WG October Family Newsletter

Welcome to Fall and the month of October! As the weather turns cooler, we have a wonderful, busy month filled with exciting events and key learning opportunities across all grade levels.

Please be sure to read the newsletter regularly for added and updated information, as dates and details are frequently updated.

Here are a few important reminders and upcoming events to keep on your calendar:

Parent-Teacher Conferences & No School Days:

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place from October 12th through October 14th. Please note that Wednesday, October 14th will be a half-day with early dismissal at 12:10 PM. Additionally, there will be no school for students on Friday, October 9th (Staff Professional Development), as well as Thursday, October 15th, and Friday, October 16th.

Lap-a-Thon:

Our annual Lap-a-Thon is right around the corner and the event will take place on Friday, October 23rd.

3rd Grade Musical:

We are looking forward to showcasing our talented 3rd graders during their upcoming musical performance this month!

Fall Parties & Costume Parade:

We will wrap up October with our annual Fall Parties and Costume Parade. More specific details regarding schedule and guidelines can be found below.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to a fantastic October together!

Spirit wear store open now until Nov 7th! Orders will be delivered by winter break

Veterans Day is coming soon! Walnut Grove will sing a patriotic program to honor those who have served in the military. We will have an assembly at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, November 11th. Please have your students wear red, white, and blue! Special Chorus members can wear their Special Chorus shirt with anything red, white, or blue on the bottom. If you’d like to invite a veteran, please let us know before November 2nd by filling out the form below.

Slideshow - I will add pictures to last year’s slideshow of our Veterans to show before the program on November 11th. If you did not send a picture last year, feel free to email Mrs. Bubb (Mebubb@olatheschools.org) a picture, name, and branch of your loved ones who have served in the military before November 2nd.

Scouts – if your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader participates in Scouts (Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc.) they can participate in the color guard for a flag ceremony during our Veterans Day assembly. They can wear Scout uniforms if they would like in addition to their red, white, and blue.

We are excited for our upcoming Fall Parties and Costume Parade on October 30th! Here is the schedule for the afternoon:

• 2:15 PM – Parent volunteers (room parents only) arrive to help setup

• 2:30 PM – Costume Parade begins

• 2:45 PM – Classroom Parties start

• 3:30 PM – Clean up

Costume Guidelines: Please ensure your child’s costume is school-appropriate and comfortable for the school day. For safety and school policy, no weapons (real or toy), fake blood, or heavy face makeup are permitted. Students need to BRING their costume and be able to put it on themselves over their clothes. Parents will not be able to come in to help students put on their costume, so please make sure students are able to independently put on their costume over their clothes.

The parade will take place on the playground blacktop. After the parade, parents who are staying for the parties may enter the building through the front doors to get a visitor tag.

We look forward to a fun celebration with our students and families!

All families should have received communication from Dr. Jim McMullen regarding the recommended closing of Walnut Grove at the end of this school year. If you have questions or concerns, please visit the link below for more information. Thank you for your support as we navigate this as a school community!

Sept. 28th-Oct. 1st- Hands on Minds on Science Museum

Oct. 2nd- 1st grade field trip to the zoo

Oct. 2nd-8th- Scholastic Bookfair (more details to come!)

Oct. 5th- Early Childhood Picture Day & Retakes

Oct. 5th- PTO Meeting @ 6:00pm

Oct. 6th- 5th grade field trip to Ernie Miller

Oct. 9th- No School for Students

October 10th- Jared Coones Pumpkin Run

Oct. 12th-14th- Parent Teacher Conferences

Oct. 14th- Half-day (dismissal at 12:10)

Oct. 15th & 16th- No School for students

Oct. 20th- 3rd Grade Musical (school perfromance @ 3:00, evening perfomrance @ 6:00pm)

Oct. 23rd- Lap-a-thon event

Oct. 26th- Chipotle Night 4pm-8pm (990 College Blvd)

Oct. 30th- Fall Classroom Parties & Costume Parade (parade begins @ 2:30pm, parties begin @ 2:45pm)

Nov. 2nd- No School for Students

Nov 4 - Fall Site Council, Santa Fe Trail @ 7:00pm

8:55-3:55- School day hours (Please note arrival does not begin, and there will be no supervision, until

8:35. Please do not send students to school before that time)

8:35-8:55- Breakfast is served for students who wish to purchase (or who are receiving free/reduced lunches)

8:35-School doors open

8:55- School day begins- 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

If your student is going to be absent, please contact the office along with your student's teacher. You can email the office via our attendance email at wgattendance@olatheschools.org.

Please let us know the following information:

• The child's name and the teacher's name
• Date the absence will occur
• Reason for absence
• If your child will be late, do they need a school lunch? Which option?
• Approximately when will your child arrive at school?

Thank you!

We welcome parents to join their student for lunch throughout the school year! To ensure a smooth and safe lunchtime experience for everyone, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Check In with Staff: Before heading to your table, please let the lunchroom staff know that you are eating with your student and inform them which guest student is joining you.

• Bring a Buddy: Students are permitted to invite one friend to join them and their parent for lunch.

• Parent Supervision: Parents are responsible for monitoring their student and their guest during lunch.

• Respect Learning Spaces: Please remember that classes are in session throughout the building. If you are eating in the wet areas or hallways, please keep noise levels respectful.

• Clean Up: Help us keep our school looking great by cleaning up your eating area and throwing away all trash before returning to class.

We look forward to seeing you at lunchtime!

Given the recent district recommendation to close Walnut Grove at the end of this school year, our PTO is in uncharted territory. We want to continue to support our students and staff in all the ways we always have, while also helping create special memories to honor this last year at WG.

We know there are still so many unknowns, but we want to start this conversation now so we can begin planning anything we can!

We have had a lot of people reaching out with a variety of ideas. We have combined several of those options within this survey. We'd like to be clear that our budget is not unlimited, and we have a lot of the money already earmarked for all the events, field trips, grants, hospitality, assemblies, etc. that we always provide. However, we do need to decide how our WG community would prefer we spend any remaining funds.

Please leave your honest feedback! We want to know what the majority of our staff/families feel most passionate about. We can't make everything happen, but we will try our best to make the most happen within the funds we have available and the volunteers we have willing to help!

Please consider attending PTO meetings this year as well! We will be updating our plans all year as we gather new information from the district and from our WG community! We'd love to see you there.

-WG PTO

Olathe Public Schools uses SchoolCafé for managing student and staff meal accounts.

Payments made through SchoolCafé require a minimum $20 deposit and are subject to a 4.0% convenience fee. To avoid the convenience fee, payments may also be made by cash or check at the school.

Students can also create their own SchoolCafé account to take an active role in managing their meals. With a student account, they can view menus, check nutrition information, and track their meal purchases. This helps students make informed choices while keeping parents connected through their family account.

Click the attachment below for instructions on setting up your School Cafe account.

School menus can be viewed on the School Cafe website.

Arrival

All students enter the building through the front doors. Doors will be unlocked at 8:35am. There will be NO adult supervision prior to 8:35am. Cars may drop students off in the front drive or the upper lane. We do ask that you do not park to walk your student in. Students who are eating breakfast at school may go directly to the cafeteria. All students NOT eating breakfast will report to the gym for supervision until 8:45am. At 8:45am, students will go to their classrooms.

Dismissal

All cars that pick up on the SIDE of the school please use 118th Street off Pflumm and stay in the right lane. (Loop around in the back and pull up to the SIDE of the gym for pick up.) EXIT IN BUS LANE—closest to the building.

Cars that pick up in upper parking lot please use Rene Street off 119th Street and stay in the left lane. DO NOT BLOCK THE DRIVE MARKED IN YELLOW

Make sure that you have your student name card hanging. This helps to keep the pick up lanes moving. Please do not exit your car, or park to pick up your student.

Make sure your child knows if you will be picking up in FRONT or on the SIDE of the building and let their teacher know. Students will not be allowed to go to Rene/118th Street for pick-up.

Olathe Parents as Teachers 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.

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 tardies 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

Chronic 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

3 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 parent should work with the school to develop a plan in advance.

Greetings Explorers! We are proud to continue to provide a free, dignified shopping experience for students; after all we all need help sometimes!

Your student may shop during school hours with our School Psychologist, Dr. Potter, or with our school Counselor, Mrs. Click! Please follow this link to complete a request form.

If you are interested in signing up to be a Watch DOG or MOM, please use the link below. Thank you for your support!

Olathe Ordinances Focus on Bike, E-Bike and Scooter Safety

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.

Dear Families,

To help you stay connected with your student’s learning, we want to remind you about Canvas, our learning management system. Canvas allows you to view upcoming assignments, check grades, and follow your student's progress in real-time.

Please take a moment to review the Canvas Parent Letter linked below:

Inside these letters, you will also find links to short Canvas Training Tutorials designed to walk you step-by-step through setting up your observer account, navigating the dashboard, checking grades, and setting up notifications.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student's success!

Did you know that our school district offers mental health services for students, at no cost to the family? The HELP Clinic offers up to six individual and/or small group counseling sessions to Olathe students, between the hours of 4 and 6 pm, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All sessions during the school year are located in the Mill Creek Center, at 300 E. Loula. The H.E.L.P. Clinic is staffed by professional school counselors, school psychologists, social workers and other school-based mental health providers. All clinicians are Olathe Public Schools employees or retired employees who have an active license in school mental health.

Parents can sign up using the HELP Clinic website, or can contact their child’s school counselor to assist with the sign-up.