Construction on our building officially began December 21st, 2022 and continues through August 2023. This will result in the front main entrance and parking lot being closed for the rest of the school year. Beginning January 4th, 2023, buses will use the gym entrance and car riders and walkers will use the doors on the east end of our building to enter and exit the school. Please DO NOT drop students off on N. Walrond Ave. See the map below. The main changes include:

• Car Riders: We will load and unload 8 cars at a time from westbound 67th Terrace. For safety reasons, all students must enter and exit on the passenger side of their vehicles.

• Walkers and Bikes: All walkers will also enter and exit the building using the east doors. The bike rack will be moved to the area near the east doors as well.

• Sidewalks: Car riders and walkers should use the sidewalks at all times.

• Temporary Office: A temporary office station will be set-up at the gym entrance. Staff welcome car riders and walkers at the east entrance doors until 9:15 am. If you arrive after 9:15am, you should bring your child to the gym entrance for a late check-in at the temporary office station. If you arrive late to pick-up your child after the car rider line is finished, you should come to the gym entrance to sign-out your child. Parents visiting the school anytime during the school day should also enter the building at the gym entrance doors.

Hope everyone had a great holiday break! The winter months are upon us and staying healthy is so important. Using hand sanitizer and washing hands frequently can help prevent the spread of germs, but, if your child struggles with dry, cracked hands in the winter, sanitizing may be especially hard on their hands this year. Investing in a good hypoallergenic lotion may be a good plan.

In order to try and maintain good spirits during the winter months, it is important to maintain healthy habits. Eating a balanced diet full of nutrients and staying hydrated is key. It can be hard to stay active in the winter time for both children and adults alike, but exercise can help release endorphins that will help you stay happy and upbeat even when it’s cold and dark outside!

As we get further into cold and flu season we'd like to send a "Thank You" to you all for your continued help in keeping our school safe and healthy. Our Chapel Hill parents continue to do an AMAZING job letting our front office know of illness-related absences and keeping your children home when they are sick. This helps us better be able to limit in-school exposure and transmission of the Covid-19 virus. Thank you for your help with this and we would very much appreciate your continued support in this area. If in doubt, give our front office a call at (816)321-5040. Together, we can stay healthy and safe.

On another note, please consider donating your child’s unused or unwanted clothing to the Chapel Hill Nurse’s office. We are in need of pants for both boys and girls, smaller sizes preferred.

Lastly, it is with a very heavy heart to have to tell you that I have decided to step down from my position as Chapel Hill’s nurse and will not be returning after Christmas break. This was a very difficult decision for me as I will miss many of the students that I see on a daily basis. I wish you all a safe, happy and healthy new year, and as always, thank you for entrusting me with the care of your students.

Nurse Stacy

Note: We currently have a sub nurse providing services to our students in the Health Room. If you need assistance, please contact the Health Room at (816)321-5043 or our main office at (816)32-5040.

This is the time of year when activities and the holidays may be taking up time and energy for
reading books together with your child at home. But as the school months roll along, we want
to encourage you to maintain the practice of reading aloud to your child and listening to them
read at least portions of the book they are reading for class so you can discuss the books
together. Research has repeatedly proven that read-alouds increase love of and motivation for reading, general knowledge of the world, vocabulary, empathy, and the likelihood that reading will become a lifelong habit. Taking the time to discuss the lessons or information learned in a book increases understanding and reinforces what they have learned.
We are tempted as our older students can read on their own to let them do so and drop the
habit of reading with them. It turns out to be very helpful to their growth as a reader (and as a
person) to talk about what they are reading and its impact on them personally. All kids still love to be read to as well, so during these cold months before they want to be playing outside again, make it a valued time of coziness and connection as you read to them or talk to them about what you and they are reading.
From the Reading Support Teachers
Sherrie Brown
Laura Swofford

NKC Schools families:

As we look ahead to the winter months, it is time to share a few updates regarding NKC Schools’ inclement weather plans for this 2022-23 school year. Our goal, as always, is to ensure the safety of all during inclement weather events while minimizing disruption to students’ learning. If weather conditions or other unexpected, short-term events make it unsafe for students to attend in person, the district has several options: school may start two hours late, students may be released early, students may learn virtually, or in-person classes may be canceled entirely due to inclement weather.

This year, we have continued to navigate the lasting impacts of COVID-19. In direct response to your feedback and in recognition of the challenges of another unusual year, we have a few adjustments to our inclement weather procedures:

The first three inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no in-person or virtual classes. It is our hope that our students, families and staff will use these days to rest, relax and recharge! Enrichment activities will be accessible online should your family wish to continue learning from home, but there is not an expectation that students nor teachers log in on snow days. These days may be required to be made up. Potential make up days are included at the end of the school year in May as the calendar denotes.

Beginning with the fourth inclement weather day, if needed, we will implement virtual learning days. Similar to last school year, all students in grades K-12 will be expected to log in to Canvas and continue learning online. Teachers will work from home to support student learning. Preschool families will also receive further communication on these virtual learning days. These days would not be required to be made up by students.

Please see additional information regarding virtual learning expectations, athletics and activities, Adventure Club, and more on our district website at nkcschools.org/weather.

In the case of a change to normal school operation due to inclement weather, families and staff will be notified as soon as possible in several ways:

· District website: nkcschools.org provides the first notification of school closings and other cancellations.

· Email, phone call & text message: Phone, email and optional text messages are sent to school families and employees when classes are canceled, delayed or students are released early. To opt-in to receive text messages, text “YES” to 67587. · Social media: Information will be posted on the district’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

· Radio & TV: Local stations share announcements on air and on their websites.

If you have further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the district through Let’s Talk. We are looking forward to a safe and uneventful Kansas City winter!