Brave Bulletin

The 2024-25 school year is underway in USD 204! Each week, you'll receive the Brave Bulletin, an e-newsletter with information and updates from the district, each school, our athletics department, and the community! Be on the lookout each Friday for this important communication.

If you have not yet done so, make sure you download the new USD 204 app (available for both Apple and Android)! Within the app, you'll find updates from the district and the schools, calendars, links to breakfast and lunch menus, our staff directory, and more! Please note, this app is NEW, and if you downloaded the district app prior to July 1st you’ll need to remove the old one and add the latest version.

Also in the app...a new communication tool called Rooms! Rooms enables you to have two-way parent-teacher conversations and keep up with classroom announcements. Parents/guardians should have received an invite to set up an account via email and/or text message. After you’ve created your login, you can access Rooms through the USD 204 app. Once you’re there, you’ll see a toggle at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Just touch Rooms to get started. If you have multiple children attending our district, you’ll see them listed in the menu section of Rooms. You can also access Rooms using a desktop/laptop computer using the link https://id.edurooms.com.

If you have not yet set up your account or need additional support, please complete this form!

Homecoming 2024 is right around the corner, save the date of Friday, September 20th, 2024! All USD 204 families and community are invited to join us!

Order your Homecoming and Back to School spirit wear HERE. Orders are due by midnight on Friday, August 30th, 2024!

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• Yearbooks: 2023-2024 Yearbooks are still for sale at the High School for $67. If your student has not picked up their yearbook please stop by the high school Monday - Friday 7:30am - 3 pm to do so!
• Student Council: Freshmen student leaders interested in becoming a member of Student Council for the 2024 - 2025 school year, should submit completed applications (HERE) to Mrs. DeLeon by 3pm on Monday, August 26th.

• Athletics: Any 7th or 8th grade students wanting to participate in a sport this year will need to have a completed sports physical on file in the office before the first practice. If your student is involved in an after school activity such as football, volleyball, cheer, or cross country please make sure that your student is picked up on time. If your student is not in an after school activity, please remind them that they must go home as soon as school lets out at 2:55pm. There is no supervision for students that are not in a direct activity with a school employee. Students are not allowed to stay and wait for a sibling or friend, they are to ride home on the bus, walk or an alternate transportation option.
• Breakfast and Lunch Information: Breakfast is free for all students and will be served from 7:10 - 7:35 am every morning. Students need to report to the Aux. Gym when they arrive at school to get breakfast. Lunch is $3.00 a meal. If you need assistance, please contact the front office for a free and reduced lunch form. My School Menus is updated on the district website to preview what will be served at breakfast and lunch each day.
• A la Carte is also an option at lunch. Students must have money in their account in order to purchase an item from A la Carte. Skyward is the place that parents can go to set up limits on spending at a la carte. Skyward is also the place where parents can replenish students’ lunch accounts automatically when it gets low. Please check out the options and settings in Skyward to fully set up each student’s lunch account.
• Dress Code and Student Expectations: Please take a look at the CMS Student Handbook. Dress code and student expectations were shared with students this week. Please help remind the students to follow all dress codes and student expectations.
• 8th Grade Science: Eighth grade science teachers are collecting shoe boxes for a project. If you have any shoe boxes at home, please send them with your student to school. We will be collecting them in the office.
• STEM Materials Needed: STEM teachers are collecting the following materials: straws, dry spaghetti noodles, small and large marshmallows, dish soap, red solo cups, toothpicks, empty paper towels and toilet paper rolls, and egg cartons. If you would like to contribute, your student can bring these materials to the front office.
• Picture Day: Picture day is scheduled for Monday, September 16, 2024. Click here to order pictures! Use the Code 87010QF for CMS students.

• Family Newsletter: Click here for Principal Lorentzson's monthly newsletter!
• Arrival & Dismissal: Our doors open at 8:15am & dismissal begins at 3:45pm each day. Please see our Arrival & Dismissal document for further details (HERE).
• Trash Bag Sales: BSE Annual Trash Bag Sale is going on right now! Please turn in your order form with payment by August 28th. Click HERE to order online!

• Back to School Night: Join us for Back to School Night Thursday, August 29th from 5:00pm-6:30pm. Teachers will give two presentations about classroom routines and schedules & community partners will be here for families as well!

Hello DRE Families! Our first full week has been a success! It has been wonderful welcoming our students back into the building. As we settle into our routines and your family prepares for the school year ahead, we wanted to send out a few reminders.

• Arrival and Dismissal Reminders: Below is a map of our car loop for daily drop-offs and pick-ups. To keep the line moving smoothly, please do not wait until you're right in front of the doors to let your student out of the vehicle. If this is your first year at DRE, you'll soon understand—waiting until the doors can cause the line to back up quickly. To ensure the safety of our students, please install car seats and boosters on the passenger side, allowing students to enter the car from the curbside. Parents of students still in a 5-point harness who are unable to buckle themselves are the only exceptions allowed to park in the side lot and walk to the gym door for pick-up. For safety reasons, no other grade-level groups are permitted to park and walk across.

• New Late Arrival Policy: If your student is late due to an appointment or a late morning and you are dropping them off, you will need to walk them into the office and sign your child in. Students should not be entering the building after 8:30 am without an adult.
• Transportation Changes: Transportation changes need to be called into the office by 3:00 pm to guarantee that the staff and students have been made aware of the change. We understand that things come up and the weather changes, but we ask that you only make changes when truly necessary. Keeping students on a regular schedule helps to ensure that your student gets home safely. Please call the office to make changes at 913-441-2126.
• Lunch Guests: We will be welcoming lunch visitors starting Wednesday, September 4th. Visitors will dine with their student(s) in our new private dining space away from the cafeteria.

• DRE PTO: The DRE PTO is always looking for new volunteers. If you are interested in learning more about PTO join their first meeting Thursday, September 5th at 5:00 p.m. in the Media Center.
• Upcoming Events:
• Sept. 2nd- No School-Labor Day
• Sept. 3rd- No School- Staff Development
• Sept. 16th- Trash Bag Fundraiser Begins

• EDW Weekly Newsletter: Click HERE for the latest updates and information for the week ahead!
• Upcoming Events:
• Monday, Aug. 26th - Trash Bag Sales Begin
• Monday, Sept. 2nd - No School - Labor Day
• Tuesday, Sept. 3rd - No School - Staff Development Day
• Wednesday, Sept. 18th - Picture Day - Individual & School Group Pictures

• T-shirts: McDaniel Preschool is selling T-shirts from infant sizes to adult sizes. Please fill out the order form (HERE) and return your payment in cash or check to Robin Smotherman at McDanield Preschool by Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
• Transportation: If you have any questions about your pick up or drop off times, please contact our transportation department at 913-441-2493.

• Tiblow Days Parade: Look for our Head Start students and families in the Tiblow Days parade on Saturday, August 24th! We will be joining together with all USD 204 early childhood programs for a float in the parade.

Coming Up:

• This coming week we have the Soccer Jamboree! 8/27/24 @ 6:00. Braves host Bishop Meige and Sumner Academy. Admission for adults is $5, and admission for students is $3.
• See the full athletics calendar HERE!