A Message from Mrs. Broadbooks
Hello Heatherstone Families!
I'm writing to invite you to participate in Husky Book of the Month Club! Here's a little bit about what that is:
- Each month there will be a new book students can choose to read. They can read it on their own or you can read it together as a family.
- On the last Thursday of the month students are invited to gather in the library from 8:35-8:55 to chat about the book.
- Each kiddo that participates will receive a Husky Book of the Month backpack tag and we’ll add a bead for each book read throughout the year.
- Students can choose to participate or not each month. There may be some books they aren't into and that's totally fine.
- Although the reading levels will be more for 3rd to 5th grade students, the books are all appropriate for everyone in the family to enjoy so feel free to read them together!
- The August book of the month is: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.
- There are several copies of the book at Olathe Public Library
- Heatherstone Library has 6 copies that we will check out to students
- If you have Audible, or use Libby through the library for free audiobooks I would highly recommend the audiobook. It's done really well.
- Amazon has a paperback copy for less than $7
Our first Husky Book of the Month club meeting will be Thursday, August 29th at 8:35 in the library. I'm excited about this opportunity to connect and have fun over great stories! Please feel free to email with any questions or come by and chat during sneak a peek.
Arrival and Dismissal for Bus Riders!
Each morning, your child will be dropped off on the side of the building at the sidewalk that wraps around the front of the building. They will be greeted by a staff member and be directed to follow the sidewalk and into the building.
Once in the building, your student may choose to go to the gym for walk and talk or to the cafeteria for breakfast. All students will be released to go to their classrooms at 8:45.
Each afternoon, your child will stay in their classroom with a teacher to wait for the bus announcement. Once the bus arrives at Heatherstone, bus riders will walk to the gym, with a teacher, and out to the bus.
Walkers and Sibling Walkers
Each morning, when your child arrives at school, they may enter the building at 8:35. Once in the building, your student may choose to go to the gym for walk and talk or to the cafeteria for breakfast. All students will be released to go to their classrooms at 8:45.
Each afternoon, if your child walks home with a sibling all siblings will be called to the gym to locate each other and will then exit from the main front doors.
If you child is a walker without a sibling, they will be called to dismiss out the following doors:
Kindergarten and 4th grade students will dismiss out D door which is at the front of the building, closest to the park. If you are there to receive a kinder or 4th grade student, you are welcome to wait outside of the D door.
Grades 1, 2, 3, and 5th will exit out the main front doors.
ECSE and Jump Start arrival and are dismissed from the side doors in the side parking lot.
Staff will be posted at all doors and throughout the halls to help direct and assist students. You will also see staff out front to help there, too.
Car Riders and Parent Drop Off
If you would like to drive to school and walk your child to the front doors, you are welcome to do so. For safety, we ask that parents park in our side lot and then follow the sidewalk that leads you to the front doors. This safety measure removes the need for the front crosswalk that is in direct path of carline traffic.
When in the drop off and pick-up car line it allows you to drop off and receive your student without parking.
During arrival please have your student exit the car from the passenger side of your car. It is extremely dangerous to have your student/yourself on the drivers side of your car as other cars are processing through the parking lot.
During dismissal please follow the line with the guidance of the staff assisting before your student enters your car. You will be asked to move forward, up the small hill before your student will be released to your car. We have found this to be the safest and quickest way to process through dismissal. Your car tag number should be visible so that we can call your student's number for them to come out of the building. Your number will be available in your child's classroom during our event on Monday, August 12th. If you are unable to attend on the 12th, your student will have their car tag given to them on the first day of school to bring home.
Pets on Campus
We love our dogs! After all, we are the Home of the Huskies! We also love our therapy dog, Bailey that is with us everyday. However, we ask that you not bring your dog on campus during school hours.
More than 350 staff and students enter and exit our building, daily. The congestion and crowd that this creates can put your pet in a difficult situation. Since we cannot determine how each dog will react, both to the crowd and to other dogs, please leave them at home. If you bring or pick-up your child in your car and they are restrained, that is perfectly fine!
Thank you so much for respecting this request in the name of safety!
Reminders to Note
Contacting the school and teachers:
If you need to contact the school from 8:15-4:15, feel free to call the office:913-780-7480. Email is also a great option! Our staff will respond to your email within 24 hours, if not before. This is the same process should you wish to leave a voicemail.
- If you have a dismissal change pop-up one day, please call the office. Our teachers seldom have the time to check email during the instructional day. Calling the office assures that your teacher will get your message. Please call as soon as you know about the change. The end of the day in an elementary school is crazy!
Personal Devices:
As you have been notified, the Olathe Schools Board of Education has designed a policy regarding student personal devices. This includes cell phones, and watches that provide communication ability. The policy prohibits the use of these devices during the instructional day. If your child needs to bring a cell phone or communication watch to school for arrival and dismissal checks, they may leave it in their locker from 8:55 to 4:15. If, in the past, if you relied on such a device to communicate with your child, please email the teacher or call the office to relay the message intended for your child.
We will work with our students to understand this policy. We will continue to support students with our standing direction when not feeling well. The nurse is available and is the person that assess students and determines next steps. If a child needs to go home, they go through the proper steps with the nurse.
As we work with our students to understand the policy they will be aware of outcomes should they have a device out during the day. We will remind and support our students the first time this should happen. Further actions will be used should there be a second time. If a second time occurs, the classroom teacher will safely hold the device and will make a call home. Should these occurrences repeat, the device will be placed in the office for the parent to pick-up.
Please assure your child, as we will also do, that if they need to reach out to you or you to them, we have a process for that and we will help them communicate with you.
Adults Entering the School August 13h-16th:
Please feel free to walk your child to their class during the first week of school. We know that you like to take pictures on the first day of school! Have at it!
When walking your child to the classroom that first week, please say goodbye at the classroom door and then depart. An announcement will be made to announce it is time for adults to go so that our instructional day can start.
Adult guests at school:
Each time an adult wishes to enter the school, they will need their drivers license to show at the outside camera when buzzing in. Once in the front doors, you will go to the office to get a sticker to wear. Your DL will be scanned and a visitor sticker with your picture and information will be immediately made for you.
Parents are welcome to come to lunch when their child is eating lunch. There will be tables available just outside the cafeteria. We ask that you eat only with your student and not invite others. This allows your child to feel special while also allowing space for other visiting parents. Once lunch is over, you will check out in the office until the next time you come.
2024-2025 School Hours:
The school day begins at 8:55am until 3:55pm. Your child may enter the building at 8:35am, each morning. We begin dismissal at 3:55pm on full days of school. August 13th will have a dismissal time of 11:30. We have a few additional half days of school throughout the year, all of which will dismiss at 12:10.