in previous years, they are again eligible.
3. To learn more about the GESD - Students program, click HERE.
4. To learn more about the GESD - Employees program, click HERE.

Please see the attached for more information and start nominating!!! We will recognize our first student and staff member sometime in September. This will allow time for nominations to be submitted.

The Madison Elementary PTA Executive Board is excited about the upcoming 2023-24 school year! PTA works to enhance student experience throughout the school year including supplementing the funding for Field Day, Assemblies, Musical Refreshments, Teacher Appreciation, and purchasing additional resources to enhance the learning environment for our students. Get involved to make your child's elementary school years extra special! Joining the Madison Elementary PTA will ensure you are up to date on school events and helps you get involved in Madison Elementary activities. Check out the PTA link under Parent Info on the Madison Elementary website for more information.

Madison Elementary PTA Executive Board Officers

President: Leah Bates

Vice-President: Jessica Grimes

Treasurer: Heather Musselman

Secretary: Andrea Satterfield

Membership Chair: Trisha Perkins

Madison Elementary PTA Meeting Dates 9/11, 10/2, 11/13, 12/11, 1/22, 2/12, 3/18, 4/8, and 5/13. All meetings will occur in the Madison cafeteria at 7 p.m.

Email us at: Madisonbearpta@gmail.com Like us on Facebook "Madison Elementary PTA Gardner, KS"

Interested in the Madison PTA Happenings? Stay in the know!

We invite everyone to join the Madison PTA Facebook page. By searching Madison Elementary PTA Gardner, KS under Pages, you will be able to join the group and receive updated PTA information.

If you are interested in joining the PTA, please see the membership form.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter - @MDEBears and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MadisonElementaryBears. We will use our twitter and facebook accounts to share information, pictures, and classroom happenings throughout the school year so you can have a window into the classrooms and experience the learning with your bear.