Beginning tomorrow morning, we will place cones out front. Please do not allow your children out of your vehicle until you have reached the cones. We will encourage everyone to pull forward to the furthest cone before letting their child out. Remember that we also ask you not to park to avoid the car line. We will monitor this drop off procedure over the next 7 drop off days prior to Thanksgiving to check for effiiciency and more importantly, safety of our students.

As a reminder also, please DO NOT park at the ELC, in the side lot, or on the street to pick up your child after school. Again, this is a safety protocol that we have had in place for the past four years. Thank you for your patience and for following this procedure.

A very special thanks to all of our veterans and guests that attended our Veteran's Day program this past Monday. Kudos to Mrs. Penfield for another incredible assembly. Please check out some of the images from that day.

Hungry Hungry Hawks was another incredible event! HUGE SHOUT OUT to our Gray Hawk PTO for their dedication to making this such a fun event every year and to all of our staff that entered the chili cook off.

Congratulations to Mrs. Knapp for earning the 2024 Chili of the Year! Mrs. Dinkel came in second place, and Mrs. Brown's 1st graders took 3rd. Hawkie even made an appearance!

Big shout out to Mr. Dominic, Officer Lemanske, and Captain Rowe for being our judges!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEACHER EXPERIENCE WINNERS!

Hoops with Hibbs - Hudson

3D lesson and print with Dinkel - Hyde

Extra Recess Murphy's Class - Hudson

Assistant PE teacher- Hyde

Tech Party for Class - Murphy's Class with Dinkel - Hudson

Ice Cream date with Mrs. Cole - Hudson

Ice Cream with Mrs. Brown - Thomas

Ukelele Jam Session with McFarson - Josie

Lunch with Mrs. Payne - Nathaniel

Clay Class with Ramssey - Mia

Lunch with Miss Lutz - Mia

Lunch with Ms. Weilert - Grace

Learn how to Crochet with McFarson - Izzy D

Announcements for a Week - Emma

Movie and Popcorn Party for Ritter's Class - Lane

Principal for the Morning - Grace

Donuts with Mrs. Brown - Emma

Join Henninger's Grinch Party - Logan H

Painting with Mrs. Johnston - Keagan

Class Movie Party and Extra Recess with Mr. Bartels Class - Hager

Games and Fidget Party with Hubbard - Millie

Percussion with Penfield - Meredith

Lunch with Vieyra - Paisley (no last name)

Assistant Kindergarten Teacher for the morning with Henninger - Emily M

Lunch with Ms. Ritter - Aiden

Class Movie Part with Lutz's Class - Mayleigh

Mario Cart with a Friend - McFarson - Jackson W.

Class Movie Party with Rieschick - Jarek McMullen

Lunch with Mrs. Sackuvich - Coraline

Class Popsicle Party with Sackuvich's Class - Wesley

Sweet Treat for the Class with Murphy - Reese

Movie Party for the Class Murphy - Ethan W

Class Popsicle Party with Douglas - Ruger

Movie and Popcorn Party with Douglas - Lilly S.

Ice Cream with Miss Douglas - James M

Brain dissection and Neuro craft - Ethan

Lunch with Ms. Chelsea - Hailey R

Parking spot - The Kennedy family

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT OF THIS YEARLY EVENT!

Big shout out to Mrs. Knapp, Miss Larson, and Mrs. McFarland for their hard work on putting our Thankful Turkey together. It turned out amazing! 🦃. Thank you to all of our Gray Hawks for writing down what they are thankful for on each feather.

Felt safety is a critical foundation for learning, especially in elementary-aged children. It is the sense of emotional and physical security that allows a child to relax, focus, and engage fully in their environment. While academics are undeniably important, they are most effectively supported when children feel safe and connected.

The brain is wired to prioritize safety over everything else. When a child feels unsafe—whether due to fear, stress, or emotional discomfort—their brain shifts into "survival mode," focusing on basic protection rather than higher-order thinking skills like problem-solving or comprehension. Forcing academics when a child feels unsafe is like trying to teach someone to swim while they're holding their breath—it’s inefficient and can create more resistance.

A calm and regulated nervous system is essential for concentration, memory, and critical thinking. If a child’s emotional well-being is disregarded, their ability to absorb and retain information diminishes significantly. Prioritizing felt safety doesn’t mean lowering academic expectations. Instead, it builds a solid foundation for children to take academic risks, try new strategies, and recover from mistakes—skills essential for lifelong learning.

When children experience consistency between home and school in terms of emotional safety, they are more likely to thrive. Supporting social-emotional well-being at school complements the values parents instill at home, creating a cohesive environment that benefits the child. It is very important to understand that prioritizing felt safety isn’t about avoiding academic rigor; it’s about removing barriers to achievement. By fostering a sense of safety and belonging, children can tackle challenging material without being hindered by anxiety or fear of failure.

Attention parents! We are so excited to plan for the 2025-2026 school year! In an effort to effectively plan, please complete this form if you will be enrolling your child in kindergarten. Our Parent Informational Meeting will be in the spring. You will be given information prior to this meeting, so completing this form will help us to get all communication to you. THIS IS ONLY FOR BASEHOR-LINWOOD RESIDENTS, THIS IS NOT FOR OUT OF DISTRICT ENROLLMENT.

Our next PTO meeting is Wednesday, November 6 at 6:00 pm in the technology room. Remember, child care is provided. We hope to see you there.

Here is your reminder to scan those receipts! We are more than halfway to our goal with an average of 30-35 supporters each month!

There are lots of amazing offers this month and if you haven't linked your Wal-Mart account, do it now and earn us $5.00!

POGO passes are now live. Passes are $5 cheaper during the month of November and Gray Hawk still earns $5 per pass. There’s no timeline to when this fundraiser has to end. Please be sure to use our code: “GrayHawk” when purchasing. Passes for other cities are included for out of town relatives. Passes can be purchased now as a “gift” and are good for a year from when they are activated.

Lynnmark Mercantile is offering a 15% donation back to the school for ordering your Thanksgiving holiday pies through them. Please check out what they have to offer below.

Email: dspringer@usd458.org
Website: http://ghes.usd458.org/
Location: 16000 Garden Parkway, Basehor, KS, USA
Phone: (913) 662-7170
Twitter: @grayhawk458