Kelly School Newsletter

Dear Kelly Families,

It is hard to believe that September has come to an end! Cooler temperatures and more fall-like weather have arrived, and our students and teachers have been busy building relationships, reviewing routines and expectations, and completing assessments to help guide future instruction.

Just a reminder, when your child’s after-school plans change, please try to communicate that information to the teacher and/or office by 1:00 p.m. It can be very challenging to get updated information to students immediately before dismissal. We appreciate your cooperation on this.

We continue to work on traffic flow at Kelly. Drop-off and pick-up times can be very busy and hectic. Please be patient, follow the designated one-way traffic pattern, and avoid blocking traffic or stopping in areas that prevent others from moving through the parking lot. Taking a few extra moments to be patient and follow the traffic flow helps keep everyone safe and allows dismissal and arrival to run more smoothly. Thank you for helping us keep our students, families, and staff safe!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on:

• Thursday, October 1: 4:00–7:00 p.m.

• Friday, October 2: 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, October 6: 4:00–7:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you all during our October parent/teacher conferences. Every classroom teacher has shared a SignUp Genius link with families. Please make sure you sign up for a time to hear more about your child as a learner. While you’re here for conferences, we encourage you to stop by the lost and found table located outside the office. There are many, many items who need to be reunited with their owner.

Sincerely,

Kelli Tannahill

As part of our transition to Infinite Campus, we are asking families to review and update their Household Information if you have not already done so. When we transitioned from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus, some household information did not transfer over.

To get started, please use the link below to complete the Household Information Update:

Updating Information for Multiple Students:

If you have multiple students enrolled in Grand Forks Public Schools, you can update information for all of your students in one household submission. During the process, you will have the opportunity to add each student, so you do not need to complete a separate form for each child.

Questions or Need Assistance?

If you have questions or need assistance completing the update, please email ICParentSupport@mygfschools.org. Our staff will do their best to assist you.

We also encourage you to visit the Grand Forks Public Schools Infinite Campus Landing Page for the latest updates, resources, and information about our transition to Infinite Campus:

https://sites.google.com/mygfschools.org/infinite-campus/home?authuser=2

Thank you for your continued patience, partnership, and support as we work to make this transition as smooth as possible. Keeping your family's information accurate and up to date helps us better serve our students and families.

Results are shared as percentages (proficient and advanced proficient) by grade levels. Please note that district scores for English Language Arts (ELA) are not yet available. We are incredibly proud of these outstanding results. Way to go, Kelly Cougars! Our students and teachers put forth a tremendous amount of time and effort on these state assessments and it definitely paid off!

Oxford has generously committed $50,000 each year for the next five years to support intramurals in our schools!!!

Huge Shout Out to this awesome local business for the support!

Parents are encouraged to come to school and read with their child(ren) for a twenty minute time block. Please plan to attend! It's great to see our classrooms and hallways filled with families unplugging and reading together!

• The District does not allow snacks or treats such as cupcakes to be brought into the classroom for birthdays or classroom parties.
• Fast food (such as McDonalds) may not be sent to school and eaten by our students in the cafeteria.
• All snacks brought into the school buildings or classrooms should be considered a healthy snack in accordance with our nutrition standards found in our student handbook.
• When sending a snack or packing a lunch, please remember to check labels to make sure it does not contain or have any traces of peanuts/tree nuts. We have students with severe peanut allergies in our building.

Calls do not ring into the classroom during school hours to minimize interruptions. Messages for students can be left with the office or a SeeSaw message to the teacher.

All North Dakota public schools are required to follow a "bell-to-bell" policy that limits student access to personal electronic communication devices—including cell phones, smartwatches, and similar devices—during the instructional day. The purpose of this law is to reduce distractions, increase student engagement, and create learning environments where students can focus on academics and meaningful interactions with their teachers and classmates.

Under this policy, students may bring personal devices to school; however, they must be turned off or silenced, securely stored, and inaccessible from the beginning of the school day until dismissal, unless an approved exception applies under state law or a student's educational or medical plan.

We understand that cell phones and smartwatches have become a regular part of everyday life. If parents or guardians need to reach their child during the school day, they may contact the school office, and we will ensure the message is delivered promptly. Likewise, if a student needs to contact a parent or guardian, school staff will assist them.

MySchoolBucks makes it easy to stay connected to students and parents for any of your school payments.

Create yourself an account at myschoolbucks.com to pay for a variety of school related items such as lunch accounts, after school program fees, chromebook cases, and much more!

The Child Nutrition Program looks forward to serving meals to your child/children during the school year. We serve breakfast and lunch at all schools and after school snacks at most elementary schools. The meals meet and exceed the nutritional requirements for your child's age group.

If your child has a food allergy, please complete the Meal Modification form.

More information about the Child Nutrition Program, including Free and Reduced meal application information can be found here: https://www.gfschools.org/departments/child-nutrition

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

This fall students in Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade will have their vision screened using an automated and objective screening device called the Plusoptix. The Plusoptix has similar simplicity and speed to a digital camera. Both eyes are screened simultaneously in less than one second. Refraction, pupil sizes and corneal reflexes are measured and compared to age-based referral criteria automatically. If any abnormalities are determined the results will be sent home with the student. If you DO NOT want your child screened please fill out the bottom portion of this form and return it to your child’s school.

We will also be completing hearing screenings for students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 5th Grade. The hearing screening consists of a brief test to examine your child’s ability to hear pure tones at different frequencies. If there is any concern about your child’s hearing, you will be notified of the recommendation. If you DO NOT want your child screened please fill out the bottom portion of this form and return it to your child’s school.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Clarksean, RN

________________________________________________________________________________________________

This portion of the form only needs to be filled out and returned if you DO NOT want your child to be screened.

Parent Name: _________________________

Student Name: ________________________ Student Grade: __________________

● I DO NOT want my child to participate in vision screenings.

● I DO NOT want my child to participate in hearing screenings.

Parent Signature: ________________________________ Date: ____________________

Below are the immunization requirements for public schools in North Dakota. Please review the following flyer for a list of requirements as well as exemption and exclusion guidelines. Individualized letters will be sent to families needing immunizations. In the meantime, please reach out to your student's medical provider for immunization recommendations specific to your student. For any questions or concerns, please contact: Lindsay Clarksean, RN - Kelly Elementary School Nurse at: lclarksean040@mygfschools.org or 701-317-3218.

Nothing is more important than the safety of our students. For those of you returning to Kelly School, you are aware that the congestion in our parking lots at arrival and dismissal time can be a source of frustration.

We are asking all families to review and follow the traffic flow procedures outlined in the maps below. They have been designed to ensure the safety of all and to expedite the arrival and dismissal process.

NOTE: TRAFFIC ONLY FLOWS ONE DIRECTION IN THE NORTH PARKING LOT. Please adhere to following this traffic flow pattern at all times. Traffic should only flow into the north lot from Oak or 29th and out onto Cherry Street before, after, and during the school day. The same traffic pattern must be also be followed on early dismissal days as well. Please do not exit the north parking lot onto Oak Street. This slows down traffic by causing congestion and puts our students who walk across the parking lot at risk.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation in advance.

Main Office: 701-746-2265

Attendance Line: 701-746-2269

Fax: 701-746-2266

Main Office Hours: 7:45am-3:45pm

Location: 3000 Cherry St

Grand Forks, ND 58201