Renner Report

Renner Elementary School

School Hours: 8:15-3:15

School Phone: 816-359-4350

Principal: Dr. Denisha Johnson Assistant Principal: Dominic Martinez

Counselor: Dr. Kevin Bland Social Worker: Tara Davis

Office Staff: Melissa Wiehe and Brittany Kleinmeyer

Nurse: Justina Hoss

February

• February 5: Hold/Lockdown Drill at 1:15

• February 6: Mathletics Competition at 3:45
• February 6: PTA Sponsored Skate Night at River Roll 6:00-8:00 PM
• February 12: Spring Photos
• February 12: PTA Sponsored GLOW Run Kick Off
• February 13: 4th Grade Musical at 6:00
• February 17: NO school for Presidents Day
• February 18, 19, 20: Donuts with Grownups 7:55-8: 20 AM
• February 18: Chick Fil-a Night PTA 5-8:00
• February 20: PTA Meeting @ 6:00 in the Renner Library
• February 21: PTA GLOW RUN in the Renner Gym
• February 24: Virtual Community Connections 6:00-7:30

March

• March 3: Glow Run Lip Sync Battle
• March 3-7: Book Fair
• March 5: 3rd Grade Music Concert at 6:00
• March 6: PTA Meeting at 6:00
• March 10: Fire Drill 8:30
• March 13: District Mathletics Competition 3:45 to 5:30
• March 13: PTA Papa John's Night 4:00-8:00
• March 17: Severe Weather Drill at 8:30
• March 20: 1st Grade Musical Concert at 6:00
• March 21: No School for Students/Half Teacher Work Day
• March 24-28: NO School SPRING BREAK

Members of the Park Hill School District's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Council will facilitate this community update and conversation in partnership with Sophic Solutions. Join us!

Park Hill School District parents/guardians, staff, and community members are welcome to join us for these conversations. In these upcoming online forums, we will start with a presentation to all participants, overviewing the work our DEIB Council and DEIB Action Teams have accomplished since our 2024 community forums. We'll also share how this aligns with the current 2023-2028 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). After our large group presentation, we will move into small groups where participants will have an opportunity to engage in dialogue about the work that is being done and provide input regarding how they would like to see this work carried out within the specific school(s) they are associated with.

We look forward to sharing the work of our council and action teams thus far. We also look forward to our next steps, in alignment with our DEIB drivers and narratives, and the individual council work at each building. Thank you for your connection to this critical work in Park Hill.

We are hosting two community forums: February 18, 2025, and February 24, 2025. Both nights we will begin at 6:00 PM and end at 7:30 PM. Please register for only one session. The forum Zoom link will be sent, via email, on the day of your event.

Registration link: 2025 PHSD DEIB Community Connection

We're so excited to host Donuts with Grownups again! This is always a wonderful way to connect as a Renner family! Due to space in the gym, and wanting as many to families to participate as possible, we will have 3 different grade level dates. Please see the links to below to RSVP!

The History of Black History Month...

Black History Month began in 1926 and was created by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator, and publisher. It became a month-long celebration in 1976. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

There has been an increase in Norovirus in the community which explains why we are beginning to see it in the school setting.

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus causing gastroenteritis, spreads rapidly in school settings through contaminated food, surfaces, and person-to-person contact. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, often leading to significant absenteeism among students and staff.

Prevention Tips:

1. Promote Hand Hygiene: Educate students about proper handwashing with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the restroom. *Alcohol-based sanitizers are less effective against norovirus.

2. Disinfect Surfaces: Ensure high-touch areas like desks, doorknobs, and restrooms are regularly cleaned with effective disinfectants that kill norovirus.

3. Isolate Sick Individuals: Encourage sick students and staff to stay home for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Please reach out to Nurse Tina if you have any questions.

Our 4th grade musical "Gotta Be Jazz" has been moved to February 13th. Please see the flier below for details.

Roadrunner Families,

At Renner, we are committed to creating equitable and inclusive practices that help build connections, foster strong relationships, and provide lasting memories and authentic experiences for all of our students. While traditional holiday parties have been a fun part of past school experiences, we recognize that these events can unintentionally exclude some of our students.

This year, we are making a few changes to ensure that all students feel safe, valued, and able to fully participate in our school events.

Changes to Spring Celebrations:

1. Spring Party Date: Our spring parties, hosted by the PTA, will take place on Friday, April 4th, instead of February 14.
2. Valentines Exchange: In keeping with this shift, we will not be exchanging valentines at Renner this year.

We understand and value the importance of holidays to our entire community. While we will continue to acknowledge holidays as part of our school culture, we will focus on inclusive practices that do not center celebrations around specific holidays. This allows all students to participate fully, without the need to opt out of activities.

We encourage families to celebrate holidays in ways that are meaningful to them at home, with friends, or within their community groups. At school, our goal is to create opportunities that are enjoyable for everyone.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we work together to build a school environment where every student feels included and valued.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The 6th HBCU College Fair and Showcase, sponsored by Park Hill School District, will be held on Thursday, February 6, at 6:00 PM, at Park Hill South High School. The event will feature several representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), along with a program showcasing the features and benefits of HBCUs. There will also be organizations and other resources at the event. Learn more about the event and register by clicking here. We hope you can join us for this important opportunity!

Please see Dr. Bland's November Mindfulness Smore.

https://secure.smore.com/n/9jc85

January Curriculum Connections:

January 2025 ELA Curriculum Connections

January 2025 Math Curriculum Connections

January 2025 Science/Social Studies Curriculum Connections

Please click the link below for access to Park Hill's parent/student handbook.

Please join Renner's PTA! Click the link below.

Membership Online Link: https://bit.ly/BeepBeepPTA24-25

Alfred L. Renner Elem. families,

The day is here! You can now sign up for our Renner Glow Run! Our goal is to raise $13,000 for field trips, Renner shirts for every student, cultural art events and more. Signing up is easy and free!

⭐️ Sign Up Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️

Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!

Follow our social pages for updates on our fundraiser.

Thank you to our amazing business members of PTA!

Please click below to see staff's favorite things for the 2024-25 school year.

School attendance is vital for student success and academic growth. Please help your student(s) be successful by arriving to school on time each day. We also ask for your help in this area by attempting to schedule any necessary appointments either after school hours or on non-attendance days. Please remember that the arrival time for Renner is 7:55am. Prior to that time, there is no adult supervision for students. Please do not drop students off before 7:55. Students are tardy if they arrive after 8:15am. If your child will be absent, please contact the school office by 8:30. Also, if you have changes in plans regarding transportation home, please notify your child’s teacher or the school office before noon at 816-359-4350. Thank you for making your child’s education a top priority!

ARRIVAL:

• Adventure Club: Drop-off begins at 6:30am and parents must check in their child in the cafeteria with AC staff. Students must be enrolled in Adventure Club to participate.
• Walkers: Students may enter the building at 7:55 through the car rider doors.
• Bus Riders: Students will be released from the buses as soon as they arrive at Renner. A staff member will be waiting to greet students as they get off the bus. Students will either report to the cafeteria for breakfast or go directly to their classrooms.
• Car Riders: Drop-off begins at 7:55am. As a reminder, car riders are not allowed to exit cars until 7:55. Cars must pull through the car rider loop and be released to an adult. Students will report for breakfast in the cafeteria or go to their classrooms. All cars will enter Renner at the bottom east parking lot off Stoddard and use a single file line for dropping off students. If your child is late, arriving after 8:15, please escort them to the office to sign them in using our check-in system. Please be sure not to park or drop off students in the front bus loop between 7:55 and 8:15 am.

DISMISSAL:

• Adventure Club: Pick-up begins at 3:15pm in the cafeteria.
• Walkers: Students will be released to parents gate area on the sidewalk where car riders are dismissed.
• Bus Riders: Students riding buses will be escorted by their classroom teacher to their bus starting at 3:10pm. Students will be met by bus greeters as they get on the bus.
• Car Riders: Pick-up begins at 3:10pm. Cars will begin to line up along the curb. Students will be supervised in the gym until their name is called by our staff. Staff members use the name sign on your dash/visor to call student names in order of parent arrival. Students will stand by a designated cone and then be escorted by staff to their car. Cars without a visible name card will be asked to park and check out their child from the front office.

  Car Rider Reminders:

  In an effort to make make our car rider dismissal procedures a smooth and quick process, we ask that all families please:

  
  

  • Have name placards visible in window dash. (Without it you will be asked to park and display your ID in the office.)
  • If you feel the need to make any adjustments to your child’s seating harnesses, please pull to the side, out of the flow of traffic to do so. You will be able to join the line as soon as you are finished.

  
  

Classroom Treats: To protect the health and safety of our students, homemade treats will not be distributed to students in the Park Hill School District. Due to allergies and other food intolerances, only birthday favors listed below are allowed.

Birthday Favors: Students may bring a birthday treat or favor to school to share with their classmates, as long as they come from our list of treats that contain none of the eight (8) major allergens - milk, wheat, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish.

Thank you for understanding that all classroom treats must come from this list, because we do not have the staff capacity to check for allergens that could threaten the health of some students. Please bring birthday treats ahead of time (two hours after the start of school, at the latest).

• Stickers

• Erasers

• Pencils

• Crazy straws

• Blow Pops

• Juice boxes

• Popcorn

• Smarties

• Dum Dum lollipops

• Jelly Belly

• Nerds

• Ring Pops

• Skittles

• Sour Patch Kids

• Starburst

• Swedish Fish

• Life Saver Gummies

Families who qualify are encouraged to apply for Free and Reduced Benefits. This is typically advertised as Free and Reduced Lunch, but there are many more benefits beyond lunch.

Families who qualify for Free and Reduced Benefits have access to:

• Free/Reduced Price Lunch
• FREE insurance for student device
• FREE WiFi Hotspot from Park Hill School District
• Free/Reduced application costs for college applications
• Free/Reduced Cost access to PTA Events and more. Please see our social worker Tara Davis for any questions you have!

Families who think they qualify for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program will need to apply after August 1, 2024. This is a program you must reapply for each school year. If your child is eligible for free or reduced meal benefits, you can also receive additional benefits at Park Hill High School such as fee waivers, activity passes, free screenings and more.

Click here to learn how to check your eligibility and how to apply.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our school social worker, Tara Davis at davist@parkhill.k12.mo.us or (816) 359-5547.

If you need the application translated, please use this link. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/translated-applications

We want to take a quick moment to remind our families and students to please stay home if they are not feeling well.

In the event of illness, students must be symptom-free for a full 24 hours before returning to school. This includes fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

Immunizations: All students need to be up to date on immunizations BEFORE starting school on August 19. Documentation of immunizations must be turned into the health room.

Medication: Our health room is available if your child becomes ill or injured while at school. All non-prescription, over-the-counter medication must be sent in the original container with a written request by the parent or physician. If for any reason your child is on medication, before it can be administered, the medication must be in a prescription labeled bottle accompanied by a doctor’s note. The medication is kept in the health room. The medication authorization form must be completed and signed by the parent or guardian for all medications given at school. It is recommended that medication NOT be sent to school with the children. Parents should bring the medication to the health room. Please feel free to stop by and visit with Nurse Hoss in our Health Room any time.

Please reach out to the health room with any questions.

Park Hill School District uses Infinite Campus as our student information system. You can access your child’s essential school information and district information quickly! This includes Attendance, Grades, Schedule, Bus Information, Technology Fees and School Communications.

To be able to access your child’s information, you must set up an account. You will need to log-in and enter the Activation Key, followed by setting up your own username and password.

Infinite Campus organizes students by household, so you can access your family in just one account. If you have questions, need technical support, or have misplace your unique access key code, feel free to call us at 816-359-4350

Parents can purchase additional insurance protection for accidents that may occur during school classes and while students are away from school, at home, during weekends and vacation periods, including the summer months. For information regarding this optional coverage, visit www.kidguardinsurance.com for additional benefit and on-line enrollment information.

Students may bring their lunch from home or purchase a school lunch from the cafeteria. Students also have the option to purchase a breakfast upon arrival to school.

Breakfast: $1.75

Lunch: $2.95

Milk: $0.70

Our employees are the reason we are so successful here in the Park Hill School District, and we would like to recognize them for all they do for our students.

That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a Pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. It asks you to share how your nominee demonstrates our district values of continuous improvement, high expectations, integrity, visionary leadership and student focus. You can also share how your nominee supports the goals in our district’s strategic plan.

School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (SWPBS) is a systems approach to establishing the whole-school social culture and intensive individual behavior supports needed for school to achieve social and academic gains while minimizing problem behavior for all students. SWPBS is NOT a specific curriculum, intervention or practice, but a decision making framework that guides selection, integration and implementation of scientifically-based academic and behavioral practices for improving academic and behavior outcomes for all students. A central feature of SWPBS is implementation of behavioral practices throughout the entire school. SWPBS defines practices that all students experience in all parts of the school and at all times of day.

• Fewer behavior problems
• Improved school climate
• Reduction in discipline referrals
• i.e.—Every faculty and staff member will have a protocol to follow.
• Safer schools
• More time spend on instruction and less on discipline

Throughout the school day, students will receive PRIDE Points for demonstrating Renner expected behaviors that can be used to trade in for special items or privileges. Students may also receive a Positive Office Referral where families will receive a positive phone call from Renner administration. Students will also be recognized during our monthly "Celebration Walk" where we honor Roadrunners of Month.

When unexpected behaviors occur, Renner uses the following below strategies.

Call Box at Front Entrance: All schools in Park Hill have a Call Box at the locked Front Entrance Doors. Front entrance doors will be locked when school is in session. Office staff will ask for your name and the reason for your visit before the door is unlocked. Each time a parent or a family member visits Renner, a photo ID is required to check out a student or enter Renner beyond the school office area.

Student Check Out Process: Please be prepared to show a photo ID when picking up your child early from Renner. Students will not be allowed to leave with siblings or other family members unless the sibling or family member is listed on the child’s authorized pick-up list or verbal permission is granted by the parent by phone. A picture ID is required when picking up students.

ALL students at Renner will receive a photo badge and lanyard which they will use each day to access their lunch account, check out library books, access print jobs and ride the bus. Students will be responsible for bringing their ID badge and lanyard to and from school each day. Students will wear badges all day. If a student is unable to find their badge, there will be a $5.00 replacement fee. Your help with this process is very much appreciated.

Our student-family directory provides contact information of Renner families. Included in the directory is:

• Student Name
• Teacher/Grade
• Parent Name
• Parent Phone Number
• Parent Email

If you do not want your information included in the Renner School Directory, please contact the office to opt out.

Park Hill School District will provide transportation services to students who live more than 0.5 miles from Renner.

Families received transportation update emails about their status. If you have concerns or questions, please email the Transportation Department at transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us.

For the safety of all our students, communication is the key! During Back to School Night, please be sure that you communicate with your child’s teacher the details of your child’s mode of dismissal transportation. Families must establish their child as one of the following:

• Bus rider:
• Car rider
• Walker or Bike Rider
• Adventure Club

During the year, please notify the school office of any transportation changes prior to 2:00pm. Thank you for your assistance!

Additional Bus rider information: In early August, our bus company, First Student, will be sending an email with your student’s bus information if you live within the bus boundaries. Our recommendation is for you to contact First Student if you have any concerns regarding your student’s stop. First Student can be reached at 816-359-4560 or contact Kay Burnos at kay.burnos@firstgroup.com.

Visitors: Visitors are welcome at Renner! Visits should be prearranged with the appropriate Renner staff member at least one day in advance of the visit. All visitors must check in at the office, identify the purpose of the visit, and will receive an ID sticker to wear during the visit.

Lunch Visits: Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch at school. Lunch visitors must check in at the office. We have a designated area for students with lunch guests to accommodate space for visitors. Lunch visitors may only have lunch with their own children. Any visitors who are not listed as a contact for the student will require advanced permission from the student's parent or guardian.

Volunteers: We welcome all volunteers into our schools and classrooms, with prior arrangements made with Renner staff. All volunteers who work with our students need to complete background screening by Park Hill. Forms for the screening are available in the Renner office. Volunteers must check in at the office and wear an ID sticker.

Follow us everywhere for the latest news from Renner Elementary!

Email: Kleinmeyer@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: www.renner.parkhill.k12.mo.us

Location: 7401 NW Barry Rd Kansas City, MO 64153
Phone: (816) 359-4350
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RennerElementary