Peculiar Patriot Newsletter
10-24-2021
Fall is here
The weather has definitely shifted from summer weather to fall weather. Time to bust out those jackets and long pants!
What a fun month we have had so far! Our students have enjoyed various spirit days and we loved seeing the wild and crazy things they came up with to show their spirit! Sock-tober has been amazing too! The students set a goal of 300 socks, and they surpassed that number before the third week of October! So awesome! Then we had our first outside Peculiar BooFest! We had so much fun getting trunks decorated, and seeing all of the amazing costumes and smiling faces! Thank you so much for bringing your families out and spending that time with us! We loved seeing you all!
Parent conferences are happening this week, and you have hopefully signed up for either an in person or virtual conference with your child's teacher. If you haven't, please reach out to your teacher and they will get you signed up!
Report cards will be coming out this week too. Your child's teacher will be going over it with you at conferences, as well as sharing the NWEA testing results with you.
We are looking forward to seeing you this week!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out through email, or give us a call at 816-892-1650.
-Keri Collison
Principal
Important Dates to Remember:
October 25-28: Red Ribbon Week
October 27: Picture Retakes
October 27,28,29: Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 28: Early Release (1:05) for P/T conferences
October 29 & November 1: No School
PTA Update:
Want to support Peculiar Elementary PTA? We have an opportunity right now for you to help!
Parent Teacher Conferences are just around the corner, and we want to spoil our staff with a great dinner to keep them fueled after a day of teaching and a long night ahead for conferencing with parents. If you'd like to help, please purchase Chipotle Mexican Grill gift cards electronically and email them to peculiarelementarypta@gmail.com so that we can help offset the cost of feeding 55 people. You can also send a check written to Peculiar Elementary PTA, cash in a marked envelope with your student, donation via PayPal to peculiarelementarypta@gmail.com. If your preferred method of sending money is Venmo, please private message us and we can help you get that done. We appreciate any amount that you are able to donate! If you have a physical gift card to donate, feel free to drop off at the office or send in with your student. We need gift cards and donations BEFORE October 22nd!
Thank you Peculiar Patriot Family!
Picture Retakes are this Wednesday!
This would also be available to any of our new students that joined our school family after our original picture day.
Please call the office if you have any questions.
New School Resource Officer
Officer Blake Chalmers with the Peculiar Police Department is the new School Resource Officer in Peculiar.
He replaces former SRO Rick Clausing, who was recently promoted to Sergeant within the Police Department. On days school is in session, Officer Chalmers will be based at Ray-Pec South Middle School and be available to support the high school campus, Ray-Pec Academy, Shull Early Learning Center, Peculiar Elementary School, and all district facilities in Peculiar.
Officer Chalmers is a 2015 graduate of Ray-Pec High School. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army, and then moved back to Peculiar with his fiancé.
Officer Chalmers began working at the Peculiar Police Department in April of 2019 as a patrol officer. He said he is excited to come back to Ray-Pec as the school resource officer. He will work through Oct. 22 with Sgt. Clausing for a smooth transition.
The School District has two other School Resource Officers.
Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Cole Briscoe was previously based at South Middle School. He will now be based at Ray-Pec High School.
Raymore Police Officer Rebekah Burns supports all Raymore schools and Ray-Pec East Middle School.
Car Rider Line Reminders
Reminder: as you are waiting in line to pick up your student at the end of the day-please do not block driveways. We appreciate you being mindful of this so that our community can enter and exit their houses/driveways safely.
Inclement Weather Information:
During the 2021-2022 school year, inclement weather days will result in a virtual instruction day. This means that students will learn at home on that day, and the school day will not be made up later in the year. For students in the Virtual Instruction Program of Ray-Pec (VIPR), classes will continue as usual. Students who attend school in-person will attend classes online or have learning activities pre-assigned to them.
Communication about inclement weather days
In the event of a virtual instruction day due to inclement weather, the district will use these methods to communicate effectively:
Our School Messenger service will be used to send a recorded telephone message to all employees and the family of each student.
A text message will be sent via Textcaster. You can sign up here.
All subscribers of RP Update, the district's electronic newsletter, will receive an email. Subscribe by sending a message to rp.update@raypec.org.
Information will be shared on local television stations (4, 5, 9, and 41).
An update will be available via the district information line at 816-892-3988.
The announcement will be posted on the district website, Facebook page, and via Twitter.
Timing of the announcement
The decision to implement a virtual instruction day will be made as early as possible - preferably the night before. Sometimes conditions change overnight. In the event of rapidly changing weather conditions, a weather announcement may be made on the day of the cancellation. In those instances, we will try to send make the notification by 5:30 a.m.
Elementary school activities
In the event of a virtual instruction day due to inclement weather, all elementary after-school and evening events will be cancelled and/or rescheduled.
Middle school activities
In the event of a virtual instruction day due to inclement weather, all middle school events will be cancelled and/or rescheduled. This includes after-school practices and meetings, and evening activities.
High School activities
Watch for separate notifications about high school events or activities. In some cases, those activities may continue as scheduled.
Panther Pride/Shark’s Den
In most cases, Panther Pride and Shark’s Den will be open to provide care to families who are already enrolled in those programs. They will open at 8 a.m. on inclement weather/virtual instruction days.
If the District implements an unplanned early release, it is important to have arrangements for younger children. If you will not be available, please ensure someone is available to care for your child if early dismissal occurs.
The decision to close school is always a difficult one. Every effort will be made to consider the safety of the students, the safety of the faculty, and the convenience to parents when making such decisions. Your cooperation, understanding, and assistance is appreciated. However, parents and guardians are in the best position to determine the safety for their students based on nearby conditions.
As temperatures drop, it is important for students to dress appropriately, and allowances for potential bus delays should be part of the planning process. Student drivers are encouraged to use parent or school-provided transportation when road conditions are less than ideal. If you have questions regarding school dismissal, call the building your child attends or the District Administrative Services Center at 816-892-1300.
PTA INFORMATION
We invite all families to join the Peculiar PTA as members of our school community. Joining the PTA does not obligate you any job, but gives you the opportunity to contribute and vote on decisions for our school family. PTA membership is $10 per family.
Please click the link below to complete the membership form: PTA Membership Form
Our PTA also compiles a school directory to be distributed to only families in our building. Peculiar Elementary can not distribute personal communication between families, so the PTA provides contact information for the families. Each family may provide as much or little contact information as they choose.
PTA School Directory
Here is the link to our current directory. 2021-2022 Peculiar Elementary Directory
Apple Bus Info
The Ray-Pec School District contracts with Apple Bus Company to provide student transportation. To inquire about transportation or to speak with an Apple Bus employee about your child's bus experience, call Apple Bus directly at 816-318-1900, or you may send an email to Apple Bus at rp@applebuscompany.com.
Quick Tip Reporting:
Report school safety and bullying concerns through Quick Tip.
Quick Tip is an online method of reporting a school safety or bullying issue, or concern about a student. Users may click on the link and complete the information requested. Tip reporters may enter personal contact information or remain anonymous. It is accessible through the link below or on the district website.
Peculiar Elementary Mission & Vision
Mission:
Preparing each student for a successful and meaningful life.
Vision:
A future-focused community with a commitment to lifelong learning.
Mrs. Keri Collison, Principal
Email: keri.collison@raypec.org
Website: http://www.raypec.k12.mo.us/90/Peculiar-Elementary
Location: 201 East 3rd Street, Peculiar, MO, USA
Phone: 816-892-1650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peculiar-Elementary-111829803542835
Twitter: @PeculiarPatrio