McKinley Monthly

2 No School - Labor Day

3 PTA Meeting - 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Library

9 Photo Day

10 Popcorn Begins

25 Dental Screening

Early School Out Dates:

Thursday, October 10

Friday, December 20

Friday, February 14

Friday, March 14

The McKinley staff is a dedicated and caring staff that enthusiastically looks ahead to this new school year. I would like to extend a special welcome to all new students and families. We are glad you have joined us at McKinley. The staff has worked collaboratively to identify values that we want people to think of when they hear McKinley Elementary. Thank you for working with us to use these words and actions in your daily activities.

THE WILDCAT WAY

We are CARING

We are RESPECTFUL

We are RESPONSIBLE

We are SAFE

We are McKinley

Picture Day is Monday, September 9, 2024! An order envelope will be sent home and must be turned in with your student on the day of the photo shoot. Please contact the office at 701-446-5200 if you need additional information.

You may also order online at www.Scherling.PreOrderPhotos.com - AccessCode: R47XP6. Click or scan the QR code to the left if you have questions. Photo retake day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

• The building does not open until 8 a.m.
• Students should be dropped off in the marked drop off zone - drivers must stay with their vehicle
• Only bus students should use door #1. All other students should use the main door #3
• Students are to pick up a breakfast if they want one and go directly to their classroom
  
• School begins at 8:15 a.m.
  
• Plan a meeting location outside of the building to meet at the end of the day at 2:37 p.m.
• If you need to pick your child up early, or if the regular end-of-day plans have changed for your child, please let the office know by 2:15 p.m. Students cannot come to the office until the parent or guardian has notified us. All absences should be reported to our attendance clerk at 701-446-5205 instead of sending a SeeSaw message or email to their classroom teacher.
  

MCKINLEY DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES – 2024-2025

McKinley Families - thank you for your continued effort to put our students' safety first! Here are the drop off and pick up procedures for students. Please use these practices before and after school. Please share these procedures with anyone that will be dropping off or picking up students.

Procedures:

• Morning Drop Off:

If you are dropping your child/ren off in the morning, please travel from the north on 8th Street in front of the school and pull into the drop off/pick up lane.

Move forward as the whole length of the sidewalk is cleared daily.

DO NOT drop children off to the north of the drop-off lane. Please wait until you get into the drop off lane.

If there is a line, please wait and pull forward when the line moves.

Please be patient while waiting in line.

DO NOT park on the opposite side of 8th Street and have the child/ren walk across the street, even if an adult escorts them.

DO NOT stop in the middle of 8th Street and double park having the child/ren get out of the vehicle there and move to the sidewalk.

DO NOT park in the apartment parking lots across the street and have the child/ren walk across the street to the school, even if escorted by an adult.

DO NOT cut in line ahead of other vehicles that are waiting to drop their child/ren off.

• Afternoon Pick Up:

If you are picking up your child/ren at the end of the school day, please travel from the north on 8th Street in front of the school and pull into the drop off lane.

Continue to move forward as the line moves and move up past the main doors as the whole length of the sidewalk is cleared daily.

Our staff have radios and communicate with the office and other staff that are indoors throughout the dismissal process.

If there is a line, please wait and pull forward when the line moves.

Please be patient while waiting in line.

Students are directed to wait until their ride is in the drop off/pick up lane and stopped before they approach the vehicle and get in.

If you would like to wait for a shorter amount of time for the 1st-5th graders, consider coming to the school 5-10 minutes after the day has ended. Our day ends at 2:37 p.m.

We have adults that supervise the students outside/or inside the front doors when the weather isn’t cooperating, until 3 p.m.

When waiting in line, DO NOT block the bus loop exit. Stay at least 20 feet back to allow the buses to turn north.

You may block the two east exits from the parking lot when waiting in line.

If you park your vehicle in the North parking lot, please use the north exit as the east ones will be blocked.

Please feel free to call with any questions and thanks again for your help and flexibility.

Cheryl Janssen,

Principal

Important policy reminders from the Elementary Parent and Student Handbook:

• Pets are not allowed on school grounds. Allergies, carpet cleanliness, injuries and rabies are real concerns for our students and staff. (Reference parent handbook)

• To align with the district Wellness Policy (AP 3250) and to ensure safety of students with food allergies (AP 3225) and diabetic care plans, families are no longer allowed to bring birthday or celebration food snacks to school for the class.

• Flowers/Balloons/Gifts will not be delivered to the classroom, but will be given to the student at the end of the school day. Please consider the difficulty created for the child who must try to manage these items as well as their backpack, etc. on their way home, walking or riding the bus.

• Outdoor recess is normally canceled when the temperature and wind speed create a wind chill factor of 11 degrees below zero or colder. Outdoor recess will also be canceled not only in the case of extreme cold, but also when the air quality is deemed unhealthy. FPS will monitor levels in Fargo using the AirNow website. Recess will be canceled if the air quality is coded RED, PURPLE, OR BURGANDY. (Weather policy AP3250).

McKinley Elementary School

School-Parent Compact

2024-2025

Title I and the parents of students participating in activities, services and programs funded by Title I agree that this compact outlines how they will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve in the 2024-2025 school year.

School’s Responsibilities

McKinley Elementary will:

1. Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the participating children to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards as follows:

• · Provide curriculum and supplemental instruction at an appropriate level
• · Provide alternative methods of instruction
• · Use research-based methods and curriculum
• · Teach to the standards and benchmarks
• · Provide a caring, small group setting with differentiated instruction

2. Hold parent-teacher conferences, during which title teachers will be available to discuss this compact as it relates to the individual child’s achievement. Specifically, these conferences will be held in conjunction with the District calendar of parent-teacher conferences held twice a year:

• · Beginning of Year: Two different dates in October
• · Midyear: Two different dates in February

3. Provide parents with frequent reports on their children’s progress. Specifically, the school will provide reports as follows:

• Progress Report: Conferences and end of year

The school may provide additional reports as follows:

• Informal notes of progress
• Phone calls and or email
• Conferences as needed
• Reading logs

4. Provide parents reasonable access to staff. Specifically, staff will be available for consultation with parents as follows:

• Phone calls: 701-446-5200. Please leave a message with the office staff and the teacher will return your call in a timely way
• Email addresses can be found on the Fargo Public Schools website
• Individual meetings by appointment

5. Provide regular communication to parents.

• Monthly newsletters will be sent home from school administration
• Teachers will send home weekly monthly newsletters

6. Provide parents opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and to observe classroom activities

Visitation Policy (AP4650):

• Encourage open-door policy for visiting the classroom. Please call ahead to make arrangements: Visitation Policy General Statement Schools are places of work and learning, visitors shall observe the following requirements when visiting district schools, which are created to ensure the educational environment is not disrupted: 1. Visitors shall comply with applicable state law and district policy/regulations while on school property. No person shall enter school property for unlawful purposes or for purposes unauthorized by the Fargo Public Schools. The District shall enforce state law on willful disruption of schools. The Superintendent shall make a reasonable effort to keep the public informed about district policies pertaining to visitors such as, but not limited to: drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; sexual offenders; patron grievances; and other policies designed to maintain order. 2. Solicitors are not permitted on school property except under the terms of the district’s solicitation policy and fundraising policy. 3. Visitors shall be prohibited from electronically recording district students and staff. This policy does not apply to visitors electronically recording school-sponsored events not governed by copyright laws and non-school-sponsored activities and events held on school property. The Fargo Public Schools may create an exception to this policy for members of the press (see AP 7320 Relations with the News Media). 4. Public visits to classrooms shall not be for the purpose of evaluating teachers, teaching methods, or curriculum. Parents and guardians who wish to observe a classroom shall schedule their visits in advance according to administrative regulations. Parents and guardians shall agree to follow this policy and any administrative regulations governing classroom observation prior to receiving classroom observation privileges.
• Encourage parent volunteers
• Invite parents to observe a Reading Recovery®, Title I or classroom lesson

Parent’s Responsibilities

Parent’s will:

We, as parents, will support our children’s learning in the following ways:

• Getting my child to school on time each day
• Making sure that homework is complete
• Attending parent-teacher conferences
• Limiting the amount of time my child watches TV and plays electronic games
• Volunteering in my child’s classroom/school
• Participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to my child’s education
• Promoting positive use of my child’s free time
• Reading and responding to communication from school in a timely manner
• Participating, if possible, in whole school activities and/or organizations as available

We are in need of volunteers to prepare popcorn on any Tuesday of the month (and as many times per month as you are able) for students and staff. It's easy, fun and can be done as a team effort. Here's the process:

• Arrive at McKinley around 9 a.m. and pick up the popcorn count from the office.

• Use the popcorn maker (training will be provided) to pop the number of bags sold. Popcorn needs to be bagged and then counted out by section for distribution by our staff at 2:30 p.m.

• If you are able to assist us with this project, we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. It's easy, it's fun and our kids love this weekly treat! Please contact Gina at 701-446-5206 with questions and interest.

Parents’ Right To Know

Our school receives federal funds for Title I programs that are part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Under ESSA, parents have the right to request information on the professional qualifications of the teachers and paraprofessionals at our school. If you are interested in learning this information, please contact the school administration office at (701) 446-5200. Upon this request, you will receive professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals at the school. The information will include state level qualifications, licensing criteria for grade levels and subject areas, teaching under an emergency or other provisional status, and teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher. In addition, if at any time during the school year a teacher who is not highly qualified teaches your child for four or more consecutive weeks, you will receive timely notice from the school.

Parent Involvement Plan

McKinley Elementary

2024-2025

Involvement

McKinley Elementary shall:

In the fall, hold an annual meeting with parents of participating Title I children. The purpose of this meeting is to inform parents of the requirements of Title I and their right to be involved:

Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide with funds provided under this part, transportation, or child care, as such services relate to parental involvement.

Meet with the parents twice a year at conferences – October and February.

Get input from parents at the Fall Parent meeting.

Hold phone conferences if needed.

Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing and timely way, in the planning, review and improvement of programs under this part, including planning, review and improvement of the school parental involvement policy.

Parent Meetings.

Annual Review meeting scheduled in the spring.

Parent Surveys sent home in the spring.

Information is shared throughout the year via letters, conferences, newsletters and phone calls.

Provide parents of participating children: Timely information about Title I programs.

A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.

If requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practically possible.

Include Newsletters, Reading Logs, Math Journals, meetings, progress reports, notes and information given on the Title I curriculum involving Reading and Math.

If the school-wide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency.

Shared Responsibilities for High Student Academic Achievement

McKinley Elementary shall jointly develop with parents for all children served in Title I a school-parent compact. This compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

The School-Parent Compact is part of this policy.

The actual compact will be given to each Title I parent for review and feedback.

Building Capacity for Involvement

To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents and the community, to improve student academic achievement, each school and local educational agency assisted under this part…

McKinley Elementary shall provide assistance to the parents of children served by the school or local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State’s academic content standards and the State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children.

Share academic and achievement standards such as school-wide newsletter, progress reports, parent-teacher conferences and other conferences as needed.

Parent meetings.

Information is shared throughout the year via letters, conferences, newsletters and phone calls.

Reading Logs, Multiplication Fact Practice Sheet.

Encourage meetings with the Title I teacher to discuss specific ways in which parents can assist their children to progress.

McKinley Elementary shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement.

Model techniques at parent meetings and conferences.

Instructional books and games provided to parents.

Leveled home reading materials.

Provide materials for drill and practice (ex. Flashcards).

McKinley Elementary shall be involved with educating school personnel with the assistance of parents, in the value of parent contributions, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

Title I teachers will pass along information gained through professional development to parents, faculty/staff, principal by handouts, meetings and conferences, newsletters and staff meetings.

McKinley Elementary shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, support parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, public preschool and other programs, and may develop other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents to more fully participate in the education of their children.

School Nurse and counselor.

Distribute parent information at conferences.

Newsletter to communicate to parents about community resources.

McKinley Elementary shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and to the extent practicable in a language parents can understand.

Translators are used to translate oral and written language as needed.

Informational materials are advised for content readability.

Information is provided orally when written materials are unsuitable.

Involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training.

Parents may be involved in the professional development committee.

Title I teachers are members of the McKinley PTA.

School board meetings are open to the public.

May provide necessary literacy training from Title I fund if the district has exhausted all other reasonable available sources of funding for such training.

May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local Title I parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

May train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

May arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school in order to maximize parental involvement and participation.

Teachers are available and respond in a timely manner.

May adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.

May establish a district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parent involvement activities.

Shall provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this as parents may request.

Provide parents with websites that will enrich their child’s academic skills.

Accessibility

The district and schools shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities and parents of migrant children. The district and schools will provide information and school reports, when practicable in a format and language parents can understand.

Translators are available upon request.

McKinley Elementary resources on staff include: Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech-Language Therapist, Learning disabilities Teacher and a Special Education Teacher who assists students with emotional/behavior needs. These teachers act as resources for parents and students.

Dispute Resolution Policy

Federal and state regulations require districts to adopt procedures for receiving and resolving disputes. A complaint may include an investigation by district staff that will result in a determination of findings of facts, conclusions, and reasons for the final decision.

Any individual who believes the Fargo School District has violated the regulations or law governing the federal Title program should submit a detailed, written statement of facts supporting the allegation to:

(Manager of Specific Title program)

Fargo Public Schools

700 7th Street South

Fargo, ND 58103

Fargo Public Schools Title Managers

Title I Part A (Economically Disadvantaged Students)

Tristan Love lovet@fargo.k12.nd.us

Title II Part A (Teacher Training/Recruitment)

Robert Grosz groszr@fargo.k12.nd.us

Missy Eidsness eidsnem@fargo.k12.nd.us

Title III (English Language Acquisition)

Liann Hanson hansonl3@fargo.k12.nd.us

Title IX (Discrimination/Sexual Harassment)

Patricia Cummings cumminp1@fargo.k12.nd.us

Section 504 (Students with Disabilities)

Patricia Cummings cumminp1@fargo.k12.nd.us

Any complaint must include:

• The date;

• The name of the district, unit, or individual the complaint is against;

• The name, address, and telephone number of the person making the complaint;

• A detailed description of the complaint, including specific facts; and

• The signature of the person making the complaint.

When a complaint is filed, the appropriate Fargo Public Schools Title Manager will investigate and issue a written response within sixty (60) calendar days from the date the complaint is received.

Reconsideration

The complainant may submit a reconsideration request in writing to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, the North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services, and the U.S. Department of Education.

State Superintendent The Secretary of Education

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction U.S. Department of Education

600 E. Boulevard Avenue, Dept 201 555 New Jersey Avenue NW

Bismarck, ND 58505-0440 Washington, D.C. 20208

North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services

100 Railroad Avenue

Bismarck, ND 58501

7/2016

Revised 7/2017

Revised 7/2018

Revised 10/2021

Revised 2/2022

Revised 7/2022

Revised 7/2023

Dear Parent/Guardian,

North Dakota has launched a new website designed to help communities across the state access important information about K-12 districts and schools. NDInsights features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including test scores, graduation rates, English Learner progress, and student attendance.

NDInsights, or more commonly referred to as the “Dashboard”, is part of North Dakota’s new accountability system. It is the next step in a series of major shifts in public education that have raised the bar for student learning, transformed testing, and placed the focus on equity for all students. To learn more about the state’s accountability and continuous improvement, visit North Dakota’s ESSA website. To found more information about our school, visit NDInsights, select “Find My School”, and search alphabetically for our school.

Why a new system and new tool?

North Dakota is committed to informing communities about how well our schools are doing. North Dakota’s future success depends on tapping into the potential of all students, so they graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills and disposition to be successful. For schools to reach this goal, teachers, parents, and the community need clear and useful measures of progress. As an accountability tool, the Dashboard will help the state identify schools receiving additional support and assistance.

What is different?

In the past, the accountability system for districts and schools relied heavily on test scores. But one test taken on one particular day does not provide a complete picture of all ways schools are helping students succeed. The Dashboard continues to provide information on different aspects of student performance, but also includes information on school growth and other factors reflecting a more comprehensive view. The Dashboard replaces the former School District Report Card and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports. Please note, the data made available to the public masks or hides data for groups with 10 or fewer students to protect confidential information about individual students.

What’s next for our district?

We have strong plans for working to improve the educational programs at our school. We would like you and child(ren) to continue to be active participants in our education system. Please help support our high expectations for student achievement by participating in the school educational initiatives, offering input and support in our endeavors to raise student achievement, or volunteering at the school. Meeting our school’s goals will take a united effort, and I look forward to working with our families to ensure success for each student.

School Support under ESSA

All schools engage in continuous improvement for general support; therefore, our school will complete an AdvancED Continuous Improvement Plan annually. McKinley Elementary is a participating Title 1 school, with a student membership count of 180. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact the school at 2930 8 St N or at 701-446-5200.

Cheryl Janssen, Principal

Jill Linnell, Counselor

Romelle Speral, Administrative Assistant/Editor

Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/mckinley
Location: McKinley Elementary School, 8th Street North, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701.446.5200