Parent update 8/14

Parents,

We hope you are enjoying summer, and you are excited for a great school year. This email covers many topics to help you get ready for the first day of school on August 25th, and beyond! We are so excited to see our students and can’t wait to get this year started.

Please see below for more information about our back to school events. You will want to mark your calendars so you may attend these important events as we kick off the year. Additionally, the links at the bottom of this page should now work and provide you access to district information. Parent updates similar to this will come to your email at 3:30 every Friday.

If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

We are looking forward to a great year!

Katie & Dan

You will find out who your child's teacher will be this year through an email sent by the teacher on Monday, August 17. We work diligently to plan for balanced classrooms and appreciate your support when your child sees who his/her teacher is. Please understand that we are not able to place children with all of their friends or with a specific teacher due to multiple things we take into consideration during the placement process.

Meet the Teacher / Supply Drop off will be next week. Our 1st - 5th grade students may drop off supplies and meet their teacher on August 20th from 4:30-5:30 pm.

Kindergarten students and their families will have their Pop in for Popsicles and Meet the Teacher on August 19th from 4:30-5:30. Please remember kindergarten students do not need to bring supplies to school until their class placement process is complete. We will let families know when to send supplies to school for kindergarten students.

Please mark your calendars for September 10. On this night, we will hold our open house, spirit night and first PTO Meeting of the year.

• Spirit Night begins at 5:00
• Open House begins at 6:00
• PTO Meeting begins at 7:00

More details about this night will be shared as the date approaches.

Arrival

• Students are allowed to go to their classrooms at 7:20. Please do not drop off students before 7:20, as there is no supervision.

• Tardy bell rings at 7:35; students are tardy if they arrive in their classroom after 7:35 (if students are dropped off right at 7:35, they will most likely be tardy because they will not get to their classrooms before the tardy bell rings)

Parent Drop Off

• Parents drop off in the back of the school starting at 7:20.

• Drive to the back of the school and circle the playground.

• There are signs asking you to pull forward to the first stop.

• The first stop is right by the basketball court.

• After dropping your child off, you drive back to the front of the school and exit through the parking lot. Please be sure to stop at the stop sign before the bus circle. Buses entering the circle have the right of way.

• If it is after 7:35 and no one is in the back, you must take your child to the front entrance and come in with your child because he/she will need to be signed in at the Chromebook in the vestibule.

Bus Riders

• The Parkway Transportation Department provides transportation to most Oak Brook students.

• Riders should be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before their scheduled pick up time.

• The bus will drop students off in front of the school where they will be greeted by Oak Brook staff.

• There are staff members stationed throughout the school to ensure students arrive to their classrooms safely.

Dismissal

School is dismissed at 2:30 pm.

***Please let Angie Reed know if your child will be going to a day care after school! 314-415-6556

Parent Pick Up

• Parents picking up students should call the office and register for a numbered Oak Brook Hang tag (each family will be assigned a number and receive 2 hang tags with that number)

• Beginning at 2:20, parents should drive to the back of the school and wait in their cars (using the same areas as we use in the morning for arrival-as outlined by the map sent home at the beginning of the year)

• After 2:20, car riders will not be dismissed out the front doors

• Oak Brook staff will dismiss students based on arrival and will only dismiss them to the cars with the correct hang tag number

• If students are riding home with another family, a car rider pass will be issued for that day so staff members can insure students ride home with the correct family

Adventure Club

• Students who attend Adventure Club will be dismissed directly to Adventure Club

• Adventure Club staff will account for all students by taking attendance

• If a child normally attends Adventure Club, he/she will be required to attend unless a note is sent from home informing staff of a change in routine

Bus Riders

• Teachers will walk students to the buses each afternoon

• Students must ride their assigned bus home and get off at their bus stop

• Kindergarten students will not be let off the bus without a parent or older sibling at the stop.

At times, it is necessary to pick up your student from school before regular dismissal or drop off your student after school starts. To ensure the safety of all students, please follow the following procedures.

• Notify the teacher ahead of time (if possible).
• Please come to the vestibule and fill out the form on the Chromebook (when dropping off late and picking up early). An office staff member will get the information and then bring your child to the vestibule area or open the door to let them in.

We welcome family members to visit your children at lunch or for a planned event. When you arrive, please check in on the iPad in the vestibule with your ID (or Raptor QR code) and get your printed tag. Then push the door button and someone from office will let you in. We understand this is a change and will take more time than usual so please plan accordingly.

We will send your child home his/her normal way unless we hear from you via email, phone or note. Please take note of the items below:

• Notify the office staff and your child’s teacher as soon as possible - and prior to 2:00 pm. Early notification is important as teachers and staff work each day to ensure the safety of all of our students.

Notification may occur in one of the following ways:

• Written note sent with your child and given to his/her teacher

• Email sent to your child’s teacher and office staff areed1@parkwayschools.net, sphillips@parkwayschools.net, lteves@parkwayschools.net

• Please make sure you send the email to all of the staff members listed above.

• Phone call to the office (314) 415-6550 prior to 2:00

• If notification is received late, your child may be dismissed using his/her normal routine. There have been times when we have received notification too late to make the change.

• If your child is going home with another family, both students need a note. Please note: Students may not ride buses unless they are assigned to that bus.

• While we understand special circumstances arise, arrangements for change in dismissal need to be made before school starts. Students should not plan changes during school time.

School hours are 7:35 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Students may enter the building through the back door beginning at 7:20 a.m. and are expected to depart at 2:30 p.m.

Exceptions include those involved in the after-school Adventure Club or extracurricular programming. Buses are provided for all children and using the bus helps reduce traffic congestion.

Although school dismisses at 2:30 pm, Adventure Club is in session until 6:00 pm. To ensure the safety of students who attend Adventure Club, we ask that parents, students and the public avoid using the playground until after 6:00 pm.

Regular attendance at school is important for academic growth. While attendance is important, so is being healthy and helping keep everyone else healthy. If your child is ill or shows symptoms as outlined in the student handbook, please keep your child at home and call the school nurse for guidance. If your child is absent, please report the absence by phone to the office. The absence may be called in from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. at 314-415-6576. After 7:30 a.m., please contact the office at 314-415-6550.

For prolonged absences or absences with extenuating circumstances, please contact the principal and teacher as soon as possible so we can support your child and you as much as possible.

Oak Brook operates a Dial Safe program, which means we will call if we have not heard from you. Contact with the district social worker will be made regarding any student with a history of excessive absences or tardies unrelated to documented illnesses.

If your child forgets to bring his/her belongings to school, (i.e., lunches, violins, books, etc.), you may drop the item off at school, and we will get it to your child. We ask that you leave it on the table in the vestibule with your child's name on it, and we will pick it up and deliver it. This limits classroom interruptions. We ask all students to check with the office if they have left items at home.

We realize birthdays are a fun time to celebrate, and we will celebrate at school. In the classroom, students will be able to select an activity from a teacher-created menu of choices. Each grade level will share a menu of choices from which each student will be able to choose on his/her birthday. Each grade level creates its own list for the students to choose from on their birthdays (or ½ birthdays for students who have birthdays when school is not in session).

We ask that no treats, of any kind, be sent to school with your child. If treats are sent to school, they will be sent home with your child.

Our cafeteria offers a balanced hot lunch. Each student will use a personal identification number (PIN) to make purchases from their personal cafeteria "Bank Account." This account is used for purchasing meals and a la carte items. Parkway publishes monthly menus and more information about our school lunch and breakfast program may be found on the website linked below.

Students will not be receiving free/reduced breakfast and lunch unless they qualify for it through an application process. You may find more information about qualifying for free/reduced lunch including the application at the link below.

Students who bring their lunch may still buy items in the cafeteria including milk or juice. If a child is only receiving a milk, his/her lunch account will be charged.

Oak Brook follows the Food Safety Expectations of the Parkway School District Health Services Department. These expectations are as follows:

• Classrooms are food-free whenever possible

• Students may bring a snack for their own consumption (to prevent possible cross-contamination that could impact the health of students with allergies, classes may have an advisory to avoid snacks with particular allergens)

• Food may not be brought from home to share class-wide

• Safe and inclusive ways to celebrate without food will be used for birthday celebrations and classroom parties

• Food will not be used as a reward or motivator

Thank you for working with us to keep all of our students safe. If you have a question, please do not hesitate to contact an administrator or Mrs. Rothrock, Oak Brook School Nurse.

Leslie Rothrock, School Nurse

lrothrock@parkwayschools.net

314-415-6560

Please communicate with the school nurse if your child has a physical or medical condition (diabetes, asthma, hearing/vision problem, allergy, etc.), is taking daily medication or anytime there is a change in your child’s medication or health status. The nurse needs to have the most up-to-date health information in order to provide appropriate care to your child should he/she need attention.

If a child seen by the nurse is not able to return to class, the school will contact parents to pick up the student. In the event of a medical emergency, the nurse will provide first aid until rescue vehicles arrive. Several additional staff members are trained and certified in adult and child CPR, should the need occur.

GUIDELINES WHEN SICK:

If your child will not be attending school for any reason, it is very important for you to call and notify the school office of the reason for the absence. This helps us to keep track of illnesses among our students. It also helps us be assured that your child is safe at home.

For the health of your child, other students, and school staff, it is important to know when your child should stay home due to illness. Students should stay home, and parents call the school nurse, if students experience any of the following symptoms:

• Fever of 100 or higher in the past 24 hours

• Undiagnosed rash that is accompanied by fever or itching

• Cough or difficulty breathing

• Vomiting, nausea or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

• Sore throat

• Swollen glands in the neck

• Symptoms of being sick such as unusually tired, irritable, pale or having difficulty waking

• Loss of taste or smell

• Congestion/Runny Nose

• Headache

• Fatigue/muscle or body aches

If your child has strep throat or another bacterial infection, he/she should stay home until the antibiotic has been given for at least 24 hours and your health care provider has given permission for your child to return to school. We encourage you to seek medical attention when your child is sick and to follow your healthcare provider's recommendations about returning to school and other social activities.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL:

In the event that medication needs to be administered at school, the medicine must be accompanied by all of the following:

• written consent from the physician

• a label affixed by a pharmacy or physician showing the child's name, the dosage,

and the schedule of administration

• what the prescription contains

• the date purchased

• the physician’s name

• the guardian's written request for the medication to be administered

When the above conditions are met, the administration of the medication is limited to the school nurse, principal, teacher, or school secretary. All medication is kept in a locked cabinet in the nurse’s office. Over-the-counter medication for administration must be in the original container and accompanied by a written consent from the parent/guardian. The school nurse's direct office number is 314-415-6560.

An authorization for Mrs. Rothrock to administer medication may be found below.

Information on school processes, expectations and other information may be found in our Parent and Student Handbook. We will also be highlighting certain parts of the handbook next week. You may access the handbook below. We will also post it on the Oak Brook website.

If you would like to volunteer to go on a field trip with your child at any point during the year, you will need to register and be approved using Parkway's volunteer application process. To start the process, please use the link below. If you have any questions, Shayne Phillips is Oak Brook's contact for volunteer approval.

Directions for registering with the Raptor App are below. This will expedite check in at the office when you visit our school.

Please take time to review the policy regarding cell phones, smartwatches and other personal devices at school. We appreciate your support with this as we work together to implement this new policy.

At Oak Brook, our Core Values have been selected and reaffirmed by students, staff, parents and our Character Education Advisory Panel. Please see the definitions of our core values below.

All of our students (K-5) are taught the difference between small and big problems. If they have a small problem, they may use one of the choices below. We try to help students focus on that when a problem arises. We help them determine if it is a small problem or a big problem using that exact language.

Many of Obee's choices may be used to practice empathy. You may try to do the same at home. If you would like to use Obee's choices to help, please see the picture below.

August 19 - Kindergarten Popsicles on the Playground 4:30-5:30

August 19 - Ballwin Sno Cone Night 4-8pm

August 20 - 1st-5th Grades Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop Off 4:30-5:30

August 25 - 1st Day of School - 7:35 am (Doors open at 7:20)

September 10 - Open House/Spirit Night/PTO Meeting (More information will be sent home later)

Mrs. Katie Terbrock - kterbrock@parkwayschools.net

Mr. Dan Bredenkoetter - dbredenkoetter@parkwayschools.net

Email: kterbrock@parkwayschools.net
Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/Domain/19
Location: 510 Big Bend Road, Ballwin, MO, USA
Phone: 314.415.6551
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakBrookElementary/