CTEC Weekly News

Cedar Trails Exploration Center

8201 Mize Blvd.

Lenexa, KS 66227

913-667-1820

deborah.ricker@usd232.org

To support our hometown team going to the Super Bowl (again!), we will have a KC Chiefs Super Bowl Spirit Week next week! Check out our themed days below!

For all parents returning to CTEC next year, please note that our Preschool Information Night is next Tuesday, February 4 at 5:30. In addition, our application process opens on Wednesday, February 5. We ask that all parents who have a child who will return to CTEC and any who have a child they are considering enrolling for the first time complete the application that will go live on our website Wednesday at 8:00am. Be sure and complete this application by Friday, Feb 21st at 4:00pm. Please help spread the word to friends and neighbors within our district. Thank you!

Dear Families:

We are making plans for this year's Week of the Young Child. This is a fun-filled week celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities through National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which is April 7-11, 2025. There will be different events happening throughout the week with a different theme and culminating on that Thursday with a family night and Art Fair at the school. More information will be coming on all of that later but we wanted to start collecting some information for one of the days. On Tuesday of that week, the theme is Tasty Tuesday. We wanted to put together a community cookbook of recipes from our families. We would love it if you could share a special recipe from your family to include in the cookbook. You can email them to tmccalla@usd232.org, or send in with your child attn: Tammy McCalla. In addition, we will have a raffle at our family event that will take place on Thursday, April 10 and we are starting to collect donations for the raffle. Please email deborah.ricker@usd232.org if you would like to donate an item or have ideas for donations we can have for our raffle.Thanks so much for helping us create a fun week celebrating all things early childhood!

It's time to start thinking about next school year! Please help spread the word to any friends and neighbors within the De Soto School District and have them join us at our Preschool Information Night (formally called "Open House"). All parents, present and future, are welcome to attend. The presentation will begin at 5:30 and following the presentation, parents will be able to take a tour to see the CTEC Early Childhood classrooms and space. The application to enroll in our preschool program will go live on our website beginning Wednesday, Feb 5 at 8am and will remain open until Friday, Feb 21 at 4pm. We ask that all parents complete the application if your child will attend our program in the 25-26 school year.

See the flyers below for more information and you can also find this information on our Early Childhood Website.

Click on this link to find information about the Kindergarten Parent Information Nights at each of our elementary schools in USD232.

We have a committee of parent volunteers who have worked to organize a meal for staff on Wednesday of Parent/Teacher Conferences, February 12. If you would like to volunteer to bring in something to help feed the staff, they have made it very easy to do! Please click on the sign-up and add your name to what you would like to bring. If you would prefer to give a monetary donation that can go toward the sub sandwiches or any needed sides, that's easy also! Just click on this link. THANK YOU for your willingness to help feed the staff on one of our long work days!

Monday, February 3 - Mahomes Monday!

no events

Tuesday, February 4 - Travis and Taylor Tuesday!

5:30 Preschool Information Night at CTEC

Wednesday, February 5 - Winning Wednesday!

PAT playgroup

8:00 Preschool enrollment window opens

Thursday, February 6 - Three-Peat Thursday!

no events

Friday, February 7 - Fan Gear Friday!

PAT playgroup

EC Screening

Upcoming events

Feb 5 - Feb 21 - 25-26 Preschool enrollment window is open

Feb 11 - Valentine's Day parties: AM CLASS - 10:00-10:45; PM CLASS - 2:30-3:15

Feb 12 - NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences

Feb 12 - Kindergarten Information Night for MIZE students, 4:30

Feb 13 - NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences

Feb 14 - NO SCHOOL, Happy Valentine's Day

Feb 17 - NO SCHOOL, Presidents' Day

Mar 4 - Kindergarten Information Night for MIZE students, 6:00

Mar 6 - Kindergarten Information Night for HORIZON students, 5:00

Mar 6 - Kindergarten Information Night for PRAIRIE RIDGE students, 6:00

Mar 6 - Kindergarten Information Night for STARSIDE students, 6:00

Mar 6 - Kindergarten Information Night for BELMONT students, 6:30

Mar 7 - EC Screening

Mar 11 - Kindergarten Information Night for RIVERVIEW students, 6:00

Mar 17-21 - SPRING BREAK

Mar 24 - NO SCHOOL, PD day/teacher workday

Updated November 2024:

Winter Weather Reminder – Be Prepared USD 232 Families –

Now is a good time to review plans and be prepared this winter for when our school district cancels or delays the start of school due to inclement weather or other emergencies. Consider childcare options for your family as we head deeper into the winter months. Information about school and inclement weather is communicated in the following ways as soon as a decision is made.

1. Sent via text message through our schoolNEWS Alert System. Sign up for text message alerts.

2. Posted on the front page of the district’s website.

3. Local television stations (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)

4. Social media - Follow @usd_232 on X (Twitter) or on Facebook @USD232official

The district will not announce when schools are open. If no announcement is made, schools are open. While the process we use is comprehensive, we understand that you may not agree with the district's decision to close school or keep school open. Please know if weather conditions are severe, you have the option of keeping your child at home. In this case, please contact your school's office and your child's absence will be recorded as an excused absence.

Two-hour Delayed Start

In the event of a two-hour delayed start, all school start times will be delayed by two hours.

• High schools would start at 9:50 a.m.

• Middle Schools at 9:55 a.m. o Exception: Mill Creek Middle School begins at 9:50 a.m.

• Elementary schools at 10:45 a.m.

All morning bus pick-up times will be delayed by two hours. Schools will end their day at the regular time and after-school bus routes will operate on their normal schedule. Breakfast will not be served should a delayed start be used. Read more about a two-hour delayed start. Again, this is just a reminder to be prepared this winter. Read more about inclement weather procedures.

USD 232 Administration

**PLEASE NOTE that in the event of a 2-hour delay, there will be NO AM classes and PM classes will operate as normal.

See below for our extreme weather guidelines.

I have had some parents reach out asking about a list of staff members and staff favorites so here you go! 24-25 Early Childhood Staff Favorites

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

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.

To parents of car riders - please keep your child with you until a staff member is there to walk with him/her to the school. Also, only walk your child up to the school if you have parked (and are not in the carloop), and finally, please only let them out on the straight part of the sidewalk and not beyond the curve.

Please don't forget - parents of car riders - make sure your carloop folder is visible at drop off and pick up. We also want to ask that all parents picking up children as walkers have their carloop folders visible. Occasionally we may need to have a staff member who is unfamiliar with the parents calling and for safety reasons, we appreciate your cooperation with this. Thank you!

A note from Nurse Mary Kate: Families, the State of Kansas provided free over-the-counter covid tests, which are located in a basket in the front office. Free to take, no names or sign up required; no need to share the result with the school nurse unless you choose to do so.