The Gator Gazette
August 6, 2021
Gator Greetings
We had a great week at Allisonville as we welcomed staff back on Monday and then students on Wednesday. We were thrilled to start off the school year in person and are off to a fantastic start! Please enjoy many pictures from the first days of school in this edition of the Gazette. For those of you new to Allisonville, we send a weekly newsletter named The Gator Gazette home each Friday. It is your one stop shop for all the happenings and information you need to know about Allisonville. This newsletter platform can be translated in multiple languages!
This week students spent time meeting their teacher and classmates, learning all about their classroom and school expectations, and sharing lots about themselves. Our goal for this week was community building. In the upcoming days, students will start to jump into grade level curriculum with their teachers.
Looking forward to next week, we will be practicing all of our drills so that students know the expectations in the event of a disaster. These drills will include a fire drill, tornado drill, and lockdown drill for a man made event such as an intruder. I will visit morning announcements on Monday morning to explain the purpose and process of each of our drills, but feel free to prepare your child at home for these as well to ease their fears.
We will be having our first ever Gator Jam for grades 4 and 5 on Thursday, August 12 from 3:30-4:30 outside on the track and playground. You may be asking…. what is a Gator Jam?! Well, it is a party outside with a DJ, snacks, playing, and fun. The purpose of the Gator Jam is just for fun and to meet new friends at AV. All 4th and 5th grade students are invited to stay after school on Thursday and the cost is $10. Please sign the permission slip that was sent home by Wednesday if your child would like to join us. Students in grades K-3 will have their own Gator Jam later this fall.
Mark your calendars for the Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 19th. Families of students in grades K, 2, 4 will come from 5:30-6:15 and families of students in grade 1, 3, 5 will come from 6:15-7:00. The Scholastic Book Fair runs the entire week of August 16-20 in the media center and will be open during Back-to-School Night as well. We look forward to seeing many of you then as you learn about all of the exciting and fun things that teachers have planned for this school year.
Lastly, I want to sincerely thank everyone for their patience with our arrival and dismissal. Allisonville will be getting an addition of two new classrooms off the east side by the playground starting in September. This addition will prevent buses from parking in the east parking lot, so they were moved to the front of the building this summer, thus moving car riders to the east side. We encourage all students to ride the bus to and from school, which will prevent the car rider line from being so long. As it stands now, car riders takes 45-60 minutes each day so please consider sending your child on the bus. We are fortunate that our buses are fully staffed and ready for all riders!
Thank you, families, for your support and enthusiasm for this school year. It was wonderful to see many of you at the Popsicle Pop-In. I am certain we are going to have a fantastic year!
We Are The Gators! WE ARE AV!
Mrs. Reffett
Principal
Gator Jam - 4th & 5th grade
Spirit Wear
https://shop.distinctimages.net/Allisonville/shop/home
Orders will be distributed at school by end of August.
Book Fair
The Book Fair is Coming!
Students can shop from August 16 – August 20th during the day at Allisonville. We will have the book fair on the SIDEWALK OUTSIDE on August 17th from 3:50 – 6:00 pm. Shop in person during the Back to School Night on Aug. 19th from 5:45pm – 8:45pm. Order ONLINE from August 11 – August 24th at www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs
To volunteer for the book fair:
Email Mrs. Weiger (pweiger@msdwt.k12.in.us) and you’ll receive a link to choose your date and time to volunteer.
Many students have books that were checked out last year or over the summer. Please help your children look for Allisonville library books and return them to school. If you have questions, just email Mrs. Weiger pweiger@msdwt.k12.in.us
We are looking for volunteers to help in the library during the afternoons. If you could help for an hour or 2 once a week, month, or more – or less… please email pweiger@msdwt.k12.in.us.
School Hours 8:25-3:30
Absences
Absence is defined as a student missing all or any portion of the school day, for any reason. There are three types of absences: Excused, Unexcused, and Prearranged. Should your student be absent for any reason, please call the attendance line at (317)259-8864 before 9:00 am. If your student is arriving late or leaving early for an appointment, please request a note from the dentist, doctor, etc. All notes should be given to the front office for record keeping. Offices may also fax notes to (317)576-5255.
Excused Absence (including being tardy) Death in the immediate family. Major religious holiday. Medical, dental, court or other required appointment. Must provide a signed statement from doctor, dentist, etc. upon return to school. Personal illness/injury. Please call the attendance line 317-259-8864 each day the student is absent. A written medical verification from a physician/clinic must be provided upon the student’s return to school after 5 consecutive days of absence due to illness. A written medical verification from a physician/clinic must be provided for each additional absence once 10 days of absence (whether excused or unexcused) have been accumulated. Unexcused Absence (including being tardy or leaving prior to dismissal). Absences for any reasons other than those mentioned above and/or not verified as required are considered unexcused. Missing the bus, etc., is unexcused. Prearranged Absence A prearranged absence request will not be approved if any one of the following occurs: It is the final week of any grading period. It is the week preceding or the week following a recess period.It is during required testing. The student has excessive absences. The student’s grade point average is below a 2.0 or C. Prearranged absence forms are available at the office.
Transportation
Transportation (317)254-5510 All students should board their bus at their assigned stop each day. If you move during the school year, please contact the office to make permanent changes to your transportation.
HERE COMES THE BUS
Download the app on your smart phone to see where your child’s bus is and set up alerts when the bus gets close. Use Code #88550
Limited Choice/Non-Resident students’ transportation is the parent responsibility. Two weeks after school begins, you may contact the school to see if there is a bus stop available near your home. Parents are responsible to transport student’s to/from the nearest bus stop. Car pick-up students will be stationed on the east side of the building. Once the parent/guardian is at the side of the building, AV staff will escort students to each car. Please do not park and come into the building at dismissal.
Bus Drop Off - All kindergarten students must have an approved adult present at the bus stop for their child to be let out.
Riding Assigned Buses - Due to COVID, students will not be permitted to ride a different bus home with a friend or other family members. Students must ride their assigned bus or be a car rider.
Early Pick Up - No students will be allowed to be picked up after 2:30pm due to traffic patterns and our afternoon car line. Anyone picking a student up must show an ID and be listed on the students guardian or emergency contact list.
Change in Transportation - Due to the safety of our students, we will not take transportation changes over the phone. Any changes must be done in writing and communicated with the teacher or approved by administration.
AYS Drop Off and Pick Up - AYS is offered at Allisonville for before and after school care. All AYS drop off and pick up will be on the west side of the building at door 6. You can contact AYS directly at 317-283-3817 or at https://www.ayskids.org/
Arrival and Dismissal
Car riders are dismissed from their classroom at 3:15, and the car rider line will start moving shortly after that. We appreciate your patience as we navigate our new traffic pattern.
Parents, please encourage your students to ride the bus to and from school. As long as your stop information is in Skyward, our buses are ready to transport you! If you are still waiting on bus information, please continue to check Skyward, as it can take up to 2 weeks at the beginning of the year. Please be sure to communicate with your child's teacher how your student will be going home so we don't have confusion at the end of the day. Sending a paper note is the most efficient way, as teachers may not have access to email or phone during the day to check for transportation updates. Thank you for your help in ensuring all of our students get home safely!
Skyward
Skyward Family Access allows you to access student grades, attendance, email teachers and school officials, pay fees and much more. Skyward Family Access will be available from your home, office or anywhere you have access to the internet.
You can access Skyward by visiting our website at: www.msdwt.k12.in.us.
Click on: For Families For Parents Skyward Family Access Forgot your Login or Password?
Click the link and follow the prompts. If you encounter difficulty logging in, please email: skyward@msdwt.k12.in.us
Covid Guidelines
Cafeteria and Book Rental Fees
All enrolled students are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge. Students must take the required components to make a reimbursable meal in order for it to be free. Everyone is encouraged to set up an account at MyPaymentsPlus.com
https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome
Although meals are free, families will need to complete a free and reduced meal application for approval to receive other benefits such as textbook assistance and P-EBT cards. A new application is required every school year unless they received a letter from us stating they were directly certified by the state. DC letters will be mailed to households the week of July 19. Last years’ application will expire on September 15 or once a new application is approved, whichever comes first. https://www.msdwt.k12.in.us/child-nutrition-services/
Book Rental and Instructional Fees will be collected in September via Skyward. Online and paper applications will be available on July 26th, 2021. Last year's application will expire on September 15 or once a new application is approved, whichever comes first.
Volunteers
In an effort to keep our children and our school safe, all classroom and general field trip volunteers are required to complete a Limited Background Check prior to volunteering in the classroom or attending any field trips. Forms can be requested from your teacher or from the office. You can also access them on our website at:
https://www.msdwt.k12.in.us/volunteer-requirements/
Limited Volunteer Limited Background checks are free of charge to anyone interested in volunteering. Volunteer opportunities vary by teacher. First time applicants are responsible for the completion of the bullying education and training provided by MSDWT. Classroom Visitors
Allisonville welcomes parents to visit the classroom. We ask that you please make an appointment with your child’s teacher prior to your visit. If a parent pops into the classroom in the middle of instruction, it is difficult to get students back on task. If you arrive at the beginning of the lesson, you can sit through the lesson without interrupting the class. All classroom visitors must have completed a Limited Background Check.