T-Bird Times
January 26, 2024
Indian Valley Elementary
Indian Valley Website
Location: 11600 Knox Street, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913 239 6400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IVEThunderbirds/
Twitter: @IVEThunderbirds
Upcoming Events
As a reminder, any visitor (parents included) must show a government-issued photo id to enter the school. Thank you for having yours ready each time you come to school!
Winter Conferences
Conference time is right around the corner! Our conferences are being held:
Tuesday, February 6th from 4:00-8:00 pm - via Zoom only
Wednesday, February 7th from 4:00-8:00 pm - via Zoom or in-person
Thursday, February 8th from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm - via Zoom or in-person
Families are invited to sign up for a time to meet with our teachers during conference hours. Please use PTCFast if you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child’s progress. The window will close on Sunday, 2/4. If you have questions or problems, please contact the school office at 239-6400.
Your school is using PTCFast.com to make signups as convenient as possible this year. Please enter the following web address into your browser window:
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Indian_Valley_Elementary_1
Parents, please indicate under Special Request whether you want Zoom or in-person on 2/7 and 2/8. Teachers will send out a Zoom link a few days before conferences.
If you would like a conference with a specialist, please contact them directly to schedule an appointment.
Hillary Saffels (art) - HSaffels@bluevalleyk12.org
Mikaela Hult (Spanish) - MHult@bluevalleyk12.org
Kathryn Wright (music) -KNWright@bluevalleyk12.org
Lew Rowe (PE) - LRowe@bluevalleyk12.org
Angela Guinn (library) - AGuinn@bluevalleyk12.org
We value your partnership in the education of your child and look forward to meeting during the week of February 5th!
Valentine Boxes
It’s almost Valentine’s Day! All classes, grades 1-5, will be making Valentine’s Day boxes as a fun activity to celebrate the holiday in art class. To ensure that every student has a box to work with, I kindly request that students bring a shoe box by February 2nd. This will provide them with the necessary materials to create their own unique and personalized Valentine’s Day box.
Also, if you would like to send any decorating materials for all of the students to use, we would appreciate anything extra.
Thank you for your support!
-Mrs. Saffels
Planning for Inclement Weather Days in Blue Valley
As the winter months continue, there is always the possibility of inclement weather. When extreme weather conditions exist, the district may cancel school or utilize a two-hour delayed start when temporary adverse weather conditions exist. When possible, inclement weather announcements will be made the day before so staff and families can plan. More information about inclement weather (including 2-hour delayed starts) can be found on the district website.
Community Celebrations and Observances - to promote awareness and appreciation of our Blue Valley families.
Some February Celebrations & Observances:
- Black History Month - created to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and rich cultural heritages of African Americans. Black History Month highlights the triumphs and adversities that have helped shape the United States.
- World Hijab Day - February 1 - this day recognizes the millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab. Inviting women of all identities to wear the hijab for one day, it promotes understanding of other cultures and personal freedoms of religious expression.
- Lunar New Year - February 10 - celebrated by families of Chinese and other Asian heritages, some people celebrate with religious ceremonies honoring ancestors, giving and receiving red envelopes containing small amounts of money, lighting colorful lanterns, and eating traditional foods such as dumplings and sticky rice balls that symbolize family unity.
- Ash Wednesday - February 14 - a Christian holiday signifying the first day of the Lenten season, the 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading to Easter. Some families will attend religious services and receive ashes in the shape of a cross on their forehead.
- Magha Puja Day - February 24 - an important Buddhist festival celebrating the gathering between Buddha and his first disciples. Some families will attend temple, meditate, listen to teachings, perform giving alms, and hold candlelight processions.
Securly HOME
Have you ever wondered how to monitor your child’s usage on their Blue Valley device? We have parent tools that will allow you to receive notifications to ensure your child is using their device safely. School staff members monitor these devices during the school day and intervene, when necessary. However, parents can receive alerts if concerns arise when students use devices after school hours–including weekends and school breaks. Check out the Securly Home Parent Portal App here.
Incoming Kindergarten Information
We are so excited to start the process to welcome our Kindergarten families for the Fall of 2024. Children who reside in Blue Valley Schools and turn 5 years of age by August 31 are eligible to attend kindergarten that school year. If you live in the Indian Valley Elementary boundaries and will have an incoming Kindergarten student next fall, please click on this link to pre-register: 24-25 Incoming Kindergarten Student Information.
More information will be shared with you at the end of February including welcome videos, online registration instructions, and information about Kindergarten Round Up in April.
Please pass this message/link on to neighbors that might not have a student in our system and might not yet receive our weekly emails!
Special note about boundary/neighborhood changes for Indian Valley Elementary:
Our Indian Valley community will be impacted by some neighborhood boundary changes. We will be welcoming some amazing, new families to our school this year. At the June 2023 Board of Education meeting, the board adopted boundary adjustments that address elementary school enrollment and building capacity issues. These will begin for the 2024-25 school year. The following neighborhoods are impacted:
Autumn Park (Arcadia), Villages of Overland View and Executive Hills boundaries will be adjusted to attend Indian Valley Elementary. This adjustment will also include a change in feeder pattern to Oxford Middle and Blue Valley Northwest.
Deer Creek boundaries will be adjusted to attend Overland Trail Elementary.
Sandstone Creek, Savoy and Plaza Gardens boundaries would be adjusted to attend Harmony Elementary. This adjustment will also include a change in feeder pattern to Harmony Middle and Blue Valley Northwest.
Villas of Carrington Square Area boundaries will be adjusted to attend Heartland Elementary.
Glen Abbey & Villas of Chapel Green, and Highland Villas and Highlands Creek boundaries will be adjusted to attend Prairie Star Elementary. This adjustment will also include a change in feeder pattern to Prairie Star Middle and Blue Valley High.
BIST Parent Series
As part of its mission to support children and families, the BIST Team is offering a series of complimentary classes for parents and guardians. Classes will be presented virtually and facilitated by Marty Huitt and the BIST Team.
Topics and Dates:
· January 30th: Less is More: Are Kids Struggling to Manage All the Things?
· February 6th: I Love You Enough to Let You Fall
· February 13th: Your Words Hurt My Ears: The Art of Using Cues and Visuals to Avoid Meltdowns
Time:
· 5:45 PM – 6:00 PM Enter Zoom Room
· 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM Informational Session
· 6:45 PM – 7:00 PM Questions and Answers
See the informational letter below; you can click on the it. If families wish to participate, they will need to register through our website (that information is in the letter).
Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all of our schools. Through the convergence of physical and intellectual security measures, we are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of emergencies. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.
PTA News
January Spirit Night
Our rescheduled spirit night at Chik-Fil-A (9597 Metcalf) will be Monday Jan. 29nd from 5-7pm. We hope to see you there!
Family Game Night
We will be having a free family bingo night in the cafeteria on Friday Feb. 2nd from 6-8pm. There will be snacks for purchase to help fund the 5th grade farewell.
Cultural Arts
We are fast approaching our annual Children of the Cultural Arts Day at IVE! For an exciting afternoon your student will be transported to different countries and regions across the globe through hands-on cultural, musical and artistic workshops showcasing diverse cultures and traditions. We believe that exposing our students to the arts is not only enriching, but also helps to foster creativity, self-expression, and critical thinking skills. We have many volunteer opportunities - If you would like to help, please email us at IVECulturalArtsDay@gmail.com.
Yearbook
Please help our yearbook committee by sharing your school event photos! Email us at indianvalleyyearbook@gmail.com. Please include the event name and Teacher/Class information in the subject line.
Upcoming Events:
Monday Jan. 29nd - rescheduled January Spirit Night at Chik-Fil-A (97th and Metcalf)
Friday Feb. 2nd - Family Game Night
Saturday Feb. 17th - Feb. spirit event at Kolaches & Coffee.
Friday March 1st - Donuts with grownups
Tuesday March 5th - Culver's spirit event.
Friday March 22nd - Children of the Cultural Arts Day
Please find us on social media to stay up to date
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianValleyPTA
Instagram: ive.bv.pta