October

Oct. 12 Signs of Suicide (SOS) Survey

Oct. 13 Teacher Work Day; End of 1st Quarter; No School

Oct. 18 Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-7pm

Oct. 19 Parent-Teacher Conferences 8-8pm (more info below)

Oct. 20 No School

Oct. 23 Growth & Development

Oct. 26 Fall Family Event 5:30-7:30pm

Oct. 16-30 Scholastic Book Fair: This will be open during conferences & our Fall Festival

Night Event Options for 2023-24:

Apr. 18 Bulldog Bash 5:30-8:30pm

TSGA Families,

Teachers have emailed 1st quarter progress report from your child's homeroom teacher. Teachers have also sent out a D/F messenger for all students in their courses. This is to let you know if your child has a grade that they can improve before we get to the end of the quarter. Teachers have communicated the last day to turn in work in their class to students. Your child can complete and submit missing work to help raise their grade.

A couple of helpful things when reading this progress report or viewing grades in Schoology.

• If a student has any missing assignments there will be a "Missing" note in the comments.
• If there is a piece of paper next to an assignment it means that your child has turned in a missing assignment. Teachers will try to remove the "Missing" comment ASAP, but it may still appear.
• Students cannot earn below a 50% on any assignment. You should never see a "0" earned on an assignment.
• Students can earn below a 50% on an assessment.

If you have any questions about grades, please reach out to that specific teacher. They will be able to provide information about your child's progress in their class. If you did not receive a progress report, please reach out to our office.

October is Kindness Month. We held our "Kick Off to Kindness Month" during the first week of October. We had a Spirit Week. Students were encouraged to participate. If you visit our Facebook page you can view photos of those who chose to do so. We will be focusing on being kind during Kindness Month and for the remainder of the school year. The outline for that is listed below.

We will be starting our World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser on Tuesday, October 10. We will share information with students and they will be able to participate if they would like with parent permission. The permission slip will come home with students, but I am also including it below. You can view it and download the PDF to print at home if you would like. Each box of chocolates costs $60. There are various prizes for selling different amounts of cases of chocolate. This is our only fundraiser of the year and it greatly helps support our PTA and TSGA. Thanks if advance for participating!

I will send out two newsletters each month. At the beginning of the year there is a lot of information to share and many links that are included in the newsletter. We want to share as much information as possible so you as a parent feel comfortable as you send you child to TSGA to for their 6th grade year. There will be some information that will be included in every newsletter. I will always try to add new information to the top of the newsletter. If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to call TSGA. Our office number is 288-3800.

Sincerely,

Matthew Kennedy

Principal, Turner Sixth Grade Academy

Students with parental consent will participate in the Signs of Suicide Program on Tuesday, October 10th. Consent for this program was included in the Online Registration for the 2023-2024 school year. This program teaches students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend.

Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a brief depression screening form. This form cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should seek help from a mental health professional. Our school Mental Health Team will meet with students following the screener to provide additional support as needed.

The topic of depression and suicide can be challenging and emotional. Please take the time to start a conversation with your student about the topic and make sure your child knows they can talk to you.

BOOST is an after-school program that focuses on supporting students who may need more support in ELA and math. This will take place T/W/Th after school from 3:30-4:30pm. Students will receive small group instruction and will also work in Lexia and IXL during BOOST sessions. Transportation and a snack are provided.

We will have three sessions of BOOST. The dates for those sessions are:

• Session 1: October 24-November 30 (5 Weeks)
• Session 2: January 9- February 9 (5 Weeks)
• Session 3: February 13- March 8 (4 weeks)

Next week we will send invites via email to the families of students chosen to participate in BOOST. If you receive an email to participate, please fill out the Microsoft Form and submit. We can only have a certain number of students participate and would like to get as many signed up that we can.

We will be having our fall parent-teacher conferences on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, October 18 4-7pm

Thursday, October 19

• 8-11 AM Conferences
• 11-12 PM - NO CONFERENCES Staff Lunch
• 12-4 PM Conferences
• 4-5 PM NO CONFERENCES - Staff Dinner
• 5-8 PM Teacher Conferences

We will have staff members placed in the hallway who will hand out a conference form for each student. Your child will have filled out these conference forms in their homeroom class.

Parents are invited to visit each of your child's classroom teachers (ELA, Math Science & Social Studies). and Exploratory teachers (Art, Mobile Media, Music & PE). Explo teachers will be set up in the gym.

We do have translators available for families that need that option.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open during conferences.

Our 6th grade students will receive growth and development information on Monday, October 23. Boys and girls will hear this information in separate classrooms. A staff member from the Wyandotte County Health Department and TSGA will be present during this time.

We will be sending home opt-out forms. You only need to return this if you do not want your child to view the video. If you would like to view the video that students will view, please reach out to Nurse Pittman and she can share that with you.

After school clubs will begin the week of September 25 at TSGA. These clubs are offered from 3:30-4:30pm. Each club takes place on the night the club sponsor chooses. Transportation is provided or you may choose to pick your child up as a car rider.

Your child was shown a short video about each of the clubs offered at TSGA. If there were interested in a specific club, a Microsoft Form permission slip was emailed to you to fill out. Student may participate in more than one club if they choose, provided they do not take place on the same dates. Below is a list of clubs and the night they are offered:

Tuesday

• Coding Club
• Student Council
• Girls on the Run

Wednesday:

• Check Club (every other club meeting date)
• Board Game Club (every other club meeting date)

Thursday

• Writing Club (Fall)
• Science Club (Fall)
• Project Lit (Spring)
• Math Club (Spring)
• Girls on the Run
• Cooking Club (Sep. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 26): This club is offered in four-week sessions. We will have a total of four sessions. The future session dates are TBD. Only 8-10 students can be chosen per session.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at 288-3800.

Schoology is our district's learning management system. Your child will use this daily at TSGA. When logged is as a parent you can view information about your child's grades and can communicate with their teachers. I encourage you to download the app, if you have not already done so, in preparation for the upcoming school year. Use the link below to log-in to your Schoology account.

Schoology

Turner Sixth Grade Academy and the Turner Middle School have a joint PTA. Our PTA does many wonderful things for our 6th graders. We have an amazing PTA board. Lynette Droge and Chandra Ward are our PTA co-presidents. Please consider joining our PTA so that they can continue to support and provide for our students. Some of the things that the PTA has done over the years include:

• Organizing our World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser.
• Supporting our TSGA Kickball Tournament by providing funds so we can purchase kickball shirts.
• Supported school events (dances, celebrations, etc.) by donating food, water and other supplies.

I am including a flyer and QR code that you can use to join. You can just scan the code and select the "Membership Only" or "Membership & Spirit Wear Bundle" option. If you order spirit wear it will be delivered to TSGA and sent home with your child.

Turner Sixth Grade Academy is a place of learning. The primary mission and purpose of our school is to help students learn and prepare for a successful and productive future. It is our goal to create the best possible academic environment for students and teachers at Turner Sixth Grade Academy. Important characteristics needed by students include the desire and willingness to prepare for a successful and productive life.

Responsibilities of the student are:

• Attend class regularly and report to class on time.
• Bring appropriate learning materials to class: charged iPad, pencils, planner and string bag. • Build partnerships with others (teachers and peers).
• Make challenging academic choices.
• Learn about interests and strengths and how they create pathways to college and career goals.
• Prepare for and participate in the learning environment.
• Self-monitor and model digital citizenship to protect learning time and minimize distractions.
• Work positively and productively with peers, teachers, administrators, and parents to achieve your goals.

Breakfast

We will have breakfast available for students. When students arrive in the morning they may walk down to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. They will then walk back to their homeroom and may eat in there.

Lunch

We have three lunch periods each day. Students may choose to eat a school lunch or bring one from home. At school they will have three lunch options to choose from. They make their selection at the beginning of the day in homeroom. They receive a milk, main entrée and get to choose the sides (fruits or vegetables) from a buffet. They must choose at least one fruit or vegetable. If they choose to bring a lunch from home they should only bring what they need to eat. For example, they do not need to a large bag of chips to lunch and share with with their table.

Visit the TUSD Food Services website using the below link for:

• Breakfast and lunch menu
  
• Meal prices
• Free and reduced lunch application

You will need to complete the Online Registration (OLR) and Parent Acknowledgements before the start of the 2023-24 school year.

To do this you will need to:

1. Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on "Online Registration".

2. Enter and/or review the information on file for your child.

3. Sign-off of the Parent Acknowledgements. Read and sign any form under "Needs Attention". Only one parent needs to sign off. It should say "Signed and Pending" once you have completed it.

At TSGA, we have high academic and behavioral expectations for our students. Our focus is to help them learn and prepare for middle school. Occasionally 6th grade students will make a mistake and this provides us with a learning opportunity. When students exhibit certain behaviors there may be consequences. At TSGA we address behaviors is serveral ways and I wanted to highlight those below.

BIST

BIST is our behavior management system that we use to protect the learning environment when students are being hurtful or disruptive. When a student is hurtful or disruptive, the adult will calmly but assertively direct the student to move on the BIST continuum. This movement provides students with the opportunity to calm down and refocus so they can return to their regular seat and/or classroom. The continuum begins with the Safe Seat, which is a separate seat within the classroom. If the student continues to be hurtful or disruptive in the Safe Seat, the adult will calmly but assertively direct the student to move to the Buddy Room. The Buddy Room provides students with a separate seat in a new setting outside of their normal classroom. If the student continues to be hurtful or disruptive in the Buddy Room, the adult will calmly but assertively direct the student to move to The Learning Lab. As the student processes with the sending adult, they will move back through the continuum.

Student Code of Conduct

If a student receives a behavior referral, then I will address the behavior. In the District Handbook 23-24 you can find the "Turner Discipline Offenses and Consequences". This will show you how offenses are classified and what the possible consequences could be. You can use the "District Handbook 23-24" link in this newsletter to find and view that document.

Students at TSGA will get iPads to use and school and be able to take them home. There is a $20 usage/insurance iPad fee. This can be paid at Back to School Night or as we start the school year. We accept cash and/or checks and one of our secretaries can help you. This fee covers the first accidental damage. Make sure to review the usage agreement and the acceptable use policy which is linked below.

Some tips to help with iPad care:

• Charge every night
• Keep in a safe place (not on the floor at home or school)
• Bring to school each day
• Store safely in a backpack at school (when not in use)

I know that these sound like simple tips, but we experience numerous broken iPads at school and at home. Talk to your child about proper care and storage of the device so that we can avoid this issue.

Traversa App

All TUSD buses are now equipped with technology that allows parents to track their student’s bus and receive notifications about the bus location. Students will have swipe cards that they use when they get on or off of the their bus. This will allow parents to see track the bus ride. Students will need to keep this swipe card in a safe place. They receive one free lost card per year. If they need a third card, they will be charged $5.

If you have any questions or need assistance getting your student(s) linked in the Ride 360 app, please call us at 913-288-3700. We encourage you to watch the below videos to learn more about how to download the Ride 360 app as well as the many features you will find in the app, including phone notifications for when the bus is nearing your stop.

Features of the Ride 360 App: https://youtu.be/tXlMRen-snQ

Downloading and Linking Students to the Ride 360 App: https://youtu.be/Estz9DOdDi4

Bus Cards

Student should have bus cards and lanyards . Students will swipe their card when they get on the bus. This will allow parents to use the Traversa app to track their child's bus ride.

Remind your child to keep this bus card in a safe place. If a student loses their card, they do receive one free card. If they lose it a second time they are charged $5. If a student loses their card, please let our office staff know. There is additional information about the Traversa app in this newsletter.

Car Rider Arrival

Car riders can be dropped off starting at 7:40am in the front circle drive. We have two lanes. Your student will enter the building through the double doors. If you arrive after 8am your child will have to enter through the main office doors. They will have to press the buzzer to the right of the door to be let in.

Car Rider Dismissal

Car rider will go to our gym/cafeteria at 3:05pm. Once you pull up in the front drive a staff member will ask you who your child is, call for them and then they will come out. After the first couple of weeks our staff members will recognize you and may not have to ask who you are picking up.

Bus Arrival

Buses will be unloaded as they arrive at TSGA. A staff member will walk them from the bus into they building. Upon entering they will go straight to their homeroom.

Bus Dismissal

We load all busses at 3:05pm.

Bus Expectations

Transportation is provided by the district at no cost. This is a privilege that most other districts are not able to provide. Our goal is for bus drivers to safely get our students to and from school. This job becomes difficult when students do not follow the expectations on the bus. In an effort to help minimize or eliminate behaviors on the bus I will be addressing behaviors according to our district's code of conduct for students using district provided transportation.

While on the bus students are expected to:

• Stay seated
• Talk quietly
• Keep hands and feet to themselves
• Not throw anything

Excerpt from the Transportation of the TUSD Handbook:

"Bus drivers are the school authority on bus routes. Students are always to obey their driver. Violation of bus rules will result in the bus consequences indicated below and additional school consequences as indicated in this handbook’s Code of Conduct. Administrators have the authority to use discretion when enforcing bus consequences. All administrators also have the responsibility to impose an appropriate level of consequence for clear and blatant violations of the bus rules and TUSD Code of Conduct. This would include applying a higher level of consequence for serious violations of the code, even if it would be the student’s first offense.

• 1st referral: Warning
• 2nd referral: Loss of bus privilege for 1-3 days
• 3rd Referral: Loss of bus privilege for 3-5 days
• 4th Referral: Loss of bus privileges for a term to be determined by an administrator

Attendance

It is important to have your child attend TSGA every day. Classes start at 8:05am. After 8:05am a student will be counted tardy. All students get 10 excused absences. If your child is out for a medical purpose, you can share the doctor's note with our office staff and they will enter this as a medical absence. If your child is absent for any reason, please call the school at 913-288-3800. Our office staff will get this marked in our attendance system.

Debbie Pittman is our school nurse. She will be the one who takes care of your child's health needs at TSGA. She is a great resource if your child:

• has a health condition that needs attention at school
• becomes sick or ill
• needs hygiene supplies

Any student with a temperature of 100 degrees, or higher, will have to go home. If a student goes home with a temperature they cannot return until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication. If this occurs parents will be notified and have to pick them up immediately. You will not need to come into the office, just call 913-288-3800 and we will bring them out to you.

It is important that you have an updated phone number and email address so that we can contact you if this occurs. You can check and update this in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. If you have issues access your Parent Portal account please use the following email address for assistance: ParentPortalHelp@turnerusd202.org

Please follow TSGA on Facebook & Twitter.

Email: kennedym@turnerusd202.org
Website: https://www.turnerusd202.org/our-schools/turner-sixth-grade-academy
Location: 6425 Riverview Avenue, Kansas City, KS
Phone: 913-288-3800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turner6thgrade/
Twitter: @TSGABulldogs