Timberwolf Times

Tiffany Ridge Elementary School

School Hours: 9:10-4:10

School Phone: 816-359-4400

Principal: Sasha Kalis Assistant Principal: Laura Coughlin

Counselor: Alisha Brunk Social Worker: Gayle Laney

Office Staff: Robin Meyers and Andrea Berka

Nurse: Nicole Snodgrass

TR Assistant Principal Dr. Coughlin was nominated by a family member of a student for a Park Hill Star award.

• Approachable, responsive, and easily connects with kids and parents, making them feel respected and loved
• Knowledgeable and efficient in handling 504 plans, building strong relationships with families, kids, and staff
• Passion for her job and dedication to the school make her and ideal candidate for the principal role, highlighting the need for passionate administrators who follow through on their commitments

April

• April 7: Rising Tiger Night (incoming Plaza 6th graders), 6:00-7:00pm
• April 8: Local Election: PH Propositions G and O
• April 11: TR T-Shirt Contest Due Date (K-4th)
• April 11: PTA Movin' in the Morning (gym), 8:15-8:50am
• April 11: Assembly & Family Groups
• April 16: 5th Grade Field Trip to National WWI Museum and Memorial
• April 16: TR Glow Night, 5:30-7:00pm
• April 17: Spring Picture Day
• April 17: ELD Night
• April 18: School in Session (this was originally not a school day)
• April 25: Kindergarten Field Trip to Kaleidoscope
• April 25: PTA Private Skate Party, 5:30-7:30pm
• April 28: 4th Grade Field Trip to Kauffman Stadium

May

• May 1: Kindergarten Kickoff, 5:30-7:00pm
• May 5-9: Staff Appreciation Week
• May 9: Assembly & Family Groups
• May 14: 5th Grade Track Meet (PHHS)
• May 15: Spring Open House, 5:30-7:00pm (more info coming soon)
• May 20: Tracy Gillispie's Retirement Celebration, 4:30pm (gym)
• May 21: 5th Grade Choir Practice and Evening Concert (PHHS)
• May 22: Field Day
• May 23: 5th Grade Celebration, 9:30-10:00am (parents invited)
• May 29: Last 1/2 Day of School (Dismissal at 12:53pm)

The Park Hill School District assigns students to their next year class through collaborative efforts of their current classroom teacher, specials teachers and administrators. When applicable, special education teachers, school counselor, ELD teacher, and/or intervention specialist also provide input.

Many factors are considered in the process of creating balanced classroom groups including learning styles, numbers of boys/girls, academic needs, behavior, study work habits, and peer relations.

Please keep in mind, that parent requests for specific classroom teachers are not accepted. However, some parents like to offer input as to their children’s learning needs. If you would like, please complete the form linked below and submit prior to April 23th. All forms submitted will be forwarded to the classroom teacher. Teachers will review this Parent Input Form while working on classroom groupings, so please do not include information about specific teachers on this sheet. Instead, focus comments solely on your child’s needs. If you have multiple children at Tiffany Ridge, please complete a separate form for each child.

Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or Mrs. Kalis if you have any questions. Again, all feedback forms should be submitted by April 23rd, 2025 and teacher requests are not accepted.

Please take a moment to provide input on the AVID Program at Tiffany Ridge at this link.

Children who turn five on or before July 31 are eligible for kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year. Tiffany Ridge will host Kindergarten Kickoff (open house format) for incoming kindergarten students on May 1, 2025 at 5:30pm. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/PHSDKindergarten.

With the warm weather we have seen an increase in students leaving coats/jackets/sweatshirts at school. Please encourage your student to check the Lost and Found if they are missing an item. Click the link below to see the items we currently have in Lost and Found.

We are working on class lists and and hiring staff for next school year. If you are moving or will not be returning to Tiffany Ridge for the 2025-2026 school year, please let the office know at 816-359-4400.

Please set 10-15 minutes aside each night as a family. It will be a wonderful experience to read as a family and discuss the chapters you read. Staff members have read chapters of the book aloud on this website: Read Along with TR Teachers. You may choose to follow along with teachers or simply read the book as a family. Students will have the opportunity to answer a trivia question about the text a few days a week and will be entered into a drawing for a prize. If you’d like to preview the questions, you are welcome to look at the list below. Thank you to our wonderful TR PTA for your support in funding part of this program. We are excited to begin this journey with you!

Let us know if you have questions,

Amy Hoban: hobana@parkhill.k12.mo.us

Maria Walsh: walshm@parkhill.k12.mo.us

Park Hill Guardians, Online Verification & Residency for the 25-26 school year is now open! Every year, all Park Hill families are required to visit the Campus Parent portal to verify student demographic, health and emergency contact information, and submit proof of residency documents for the upcoming school year. We have a “Getting Started” guide on our website so that you can jump right in and get this process completed. The guide is on our website and through this link: Getting Started for Parents 2024.

Attending Summer School?
Park Hill families can enroll for summer school through the same online form used to complete online verification and residency. If you have children in kindergarten through eighth grade who plan to attend summer school, please complete your verification promptly so we can properly process their summer school enrollment.

If you need to enroll a new student or kindergartner for 25-26:

• You DO NOT need to complete a separate enrollment application if you have other students currently enrolled in the district. There will be an option in the verification form to add new students – please enter your new student(s) there.
• If your new kindergartner is a current Gerner student, they will show up in the verification form: you DO NOT need to add them as a new student.

It takes both great teachers and outstanding schools to provide the quality of education our Park Hill community expects. To continue the community's investment and Park Hill pride in our schools, the Park Hill Board of Education put two initiatives on the April 8 ballot, Proposition G and Proposition O.

If approved, we would maintain our quality with great teachers, up-to-date classrooms and facilities, and safe and accessible schools.

Proposition G ensures competitive pay and benefits, helping us recruit and retain excellent teachers and staff to support our high-quality school operations.

If passed, Park Hill School District would be in the Top 5 Beginning Salary strand for first-year teachers and would be in the Top 3 Average Salary strand for all teachers.

Proposition G asks for approval of a 10-cent increase in the operating tax rate to support teacher and staff salaries and benefits and other operating costs. For 22 years, our operating tax levy has stayed at the level voters approved in 2002, or even lower.

Proposition O allows us to maintain the community’s investment in our facilities and bring them up-to-date.

Proposition O asks for approval to increase the debt service levy 30 cents to issue general obligation bonds in the amount of $128 million for the Phase 1 replacement of Park Hill High School, stadium and field improvements at Park Hill South High School, additions to various elementary schools, safety upgrades and the purchase of land.

More Information

• Learn more about Propositions G+O on our website.
• Learn more about how this affects you in our Frequently Asked Questions.
• Learn more about the April 8 ballot language.

Loop B Concerns

If you are a family who uses Loop B at dismissal, please be sure to follow our car rider procedures to ensure safety for all.

• Car Riders
• All car riders need to be picked up from the car rider line. Students are not permitted to walk to parked cars in the parking lot. This is dangerous and not fair to cars who are following the proper procedures.
• If parents need to have their child right away, they can park and come to the office to check their child(ren) out before dismissal begins.

• Walkers
• Walkers are defined as students who walk off school property. Walkers are not students who walk to a parked car, so the car rider line can be avoided.

NW 90th St./NW Beaman Ave. Concerns

We continue to have unsafe dismissal conditions from car rider parents. There are a large number of parents who park on both sides of NW 90th Street (Autumn Ridge) to pick up their child(ren) who are "walking" home. We are extremely worried about the safety aspect of this. When cars are parked on both sides of the street, it makes it incredibly difficult for cars to drive down the street, for cars to pull into Tiffany Ridge to pick up car riders, and for our students who are actually walking or biking home. We strongly encourage all parents to pull into Loop B to pick up their student(s) instead. Our Loop B is incredibly fast and a much safer option for all involved.

Thank you to the multiple parents who have reached out about this continued concern.

Deputy Brennar Jones is our School Resource Officer. He works full-time at Congress Middle School but is also assigned to Tiffany Ridge. Should we have an emergency he would be one of the first to arrive to help us. Deputy Jones tries to visit Tiffany Ridge on a weekly basis to get to know students, play games with kids, and help with arrival. He's also a new dad and loves showing off pictures of his baby girl!

Breakfast: Students need to eat breakfast at home or order school breakfast. If students bring in outside (restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations) food or beverages, they will be sent to the cafeteria to finish it. If school has already started, students will finish it in the office before going to class. These items will not be allowed in classrooms.

Lunch: Please do not bring in restaurant/fast food for your child unless you plan to eat lunch with your child.

Classroom Treats: To protect the health and safety of our students, homemade treats will not be distributed to students in the Park Hill School District. Due to allergies and other food intolerances, only birthday favors listed below are allowed.

Birthday Favors: Students may bring a birthday treat or favor to school to share with their classmates, as long as they come from our list of treats that contain none of the eight (8) major allergens - milk, wheat, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish.

Thank you for understanding that all classroom treats must come from this list, because we do not have the staff capacity to check for allergens that could threaten the health of some students. Please bring birthday treats ahead of time (two hours after the start of school, at the latest).

• Stickers

• Erasers

• Pencils

• Crazy straws

• Blow Pops

• Juice boxes

• Popcorn

• Smarties

• Dum Dum lollipops

• Jelly Belly

• Nerds

• Ring Pops

• Skittles

• Sour Patch Kids

• Starburst

• Swedish Fish

• Life Saver Gummies

Would you like to volunteer with students at Tiffany Ridge? If so, you should be a Pack Parent. A Pack Parent is a screened volunteer who works with students. If you are interested, please sign up below.

Our employees are the real deal and the reason we are so successful. We would like to recognize them for all they do for our students. Each month, we recognize a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support staff member. Nominate an employee for this award by clicking the button below.

Tiffany Ridge has an amazing PTA that supports students, staff and TR families. We are asking for your support, with no volunteering/meetings required! Your membership fees will help fund school needs, assemblies, field trips, and fun school events so sign up today!

2024-2025 PTA Board Members

• President: Kristin Kuhn
• Vice President of Membership: Kim Taylor
• Vice President of Fundraising: Amy Gallawa
• Secretary: Jennifer Duckworth
• Treasurer: Meghan Kudrna

Tiffany Ridge is implementing Restorative Practices this school year. We are excited to be a part of the cohort 1 schools in Park Hill. Restorative Practices help strengthen relationships between individuals and build community among students, staff, and families. This year, we will be focusing on proactive circles. More information can be found HERE.

Call Box at Front Entrance: All schools in Park Hill have a Call Box at the locked Front Entrance Doors. Front entrance doors will be locked when school is in session. Office staff will ask for your name and the reason for your visit before the door is unlocked. Each time a parent or a family member visits Tiffany Ridge, a photo ID is required to check out a student or enter Tiffany RIdge beyond the school office area.

Student Check Out Process: Please be prepared to show a photo ID when picking up your child early from Tiffany Ridge. Students will not be allowed to leave with siblings or other family members unless the sibling or family member is listed on the child’s authorized pick-up list or verbal permission is granted by the parent by phone. A picture ID is required when picking up students.

Visiting Tiffany Ridge: Please be prepared to show a photo ID when visiting Tiffany Ridge during the school day or attending events during the school day, including class parties.

More information can be found in the Park Hill Parent and Student Handbook

As you probably know, teachers like candy and snacks! We have created a Tiffany Ridge Amazon Wish List with goodies that we can have on hand at meetings. We'd appreaciate any donations!

We know our students are more than learners, so we've created a bulletin board to celebrate our students' superpowers. If you child(ren) has activities or celebrations outside of school, please email a photo and short explanation to your child's teacher. We will display these superpowers on a bulletin board near the recess doors.

Visitors: Visitors are welcome at Tiffany Ridge! Visits should be prearranged with the appropriate Tiffany Ridge Staff member at least one day in advance of the visit. All visitors must check in at the office, identify the purpose of the visit, and will receive an ID sticker to wear during the visit.

Lunch Visits: Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch at school. Lunch visitors must check in at the office. We have a designated area for students with lunch guests to accommodate space for visitors. Lunch visitors may only have lunch with their own children. Any visitors who are not listed as a contact for the student will require advanced permission from the student's parent or guardian. Please contact the office to schedule lunch visits with students.

Volunteers: We welcome all volunteers into our schools and classrooms, with prior arrangements made with Tiffany Ridge staff. All volunteers who work with our students or attend field trips need to complete background screening by Park Hill. Forms for the screening are available in the Tiffany Ridge office. Volunteers must check in at the office and wear an ID sticker.

Families who think they qualify for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program will need to apply after August 1, 2024. This is a program you must reapply for each school year. If your child is eligible for free or reduced meal benefits, you can also receive additional benefits at Park Hill High School such as fee waivers, activity passes, free screenings and more.

Click HERE for more information.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our school social worker, Gayle Laney, 816-359-5747 or erikson-laneyg@parkhill.k12.mo.us.

If you need the application translated, please use this link. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/translated-applications

The PTA of the Park Hill School District runs a clothing center that provides free, gently used clothing and new socks and underwear to district students.

The PTA Clothing Center serves all Park Hill School District students from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and the PTA asks you to bring some proof that you are enrolled in a Park Hill school. This could be a student ID, bus pass, dated letter from a principal or social worker, class schedule or enrollment form.

Donations are welcome at the Clothing Center. Please make sure your donations are clean, in good condition and bagged in kitchen-sized bags that the volunteers can lift.

2024-2025 Park Hill PTA Clothing Center Shopping Dates

• March 18, 10am-12pm and 5pm-7pm
• April 1 & 15, 10am-12pm and 5pm-7pm
• May 6, 4pm-6pm

Website: Tiffany Ridge Website

Facebook: Tiffany Ridge Facebook

Email: TiffanyRidgeAdministrativeAssistants@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Address: 5301 NW Tiffany Springs Road, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 359-4400