January Dragon's Digest

• January 6 - School Resumes
• January 6 - Late Start Day
• January 16 - Board of Education Meeting
• January 20 - No School, MLK Day

According to American University in Washington DC as many as one in six students the the U.S.A miss enough school to be considered chronically absent. The effects of absenteeism on a student can be profound and often carry on to adulthood. Check out these facts:

• Missing just 2 days per month is 10% or 1 month of the school year!
• Kindergarten and first-grade students who are chronically absent have an 81% chance of reading below grade level in third grade
• In 4th grade, chronically absent students score an average of 12 points lower on state tests than students with better attendance

• Set a regular bedtime routine
• Lay out clothes the night before
• Arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes early
• Don't let your child stay home unless they are truly sick
• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session

• Set a regular bedtime routine
• Lay out clothes the night before
• Arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes early
• Don't let your child stay home unless they are truly sick
• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session

Want to help fuel the Stone Creek teachers and staff? Help us fill our coffee bar with K Cups. This small thing makes a big difference. Donations are appreciated and can be dropped off in the SCE office. House points are given for all donations.

💓☕ SCE LOVES COFFEE! 💓☕

Before winter break, we saw an uptick of toys and Pokemon cards being brought into school. We prefer for items like this to stay at home. We know there may be more items after winter break. When items like this are brought to school, they are often broken or lost. Students then become upset over the loss of a toy. We are asking parents to help us out by not allowing these items to be brought to school.

As we approach the colder months, we want to re-share the District communication that has information regarding the WSD's inclement weather procedures for the 2024-25 school year. This year, snow days one and two will be traditional snow days. After our second snow day this year, we will switch to AMI (alternative methods of instruction) for snow days three through seven. Read more on what to expect this winter here. View AMI assignments here.

Congratulations to Michelle McKinley for being Stone Creek's December Volunteer of the Month! Michelle will receive preferential parking in our Volunteer of the Month parking spot and a Fast Pass for the month of January. Together, our volunteers took 23.75 HOURS of work off of our teacher's plates for the month of December so they could spend more time with their families. We're up to an astonishing 189.5 hours given back to teachers for the school year! Thanks again to ALL of our volunteers for filling in the missing piece to our puzzle, we appreciate you!

If you are interested in volunteering, just ask in the front office. We would love more help!

Are you cleaning and getting rid of all those clothes and shoes that no longer fit? We will take them! SCE collects used clothes, shoes, and blankets. With the help of USagain, the clothes go all around the world to those who need it most. A donation is made to Stone Creek for every pound collected. All of the funds go directly to SCE students and staff.

Ask us anything! We often see questions on social media about policies and procedures at Stone Creek. We are here to help! If you have any question big or small about SCE, please ask it here. Our front office will monitor your questions and respond directly to you in a timely manner.

Congratulations to ALL of our fifth grade S.T.A.R.T graduates! Stone Creek fifth grade students completed Substance Tobacco Alcohol Resistance Training (S.T.A.R.T). For the duration of the semester students learned about critical issues facing youth today, such as tobacco, alcohol, bullying, and peer pressure. Classes were taught by Stone Creek's School Resource Officer, Jordan Richards. Each lesson is focused on helping students understand positive and negative decision-making and providing the necessary tools to confidently express the program's motto: "Start by saying NO!" If you would like to learn more about the S.T.A.R.T Program click here.

Morning Star Church is excited to launch a brand new meal program. Families will have the opportunity to sign up monthly for free meal kits. Families must sign up ahead of time using the QR Code above.

Throughout the duration of the academic year, the Wentzville School District partners with community agencies that specialize in providing students, families, and educators with preventative education. Agency presenters are credentialed, coordinated through the District, and under the supervision of building administrators. Presentation topics are targeted toward specific grade levels. All students will participate in each program unless you choose to opt your child out of the lesson(s). If you are interested in opting your student(s) out of the presentation(s), please click the appropriate link(s) below.

Kindergarten Opt-Out Form

First Grade Opt-Out Form

Second Grade Opt-Out Form

Third Grade Opt-Out Form

Fourth Grade Opt-Out Form

Fifth Grade Opt-Out Form

If you have additional questions, please reach out directly to your student’s guidance counselor.

Happy New Year! Let’s promote some healthy habits and prevent illness in 2025!

• Choose healthy foods

• Drink plenty of water (usually about ½ their body weight in ounces)

• Prioritize sleep (9-12 hours per night)

• Cover your cough

• Cover your sneeze

• Get active with exercise

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

When to keep your child at home:

• Core temperature >100.0. Keep home for 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.

• Severe cold symptoms, such as constant coughing or extreme fatigue and lack of energy.

• Vomiting or diarrhea. Student should be free of vomiting, diarrhea for 24 hours without the use of medications.

• Eye drainage. When the student has purulent (pus) drainage for eye and/or fever or eye pain.

• A diagnosis of strep throat requires 24 hours of antibiotics before returning to school.

Thanks for the great memories in 2024. We can't wait for the adventures of 2025 to begin!