January News

Congratulations to our January Pumas of the Month! Every month teams at Rosa Parks nominate students for Puma of the Month. They are looking for students who are upholding Puma Pride (Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be your Best). At our monthly assembly these students are recognized. January winners are listed below.

(Students left to right)

Grade 5: Levi Mefferd

Grade 4: Filsan Abdi

Kindergarten: Lia Diaz

Grade 3: Blake Miller

Grade 1: Charley Helling

Grade 2: Kinsley Bruender

Hey Puma Families - We need dependable people who can occasionally help our Pumas succeed on the playground for 2 hours a day. This is a paid position and is available 5 days a week from 10:20-12:30. If you are not available for all 5 days we can be flexible with your schedule. Sometimes we have days of notice for needing a sub, and sometimes we find out the morning of. Flexibility is key.

Click here for the job posting. From there, click on para-educator and then scroll down to the non-classroom (playground/lunchroom) supervision posting. Please give us a call if you have any questions.

Thank you for considering!

The Cognitive Abilities (CogAt) Screener testing window will be open from February 3rd through the 14th. The CogAt will be given to all 2nd grade students and new-to-district students in grades 3-5 who have not yet taken the CogAt.

The CogAt provides insight into students’ abilities and guides educators in making appropriate educational decisions for students. Mankato Area Public Schools use the CogAt in the following ways:

• to help educators differentiate instruction for the needs and abilities of a student;

• to understand discrepancies between a student’s ability and achievement; and

• to use as a measure in identifying students for placement in Talent Development Services, including cluster and Rising Scholar classrooms.

In grade 2, the CogAt is untimed. Students in a typical 2nd grade class generally take less than one hour to complete the CogAt, In grades 3-5, the CogAt will take approximately 45 minutes. The CogAt has three sections: verbal analogies, quantitative analogies, and nonverbal matrices. There will be short breaks between sections.

If you do NOT want your child to take the Cognitive Abilities Screening Form, please contact your school no later than Wednesday, January 29th.

As we continue the transition to our focus school model, we are committed to keeping families informed and addressing their questions. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document is a valuable resource that will be updated regularly as new questions arise.

Here are a few key items to keep in mind:

If your student currently attends Rosa Parks Elementary, you do not need to apply to stay at Rosa Parks.

Who Needs to Apply or Enroll:

• All incoming kindergarten students
• Students wishing to transfer to a Focus School (Bridges Community School, Jefferson Elementary, and Rosa Parks) for the 2025-26 school year
• Students living outside the MAPS district boundaries

Transportation is available for students living within the MAPS boundaries and residing one mile or more from their assigned focus school. Transportation is not provided for students living within one mile of their school or for families residing outside the MAPS boundaries.

What opportunities are there to attend another school?

• You can apply to another focus school through the lottery process. If your child is selected, they will have the option to attend that focus school.
• Families may also complete and submit an attendance exception request as outlined in School Board Policy 622.

Note: Middle school attendance will remain determined by residence. For example:

• Students living on the East side of town and attending Jefferson Focus School will continue to attend Prairie Winds Middle School.
• Students living on the West side of town and attending Rosa Parks Focus School will continue to attend Dakota Meadows Middle School.

We appreciate your patience and engagement during this transition. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the FAQ document or reach out with additional questions.

*Please see the Informational Session below if you missed our sessions in December.

Rosa Parks is excited to kick off the STEAM school next year. Students will have opportunities to explore, ask questions, hands on projects, and more. However, as we prepare for our new model we realize that we are in need of different supplies that you may have around your house. We are asking that every month you help us gather supplies. Please look at your grade level and see if you can donate these supplies in February.

For the Month of February we are kicking off our donations. Just send them into your classroom teacher starting February 3rd.

Kindergarten - Paper Towel/Toilet Paper Rolls

1st grade - Empty Water Bottles

2nd grade - K-Cups

3rd grade - Pom-Poms

4th grade - Egg Cartons

5th grade - Pipe Cleaners

We are currently accepting donations of new or gently used winter clothing items such as coats, snow pants, and boots. Items can be dropped off in the office.

Winter weather will be here soon, so it’s a good idea to have a plan for your family in case of school closings, early dismissals, or late starts.

Notices for school closings and early dismissals will be posted on the following websites, radio, and television stations. You can also hear a recorded message on the District Notification Line at 507-387-6046.

Other ways to track school closing delays/dismissals/closures:

● www.isd77.org ● katoinfo.com ● mankatofreepress.com ● southernminnesotanews.com ● keyc.com ● KEYC 12 - TV AND MANY MORE.

Click HERE for a copy of the Winter Weather Information.

*Blue Earth Area Schools is a smaller school district south of us. When you hear or see this, IT IS NOT Mankato Area Public Schools.

Please click on this link to view information about the Rosa Parks PTO upcoming fundraiser at Noodles on January 23.

Jan. 20 NO SCHOOL

Jan. 23 PTO Fundraiser-Noodles

Jan. 27 NO SCHOOL-Teacher work day

Feb. 6 STEAM Family Night

Feb. 10 PTO Meeting, 7:00 pm, Media Center

Feb. 11 PTO Fundraiser-Qdoba

Feb. 12 Early Release

MAPS families, we will have early releases on the following Wednesdays:

2-Hour Early Release Days

February 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

April 9, 2025

May 14, 2025

• This means your student will start their day at the normal time of 8am and be released at 12:30pm. Your student will still receive lunch prior to the 12:30pm dismissal when buses will leave the building.
• Optional supervision by school staff is coordinated by the building and provided between 12:30 and 2:30pm. A Google form will be used to sign up again this year.
• Students who stay for the optional supervision and are not enrolled in ACES must have transportation home by 2:30pm, the end of a normal school day.
• Lastly, ExCEL and After School Club programs will not run on early release Wednesdays.

We have our arrival and dismissal procedures in place to keep students safe, and operate in an efficient and effective manner.

Arrival:

• Doors will not open until 7:35 unless you are enrolled in our ACES program. Also, adult supervision does not start until 7:35.
  

• Students that arrive between 7:35 and 7:50 should either report to the playground or breakfast.

• Curbside drop off is in the lower lot, door (#3). Please follow the flow of traffic.

• DO NOT PASS cars and skip ahead in line.

• Pull ahead as far as possible at all times. It may be super convenient for your kid to exit the vehicle right in front of the door or playground but please be considerate of others. The better everyone follows the procedures the smoother the experience is for everyone.

• The upper lot, (door #1) is reserved for buses only. and special circumstances. Should you need to visit the office, use the upper lot to park and enter the building.

• Students who walk or ride their bike will approach on the path, on the playground side of the building. They will walk/bike around the building to the bike racks and use the lower door (#3).

THE END OF DAY PICK-UP PROCEDURES -

DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

• Students who walk home will exit door #7 (near orange playground equipment)

• utilize the walking path

• must promptly begin leaving campus once they exit the building.

• Students who bike home will exit door #7 (near orange playground equipment)

• utilize the walking/bike path

• must promptly begin leaving campus once they exit the building.

• Students who are car riders will exit door #3.

• We are committed to keeping Rosa Parks students, families, and staff safe. Thank you for your cooperation!

• Each family is given a number that will need to be displayed in the car window

• Families will get two numbers to have in multiple vehicles

• Display number on the passenger side

• When pulling up, always pull up as far as you can and we will load multiple cars at a time.

• Staff will communicate the numbers in the order they have arrived into the building.

• Avoiding the process and driving to the front will result in your number not being called. Follow the process!

• As cars load, they will be dismissed and the next batch of cars will pull in.

• Make sure your children know their number for dismissal.

Please make sure your child knows how they will be getting home each day. Inform your child’s teacher or the school office if there is a change in your family’s plan.

The Greater Mankato Mental Health Hub has launched! This hub was developed by Greater Mankato Area United Way's Youth Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Committee and is hosted by the Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Rosa Parks is a School-wide Title 1 School, meaning we receive additional funding to provide supplemental interventions or services to students. The purpose of Title I, Part A under the Federal ESEA Act is to supplement services to students to help them learn what they need to know to be successful on high academic standards.

Rosa Parks' Parent Engagement Plan emphasizes the importance of collaboration between parents and educators. We encourage you to participate in our school activities, attend meetings, and provide feedback to help us create a supportive learning environment for your child. A copy of Rosa Parks' Parent Engagement Plan is available upon request.