Plaza Pride Newsletter
May 31, 2018
Upcoming Dates
June 4th - July 3rd; Summer School, 7:25AM - 2:25PM
August 1st; Registration Day, 1:00-7:00PM
August 9th; Meet the Teacher Night, 4:00-7:00PM
August 15th; First Day of School
PLAZA LIP DUB 2018
Summer School
All students will have access to transportation during summer school regardless of their enrollment date, however, any student enrolled after 5/11/2018 will be added to an existing route.
2018 Panther Pride Football Youth Camp
July 23 – July 26th
9:30 am to 11:00 am
Online registration available:
PLAZA AWARDED KANSAS CITY'S KINDEST SCHOOL!
See how Plaza Middle School students reacted at a surprise assembly when they found out Plaza won the 2018 Kindest School Award from Synergy Services and the Kindest Kansas Citian program.
Park Hill Star Award Nomination Information
That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee.
Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. It asks you to share how your nominee demonstrates our district values of continuous improvement, high expectations, integrity, visionary leadership and student focus. You can also share how your nominee supports the goals in our district’s strategic plan.
Please nominate a Park Hill Star today!
Park Hill Star nomination form
Stay Connected to Plaza!
Email: plazaadministrativeassistants-principal@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/plazamiddleschool
Location: 6501 Northwest 72nd Street, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: 816-359-4210
Facebook: facebook.com/PlazaMiddleSchool
Twitter: @PlazaTigers
Replacement Fees Reminder
At the beginning of the school year, Plaza provides every student with the following supplies; lanyard, case holder, ZPass, binder, planner and page protectors. If your student needs to replace any of these items due to them being lost or damaged, they can do so in the office.
Lanyards - $2
Case Holders - $.50
Binders - $1
Planners - $1
Folders - $.25
Page Protectors - $.25
ID (ZPass) - The district will provide the first and second ZPass free of charge. Any additional requests for a lost ZPass will cost $5 each time. We ask that you give it at least 48 hours after the ID cannot be found before requesting a new one. Many times they are found and a new ID is not needed.
Parent Resources
PROCESS ON GUESTS EATING LUNCH
Our current 6th grade class is large and we need each and every available seat in the Café for students. You are welcome to come eat with your student, however we have designated tables in our front lobby area for you to dine together. Below is from the Lunchroom Procedure section in the Park Hill School District Parent/Student Handbook :
In most cases, parents are allowed to visit school and eat with their child. The school, however, reserves the right to limit lunch visits in appropriate circumstances. Parents planning to eat lunch with their child are encouraged to notify the school office one day in advance. Bringing outside restaurant or fast food is discouraged. Students are not permitted to place an order for food to be delivered to the school. Only a parent/guardian may bring in lunch for a student.
SPIRIT WEAR AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE IN THE OFFICE
We have team t-shirts available for sale in the office for $10. We will not be taking orders, just selling what we have left on-hand so don't miss your chance to purchase a team shirt!
Items on-hand to purchase:
Team Shirts - $10
Water Bottles - $5
Drawstring Bags - $5
Stocking Hats - $5
Q3 GRADES
New Middle School Transition Information
Dr. Ivy along with Dr. Cowherd, Dr. Todd, Ms. Clemons and the Park Hill Board of Education broke ground on Monday, October 23rd, for the 4th middle school that is due to open for the 2019-20 school year. More information can be found on the Park Hill website.
Tiger Time at Plaza Middle School
Plaza Middle School works to meet the individual needs of our students through a variety of ways. Students are assessed individually, based on classroom observation and assessments as well as NWEA testing data. Through collaborative team meetings, each child has been identified to receive additional support in an area to further their success in 6th grade. These areas can be academic or behavioral. Areas include, but are not limited to: enrichment reading, enrichment math, reading support, math support, social skills and AVID strategies such as organization. Although groupings occur throughout the day, we specifically design our daily schedule to dedicate a 30 minute period to the enhancement of the instructional delivery for our students. This part of the day is called Tiger Time. Once goals are reached and celebrated, students will move into a different group. This flexibility allows us to meet each student at their current level and to address their specific needs. We encourage you to visit with your child and discuss the activities he/she is participating in during Tiger Time. If you have specific questions, please contact your child’s home base teacher.
Negative Lunch Accounts
Please be sure your child has money in his or her lunch account. It is important for us to not have negative balances. If you have questions regarding your child's lunch account, please call the Plaza Cafe Manager, Andrea Rogers for assistance at 359-4216.
ARE DELIVERIES TO PLAZA ALLOWED?
Please read the following from the Park Hill School District Parent/Student Handbook regarding deliveries made to students:
Delivery of flowers, balloons or other gift items to school is discouraged due to student
allergies, limited storage and disruption to the education environment. All items will be held in the office until the end of the day, or parents/guardians may be contacted to pick them up if deemed appropriate. Personal items needed during the school day must be dropped off by a parent/guardian, adult household member or person authorized by the parent/guardian. Deliveries of commercially prepared food by individuals other than a parent/guardian or person authorized by the parent/guardian are not permitted. If commercially prepared food is delivered to a student by the parent/guardian or person authorized by the parent/guardian, the student will consume the food in an area designated by a building administrator or designee.
NWEA
The Park Hill School District approved a new assessment software for the 2017-2018 school year. Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) will replace four previously-utilized assessment tools: STAR-Reading, STAR-Math, Acuity and Terra Nova. The NWEA assessment will provide screening and benchmarking data, a more user-friendly online administration, and growth data that can be used in the classroom to ensure targeted instruction for the curricular areas of reading, language, math, and science. NWEA will be administered three times a year and is available to grades K-10. We will continue to provide information about these assessments in the coming months. For more information about NWEA, visit the company website.
ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS
Regular attendance and punctuality are important at Plaza Middle School. The school day is from 7:45 am to 2:40 pm. Students need to be in their classroom at the bell to not be counted tardy. When a child is tardy, absent or leaves school early, the time missed will go against their attendance percentage. If your child is going to be tardy or absent, please call our attendance line at 816.359.4211 before school so we are assured of your child’s safety. If you forget to call, one of our administrative assistants will call to verify the absence.
*Please note that students who arrive late to school due to bus issues, they will not be counted tardy.
Car or Bus Rider Transportation Changes
We encourage transportation communication between parent/guardian and student prior to each school day. At the 6th grade level, as we are increasing student responsibility, we do not track whether your student will be a car rider or bus rider each day. However, if you and your student have discussed transportation for the day but you need to change what you agreed upon, please call the office prior to 2:00 pm and we will notify the student. This is the best way to ensure they get the message.
Breakfast and lunch are served daily. Meals may be purchased by sending cash/check (made payable to Park Hill Food Service) directly to the cafeteria in a school provided envelope or by our on-line payment program, School Café. It is important to monitor your student’s account regularly to ensure adequate funds are available. You may also put restrictions on your child’s account, please contact our cafeteria at 816-359-4216.
Breakfast / Lunch Menus and additional information can be found on the Park Hill District Website or by clicking on the links provided.
TIP…please have your child keep $4 in his/her locker as an emergency lunch fund. This will ensure your child has money to cover the cost of a regular school lunch.
New Online Free and Reduced Application System
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Parents may continue to complete paper applications
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Applications may also be completed online at https://schoolmealapp.com
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Parents must have their student’s Student ID Number to complete the online application process
INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL
The Parent Portal gives parents and guardians immediate access to important student information such as grades, schedules, and attendance. It also allows parents/guardians to view their household contact information and student emergency contacts, and they can request updates to this information directly from the Portal.
Creating Your Account
If you need to set up your Parent Portal account for the first time, you will need to call Plaza to get your activation key (GUID). Once you have this key, use the guide below to enter this key and create your username and password. Each parent and/or guardian has their own username and password.
Parent Portal Setup Guide - En Español
Forgot your password?
If you forget your Parent Portal password, click the Forgot Your Password? link under the Sign In button on the Parent Portal login page. You will be prompted to enter your username and a recovery email will be sent to your primary email on file.
Forgot your username?
If you forget your Parent Portal username, click the Forgot Your Username link under the Sign In button on the Parent Portal login page. You will be prompted to enter a recovery email address - this must match the recovery email entered when you created your portal account. Usually this is defaults to your primary email on file.
If you are unable to log into your Parent Portal after following these steps, call the Help Desk at 816-359-5000, M-F 7am-5pm.
CAR & BUS TRANSPORATION INFORMATION
Car Riders
Please drop off and pick up students in the front of the school along the sidewalk closest to the building. Pull all the way up to the “Car Rider Drop Off” sign. We ask that you do not drop your student off before 7:25 am, we do not have staff supervision prior to this time. During dismissal, a Plaza staff member will be monitoring the pick-up process each day to ensure students are supervised and to assist with the loading of students. We do not use student identification signs at Plaza; therefore you will not need a car placard with your student’s name.
Bus Transportation News & Emergency Bus Passes
In early August, families should receive an email detailing bus information including stop location, pick-up time and bus number. If First Student does not have a valid email address for any family, then a letter will be mailed. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s bus transportation, please contact First Student at 816.741.4023 or at Kay.Burnos@firstgroup.com. First Student will respond to e-mails or messages within a 24-hour period.
Emergency bus passes will only be given to students to ride home with another student in an emergency type of situation; for example, a parent/guardian will not be home and supervision is needed for their student. The office will need to be contacted prior to 2:00 pm so the bus pass may be issued to the student before dismissal.