Peterson Family Smore 24-25

Book Gifts:

Huge THANK YOU to our friends at West Heights and Equity Bank for donating books so that each student got to take one home for Holiday Season. And THANK YOU to our friends at Westlink for helping wrap the books. Please help make time for reading at home over break so we are ready to hit the ground running academically when we return Jan. 6.

Thank You:

On behalf of all our staff, I want to say thank you to all our family and community members that stay in contact through the Smore. We appreciate your commitment to Peterson and investment in your students. It's an honor to serve you and your students through our work here at Peterson!!

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 20 - Jan. 5 - Winter Break (students do not come to school)

Jan. 6 - Students back at Peterson

Feb. 11, 12, and 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences

Tis the Season:

Sickness and germs are going around right now. We are upping our prevention game here at Peterson by making sure we are actively wiping down working areas and getting staff the supplies needed to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

Please help support us by keeping students home if they are sick. We love to see our Tigers every day we can at Peterson - attendance is a huge push in Wichita Public Schools. Having said that, if your student is sick, please keep them home so we are not spreading germs.

This is our item from Nurse Vickie:

ILLNESS: Keep your student at home when they are ill – temperature of 100.4 or greater, behavioral changes, headache, sore throat, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, cough that will interrupt learning, etc. A student with a temperature of 100.4 or greater will be sent home. When illness is suspected, your child will be sent home with or without a temperature of 100.4 if they have other symptoms or they cannot fully participate in their normal day activities (focus on learning, outdoor recess, P.E.,etc.).

Lost and Found:

Families, last reminder for Lost and Found Items. Please have your students look for their lost items in Lost and Found (by the Nurse's Office) since we will be donating leftover items over Winter Break.

Speak Up:

Families, the district's anonymous reporting system is "Speak Up". This is nothing new, but wanted to make sure you had this resource.

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 10 - Site Council (5pm in Library; please enter through Door 9 near Library)

Dec. 10 - 2nd and 3rd Grade Concert (at 6:30pm)

Dec. 16 - 19 - Holiday Spirit Week

Dec. 19 - Cocoa to Go

Dec. 19 - Wear pajamas for last day of Quarter 2

Dec. 20 - Jan. 5 - Winter Break (students do not come to school)

Jan. 6 - Students back at Peterson

Feb. 11, 12, and 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences

Winter:

Winter is definitely here. Please make sure students are sent with coats, gloves, hats to stay warm when we go outside. We will follow the district's guidelines on when it is okay to go outside to try and balance the need for fresh air and outside play with student safety.

Site Council:

Site Council is the evening of Tuesday, December 10. We will meet in the Library at 5pm to discuss the upcoming Bond Issue as well as other Peterson items. We hope you will join us!! If you want to come, please go through Door 9 (from the playground by the Library).

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 10 - Site Council (5pm in Library; please enter through Door 9 near Library)

Dec. 10 - 2nd and 3rd Grade Concert (at 6:30pm)

Dec. 16 - 19 - Holiday Spirit Week

Dec. 19 - Cocoa to Go

Dec. 19 - Wear pajamas for last day of Quarter 2

Dec. 20 - Jan. 5 - Winter Break (students do not come to school)

Site Council:

We will have our second Site Council for this school year on Tuesday, December 10 at 5pm in the Library. Please come join us to talk items about Peterson and our District's upcoming Bond Issue.

Holiday Spirit Week:

Attached is the picture for the days of Holiday Spirit Week which will be the week of December 16.

Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Dec. 10 - Site Council (5pm in Library; please enter through Door 9 near Library)

Dec. 10 - 2nd and 3rd Grade Concert (at 6:30pm)

Dec. 16 - 19 - Holiday Spirit Week

Dec. 19 - Cocoa to Go

Dec. 19 - Wear pajamas for last day of Quarter 2

Coats/Lost and Found:

Families, we have an overflowing Lost and Found currently at Peterson. There has been a table set up by the Office for friends to look for their items. We will be packing up the Lost and Found items and donating them to Goodwill at Winter Break. If you think your student is missing an item, please encourage them to look at the Lost and Found. Another way you can help us is by putting your student's name on tags/items so we know who they belong to.

Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Dec. 10 - 2nd and 3rd Grade Concert (at 6:30pm)

Dec. 19 - Cocoa to Go

Dec. 19 - Wear pajamas for last day of Quarter 2

Data:

This week our Winter FastBridge window opens. What that means is over the next couple weeks our teachers will be doing our second 'screener' data check-in with students. Three times during the school year (Fall, Winter, Spring) we do formal check-ins to see where are students are at and if the interventions/plans we have in place for students are working. Obviously, we look at data and see where our students are at more than 3 times a year, but these are the district-wide planned screeners to see how our students are progressing. Want to make sure our families know we are looking at data and making informed decisions to try and set our students up for academic success!!

Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Dec. 10 - 2nd and 3rd Grade Concert

Dec. 19 - Cocoa to Go

Dec. 19 - Wear pajamas for last day of Quarter 2

Peterson Families, can't wait to see you at Tigerama on Thursday (Nov. 14) from 6pm - 7:30pm. It's an amazing opportunity for us to welcome you all at Peterson. Please be checking Facebook and your student's backpack for more information. I hope you and your family are enjoying a great 3-day weekend. Appreciate you all - Matt Phillips

Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 12 - Skate Night at Carousel

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Dec. 11 - Dental Screenings

Families, thank you for your engagement with the Fall Parade and Fall Parties. I'm glad we are able to have these community building events.

Fall Picture Retakes:

Fall Picture Retakes will be on November 7. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our office (316-973-0400)

Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 7 - Fall Picture Retakes

Nov. 12 - Skate Night at Carousel

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Dec. 11 - Dental Screenings

What an exciting week ahead at Peterson as we get ready for the Parade and Fall Parties!! I know this is a special week for a lot of our students and we will do our best to help make positive memories while still doing what we can to push students forward academically. I want to thank all of our families for helping with our safety procedures as we try and make sure that our students are safe by verifying ID (please always bring ID when you come on campus) as well as helping our office by signing up for the Early Bird when possible. Thankful for us being able to work together for our students. - Matt Phillips

Peterson Fall Parade Order:

~9:15am - 5th Grade

~9:17am - 4th Grade

~9:19am - 3rd Grade

~9:21am - 2nd Grade

~9:23am - 1st Grade

~9:25am - Kindergarten

~9:27am - PreK

* If the forecast calls for rain on Thursday morning, we will communicate via ParentLink what our Rain Plan will be for the Parade - let's hope we don't have to!!

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parade

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parties

Nov. 7 - Fall Picture Retakes

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Families, thank you so much for all the community building through Conferences and the Peterson Family Picnic. I truly am honored to serve our students at the special place that is Peterson. Hope you are able to hang in there with the long 5 day break with students!! Staff will be at Peterson on Monday, Oct. 21 for Inservice and then we are all excited to welcome students back on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to get Quarter 2 off to a great start. Appreciate you all!! - Matt Phillips

Fall Parade:

There will be a ParentLink sent with information regarding our Fall Parade on Thursday, October 31. Please refer to that for information regarding the Parade. Classroom teachers will reach out with information regarding the Fall Party (in their classrooms).

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 17 thru Oct. 21 - no school at Peterson (17: all day conferences; 18: teacher grading day; 21: district inservice day)

Oct. 22 (7:45am in Library) - Site Council

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parade

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parties

Nov. 7 - Fall Picture Retakes

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Peterson Families, what a great opportunity we are staring down this week!! Parent Teacher Conferences, Peterson Family Picnic, Book Fair, and helping move our students forward academically in class. I'm excited and ready to welcome our families on campus!! This is a very stressful time for our teachers as we get ready to highlight the great work your students have done in class, what we are doing to set them up for success the rest of the year, and also finalizing our Q1 grades. Please make sure our staff feel loved and appreciated this week as you interact with them!! Grateful to serve our students alongside you all. - Matt Phillips

Peterson Family Picnic:

Please fill out the Peterson Family Picnic Early Bird Form if you are planning on attending the picnic with your student on Wednesday, October 16. Please refer to the ParentLink for more information/details.

Book Fair:

Please make sure to check out the Book Fair during Conferences in the Library. Cash/card is accepted - no checks. Please see the flier below the Oct. 7 update for more info.

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 15, 16, and 17 - Fall Conferences

Oct. 16 - Peterson Family Picnic

Oct. 17 thru Oct. 21 - no school at Peterson (17: all day conferences; 18: teacher grading day; 21: district inservice day)

Oct. 22 (7:45am in Library) - Site Council

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parade

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parties

Nov. 7 - Fall Picture Retakes

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Peterson Family Picnic:

We are super excited to welcome families on campus during Conferences Week and extend that for lunch with our students on Wednesday, October 16. The 'why' behind this is wanting to welcome families on campus while our weather is still looking lovely. This is a very busy and stressful time for our teachers, so we want to have an event for families and students to look forward to while our teachers can take a relaxing lunch break during the craziness that is Conferences Week. There will be a ParentLink going out soon with specifics and logistics for the Peterson Family Picnic on Wednesday, October 16. We hope you can join us!!

Safety and Belonging Survey:

Families, our district has 3 goals that help guide our work across USD 259. This is our Strategic Plan. The 3rd goal we have as a district directly relates to Safety and Belonging. One of the ways we can take data on how we are doing with Safety and Belonging is to ask students, families, and staff about how these items. Those families that opted in on the Safety and Belonging survey for their students that are in 3rd-5th Grade, they will be taking it in the coming weeks before conferences. During conferences, please take a minute to scan the QR code on the Safety and Belonging flyer to give us feedback about how we are doing with Safety and Belonging - we appreciate the info.

Conferences:

If you are having any questions/issues with conferences, please help reach out to your classroom teacher so they can try and assist. Please see the below flier about the Book Fair during conferences!!

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 15, 16, and 17 - Fall Conferences

Oct. 16 - Peterson Family Picnic

Oct. 17 thru Oct. 21 - no school at Peterson (17: all day conferences; 18: teacher grading day; 21: district inservice day)

Oct. 22 (7:45am in Library) - Site Council

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parade

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parties

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Peterson Halloween Parade:

We will do our Peterson Halloween Parade on the morning of October 31 this year. We will plan on starting the parade at approximately 9:10am. Students dressing in costumes will be encouraged; students will not be allowed to wear any facemasks or anything that is over the top violent/gory. We will have families stand along the perimeter of our campus as our students make a complete loop and then head back to their classrooms. Families will not need a volunteer badge to stand outside and see the parade. Classroom parties on that day will be communicated to you all from the classroom teacher. There will be more information to come when we get close, but wanted to let you know of the date and times.

Northwest Block Party:

Northwest will be hosting a Block Party on Friday, October 4 from 4:30pm - 6:15pm in the 13th St. Lot on the Northwest Campus. There will be games, food trucks, and fun!! Please see the flyer below for more information. This is the first annual Block Party which is replacing the parade that has been done in the past.

Names on Items:

Friendly reminder to please write names on coats/water bottles/other items that come to school to make sure items are returned to owner and our Lost and Found stays reasonable!!

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 15, 16, and 17 - Fall Conferences

Oct. 17 thru Oct. 21 - no school at Peterson (17: all day conferences; 18: teacher grading day; 21: district inservice day)

Oct. 22 (7:45am in Library) - Site Council

Oct. 31 - Peterson Fall Parade

Nov. 14 (6:00pm-7:30pm) - Tigerama

Tigerama:

We are very excited to have an official date for Tigerama this year!! Thursday, November 14 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm will be Tigerama this year. Tigerama is a massive event that we have yearly at Peterson where there is academic activities as well as games and fundraisers from PTO. We will send out more information as we have it - please mark this on your calendars!!

Site Council:

We will have our first Site Council at Peterson on Tuesday, October 22 in our Peterson Library starting at 7:45am. We will be discussing several topics; the main focus will be on the upcoming Bond Issue in February and information regarding that.

Field Trips/Volunteer Badges:

I sent out a ParentLink yesterday regarding a new system at Peterson this year regarding volunteer badges being needed if you are going to accompany a class/student on a Field Trip. Please reach out to our office if you have any questions.

Also, it helps us keep track of who is in the building (in case of a fire or evacuation) if whenever you check in at Peterson with a volunteer badge that we also have you scan out (check out) when leaving. Please help make sure to check out when leaving Peterson!!

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 15, 16, and 17 - Fall Conferences

Oct. 22 - Site Council

Nov. 14 - Tigerama

Families, thank you for all you have done to help our attendance so far this year. If you have seen our Facebook page, you have seen that September is a very important month for attendance and is a great indicator of the opportunities that students will have throughout the year. I really believe that we have an incredible staff at Peterson - I'm very fortunate to work with them all. In order for our great staff to do their thing, we need our kiddos in school!! Please help with making sure that students are at school unless there is an illness or a special family event/trip (these are important too).

In order to try and emphasize attendance, this week is Spirit Week!!

Spirit Week:

Monday (Sept. 16): Hat Day

Tuesday (Sept. 17): Grade Level Color Day

- PreK: Red

- Kindergarten: Yellow

- 1st Grade: Blue

- 2nd Grade: Green

- 3rd Grade: Gray

- 4th Grade: White

- 5th Grade: Black

Wednesday (Sept. 18): Dress to Impress (Picture Day)
Thursday (Sept. 19): Mustache Day

Friday (Sept. 20): Over the Top Peterson PRIDE Day (grade level that shows out the most Peterson PRIDE will earn an extra recess)

Thank you for helping emphasize attendance this week and every week.

Appreciate you, families!!

- Matt Phillips

Upcoming Dates:

Sept. 18: Fall Picture Day

Sept. 21: Volunteer Work Day (please reach out Mrs. Dowell if you have questions)

Oct. 15, 16, 17: Fall Parent Teacher Conferences

I hope you families enjoyed your holiday today. One of my uncompromising values is Community and I hope over this long weekend you and our students were able to enjoy time with your preferred community outside of our Peterson Community.

Staff will be at Inservice tomorrow (Tuesday) - we will be working hard getting ready to serve our students when they enter our doors on Wednesday. Appreciate you all. - Matt Phillips

First PTO Meeting will be Thursday, September 12 at 5:00pm in the Library. Door 9 will be open for entry. Items that will be discussed: Tigerama, 24-25 Committees, Conferences/Book Fair. We are excited to get to work to help serve our students and staff through PTO this year!!

Upcoming Dates:

September 12 - PTO Meeting

September 18 - Fall Picture Day

September 21 - Volunteer Work Day

Tigerama Meeting Postponed:

If you had planned on coming to the meeting on Aug. 26 (Monday) at Peterson to help out with Tigerama, THAT MEETING IS NOW POSTPONED. We will try and reschedule soon. I'm sorry for the late notice.

Sept. 21 Volunteer Work Day:

- Mrs. Dowell is helping lead the charge on a volunteer work day in the courtyard on Saturday, September 21. Volunteers will be welcome at Peterson from 9am - 1pm. I will be here right at 9am and then will duck out to be a dad at soccer games. If you are interested in helping or know of any families who might want to help, please get in contact with Mrs. Dowell (edowell@usd259.net).

Upcoming Dates:

September 18 - Fall Picture Day

Families, thank you for a great first week back at Peterson. Our staff have helped lay the foundation for a great school year ahead.

Our arrival and dismissal is already flowing and I appreciate you all helping ensure student safety is our first priority.

As we start to ramp up the year academically, we are going to spend a lot of our energy as a staff towards reaching our individual grade level goals when comes to our Word Recognition data. I'm a big believer in that we will see results in the areas where we spend our energy. We are going to be asking staff to be spending a lot of their energy on making sure we are continuing to raise the reading achievement level of our students at Peterson

Ready for another great week at Peterson. Honored to serve our students. - Matt Phillips

Upcoming dates to be aware of:

August 20 - Skate Night from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

September 18 - Fall Picture Day

Peterson Families, the time has finally come!! We are super excited to get another fantastic school year started tomorrow. Our entire staff has been hard at work to set our students and families up for success for this school year.

I wanted to provide some information on what drop off and pick up will look like at Peterson this year.

The basic information is that drop off starts at 8:50am – we cannot ensure supervision of our students before that time, so please do not drop off before 8:50am. Pick up time starts at 4:10pm. Please have your student picked up by 4:20pm.

Our Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade students will be dropped off on Norman (the street on the West side of our campus) and enter through Door 6 (the door by the gym in the Northwest corner of our building). For the drop off on Norman St., please help stay in a single lane and wait to release your students until you are pulled up as far as possible close to the 3 flags at the end of Norman. When getting out of the vehicle, please have students exit the curb side (right side) so they are not stepping into the street. We DO NOT want cars to be parked on Norman. If you need to park your vehicle, please pull into our Northwest parking lot so we can keep a flow of traffic moving on Norman. For the pick up on Norman St., please give teachers time to walk Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade students to the flags so that students are not magically disappearing from their lines as they exit the building. Same as for drop off, please DO NOT park your car on Norman and get out; we want those cars to wait until we load students and then drive off. If you need to park and get out, please pull into a parking lot to do that.

Our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade students will be dropped off on Caddy (the street on the East side of our campus) and enter through their grade level door. 3rd Grade is Door 9 (by the Library) and 4th and 5th Grade are Door 10 (up the ramp by the Southeast parking lot). All 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade students will exit through the gate that leads to the Peterson playground.

If you have older siblings that need to go get younger siblings, please have those students walk to where the younger sibling’s teacher dismisses and have them wait there until their sibling arrives.

We understand it will take some time to get into the flow of arrival and dismissal. Thank you for helping emphasize safety as we get our students to and from school.