SUPERSTAR NEWS

Congratulations to our Superstar students who completed the Summer Bingo Challenge!

*Please park in designated areas only. This is for the safety of all students, parents, and staff.

*Lost and Found is located in our cafeteria. Have your child check it out if they have lost something.

*If you are bringing a forgotten item during the school day; we have created a drop zone for parents to deliver items and leave them in our vestibule. When you arrive at school, please buzz in and we will direct you to place items on the table in the vestibule. We will then, deliver the items to your child(ren).

*Students leaving the building during the day need to be picked up from the office area and will need to be signed out. If students return during the same day, they must sign back in or they may be counted absent for the entire day.

*Keep your phone numbers and email addresses up to date at all times. Call the school to make a change.

*If you are going to be late or absent, call the office and let us know.

School Picture Day is Friday, September 27th. Pictures will be begin at 8:40 a.m. Order forms will be coming home soon. This year you have the option to order online. You may order online up to two days after picture day. Last day to order online is Sunday, September 29th.

All students will have their picture taken but only those who order will receive pictures.

Order your School Pictures today!

You now have the convenience to place an online order for school pictures.

Please click the link below to place your order. Thank you!

www.martinphotography.hhimagehost.com

Parent-Teacher Communication Meetings will be held on Wednesday, October 9th and Thursday, October 10th. Teachers will communicate with parents via a Webex meeting or in-person. Please look for an email message indicating sign-up for Parent-Teacher Communication/Conferences in the coming weeks.

Our instructional school day will start at 8:30 a.m. Doors will be opened at 8:20 a.m. allowing students plenty of time to walk to classrooms, hang up backpacks, check in with teachers and peers, and be ready for those first important words of the day at 8:30 a.m. Give your students every advantage of a successful day by having them here at 8:20 a.m.!

School Start Time

Our school day begins at 8:30 a.m. Students may enter the building at 8:20 am. We will have supervision outside starting at 8:10 a.m. We ask that students not arrive before 8:10 a.m., unless:

• Participating in a school activity

• Serving on Safety Patrol

• Working with a teacher

• Having a school breakfast

• Attending Club 66 Before & After Care program

For the safety of all of our students, we ask that parents say "good-bye" outside of the school during arrival. Students are to independently arrive at their classrooms each morning. If students need assistance, Swanson staff members are available to help.

Please make sure to mark all jackets, lunch pails, backpacks and other student items with their NAME in case they are left around the building or out at recess. This helps us get them back to the right owner.

The school has a Lost and Found that parents are welcome to look through if something is missing. Our Lost and Found is located in our cafeteria.

Each first Friday of the month is Swanson Spirit Day. On this day we all wear our Swanson logo wear or school colors, blue and white, to show our spirit. The classroom with the greatest participation of Spirit Wear or Colors along with exhibiting school and classroom expectations, good attendance and positive feedback will receive the Swanson Spirit Stick for the month. We look forward to announcing this month's winner next Friday!

Please note: September's First Friday Spirit Day will be held on Friday, September 6th.

PIZZA HUT PIZZA day is on Tuesdays this year! Students may purchase extra slices from their lunch accounts if they have a positive balance in his/her account. Parents, make sure you let your child know whether you want them to have an extra slice. Extra slices are $2.00.

As we settle into our new school year please take time to explore our online School Store and load your student's meal account and pay for your student’s school fees online at MySchoolBucks.com. If their account has fees that are due, you can securely pay for them using your credit/debit card or an e-check.

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.

We are lucky in Nebraska to get to enjoy all four seasons. This also means that at times the weather gets in the way of our fun and plans. Below is a brief description of our procedures when the weather is not cooperating:

Cold Weather: So long as temperatures are 10° or warmer, students will be outside for recess, arrival, dismissal, safety patrol, and other outdoor activities.

Rain: When rain is heavy enough that students would get considerably wet, or when there is thunder or lightning, students will be kept inside or brought inside. In addition, if conditions have been such that fields are muddy, access to dirt and grass areas may be restricted as well as playground equipment if it is deemed too slick for safe play.

Severe Weather: If the National Weather Service issues a Thunderstorm Warning students are kept inside. In the event of a Tornado Warning, students are moved to our area of refuge at the south end of the building. Families coming to the school during this time are encouraged to take shelter with us until the warning has passed.

WCS uses a safety protocol at the K-12 level called the SRP (Standard Response Protocol). Area schools and local law enforcement agencies are adopting this language across the metro.

Key Terms:

Hold

During a hold situation, students and staff "hold" or stay in the area where they are in the building. Hallways are cleared. Classroom instruction and activities continue as normal.

Secure

During a lock-out situation, there isn’t an immediate threat inside the building, rather there may be a reasonable threat in the area. During a secure situation, school will remain in typical operating procedures (inside) but no one will be allowed to enter or exit the building.

Lockdown

During a lockdown situation, there is an immediate threat inside the building. Students and staff are instructed to lock the classroom doors, shut off the lights, and move to a secure area of a classroom that cannot be seen from the hallway.

Shelter

Students and staff take shelter according to the hazard (i.e. fire or tornado). We evacuate to a shelter area and safety strategies are followed.

Reunification location

In the unfortunate event of a crisis resulting in an evacuation of our school, the reunification location is at the Community Conference Center at 108th and Grover. School buses will take our students to the reunification site.

We will practice and teach the procedures throughout the school year. If you have any questions please call Mrs. Harr at 390-6485.

Westside Community Schools continues the implementation of MTSS, which stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. MTSS in Westside assures that we regularly monitor student skills and follow-up with providing students what they need to be successful in learning. Beginning in August, this means that we first screen all students to determine their current skill levels and plan our instruction to meet their needs.

What is MTSS? MTSS is a framework for providing instruction and support to promote the academic and behavioral success of all children. Individual children’s progress & skills are measured, and these results are used to make decisions about further instruction and intervention. The MTSS process is flexible and allows for a continuum of supports designed to meet the needs of individual students. This support may be provided in a large or small group by the classroom teacher or other support staff, either within or outside the classroom.

What does this mean for my child? A key component of the MTSS process is that all children receive high quality instruction in their classroom. Universal screenings are brief tests used to measure the progress of all students and are given three times per year. As a result of the screenings, students may be identified as needing some degree of supplemental intervention in addition to the instruction they are receiving in their classroom. If your child is identified as needing intervention you will be notified. Please contact your child’s building principal with questions.

Nebraska Reading Improvement Act: The Nebraska Reading Improvement Act went into effect at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The goal is that all Nebraska students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. This is accomplished by ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and for struggling readers to receive targeted support (intervention). Our current MTSS framework in Westside Community Schools already allows for us to meet these state requirements. Also, the more students continue to read, review math facts, and write/journal each day at home, in addition to their instruction from school, the more secure their skills may become.

While we welcome all students at our Westside High Football Games, we want to ensure families and students know the rules, to ensure the safety of all involved.

• All elementary students attending the game will need to attend the game with a parent and sit with a parent.
• No footballs or other balls allowed in the stadium.
• Middle school students will sit in the bleachers in the SE corner of the end zone. Middle school students will buy a ticket at main gate and enter from the student game. We are asking middle school students to show ID at the game.
• Middle school students will use the upper concession stand and portable restrooms in the South east corner of the stadium.

Students who do not follow these rules will be asked to leave. Thank you for your help to make sure our game atmosphere is positive for all who attend!

Office personnel will notify parents/guardian when a student needs to be sent home from school due to illness. Conditions requiring a student be sent home include: temperature greater than 100.0°F, vomiting, diarrhea, unexplained rashes, or on determination by the school nurse that the child’s condition prevents meaningful participation in the educational program, presents a health risk to the child or others, or that medical consultation is warranted unless the condition resolves.

Parents should update the office with any emergency daytime phone numbers changes so that parents can be reached if their child becomes ill or is injured while at school. Parents should also inform the School Nurse or Health Assistant of health-related information they feel is important for each child’s safety and success at school.

When is My Child Too Sick for School

Send me to school if...

· I have a runny nose but no other symptoms.

· I haven't taken any fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours and I haven't had a fever during that time.

· I haven't thrown up or had any diarrhea for 24 hours

Keep me at home if...

· I have a temperature higher than 100 degrees even after taking medicine.

· I'm throwing up or have diarrhea.

· My eyes are pink and crusty.

*Have two or more symptoms.

Call the doctor if...

· I have a temperature higher than 100 degrees for more than two days.

· I have been throwing up or have diarrhea for more than two days

· I have the sniffles for more than a week and they aren't getting better.

· I still have asthma symptoms after using my asthma medicine (and call 911 if I'm having trouble breathing after using my inhaler.)

The health office is in need of smaller size pants/underwear for boys and girls.(size 5-7) If you or anyone you know would be willing to donate any that your child has outgrown to Swanson's health room, we would really appreciate it!

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (AHERA) requires that each public school district annually notify parents, staff, and employee groups if an asbestos management plan is in place at their school building.

Swanson Elementary School, a newly constructed building opened in 201_, [Oakdale and Sunset 2018, Swanson 2019, Prairie Lane 2021] was designed with asbestos-free materials. No management plan or inspections are therefore needed.
The Designated Person responsible for managing the District’s AHERA compliance and the contact person for questions is the Director of Facilities, Russ Olsen (402) 390-8331.

Visit our web page for current information on school happenings and activities during the year. Go to www.westside66.org and click on schools and then the Swanson link.

We're excited to share that you can now keep your important Westside and Swanson information right at your fingertips. The Westside Community Schools App is available for both iPhone and Android in the App Store. Using this app allows you to follow important information for our school and district, access calendars, and links to important resources. Be sure to download it and check it out!

Check out Westside Community Schools Online Breakfast and Lunch Menu! https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/SwansonElementarySchool

Email is a great way to communicate with your child’s teacher. The Westside format is as follows:

lastname.firstname@westside66.net

Sample: harr.jennifer@westside66.net

wendelin.jessie@westside66.net

CALL:

Office - 402-390-6485

(Available 24 hours a day)

You are welcome to leave a message with your child’s name and reason for the absence

August 30 No School for students

September 2 No School - Labor Day

September 6- Swanson Spirit Day!

September 10 Community Club Mtg., 6:30p

September 27 School Pictures

September 27 Movie in the Park Night

October 1 Community Club Mtg., 6:30 pm

October 8-9 Scholastic Book Fair

October 9 Parent/Teacher Communication Conferences, PM

October 10 Parent/Teacher Communication Conferences

October 10-14 No School for students

October 21-25 Homecoming Week

October 24 4th/5th Grade Vocal Music Concert @WMS, 6:30p

October 31 Halloween Parade and Parties 2:30

Mission

The Mission of Swanson School, as a dynamic community alliance and model of innovative education, is to support and empower all learners to achieve academic excellence.

Swanson's Expectations

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible

Email: harr.jennifer@westside66.net
Website: swanson.westside66.org
Location: 401 South 86 Street Omaha NE 68114
Phone: 402-390-6485
Facebook: facebook.com/SwansonElementary
Twitter: @swansonstars66