MIGHTY MASCOUTAH
FEBRUARY EDITION 2024
We need your help! Each year at this time, the Illinois State Board of Education releases the 5Essentials Survey for parents, students and staff to complete. This anonymous survey provides our school and district with important feedback that we use to guide our ongoing efforts to improve our school and continue to offer our students a supportive environment and excellent education. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand your perspective of MES and guide improvement. We will share the link with everyone via email when it is available from the Illinois State Board of Education. Please take a few moments to fill out this anonymous survey on behalf of Mascoutah Elementary School. Thank you for your support and thank you for your time!
2nd Semester Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held at MES on February 12 from 5:00-8:00. Unlike Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences, these conferences are scheduled only at the request of the parent and/or teacher. If you would like to schedule a conference with your child's teacher, please contact them directly.
February 3- 27th
By participating in Kids Heart Challenge, our students will learn how to keep their hearts, bodies and brains healthy while helping kids with special hearts live longer, healthier lives.
It's a fun and meaningful way for our students to learn lifelong habits of health and helping others, while supporting and earning rewards for our school.
Join us in spreading kindness, building healthy habits, and making a lasting difference. Together, we can create a healthier future, one heart at a time.
Children who are ill or show signs of becoming ill should not be sent to school. Please follow these guidelines:
Fever 100° or Above: Student must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: No further incidence for 24 hours.
Strep Throat: 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Antibiotic treatment for 24 hours and no drainage from the eye.
If any concern of contagious illness, please contact your healthcare provider for further guidance before returning to school.
If it’s determined that your child needs to go home due to illness or injury, a parent or guardian will be notified and shall provide or arrange immediate transportation. Please check Skyward to make sure that the emergency contact information for your child or children is up-to-date.
It's has been two weeks since your last arrival process, please refresh your memory on how we drop our students off in the morning:
Carpool– to drop off car riders in the morning, please proceed to the CARPOOL LANE (RIGHT SIDE) in the front circle drive. PLEASE PULL FORWARD in the yellow zone as far as you can. Staff members will be outside to direct you where to pull. Students will exit the car on the passenger side ONLY, away from traffic. Parents are asked to remain in their cars and be prepared to move quickly when students exit the car. Depending on how far a parent is asked to pull up in the carpool lane, a student may enter the building near the 5th Grade hallway at Door #7 and walk through the building to their designated holding location or through the front door. Staff supervision will be provided in the carpool lane and throughout the building to help with the arrival process.
Students walked in by parents -if you would like to park, help your child from the car, hug them good-bye, etc. please pull to the left side of the front circle lane. Park in one of the many parking spots here. Students in this lane need to exit the car on the left side Only, away from traffic. Parents then must walk with the child on the sidewalk to the crosswalk located across from Door #7 or the Front door and deliver the child safely to the sidewalk in front of school. The parent then must again cross at the crosswalk, find their car and wait patiently to pull away using the middle exit lane.
Walkers and Bike Riders - K-2 students will use the bike rack near the PreK building and along with any walkers enter the back of the building through door 22. 3-5 students will use the bike rack near door 10 and along with any walkers enter the back of the building through door 10.
Bus Riders -buses will enter the bus lane from the south and pull to the north. Three buses at a time will unload students. The students will walk together into the building at a designated door. PreK buses will pull to the north side of the building and load and unload on Harnett.
Communicating About Snow Days
Important Information for Mascoutah CUSD 19 Families: E-Learning Days for Inclement Weather
Mascoutah School District 19 utilizes a district-wide calling system to notify families of school closures due to inclement weather during the winter months. Please ensure that your phone numbers are updated in Skyward.
In addition to our calling system, announcements regarding school closures will be aired on local television stations KMOV Channel 4 and KSDK Channel 5.
E-Learning Plan for Inclement Weather Days
The Mascoutah School District has adopted an E-Learning Plan for the 2025-26 school year. Here is the link to two documents so you can read it in advance of bad weather.
E-Learning Communication to Families: E-Learning Communication to families
Mascoutah E-Learning Plan: E-Learning Plan
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the MES Main Office at 618-566-2152.
From March 23-April 17 (with Spring Break mixed in), all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be taking the state assessments known as the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. Students will be tested in ELA & Math. 5th Grade students will also be taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). More specific information will be shared in the near future.
MHS will be collecting new and gently used shoes of all types to raise funds for children and families in the Amazon and Peru. Some MHS students had the opportunity to spend time with these communities during a summer travel tour organized by the science department at the high school, and we are eager to continue our support, as these communities are in great need of assistance.
All funds collected will be donated directly to programs that provide educational support for children and their families. The shoes will be sent to developing countries to be refurbished and given new life. Our purpose is two-fold: to reduce waste and assist our friends in Peru. Our goal is to collect approximately 2,000 pairs of shoes by February 27th.
To engage our community in this important cause, collection boxes will be around Mascoutah for students to drop used shoes into. Thanks for helping us to help others!
We have an amazing PTO at MES that plans a large number of fun activities throughout the school year. If you are interested, please follow the "Mascoutah Elementary PTO" Facebook page for information and details.
We've got spirit, how about you!? The PTO has launched the Mascoutah Elementary spirit apparel store! Both adult and youth sizes are available with several different options of short sleeve, long sleeve, and/or hoodie. Purchases are available for shipping or in-store pickup. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds go back to the PTO and into funding future events that benefit and support our students and staff!
If you’re interested in buying apparel, the Mascoutah Store can be found here: Mascoutah Store
Principal
Michelle Cooley
Assistant Principal
Sandra Litteken
Assistant Principal
Megan Mattmiller