Havencroft Happenings

Upcoming Dates:

October 1st

• Art Club 4:00 - 4:45
• Lego Club 3:55 - 4:55

October 6th

• Chipotle Fundraiser 5-9

October 7th

• Bike/Walk/Stroll to school 8:30-8:55
• STEM Club 3:55

October 8th

• 2nd and 3rd grade musical 6:30pm

October 9th

• No School

October 12th

• Conferences
• Book Fair

October 13th

• Conferences
• Book Fair

October 14th

• Conferences
• Book Fair
• 1/2 Day 12:10 Dismissal

October 15th

• No School

October 16th

• No School

October 20th

• STEM Club 3:55

October 22nd

• 3rd Grade Field Trip to Nelson Atkins Art Museum
• Lego Club 3:55-4:55

October 27th

• STEM Club 3:55

October 29th

• Lego Club 3:55 - 4:55

October 30th

• Fall Parties 3:00-3:30pm

Attached below is the state of school report card information. This is the link mentioned in the letters below. https://ksreportcard.ksde.gov/

This is a free early childhood program dedicated to supporting families with children from prenatal stages through age 3. Through home visits each month, developmental screenings, parent and child social activities, and family resources, Parents as Teachers helps parents support their child’s learning, growth, and development during these important early years. Whether you're a first-time parent or have experience raising children, the program offers valuable information, encouragement, and resources tailored to your family's needs. To learn more about Olathe Parents as Teachers or to enroll, visit the district website or contact the Parents as Teachers office at 913-780-8106.

Order your yearbook now! Orders in before October 31st will get a 10% discount. The books include 2 free custom pages that you get to personalized! All books will be purchased online using this link: https://account.treering.com/create-account/1017587211242401

In November, our 3rd graders get to attend at fun-filled Maverick Hockey game, geared with student friendly activities throughout their day! Thanks to some donors, our 3rd graders get to attend this field trip at no cost! We are excited for this opportunity once again and I know our 3rd graders are excited to cheer on our KC Mavericks!

Click on the attachments for more information about Elementary Honor Choir.

Stay up-to-date with our Facebook page, where updates, pictures, and information will be posted!

Facebook group: Havencroft Elementary School Official Group

See you there!

This notification is provided to inform you of your right to request the following specific information concerning the school and teachers:

Parents may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s/children’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.

Professional qualifications include:

• Whether or not the teacher has met Kansas licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas being taught;
• The baccalaureate degree and any other graduate certification or degree and the field of discipline of both;
• If services are provided by paraprofessionals, their qualifications;
• If the teacher is teaching under an emergency or professional waiver.

We are proud to inform our parents that all teachers at our school meet the above criteria. Each one is licensed for the grade levels and subject areas being taught. Each one has a baccalaureate degree and none are teaching under an emergency or provisional waiver. The paraprofessional(s), who work under the direction of the Title I and classroom teachers, meet required qualifications for the position.

A teacher might not yet meet the federal “highly qualified” designation because of one of these reasons:

• They have moved here from another state and are teaching under provisional status, pending final paperwork from the State of Kansas that certifies they have fulfilled all of the requirements of teaching in Kansas.
• They are adding an endorsement area, but have completed only a portion of the university coursework required for the new endorsement, and they are teaching courses in the new area under provisional status for which the state has waived licensing criteria while they finish the required coursework.

For those teachers affected by one of these situations, the district and the teacher have an action plan in place to reach “highly qualified” status as soon as possible.

As a parent you will be contacted by me if your child is taught by a “non-highly qualified” teacher for four continuous weeks or more.

As a parent you have the right to request your child’s state assessment scores. You have a right to obtain the school and school district state reports cards. This will be found on the district website once they are available from the state.

Parent-School Compacts

Because we believe in the power of a strong partnership between parents and our school, all families complete a Parent-School Compact. It can be completed during the enrollment process or other scheduled nights. If you did not complete a Parent-School Compact, please contact your child’s teacher.

If you have questions or would like to request further information, please feel free to contact me at 913-780-7470

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.

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.

Please read below for directions and how to apply for Free and Reduced Lunch!

• Regular attendance and a prompt start to the school day are essential to school success and required by Kansas law. Consistent and prompt attendance is required by Kansas law. District procedures are followed with excessive absences or tardies. Parents should call or email the school at hcattendance@olatheschools.org by 9:00 a.m. or leave a message on voice mail each day a child is absent. Any student arriving after 8:55 a.m. is considered tardy and must report to the office and sign in before going to the classroom (4 tardies= 1 unexcused absence). Please see additional information below on absences and tardies.

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 tradies 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

2 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 guardian should work with the school to develop a plan in advance.

The arrival time for students is 8:35 AM. Supervision is not available for children prior to 8:35 AM. Safety and supervision are critical in following this recommended time. Due to safety reasons, no child may be released from school without consent of the parent, guardian, or designee. If you need to take your child out during the school day, please come to the school office and sign the student out. Students will not be released to any person other than a parent or legal guardian unless the parent authorizes this action.

School dismisses at 3:55. Please make sure to be prompt in picking up your child(ren) from school. If your child is a walker, they will be dismissed at the front of the building where they will communicate with their teacher when they see their adult or have permission to walk home. Car riders will be dismissed from the gym. Parents will stay in their cars and move along the west side of the building to pick up their child. Each car must have a car rider number in view. If you do not have your number, you will be asked to go inside to get your number printed.

Students must be picked up from the office NO LATER than 4:10. If after 4:10, you will have to come into the office to sign them out. Further actions could be taken if you are repeatedly late to pick up your child.

We will provide a car tag for you to hang on your rearview mirror during dismissal. It is imperative that you hang this tag daily in order for us to have a smooth dismissal procedure. If your car tag is not visible when you pick up your child(ren) at dismissal, you will be directed to go to the office to reprint another one. If you have any questions about car tags, please direct those to the office.