Orchard Drive Family Newsletter
April 2024
Important Dates
- 3/27-4/10: Orchard My Daddy's Cheesecake Fundraiser
- 3/29-4/7: No School, Spring Break
- 4/8: School Resumes, Solar Eclipse Viewing (see details below)
- 4/9: Kindergarten Music Concert 6:00 pm
- 4/10: Seis Amigos Fundraiser
- 4/11: 3rd Grade Field Trip; Jackson Reads Event 5:30-7:00; 1st Grade Music Concert 6:00; 3rd Grade Music Concert 7:00
- 4/12: Orchard Mart 7:45 am; 2nd Grade Field Trip
- 4/15-4/24: Luna's Moonsicle Fundraiser (PTO)
- 4/17: Kindergarten Lunch Bunch 11:15-11:55
- 4/18: 1st Grade Lunch Bunch 11:15-11:55, 2nd Grade Lunch Bunch 12:05-12:45
- 4/19: 3rd Grade Lunch Bunch 11:40-12:20; 4th Grade Lunch Bunch 12:30-1:10
- 4/22: Cheesecake Fundraiser Pickup
- 4/24: 3rd Grade Farm Day Field Trip
- 4/26: No School; Professional Development Day
- 4/29-5/3: MAP and iReady Testing Spirit Week (see details below)
- 4/30: PTO Meeting at 6:30 pm
A Message from Nurse Emily
Happy Spring!! I am so glad warmer weather is on its way!!
What Is Going Around: This time of the year we tend to see an increase in Stomach Viruses, Pink Eye, and Strep throat. If your child has any symptoms please keep them home or call me for guidance. The best way to stop the spread is staying home when sick, washing hands, and cleaning frequently used surfaces. These are not the only viruses/illnesses going around but are the most common at this time. It is also allergy season. If your child has seasonal allergies please be sure to treat them with their allergy medications as advised by their doctor.
Parents, if your child needs sunscreen, please make sure they are applying before they come to school. The school does not supply sunscreen or aloe. Also, please have your child continue to bring a water bottle to school to stay hydrated during the warmer weather! Just make sure the water bottles are being cleaned with hot water and soap daily to prevent spread of illnesses (especially, strep!).
Counselor Corner
Happy Spring Break!
When we get back, it is going to be full speed ahead to the end of the year! Counseling will begin to wind down with class lessons. As state testing coordinator, I will be shifting to MAP test mode at the end of April to prepare all supplies and test tickets for third and fourth graders.
There are only three more counseling lessons all year!
Here are the lesson topics for April:
Kindergarten- problem solving & safe choices
First Grade- self-control & conflict resolution
Second Grade- social skills & integrity
Third Grade- calming strategies (test relaxation) & healthy summer habits (avoiding being a couch potato)
Fourth Grade- calming strategies (test relaxation) & middle school transition
We will have one final counseling lesson in May to conclude the year.
If you have a student in third or fourth grade, I highly recommend writing a letter of encouragement for them for MAP testing. A letter lets them know you believe in them and are cheering them on from home. You can give this to your student’s teacher to keep safe until MAP test begins.
Have a great spring break! I look forward to finishing the year strong with all of you!
Respectfully,
Rachel Lasher, NCC
Food Service Information
District Information
Proposition T Information
Parent-Teacher Organization
Upcoming Meeting Information
The 4th Quarter Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 30th at 6:30 pm in the Orchard Library. Free childcare will be provided during the meeting. The major topic of discussion will be Playday planning! We hope you can join us!
Orchard Mart
This is a school store where students can purchase special pencils, pens, stickers, suckers, etc. It will be from 7:45-8:15 am on the 2nd and 4th Fridays. Feel free to send money with your child if they would like to purchase something from Orchard Mart on these dates.
Bingo/Auction Fundraiser
If your child won a class party or teacher experience, we will begin scheduling these soon! Contact orchardelempto@gmail.com with any questions about auction items you won.
Bingo Fun
PTO Bingo/Auction Planning Committee
Silent Auction Items
Upcoming ODE Events
Solar Eclipse
Music Concerts
Here is the schedule for the upcoming spring music concerts:
- Kindergarten: 4/9 at 6:00 pm
- 1st Grade: 4/11 at 6:00 pm
- 3rd Grade: 4/11 at 7:00 pm
Please see the fliers below for more information about each concert, including what to wear and what time to arrive.
Lunch Bunch
We invite families to eat with their student(s) and play on the playground during their lunch bunch time! Families can eat with their student(s) in the cafeteria, in the outdoor classroom or under the pavilion. Seats tend to fill up fast in these locations. With that being said, please bring a blanket/folding chairs so you could also spread out in the grass on the playground.
While this is a fun time for families to eat and play with their student(s), we ask that students return to the classroom after lunch bunch. Students will still have either a math or reading block of instruction time in the afternoon. For this reason, it is important that our students return to class after lunch and recess ends.
The schedule is included below. We look forward to seeing you at lunch bunch!
MAP/iReady Spirit Week
End-of-year testing will begin soon! All students in Grades K-4 will take the iReady Diagnostic. All students in Grades 3-4 will also take the MAP Test. We will celebrate the students' hard work and spread excitement for the upcoming assessments with a spirit week! See details below.
Orchard Summer School (June 5-27)
Jackson R-2 is proud to offer a FREE summer school program for students entering kindergarten through fourth grades in the fall of 2024. The program is designed to provide educational enrichment activities that expand upon what was taught during the school year. Our summer school dates will be June 5-27 (No School on June 19), a total of 16 days, for incoming kindergarten through fourth-grade students. Summer school for students in Orchard attendance area will be held at Orchard this summer.
We encourage all students to attend for a rewarding experience. Each grade level will have its own special activities!
Our incoming kindergarten through fourth-grade students will be served breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is $1.75 and lunch is $2.90. Parents may drop students off no earlier than 7:30 in the mornings. Incoming kindergarten through fourth-grade classes attend 8:00 a.m. - 3:10 p.m. the full 16 days for Summer School.
Transportation is not provided for our summer school program. After School Kids Club is available during summer school - see more information and sign up here.
If you are interested in additional child care that follows the summer school program, we will be hosting July Camp Kids’ Club at West Lane Elementary, July 1-August 2, 2024 (closed July 4-5). July Camp Kids’ Club enrollment will be open April 1, 2024. You can view more information and sign up here.
Dates for Jackson R-2 Summer Program Opportunities:
School Year Ends: May 23 at noon
Full Day Kids’ Club Program: May 28, 29, 30, 31, June 3, 4 for a fee of $30 per day at West Lane Elementary. See Kids’ Club website for more information.
FREE Summer School: June 5-27 (no school June 19)
July Camp Kids’ Club: July 1-August 2 (closed July 4-5)
24-25 School Year Starts: August 19, 2023
Community Events
Jackson High School Blood Drive
Jackson High School is hosting a blood drive with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, April 10th from 8AM-2PM. Please see click the link below for more information on how to sign-up.
Preparing for the 2024-2025 School Year!
Important Dates to Note for the 24-25 School Year
- August 5th: Kamp Kindergarten from 6-7:30 PM at Orchard (this event is for all incoming kindergarten students and their families)
- August 13th: Open House from 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM
- October 17th and 22nd: Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4-7PM
- October 31st: Orchard Fall Parties in the afternoon
- December 19th: Orchard Winter Parties in the afternoon
- February 14th: Orchard Valentine's Parties in the afternoon
- March 13th and 18th: Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4-7 PM
Dates of music concerts, track and field day, etc, will be set this summer.
Fundraisers
My Daddy's Cheesecakes PTO Fundraiser
This fundraiser will run from March 27 - April 10. Orders will be ready for pickup on April 22nd. Please see the order form below.
Seis Amigos Fundraiser
We are excited to partner with Seis Amigos to raise money for our school on Tuesday, April 10th! Present this ticket with your order and a percentage of all sales on this date will be donated back to our school.
Luna's Moonsicle PTO Fundraiser
Stay tuned for more details regarding this fundraiser!
Other Information
PBIS Spotlight
PBIS Monthly Spotlight:
Each week, we have a building-wide focus of a PBIS expectation. See the complete list of expectations below. Teachers take time each day to review these expectations, show videos, discuss scenarios, etc. to help students learn these skills.
April Pride Ticket Incentive
When students follow expectations, they earn positive praise through verbal recognition, pride tickets, etc. Once a week in April, we have a special incentive for students who are following expectations. This will be the April Egg Incentive! If students earn a special, pride ticket with this image on it, they can earn a special chocolate egg treat from the office!
Morning Dropoff Procedures
Here are some reminders about our morning dropoff procedures. Thank you for your cooperation!
- Please ensure that only Lane 1 (closest to the building) is utilized in order to ensure student safety. Please pull all the way up to the dropoff sign that is on the sidewalk in order to get as many cars off the street and into the dropoff lane as possible.
- If you need to park, or get out of the car to assist your child with exiting the car, please utilize the front parking lot in order to keep the traffic flow moving.
- Please ensure you are supervising your children if you arrive at Orchard before 7:30 AM. Your child should either remain in the car with you, or stand next to you if you choose to wait outside. Orchard staff members begin supervision duties at 7:30 AM. Thank you for helping us keep students safe!
Morning Dropoff Procedures:
You will enter the drop-off lane closest to the Springview Rd/Orchard Dr. entrance. There will be signs that direct you to pull up to a certain location before you stop your car to let your student out. This means you will drive past the front doors of the building before you stop. Please, follow these signs which indicate where to pull forward. It is important that we are able to move as much traffic as possible off of the street which is why we need everyone to follow the procedures. There will be staff members on duty out front to help with the flow of traffic from 7:30 AM-8:30 AM.
During drop-off, we will only use 1 lane, like in years previous. Families will only drop students off in the lane closest to the building. In order to help traffic move as smoothly as possible, please park in the parking lot if your child needs help getting out of the car in the morning.
If your child arrives after 8:30 AM, you will need to come into the building with your student to sign them in.
Car Rider Dismissal
Water Bottles
After School Kids Club
Hello JR2 Parents,
Our Full Day Kids’ Club Program will be offering childcare for ALL preschool-6th grade students on certain days that the district is off of school. Our Full Day Kids’ Club program operates 7:30 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Please see the details below to confirm FDKC building location. All students must bring a sack lunch and a water bottle. We provide an afternoon and morning snack. No walk-ins allowed.
You must enroll and pay for your child to attend Full Day Kids’ Club by the deadlines set for each date. The cost is $30 per day, (any additional children are $25 each). ALL enrollment and payments are due before 4:30 p.m on the designated due date listed below.
To enroll, please click (or paste in your browser) the link below
https://www.ezchildtrack.com/JR2kidsclub/parent
The upcoming Full Day Kids’ Club dates offered:
April 26 : DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for this date is April 12, 2024.
April 26 Full Day Kids’ Club WILL BE HOSTED AT SOUTH ELEMENTARY.
Enrollments/payments received after April 12, will result in a $20 late fee per student.
If you cancel your enrollment after April 12, no refund will be available.
May 28, 29, 30, 31, June 3 & 4: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for this date is May 10, 2024
May 28, 29, 30, 31, June 3 & 4 Full Day Kids’ Club WILL BE HOSTED AT WEST LANE.
If you cancel your enrollment after May 10, no refund will be available.
Enrollments/payments received after May 10, will result in a $20 late fee per student.
For any questions, please email the Kids’ Club Assistant Elizabeth Greenlee at egreenlee@jr2mail.org
or call the Kids Club Office 573-243-9576
Thank you for trusting us with our children! Mandee
Orchard Drive Elementary
Email: czirges@jr2mail.org
Website: https://odes.jacksonr2schools.com/
Location: 1402 Orchard Dr, Jackson, MO 63755, USA
Phone: (573) 243-9555
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orcharddriveelementary