GATOR TALES
Grace Abbott Elementary
September 3, 2021
Principal: Dr. Erik Chaussee, epchaussee@mpsomaha.org
Secretary: Cindy Wrenn, clwrenn@mpsomaha.org
About Us
Email: clwrenn@mpsomaha.org
Website: abbott.mpsomaha.org
Location: 1313 N 156th St, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-715-2900
Facebook: facebook.com/GraceAbbottElementarySchool
Twitter: @MPS_Abbott
NEWS FROM DR. CHAUSSEE
FOURTH WEEK REMINDERS
After four weeks of school, we are off to a cautious good start. The 63 new kindergartners have made a continuing improvement to their adjustment to being in school all day and eating lunch here and figuring out the lunch choice, cold lunches (lunch from home), etc. We still have a small number of kindergarteners who don’t remember if they are hot or cold lunch. Please remind them daily, such as, “You’re eating chicken nuggets at school.”
Currently we have 444 students.
One change: The entree choices will now have numbers instead of letters staring when students return to school on September 8.
Here are a few reminders to consider:
Students are tardy if they are not in the room at 8:20. If they arrive after 8:20 they need to come in the front doors.
Please make after-school plans in advance. We prefer students not use the phone to call home to make social arrangements.
Students can not carry medications to school.
Please call the office when your child will be absent or late.
Please notify the office if phone numbers or addresses change or go online to Synergy Parent Vue to do that.
You can find current information on our school and district websites including calendar dates, supply lists, the latest Covid information including Douglas County flowcharts.
Parking is not permitted south of the stop sign on 155th near Burt St.
Children can be dropped off on 155th St. even though it’s not right in front of the school. There are fewer cars there so it is a faster way to drop off. That’s true even in the rain!
Please follow the directions regarding the Please Pull Forward signs.
Students should not be dropped off prior to 8:00 unless for breakfast or safety patrol.
We have a PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 7 at 6:30 using Zoom. A Zoom link was in last week’s Gator Tales.
COVID SCENARIOS
Covid Scenarios
Scenario #1: A child has a soccer game over the weekend. Later the child develops symptoms and/or the parent is notified of a positive Covid case on the team. The school district requires a Covid test with specific symptoms. The parent decides to have the child tested and keeps the child at home minimizing risks to others. The child tests positive and stays home the required time and no one else is affected at school.
Scenario #2: A child has a soccer game over the weekend. Later the child develops symptoms and/or the parent is notified of a positive covid case on the team. The child was exposed to a positive case, but parents continue to send their child to school unmasked. The child continues to display symptoms and the parent has the child tested and the child tests positive. Because the child was in school, the entire class has to wear masks for 14 days and the child is now at home.
ILLEGAL DUMPSTER USE
This summer I included in an email to families that we have a problem with people using our dumpster for their own personal use. In fact, during the first week of August while I was working at Abbott someone dumped their large grill in our dumpster. Now this week someone placed two couches by our dumpster during the Watch DOG kickoff event on Tuesday. See below some pictures we captured from our security cameras. If anyone knows anything about this, please call the new Abbott tip line at 402 715-2902. Sorry, no reward other than helping us solve this crime.
Couches
Car carrying the couches
Couple deciding where to dump the couches
SUCCESS CENTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 6 & 7 - NO SCHOOL
September 7 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
September 9 - Omaha Tap House, 5 - 7 p.m.
September 16 - Blood Drive, 2 - 7 p.m.
September 23 - 2/3 Fun Night, 6:30 p.m.
BUZZ BOOK TIME
The Buzz Book is getting ready for our new school year! Please help us by purchasing your Buzz Book (which gives you online directory access and a printed copy) by September 24th. Even if you aren't planning on buying one, it helps us tremendously if you update your info. As a thank you, this year we are doing a raffle for those who have updated their info. The link for the raffle is found on the Buzz Book Website: https://graceabbottpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home
Purchase, update and enter to win on the website or you can always send a check to the school office. The cost is $4.00. Thank you!
PTO MEETING
Parents,
Below is a zoom link invitation to our first PTO meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, September 7 at 6:30. We did all of our PTO meetings last year using Zoom and of course, it can become somewhat unwieldy with so many people possibly attending and several updates that occur that can be hard to keep up with. In other words, we hope it works for everyone;
Parents do not need to accept an invitation due to the number nor be admitted if all works correctly as it is set up to not have to admit each person.
https://mpsomaha-org.zoom.us/j/95561494361?pwd=RGdoekFVTGI2bDVIL1pJRXdDRmJMUT09
POP TABS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
AbbotT has been collecting pop tabs for +15 years. Our total is currently over 1,750,000. All pop tabs can be dropped into the blue bucket by the front doors.
The Ronald McDonald House provides temporary housing for families of hospitalized children.
Fun Facts
One pound of tabs is about 1,500 tabs
1 million tabs end to end would stretch 16.75 miles
GATOR SPIRITWEAR
HEALTH ROOM NEEDS
BLOOD DRIVE COMING!
Thursday, September 16
2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
All donors who come to give Sept. 13-30 will receive a limited-edition college football T-shirt, while supplies last!*
PLUS, they'll also receive a coupon via email for a FREE haircut from Sport Clips Haircuts when they come to give in September!Please call 1-800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter GraceAbbott to schedule an appointment. For more information contact Ms. Powell at dlpowell@mpsomaha.org
WATCH D.O.G.S. SIGN UP
We are excited to invite our Watch DOGS (Dad of Great Students) back into the building this year! If you would like to volunteer for either a full day, or over our lunch times, please complete the Watch DOG sign up. You can email Debby Powell (dlpowell@mpsomaha.org) or Charlene Hale (cghale@mpsomaha.org) with any questions.
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK!
Abbott Yearbooks are available for purchase online for $12 through October 31st ($15 after this date). Reserve your copy today! http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09851076
COMMUNITY CORNER
MILLARD SCHOOL BOARD 2020
President - Linda Poole
Vice President - Dave Anderson
Secretary - Stacy Jolley
Treasurer - Amanda McGill Johnson
Board Member - Mike Kennedy
Board Member - Mike Pate