
Mustang Family Newsletter
August-September 2022
WELCOME BACK!
Dear Families,
We are all excited to see a return to a traditional start of the school year this year. I think we can all agree that the last three school years have truly tested our abilities to persevere through challenging times. Our staff are excited to get back to many of the things that made our school so special that we might have gotten away from the past few years. Our School Leadership Team is excited to announce a school-wide theme for the year "Onward and Upward." This is the year we are going to work to move onward from the past few years, rebuild relationships with the greater community, and we will actively search out and celebrate the good within our school. Therefore, we will be using #findthegood to actively look for and showcase great things that are happening with our students, staff, families, and community. We invite you to embrace and incorporate this year's theme in whatever ways inspire you this year!
We would like to thank our families for their continued support and participation in the education process. You all make such a difference in our ability to succeed at Minot Consolidated School! It is a privilege to serve as the principal at MCS in a community where parents, teachers, and students care for each other, strive to build positive relationships, and support academic and social growth. On behalf of the staff here at Minot Consolidated School, thank you for your ongoing support and partnership! Here is to an amazing school year!
Thank you,
Kaitlynn Brown
Welcome New Staff & Other Staff Changes
Breahna Jenkins
Kimberly Guay
Michelle (Shelley) McNear
Kaitlyn Wilcox
Jacie Welch
Kelly Gwarjanski
Important Medical Updates & Reminders
Medications and Medical Action Plans
Please remember: If your child has medications that they are required to take at school, we are required to have the following form filled out by your child's Primary Care Physician in order to administer these medications at school. This form is required to be filled out for any daily medications that are required to be taken daily at school regardless of if they are prescription or over the counter medications. Medications must be brought in by an adult. Those with Asthma or allergies will need an updated action plan.
Immunizations
Important Dates
OPEN HOUSE
RSU16 22-23 SCHOOL CALENDAR
Upcoming Dates
August 22nd- Bus routes will be made available
August 23rd- Kindergarten Screening 11:00-3:30 & 4:00-7:00
August 24th- Kindergarten Screening 11:00-3:30 & 4:00-7:00
August 29th- Open House (6:00-7:00 PM)August 31st- First Day of School K-6 (Full Day)
August 31st- September 7th Pre-K Meet & Greets
September 5th- No School (Labor Day)
September 7th- Early Release (2:05 Dismissal)
Septemeber 8th- Pre-K Orientation
September 9th- Pre-K First Day
September 13th- Minot Community Club Meeting 7:00pm
Getting Involved
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Lunch and Recess
If you can consistently give 1-2 hours of volunteer time each week next school year, we are looking for volunteers to help with lunch and recess supervision. You would be partnered with school staff. If you are interested in learning more, contact Mrs. Brown, kbrown@rsu16.org
Committees
We are looking for parent representatives to serve on a couple of our school committees and as always the community club is always looking for parent representation. Please email Kaitlynn Brown at kbrown@rsu16.org if you are interested in any of these committees or teams.
Community Club
Minot Community Club is a dedicated group of parents and educators working together to support the academic and extracurricular growth of students at Minot Consolidated School. The club meets monthly and all are welcome to attend! If you would like more information, please like and follow their Minot Community Club Meeting Facebook page on Facebook.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13th.
MCS GARDEN
Other School Updates
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
DRIVELINE UPDATE
Driveline will continue to be what we use for pick up and drop off. Please see the image below to see the route to follow (as of right now, it is the same as last year). The only difference is this year's tags will be GREEN! You MUST have a green tag present to pick up your child(ren). Green tags will be distributed during Open House. If your family would like any additional tags, please contact Kayla Wielki at kwielki@rsu16.org.
1. Please help us keep our arrival and dismissal cars to 6 on each side.
2. Please let us know if you need a replacement driveline number, so we can keep our dismissal efficient and fluid.
3. This is a friendly reminder that driveline is a no cell phone zone.
4. Please be mindful of not blocking the bus turn around when lining up driveline.
Thank you for keeping all students safe.
RSU # 16 Tech Support
RSU16 Technical Support
The best and fastest way to get technical support on an RSU16 computer is to send an email to techhelpk6@rsu16.org and let us know what the issue is. We monitor this account all day during the week and will respond to you right away. We will either let you know what you can do on your end or will arrange to swap the computer for you. I periodically check the account on weekends and vacations as well. Thank you!
Free & Reduced Application Form
This year we will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students at MCS. While this is an amazing opportunity to be able to offer our students, we have found that having free lunches has led to less families filling out the Free & Reduced Application Forms (shown and linked below). It may come to a surprise to many, but these forms are what is used to determine our Title I funding. With fewer forms being filled out, we have actually lost our Title I funding... and with it, we have lost some very vital supports for our students. It is so important for ALL families to fill out forms for ALL students so that we can have the best opportunity to provide our students with the most support! Everyone must fill out this form regardless of choosing hot lunch for their child or not.
The COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL application is available to print, complete, and return to your school or you can complete the online form at www.SchoolLunchApp.com. If you have difficulty accessing either of these methods, the form can also be sent home with a student...just contact your school's office to make the request. If you have any questions please contact Ellen Dore, RSU 16 Food Service Director, edore@rsu16.org, 207-998-5400 ext 107.
Planned Absences
If you would like a paper copy of the Student Handbook, please contact the school.
SUPPLY LISTS
PreK
- Crayola Markers (fat or skinny)
- Package of Baby Wipes
Optional Items to Donate:
- Paper plates (big and small)
- Ziplock sandwich bags
- Bathroom sized paper cups
KINDERGARTEN
Some things that you will need for kindergarten this year are:
A lunchbox
A backpack large enough to carry your lunchbox, a folder and your winter gear.
Headphones
Change of clothes
If you would like to send in some classroom supplies to share, we recommend the following:
2 – 24 count box of Crayola crayons
2 – packages of Crayola washable markers
1- package of paper towels
3 – packages Elmer's glue sticks (3 count)
1 – box of tissues
2-2 pocket folder
1 - package of Dry Erase Markers
1 - pack of play dough
FIRST GRADE
Backpack
Lunch Box for snack and if you bring lunches from home
Water Bottle to keep on your desk
SpaceMaker Box (8 ½” x 5”) to hold:
12 pack of Ticonderoga pencils
24 pack of Crayola crayons
2 glue sticks
Scissors
2 Blue or Black Dry Erase Markers
Please be sure to use a Sharpie marker to write your name in your backpack, lunch box, on your water bottle, scissors, and SpaceMaker box!
If you would like to contribute items needed for our classroom:
Paper Towels
Big Boxes of Tissues
Glue Sticks
Black Dry Erase Markers
Ticonderoga Pencils
Second Grade
Student Supplies
1 2-pocket folder
5 1-subject notebooks
8 ½ x 5” SpaceMaker Box to hold:
12 Ticonderoga or Dixon pencils
Colored pencils
Sticky notes
Low odor dry erase markers (Blue or Black)
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Headphones
Donations for the Classroom
Extra Dry Erase Markers
Mr. Sketch Smelly Markers
Paper Towels
Extra Pencils
Tissues
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Markers
THIRD GRADE
1 Plastic Spacesaver Pencil Box
1 Handheld, closed pencil sharpener
1 Box (12-24 count) Colored Pencils
1 box (12-24) crayons
1 box washable markers
4 Black Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers
2 composition notebooks
Gluesticks
Tissues and Paper Towels for the Classroom
Headphones to remain at school
FOURTH GRADE
4th Grade Suggested Supply List:
- 3 folders (plastic ones tend to last longer)
- 3 composition Notebooks (wide ruled)
- Ticonderoga pencils (preferably sharpened)
- Erasers
- Pencil Bag/Box to hold pencils, Post-it notes, etc. (bag preferred)
- Glue stick
- Highlighter
- Post-its notes ( Please try and avoid the accordion style as they often turn into toys rather than tools.)
- Colored pencils
- Headphones (Target sells a $5 set that seems to work best)
- Dry Erase markers and rag, glove or old sock for eraser
NOTE: These items are only a suggestion so that your child may have his/her own supplies. There will be supplies available on hand .
Possible Classroom Donations:
- Crayons
- Pencils
- Lined paper
- Post-Its **
- Dry Erase markers**
- Glue sticks
- Tissues
- Paper towels
- Spoons
- Highlighters
- Cap erasers
- Ziplock bags (any size)
FIFTH GRADE
Pencils (lots)
Desk pencil sharpener
3 packs of post-it notes
Pencil pouch/box
1 subject notebook (reading)
1 subject notebook (writing)
2 expo markers
Headphones
Crayons
Markers
Colored Pencils
SIXTH GRADE
- Pencil Box / Pencil Bag
- Calculator (Dollar Tree has Scientific Calculators and Standard Calculators)
- Headphones/Ear-buds (Very important! We will use them daily)
- Pack of index cards
- Large pink eraser (2)
- Highlighters (2)
- Expo dry erase markers (at least 4)
- Scissors
- Personal whiteboards (Available at Dollar Tree)
- Ruler with centimeters/inches
- Pocket folders (red for Reading, yellow for Writing, blue for Math, purple for
- Science/Social Studies)
- Set of colored pencils • Post-it notes
- Set of markers
- Black Sharpies (at least 4) -- Try to get very thin, and thin sizes.
- Box of tissues
- 4 Notebooks (at least one for reading, writing, math, science/social studies)
*Please get black and white "marble type" for reading and writing*
** Any additional supplies for the classroom are welcomed **
(spoons, paper towels, pencils, colored sharpies, lined filler paper)
Paperless Newsletters
There are many benefits to providing families with newsletters electronically. An electronic newsletter conserves paper, is more cost efficient, and delivers the newsletter directly to parents. Minot Consolidated School will be providing newsletters electronically for the remainder of the year. If you would prefer to receive a paper newsletter moving forward, please contact us at (207) 346-6471 or at kbrown@rsu16.org in order to notify us. Newsletters can also be found on the MCS website
About Us
Future Newsletter Items
If you have any items you would like to have included in a future Family Newsletter, please forward them to me and I will be sure to add them!
School Hours
Arrival- 8:30 am
Dismissal- 3:00pm
Email: kbrown@rsu16.org
Website: https://www.rsu16.org/mcs/index
Location: 23 Shaw Hill Road, Minot, ME, USA
Phone: 207-346-6471