The Gladden Gazette

The mission of Gladden Elementary, the lighthouse that illuminates the journey to greatness, is to ensure all students become extraordinary thinkers who pursue limitless possibilities with purpose, integrity, compassion, and resilience, through powerful school experiences distinguished by:

• dynamic learning opportunities for all students
• healthy environments of support and encouragement
• vital partnerships with families and communities

At Gladden Elementary, we believe in fostering a learning environment that empowers every student. Our guiding principles of Equity, Perseverance, Integrity, and Critical Thinking are the compass that steers our educational journey. We strive to create a space where all students feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.

Gladden Families -

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break filled with rest, laughter, and time with loved ones. Hopefully, the snow days are behind us so we can get back in the swing of things soon!

As we welcome 2025, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued partnership in fostering a positive and engaging learning environment for our students. January marks a fresh start, full of opportunities for growth and achievement. It’s also a time to refocus on academic goals and celebrate the progress we’ve made so far this school year.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be encouraging our students to set personal and academic goals for the remainder of the school year. With the support of our dedicated teachers and staff, I’m confident this will be a season of great progress and discovery for all.

Thank you for making Gladden Elementary such a vibrant and supportive community. Here’s to a fantastic second half of the school year!

Warm regards,
Karen Snider
Principal, Gladden Elementary

January 6:

Teacher Workday - No school for students

January 7:

School Resumes from Winter Break

January Attendance Incentive Begins!

January 10:

2nd Quarter Report Cards Go Home Today

January 20:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

January 23:

4th Grade Musical Performance at 6:00 p.m. in GES Gym

Come join us on Thursday, January 23rd for our 4th grade musical performance! All 4th grade students will be participating in the musical "Aliens". The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and will be performed in our Gladden Elementary gym. We can't wait to see you there!

We held our 2nd quarter Pirate Pride Assembly on Thursday, December 19th. During this assembly, we recognized our second quarter "Shout-Out" winners. These are students who went above and beyond to exemplify our Pirate Principles of equity, perseverance, integrity, and critical thinking as well our building expectations of being safe, respectful, and responsible. These students had their "Shout-Out" read during morning announcements over the intercom, had their picture taken for the "Shout-Out" board, and got to pick a prize from the office treasure chest!

Congratulations to the following students were 2nd quarter Shout-Out winners:

• Ally Brooks
• Kajika Harper
• Ezrah Coffelt
• Cassius Salinas
• Kamden Auldridge-Trzcinski
• Ariya White
• Valeria Guiterrez Ortiz
• Audrey Castro
• Karsynn Smith
• Silas Gunter
• Sophia Izaguirre
• Ruth Alonzo
• Zayn Maciel
• Jacob Villasenor
• Cooper Maciel
• Alexi Clark
• Nevaeh Hall
• Noah Hogan
• Wyatt Kriesel
• Ellianna Hilden
• Zoey Frenette
• Tyler Schwaebler
• Arteyu Sanchez
• Nathan Alvarez Mendez
• Parker Hensley
• Piper Elliot
• Josephine Lee

During the month of November we held an attendance competition for the classroom that had the most days of perfect attendance. We had a tie! Congratulations to Mrs. Lesch's class and Mrs. Messbarger's class! These classes had over 10 days of perfect attendance! In December, these classes got to participate in a "chef experience" where they got make their own "take and bake" pizzas.

During the month of January, we will be doing another attendance incentive! See the information below!

The cold weather is upon us. Please make sure your child dresses warmly - heavy coats, hats, gloves, etc., as we will still have outdoor recess on most days. The district's cold weather recommendations are below:

• 30 degrees and above - Outdoor recess
• Between 20-29 degrees - 15-20 minute outdoor recess
• 19 degrees and below - No outdoor recess

The district's priority is keeping our students and staff members safe, which means we sometimes have to close our doors due to inclement weather.

If snow, ice, extreme cold conditions or an emergency event occurs on a weekday and creates unsafe conditions, the Belton School District will either call an AMI Day or a Snow Day.

If school is canceled, District officials will send alerts through the automated calling system, text alerts, the website and social media outlets. Lastly, they will notify all local news stations.

AMI Days:

On AMI days, students will learn from home. If forecasts predict the potential of inclement weather for the next school day or if conditions prevent us from having school in-person, we will send devices and chargers home with all students. If we are unable to send devices home (as we have been after winter break), you will get an email from your child's teacher about assignments they can complete without a device/use of the Internet.

There is not a set schedule of hour-by-hour learning on AMI days. Elementary teachers will post assignments/activities through Seesaw and/or Schoology. On these days, attendance for students will be counted by tracking assignment submissions on the next day of in-person instruction, electronic submission the day of/day they return, or a log of electronic or web-based activities.

Belton School District participates in the 100 Million Project from T-Mobile, thus our district can issue hotspots to families who need internet access. Hotspots do have limitations on bandwidth, therefore, there will be no Zoom meetings or lengthy videos on AMI days.

Parents can call or email their child's school office to request a hotspot. You are encouraged to do this as soon as possible before winter weather arrives. Once it is prepared in the district technology department, the school office staff will notify the family they can pick up the hotspot during school hours. *This will need to be prearranged. This cannot be provided on the day of an AMI day.

Happy New Year! As we start the new year, we are excited to continue our reading adventures in the library. Here’s what’s coming up in January:

Missouri Building Block Award – Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, we’ll be wrapping up our journey through the Missouri Building Block Award books. These are a collection of books nominated for their engaging stories and beautiful illustrations, perfect for our youngest readers. After we finish reading all the books, Kindergarten students will have the chance to vote for their favorite book from the list. It’s always exciting to see which book will win the vote!

Show Me Award – 1st through 4th Grade

For our 1st through 4th graders, we will continue reading more of the Show Me Award nominees. These books are selected for their high-quality writing and engaging content, making them perfect for our elementary readers. We’ll discuss the stories, themes, and characters throughout the month. As we near the end of the year, students will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Show Me Award nominee.

Student Advisory Group – 3rd and 4th Grade

We are thrilled to introduce a new group of 3rd and 4th grade students to our Library Advisory Team! This group of student leaders will meet regularly to share their ideas, give feedback on library resources, and help plan library activities. They will play an important role in making our library program even better for everyone. Stay tuned for updates from these student advisors as they help guide us in creating an even more vibrant library experience!

We are looking forward to a month full of reading, learning, and sharing stories in the library. As always, thank you for your continued support of our library program!

Warmly,
Mrs. Stegmaier
K-4 Librarian

Should you need to make transportation changes for your student, please do so prior to 2:30 p.m. by emailing the office at gladden@bsd124.org or by sending a handwritten note. For the safety of students, we do NOT accept transportation changes over the phone.

If you are picking your student up through the car rider line, please make sure you have your car rider sign displayed. If you forget or lose your sign, you will need to park, come into the office, and show your ID to pick up your child. You are always welcome to request more car rider signs.

Gladden Office: (816) 489-7530

Gladden Fax: (816) 489-7535

• Secretary - Amber Branson
• Office Para- Emma Kesler
• Counselor - Amber Webel
• Principal - Karen Snider

Gladden Health Room: (816) 489-7532

• Nurse - Teresa Knoll

Gladen Cafeteria: (816) 489-7532

• Cafeteria Manager - Ka'Treena Fairlie

Gladden SAC (before and after school care): (816) 489-7300

• Site Director: Lucy Culbertson
• District Children Services Coordinator: Luke Startwood

DS Bus Lines: (816) 331-3200

Email: gladden@bsd124.org

Website: https://www.beltonschools.org/Page/14
Location: 405 Westover Road, Belton, MO, USA
Phone: 816-489-7530
Facebook: facebook.com/GladdenElementary