BE in the Know ~Parent Edition

Dear Parents,

We hope this e-newsletter arrives as you and your family are enjoying a relaxing summer and gearing up for the new school year! Before you know it, the students’ summer break will be over and you will be making important back to school preparations.

My name is Dr. April Hawkins and I am honored to serve as your child's principal alongside Mr. Jared Howerton, our school's Assistant Principal. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Buchanan Elementary for an exciting and challenging school year!

Kindergarten parents, we are also very excited about your child’s arrival to Buchanan Elementary and starting this educational journey with us! We’re confident you will enjoy your educational experiences with an outstanding faculty and staff ready to serve you and your child’s needs.

To provide you with all your back to school, need to know details, please take some time to check out all the information below!

Here's a quick list of what you can expect to read so you can BE in the Know:

• Enrollment to do's/instructions

• Kindergarten Orientation, K Meet the Teacher, and Kindergarten Screening info

• Immunization information for Kindergartners
• Grades 1-12 Open House

• First day of school info

• Transportation information with drop off and pick up procedures along with campus maps

• Food Service Information

• Before & After School Care Partnerships Available (Prime Time and Boys and Girls Club)

• Chromebook Accident Protection Form (You will need your child's lunch pin to complete this)

• School Supply List
  

• District Calendar
  

We are pleased to announce that the district will continue to offer returning student registration through Parent Portal for the 23-24 school year. This process streamlines our procedures and provides our returning families with a more convenient way to share student information. All returning students should re-enroll online through parent portal. A valid e-mail address is also required as a means of communication between you and your school.

Proof of residency in the district (i.e. utility bill, real estate contract, property tax, rent receipt) will only be required if a change of address has occurred from the previous school year (or if you are new to our building) and will need to be received asap or by August 14. You may submit these items to Buchanan Elementary via regular mail, dropping off at our school office, faxing 417-334-6613, or emailing blankenshipb@branson.k12.mo.us.

For step-by-step re-enrollment instructions, click below for details in:

English

Spanish

Kindergarten Orientation will be August 11 from 9:30-11 a.m. Families will have the opportunity to rotate to four stations which will include:

• Hear an overview of what to expect in K from the principal, Dr. April Hawkins (while experiencing the library). Kindergarteners will engage in a read aloud.
• Hear additional updates from our Assistant Principal, Mr. Jared Howerton (while experiencing a typical classroom) and kindergartners will engage in an activity and check out a classroom across the hall.
• Kindergartners will take a ride on the school bus ~This will be a short ride on campus~ We kindly ask that you only send one adult. Thanks!
• Check out the cafeteria and enjoy a donut while parents have access to sign up for transportation services, put money on lunch accounts, provide medications to the school nurse, and visit with Boys & Girls Club or YMCA representatives about wrap around childcare services available.

Also, near the end of the first week in August, Kindergarten teachers will begin calling families to set up an appointment for an individualized meet and greet with each family. Kindergarten teachers will schedule these meet the teacher times by appointment on August 11, 12, and the 15th.

Finally, if your child still needs to be screened, we have additional screening dates scheduled August 2- August 4. Please note these screenings will be held at Cedar Ridge Primary. Please call Robin Mackey in the Parents As Teachers Office 417-336-1887, ext. 6135 at the Primary to schedule an appointment. Para español por favor comunicarse con Janette Etz, 417-336-1887, ext. 6132.

We hope to see you at Kindergarten Orientation and look forward to meeting you this fall!

Open House will be 2:30- 6:30 p.m. on August 21. Families who have completed registration through the Parent Portal will receive a "fast pass" to head straight to their assigned classroom to meet their new teacher. Learners are also welcome to place school supplies in lockers and desks at this time.

Representatives from our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), food service, transportation, and various community organizations such as YMCA and Boys and Girls Club will also be available to answer questions and offer additional assistance.

For district back-to-school information, click below for:

English

Spanish

Prime Time, a before & after school childcare program, coordinated in partnership with the YMCA of Hollister, is provided for students in grades K-6 on the beautiful Buchanan Elementary campus. For more information you may contact Logan Strong by calling 417-337-9622 ext. 2503 or by emailing lstrong@orymca.org.

Boys and Girls Club is another option you might consider should you need wrap around childcare services. For more information, please contact the Boys and Girls Club directly by calling (417) 335-2089. For your convenience, we have linked their registration form here, however, it will need to be turned in to the Boys and Girls Club in Branson.

The first day of school will be Wednesday, August 23. We will begin learning at 8:40 a.m. and will dismiss at 3:40 p.m.

Thank you in advance for allowing your child to ride the bus or dropping them off (allowing staff to guide or escort them into the building) on day 1. As a headsup and for safety and security measures, families will not be allowed to escort their child to classrooms on the first day. This will also help us logistically get learning started quicker as we will have a fast day to prepare them for learning school procedures, breakfast and lunch protocols, combined with going through a mock dismissal with learners so they know how they are going home day 1. (Please make sure your child and their teacher knows how they are going home day 1 but also, everday! Thanks!) As mentioned above, please join us at Open House to meet teachers, see the school, help children bring in school supplies, etc.

For bus riders: Please make sure you have signed up for transportation services through the Parent Portal. Representatives from the transportation department will be onsite during open house if you have specific transportation questions. **Please be advised that children are not allowed to change back and forth from bus rider to car pickups (on a day by day/ week by week occurance) throughout the year unless their is an extenuiting circumstance and you have contacted the office. However, set schedules are permissable and will be loaded into our school information system.

For car riders:

Transportation/Drop off/Pick up Procedures: Every year Buchanan Elementary strives to secure safe and efficient transportation. Transportation procedures at Buchanan Elementary will be the same as last year. As in previous years, families should enter our school from the east entrance of our campus to help traffic flow with Buchanan Intermediate. Students should then be dropped off in the morning along the front sidewalk on the south side of campus and will enter through our main entrance in the front of the building. Doors will be unlocked with supervision available beginning at 8:05 a.m. Traffic will not be allowed along the bus loading/unloading area, which is located on the west side of the building.

To keep our children safe and to efficiently get you in and out quickly, please take a moment to read the procedures below and review the visual maps of our school traffic flow. Thanks in advance for reviewing this AND for being patient with us the first couple weeks of school as we train/teach everyone the process!

Students should be picked up only by their parent/guardian unless a note is provided to the office. Students should know how they are getting home when they arrive to school and if their after school plans are not the everyday routine on file (car kid with a different family member for example/riding to soccer practice with neighbor), they should have a note provided to the office, which will then be processed and teachers will be provided with an approved car pass for the child indicating approved change in transportation plans.

If an emergency arises, please contact the office preferably before 2:30 p.m. (or 1:30 p.m. on Fridays) to allow us necessary time to ensure the message is received by your child. As another heads up, students are not allowed to ride a bus home with any other student.

Again, please be patient with us the first week(s) of school as we work through safety procedures in an attempt to make our process even safer and more efficient. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

The answer is YES!

We believe this is an effective tool to help us prepare our learner for the future. While we don't use them all the time or may not even use them everyday, they are a vital learning tool.

Please help us teach your children how to care for their devices. We also HIGHLY ENCOURAGE parents to take out the $20 accident protection plan for their device. You can do this by completing the following online form. If you have multiple children, there is only a $40 max per family and this will save you TONS of $$ should your child damage their device.

"Reading...a vacation for the mind." - Author, Dave Barry

Check out these Summer Reading Challenges for incoming kindergarteners through sixth grade students. Learners who meet these reading goals will be invited to an incredible reading celebration in the Fall!

Please return completed forms to our librarian, Mrs. Collette, at the beginning of the school year.

Building-wide communication, reminders, and alerts to families typically come through our rapid notification system called SchoolMessenger! Please click HERE to opt into this district-wide messaging service.

Subscribe today to receive the district's weekly e-newsletter, Chalk Talk! Stay up-to-date with important district announcements, student and staff features, and community events. To subscribe, click on this link and type parent/guardian's email address and first name.

Are you following @BransonSchools on all social media platforms? Scan the QR codes below using the camera on your phone, like or follow, and stay informed of district-wide happenings!

If you have any questions, please contact our office at (417) 243-2530. Summer office hours at Buchanan Elementary are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday during July. Monday, July 31 our business hours will change to 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Education is a life-long journey and the cooperation between school and parents is vital to provide your child with a quality education. We have a wonderful school and district, and much of the reason why is...YOU, our supportive parents! We look forward to seeing, meeting, and working with you and your child in August and hopefully, for years to come!

Sincerely yours in education,

Dr. April Hawkins

Principal

• Returning student registration is now open in Parent Portal
• K Orientation, Thursday, August 11th, 9:30-11 a.m.
  
• K Meet the Teacher by appointment August 11, 14, 15
• Grades 1-12 Open House August 21, 2:30-6:30 p.m.
• First Day of School, Wednesday, August 23 (Learning starts at 8:40 a.m.- 3:40 p.m. M-Th, dismissal is 2:40 p.m. on Fridays)

Save the date- looking ahead

Picture Day for Buchanan Elementary is scheduled for September 13