CTEC Weekly News

Cedar Trails Exploration Center

8201 Mize Blvd.

Lenexa, KS 66227

913-667-1820

deborah.ricker@usd232.org

Picture Day is next week on Wednesday! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/87032MF.

Online ordering is available before and after Picture Day. Shipping and handling charges may apply to orders placed after Picture Day.

If you don't already, I encourage you to follow USD232's Facebook page and check out the recent post highlighting early childhood.

It's a fun time to live in KC when you have to choose between wearing Royals and Chiefs gear on Monday! GO Royals and GO Chiefs!

I want to give a SHOUT OUT to Josh Karlin at Karlin and Long, LLC for the generous donation that is going toward pumpkins for our pumpkin patch! Thanks to Josh and some wonderful parent volunteers who are donating pumpkins, each child will get to take home a pumpkin on October 17. We are so grateful for the monetary donation from Josh Karlin and for all of the donated pumpkins from generous parents!

Monday, October 7

no events

Tuesday, October 8

no events

Wednesday, October 9

PICTURE DAY!

9:00 PAT playgroup

Thursday, October 10

no events

Friday, October 11

9:00 PAT playgroup

Upcoming events

Oct 17 - Pumpkin Patch at CTEC

Oct 18 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development/Teacher workday

Oct 20 - Trunk or Treat at DHS

Oct 21 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development

Oct 22 - Trunk or Treat at CTEC

Oct 31 - Fall parties at CTEC; 10:00 parade and parties to follow/2:30 parade and parties to follow

Nov 1 - EC Screening

Nov 25-29 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving break

Dec 2 - Picture retake day

We are blessed to have such an amazing team here at CTEC! Would you love an opportunity to formally show appreciation...without spending a dime? Through the generosity of the Great American Bank and the USD 232 Education Foundation, we have the opportunity to recognize staff members who go above and beyond in their daily interactions with students. All you need to do is click on the link below and fill out some general information about the deserving nominee. Thank you for helping our team know that their dedication is appreciated!

Making a Difference Nomination Link

From Parents as Teachers: We are thrilled to announce a special family photo session fundraiser featuring one of our very own parents, the acclaimed photographer, Beth Parkhill! This is a wonderful opportunity to capture precious family moments while supporting our Parents as Teachers (PAT) program. Beth’s stunning photography work can be viewed on her website here. Part of the proceeds from each session will directly benefit PAT, helping us continue to provide valuable resources and support to families in our community.

How to Sign Up:

- To book a session, simply sign up for a time slot using the link here.

- Payments can be made via Venmo @bstratphoto1 before October 26th.

Don't miss out on this chance to create lasting memories and contribute to a great cause!

Attention all CTEC parents - Please call the CTEC office at 913-667-1820 or send an email to report attendance changes if your child will be late, will need to leave early, or will be absent. When emailing, please include our office staff (trwilson@usd232.org and susanne.tribble@usd232.org) and your child's teachers. In addition, please make every effort to make any going home changes prior to 10:30/3:00 and please contact the office with those changes. Teachers have limited access to email when students are present so they may not see the going home change.

Thank you!

Per Kansas state law, schools are required to conduct 9 safety drills each year. The required drills are as follows:

• 4 fire drills (one per quarter)

• 2 tornado drills (one in September and one in March)

• 3 crisis drills

We use a variety of crisis drills to help prepare our students and staff for an emergency. Some of these include: medical emergencies, circumstances originating outside the building (i.e. suspicious person, wild animal, etc.), and even preparing for the potential of an intruder accessing the building. Our teachers work proactively with students to help prevent any anxiety drills may create, and we always strive to make the drills age appropriate. And, in addition to the required drills, we routinely have discussions with the students to review protocol and help ensure a desired response to a crisis.

The safety of students and staff remains a priority in USD 232. We have implemented many safety initiatives and technologies to help maintain a safe learning environment, and we will work to continuously improve our culture of safety through the strong partnerships we enjoy between schools, the community, and public safety entities.