Kentucky Trail Elementary

The KT office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the school year on days school is in session.

Principal: TJ Winkelmann

Counselor: Carey Hughes

Lead Secretary: Amy Dunn

Office Para: Lyndsey Pickens

Nurse: Stacie Williams

Hello KT Families,

Happy November! I hope this newsletter finds you doing well.

I wanted to extend a huge thank you for participation during Parent/Teacher conferences! The vast majority of our families participated in conferences, and we cannot thank you enough for the relentless support.

We are diving right into second quarter, and many fun learning activities are planned ahead.

I truly believe KT is a special place, and great things happen each day. Do you have an idea to make it even better? Feel free to reach out to me.

Wishing you well,

Dr. Winkelmann

At Kentucky Trail, we believe in fostering a learning environment that empowers every student. Our guiding principles of Equity, Perseverance, Integrity, and Critical Thinking are the compass that steers our educational journey. We strive to create a space where all students feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.

This fall and early winter Kentucky Trail will be hosting grade level Family Reading Nights. Families are invited to come learn more about what your child is learning in reading, complete activities together, and make reading tools to take home! Family reading night dates are:

Kindergarten- November 14

First Grade- November 12

Second Grade- December 4

Third Grade- December 17

Fourth Grade- January 14

All family reading nights will take place from 5:00-6:30pm in the Kentucky Trail cafeteria.

The attached website is a great resource for students, families, and teachers to learn about Digital Citizenship. This month, we have included a link to the Social Media portion of the website. Feel free to browse the various questions families have posed surrounding the topic of Social Media.

As the weather is changing quickly, please remember to send your child to school in a coat, hat, and gloves. Please label these items with your child's name. Students will have outdoor recess as long as the wind chill is above 20 degrees. The students will not be allowed to stay in during colder temperatures unless there is a note from the doctor specifying that your child cannot go outside for recess due to medical reasons. We want to help every student stay healthy and wearing a coat is an easy way to accomplish this. We will not take the students outside if there is thunder, lightning, or heavy precipitation.

Here is a great resource from Conscious Discipline that helps to teach Executive Skills necessary to regulate emotions and resolve conflict.

Colder weather means more families may be using the car rider line for drop off and pick up, so it is a good time to remind everyone of the expectations:

1. Students should be dropped off before 8:28. Teachers return to their classrooms at 8:28 and the gym door will be closed.

2. If your children are able to exit the car independently, please only unload between the cones as there are no staff members stationed in front of the school.

3. Students should only enter and exit the car on the passenger/sidewalk side for safety reasons. If your child is unable to enter/exit on the passenger side then you may pull into the turtle lane to help your child.

5. No texting/talking on the phone in the car line please.

6. Please NO PASSING unless directed by staff.

Thank you all so much for helping our car rider line to run smoothly and SAFELY!

HealthE Kids Screenings will be on December 17, 2024. If you did not sign up at enrollment it is not too late! Let your teacher know and we will send a consent form home to be signed.

What are these screenings?

A professionally trained and experienced team, including Registered Nurses, will screen for the following:

• Temperature, height, weight, and BMI percentile
• Vital signs (blood pressure and heart rate)
• Vision (near and far)
• Hearing
• Head- to-toe screening (ears, throat, teeth, neck, heart, lungs, spine)

Why this is important for your child:

• Even for children who receive a yearly well-child exam, a child's health can change as they grow.
• Near vision and hearing screenings are typically not provided during an annual physical.
• Screenings are convenient-held during the school day and parental attendance is not required.
• At the completion of the screening, each participating child receives a goody bag, including a toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Healthe Kids Screenings supports the connection between your child's physical health and their education.

November

1 - No School - Staff PD Day

7 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00 in the library

11 - Fall Picture Retakes

12 - 1st Grade Family Reading Night from 5-6:30pm

14 - Kindergarten Family Reading Night from 5-6:30pm

19-22 Book Fair

21 - 4th Grade Musical @ 6:00pm

27-29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

The mission of Kentucky Trail Elementary, as a vibrant partnership of our students, staff, families, and community, to ensure all students pursue growth throughout life with innovative mindsets, emotional health, and strong character while meaningfully contributing to the world around them through extraordinary school experiences distinguished by:

• a culture of high expectations
• engaging learning opportunities
• activities that foster connection and joy
• collaborative relationships built on trust, safety, compassion, and support.

Email: kesoffice@bsd124.org
Website: https://kentuckytrail.beltonschools.org/
Location: 8301 E. 163rd St. Belton, MO 64012
Phone: 816.348.1100
Facebook: KT Facebook