MCE News!

Mrs. Jeania Burton, Principal

Mrs.Jill Jacob, Assistant Principal

Our Mission;

Lifelong Learners: Motivate, Challenge, Educate!

MCE’s PBIS Principles:

Rule #1 - Be Cooperative - Follow Directions Quickly

Rule #2 - Be Respectful - Raise Your Hand

Rule #3 - Be Safe - KHFAAOOTY

Rule #4 - Act Responsibly - Make Smart Choices

Rule #5 Be Kind - Treat Others The Way You Want To Be Treated

We know you may have questions about what school will "look like" this year. I want to assure you that we are working closely with the Montgomery County Health Department to ensure our routines and procedures keep everyone (staff and students) safe. We have made some changes to the procedures we followed last year. They are listed later in the newsletter.

Our top priority is providing our students with as much "normal" as possible. We are going to build positive relationships, encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills and nurture confidence each day. We will continue to allow each other flexibility and grace as we work through each day.

Our theme this year is our daily mission: "Lifelong Learners: Motivate, Challenge, Educate!"

Please understand that parents are not allowed in the building at this time. You may enter the vestible to see the office staff, but you may not enter the building. You may not walk your child to their classrooms, or into the gym. We will notify you as soon as we are given permission to allow guests into the building.

Montgomery City Elementary Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

The MCE drop off/pick up lanes are ONE WAY between 7:15 - 8:15 AM and 3:15-4:15 PM

Harper Street is ALWAYS One Way - going south only.

Students being dropped off will follow the following procedures to create a safe orderly environment for arrival.

1. Vehicles should enter the new parking lot, continuing straight, off Summers St. to the front entrance, behind the Powercat.
2. The doors will open at 7:30 a.m. when MCE supervision is available. Supervision prior to 7:30 a.m. is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. While waiting with a child until the doors open may be an inconvenience, please understand that student safety is our number one priority.
   
3. Vehicles waiting for the doors to open should park in the parking area, or form a line along the cones. We have two lanes of traffic for arrival & dismissal. Please stay in the front or back lane. The center lane is for the cross walk, and staff directing traffic. Do not drive into the center lane until you have passed the last cone.
4. If you plan to walk your child to the front door of school, or would like a 1st day picture, you MUST park in a parking space.
5. If your child needs assistance getting in and out of the vehicle, please park in a parking space. The drop off/pick up lane is for students who can get in/out of the vehicle independenty and enter school independently. The purpose is to keep the traffic flowing, so students may arrive at school in a timely fashion.

Parent Pick Up Safety Procedures:

1. Parents will be provided with two Parent Pick Up Authorization cards with your child’s name clearly written on them. (Your child will bring them home the 1st day of school)
2. Clearly display your Parent Pick Up Authorization Card in the driver’s side window during pick up.
3. Pull you vehicle completely forward, in one of the striped lanes, and remain in your car. After you pick up your child, pull forward in the striped lane until you pass the last cone, then merge to the center lane to exit.
4. Students will be dismissed to your vehicle at 3:45 pm. Staff will supervise students as they walk to your car. Please be aware that students will be crossing between the lanes in the cross walk. Drive slowly.
5. All students (K-5) will be dismissed and waiting with their siblings inside the cafeteria until staff see you. Staff will call for them and release students to your cars.
6. If your Parent Pick Up Authorization Card becomes lost or damaged, you will need to contact the office and get a replacement.
7. If staff do not recognize the person picking up your child, they will require the person to show identification.

• At the end of the day, please be patient. We are learning the faces and cars of our new families, and traffic will move slowly. We will help students get into the vehicles. You should not get out of your vehicle.

Our goal is to have all students safely in their cars as quickly as possible. Typically it takes about 15 minutes to get all students dismissed to their cars.

Please discuss with your child the importance of keeping the mask in place while riding the bus, and how to store it in his/her backpack.

Once children are at school, masks are optional.

Each classroom offers a snack time for students. Each classroom has their own procedure for snacks that will be shared by your child's teacher.

Entering the building/breakfast:

All students are allowed into the building at 7:30 am. Students will report to the gym when they arrive at school. Each class has a line that is physically distanced from the other classes in the gym.

Students who need to eat breakfast will leave their line to go to the cafeteria.Students will sit at a table assigned to their grade level to eat breakfast. When they finish breakfast, they will return to the gym.

Following morning assembly, all students will leave with their class to go to their classrooms. Grade levels will not cross, each leaving individually from the gym.

Lunch:

At this time parents are not permitted in the school so parents cannot join students for lunch. Two grade levels at a time will be in the lunchroom. Students will sit side/by/side in the lunchroom with their homeroom class. Students will sit in their line order, by lunch choice.

The two grade levels in the lunch room will be physically distanced from each other.

Dismissal

3:35 Students riding the early bus will be dismissed one grade level at a time.

3:45 - All car riders & walkers will be dismissed to line up in the cafeteria for pick up. Students will stand with their family members to wait for pick up.

4:00 - All late bus students will be dismissed to the gym. They will sit socially distanced from each other in their bus lines to wait for their bus to arrive.

Daily Bathroom Breaks

Classes will be assigned a specific restroom to use in the building. Teachers will monitor students in the hall, and the number of students allowed in the restroom. (Only allowing the number of students to match the number of stalls in that restroom.) One student will be allowed at a sink at a time.

Other Information

Students do not have to wear a mask, but they may if they choose to. If a child chooses to wear a mask, he/she must wear it properly or it can be taken away. You will be notified if your student was not properly using their mask.

We will be regularly disinfecting classrooms and shared spaces throughout the day.

We are limiting all non-essential personnel in the building. Parents will only be allowed in the vestibule to communicate with the office staff. Parents may not enter the building while the school day is in session.

• PTO parents, volunteer readers, book fair volunteers etc. will not be allowed at this time.

Only approved vendors scheduled through the principal will be allowed in during the school day. This would include our school photographer for picture day, scheduled for September 30th.

It is important that you have a consistent routine for your child to follow at the end of each day. If you need to make a change to your child’s normal routine you must send a note with your child in the morning.

In an emergency, you may call, but you MUST speak to a secretary before 2pm. Do not leave a message on the school answering service. The answering service is to report absences only, and it is not checked throughout the day. ONLY call in the event of an emergency. A note should be sent if you know in advance of a schedule change.

We will not make any changes after 2pm. Our goal is to get every student safely to their correct destination at the end of each day. We need your help to make sure this happens.

You must opt in to receive text messages from School Messenger

If you would like to receive text reminders about events and information from School Messenger, just text Y or yes to 67587.

Stay up to date with everything going on in our MCE Community. Click the link below for all the important dates we have scheduled.

2021-2022 Important Dates for MCE Families

September 9th - Board of Education Meeting - hosted at MCE

September 11th - Remembrance Day

September 13th - PD Monday

September 15th - MCE StuCo Change the World Day - Imagination Library

September 22nd - 1st Day of Autumn

September 24th - Mid-Term Reports go home

September 24th - Sept. Academic Awards Assembly

September 30th - School Picture Day

Lunch Charges

Please be aware that if your child has a lunch balance of negative $10, they will be served an alternative meal. It is important that you pay off any balances due on your child's account

Handbook and Social Media Forms

This is a reminder that the elementary parent/student handbook is found online. You can access it by clicking this link or by visiting our web page, clicking parent information and then choosing Handbook.

We also must have your signed permission before we are allowed to include your student's picture in any posts on social media pertaining to MCE. We love to celebrate the learning happening at MCE, and we do this by sharing pictures.

Please return the signed permission form to your child's teacher as soon as possible, if you have not done so.

Email: jburton@mc-wildcats.org
Website: https://montgomerysdmo.sites.thrillshare.com/o/mces
Location: 817 North Harper Street Montgomery City, Missouri 63361
Phone: (573) 564-3711
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCElementary/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @MCEprincipal