October News

Walk, Bike and Move Day is Wednesday, Oct. 9. Students are encouraged to bike or walk to school. If your child does not typically bike or walk to school we encourage you to join them. Please use the sidewalks and paths in a safe manner.

We held our second task force meeting on Monday, September 23. During the meeting, the team began examining various choice school models, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of each as they relate to Rosa Parks Elementary.

Results from the Rosa Parks family survey were used as part of this evaluation. The key priorities for the school model choices identified by the staff and family survey results included::

• Hands on Learning opportunities for students

• Inclusive Models

• Growth Mindedness

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Last Friday, the same family survey completed by Rosa Parks families was made available to all MAPS families, giving them the opportunity to provide input on key features and characteristics of choice school models.

Our next task force meeting will be on Monday, October 7. Please continue reading the newsletters for more information and opportunities to share feedback as we move forward with this exciting opportunity for our families and staff.

Oct. 9 Walk/Bike to School Day and Early Release

Oct. 14 NO SCHOOL and PTO Fundraiser-Buffalo Wild Wings

Oct. 17 NO SCHOOL

Oct. 18 NO SCHOOL

Oct. 21 PTO meeting 7:00 PM Media Center

Oct. 30 Strawbridge Picture Retakes

MAPS families, we will have early releases on the following Wednesdays:

2-Hour Early Release Days

October 9, 2024

November 13, 2024

December 11, 2024

January 8, 2025

February 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

April 9, 2025

May 14, 2025

• This means your student will start their day at the normal time of 8am and be released at 12:30pm. Your student will still receive lunch prior to the 12:30pm dismissal when buses will leave the building.
• Optional supervision by school staff is coordinated by the building and provided between 12:30 and 2:30pm. A Google form will be used to sign up again this year.
• Students who stay for the optional supervision and are not enrolled in ACES must have transportation home by 2:30pm, the end of a normal school day.
• Lastly, ExCEL and After School Club programs will not run on early release Wednesdays.

We have our arrival and dismissal procedures in place to keep students safe, and operate in an efficient and effective manner.

Arrival:

• Doors will not open until 7:35 unless you are enrolled in our ACES program. Also, adult supervision does not start until 7:35.
  

• Students that arrive between 7:35 and 7:50 should either report to the playground or breakfast.

• Curbside drop off is in the lower lot, door (#3). Please follow the flow of traffic.

• DO NOT PASS cars and skip ahead in line.

• Pull ahead as far as possible at all times. It may be super convenient for your kid to exit the vehicle right in front of the door or playground but please be considerate of others. The better everyone follows the procedures the smoother the experience is for everyone.

• The upper lot, (door #1) is reserved for buses only. and special circumstances. Should you need to visit the office, use the upper lot to park and enter the building.

• Students who walk or ride their bike will approach on the path, on the playground side of the building. They will walk/bike around the building to the bike racks and use the lower door (#3).

THE END OF DAY PICK-UP PROCEDURES -

DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

• Students who walk home will exit door #7 (near orange playground equipment)

• utilize the walking path

• must promptly begin leaving campus once they exit the building.

• Students who bike home will exit door #7 (near orange playground equipment)

• utilize the walking/bike path

• must promptly begin leaving campus once they exit the building.

• Students who are car riders will exit door #3.

• We are committed to keeping Rosa Parks students, families, and staff safe. Thank you for your cooperation!

• Each family is given a number that will need to be displayed in the car window

• Families will get two numbers to have in multiple vehicles

• Display number on the passenger side

• When pulling up, always pull up as far as you can and we will load multiple cars at a time.

• Staff will communicate the numbers in the order they have arrived into the building.

• Avoiding the process and driving to the front will result in your number not being called. Follow the process!

• As cars load, they will be dismissed and the next batch of cars will pull in.

• Make sure your children know their number for dismissal.

Please make sure your child knows how they will be getting home each day. Inform your child’s teacher or the school office if there is a change in your family’s plan.

The Greater Mankato Mental Health Hub has launched! This hub was developed by Greater Mankato Area United Way's Youth Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Committee and is hosted by the Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Rosa Parks is a School-wide Title 1 School, meaning we receive additional funding to provide supplemental interventions or services to students. The purpose of Title I, Part A under the Federal ESEA Act is to supplement services to students to help them learn what they need to know to be successful on high academic standards.

As a parent, you have the right to request information about the qualifications of your child’s teacher(s). For further information, contact Dan Kamphoff, principal at Rosa Parks Elementary.