Hello Mustang Community!

Happy October! Exciting news: Scheels has generously donated a variety of playground equipment to Olathe Schools, and it all arrived this week! We now have new basketballs, kickballs, soccer balls, and footballs for our students to enjoy. A huge thank you to Scheels for their kindness—these will surely enhance our playtime!

A Message From Dr. Yeager:

Get ready for a special district-wide spirit day on Monday, October 7! We’re celebrating not just the Kansas City Chiefs but also the KC Royals, who both have games that day. Wear your red, blue, or both to show your support for our hometown teams! Don’t forget to tag us on social media with your spirit day photos using #OPS4KC!

Have a great weekend and GO KC!

Brent

We’re also kicking off Kindness Week! Monday will be Pajama Day, so feel free to wear your pajamas or your Royals/Chiefs gear—or even your Royals/Chiefs pajamas if you have them! It’s a great day to show our KC pride and ML spirit! I have listed all the spirit day themes below.

• Monday: Dreamin' of Kindness: Pajama Day!
• Tuesday: Work out our problem with kindness- Dress in your best workout gear!
• Wednesday: Hats off to kindness! Write a note/draw a pic to give to someone you care about (and wear a hat! 🙂)

• Thursday: ML is kind-Wear ML Spirit gear
• Friday: No School: Teacher In-Service

We have a busy but fantastic month ahead as we embrace the fall season. Please read the Newsletter in its entirety as there is a lot of information! I appreciate each and every one of you. Remember, I’m just a phone call or email away if you need anything. Remember, it is always a great day to be a Mustang! 🐴

Have a wonderful weekend and GO KC!

In Partnership,

Casey - Principal

If your student will be absent, is going to be late, needs to be picked up early, or is taking a different form of transportation home, please click on the linked title above to report it. Once the link is open, call the school line listed or you can email us. Just click on the "email us" link and send a quick note to Mrs. Little and Mrs. Stry (if you use this link it automatically goes to both of them).

*if you are navigating from the Meadow Lane Webpage, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the Parent Tab at the top.
2. Under Parent Resources on the left, click on Report an Absence.

We appreciate your cooperation! 🙂

Students have been getting dropped off earlier and earlier at the building. Please adhere to the guidelines below, as we have had some issues in the morning with students being outside for a long period of time with no supervision. We love that students are able to take part in these great opportunites, but we always want to practice safety first. 😊

Special Chorus:

• Special Chorus for 4th and 5th grade is from 8:15 am - 8:45 am on Tuesday's or Thursday's. Please make sure that students are not dropped of earlier than 8:10 am.

Safety Patrol:

• Please make sure that students are not dropped off earlier than 8:20 am.

Chess Club:

• Please make sure that students are not dropped off earlier than 7:55 am.

Spirit Squad:

• Please make sure tha students are not dropped off earlier than 7:45 am (front office staff do not arrive until 7:45, so there will not be an adult present and students will be on property unsupervised).

Student Government Meetings:

• Please make sure that students are not dropped off earlier than 7:55 am.

*PLEASE NOTE: THE DISTRICT SITE COUNCIL TOOK PLACE ON SEPT. 3OTH BUT WAS REPLICATED ON THE OCTOBER CALENDAR AS BEING ON OCTOBER 7TH. PLEASE DISREGARD THAT DATE, AS IT HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND REMOVED FROM THE ELECTRONIC CALENDAR.

Congratulations to Mrs. Shriver on her recent appointment to the NAfME (National Association for Music Education) Council for General Music Education! This council includes a dynamic group of music educators who do amazing work to support and improve all aspects of instruction in the General Music classroom and you will be an outstanding addition! Thank you for your willingness to serve in this capacity. We look forward to hearing about the work you will do on this council and know that you will bring back great information to share with all General Music staff here in Olathe!

Please check out the link below and read about our newest Southwestern Division Representative Mrs. Shriver!

https://nafme.org/group/council-for-general-music-education/

Hello Mustang Families!

It is that time of the year...Parent/Teacher Conferences!! If you have not had a chance to look at the email that I sent out, I have attached a link below for you to sign up with your student's Teacher to get updates on their academic progress, FastBridge scores, and to answer any questions you may have.

This is a reminder that the Spring conferences are student-led, but the Fall conferences are for Parents/Guardians only. We look forward to seeing you, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I appreciate you!

Parent/Teacher Conference Links ML Fall 2024

In Partnership,

Casey-Principal

Meadow Lane has turned in their pumpkin run forms for all those that have already registered. If you registered with Mrs. Keely, your race packets (shirt and bib) will be delivered to ML. We will set up a tent which will be with all the other participating schools. We will meet there before/after the race.

4th and 5th grade KFC has also been training hard and would love your participation and/or support! I ran last year, but will be serving as "cheerleader" with my coffee from the sidelines this year 😆In all seriousness, this is a great cause, and I look forward to seeing you all there!

It is not too late for others to sign up online! Please click the button below to do so, but you will be responsible for picking up your own race packet.

Please click on the button to access the PTO Mustang Quarterly

Every parent is a member of our PTO! Are you interested in learning more about the PTO, or want to get involved? Join us for our next meeting on November 5th at 7:00 PM in the ML library! I do understand that this is on election day, however we have carefully looked at all options and this night remains the best option due to the gym being rented out at night on other nights for practices. This leaves the 5th as the best option while still being able to provide child care for those wanting to attend but needing child care. Voting is important, so please make sure that you plan ahead with your voting so that you may aslo be able to attend the PTO meeting. Have any questions? Reach out to Emily at emilylovesadoption@gmail.com

Our annual Meadow Lane Jog-A-Thon was a HUGE success! We had a $25,000 goal, and not only did we meet it...we exceeded it! We were able to raise $27, 505 dollars for our students. Way to go Mustang Community!!! You really showed up!! If you donated items, volunteered at the event, donated funds, sponsored us, or helped us in any way: THANK YOU!

I promised the students, staff, and community that if we met our goal, I would let one chosedn representative from each grade level pie me in the face. I held true to my word, and took 6 pies to the face. Man these kids are some expert pie slingers! 😄🥧

Thank you to all our corporate sponsors. I have listed our levels below that donated $500 minimum or more. Their names and recoginition will appear in the October Newsletter and the November Newsletter. Thank you for your coporate sponsorship!

Save These Dates For Your Child's Grade Level

🥞Breakfast and Books This Month! 📚

Please see the attached link for the Fall Party/Costume guidelines for Meadow Lane for October 31st parade, parties, and for during the school day.

Interested in chess? Well, are you in luck! Please click on the button below to see chess club information and to sign up.

Math

QBA – required for assessed grades (2-5, but 2nd grade doesn't start taking them until the window opens 2nd QTR) in all buildings; windows as follows(also on assessment calendar)

• October 21 – October 24
• December 9 – December 12
• March 7 – March 13
• May 9 – May 15

Interims – optional this year; windows as follows

• October 14 – November 1
• January 20 – January 31

Reading

QBA

• ELA QBA for grades 3 – 5 (optional this year): October 4 – October 10

Interims – required for assessed grades in buildings who are part of our District Success Team process; optional (but strongly encouraged) for all other buildings; windows as follows

• KITE Predictive Interims - October 14 – November 1
  
• January 20 – January 31

• March 24 – April 25 (Grade 2)

BSEL

SAEBRS/mySAEBRS

• October 1 - October 31

* Please see the information below for descriptions of the QBA, Interim, and SAEBRS/mySAEBRS assessements.

QBAs: Quarterly Benchmark Assessment

Benchmark assessment is an assessment administered periodically throughout the school year at specified times during a curriculum sequence to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to an explicit set of longer-term learning goals. The design and choice of benchmark assessments is driven by the purpose, intended users, and uses of the instruments. Benchmark assessments can inform policy, instructional planning, and decision making at the classroom, school, and/or district levels.

• Purpose

  Interim assessments help teachers and schools evaluate students' knowledge and skills, and inform decisions at the classroom, school, and district levels. They also help schools make programmatic decisions to improve student achievement.

  
  

• Frequency

  Interim assessments are administered multiple times throughout the school year. For example, the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) gives mathematics interim assessments twice a year for grades 3–8 and 10.

  
  

• Content

  Interim assessments cover a subset of content standards. For example, Predictive Interim Assessments mirror the content and formatting of state assessments.

  
  

• Administration

  The Kansas Assessment Program uses the Kansas Interactive Testing Engine (Kite) to administer assessments. Kite is available on the Kansas Assessment Program website and has separate instructions and files for different devices.

  
  

• Resources

  The Kansas State Department of Education's Assessments web page has documents and resources to help schools and districts participate in the KAP.

  
  

Olathe Northwest’s Homecoming week is next week! Every year they do a carnival/bonfire and invite their feeder schools and community to attend! It’s a great time with Food trucks, inflatables, games, balloon artists, and more! It is next Wednesday October 9th. I know that ONW would love to see their future Ravens that night!

Olathe Northwest’s Future Educators Club is hosting our annual Trunk N Treat! Join us Sunday October 27th from 1-3pm for a safe, fun, trick-or-treat community event. Rain or shine, we will have this event; see flyer (click on pic to go to the link) for more information. Bring your donations and come in your costumes ready for candy and games—see you there!

Thank you so much!

Mrs. Cameron Hunt

English 9 Co-Teacher | Lead MTSS Reading Interventionist

Future Teachers Organization Co-Sponsor

* canhunt@olatheschools.org

Once again this year, 5th grade students will have the opportunity to audition for the Olathe District Elementary Honor Choir. Elise Peterson (OS Choral Director) and Alex Piazza (ON Choral Director) will be co-directing this choir that will rehearse and perform during 2nd semester.

Auditions for this choir will be held in November, and Elise and Alex have reached out to the General Music staff, asking them to share this information with 5th graders and their parents. Please click on the the link(s) below to access further details and information.

• 24-25 Honor Choir Parent Info - English.pdf
• 24-25 Honor Choir Parent Info - Spanish.pdf

Having your student present and on time for learning is a key factor in their success. Students must be in their class by 9:00 AM. If you are dropping them off after 9:00 AM, a parent or guardian must walk them inside to sign them in for the day in the front office. Please see the updated district guidelines below for student attendance.

Tardies:

4 tardies in a semester = 1 unexcused absence, parent phone call

7 tardies in a semester = Intervention meeting and plan established with parents and school team

20 tardies in a semester = 5 unexcused absences, truancy authorities notified

Absenteeism

5 absences in a semester = Intervention meeting and plan established with parents and school team

9 absences in a semester = Second/updated intervention meeting and plan established with parents, school team, and any additional parties.

10 absences in a school year = Truancy authorities notified

Truancy

3 unexcused absences in a row = Intervention meeting and plan established with parents and school team

5 unexcused absences in a semester = Truancy authorities notified

7 unexcused absences in a school year = Updated team intervention meeting

These policies align with BOE Policies JBA, JBAA, JBAD, JBAB, JBC.

If a unique situation exists that may interfere with regular, timely school attendance, the parent should work with the school administrator (Mr. Welch) to develop a plan in advance.

At Meadow Lane, we are committed to starting the school year on a strong note, and regular attendance at school makes all the difference. Your child's regular attendance at school is invaluable, not just for their academic growth but for their social and emotional development too. Your child is a vital part of our school community, and every day they're absent, we miss the opportunity to partner with them on their educational journey and watch them learn and grow. Together we can work to ensure they can make the most of every school day, building a foundation for a bright and successful future.

If you're facing obstacles to regular attendance, please reach out. We're more than ready to collaborate on making school a priority for your child. We all know that different circumstances arise. The administrator does have the autonomy to discuss excused absences for extenuating circumstances that are beyond your control and in the best interest of the student (medical, etc.). If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Principal.

In Olathe Public Schools, we are committed to having an environment in all schools that is conducive to learning – an environment free from unnecessary distractions and that promotes the responsible use of technology by all individuals. Personal electronic devices (i.e. cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, etc.) can hinder or disrupt student learning.

At the August 1, 2024, regular Board of Education meeting, the Board approved Policy JTC – Personal Electronic Devices, providing standard districtwide guidance around the use of personal electronic devices during the instructional day.

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, early childhood through eighth-grade students cannot use their personal electronic devices, including smartwatches, during the scheduled school day. To read the full policy, click here.

We recognize that in today’s digital world, personal electronic devices are a part of our everyday life, and as such, we want to be clear that while they are prohibited during the instructional day, students can have personal electronic devices in their backpacks or lockers and may use personal electronic devices during the scheduled school day in emergency situations, lockdowns, or if necessary for the student’s physical health.

If a parent or guardian needs to contact their student during the school day, please call the main office. Our phone number is (913) 780-7550

We understand this change may bring questions or concerns. Click here for a list of frequently asked questions.

Casey Welch: Principal

WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS HOW TO BEHAVE BY WHAT WE ALLOW, WHAT WE STOP, WHAT WE IGNORE, AND WHAT WE REINFORCE.

Email: crwelch@olatheschools.org
Website: https://www.olatheschools.org/meadowlane/
Location: 21880 College Boulevard, Olathe, KS, USA
Phone: (913) 780-7550

August Mustang Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/jak6h

September Mustang Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/72prx