Greetings families!

I can't believe we have finished September with our students! That flew by! Over the course of September, our students and teachers have learned, modeled, practiced and practiced again so many routines, procedures and structures to help make the day run as smoothly as possible.

The amount of smiles and laughter I see and hear on student's and staff's faces as I walk through the halls and pop into classrooms brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart on a daily basis. Relationships are forming between students, student to teacher and even across grade levels. Our 5th graders have become kindergarten helpers, our 4th graders are learning how sediments are solidified and our kindergartners are learning the routines of the cafeteria.

Just this past week we kicked off our largest and highly popular fundraising event; the Read-a-thon! The funds raised for this event go right back to the students. One of the most popular ways it gets back to the students is by providing free field trips for all. I encourage you to ask your child(ren) about the Read-a-thon. This year's theme is: Camp Reads A lot. Currently 20% of Red Oak families have registered to participate in the read-a-thon. We are hoping for 100% participation. If you haven’t registered, click getmovinfundhub.com School Identifier: 5d52caa5e6bc2 to get set-up.

Additionally this week, we focused on safety at school and on the bus. Students were reminded that for everyone to be safe on the bus they should stay seated and keep their hands and feet to themself. It is also important to note that all food and drink needs to stay inside backpacks on the bus.

As you can see in the above section, we have many events coming up in the month of October. The first event is in just one week; students will be released at 1:45pm (2 hours early) so staff can partake in professional development. Your child will follow their normal transportation plan on early release days, it will just be 2 hours earlier.

Thank you for sharing your children with us.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Your partner in education,

Krysten Ellis

Principal

A few reminders worth noting to the beginning and end of the day structures and procedures:

• All doors open at 8:55 a.m. (walkers and bikers, door E unlocks at 8:55)
• Breakfast for all students will be in their classroom. This will allow students to be in class and be a part of the morning activities without having them rush through breakfast.
• Drop off/pick up will continue to be in the upper lot. We ask that parents/guardians remain in the car for a more safe and efficient process. There are adults to help get students out of cars in the morning and into cars in the afternoon. Please pull forward to help keep the line moving. Please do not park and get down to drop off your children. This is for their safety.
• Our drop off/pick up line is secondary to getting the busses in and out of the lower lot. Please be mindful of where you line up to allow for large and small busses to maneuver through.
• Families arriving after 9:05 must walk their child(ren) into the building and sign them in.
• School ends at 3:45, which means students will not be called for the car line until 3:45. Again, please remain in your car in the line and we will help get your child in the car.

Thank you for your attention to detail on these for the safety of our children.

Health Services Resources

Health services resources for the 2022/23 school year can be found online here: bit.ly/SPSHealthServices22. Optional COVID-19 self reporting details and a form are available here.

Attendance

Parents/guardians should call the attendance line when a student will be late or absent 952-496-5953.

Students arriving after 9:05 will need to be walked in by their parent/guardian and will be marked tardy.

Visitor Reminders

All visitors are required to check-in at the front office and must be screened through the Raptor system during normal school hours.

Volunteers

If you would like to volunteer in the classroom or attend a field trip or volunteer with students, you must have a completed, cleared background check. Click here to fill out the form.

Change in PM transportation

If your child has a change in how they are getting home, please call the office no later than 3pm so we can get the correct information to the classroom teacher.

Free meals are no longer provided by COVID federal funds.

Breakfast is no longer free for students in grades 1-5. Kindergarten students are the only grade that has free breakfast.

Student meal accounts will need to be funded in Infinite Campus. Free or reduced meals can be offered to families that qualify. Applications also impact school funding. Digital applications can be completed in Infinite Campus. Printed applications are also available in our main office and at the district office. For tips on how to fund meal accounts in Infinite Campus, click here.

Family Resource Centers of Scott County: When times are tough, it's hard to know where to go to get the help you need. The Family Resource Center (FRC) are here to help families get connected to support and resources. If you're feeling stuck, visit a FRC. Click here for more information (in multiple languages)

Do you need food on the weekends?

If you need help with meals on the weekend, please sign up here for free meals. There are 5 different types of meals to sign up for. Students who sign up for these meals will take them home on the last day of the school week.

For more information, please email our Social Worker, Liz Ammermann: eammerman@shakopee.k12.mn.us