Nov. 4th - PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m. **We changed the meeting to Monday, due to Blue Sage being a polling site on Tuesday.**

Nov. 4th - 2nd Quarter Lockdown Drill Practice (Approximately at 1:30 p.m.)

Nov. 11th - Veterans Day Program 2:00 p.m.

Nov. 11th - Family Dinner Night: Runza

Nov. 14th - 4th Grade Music Performance 5:30 p.m.; 5th Grade Music Performance 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 19th - Author Visit - David Biedrzycki

Nov. 26th - Mid-Quarter Report Sent Home

Nov. 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break

Blue Sage Year Long Calendar of Events (Subject to Change)

Dear Blue Sage Families,

As we welcome the crisp air of autumn and the spirit of gratitude that comes with the Season of Thanks, I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt appreciation for your continued partnership. Working together with you this year has been key to ensuring the success of our students.

Our team is incredibly grateful for the dedicated parents at Blue Sage who make our school community truly special. Whether through volunteering or supporting your children at home, your efforts make a world of difference. This past month, many of you stepped up to help with health screenings, Halloween classroom parties, Wednesday workroom, and our Trunk or Treat event. Your commitment to service and involvement is a big part of what elevates Blue Sage from a good school to a great one.

It is my joy and privilege to serve as the principal of Blue Sage. I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with your students. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me via email at achrist@epsne.org or by phone at 402-332-0125.

Mrs. Christ
Principal, Blue Sage Elementary

Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades participated in a written spelling test, after which finalists advanced to a verbal school competition. Our school’s winner, Weston, will now represent us at the District Spelling Bee, which takes place in November.

Ruhi, Rushi, Alex, Trevor, Luca, Cohen & Weston

Mrs. Carlson's 5th graders kicked off our year with the first session of STEM Club. Students learned how to create in Canva, explored multiple coding robots, engineered with different materials, and even created with 3D Pens. STEM Club is an after school opportunity for our 5th graders.

October Guidance Topic

Our focus in Guidance this month was Responsibility. One way we think about Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others. Responsibility is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Strong. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing, and goal-setting.

November Guidance Topic

Our focus in Guidance this month will be Honesty. One way to think about Honesty is “being truthful in what you say and do.” Practicing Honesty helps strengthen our relationships and even reduces stress. Honesty is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

Contact the Counselor

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me.

Lisa Poe

Blue Sage School Counselor

Lpoe@epsne.org

402-332-0125

As temperatures drop, please remember to follow the designated drop-off times to ensure student safety. Breakfast begins at 7:35 AM, and Walking Club starts at 7:55 AM. For proper supervision, students should not arrive before these times.

Be sure your child is dressed warmly with a coat, hat, and gloves for Walking Club, recess, and dismissal. Outdoor activities will be held as long as the temperature is 10 degrees or higher. Labeling your child’s coat with their name helps us return lost items. Any unclaimed items will be donated over winter break.

In some cases, school closures may be necessary due to inclement weather or emergencies like water line breaks or power outages. Official notifications will be sent to all district households via our phone messaging system and typically broadcast through local media outlets. If you don’t receive these messages, please contact our school office 402-332-0125 to update your contact information. If no closure is announced, school will remain in session.

If severe weather arises during the day, parents/guardians may pick up their children from school, but will still need to come into the main office to sign your children out. Parents/guardians always have the option of not sending children to school on a day when inclement weather is developing or has been forecasted.

As the cold and flu season begins, please continue to make sure that your children are practicing healthy habits like getting plenty of rest, eating healthy foods, handwashing/sanitizing, and staying up to date onimmunizations (including a seasonal flu vaccine.).

REMINDER: Students with a temperature greater than 100.0 F, diarrhea,

vomiting, undiagnosed skin rash, pink eye, and live head lice must be free of these

conditions for at least 24 hours before returning to school per district policy.

-Health Screens-

Health screens in the areas of height/weight, dental, hearing, and vision have recently

been completed at Blue Sage. Thank you to all of the parents that volunteered to make

this day a success! Your help was GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Parents will be notified of abnormal results by a referral letter. If you receive a referral

letter, please visit the applicable health care provider and return the bottom part

of the form to the office.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Heather Parks MSN, RN

hparks@epsne.org

These students were caught doing something great at school! Students who follow the school rules 1. BE SAFE 2. BE RESPECTFUL & 3. BE RESPONSIBLE are rewarded and recognized with BEAR TICKETS. Once a month one ticket is drawn from each class. These students got to enjoy pizza and play Bingo with Mrs. Christ and Mrs. Bousema. Way to go Bears!

Students will enjoy an author visit on Thursday, November 19th Author David Biedrzycki will be meeting with all students K-5 to discuss how she became an author and share some of her writing with students.

The Blue Sage Mitten Tree SignUpGenius will be sent out the week of November 18th. It will be loaded with "colorful mittens", listing a gift wish/request for kids and families in our Elkhorn community.

If you can help this year, here is what you'll need to do:

1. Select an item(s) you are comfortable purchasing from the sign up. (Coming Soon!)

2. Mrs. Terrill will send home the coordinating mitten with your student.

3. Purchase the item(s).

4. Gift wrap the item(s).

5. Firmly secure the mitten(s) to the outside of the wrapped item(s). This is the only way we know what is inside the gift and who the gift belongs to.

6. Drop off the gift at the Blue Sage office no later than Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 3:00 PM.

Please join us in making a difference in the lives of Elkhorn families. If you have questions please contact Sarah Kuecker via email sarahkuecker@yahoo.com.

Research shows that attending school regularly has a direct correlation to higher achievement. All instances of chronic absenteeism will be communicated to families and we will work with you to improve attendance rates. Students are defined as chronically absent when excused and unexcused absences exceed 10% of school days at any point in the year.

As a school community, we know that instructional time is of great importance, and nearly impossible to replicate outside of the classroom. In general, we see a dip in achievement from students who miss class time. Although we can't plan for an illness, we can plan for family trips. Please be thoughtful in planning family vacations and other extended absences from school especially knowing that unplanned events such as a family funeral or a student's illness can't be planned for in advance.

A chronically absent student is defined as any student absent for 10% or more of the days they were enrolled. EPS has 180 student contact days; therefore, any student who misses more than 18 days in the school year is considered chronically absent unless there are chronic health problems or special circumstances. We want our students in attendance, but not if they have a fever or if they are sick with an illness.

In the best interest of students' educational achievement, please plan vacations and family trips around the school calendar whenever possible. You can find the district calendar at elkhornweb.org and click on Calendar at the top right of your screen

Elkhorn Public School Families - if you have any concerns regarding your young child’s development, don’t hesitate to reach out to the EPS Early Intervention team. Our dedicated professionals are here to support you and your child’s needs. Visit Elkhorn Public Schools Early Intervention for more information.

Every Friday is a school spirit day at Blue Sage. Wear your Blue Sage gear or our school colors (blue and green) to show your BEAR pride.

To ensure the safety and efficiency of our drop-off and pick-up process, please follow these guidelines:

1. Arrival and Departure:

   • Students should begin exiting vehicles once the vehicle has pulled as far forward as possible.
   • Staff will be outside to assist with drop-off and pick-up. Please pay attention to their signals for where to pull up and when to move forward. Staff members are there to direct traffic to help ensure safety for all and to keep things moving in an orderly fashion.
   • Drivers are to stay inside the vehicle at all times in the drop-off/pick-up lane.

2. Student Safety:

   • Students should enter and exit the vehicle curbside.
   • Students should use the crosswalk to cross to the parking lot and should never cross in front of traffic in the drop-off lane.
   • Always use the crosswalk at the main entrance to cross traffic in the drop-off/pick-up lane.

3. Traffic Flow:

   • Left Lane: Traffic should always be moving other than when stopped at the crosswalk by staff or safety patrol and should never stop to let a child out of the car.
   • Right Lane: Pull forward if there is space available. Children can be dropped off anywhere along the sidewalk as long as they get out on the curbside.
   • Graphic: The graphic below will help explain the traffic flow and expectations.

4. Line Etiquette:

   • Please wait your turn in line and do not cut the line to make a drop-off or pick-up. Everyone is here for the same goal and reason; please be mindful and respectful of that.
   • If your child is unable to unbuckle/buckle themselves, please practice this at home. It is important that they can do this independently.

5. General Guidelines:

   • Be patient and a positive role model for our children. These procedures are in place to help maintain a safe and respectful environment.
   • It is unlawful to park in a handicap stall without proper licensing.
   • Drive Slowly
   • Drive distraction free, including staying off your cellphones.

6. Communication:

   • Please make sure to share these procedures with anyone who may be dropping off and/or picking up your children.

Please be patient and be a positive role model for our students. These procedures are in place to help maintain a safe and respectful environment. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring a safe and efficient process for all.

• Blue Sage PTO Website
  
• Blue Sage Facebook Page
• PTO email address: bluesagepto@gmail.com
• Our PTO website offers an online directory that families can choose to have their information published in at no cost. This can be a great resource if families are wanting to connect with other families in their class or grade-level.
• Click on the following link to sign up for the PTO online Directory: https://www.runpto.com/pto/login?schoolid=bluesage&app=Student&hash=f899139df5e1059396431415e770c6dd
• Next PTO Meeting Nov. 4th at 6:30 pm in the Blue Sage Media Center.
• We would love to see you in attendance!

Parents are welcome to come to have lunch with their children during their lunchtime.

Parent/Visitor Table Guidelines:

• Friends/classmates will remain at the student tables. This rule helps us maintain order and allows you to have quality time with your child during lunch.
• Siblings from other grade levels may also not join the visitor table during your child's lunch period. Parents/Visitors will need to return for the sibling's lunch time if they wish to have lunch with them as well.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter. Thank you for your continued support!

To ensure the safety and security of our students and staff, all school doors will remain locked during the school day. Visitors can gain access through the main entrance using the security camera/access panel. Please follow these steps:

1. Request Access:

• Push the button on the security panel.
• Wait for the office staff to request your identification

2. Provide Identification:

• State your name and purpose for entering the school.
  

3. Enter the School:

• Once you hear the door unlatch, enter the school.
• Proceed directly to the office.

4. Enchanced Security with Sallyport System (NEW THIS YEAR): To further enhance our security measures, Blue Sage has installed a sallyport system in the main office. This controlled entry system ensures that visitors must pass through an additional layer of security before gaining access to the school. Please do not allow other individuals to follow you into the building. Piggybacking is a security breach that occurs when an unauthorized person gains access to a restricted area by following an authorized person.

5. Sign In:

• Sign in on the visitor sheet.
• Then you will be provided with a visitor badge.

6. Sign Out:

• When leaving the building, return to the office.
• Sign out and return your visitor badge.

Dropping Off Items:

If you need to drop off something that your child has forgotten, please bring it to the office, we will be happy to take it to your child. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to minimize classroom interruptions.

Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a secure and efficient environment at Blue Sage.

Invitations to birthday parties and other events must be distributed away from the school grounds to students for out of school parties according to District policy.

Birthdays are important milestones in each child’s life. At Blue Sage Elementary, we look forward to sharing in the student’s excitement over his/her own special day. Each morning birthdays will be read over the announcements and students will be invited to come to select a book from the office to keep. Summer birthdays will be announced on the student’s ½ birthday to ensure each student enjoys this special recognition during the school year.

If you would like to send a special treat or token for your child to pass out to classmates, please send only NON-EDIBLE tokens or treats to school. For example, your child could provide each student with a pencil. Classroom teachers may also offer other suggestions. This decision has been made with considerable thought given to healthy eating habits, food allergies, and convenience for parents. I appreciate your support as we create a healthy and welcoming environment for every student at Blue Sage.

If you walk to drop off or pick up your child please do not bring along your dog. We appreciate you being cognizant of those with allergies or fears. District Policy States: For safety purposes, pets are not allowed to be brought at the beginning or ending of the school day. Even the most well-mannered dogs, when surrounded by little hands and loud voices of children, may react in a way that we would not expect. Pets, even when on a leash, can become excited and frighten students.

Thanks for helping to keep our students safe.

Please have an understanding with your child before he/she leaves home in the morning about what he/she is to do after school. It can be disruptive when classes are interrupted with the delivery of telephone messages or the need for them to call home to find out what is going on after school. We realize that there are times when the unexpected happens, and in those times, we will be happy to let your child know if your plans changed.

Parents wishing to confer with teachers are asked to call the school or email the teacher. If the teacher is unable to take your call, we are able to forward your call to his/her voicemail, so you can leave the teacher a message to return your call at his/her earliest convenience.

If wishing to meet in person with a teacher, please schedule an appointment in advance. Often, teachers feel bad when a parent arrives at school to confer with them and they cannot meet with that parent due to other demands and responsibilities. By scheduling an appointment, they will be prepared to meet with you to address your questions and/or concerns.

• If you are taking photos or video during school hours (including class trips and events), please note these are allowed for personal use only. Videos and images should not be shared in any form without appropriate consent from the student's parent/guardian. Obtaining consent is the sole responsibility of the person taking the photos and video.
• Elkhorn Public School is not responsible for obtaining consent for controlling how such images are shared.
• Please be respectful of all students and families in our school community by not taking or sharing photos or videos of students other than your own.

• Visit the website TAGG.today from your phone.
• Save the website as a button (like an app) for future access and to stay logged in:
  • iPhone/iPad (Safari): Tap the Share icon (square with arrow in bottom center of screen) > Scroll down and select Add to Home Screen
  • Android device (Chrome): Tap menu icon (3 dots) > select Add to Home Screen
• Visit TAGG.today from the button you just created and click ‘Signup/Login’ in the upper right.
• Enter your mobile phone # then tap ‘Send’. TAGG will text you a code to enter for verification.
• Once logged in, tap ‘TAGGer####’ in the upper right to complete your profile.

Email: achrist@epsne.org (Amy Christ, Principal)
Website: https://www.elkhornweb.org/bluesage/
Location: 3600 South 215th Street, Elkhorn, NE, USA
Phone: 402-332-0125
Facebook: facebook.com/ElkhornPSBS/