Welcome back, fantastic students, families and staff, to another exciting school year filled with learning, laughter, and endless adventures! We've missed your smiles, energy, and enthusiasm over the break, and we can't wait to embark on this incredible journey of discovery together. Our classrooms are buzzing with excitement as we prepare to explore new subjects, make new friends, and create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Remember, each one of you brings a unique spark to our school community, and we're here to nurture your growth, creativity, and curiosity every step of the way. So, get ready to dive into the world of knowledge, ask questions, and shine brightly. This year promises to be extraordinary, and we're thrilled to have you back with us. Let's make it the best school year ever!

No School

First Day Of School

No announcements today!

No PAWgress Time

• Staff Development Meeting @ 7:45 AM

Cougar Pack Forms are Due

If you are planning on dropping off your child/children and would like to accompany them into the building, please park in the parking lot and enter at the "Main Entrance". We ask that if you pick up your child in the afternoon, please utilize the pick-up lane or wait for your child in the new common area by the Cougar Den. If you are choosing to pick up your child in the common area by the Cougar Den, please use parking spaces in the north parking lot and DO NOT leave your vehicle in the pick-up lane unaccompanied. We will have staff members bring students to the common area and to the pick-up lane at the end of the day. We ask that after the first day, parents refrain from accompanying their child/children to their lockers. You are still more than welcome to visit the Ada-Borup-West Elementary Office if you have questions or need to drop off paperwork or other items. Parents/guardians are asked not to accompany students to the common area/breakfast after the first day of school.

**Please note that if you have a preschool student that will be a parent pick up, preschool students will need to be picked up in the preschool classrooms and will not be walked to the parent-pick up lane. **

Bike Racks/Safe Path To School

The bike racks will now be located on the east side of the new gym (Cougar Den). Please have your child walk their bike on school property to the bike racks and then walk on the sidewalk on the north side of the Cougar Den to the main entrance.

Parent Pick-Up Lane/One Way

Parent Pick-Up Lane

This year, we will continue to have a one-way road on the north side of the school building during the school day. We have, however, added a "drop-off lane." The drop-off lane will start on the north-west side of the building with the flow of traffic being from west to east. The expectation of the drop-off lane is that it is only used to drop off or pick up students; meaning, we ask you to remain in your vehicle and not leave it unattended. If you wish to accompany your child in or enter the building to pick up your child, you will need to park your car in the visitor's parking just to the north of the drop-off lane.

Remind App:

The District has chosen to add Remind as a formal method of communication. In the elementary, we will be using this communication platform in all grade levels and classrooms. The nice thing is that you will not need to join any classrooms like we had to do with the free version. Our system will work with the platform to retrieve any necessary information for efficient communication. Parents will receive notifications in the form of a text message.

School Messenger/Thrillshare:

Please make sure your contact information is updated in Synergy as this tool is used for communication including weather related announcements. The vast majority of communication is sent through email or text (other than weather related announcements). Be sure that your email address is current in the system. Contact Merilee in the elementary school office for assistance.

A weekly newsletter will be sent out on Mondays with all of the weekly Ada-Borup-West Elementary happenings via School Messenger/Thrillshare and will be sent to the email that is on file. If you are not receiving a weekly email from me, please let the office know. All information about upcoming programing and other items will be sent via email through the Thrillshare platform.

Synergy-ParentVUE Gradebook:

On the homepage of the school website is a link to access student grades for grades 1-5. The link can also be found using the button below. If you need help accessing Synergy-ParentVUE for the first time, please contact Merilee . Please take advantage of this and have regular conversations about school with your child(ren). We will be sending out links on how to use Synergy-ParentVUE as we get closer to school starting.

Daily Bulletin:

The daily bulletin will be posted on the school website. If parents would like the bulletin emailed directly to them, please email Merilee and she will add you to the list.

Transportation

For all transportation related questions, please contact Shawn Roux at 218-784-5311 or shawnr@ada.k12.mn.us

GPS Link:

Please bookmark the GPS Link for the upcoming year.

https://cloud.samsara.com/o/3733/fleet/viewer/N5ZIOxjL8NM7gXdB2etZ

Transportation Policy Change:

Parents with students in grades K-2 will be required to fill out a Transportation Plan.

**Please note that bus changes WILL NOT be allowed the day of and MUST be approved by the transportation department.

**Day of changes from bus to pick up MUST be communicated to Elementary Office (merileep@ada.k12.mn.us) and to the teacher’s Remind account. If a response is not received from district staff, a phone call must be made to 218-784-5303.

**If a change from bus to adult pick up occurs, the adult MUST come in and sign out the student in the office no later than 3:05PM. Students will not be brought out to the pick-up lane.

No Trivia this week!

Welcome back!!!

This is going to be another busy year at school and I wanted to make sure everyone has my contact information. I will be in the building twice a week as I did last year. There will occasionally be changes to the schedule due to meetings, illness, etc., but generally every Tues/Thurs from 8-3.

PLEASE let me know if your child has any health conditions- constipation, anxiety, bloody noses, allergies that require regular medication, asthma, depression, chronic headaches/migraines, basically anything that might occur while at school that you are already aware of and that we may need to support them with. We want them to feel good at school so that learning is easier. If they have a chronic condition that occasionally flares up, we want to be prepared to support and help them through it so that they can get back to class.

If your child needs medication for school such as ADHD medication- we are more than willing to assist with ensuring they get it every day they are in school. Fill out a medication administration form found on the website, and sign it. We can fax it to the provider you list- for their signature. This goes for Tylenol or Ibuprofen as well. We need a provider to sign off that the dose is correct for your child.

If your child struggles with anxiety- that is also very important for us to know. Frequently, anxiety presents as a physical symptom such as stomach pain, nausea, and headaches. We want to help them recognize the symptom and work through the anxiety rather than continue to treat the physical symptom. There are many successful strategies we have available to try with your child- IF we know they struggle with anxiety.

If you need help with any health situation, please don’t hesitate to call and I will support you as well as your child. We just want to make school and safe, healthy, fun place to learn!

Sincerely,

Tracy Johnson Licensed School Nurse

tracyj@ada.k12.mn.us

218-280-3125

The teaching staff will start participating in PLC Mondays on Monday, Sept. 18th.

Library classes will start on Monday, Sept. 18th.

If you are planning on eating at the school, please make sure you sign up by 9:00AM each day.

Enrollment now open for

Ada-Borup-West

Three-Year-Old Program

MONDAYS DURING SCHOOL YEAR

9:00 AM- 11:00 AM

DEVELOPMENTALY APPROPRIATE PROGRAMING

CONTACT CHRISTINE CROMPTON @ christinec@ada.k12.mn.us

Cougar Pack will start Wednesday, September 13th. All K-5th grade students are welcome to attend; however, all forms must be filled out and returned prior to be able to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Smart @ sarahs@ada.k12.mn.us.

The Ada-Borup-West Booster Club partners with the ABW School to support needs in the classroom and in extra-curriculars. If you have not yet become a member, please consider joining this group. Use the following link to view the sign up or pick one up outside the commons. https://5il.co/1ithd

If you are in need of Cougar Gear, check out their online store https://tinyurl.com/4ntnveve Team Code is cougars

5th- First Day of School

7th- Staff Development Meeting

12th- School Board Meeting @ 7:00 AM

12th- Bus Evacuation Trainings

13th- Bus Evacuation Trainings

13th- First Day of Cougar Pack

19th- TAT Meeting

21st and 22nd- Hearing and Vision Screening

26th- BIT Meeting

25th-29th- Homecoming Week

4th- Picture Day

5th- Staff Development Meeting

12th- Certified Staff Meeting @ 7:45 AM

17th- TAT Meeting

18th- Early Dismissal- Teacher Workshop Day

19th-20th- No School- MEA

24th- BIT Meeting

3rd- Early Dismissal

9th- Parent Teacher Conferences

14th- Parent Teacher Conferences

22nd- Early Dismissal

23rd and 24th- No School