Mustang Monthly
October 2026

A message from Mrs. Hemmerling, Principal
October at MCE: Celebrating Fall & Our Mustang Community
Fall is here, and with it comes some of our favorite opportunities to bring our Mustang families together! October is a fun time at Maize Central Elementary, with school-wide activities designed to celebrate our students and strengthen the connection between school and home. We look forward to seeing families at Trunk-or-Treat, our FREE PTO-sponsored event, as well as our Fall Parties & Parade. We also have Parent-Teacher Conferences, an important opportunity to connect with your childโs teacher and learn more about how they are doing at school.
Conferences are a great time to celebrate what is going well and learn more about your childโs academic progress, but they are also an important opportunity to talk about the whole child. Teachers can share how your child is doing with our Mustang Skills for Success-- the skills and behaviors that help students be successful learners, classmates, and members of our school community. When families and teachers work together and communicate openly, we are able to better celebrate successes, recognize areas for growth, and support each student along the way.
Whether you are decorating a trunk, cheering on students during the parade, volunteering, or simply joining us for a school event, your involvement matters. Our students feel that support, and it is one of the things that makes our school community so special. Thank you for being such an important part of our Mustang family.
We love having our families in the building, on the sidelines, and alongside us as we support our students. I can't wait to see so many of you throughout October!
Stay Connected
Visit our website at: www.usd266.com/mce
Check out our Facebook Page: Maize Central Elementary School
Connect with Mrs. Hemmerling at: mhemmerling@usd266.com or call 316-722-0427
Maize Central Elementary School is located at:
304 W. Academy Ave.
Maize, KS 67101
Model Mustang Award
Monthly Character Trait and Model Mustangs
At Maize Central Elementary, we focus on developing strong character traits that help our students grow into thoughtful, responsible leaders. Each month, we highlight a different character trait during our morning announcements. For the month of October, our character trait is Self-Direct.
Self-Direct means leading yourself to become the person you want to be. Throughout the month, students will be encouraged to think about how they can be the best version of themselves and positive leaders within our school. Mrs. Hemmerling will also be challenging students to notice the good around them and to offer sincere compliments to others-helping to build a kind and encouraging school culture.
Our students also continue to uphold the social contracts they created together in August, which guide respectful behavior and classroom expectations. These agreements help ensure that MCE remains a supportive and welcoming place for all.
When students go above and beyond by showing strong leadership and positive character, they may be recognized as a Model Mustang. Each Friday, Mrs. Hemmerling announces the names of these outstanding students over the intercom. They receive a model mustang certificate, and their photo is proudly displayed on our special bulletin board for the whole school to celebrate!
๐ Congratulations to our amazing Model Mustangs for August and September! ๐
- Kindergarten: Adalyn, Jake, Kehlani, Malachi, Gabriella, Pennington, Brooks, Willow
- First Grade: Kimberlynn, Adela, Blakely, Henna, Kaiven, Zariyah, Ella, Hazel
- Second Grade: Evelyn, Arielle, Knox, Evelyn, Trowen, Maddox, Dawson, Nova, Trowen, Amelia, Zoey, Leo, Brantley
- Third Grade: Jami, Reagan, Grace, Miriam, Liam, Thomas, Haley
- Fourth Grade: Leo, Dylan, Elijah, Jordyn, Mia
Upcoming Events
- Thursday, October 8th: Fall Picture Retakes
- Thursday, October 15th: Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Friday, October 16th: No School
- Friday, October 23rd: Donuts with Dads (see flyer below) 7:30-8:00 am
- Tuesday, October 27th: PTO Spirit Night @ Chick-fil-A 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Tuesday, October 27th: MCE PTO Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:00 pm
- Friday, October 30th: Fall Parade & Parties 2:20-2:40 pm (Parade) & 2:40-3:20 pm (Parties)
- Monday, November 2nd: No School
- Monday, November 9th - Friday, November 13th: Caring Hearts Food Drive
- Thursday, November 19th: 3rd (6:00 pm) & 4th (7:00 pm) grade vocal concert @ MPAAC
- Monday, November 23rd - Friday, November 27th: No School - Fall Break
Background Checks
Volunteer Background Checks
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Maize USD 266! Our schools are stronger thanks to the help and support of our community members, and our students benefit from this relationship.
Safety is a top priority for the district. Background checks are required and must be completed annually. All visitors moving beyond a school front office and its secure vestibule will also complete a Raptor Visitor Management System screening and a temporary visitorโs self-adhesive name tag printed each time they visit.
To volunteer at Maize Central Elementary School:
District-Paid: Maize Schools does not wish to discourage any potential volunteer from getting involved in our classrooms and with our students volunteers. Please click here to begin the same background process at no cost to yourself, and Maize USD 266 will pay for your background screening.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and district!
๐ Mustang Mondays & Football Fridays ๐
Mustang Monday
Football Friday
Support Available to Maize Families
Personal Hygiene Products
If you are in need of personal hygiene products, we have products available! Please contact Kelley Schuckman, our school counselor, at kschuckman@usd266.com for more information.
Maslow's Pantry: Supporting Maize Families
Maslowโs Pantry is here to support Maize students and families who may be experiencing food or clothing insecurity. If you or someone you know could use support, please click the link below to access our resources and request assistance.
Want to support Maslowโs Pantry? You can also use the link to learn how you can donate, & help us provide essential items to families in our community.
Click the link here to get help or find out how you can help!
What's Cookin' in the Cafeteria
You may check a balance or add money to your student's lunch account by visiting the Skyward Family Access Portal, and clicking the Food Service tab. If you have questions about your child's food account, or need to speak to someone about reduced lunch eligibility, please contact our Food Service Department at 316-722-0900.
๐Maize Central Elementary School Kitchen Staff
3rd and 4th Grade Vocal Music Concert
Join Us for a Musical Journey Through the Popular Family Movie: BIG !
When: Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6:00p.m.
Location: Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center
Third Grade Classes: Anderson, Auten, Hepner, Keiter, Schoen
AND
When: Thursday, Nov. 19th at 7:00p.m.
Location: Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center
Fourth Grade Classes: Dean, Perryhill, Sharp, Tauer, Tyler
We look forward to seeing you there!
๐ MCE's Book Vending Machine ๐
๐ Earn a Token, Choose a Book! ๐๏ธ
Our giant MCE Book Vending Machine is a fun way to celebrate students for making positive choices! Students can earn tokens for good behavior, kindness, academic achievements, improved attendance, leadership, perseverance, positive attitudes, and other special accomplishments. Students may also earn a token through peer recognition, teacher choice, or special milestones.
Every token means a chance to visit the vending machine and choose a FREE book to take home and keep! We love celebrating our Mustangs and helping them build their very own home libraries! ๐๐
Attendance Matters: Every Day Counts
We love seeing our students at school each dayโit makes a big difference in their success!
After 7 absences, a doctorโs note is needed for the time to be excused. Please remember to send it within 3 days.
๐ Kansas law says schools must report truancy after 3 unexcused days in a row, 5 in a semester, or 7 in a school year.
If you know your child will be gone for a trip or other reason, just fill out an Administrative Excusal Form ahead of time. These can be found in the front office at MCE.
๐Attendance Updates๐
We wanted to share a quick update regarding attendance records. We are currently re-coding some half-day absences to ensure that our attendance records accurately reflect our schoolโs attendance procedures.
Earlier this year, students who left school early in the afternoon were sometimes coded as a half-day absence, even when they were only dismissed a short time before the end of the school day. As we review and correct these records, some students may now show fewer days absent in their attendance history, particularly students who have had multiple afternoon early dismissals.
Moving forward, students will be recorded as half-day absent only when they leave more than one hour early in the afternoon. Early dismissals that occur within one hour of the end of the school day will not be coded as a half-day absence, rather Skyward will indicate a Y (left early).
โTimes to Know!โ
8:15-8:30- Arrival
8:30- Students Counted Tardy after 8:30
2:40-3:40- Students Leaving from Front Office are marked "Y" for Leaving Early
3:25- End of Day Dismissal Begins
3:40- Final Bell Rings
We appreciate your patience as we make these corrections and work to ensure our attendance records are accurate and consistent for all students. Thank you for partnering with us to support strong attendance at MCE!
In the Know With PTO
Upcoming PTO Meeting:
- When: Monday, October 5th
- When: Meet & Greet from 6:30p.m. - 7:00p.m.
Meeting from 7:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.
- Where: El Agave on North Maize Rd.
Upcoming Spirit Nights:
- Tuesday, October 27th - Chick-fil-A (3:00 pm - 10:00 pm)
- Tuesday, November 10th - Chipotle (4:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
MCE Trunk or Treat:
- When: Tuesday, October 27th (5:30-7:00)
- Who: ALL Maize Central students and families
*If you would like to host a trunk for the event, please complete the sign-up here
Donuts with Dads Event 10/23
Dads looking for an opportunity to come together with other Mustang dads and enjoy some time with your MCE student before school? Check out the Donuts with Dads event and RSVP here!
When: Friday, October 23rd, 2026 from 7:30-8:00am
Who: Dads, Uncles, Grandpas, or other father figures & your MCE student
What: Free donuts, coffee, and a fun activity
View grades, find enrollment forms, pay fees and more!