WG September Family Newsletter

Dear Walnut Grove Families,

Happy September! It has been wonderful seeing our school filled with energy, smiles, and learning as we settle into the rhythm of the new school year. Under our theme, "The Greatest School on Earth!", our students and staff are already putting on a fantastic performance every single day.

As we jump into a busy month ahead, please take a moment to review a few key updates and reminders:

Dismissal Time

Dismissal is at 3:55pm. If you are unable to pick up your student on time, please make arragnements so that they can be picked up in a timely manner. If you are struggling to make it it to pick up your student at the end of the day, please reach out to JCPRD to find out about enrolling them in after school care. Thank you for your support from home!

Dismissal & Car Line

To help keep our dismissal moving quickly and safely, we strongly encourage families to utilize our Front Car Loop. Our side pick-up lane frequently experiences heavier congestion, while the front loop has plenty of room to accommodate extra vehicles. Spreading out our traffic helps shorten wait times for everyone

Attendance

• School Hours: 8:55 AM – 3:55 PM. Doors open and supervision begins at 8:35 AM (please do not drop off earlier).

• Tardies: Class starts promptly at 8:55 AM. Students arriving after 8:55 AM are marked tardy.

• Absences: If your child will be absent, please notify your student's teacher and email our attendance line at wgattendance@olatheschools.org with their name, teacher, reason for absence, and lunch preference if arriving late.

Thank you for your continued partnership and warm welcome as we kick off a fantastic September together!

Warmest regards,

Lindsay Davidson

Principal- Walnut Grove Elementary

All families should have received communication from Dr. Jim McMullen regarding the recommended closing of Walnut Grove at the end of this school year. If you have questions or concerns, please visit the link below for more information. Thank you for your support as we navigate this as a school community!

8:55-3:55- School day hours (Please note arrival does not begin, and there will be no supervision, until

8:35. Please do not send students to school before that time)

8:35-8:55- Breakfast is served for students who wish to purchase (or who are receiving free/reduced lunches)

8:35-School doors open

8:55- School day begins- Students are expected to be in their seat ready to learn at this time, not walking in the door. Arrivals after this time will be considered tardy.

3:55-Students are dismissed

If your student is going to be absent, please contact the office along with your student's teacher. You can email the office via our attendance email at wgattendance@olatheschools.org.

Please let us know the following information:

• The child's name and the teacher's name
• Date the absence will occur
• Reason for absence
• If your child will be late, do they need a school lunch? Which option?
• Approximately when will your child arrive at school?

Thank you!

Sept. 2nd- Running Club begins (4-4:45pm)

Sept. 3rd- Last day to Order Spirit Wear

Sept. 4th- Picture Day (Kinder-5th grade ONLY, Early Childhood will be on Oct. 5th)

Sept. 7th- No School

Sept. 10th- 5th Grade field trip to Ernie Miller

Sept. 11th- Patriot Day- Wear Red, White & Blue

Sept 14th-18th - Noah's Bandage Project

Sept. 18th- Mad Science Assembly

Sept. 22nd- Kindergarten field trip to the apple orchard

Sept. 25th- Read and Feed

Sept. 28th-Oct. 1st- Hands-on, Minds-on Science Museum

Oct. 2nd-8th- Scholastic Bookfair (more details to come!)

Oct. 5th- Early Childhood Picture Day & Retakes

Oct. 9th- No School for Students

Oct. 12th-14th- Parent Teacher Conferences

Oct. 14th- Half-day (dismissal at 12:10)

Oct. 15th & 16th- No School for students

Oct. 23rd- Lap-a-thon event

Looking to breeze through dismissal like a circus pro? Help us balance the big top by switching to the Front Car Line!

Our side pick-up lane gets a bit crowded with traffic, but the front loop has plenty of room for extra VIPs. By spreading out our cars, we can keep the line moving, shorten wait times, and get everyone home in record time.

Give the front line a try today and help keep dismissal running like the greatest show on earth!

Please let the office know if you are changing to the Front Car line.

We welcome parents to join their student for lunch throughout the school year! To ensure a smooth and safe lunchtime experience for everyone, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Check In with Staff: Before heading to your table, please let the lunchroom staff know that you are eating with your student and inform them which guest student is joining you.

• Bring a Buddy: Students are permitted to invite one friend to join them and their parent for lunch.

• Parent Supervision: Parents are responsible for monitoring their student and their guest during lunch.

• Respect Learning Spaces: Please remember that classes are in session throughout the building. If you are eating in the wet areas or hallways, please keep noise levels respectful.

• Clean Up: Help us keep our school looking great by cleaning up your eating area and throwing away all trash before returning to class.

We look forward to seeing you at lunchtime!

Pre-school families are encouraged to drop off closer to 8:45/8:50 to avoid some of the rush that comes with morning arrival. Parents of preschoolers may park in the parking lot and walk their student into the classroom.

Olathe Public Schools uses SchoolCafé for managing student and staff meal accounts.

Payments made through SchoolCafé require a minimum $20 deposit and are subject to a 4.0% convenience fee. To avoid the convenience fee, payments may also be made by cash or check at the school.

Students can also create their own SchoolCafé account to take an active role in managing their meals. With a student account, they can view menus, check nutrition information, and track their meal purchases. This helps students make informed choices while keeping parents connected through their family account.

Click the attachment below for instructions on setting up your School Cafe account.

School menus can be viewed on the School Cafe website.

Arrival

All students enter the building through the front doors. Doors will be unlocked at 8:35am. There will be NO adult supervision prior to 8:35am. Cars may drop students off in the front drive or the upper lane. We do ask that you do not park to walk your student in. Students who are eating breakfast at school may go directly to the cafeteria. All students NOT eating breakfast will report to the gym for supervision until 8:45am. At 8:45am, students will go to their classrooms.

Dismissal

All cars that pick up on the SIDE of the school please use 118th Street off Pflumm and stay in the right lane. (Loop around in the back and pull up to the SIDE of the gym for pick up.) EXIT IN BUS LANE—closest to the building.

Cars that pick up in upper parking lot please use Rene Street off 119th Street and stay in the left lane. DO NOT BLOCK THE DRIVE MARKED IN YELLOW

Make sure that you have your student name card hanging. This helps to keep the pick up lanes moving. Please do not exit your car, or park to pick up your student.

Make sure your child knows if you will be picking up in FRONT or on the SIDE of the building and let their teacher know. Students will not be allowed to go to Rene/118th Street for pick-up.

Having your student present and on time for learning is a key factor in their success. Please see the updated guidelines for student attendance. There may be additional actions taken depending on the situation.

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

Chronic 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 which may interfere with regular, timely school attendance, the parent should work with the school to develop a plan in advance.

Greetings Explorers! We are proud to continue to provide a free, dignified shopping experience for students; after all we all need help sometimes!

Your student may shop during school hours with our School Psychologist, Dr. Potter, or with our school Counselor, Mrs. Click! Please follow this link to complete a request form.

If you are interested in signing up to be a Watch DOG or MOM, please use the link below. Thank you for your support!

Review

This spring the Facility Alignment Task Force, made up of one staff member and one parent from each school, met three times to review district finances, enrollment projections and building capacity to inform Olathe Public Schools' school consolidation planning.

At the June Board of Education Meeting, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jim McMullen presented an overview of the Task Force’s work and recommendations. View the full presentation on the district’s YouTube Channel.

Survey results showed unanimous support for reducing the district's elementary footprint. Most participants recommended closing at least three or four elementary schools and at least one middle school. High schools are not expected to be affected.

Current Work

So far this summer, the Facility Alignment Steering Committee (a smaller subgroup of the Task Force) has met three of four times to evaluate the task force's recommendations and review data for each school. The committee will recommend specific schools for consolidation after its final meeting before the start of the school year.

Next Steps

A recommendation on specific school consolidations will be presented to the Board of Education at its September meeting, with boundary recommendations to follow. Please note that your school may be affected even if it is not recommended for consolidation, as attendance boundaries may be adjusted to accommodate students from consolidated schools.

Information will be shared in school and district communications throughout the next several months. Community members interested in following the process can learn more, including answers to frequently asked questions and view all districtwide and school-based communication so far on the district website. Our commitment to transparency throughout this process is intentional, so our community feels informed every step of the way.

Olathe Ordinances Focus on Bike, E-Bike and Scooter Safety

With warmer weather bringing more students outdoors, we wanted to share the newly-updated rules for bikes, e-bikes and scooters from the City of Olathe. Here are the key points for our students:

• All riders under 18 years old must wear a helmet when riding on an electric scooter or e-bike.
• Electric scooters cannot be ridden on the road unless the speed limit is 30 MPH or under and there’s no sidewalk.
• E-bikes may be ridden on roads with speed limits up to 40 MPH.
• Riders of bicycles or any motorized device must yield to pedestrians and warn them before passing (ring the bell, say “excuse me” or “on your left”, etc.)
• There is a 15 MPH limit for electric scooters and e-bikes on the sidewalk.
• It is illegal to ride a bicycle, e-bike, or electric scooter in a careless, reckless, or negligent manner or weaving in and out of traffic. Stay as close to the right side of the road as possible except when turning left.

• An electric scooter or e-bike must have proper lighting and be visible in order to ride at dusk or at night.

• Electric powered “bikes” that cannot be pedaled are actually motorcycles or motor-driven cycles and require a license to ride.

• If you get into an accident while riding on a bicycle, electric scooter, or e-bike where someone is injured or property is damaged, you must provide contact information to other parties involved and report the accident to the police.

• Parents may not authorize or knowingly permit their children to violate any Olathe bicycle, e-bike, or electric scooter regulations.

For those in need of a helmet, the Olathe Fire Department is partnering with the University of Kansas Health System for its annual Helmet Head Bike Rodeo on Sunday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Olathe. Kids aged 15 and under will receive a free bike helmet while supplies last.

We encourage families to have a conversation at home that will help keep everyone safe. Please read the complete list of updated rules by visiting OlatheKS.gov/RollSafe.

Dear Families,

To help you stay connected with your student’s learning, we want to remind you about Canvas, our learning management system. Canvas allows you to view upcoming assignments, check grades, and follow your student's progress in real-time.

Please take a moment to review the Canvas Parent Letter linked below:

Inside these letters, you will also find links to short Canvas Training Tutorials designed to walk you step-by-step through setting up your observer account, navigating the dashboard, checking grades, and setting up notifications.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student's success!

Did you know that our school district offers mental health services for students, at no cost to the family? The HELP Clinic offers up to six individual and/or small group counseling sessions to Olathe students, between the hours of 4 and 6 pm, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All sessions during the school year are located in the Mill Creek Center, at 300 E. Loula. The H.E.L.P. Clinic is staffed by professional school counselors, school psychologists, social workers and other school-based mental health providers. All clinicians are Olathe Public Schools employees or retired employees who have an active license in school mental health.

Parents can sign up using the HELP Clinic website, or can contact their child’s school counselor to assist with the sign-up.