Parkside Family Newsletter

It has been a wonderful start to the 24-25 school year! We ended our first week with an assembly and look forward to more assemblies and celebrations ahead as we focus on our Parkside Promise (to be respectful, responsible and safe).

Newsletters and Communication

Each month we will share a school newsletter that will highlight things happening in the building and important school information.

In addition to monthly newsletters from the office, you can expect a newsletter (at least 1x per month) from your child's classroom teacher. Additional updates and reminders will be shared through notes home, on Class Dojo and through Skyward Family Access.

Please make sure you are connected to your child's class on Dojo and have an updated email address in Family Access so you are receiving all important building level updates and reminders throughout the year. If you need assistance getting connected please contact the office at 608-328-7130. We are happy to help.

We are so glad to have you as a part of our Parkside Family!

Mrs. Trame

• At this time drop off is allowed on 4th Street (Burger King hill), but this area becomes very congested with bus traffic before and after school. We are requesting that as many families as possible use 10th Avenue (K-2 Playground) as the primary drop zone and meeting place for students in all grades as we have staff crossing guards in this area. If traffic congestion does not improve on 4th Street (Burger King hill) this may become a no parking/bus traffic only area for everyone's safety. If you are parking across the street on 4th Street (Burger King Hill) please walk across the road to meet your child on the sidewalk/in the grass to ensure they are not crossing the street in front of cars and busses on their own.

• Please refrain from using the front driveway parking area and staff parking lot near the garage as a meeting spot or crossing area before or after school. For safety reasons, we ask that you use the sidewalks or grass area. We have staff that travel between buildings or are coming and going to meetings during arrival and dismissal and want to avoid foot traffic in these areas.

For the safety of students, the driveway in front of the building is available to buses and staff vehicles only 7:30-8:10am. This is even more important on inclement weather days when visibility is low. Please DO NOT enter the driveway to drop off your student. The safest drop off area is on the sidewalk along the fence on 10th Ave.

When using the front driveway during the school day, please be cautious of your speed and be sure to STOP at the crosswalk by the front door. This is critical for the safety of our students and visitors.

What is PBIS?

Parkside Elementary School Staff believes that all students have the right to learn in a positive environment that is conducive to the learning process. As a district we follow the Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) model to support all students in their social and emotional development.

Cowboy Cash- Students demonstrating the monthly mission, modeling expected behaviors (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe) or going above and beyond to help others are celebrated with these coins. These coins will go in a jar to work towards an all school goal.

Best in the West- Students will be selected by their classroom teacher, this is the top weekly honor. Each week we look forward to celebrating these students with a certificate, a prize, a backpack tag and a photo! Look for weekly winners on Dojo!

All School Celebrations- All Cowboy Cash collected will be counted and assist us in achieving a school wide goal allowing us to have a celebration.

Parkside Elementary

2024-2025 School Hours

Morning Playground Supervision 7:30- 7:45 a.m.

*SUPERVISION IS NOT AVAILABLE BEFORE 7:30. FOR SAFETY REASONS STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE DROPPED OFF BEFORE SUPERVISION BEGINS.

Breakfast Served in the Cafeteria 7:30- 7:50 a.m.

Arrival Bell 7:45 a.m.

Class Begins (tardy bell) 7:50 a.m.

Monday -Thursday Dismissal 3:05 p.m.

Friday Dismissal 1:05 p.m.

One of the most important things your child can do to achieve success is going to school every day and being on time. As a parent/guardian, it is crucial to convey the importance of regular, on time attendance to your child. As a reminder, Wisconsin State Law authorizes 10 days of excused absences per parent request per year. After 10 excused absences, a doctor’s note must be provided.

For more important information, please review section 2 of the Parkside Student and Family Handbook. The handbook can be found here: https://www.monroeschools.com/schools/parkside/parents/family-student.cfm

Hey there, future leaders! 🌟

Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? We’re thrilled to announce a brand-new opportunity just for you! 🏆✨

Introducing the Student Leadership Committee 📬✨

This is your chance to:

• Get Inspired: Hear amazing stories from student leaders just like you!

• Learn New Skills: Discover tips and tricks to become a fantastic leader in school and beyond.

• Be Involved: Find out about fun events, cool projects, and ways you can make a difference at Parkside and beyond!

• Showcase Your Talents: Share your own leadership experiences with other students at Parkside

How to Sign Up:

1. Ask your teacher for the application.

2. Talk to your parent or guardian to make sure the meeting dates work for you. We will meet once a month on Mondays, from 3:15 - 4:00

3. Bring the form back to school by: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

4. Get excited- you will hear back from Mrs. Donovan, Mrs. Eckroat, and Mrs. K. Meier with more information. If you have any questions, stop by and ask any of us!

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to shine as a student leader! 🚀🌈

Sign up today and start your journey to becoming a super leader! 💪🎓

We can't wait to see all the amazing things you’ll do! 🌟

Mileage club starts September 16th for any students who are interested. Kindergarten through 2nd grade will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays, 3rd through 5th grade will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays both at 7:30 a.m. For kids who also get breakfast at school will go down to the cafeteria at 7:40.

Thursday September 19th- Cheese Days Pep Rally- Students are welcome to wear swiss attire or cheese days t-shirts/cheese accessories.

Friday September 20th- Cheese Days Weekend Begins- Wear Red and White to show your Monroe Spirit!

NEED TO UPDATE

In support of Homecoming on Friday, September 27th, we are showing our pride at Parkside with a week of fun dress-up days! We encourage all of our students and staff to show their school spirit and participate by wearing the appropriate clothing each day the week of September 23rd. All outfits must be school appropriate and they cannot interfere with classroom learning.

Monday, Sept. 23: Color Craze Day -Dress all in one color from head to toe

Tuesday, Sept. 24: Amazing Animals Day -Wear animal prints or an animal character on your shirt

Wednesday, Sept. 25: Character Day - Wear a shirt with your favorite character or dress up like your favorite book, tv, or movie character

Thursday, Sept. 26: Western Day Cowboy hats, boots, jean jackets, jeans, flannel shirts, belts, fringe- no pretend weapons

Friday, Sept. 27: Monroe Spirit Day -Show your school spirit and dress in red and white, Parkside shirts or Monroe shirts. Go Cheesemakers!

For the 24-25 school year all students will receive 60 minutes of phy.ed, music and art. Students will also have 30 minutes of SELF (instruction with the school counselor), and an opportunity to check out books in the library.

To start the year we have long term subs in SELF and art while Mrs. Covert and Mrs. Calvert enjoy maternity leave at home with their new babies. They will both return to work in early December.

Mrs. Covert's position will be covered by Ms. Linda Moser. Please note that Mrs. Covert is now a shared staff member and also teaches 1 day per week at Abe Lincoln Elementary. In the event you need to contact Ms. Moser while she is subbing she is checking Mrs. Covert's dojo messages and can also be reached by emailing lindamoser@monroe.k12.wi.us or calling the school office at 608-328-7130.

Mrs. Calvert's position is being covered by Mrs. Lisa Beach. She can be reached by emailing lisabeach@monroe.k12.wi.us or calling the school office at 608-328-7130.

Please review the important information outlined below about safety drills that will be conducted at Parkside during the 24-25 school year.

Fire Drills- It is required that a drill is conducted each month. Students may or may not be notified in advance for these drills. The alarm sounds and students evacuate to designated areas on the playground with their class.

Tornado Drills- It is required that two drills are conducted each year. Students will be notified in advance when a tornado drill will be conducted. Students proceed to designated areas during this drill.

Medical Emergency Drill- One medical emergency drill will be conducted during the school year. A medical emergency could be for a classroom injury or medical event pertaining to any student or staff member. In this type of drill classroom instruction continues while trained staff report to the location of the emergency. Classroom staff are instructed to keep students clear of hallways for privacy and safety in the event emergency personnel have been called to the building.

ALICE Drill- It is required that two drills are conducted each year. Over the course of the week of September 23rd-27th, your child will participate in this important safety drill. This drill will be conducted again in the spring.

ALICE is a proactive approach to responding to a dangerous event. ALICE stands for: Alert, Lockdown (hide/barricade), Inform (staff announce information about what they see/hear), Counter (make noise/movements/distractions), and Evacuate (run).

An age appropriate lesson about ALICE will take place in each classroom. Teachers will walk through different scenarios, read a children’s book or share a presentation with the class based on the grade level. The children’s book is titled, “Im Prepared Not Scared” and is available on YouTube if you wish to watch it.

For our fall drills, a classroom level practice with students evacuating the building as a homeroom and proceeding to a designated location off school grounds will also take place. In the spring a full school evacuation will be done.

We understand that safety drills can cause anxiety or fear for students. We encourage you to have conversations at home about these very important topics. We strive to keep all of these drills as routine as possible to ensure students feel comfortable with these procedures in hopes we never need to execute them during school.

Please feel free to contact me at anytime throughout the year if you have questions about our safety procedures or drills.

Thank you,

Mrs. Trame

We are excited to welcome certified therapy dog Maximus King Ryan back to Parkside classrooms again this year!

Maximus is a calm and patient listener. He enjoys spending time with our students and even participates in dress up days!

Please let us know if your student has a fear of or allergy to dogs.

Parents/ Guardians,

Please put an extra set of underwear/clothes/socks in your child's backpack in case of accidents or spills. The nurse's office has a very limited supply of extras and kids often feel most comfortable in something of their own in these situations.

~Mrs. Wilson

Parkside Nurse

Dress your best on Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Order forms will be sent home sometime BEFORE picture day. Orders can also be placed online at my.lifetouch.com using picture day I.D. EVTF2JZDB.

.

Picture re-take day is Wednesday, October 30, 2024

NO spring picture day

• Your student is absent or has an appointment.
• You are picking up your student early.
• There is a change to your child's regular pick up routine. We never take the word of a student on their changed plans, we must hear from a parent/guardian.
• You have questions about sick guidelines and need assistance determining if your child should come to school.
• You are wondering if your child has an item in the lost and found.
• You have any other questions- we will do our best to help!

(608) 328-7130 - voicemail messages may be left 24/7

As much as we want your child to be in school every day possible, please keep your child at home if they have any of the symptoms listed below. School is not a place that a child can easily rest if they aren't feeling well. Being at school also increases the chance of the illness being passed on to the other children.

• Fever over 100.0 degrees
• Vomiting in the past 24 hours.
• Diarrhea- runny, watery or bloody stools.
• Sore throat with fever.
• Rash with fever.
• Eye discharge- "goopy" thick discharge, matted eyelids and pink eyes.
• Cold symptoms that cause sinus or chest pain.
• Coughing up mucus.

Your child should stay home until free from a fever, vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours without medication to control the symptoms. Children often come back too early and have to be sent home again when symptoms return.

Full sick day guidelines are linked below.

Dana Kundert, RN, BSN

District Nurse

The Consent for Over-The-Counter Medication must be signed by a parent/ guardian and kept on file in the school health office. We will only have the following over the counter medications available in each school: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Calamine Lotion and Sting Relief.

If there is not a form signed, per state law and school policy we are not allowed to administer any form of over the counter medication to your student. We can no longer take verbal consent from a parent/guardian to give a medication.

October 4, 2024

When it is raining or there is a negative "feels like" temperature:

• Students arriving on the East side of the building will enter through the K/1 recess doors (door #5).
• Students arriving on the West side of the building will enter through the 3rd grade recess doors (door #10).
• Students will sit in the hallway outside their classrooms to wait for the morning bell to ring, breakfast will be available in the cafeteria like usual.
• Please remember that the front DRIVEWAY IS FOR BUS DROP OFF ONLY.

Parkside PTO would like to welcome you to a new year! PTO is a volunteer organization made up of parents, guardians, teachers, administrators and support staff who are all dedicated to a successful education of our children. PTO works hard to help make the school year both enjoyable and exciting for students, teachers and staff.

In previous years, our PTO has assisted funding for field trips, purchased a book vending machine and books, assemblies, purchased technology, new playground toys, student PBIS rewards as well as hosting family events at Parkside throughout the year.

PTO meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 in the Parkside LMC. All are welcome at anytime even if you can't attend every meeting. You can volunteer to help with events or give feedback at the meetings or just come and listen/learn about things at Parkside with no obligation to volunteer or sign up for anything!

The next meeting is October 2nd. If you have any questions about Parkside PTO, please email parksideelementarypto@gmail.com.

PTO Officers:

Shawn Danzinger, Co President

Jami Cregan, Co President

Allison Donovan, Co Vice President

Heidi Adrian, Co Vice President

Erin Cassidy, Secretary

Hailey Laws, Treasurer

You can support the Parkside PTO by ordering online from Papa Murphy's September 4th-9th!

All you need to do is order online and use code: SCHOOL at checkout. Parkside PTO will get 20% of your total online purchase.

The Parkside PTO has five spots during the Friday morning shift in the merch tent that need to be filled. We are able to make quite a bit of money doing a pretty easy job for PTO by selling shirts and other Cheese Days merch.

The task involves sorting shirts and taking payments. There are also Cheese Days board reps/volunteers there overseeing the volunteer group. The work is best for adults/high school age students as it can be fast paced and busy at times and involves money!

If you would be willing to volunteer on behalf of Parkside PTO please contact the PTO at parksideelementarypto@gmail.com or Mrs. Trame.

The USDA free/ reduce program only covers a full breakfast and full hot lunch for free/reduced pricing.

Milk for cold lunches are available for purchase for 50 cents. Students can bring cash or they can charge their lunch accounts. There is a parental control option that can be put on the student's account to prohibit lunch charges. If interested, please contact the office. All students have access to water in the lunchroom for free.

Snack milk is covered under the USDA program and is free only to those that qualify. If your family needs a food service application to qualify for financial assistance, please contact the office.

Hello all and welcome to the new school year. It seems like once school starts we get caught up in the busyness of school, activities and life. Each month in the newsletter we are going to provide a Mindful Moments corner for parents/caregivers with activities to do with your children. It will also provide information about mindfulness and its benefits.

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing. When children spend mindful moments fully connecting with their parents/caregivers, they feel less anxiety and have a greater sense of self-value and self-awareness.

Our first tip is simple and easy to implement. Take 5-10 minutes (or more) to spend with your child(ren) sometime in the morning or in the evening, without other distractions (putting the phone aside, turning off the tv,...) and just talk and share about your day. Maybe even asking simple questions like "What is your favorite ice cream? What is your favorite color? etc.

~Mrs. Houston

1) Remind your children that they are not alone- almost everyone is anxious heading back to school. Encourage them to try their best.

2) Help your children know what to expect- review school policies, foreshadow any changes that happened with teachers & classrooms over the summer.

3) Praise all of your children's efforts! Life is more than just academics. Recognize curiosity, kindness, & bravery.

4) Food is fuel - start the day with a meal that contains at least one food that’s high in protein, another that’s high in fiber, & at least one fruit or veggie.

5) Prioritize sleep- preschoolers need 11-12 hours, school aged kids need 10 hours, & teens need 9-10 hours.

6) Schedule daily quality time together- just 1 hour of engagement makes a difference.

7) Encourage daily movement- children need 1 hour of physical movement a day.

8) Keep a routine- waking up & going to bed at the same time every day can improve mental health.

9) Identify ways to cope with stress- taking deep breaths, or holding something comforting in your hands quietly relieves stress.

10) Communication- be a good listener, encourage conversation & support your children.

~MSD Wellness

Coming soon! PTO is finalizing the clothing order form and will be sent home with your student soon. Options include the Parkside 24/25 theme along with Monroe gear options.

*all events are subject to change at any time

September 3: 1st Day of School (full day)

September 4: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

September 4-9: PTO Monroe Papa Murphy's Pizza Fundraiser

September 19: Cheese Days Rally at PS

September 23-27: Homecoming week spirit days

September 25: 5th Grade Field Trip

October 1: Picture Day

October 2: 5th Grade Field Trip

October 2: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

October 4: No School

October 8: 4th Grade Field Trip

October 18: School Store open during lunch recess

October 24: PTO Fall Fun Day & Classroom Parties

October 25: No School

October 30: Picture Retake Day

November 6: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

November 14-21: PTO Fall Book Fair in PS LMC

November 14: Fall Conferences 4-7pm

November 19: PTO Breakfast & Books Event 7:15-7:45am

November 19: Fall Conferences 4-7pm

November 22: School Store open during lunch recess

November 26: PTO Bowling Fundraiser

November 27-December 2: No School

December 4: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

December 16: 2nd/3rd Concert at MHS PAC 6:30pm

December 18-23: PTO Monroe Papa Murphy's Pizza Fundraiser

December 18: PTO Book Swap

December 20: School Store open during lunch recess

December 23- January 1: No School

January 8: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

January 17: End of Semester 1

January 17: School Store open during lunch recess

January 20: No School

February 5: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

February 6: 1st Semester Report Cards Go Home

February 20: Monroe Art Center collaboration performance for grades K-5

February 21: School Store open during lunch recess

February 27: PTO Family Movie Night in Gym (Doors open 5:45, movie starts 6pm)

February 28: No School

March 3: K/1st Grade Concert at MHS PAC 6:30pm

March 5: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

March 13: Spring Conferences 4-7pm

March 18: Spring Conferences 4-7pm

March 20: 5th Grade Combined Elementary Chorus at MHS PAC 7pm

March 21: School Store open during lunch recess

March 24-28: No School

April 2: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

April 7-12: PTO Spring Book Fair in PS LMC

April 8: PTO Breakfast & Books Event 7:15-7:45am

April 10: Parkside Open House 4:30-6:30pm

April 18: No School

April 25: School Store open during lunch recess

May 7: PTO Meeting in PS LMC 6-7pm

May 16: Kindergarten Round Up (no school for current kindergartners)

May 19: 4th/5th Grade Concert MHS PAC 7pm

May 22: PTO Family Fun Night

May 26: No School

June 4: Final report cards go home

June 5: Last day of school (half day, no lunch)