Kelly Newsletter

Dear Kelly Families~

It is hard to believe that September is already over, and that cooler temperatures and more fall-like weather have arrived. Our students and teachers have been busy building relationships, reviewing routines & expectations, and taking assessments to guide future instruction.

The safety of our students and staff is always a priority. During the school day please utilize door 1 and come directly to the office. Our secretaries can assist you with getting your child or getting items to them. Only during special events can we allow parents/guardians to go to their child's classroom. If your child's plans change for after school please try to communicate that information to the teacher and/or office by 1:00 pm. It is very challenging to get information to our students right before dismissal. Also, a reminder that district policy states that students are not permitted to use cell phones or smart watches during the school day.

We look forward to seeing you all during our October parent/teacher conferences. Classroom teachers will be sharing a SignUp Genius link through SeeSaw this week. When you are here for conferences we encourage you to visit the library to see the new furniture that was funded by our fabulous Kelly School PTO. This flexible and fun seating provides something for everyone. During your library visit you can also see where all students are receiving social studies instruction this year. This was a district wide change and replaces the instructional para time for kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grade students and the Spanish time for grades 3, 4 & 5.

Thank you for taking the time to review all the items in this month's newsletter!

LuAnn Schmidt

Associate Principal

Monday, October 2nd-6th-Spirit Week

Wednesday, October 4th-1:30 Dismissal

Wednesday, October 4th-Walk & Roll to School Day

Thursday, October 12th-Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:00pm

Friday, October 13th-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ONLY-NO SCHOOL

Friday, October 13th-Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:00-4:00pm

Tuesday, October 17th-Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:00pm

Tuesday, October 17th-Popolino's Pizza Fundraiser Event

Wednesday, October 18th-No School

Thursday, October 19th-No School

Friday, October 20th-No School

Wednesday, November 1st-1:30 Dismissal

Monday, October 30th-Monthly Family Event-2:30pm

On Friday, October 13th there is no school for elementary schools due to Parent/Teacher Conferences. THIS IS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ONLY.

If you are taking your child out of school early for any reason (i.e. vacation, activities, appointments) please let the office know ahead of time. Students aren't necessarily in the classroom so it helps us locate your child in a timely manner so the checkout process goes smooth. You will also need to come into the office and sign your child out.

If your child is absent or late, please call the attendance line by 8:30am. Communication between home and school ensures the safety of your child.

701-746-2269-attendance line

701-746-2265-school office

If you need to pick your child(ren) up before 3:00 from Encore on early release Wednesdays you can text the supervisor at 701-787-1829.

This year as part of our Positive Behavioral Interventions Supports (PBIS) program all students and staff will be blasting off into space. Our mission this year will focus on respect,

trustworthiness, fairness, caring, citizenship, and responsibility. All classrooms will participate in weekly class meetings where they will learn and work collaboratively on these important words of the year. Each month at an assembly a grade level will be teaching us about one of the words. Our tagline this year is “Ignite! Inspire! We are on Fire!”

Beginning in October you are invited to attend a monthly Family Event. Some events you’ll be joining us in a class meeting and other months we will be participating in a Read Every Day

(RED) event. During the class meeting you’ll learn alongside your children as you have discussions and participate in activities. It is our hope that these events help to build the home/school connection and that you are able to use these skills at home and in other settings. Our RED events are a time for you and your child/children to read together for 20 minutes.

If you have more than one child at Kelly School, you may bring your children together into one classroom each month. Please try to alternate so each child is still able to participate with their class. It will be helpful to have a plan in place before the event begins so that we can begin on time. Below are the dates and times of this year’s monthly Family Events. We hope you can join us!

Monday, October 30th at 2:30pm Class Meeting

Wednesday, November 29th at 8:30am RED Event

Tuesday, January 30th at 8:30am Class Meeting

Tuesday, February 27th at 2:30pm RED Event

Wednesday, March 27th at 8:30am Class Meeting

Monday, April 29th at 2:30pm RED Event

GFPS Families,

As we continue to focus on our most important work, teaching our students, we continue to review our communication practices in order for our teachers and administrators to be in classrooms working with your students.

These communication practices honor the skills and expertise of our office support staff, establish communication expectations and norms that allow employees to focus on their work while still maintaining timely communication, and encourage a healthy balance between professional work and home.

With the above goals in mind, we ask you to be aware of the following practices:

• Secretaries manage administrators’ time and calendars. Please make meeting requests in advance directly through the secretary, who also may be able to effectively resolve your needs and concerns.

• Employees are encouraged to have quiet hours, which is time after work (around 5 p.m.) and on the weekends when they are not expected to answer emails and other communications. Please note: the teacher contract day ends at 4 p.m.

• Employees are asked to provide an initial response to messages (emails, SeeSaw, etc.) within a reasonable period of time. Employees are encouraged to use their discretion based on circumstances specific to the request received.

• When an immediate response is desired, families are encouraged to contact the school office via telephone. A directory of those telephone numbers can be found at https://www.gfschools.org/Page/7867.

• Unless it is an emergency, families can expect at least one business day to receive an initial response.

• If there is an emergency situation or safety concern after school hours, on the weekend, or when school is not in session, please contact law enforcement.

• An emergency is any situation or threat which requires immediate response or attention to prevent a potential crisis. Building administrators are not always immediately available or able to access their digital devices.

• Call the GFPD at 701-787-8000, or

• Text GFPD to 847-411 to send an anonymous tip.

• If it is an immediate concern, call 911.

• Important and routine school concerns for school administrators will still receive a timely response and should continue to be routed through the school secretary, who will work with the school administrator on next steps. For more information, please see our Guide to Addressing Academic and School Concerns at https://www.gfschools.org/Page/8887.

We appreciate your support and understanding of these practices. We believe having clear guidelines will benefit families and employees as we work together to create a positive school experience.

Thank you,

Superintendent Dr. Terry Brenner

Arrival/Dismissal:

We ask that students be dropped off between 8:15-8:20am at their designated door. As a reminder, there is no morning supervision on the playground. If your child arrives early and does not attend breakfast, he/she will be unsupervised until 7:55am. Entryways will be supervised by paraprofessionals from 7:55-8:20.

At the end of each school day, older siblings will meet their younger siblings at their classrooms and will exit the building together at the youngest sibling's door. Teachers will walk their classes to their assigned doors at 3:00 for dismissal.

Students riding the bus or childcare vans will be dismissed through Door #1.

ASSIGNED DOORS:

Door 1: All Kindergarten

Door 2: Cebula, Miller, Restad, Klingler

Door 4: All 3rd Grade, Kossan, Sorensen

Door 5: Aubol, Pederson

Door 11: All 5th Grade

Door 13: All 1st Grade

Nothing is more important than the safety of our students. For those of you returning to Kelly School, you are aware that the congestion in our parking lots at arrival and dismissal time can be a source of frustration.

We are asking all families to review and follow the traffic flow procedures outlined in the maps below. They have been designed to ensure the safety of all and to expedite the arrival and dismissal process.

NOTE: TRAFFIC ONLY FLOWS ONE DIRECTION IN THE NORTH PARKING LOT. Please adhere to following this traffic flow pattern at all times. Traffic should only flow into the north lot from Oak or 29th and out onto Cherry Street before, after, and during the school day. The same traffic pattern must be also be followed on early dismissal days as well. Please do not exit the north parking lot onto Oak Street. This slows down traffic by causing congestion and puts our students who walk across the parking lot at risk.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation in advance.

Kelli

• The cost of student's lunch is $2.20, reduced is $1.20. The cost of student's breakfast is $1.20, reduced is $0.00.
• Please click on this link for the Fee and Reduced Lunch Application: https://www.gfschools.org/Page/8333
• IF YOU QUALIFIED FOR THIS PROGRAM IN THE PAST YOU WILL STILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE FORM FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR.
• You can check your child's lunch account balance and meal purchases or pay for your child's lunch by going to myschoolbucks.com. It's super easy and convenient.
• In accordance with the Grand Forks Public School Wellness Policy #6175 we strive to be superior in our nutrition standards. This means that no fast food or other restaurant food is allowed in the lunchroom for any student.
• Our district campuses are PEANUT & TREE NUT restricted. We have children in our building that have severe life threatening allergies to peanuts, nuts and products that have peanut or nut traces in them. Please check labels when packing school lunch or snacks for your child.
• If paying by check, please make the check payable to GFPS or Grand Forks Public Schools.

We ask parents to pay for Chromebook cases, Device Protection (for both Chromebooks & iPads) and intramurals online through MySchoolBucks. This will help minimize the amount of cash/check deposits being handled throughout the day.

Create your free account today and never worry about having to send cash/checks to school with your student again. Visit myschoolbucks.com or download the app today to get started.

How do I enroll?

• Go to www.myschoolbucks.com and click enroll now.
• Create an account for yourself and your children. You will need to know your student’s district ID number, date of birth, school and grade.
• Provide credit or debit card information.

Why should I sign up for this service?

• You can view your child’s cafeteria purchases.
• You can sign up for free e-mail notifications when the lunch account is low in funds.
• You may prepay their lunch account without sending money to school.
• My SchoolBucks will charge a $2.49 service fee when adding money to a lunch account.

• If your student needs any medication given at school, a Medication Authorization Form must be filled out and signed by the health care provider and the parent/guardian. This is required for all medications including inhalers and over the counter medications.
• Parents or guardians may drop off student medications along with the corresponding Medication Authorization Form at Open House on August 29th.
• Medications must be in their original containers.
• Students are not permitted to bring any over the counter or prescription medications to school in their backpacks and take it without adult supervision. All medication must be administered by authorized personnel in our school office.
• Additional GFPS Medical Information and Forms: https://www.gfschools.org/P

Student Absence: If your child is absent or late, please call the attendance line by 8:30am.

701-746-2269-attendance line

701-746-2265-school office

Telephone Calls: Calls do not ring into the classroom during school hours to minimize interruptions. Messages for students can be left on the teacher’s voicemail.

Peanut/Tree Nut Restricted: When sending a snack or packing a lunch, please remember to check labels to make sure it does not contain or have any traces of peanuts/nuts. We have students with severe peanut allergies in our building.

Birthday Snacks: Due to the increase of students who have severe food allergies and the higher levels of severity, we no longer celebrate student birthdays with a “birthday snack” in our schools. Parents are welcome to find other non-food items to send to school if they wish. Please discuss with your child’s classroom teacher for ideas or preferences.

Arrival:

The first bell rings at 8:20 am. School begins at 8:25 am. Breakfast is offered 7:40-8:15 am. All students coming to breakfast must use Door 16.

Dismissal: The safety of our students is a top priority for us at Kelly School. As per district policy, schools will have parents meet their child(ren) at a designated location outside the school at dismissal time.

• Teachers will bring their students to a location outside the school at their classroom’s assigned door. Students will meet their parent or person picking them up at a prearranged meeting place near the assigned dismissal door.

• Older siblings meet youngest sibling at youngest sibling’s assigned door.

• Bus/Daycare van students will walk through the school to Door #1 to board their bus or van.