Pleasant Ridge + Olathe
February Newsletter
We are a community of confident, capable, and kind leaders.
www.olatheschools.org/pleasantridge
Communication
Every month we send a parent newsletter that has information about what is going on at Pleasant Ridge.
You can also visit our website at https://www.olatheschools.org/pleasantridge
Our website includes links to the lunch menus, ParentVue login, and much more. You can also find our Parent Handbook (below) on the website.
Follow us on Twitter for daily pics around the building to see some of the amazing learning happening! @PR_Patriots
Greetings Pleasant Ridge Families,
February is one of our favorite months at PR because it gives us the opportunity to meet with you during parent-teacher conferences. We truly value our partnership with you in your child’s education and look forward to seeing you soon!
As always, please reach out or schedule a time to come in for any questions, clarifications, or concerns!
Thank you,
Dr. Dondzila
913-780-7590
Important February Dates
February 3rd: 3rd grade on-site field trip: Planetarium
February 4th: Dental Clinic
February 6th: No School/ Professional Development Day for Staff
February 9th: Conference Week
February 11th: Early Dismissal at 12:10
- Valentine's Parties 11:30-12:00
February 12th-13th: No School
February 16th: No School
February 17th-20th: Kindness Week
February 22nd: PTA's Son Plus One Event
February 23rd: Wellness Week
Kindness Week
Olathe Gears Up for Random Acts of Kindness Week Feb. 16-20
Random Acts of Kindness Week is Feb. 16-20, and the Olathe community is coming together to show that kindness truly ties us all together. Every school in the district will take part in a kindness activity all week long.
ALL community members are encouraged to join in, share their acts of kindness on social media, and tag Olathe Public Schools.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, is a citywide spirit day reminding us that KINDNESS TIES US TOGETHER! Wear tie-dye or a necktie to celebrate. Don’t have tie-dye? Olathe kindness tie-dye T-shirts and sweatshirts are available for purchase at https://bit.ly/OlatheKindnessMerch until Feb. 2. Half of the proceeds benefit the Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund, which provides critical access to mental health professionals for students in crisis.
This collaborative effort between Olathe Public Schools, the City of Olathe, and the Olathe Chamber of Commerce highlights the power of kindness and its ability to strengthen an entire community.
Upcoming Dates
Please Note: All Dates are Subject to Change
March 5th: Spring Class Picture Day
March 16th-23rd: Spring Break
March 27th: 2nd Grade Field Trip
April 2nd: 2nd Grade Musical 6PM
April 6th: PTA's Skate Night
April 9th: No School for Kindergarten/26-27 Kindergarten Enrollment
April 10th: Kindergarten Field Trip
April 11th: PTA's Me & My Guy Dance
April 13th: One School, One Book Kickoff
April 16th: 1st Grade Field Trip
April 16th: PTA Meeting 6:30
April 23rd: 4th Grade Field Trip
April 23rd: 5th Grade Field Trip
April 30th: Fine Arts Fair 6PM
May 1st: PTA's 5th Grade Celebration at CT
May 4th: Apex Fundraiser Begins
May 8th: Battle of the Books Field Trip
May 8th: Kindergarten Field Trip
May 13th: 3rd Grade Field Trip
May 15th: Fun Run
May 19th: Field Day
Late Pick Ups
This is a friendly reminder that school is out at 3:55 and we do need all students picked up at 3:55. Late pick-ups after 3:55 could result in a call for a child in need of care through our safety and security department with the Overland Park police. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter if you are chronically late to pick up your student.
Arrival
School STARTS at 8:55 and your child should be in the building and ready for class by 8:55. Please note that 4 tardies does turn into 1 unexcused absence. Unexcused absences have to be reported to the state. Please help us get your child off to a smooth start to their school day!
Absences
If your student is going to be absent and not here by 8:55, you must call or email with the reason for the absence. There are 8 Board approved reasons for an absence that we must know from you in order to mark your child as excused. If we do not receive communication from you about your child's absence, we have to mark your child as unexcused. Please note unexcused absences must be reported to the state of Kansas.
If your child has reached the threshold for absences, you will receive a letter from the school explaining we must have a doctor's note for every absence. We have to mark the absence as unexcused if you have reached this threshold and do not send a doctor's note.
Dental Clinic coming to PR
The Healthy Futures Dental team will be at our school on Wednesday, February 4, to provide:
- Dental exams, X-rays, cleanings, sealants, fluoride, and simple fillings.
- This program is optional and great for students without a regular dentist or who haven’t had a checkup in the last 6 months.
- No cost to families (HF accepts Medicaid, commercial insurance, and uninsured).
- Forms are available in the school office or online here: Consent Form Link
Please enroll your child as soon as possible to ensure they are seen for our scheduled date. If they aren’t seen on the first date, we’ll schedule a follow-up and let you know.
Questions? Contact Healthy Futures at 785-841-7297 ext. 5601 or healthyfutures@heartlandhealth.org
Family Survey for our Positive Behavior and Intervention Support System
Bond 2026
In March 2026, registered voters who live within the Olathe Public Schools boundaries will have the opportunity to vote in a no tax rate increase $389 million mail-in bond election that would positively impact all Olathe students.
Investing in What's Working: Protecting Taxpayer Investments
Strong schools are built on care, consistency and smart investment. The first pillar of Bond 2026, Investing in What’s Working, focuses on maintaining and improving the schools, tools and facilities the Olathe community has already invested in.
· Critical building updates: roofs, HVAC systems, windows and more.
· Classroom improvements: furniture, technology, student devices, networks and audio systems.
· Fine arts support: instrument replacements for band and orchestra, kilns and choral risers.
· School consolidation: two new elementary schools to consolidate and modernize four older schools: Central, Fairview, Ridgeview and Northview.
By protecting existing investments, the district reduces emergency repair costs, minimizes learning disruptions, operates schools more efficiently and preserves operating dollars that support recruitment and retention of our world-class staff. Bond 2026 is about caring for what we have so our schools continue serving students well today and for generations to come.
Learn more about projects funded by Bond 2026 at www.olatheschools.org/Bond2026.
Olathe Early Childhood and Headstart Enrollment
Arrival and Dismissal
Here are a few friendly reminders:
- Please REMAIN in your vehicle at ALL times
- If you need more time or need to exit, please pull all the way forward to our loading/unloading zone
- Please REMAIN in the car lane, and do not pull out into our bus lane at any point
- Please do not park on ROSEHILL road
- Please do not turn left into PR from Rosehill
Thank you for keeping our car line safe and efficient!
Joy Cart
Our students in our autism program bring joy to our staff each week by bringing around snacks and drinks on our joy cart. If you would like to donate to the joy cart, please reach out to Dr. Dondzila at any point. Thank you!
PR Staff
Important Information
School Day Times 8:55-3:55
8:55-3:55
Please note arrival does not begin and there will be no supervision until 8:35, please do not send students to school property before that time.
School Opens: 8:35
School day begins: 8:55 - 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
PR Attendance
To report your child's absence please email PRAttendance@olatheschools.org and your child's teacher. Excused absences must include one of the board approved reasons including illness, doctor's appointments, and family emergencies.
School Breakfast
If your student is eating breakfast at school it will be served in the cafeteria from 8:35-8:55.
Parent Information
Arrival and Dismissal Route
Dismissal
This is a friendly reminder that we have a NO left turn from Rosehill into the school. This also means there is NO parking allowed on Rosehill during dismissal. The OPPD has designated Rosehill as an emergency thoroughfare, and we are not allowed to block Rosehill in any way.
CAR TAGS
It is also essential that you hang your car tag from your rearview mirror so we can get your child to you in a safe and efficient matter. If you need a car tag, let the PR office know.
CAR LANE
And finally, please remain in your vehicle in our car line. We have a moving car line in groups of 10. If you need to exit your vehicle or you need more time, please pull all the way forward to allow others to exit. We have a bus lane that car riders should NOT exit around and go through.
Thank you for helping us prioritize safety at all times.
Olathe Public Schools Standard Response Protocol (SRP) as New Safety Protocol
The safety and wellbeing of students and staff is a top priority in Olathe Public Schools. This school year, Olathe Public Schools is transitioning to a new safety response system known as “Standard Response Protocol,” or SRP – an “all hazard” approach used nationwide to respond to a variety of emergency situations.
Previously, the district followed the A.L.I.C.E. protocol (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate), which focused primarily on active assailant response. SRP encompasses a wider variety of emergency situations, using clear, common language and is based on five standardized actions:
- Hold – keep hallways clear
- Secure – bring all students and staff inside the building
- Lockdown – secure rooms and remain quiet
- Evacuate – move to a different location
- Shelter – protect from a specific threat or hazard
SRP emphasizes quickly locking down in response to critical incidents and complements our existing safety tools, including the Centegix CrisisAlert system and Nightlock door locks.
As we begin the year, we will work with our students and staff to ensure all are familiar with the new safety protocol and practice responses regularly throughout the year during safety drills.
By using SRP, our district ensures everyone knows how to respond—no matter where they are—during an emergency. For more information about SRP, visit the Standard Response Protocol website.
School Cafe
Beginning June 1, Olathe Public Schools student and staff online meal accounts will be managed through SchoolCafé. MyPayments Plus is no longer active; however, all remaining balances will transfer to the correct user on SchoolCafé.
Families are encouraged to set up a SchoolCafé account with a new username and password. Make sure to have your student(s) or staff ID number(s) to get started.
Read instructions on how to set up a student SchoolCafé account, or read the Spanish instructions PDF.
Watch a video on how to make a payment in SchoolCafé
There are multiple benefits to this new software, including the ability to:
- Check the status of the application and view and print meal benefit notifications from SchoolCafé.
- View all menus with nutrient and allergen information.
- View your child's account balance anytime.
- Manage multiple students’ balances from one account.
- Money can be transferred between multiple students if needed.
- See what meals and à la carte items are being purchased.
- Set limits on à la carte purchases.
- Apply for free or reduced lunch beginning on Tuesday, July 8.
As a reminder, payments can be made in multiple ways.
- Send a check or cash to the school. There is no processing fee for this method of payment.
- Elementary: Please bring cash or check to the front office.
- Secondary: Students can bring cash or check to the cafeteria.
- If writing a check, please make it payable to: Student(s)’ School Name- Food Services. Please include your driver's license number, phone number and your student's name and ID number at the bottom of the check.
- Pay online via SchoolCafé.
- There is a minimum deposit of $20 per account and a 4.0% payment convenience/processing fee when using a credit card for either a one-time payment or an auto-payment.
For more information on SchoolCafé, including frequently asked questions, meal prices for 2025-26 and more, visit the Food Services meal payment webpage.
Check it Out!
Follow us at @PR_Patriots
PR website: https://www.olatheschools.org/pleasantridge
Pleasant Ridge Elementary
Email: lmdondzila@olatheschools.org
Website: www.olatheschools.org/pleasantridge
Location: 12235 Rosehill Street Overland Park KS 66213
Phone: (913)780-7590
X: @PR_Patriots