Peek at the Week

• NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• School Jobs Week 1
• Archery in PE (4th & 5th Grade Only)
• 8:55 am - Spelling Bee Practice

• School Jobs - Week 1
• Archery in PE (4th & 5th Grade Only)
• 8:00 am - Jag Choir Rehearsal in Music Room
• 8:00 am - Continental Math League (4th & 5th Grade)
• 9:00 - 10:30 am - 1st & 2nd Grade Music Program Practice at ACHS
• 3:45 pm - Sign Language Club (4th & 5th Grade)

Thursday, Jan. 23

• School Jobs - Week 1
• Archery in PE (4th & 5th Grade Only)
• 9:00 - 10:30 am - 1st & 2nd Grade Music Program Practice at ACHS
• 7:00 pm - 1st & 2nd Grade Music Program at ACHS

• School Jobs - Week 1
• Archery in PE (4th & 5th Grade Only)
• 9:00 am - All School Spelling Bee in Library

We are all so excited to find out who the Meadowlark school spelling bee champ will be at our competition scheduled for Friday, January 24th at 9:00 a.m. in the library. The classroom champions have been chosen, study lists have been given, and the anticipation is mounting.

Best of luck to all of these hardworking spellers:

3rd Grade – Ezekiel T., Zara I., Monroe H., Eleanor M., Addison T., and Kobe R.

4th Grade – Hudson B., Wendell K., Brayden M., Kaniyah P., Macy T., and Kate F.

5th Grade – Mira H., Max M., Graham E., Vincent V., Owen W., and Emma L.

As outlined by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, identified English learner (EL) students that are enrolled in Kansas schools are entitled to services that ensure students can meaningfully participate in educational programs and services.The Kansas English Language Proficiency Assessment (KELPA) measures the English language proficiency of EL students.

Kansas administers KELPA to measure student progress toward such proficiency based on English Language Proficiency Standards. These standards were designed to allow students to gain English proficiency and to learn other subjects at the same time. The KELPA has four parts: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

All students who are identified as ELs must take the KELPA, whether or not they are receiving instructional services. Building test coordinators and ESOL teachers will administer the KELPA to all EL students in grades K-12 between February 3rd and March 14th. School staff work closely with core teachers to schedule an appropriate testing time. Although the test is untimed, students will spend about 20- 45 minutes on each of the four parts.

EL students continue to qualify for services until they score “proficient” in all four language domains for one year. The 2024-25 KELPA scores should be available in May 2025.

Meadowlark Elementary PTO will be having a give back night at Andover Pizza Hut Monday, January 27th from 4-8pm.

Please let Pizza Hut know you are supporting Meadowlark PTO on the phone, in person/ pick up window, or in the special instructions when ordering online.

Your child’s report card is now available for view in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Below are instructions for accessing the report card. If you have questions or need help with access, please contact your child’s school. Please note that you will need to log into the Parent Portal. You will not be able to view report cards using the mobile app.

Elementary Student Report Cards

Parents can see all archived reports for their children in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Any current reports that are published to the public portal can be run by the parent at any time.

1. If you have more than one student, select the student tab for the student you want to view the Elementary Report Card

2. Click on Student Reports in the left navigation menu as seen below

3. Click on the Report you want to view under the Archived Report section

4. Elementary Report Cards will be Archived quarterly for parents to view or print

Spread the word! Applications for the 2025-26 school year at Andover Early Learning will open at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. These half-day classes for children ages 3 and 4 are designed to create a firm foundation to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. Join staff from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, for an Early Learning Info Night. You will have the opportunity to learn about the program, tour classrooms, meet teachers and ask questions. Please let other district parents know about this opportunity!

Online applications for the 2025-26 school year will open at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. Check back here for a link to the application.

September 27, 2024

Dear Parent or Caregiver,

The Andover USD 385 Board of Education approved the purchase of a new elementary school counseling program called Safer, Smarter Kids to support our counselors in addressing the Kansas Social, Emotional, and Character Model Standards. This curriculum was created by educators, developmental psychologists, and experts in abuse prevention to teach personal safety with engaging age-appropriate lessons and activities. The Safer, Smarter Kids curriculum will provide your child with protective principles and the knowledge needed to identify and avoid unsafe situations, people, and behaviors - and how to access help.

The school counselor will teach these lessons during the regularly scheduled counselor class time. The lessons incorporate videos and in-class activities that address topics such as body boundaries, respecting yourself and others, the difference between safe and unsafe secrets, listening to your “Guiding Voice” and telling a trusted adult when a situation makes you feel confused or uncomfortable. You may view the lesson sequence, specific lesson topics, and related resources for each grade level using this link.

If you would like to learn more about the curriculum and see sample lessons, please visit www.SaferSmarterKids.org. For more information on ways to keep your child safe, teach personal safety lessons at home, and how to identify unsafe adults, visit www.SaferSmarterFamilies.org.

If you have questions about the curriculum, or, if after reviewing the lessons you would like to “opt-out” of specific lessons for your child, please email Brooke Holcomb no later than Friday, October 4,, 2024.

Sincerely,

Dana Matheny, School Principal

mathenym@usd385.org

Brooke Holcomb, School Counselor

holcombb@usd385.org

School begins at 8:45 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Students should arrive no earlier than 8:30 a.m. All doors will remain locked until 8:35 and supervision can happen. There will be no direct supervision of students prior to 8:35 a.m., so for the safety and well being of your children, we ask that you make child care arrangements for your children. Neighbors or relatives may be able to watch your children before school, or the YMCA has a latchkey program at Meadowlark. Information about the program can be found at https://ymcawichita.org/programs/child-care-and-camps/before-and-after-school

Students who wish to eat breakfast at school may arrive as early as 8:15 a.m. and enter through the front entrance.

Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. must check in at the office.

Due to our enrollment size and cafeteria capacity, we are not able to accommodate visitors during lunch. If you’d like to eat lunch with your child, you may check him or her out of the building and eat off-site.

Please call the Meadowlark office at (316) 218-4630 if you are picking up your children prior to 3:45 pm.

ARRIVAL

Please drive to the back of the school building (southeast end). Students need to remain in the car until school personnel signals students to exit the car. Doors will be locked at 8:45. ALL students must be dropped off in the back unless they are walking, cycling, arriving late (after 8:45), or eating breakfast (before 8:35)

DISMISSAL

Please drive to the back of the school building (southeast end). Students will be dismissed to your car. ALL students need to load the car from the passenger side. This is done for the safety of your child. We ask that you have a sign (8 1/2 x 11) visible on your front dash/window so that we can quickly identify which child goes with each vehicle. Please list the names of all the children whom you are picking up (WRITE BIG!). Click on the form below.

1. Students may ride a bike or scooter with parent permission.
2. Students must have a bicycle/scooter contract on file.
3. You must wear a helmet when riding!
4. When arriving on Campus, students must stop at the stop sign located at the south entrance intersecting 159th street, look both ways before crossing and walk their bike across the road. Students must walk their bike on the sidewalk all the way to the building.
5. When leaving campus, students must walk their bike on the sidewalk to the stop sign located at the south entrance intersecting 159th street, look both ways before crossing and walk their bike across the road.
6. Bikes and scooters must be parked in the bicycle racks and locked. (Meadowlark Elementary assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged items).

CONTRACT

Bicycle/Scooter Contract

Map for Bicycle Contract

In the morning, the buses should arrive at the school at approximately 8:35 am and will deliver students to the bus oval on the north end of the building.

In the afternoon, the buses should arrive at the school at approximately 3:35 pm and will pick up students from the bus oval on the north end of the building. This is NOT to be used by parents for pick up or drop off.

Email: harveyr@usd385.org
Website: http://meadowlark.usd385.org/
Location: 1122 N 159th St E, Wichita, KS 67230 USA
Phone: 316-218-4630
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meadowlarkelementary