News from RStar
Week of October 8th
Want to Recognize A Staff Member?!
Staff Shout Out Thank You!
APEX Fun Run is HERE!
Library/MakerSpace Support
Help/Volunteering Wanted
Star Points Reading Program
The Star Points Reading program has launched at Rising Star! This is a new way that students can engage with new books and earn Star Points with the great books they are already reading. Students in grades 3-6 have already been introduced on how to log reading minutes and to create fun and informative video reviews to share the great experiences with the books they have read! K-2 students will join in the Star Points fun in October, so please stay tuned!
Please visit the official Rising Star Library page at http://rstar512library.weebly.com and click on the “Star Points Reading” page to find what follows:
- Star Points Program Information Packet & Video
- Star Points Reading Log
- Video Examples
Please continue to ask your child about their class goal! Have fun reading and making!
We Both Read Books for Pre-K through 2nd Grade
- WHO: Pre-K through 2nd grade
- WHAT: The We Both Read series is designed to be read with a parent or other adult taking turns. One page has text for a developing reader and the next has more complex sentences and vocabulary for the adult. These books are meant to be enjoyed together! We have books in English and Spanish! We have fiction and non-fiction titles.
- WHERE: Students should return the We Both Read books in their plastic folders to school. The check-out cart will come to grade level pods.
- WHEN: Tuesday & Thursday mornings starting Oct. 9, Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students will be able to check out new titles.
- WHY: Reading together is FUN! The more reading we do with our students the better….. Reading together provides a chance for students to practice and develop skills, and it allows parents and children to talk about what they’re reading together.
- HOW: If your family would like to start checking out and reading the We Both Read series of books, please email joyjones@smsd.org to get additional information.
New exclusion policies for Flu and Mumps
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued new requirements for Isolation and Quarantine of Infectious or Contagious Diseases.
New this year:
- Influenza: Physician diagnosed cases of influenza will be excluded from school attendance for 7 days following the onset of illness.
- Mumps: Students who have not received age appropriate immunization for mumps will be excluded from day 12 to day 25 after exposure to the infectious case. (In the past there was an opportunity for students to be immunized within 24 hours of being notified of exposure, it is now an automatic exclusion.).
Fun Band-Aids
Self-Carry Medical Forms
Accessing Skyward Health Information
Dear Families,
In case you aren’t familiar with how to access your students health information, here is a brief description. In Skyward Family Access, on the left hand side, scroll down to “health info” and click on the link. Across the top, you will see a blue underlined link that says “display options.”
You can select any of the following options:
- Show Health Conditions – this will display any known health conditions the student has. If you find errors or omissions, please let me know.
- Show Dental Records – this will show yearly dental screening results
- Show Office Visits – this will show unscheduled visits students make to the nurse’s office.
- Show Tests – this will show vision and hearing screening results
- Show Vaccinations – this will display your child’s immunizations on file with the school
If your student has SCHEDULED visits to the nurse’s office for daily medication, blood glucose checks, catheterization, hearing aid checks, etc., those are not reflected under “office visits.” Those visits show up under a medication and/or procedure tab that at this time is not available in Skyward Family Access for parents to view.
Please know that if your student has an urgent or critical health issue, you will be notified. Unfortunately because of the high volume of students seen in the nurse’s office, it isn’t possible to notify each parent of every student visit. That’s why it is important for you to be able to access “office visit” information for your student.
MVP - Volunteer Support
As of September 24th, SMSD is NO longer requiring fingerprints.
- If you HAVE attended a training AND HAVE BEEN fingerprinted, you DO NOT need to do anything further.
- If you have ONLY done the training, BUT have not been fingerprinted please complete the form from the link below for your security clearance marked 2).
- If you HAVE NOT begun the MVP Volunteer process, please complete both 1) and 2).
The MVP process has changed. Two steps are now required to complete the MVP process:
1) Attend an in-person training.
- Visit https://www.smsd.org/families/volunteer-mvp for currently scheduled sessions.
- Note: Tuesday morning sessions at CAA require a reservation—seating is limited.
- Email volunteer@smsd.org for more information.
2) Visit Validity Screening to complete the online, background screening process. This information will be provided at the training.
- If you have already completed the required training, visit this link to complete the process.
E-mail volunteer@smsd.org or call (913) 993-8750 for more information.
All-Spanish MVP Training
An all-Spanish MVP Training session will be held on October 9 at 6pm at Brookridge Elementary, 9920 Lowell Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212. Spanish speaking parents/guardians from all attendance areas are welcome.
El 9 de octubre a las 6:00 p.m. en la Escuela Primaria Brookridge, 9920 Lowell Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212, se llevará a cabo una sesión de capacitación para padres Hispanos MVP (“My Volunteer Pal” “Mi Amigo Voluntario”). Se aceptan padres / tutores de habla hispana de todas las escuelas.
FOOD SERVICE….Did you know…………
Did you know that breakfast is available each day at your student’s school? Eating a nutritious breakfast helps students achieve the classroom goals set for them. National studies consistently confirm that breakfast helps kids concentrate, think, behave and learn. Eating breakfast:
- improves children's classroom performance, including better test scores and grades
- increases children's ability to focus and concentrate on school work
- decreases behavior problems, tardiness and visits to the school nurse
- increases attendance rates
- decreases risk of food insecurity and hunger that impair development and learning
- may protect against childhood obesity
If it is difficult to fit breakfast into your morning routine, breakfast is available in all schools. A student must choose a full portion of at least three different items to receive a reimbursable school breakfast. One of the three items must be ½ cup of fruit or juice. Breakfast items include: protein, grain, fruit/juice, and milk.
Don’t forget – if your child receives free or reduced meals, they are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch per day as part of this benefit. All breakfast and lunch meal choices are available for all students regardless of eligibility status.
The school breakfast menus, lunch menus, and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at http://foodservices.smsd.org
Chat & Chew Books & Dates
Books can be found in our Rising Star Library, in most teacher’s classrooms, at the Johnson County Library & of course on Amazon or in brick & mortar stores. If you choose to purchase the books for your student, please consider donating them at the end of the year so that we can have more copies available to lend out each year. Donated books can be given to Mr. Wilson in the library. Thank you!
*Chat & Chew Party: Those students who have read & attended at least 3 Chat & Chew book sessions are invited to bring their lunch & their favorite book to share with their peers.
(Chat & Chew is held in the classroom during the student’s lunch period)
PTA Reflections Contest
The PTA Reflections Contest is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program to encourage artistic creativity in the classroom and at home. Students of all grades and abilities may participate and explore the arts based on the current year's theme. This year's theme is "Heroes Around Me."
Only new and original works inspired by the theme "Heroes Around Me" will be accepted. Enter in 1 or more of the following categories:
- Dance Choreography
- Film Production
- Literature
- Music Composition
- Photography
- Visual Arts
Go to WWW.reflectionscontest.doodlekit.com for your Entry and Official Rules! Submit your Reflections entry to Rising Star Office by October 15th!
West is Best Scholarship Fund
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Website: https://risingstar.smsd.org/
Location: 8600 Candlelight Lane, Lenexa, KS 66215
Phone: (913) 993-4500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RStar512/
Twitter: @RStar512