Wilckens STEAM Academy

We are ready for a great start in 2025! Take a quick look through the January newsletter for important information and news about things happening at STEAM!

Wishing you well,

Dr. Roxanne Pearson - Principal

Mr. Blaine Adams - Assistant Principal

Do you have an incoming kindergarten student during the 2025-2026 school year? Do you know someone who is looking to enroll at STEAM?

More information will be posted on our Facebook page and website in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!

Applications will be accepted from Friday February 14, 2025-Monday, March 24, 2025.

Reminder: You must enter the open selection for incoming kindergarten students even if you already have a student here.

Please remember to send your child to school in a coat, hat, and gloves labeled with their name. Students will have outdoor recess as long as the wind chill is above 20 degrees. The students will not be allowed to stay in during colder temperatures unless there is a note from the doctor specifying that your child cannot go outside for recess due to medical reasons. We want to help every student stay healthy, and wearing a coat is an easy way to accomplish this. We will not take the students outside if there is thunder, lightning, heavy precipitation, or heavy winds.

Please remember to notify the office if your child is sick/will be absent from school. You can email us at STEAM@bsd124.org or call the school at (816) 348-1130. Our office hours are from 8:40-4:40. You can call outside of those hours and leave a voicemail to notify us of your child’s absence.

If snow, ice, extreme cold conditions, or an emergency event occurs on a weekday and creates unsafe conditions, the Belton School District will either call an AMI Day or a Snow Day.

Click on this link and learn more about snow days, AMI days, and frequently asked questions about inclement weather days.

The Cass County Dental Clinic will be here on February 5th and 6th conducting teledentistry appointments. Click the following link for more information.

https://form.jotform.com/243383634447159

Would you like to volunteer as a presenter for our STEAM Careers Night?

Please click here!

We are delighted that you are joining your child for lunch! To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone, please take note of the following:

• Safety First:

• Please sign in at the main office upon arrival and obtain a visitor's badge.

• Follow all school safety protocols and instructions from school staff.

• Refrain from using cell phones during lunch.

• Lunchroom Etiquette:

• Please supervise your child and model appropriate lunchroom behavior.

• We ask that you only invite one friend of your child to sit at the visitor table at lunch.

• Assist your child in cleaning up after themselves.

• Respect other students and staff members.

• Scheduling:

• Please adhere to the designated lunch time for your child's class.

K - 11:30-11:55

1st - 11:45-12:10

2nd - 12:00-12:25

6th - 12:15-12:40

5th - 12:30-12:55

4th - 12:45-1:10

3rd - 1:00-1:25

Join the PTO for Culver’s night!

Who: All STEAM families and members of our community!

What: STEAM PTO Fundraiser

Where: Culver’s Raymore (1621 W Foxwood Drive)

When: Wednesday, February 5th 5pm-8pm

Why: A percent of all money spent will go to our PTO to put towards purchasing yearbooks!

*Yearbook information and order forms coming soon.

Note: All party volunteers need to have a recent background check on file with the district. This can be done by emailing Lennette Goodwin at lgoodwin@bsd124.org .

Join us for our next PTO meeting Monday, January 13th at 5:30pm (weather permitting) in the STEAM library! Couldn’t make our last meeting? Here are the minutes:

https://sites.google.com/bsd124.org/hsapta/business/agendas/24-25-school-year

As a new year begins, many of you may have set goals you want to achieve for 2025. Goal setting with your children is also a way you can support their education and boost their confidence. Setting achievable goals with your child is a great motivator, especially when they see success!

Teachers here at STEAM have students set learning goals for Math and Eglish Language Arts, so many students are familiar with setting goals. Ask your child about some of the goals they are working on here at school and discuss what goals they can set at home!

Some Tips for Goal Setting at Home:

• Talk about the goals you have set for yourself and how you achieved them, or how you are working on achieving your goals.

• Explain to your child what a realistic short or long-term goal is and why it is important. Assist your child with developing a goal. Agree on a reasonable timeframe for achieving the goal.

• Display the goal in a place where you can refer to it often. If the goal can be measured each day or week, you could even make a chart and award a star for each day/week it is achieved.

We're excited to celebrate Valentine's Day in February with a special classroom activities on February 13th! To make sure everyone feels included, we'll be focusing on cards this year.

We encourage your child to bring in Valentine's Day cards to exchange with their classmates. Please ensure that the cards are:

• Kind and inclusive: Avoid any cards with teasing or bullying.

• Free of food or candy: Let's keep our classrooms healthy and allergy-free!

• Alternatives to food or candy - Valentine’s Suggestions

Please watch for more information from your child’s teacher regarding the details for their classroom celebrations.

January:

13 - PTO Meeting in the STEAM Library

20 - No School - Martin Luther King Day

February:

5 & 6 Cass County Teledentistry at STEAM

10 - PTO Meeting in the STEAM library

14 - No School - Professional Development Day

17- No School - President’s Day

24- Career Night - 5:30-7:00

At Wilckens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest, we believe in fostering a learning environment that empowers every student. Our guiding principles of Equity, Perseverance, Integrity, and Critical Thinking are the compass that steers our educational journey. We strive to create a space where all students feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.

The mission of Wilckens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest, a leader of STEAM innovation, is to ensure that all students flourish as individuals of character and advocates of their for own learning through the school community distinguished by

• a culture of independence and collaboration

• a global outlook based on a foundation of character

• a focus on problem solving and critical thinking

• real world experiences with integration throughout all subjects.

Email: STEAM@bsd124.org

Website: https://steam.beltonschools.org

Location: 106 South Hillcrest Road, Belton, MO, United States
Phone: 816-348-1130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilckensSTEAMAcademyAtHillcrest/
Twitter: @STEAMAcademy124