Dear Trails Families,

As we welcome March, we’re filled with appreciation for our wonderful families and the positivity you bring to our community. Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes a lineup of exciting events and opportunities to connect, learn, and celebrate together!

🎉 Upcoming Events & Happenings 🎉

🍎 Classroom Spotlights – Checkout the Spotlights below.

📚 Read Across America - We have Masked Readers, Dress Up Days, and FUN activities planned!! Make sure to see the flyer below!

🏫 Parent-Teacher Conferences - Don't forget to sign up with your child(ren)'s teacher. We love meeting with you!!

📝 Writing Wall Spotlight - We will continue to honor students for their WONDERFUL WRITING!! We will announce it on Facebook and in each newsletter.

🌟 Bronco Stomp – This month we will recognize students for the Bronco Leadership Code of Honesty. We will celebrate our winners on March 28th.

Classroom Spotlights:

• PreK: Spring is just around the corner, and we are excited for all the fun learning experiences March will bring! We are excited the weather is changing and allowing us more time outside! Here are some fun activities to do at home!

  • Planting Seeds – Let kids plant their own flowers or beans and watch them grow.

  • Rain Cloud in a Jar – Use shaving cream and food coloring to show how rain forms.

  • Bug Hunt – Go outside and explore different insects with magnifying glasses.

• Kindergarten: Kindergarten has finished learning all 26 letters in UFLI and are now reviewing short vowel sounds before we move to long vowels! We are so proud of the progress they are making. We have been focusing on counting to 20 and will be starting our quest to count to 100 by 1's and 10's. We only have a few more months left of kindergarten and we know we will continue to see lots of students making great gains and progress!

• 1st Grade: We had fun at our Valentine's Day parties and we loved celebrating ways to show kindness! As the year progresses, we are really going to be working on improving reading fluency, so be sure you are reading every night and working on reading heart words as well! In math, we will also be learning about 3D shapes and finding patterns with numbers.

• 2nd Grade:Wow! We are quickly coming to the end of the 3rd quarter! Our Math focus is shifting from measurement and graphing to counting money and making change. Our ELA focus is text features and authors purpose, while writing will focus on narrative writing. We are looking forward to sharing lots of great things at conferences on March 6th and 11th. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have not scheduled a meeting time. Our spring field trip to the science museum is coming up on April 17th. If you wish to attend please complete a background check at: https://securevolunteer.com/mustang-public-schools/home .

• 3rd Grade: Third grade is wrapping up understanding and comparing fractions in math, and we are also continuing to memorize our multiplication facts for fluency! In reading, we are focusing on getting ready for our state test by learning various reading comprehension strategies and learning how to answer a constructed response question. Be on the lookout from your child's teacher for more information about getting your student ready for testing!

• 4th Grade: This school year is MARCHING by quickly! This month, the fourth graders will continue learning about nonfiction text structures, specifically cause and effect and description. We will also review fiction elements after Spring Break. In math, we will begin the month measuring length, weight, and capacity using metric and customary units. Then, we will end the month with geometry. We are busy this month, too! Fourth graders will be taking benchmark tests the first week of the month. Following that, we have two exciting field trips!
  
  

• Library News: We will kick off March with Read Across America Week!

  Pre-k and K will explore books about spring including St. Patrick’s Day.

  First Grade will start a bug research project.

  Second, Third, and Fourth grades will start a spring research project

• P.E. News: We will begin our Drum Fit Unit to work on full body coordination and rhythm. The students love drumming along with a variety of songs. Our 4th grade students will participate in our district wide 4th grade track meet. All students will complete 5 events in the morning. In the afternoon, select students will compete in events against the other schools. It’s a fun day!

• Music News: This month is considered Music in Our Schools month! Students have already started to share why they love music: songs, artists, how music makes them feel, and why it’s important to them. Be sure to stop outside the music room during your conference to find your students music note! 4th grade has started getting ready for their spring performance on April 21st at 6pm at the PAC. A note will go home after spring break with more details. They will have the opportunity to audition for instrument group solos, singing solos, and dance solos as a part of our performance. (Please note that there will be many moving lights at this performance. If you have any concerns about that please let me know.) This month every grade level will learn new spring songs to help us learn and reinforce the fundamentals we are learning about music!

We are so thankful for your continued support and involvement. Your dedication makes our community stronger, and we couldn’t do it without you!

Wishing you a joyful and bright March!

💗 Mrs. Hasty and Mrs. Coffey

Jami Hasty

Principal, Mustang Trails

hastyj@mustangps.org

Lindsey Coffey

Assistant Principal, Mustang Trails

coffeyl@mustangps.org

March 3-7 - READ Across America Week

Mar. 3rd - Wacky Hat or Hair Day

Mar. 4th - PJ Day

Mar. 5th - Favorite Team Day

Mar. 6th - Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day

Mar. 6th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

Mar. 7th - Dress to Impress Day

Mar. 7th - Class Pictures

Mar. 7th - Healthy Snack Friday

Mar. 9th - Daylight Savings Time (Spring Forward)

Mar. 11th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

Mar. 12th - KONA Ice

Mar. 12th - 4th gr. Field Trip

Mar. 13th - 4th gr. Track Meet

Mar. 13th - Trails Skate Night 6-8pm

Mar. 14th - SPRING BREAK begins!!

Mar. 24th - RETURN from Spring Break

Mar. 27th - District Art Show - 5-8pm - PAC Lobby

Mar. 28th - Bronco Stomp - HONESTY

Mar. 28th - Healthy Snack Friday

In the month of March we will be honoring students for HONESTY. This past month we honored students for SERVICE. Please check out the students who were recognized at our last Bronco Stomp.

Words have the power to inspire, transform, and ignite imagination—and our students have proven just that! We proudly acknowledge the incredible talent showcased on our Writing Wall, where creativity and excellence come to life. Let’s take a moment to applaud these fantastic writers!

Make sure you don't miss out and get your background check completed today! See the link below.

Do you plan on attending a field trip?

Are you interested in volunteering?

Please use the following link to get your background check. You must have a background check to attend a field trip or volunteer.

https://securevolunteer.com/mustang-public-schools/home

We have close to a hundred lost coats and jackets!! Please have your child(ren) go by lost and found to find their missing items. Also, we LOVE when coats, hoodies, lunchboxes, etc. are labeled with the child's name. We can get it back to them immediately. 🙂

Health and Medicine

Parents must complete a clinic form in order for prescription or non-prescription medication to be administered at school.

DO NOT SEND MEDICATIONS TO SCHOOL WITH THE STUDENT.

You must get the Official School Form from the school’s nurse for all prescription and non-prescription medicine and return it with the medicine. The nurse or the principal’s designee will be the only individual allowed to give medicine. If your child becomes ill at school, we will contact you immediately. If we cannot reach you, we will use the emergency contact information you have provided.

Lori Knowles, RN School Nurse

Trails Elementary 405-324-4837

Cafeteria Info and Free/Reduced Lunch Application

Mustang Public Schools is encouraging all families to complete a free and reduced meal application this year. It is more important now than ever before.

Please help our site remain a Title I school by completing the application below, even if you don't believe you will qualify. Many qualify, so we encourage everyone to fill it out. Thank you!

Free and Reduced Lunch Application Direct Link

Registering for MySchoolBucks.com

• Click here to go to MySchoolBucks.
• Click Sign Up and enter the required information.
• Click Finish to complete the initial registration process.

Add Students to Your Family Account

• When you log in you will be taken to the homepage.
• Click MyKids from the main menu OR from the blue navigation bar above.
• This is a listing of the students in your account. It will be empty on your first visit to the site.
• Click Add Child and enter the required information.
• Click Add (next to your child’s name) to continue.
• Click Add Child to repeat the process for additional children.
• NOTE: Your child’s transaction history report will not display information during the initial account set up process.

How to Make a Deposit

• Click Deposit Money located next to Add Student.
• Enter an amount in the Deposit column next to your child’s name.
• If you have more than one child, enter the amount you wish to deposit into the column next to each child’s name. DO NOT deposit money for your entire family into ONE child’s account.
• Click Calculate.
• Click Make Deposit.
• You will be directed to the PayPal web site to enter your payment information.
• You have the option to use your existing PayPal account or a major credit card to make your payment.
• If you are using your PayPal account, enter your email address and PayPal password to continue.
• If you are using a credit card, enter the required information. For your protection, MyNutrikids.com will not store your financial information.
• Click Pay Now when finished.
• Click Pay once again to finish the process.
• *E-CHECKS WILL TAKE UP TO A WEEK TO PROCESS!

Transportation - MPS Buses Are Safest Way To School

Mustang Public School’s buses are the safest way to get to and from school each day. Statistics from the School Bus Information Council show that buses are safer for students than airlines, passenger trains and passenger cars, which have the highest injury rate.

Mustang’s bus drivers go through strict training, which includes written tests as well as driving instruction and a driving test. New bus drivers will have a minimum of 15 hours on-the-road training with Mustang transportation department staff before they begin transporting children. Training is provided in-house.

Besides the benefits of safety, when more students ride the bus it significantly reduces congestion around the schools. It is also means a gas savings for parents.

ROUTE INFORMATION

• Routes - To access route information, simply go to elink.mustangps.org. Be sure to uncheck the box next to “Authenticate using Network Credentials.” Then enter the username of mustang, and the password is guest.

• If your address is NOT populating in the finder, please call our district office for assistance at (405)376-2630.

• As always, we appreciate your patience with our team each year as our school district continues to grow and new neighborhoods are established.

• Safety - Please take a moment to review this to view an Infographic on Oklahoma Bus Laws. Drive Safely!

Procedures for Car Riders

*When dropping off or picking up students, all vehicles MUST use the car rider lane located off of Czech Hall road. The front drive of the school is for school buses, daycare vans, and handicapped students. If you do not have a PINK handicapped tag you will be stopped when trying to enter the front drive during arrival (7:15-7:45) and dismissal (2:15-2:45).

*All vehicles MUST go through the drop off/pick up line. Vehicles SHOULD NOT park unless you are going into the school with your child. If you need to park, please park on the east side of the school in a parking place.

*Morning Drop off begins at 7:15 AM. No supervision is provided before then.

* The entry from Czech Hall will remain one lane. Two rows of traffic will be formed after entering the car rider drive. Duty teachers will direct parents as to when students should exit their cars. Please be aware of what is going on around you as multiple cars will unload at the same time. Watch for a staff person to direct traffic to move forward with a Stop/Go sign. The left lane of traffic will turn left out of Trails, Right lane will turn right. There will be no crossover of traffic.

*While in the car rider lane, parents should remain in vehicles. There will be staff members on duty if a child needs help entering/exiting a vehicle. ALL STUDENTS MUST EXIT ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR FOR SAFETY.

*At 7:40 am, the K- 4th grade car rider lane will be closed and used for Pre-K drop off only (from 7:50-8:00). At that time, parents must park and walk your child in the main doors and check them in through the office as your student is considered tardy. (We will not count tardies for the first week of school to give everyone time to get used to the procedures and to allow our car line to move more quickly.)

*During afternoon dismissal, if you do not have your car rider tag, you will be asked to come into the office and show ID before a child is released. This is for the safety of our students. Our Office closes at 3:00. All children should be picked up by 2:50pm.

*At no point should children be dropped off and left unescorted by an adult when coming to school. (late check ins, doctors appts, etc)

Please have coats on, backpacks ready, lunch boxes in hand and kisses and hugs completed before time to exit the car. This will help make our car line more efficient.

Thank you for helping to keep our students safe.

BRONCO CLUB - IT'S NOT JUST A DAYCARE!

Mustang Parents - Are you in of need child care after school? Our elementary program is designed for children in grades Pre-K through 4 and is geared to meet the needs and characteristics of our elementary children. Children will participate in carefully planned activities that encourage optimal physical, mental, and social development, while fostering each child's positive self-image and sense of independence. Follow this link for more information https://www.mustangps.org/families-students/bronco-club

Bullying means any pattern of harassment, intimidation, threatening behavior, or physical act, directed toward a student or group of students that results in or is reasonably perceived as being done with the intent to cause negative educational or physical results for the targeted individual or group and is communicated in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school’s educational mission or the education of any student.

Reporting

There are three ways to report bullying.

• A student may report bullying to a teacher, counselor, or school administrator

• Once submitted and received, the investigation process will begin. Keep in mind, this process can only be as thorough as the information provided.
  

To review our school district’s policy on bullying, you can view our policies and procedures here:

https://www.mustangps.org/fs/resource-manager/view/a958095b-da49-43d3-a67b-def99fa31b54

The policy addressing bullying is MPS Board Policy- #5110

12025 SW 15th St

Yukon, OK 73099

Phone: 405.324.0016

Website: https://trails.mustangps.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MustangTrails?mibextid=b06tZ0