KES Wildcat Connection

Keystone Elementary Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! We are so excited to have our Wildcats back in the building and can’t wait to see our hallways filled with smiling faces, laughter, learning, and school spirit. There is something special about the beginning of a new school year the fresh start, new friendships, new experiences, and all of the possibilities that come with it.

Our Keystone Elementary School staff has been working hard to prepare for an amazing year, and we are ready to make this a year filled with learning, growth, kindness and opportunities to shine. We believe that when our school and families work together, our students thrive.

We cannot wait to see everyone join us for Open House! It will be so wonderful to see so many of our families in the building, meet our teachers, explore classrooms, and share in the excitement of a new school year. Your enthusiasm and support will help make the evening such a special way to kick off the year!

As we settle into our routines, we encourage families to talk with your children about their school day, celebrate their successes, and remind them that it is okay to make mistakes and try new things. Every day is an opportunity to learn or try something new! Thank you for trusting us with your children and for being such an important part of our Keystone family. We are looking forward to partnering with you throughout the year and creating wonderful memories together.

Here’s to a fantastic school year, Wildcats! Let’s make it our best year yet!

Go Wildcats!

Sincerely,

Jake Alferio, Principal

jacob.alferio@keystoneschools.org

Amanda Ward, Assistant Principal

amanda.ward@keystoneschools.org

Looking for important information about Keystone Elementary? Be sure to check out the KES Family Handbook! It is a great resource for families and includes important information about school procedures, expectations, attendance, transportation, communication, safety, and more.

Parents are requested not to drop off their children until 8:45AM. Students

should be dropped off by the east side of the school building. Walkers will be

dismissed first, before buses and car riders. Parents who want their child to be

an everyday car rider will be issued a name placard to display in the windshield

of the car. When picking up students at the end of the school day, parents

should create a pick-up car line along the sidewalk on the east side of the

building. Please stay in your car at all times, to ensure safety. Students will be

dismissed to cars from the side door. Anyone picking up a student should have

an ID with them to prove their identity, if asked, and students will only be

released to those 18 years of age or older. Parents must notify the school by 2:45

PM if their child is going to be following a different dismissal procedure, than

the regular one written on the emergency card. Calling the school after 2:45 PM

to change dismissal procedures, does not give the staff adequate time to inform

all parties of the schedule change. Any student not picked up by 3:45pm, will be

sent to Keycare. School buses load and unload in the front of the building and

no vehicles are allowed in this area during arrival and dismissal times.

A healthy lunch helps our Wildcats stay focused, energized, and ready to learn! Families who pack a lunch are encouraged to include a balance of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and a healthy drink such as water or milk. Our Keystone cafeteria also offers breakfast and lunch for students to purchase each school day. Families can find the monthly menus, meal information, pricing, and other cafeteria resources on the Keystone Food Services page.

At Keystone Elementary, we are excited to continue building a positive school community where every Wildcat feels safe, supported, and ready to learn! Our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program focuses on teaching, modeling, and celebrating positive behaviors throughout our school.

Our school-wide expectations are represented by P.R.I.D.E.:

P — Positive
R — Responsible
I — Integrity
D — Driven
E — Engaged

Throughout the year, students will learn what P.R.I.D.E. looks like in different areas of our school, including classrooms, the bus, cafeteria, playground, and hallways. We will recognize and celebrate students who demonstrate these important qualities.

This September, we’re challenging Keystone families to practice P.R.I.D.E. together at home! Each week, choose one challenge to complete as a family. Talk about how the P.R.I.D.E. quality connects to your family, school, and community.

Week 1 — P: Positive
Share one compliment or kind message with someone in your family each day.

Week 2 — R: Responsible
Choose one responsibility at home and complete it without being reminded.

Week 3 — I: Integrity
Do the right thing even when no one is watching!

Week 4 — D: Driven & E: Engaged
Set a family goal, work toward it together, and stay engaged until you accomplish it.

How to Participate

Let’s show that Wildcat P.R.I.D.E. doesn’t stop when the school day ends!

During the month of September students are getting to know their teachers and classmates, learning classroom routines, and practicing expectations that help everyone learn and grow. We are building strong classroom communities where every student feels welcomed, connected, and ready to learn!

This year, Keystone Elementary is proud to partner with the Prayers for Maria Foundation as we work toward becoming a School for Hope! Through this partnership, our Wildcats will learn about the importance of kindness, compassion, and supporting children and families affected by childhood cancer. Throughout the year, we’ll participate in special activities, spirit days, and schoolwide initiatives sponsored by student council that help us spread hope and make a difference. Together, we can show that even small acts of kindness can grow into something BIG!

The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority! As a part of our continued commitment to school security, all visitors will now use the visitor entry button located outside the main entrance to request access to the building. Press the button shown below and a secretary will greet you through the intercom and unlock the door for you. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID when visiting the school, as all visitors are required to check in through the main office. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure school!

These procedures are in place to help maintain a safe and secure learning environment for our students, staff, and visitors. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding as we work together to keep our Wildcat community safe.

Here at KES we utilize Class Dojo as our main form of communication for our teachers to families. Please make sure you either download the app or sign up for a FREE account via online with the link below! You will receive more information at the KES open house when you meet your child's teacher in regards to accessing the teacher's classroom.

**PLEASE NOTE: Keystone Elementary does not utilize any paid version of ClassDojo and does not ask parents to utilize anything other than the free version with this platform at this time.**

As we prepare for the start of the school year, please remember to log into Final Forms and complete all required beginning-of-year forms for your student(s). Completing these forms is an important part of preparing for a successful school year. Student schedules will be released once all required parent forms have been completed. We appreciate your prompt attention to this process and thank you for helping us get the school year off to a smooth start.

• Next PTA Meeting: Thursday September 3rd in the KES library at 6pm
• Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteer sign-ups are open for our upcoming events. We’d love to have more families involved!
• PTA Membership: We’re still looking for a VP of Membership to join our PTA team.
• Join the PTA: https://sites.google.com/kespta.org/home/home?authuser=0