Tiger Tales
March 2022
Principal's Message
Stevenson Families,
Conferences: Thank you for your partnership during conferences. Over 85% of our families attended conferences. If you missed your conference, you can always call, email, or message your child's teacher. Conferences focused on strengths, assets, and growth.
Drop-off/pick-up: We have had a number of inquiries about the drop-off/pick-up changes. Changes were made due to collisions of cars and safety concerns for children, parents, and staff. We greatly appreciate all of the families that are working with us to make this more safe and also faster for all. Please remember:
- School opens and staff start supervising at 8:55 am
- Drop off/pick up at the curb only or park in a parking space and walk children
Do you have an upcoming kindergarten student for 2022-2023? If so, please attend Kindergarten Round Up on Monday, March 7th from 5:30 -6:30 at Stevenson. Families will meet teachers, hear about kindergarten, meet Integrity the Tiger, and get a bag of goodies to prepare students for kindergarten!
Kindly,
Veronica Mathison
Stevenson Elementary Principal
763-502-5301
Change to Mask Policy
With the steady decline in positive COVID-19 cases related to the omicron variant, Fridley Public Schools-like many school districts, cities and counties across the state and country-is reviewing our COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Anoka County is currently experiencing less than 10% of the number of cases we saw in late January. The shared commitment of our community to reducing the spread has brought us to a much healthier point, and that is something we should all be proud of.
The following guidelines will be used regarding mask wearing in Fridley Public Schools beginning Monday, March 7:
Masks strongly recommended:
- K - 12 students, staff and visitors to buildings, including on school buses.
Masks required:
- Pre-K students and staff located in the Fridley Community Center, as children ages 4 and below are not yet eligible for a vaccination.
- Students and staff returning to school on days six through 10 following a positive COVID-19 test.
Health experts believe the most effective protection from serious COVID-19 illness remains vaccination. As always, students and staff should stay home when they are ill. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 rates in our community, and decisions to reinstate masking requirements will be made building by building and dependent on the current level of spread in an individual school.
Important Dates in March
March 1: Intro to Kindergarten in Fridley (online)
March 7: Kindergarten Round-Up at Stevenson (5:30-6:30)
March 10: RLS PTO Meeting (6:30-7:00 p.m.)
March 21-25: No School Spring Break
College & Career Month
March is College and Career Month at Stevenson!
- Students will be participating in lessons about their futures!
- We are asking family members to share information about their careers on the Flipgrid below!
- Get ready for an epic dress up week-College and Career style!
What is your career?
What school subjects do you use in your career?
What other skills do you use in your career?
Other fun facts?
College & Career Spirit Week! March 14-18
2022 Bus Poster Contest!
COVID-19 Tests Available
If your student is experiencing covid symptoms and is learning from home, based on those symptoms, you may contact our health office for a Vault saliva test. These tests are done with someone over video and you must be able to drop off at UPS yourself.
You may also dial: US +1 337-886-5278 PIN: 119 998 686#
Book Fair
Early Bird Choir Concert!
Grade Level Updates!
Kindergarten!
February has been a month of fun and celebration in Kindergarten. We honored love and friendship for Valentine’s Day, celebrated our 100th day of school, and have been celebrating historical black figures that have influenced our life. It is also I Love to Read Month! We look forward to celebrating with dressing as our favorite book characters this week!
First Grade!
In our specials for Gym, 1st grade got to do a full hour of snowshoeing down to Islands of Peace Park. Classrooms teachers joined in on the fun!
Second Grade!
Some second graders met our new therapy dog Sugar!
She is so sweet and loves attention!
We can't wait until she visits us again!
Third Grade!
Third Grade went snowshoeing at Springbrook!
They also made cards for the Estates in Fridley that were delivered on Valentine’s Day to the residents and celebrated 2's day on 2/22/22!
Fourth Grade!
The fourth graders continue to work hard. We recently finished our division unit in math and are moving onto our next unit involving algebraic thinking. In reading we are developing our understanding of cause and effect relationships and currently learning about pourquoi tales. These are fun short stories that explain why something in nature is the way it is. In unit of inquiry we are finishing up our study of the regions with our culminating project of state reports. In writing we are working on developing thesis statements and supporting them with evidence. We are looking forward to some warmer weather!
Early Pickups/Change of Transporation
Nutritional Services Update
PEBT (Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer) Program 3.0
- The P-EBT program this year is very different than it's been in the past. This year, funds are only provided to students who have qualified for free/reduced price meals and who have a COVID related absence.
2021-22 Eligibility to Receive Benefits
- Families must have completed an Application for Educational Benefits and been approved for free/reduced priced meals for the 2021-22 school year.
- A student is eligible to receive benefits for COVID related absences once they have been approved for free/reduced price meals for the 2021-22 school year.
- Expect benefits from the first day of eligibility - January 31, 2022, to be distributed by the end of February 2022. Additional benefits will be sent to families in April and June.
- Families who received P-EBT benefits last year - the money will be added to their P-EBT card
- Call the P-EBT Call Center to replace a lost card $2
- Families who did not receive P-EBT benefits last year - will receive a card in the mail
- Families can contact the P-EBT Call Center at P-EBT Call Center at 651-431-4608 or 1-833-454-0153 for fill out a P-EBT help form at https://pebthelp.state.mn.us/.
General Information about P-EBT
- Minnesota has a website to help answer general questions about P-EBT and this can be accessed at https://pebthelp.state.mn.us/
- The help form and P-EBT Call Center information is also listed on this form.
- If a family has a question about if they are approved for Free/Reduced priced meals, please have them contact Kathy Backstrom at 763-502-5021 or Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022
- If a family needs to change an email, phone number of primary parent/guardian or has questions about absences, please have them contact Suzanne Gallagher at 763-502-5085
Nutritional Services Updates
Nutritional Services is providing free breakfast and lunch to all students this year according to the USDA waiver for the 2021-22 school year. Please encourage your student to try a new menu item or to eat meals with us. Menus can be found on the district web site. Please note that all students are required to take a 1/2 cup fruit or vegetable at breakfast and lunch per the USDA regulations. If your child just wants a milk to drink with their cold lunch, that has a cost of $0.55 and your student needs to have money in their lunch account. Students must also have money in their lunch account to purchase Ala Carte items at the Middle and High School. Cash or check can be turned into the school's main office or given to Kathy Backstrom in the District Office or paid online using a credit or debit card on the Campus ap or website.
Even though breakfast and lunch are free this year, we still have families with an outstanding meal debit from previous school years. Please check your students lunch balance and it you have questions, please contact Kathy Backstrom.
Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day.
Attendance
Excused Absences (common examples)
- Illness
- Serious illness in the student's immediate family
- Death/Funeral in immediate family/friend/relative
- Medical/dental/orthodontic/counseling appointments
- Family emergencies
- Family Vacations
Unexcused Absences (common examples)
- Oversleeping
- Traffic
- Forgetting we have school today
- Missing the school bus
District Treat Policy
Please see policy below-
Fridley Public School District Policy 533 Student Wellness prohibits parents and families from bringing birthday or celebratory treats such as cupcakes, cookies, cake, chips, and juice into the school. Instead, to celebrate special events, parents often send non-food items, such as stickers, pencils and erasers that their child can share with his or her classmates.
Transportation
Students will receive a bus referral if they do not:
- Stay in assigned seat during bus ride
- Use kind words
- Keep their hands to themselves and body safe
- Listen to instructions from the driver
- If a student receives 3 referrals, the 4th referral results in a 3-day bus suspension and additional suspensions if needed.
We would greatly appreciate your support in talking with your children about how we can make the bus a safe and enjoyable place for all of the riders and the driver.
Need weekend meals? Contact our school social worker, Cait Ostman at 763-502-5304.
School Hours for 2021-2022
Student arrival begins 8:55 a.m.
Free breakfast will be served in classrooms 8:55 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.
School day starts at 9:10 a.m.
(Students entering after 9:10 will be marked tardy.)
Dismissal is 3:45 p.m.
R.L. Stevenson Elementary
Email: Veronica.mathison@fridley.k12.mn.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/isd14.org/stevensone-learning/home
Location: 6080 East River Road, Fridley, MN, USA
Phone: 7635025300