McClure Newsletter

We have enjoyed the beginning of the school year and getting to know our families and students!

We know it is going to be a tremendous year of learning and growth. Grade level newsletters are posted below-these will be updated monthly with important curriculum and learning information, along with important dates. Please view the information below for important information!

• Sept. 1: No School, Labor Day
• Sept. 4: Donut w/ Grandparents or any adult-All Grades 8am-8:40am
• Sept. 11: Kinder Kollege 5:30-6:30pm
• Sept. 17: Family Fun Fitness Night @ Hummer
• Sept. 29: No School
• Sept 30: PTO in the library 5:30-6:30
• Oct. 1: Fall picture day
• Oct. 13: No School, Teacher Planning & Prep Day
• Oct. 14: No School, Staff PD Day
• Oct. 16: Family Engagement Reading Night, 6pm-7pm
• Oct. 22: Parent Teacher Conferences, 4-8pm
• Oct. 23: No School, Parent Teacher Conferences, 8am-8pm
• Traveling Tom's Coffee Truck from 8:00-10:00 AM
• Oct. 24: No School
• Nov. 4: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night
• Nov. 11: Veteran's Day Assembly
• Nov 24.-28: No School

As we begin the new school year, I want to share our Staff Shout-Out form. This is a great way to celebrate our staff, and have our community involved with recognizing our staff!

We are excited to announce that Mrs. Erin Newman will be our PTO President for the 25-26 school year. Please read her PTO welcome letter, attached below!

Our goal this year is to get more families involved with our PTO, whether that be attending meetings, helping volunteer, etc. Please be on the lookout for more information this fall.

Here are the tentative upcoming dates for PTO meetings. These will begin at 5:30 PM in the library.

8/26/25, 9/30/25, 10/28/25, 12/16/25, 1/27/26, 3/31/26, 4/28/26, 5/12/26

Please view the agendas below.

Topeka Public Schools and McClure are excited to invite parents to join the District Citizens Advisory Council (DCAC)!

This advisory group is made up of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members, and plays a key role in supporting the district by learning about the latest happenings and participating in discussions that help inform decision-making processes for the district. Learn more in this flyer or by visiting the DCAC page on our website.

Upcoming DCAC meetings include:

• Tuesday, September 2 at Bishop Professional Development Center
• Tuesday, October 7 at TCALC (this will also serve as a Board of Education Forum)
• Tuesday, November 11 at Chase Middle School

If you are interested in serving on the DCAC, please contact your school’s PTO or Principal! We look forward to seeing new faces and hearing fresh ideas as we continue to strengthen our community's involvement in education!

Please view the attached link, to review the USD 501 cell phone policy.

Important to note:

Elementary Students, Pre-K – 5th Grades

Personal technology devices (cell phones, smart watches, earbuds, etc.) must be kept in backpacks or classroom storage areas. Cell phone use or personal electronic devices are not allowed during the scheduled school day from the beginning start time to the end of school, for early childhood through fifth-grade students.

At McClure, attendance is a top priority. If students are not in school, they are missing both social and academic opportunities. We believe that consistent, in-person attendance, provides the best learning opportunities for our students. Being present and engaged in the classroom empowers students to take ownership of their educational outcomes. We understand that some absences are unavoidable due to health or family matters, but recognize that when students miss too many days, they can fall behind.

It is important that your child attend school each day to have a consistent educational program. Of course, illness or other family emergencies can cause absences. If your child will be absent please let us know by contacting the office at 785-438-4340.

The Topeka Public School Procedures are as follows:

1. Absences are excused for student illness or family emergencies. If your child is going to be absent, you should call the office before 9:30 a.m. It is each parent’s responsibility to be sure the office has been notified of the reason for absence. Advanced notice is appreciated.

2. A phone call attempt will be made on every child that does not arrive at school by 9:30am.

3. After 2 days of unexcused absences, staff will conduct a home visit or make other direct contact with child’s family, determine what assistance is needed to remedy the problem.

4. Unexcused absences can result in a truancy report being filed.

5. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, can cause academic problems for a student. More than 10 absences will be considered “excessive” absences. When a student obtains more than 10 excused absences, a doctor’s note will be required to excuse any additional absences.
6. Although Kansas law does not require students to be in school prior to the age of 7, ANY child enrolled in public school does fall into the state truancy policies. Truancy reports will be made to the district truancy officer for any student with excessive absences and/or tardies.

Looking for a fun way to connect and build our McClure community? Join us for High 5 Fridays on late-start Fridays! Please contact Ms. Hight if you are interested in joining us for the fun, and welcoming students on late-start Fridays!

The 25-26 Eagle' Nest Childcare Registration is now available. This year, we will be utilizing

My School Bucks to register and to submit online payment. To access this, please login to your ParentVue on Synergy, from here you will scroll and select MSB Activities- Care. (See the attached photo). This will direct you to another site within MSB to register for childcare.

Incoming kindergarten students may have difficulty registering through MSB. Please email Dr. Artzer, and Ms. Franklin to add incoming kindergarten student's to the list. cartzer@tps501.org and kfranklin@tps501.org

We are excited to offer a new opportunity of having lunchroom volunteers next year. This is a great way to build connections, eat with students, mentor students, be visible in the school, and support McClure. If you are interested in joining an email list to potentially be a volunteer, please fill out this Google Form. We would love to have you involved in this setting!

To everyone that helped support our Eagle Store by volunteering and donating, we cannot thank you enough! The Eagle Store is a school-wide store that students visit every other week. Students are able to purchase experiences and/or tangible items. Throughout the day, students earn tickets for demonstrating positive behavior and following expectations, which they can save up and visit the store. We are continuing the store next year, and are in need in donations to help supply the store for the upcoming school year. Please check out the link below!

Thank you in advance for your support of our students!

If you have a student that will start kindergarten this year, please read the information below. Mrs. DesJardins will be emailing families as their kindergarten enrollment is confirmed, to complete these surreys.

Beginning July 1st, the Kansas State Board of Education requires parents of incoming kindergarten students to complete two questionnaires: ASQ-3 and ASQ: SE-2.

At McClure, our goal is to have 100% completion. You may complete the questionnaires at home by clicking on the links below.

Online link to ASQ-3:

ASQ-3 English https://www.asqonline.com/family/8a86b7

ASQ-3 Spanish https://www.asqonline.com/family/cd805e

Online link to ASQ: SE-2:

ASQ: SE-2 English https://www.asqonline.com/family/5a81da

ASQ: SE-2 Spanish https://www.asqonline.com/family/0fec69

Questions? Email the ASQ coordinator, Mrs. DesJardins at kdesjardins@tps501.org

The District's Academic Calendar provides a quick-glance overview of important dates for parents to be aware of. This calendar includes days school is not in session, parent-teacher conferences, and start and end dates for the 2025-2026 school year.

The McClure school calendar is posted on our school website. Click here to view.

The Campus Care Clinic located at Topeka High School and is open to all USD 501 staff, students, and their household family members. Below is a video created by the THS Broadcasting Department. Click here for the Clinic Flyer with additional information.

Location:

Topeka High School 800 SW 10th St., Room 101 Topeka, KS 66612

Contact Us:

THSCampusCare@KUMC.edu 785-295-3256

Link to clinic video: Campus Care Clinic (updated)

Do you have a Dillon's Shopper Card? Help our school as you shop for groceries. When using your Dillons card, designate McClure Elementary as your community rewards benefactor and your donations will go to directly support our school. Sign in to your Dillon’s account or create an account to enroll. Once signed in, you can enroll or update your Community Rewards under your account settings.

Email: cartzer@tps501.org
Website: https://mcclure.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 2529 Southwest Chelsea Drive, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785.438.4340
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TPS501McClure