"Bandit Beat" September Newsletter
Blowing Into The New Year 9/22
Butte Elementary Scool
Email: bte@matsuk12.us
Website: matsuk12.us/bte
Location: 4006 S Butte Road, Palmer, Ak 99645
Phone: 907-861-5200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Butte-Elementary-School-787254598272674
Words from the principal...
Butte Elementary Families,
This new year continues to be full of promise for us as a school. Our guidelines and protocols regarding COVID have decreased making day to day operations in the classroom and for the school smoother. Enrollment is ticking back in the positive direction. Staff Excitement for the long term potential of our PLC Team Time is at a buzz. Technology is at a state of 1:1 for students. We are truly moving in a positive direction.
As you are well aware, there continue to be other issues in the world that are pulling us away from these exciting things. Lack of Bus Service is the most glaring, and the most painful for parents. Despite the problems around us, we keep working together to find solutions. Thank you for working with each other and with us as a school to help provide rides on days that there is no bus service. Check your parent email for link to a Facebook Group where ride information can be set up and supported. We are in the process of surveying parents on ways to better support your needs on Monday when we are running our PLC.
We have much to be excited about as far as student programs. XC Running for 4th and 5th Grade, Fitness Club for 3rd through 5th Grades and 2nd Grade Students by invitation, Art Clubs will be resuming soon, as well as other programs coming later in the school year.
If we all keep focused on how we can work together to solve the outlying problems, it will allow us to spend our time where we really want to focus our attention, on making sure students are learning what is needed to prepare them for the future. :-).
As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions or comments.
Educationally,
Joshua Rockey
Upcoming Events at Butte Elementary
Sept TBD: Butte Art Club AM and Butte Art Club PM
Sept 9: 1st Semester ALICE Drill 2:50 PM
Sept 12: PLC Team Time 9-10, No Bus Service
Sept 13: No Bus Service, XC Practice 3:45-5
Sept 15: XC Practice 3:45-5
Sept 19: PLC Team Time 9-10, No Bus Service
Sept 20: No Bus Service, XC Practice 3:45-5
Sept 21: Coffee With the Principal 9:30-10
Sept 22: XC Practice 3:45-5
Sept 26: PLC Team Time 9-10, No Bus Service
Sept 27: No Bus Service, XC Practice 3:45-5
Sept 28: XC District Meet at Palmer High School 3-6
Oct: TBD Basketball Begins
Oct 14: End of 1st Quarter
Coffee With the Principal
Wednesday, Sep 21, 2022, 09:30 AM
Butte Elementary School, Butte Road, Palmer, AK, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Dismissal and Bus Updates
Thank you for working with us on the bus shortage situation. As you know, Butte Elementary will not have Regular Education Bus Service on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is for routes 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. You can find the most up to date information here https://www.matsuk12.us/buscancellations.
As always, please use the school dismissal manager app to communicate how your student is going home each day. You can set a default, and make changes to a bus number, bus stop, activity, or parent pick up all the way until 2:45. Here is the link School Dismissal Manager
We realize that this is even further complicated that Monday is the day that we are meeting for PLC Team Time. This time is incredible for us as a staff, but we know that this burden is tremendous on families. See this survey link on how it impacts your family. Butte Monday Parent Survey. It is also below in the newsletter.
We will continue to use the two loop method of dismissal on Mondays and Tuesdays when there is no bus service. We are fine tuning this process, but you can help us most by stating your student's first and last names, and bus number when you pull up :-). While it is not perfect, we are still managing to move students through faster than at most other elementary sites.
Lastly, at some point, we will have restored bus service. Our dismissal for a "regular" day has changed slightly this year. We continue to have parents who are picking up their students pull along the side of the building and meet their students on the grassy section behind the music room near the generator. This has proved to be an efficient process and safer than previously when parents would meet their students at the flag pole. We are going to make one more slight change. Student will now be inside the gym and be called out to that section. This will improve safety again, and it makes the process uniform for all days, whether there are no busses, there is poor weather, etc.
This change also means that if you want or need to pick up your student in person, you can do so in the gym instead of at the flag pole, or at the office. A staff member will be inside to check your student out to you.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to keep your students safe and to keep the lines moving :-).
Nurse Notes
News from Butte Nurse
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year. If you need to send information to the nurse, my email is laurean.foldenauer@matsuk12.us
Nurse Office phone: 907-861-5204 Fax 907-861-5280
I look forward to keeping your children safe and healthy this school year!
What you need to know: Health Forms: You can find most Health Forms at www.matsuk12.us - Parent Quick Links - Parent Forms – Health (Student Support Services).
Immunizations:
In order for your student to attend school, immunizations must be up to date by the first day of school on August 16th. This is a state law that Alaska Schools must follow. If immunization/s are not up to date your student will be sent home until proof of needed immunization is given to the school Nurse. If you have checked permission for us to view VacTrAK during the online school registration process, we can print this record out for your student if needed, if they are in the Alaska database. If we do not have permission, you will need to either bring updated immunization records to the school or fax or email a printable copy. You can also view your student’s immunization status on Parent View. Sign in and choose your student to view his/her immunizations. Non-compliant immunizations will be flagged.
Religious Exemptions: The school must have the State Religious Exemption form notarized and signed on the first day of school. This form must be filled out every year as it expires yearly on June 30th. You can obtain this form from our office or at the above link. Students will be sent home if the school does not have the form or an updated immunization form.
Medications: If your student will need to take prescription or over the counter (OTC) medication daily during the school day a “Medication Authorization” form must be filled out and signed by your Provider and Parent/Guardian. An adult must bring the medication to the Nurse Office with a current pharmacy label on the container or an OTC in the original box/container, no baggies, etc. Students are not allowed to bring/carry medications to school including over the counter medications. The following stock medications can be given at school on an as needed basis if the Parent has given permission during the online registration process: Advil, Benadryl, Cough Drops, Lactaid, Tums, and Tylenol.
Asthma: If your student has asthma a “Asthma Action Plan” needs to be filled out and signed by your Provider. All inhalers will be kept in the Nurse Office.
Allergies/Anaphylaxis: Students who need EpiPens or other medications for allergic reactions will need the “Allergy/Anaphylaxis Plan” form filled out and signed by a provider and Parent/Guardian. These medications will be kept in the Nurse Office.
Health Screening: During the school year we will be conducting health screening on all Kindergarten, First, Third, Fifth and new to district students. This screening includes height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, vision, and hearing. Please let us know if you do not want your student screened.
Although we will not be excluding for COVID, we will send students home for fevers, excessive cough, rashes, etc. If your student is sick, please keep them home until they feel better. We do have the option to test for COVID at this time if you would want your child tested. Positive cases should still be called into the school as we will continue to track positives for the district.
Thank you for letting us keep your student/s safe and healthy!
Laurean Foldenauer
School Breakfast and Lunch is No Longer Free for All Students
The last two years, we have had free Breakfast and Lunch for all students regardless of status or need. Our District has returned to the "Pay For" model for Breakfast and Lunch. You can manage your student account at School Cafe
You can find menus, add money to an account for your student, pay a balance, or apply for free and reduced lunch through the website, or you can download the app.
Please call if you have any questions :-)
907-861-5200