Benninghoven Family Newsletter
22-23 Welcome and Back to School Information
Mission: A place where everyone pursues their greatness.
Vision: A community coming together for our kids.
I am so excited to welcome you all back for the 22-23 school year! Hopefully you all are enjoying the last few weeks of summer break and these cooler temperatures. The break for me was scattered with many things I LOVE - lots of time with my kiddos Jacob (3) and Sadie (6), professional learning and growth with our amazing school team, and as much family time as I could squeeze in!
As we gear up for a new year, I hope to start the year with communication to beginning of the year events and important building information. You can expect a Family Newsletter to be sent monthly. I will send all information for the upcoming month in this format and then more frequent communication will be sent via Skyward and Skylert as needed.
There are a few important items I want to begin the year with that may be new or updated. The first is Building Security. Keeping students and staff safe is always the highest priority. Thus, we will be tightening measures for visitors and all entries into the building.
- Upon arrival to the building, please press the outside button for access. The front office staff will pause you at that time and ask for building purpose, or "How can I help you?"
- Inside the corridor, the next door to the office will now be locked during school hours. The front office will unlock the door once you approach and they are able to see you. Please be patient as they become familiar with this step and use the remote access for entry.
- ALL guests should have photo identification available. The front office staff may request this if your information is not loaded in our Raptor System.
- ALL Visitors and guests will be required to wear a sticker when in the building, and exit through the front office.
Thank you for your understanding and support in adhering to these procedures!
We also will be making some updates for students that walk to/from school.
- ALL walkers should ENTER the building for arrival through the FRONT ENTRANCE. (We will no longer use Door #12 for arrival).
- At dismissal, students should exit the door that is closest to their pathway home. This will be either the Front Entrance or Door #12. Students that exit through the Front Entrance will follow the sidewalk around the front of the building and down to Caenen. Families that meet students should still plan to meet outside Door #12.
Finally, I want to point out the section below with more detailed building procedures. It includes some common information about arrival, breakfast, dismissal, lunch, and recess. Please take a moment to review it before we begin the year!
Have a wonderful weekend and couple of weeks! Please reach out to myself or the front office if we can support you in any way. We will see all Knights soon as we begin our "champion" year.
Anna Jensen
Principal
Important Dates
August 6: Watermelon Welcome for incoming Kindergarten families, 10:00-12:00
August 8: Skyward live in Family Access
August 9: Meet the Teacher/22-23 Kick-Off, 6-7:30
August 11: First Day of school, Grades 1-6; Early Dismissal at 12:30
August 11 and 12: Pre-K and Kindergarten Conferences
August 15: First day for Pre-K and Kindergarten; PTA sponsored Boohoo-Woohoo
August 26: PTA Summer Packets due
August 30: Back to School Night, Grades 1-6, 6-7:30 pm
August 30: District Papa John's Night
September 1: PTA Summer Reading Celebration
September 1: Skate Party
September 2: NO SCHOOL for students, Teacher Professional Development
September 5: NO SCHOOL, Offices Closed for Labor Day
ABCD Specials Rotation Calendar
Please refer to this calendar for your child's Special Rotation. NOTE ON THE FIRST DAY FOR GRADES 1-6, students do not have Specials and the first day begins on August 12th, an A day.
22-23 Grade Level Teams
This school year we welcome a new team member that will be joining 6th Grade. Please more information from Hayley Pozek below.
We are excited to see you soon on August 9th at MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT!
Kindergarten: Sue Dennis, Jennifer Greene, Annie Sexton
1st Grade: Nunzia Hoog, Tami Viestenz, Vicki Widman
2nd Grade: Samantha Hale, Tracey Loe, Kristyn Shultz
3rd Grade: Kari Bair, Amanda Fleege, Tracy Shaffer
4th Grade: Cara Hillman, Kaylie McCune
5th Grade: Kasia Bulkley, Wendy Kite, Jennifer Wagler
6th Grade: Staci Newell, Elizabeth Reynolds, Hayley Pozek
SPECIALS: Amanda Cox, Rachel Kaufman, LeAnna Kemp, Lisa Readman
Hi Benninghoven Families!
I am originally from Virginia and moved out to Kansas to attend KU. I previously taught at Merriam Park in the district for 6 years in 4th and 5th grade. I have coached volleyball at SMNW for the past 5 years and look forward to meeting future Cougars! In our free time, my husband and I enjoy doing anything involving sports or hanging out with our dog and cats.
I look forward to starting this new adventure at Benninghoven!
~Hayley Pozek
22-23 School Supply Lists posted on the Benninghoven website
A printable copy is included below as well. Please reach out to our Social Worker, Mrs. Pyle or Mrs. Jensen if we can support with school supplies in any way!
Online Verification and Student Instructional Fee
Online Verification
SMSD families received an email on Monday that Online Verification is now available to complete online in Skyward Family Access.
These need to be reviewed and signed with an electronic signature as soon as possible. The process should only take about 5 minutes to complete. This is a mandatory step necessary for student materials checkout.
If you need any assistance, please contact Nicole Cunningham, Office Secretary at 913-993-1900 or make an appointment for support in the office from 8:00-3:00.
Student Fees
Student fees have been assessed in Skyward. New for the 2022-23 school year, there is an Instructional Resource fee for K-12 students, which replaces the previous Textbook fee. Elementary students will be charged $60. Fees can be paid online through eFunds (a $3 processing fee will be charged) or in the office by cash/check/optional credit card.
Free/Reduced Waiver
The board revised the policy on May 23rd and Fee waivers are now based on Free/Reduced meal status. Families - please complete the Free/Reduced application in SchoolCafe and Consent for Disclosure form in Skyward’s Online Verification. Be aware that it could take 2 weeks or more to process the application, consent form and reduce fees. Please reach out to the front office with any questions. We are happy to support you through the process.
Meet the Teacher- August 9th 6:00-7:30 pm (Pre-K - 6th Grade)
Ready for the new school year? Come and join us during this time, meet your teacher, say hi to friends and enjoy popcorn and refreshments provided by PTA. Please do NOT bring your school supplies at this time! We will see you in the Front Drive of Benninghoven for this opening kick-off.
Please read the information and details regarding Arrival, Breakfast, Lunch, Recess, and Dismissal.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Benninghoven has some unique, but effective procedures to allow for a smooth arrival and dismissal. Please view these two short videos for more information! ***UPDATED 22-23 CAR AND WALKER VIDEO to include Walker Changes for this school year! ***
NEW THIS YEAR - BIRTHDAY BOOKS
We are excited to bring the birthday book tradition back to Benninghoven. This is another way that we can partner with you to celebrate your child and all they bring to our school. In honor of their birthday a book will be donated to their classroom library. During the week of your child's birthday (or half birthday for our summer birthdays) the book will be read aloud to the class in celebration! Longer titles may need to be a preview of the book if time does not allow for the book to be read in its entirety.
How it works: You may either send in a book from home or purchase one from the BH Amazon Wish List. Books could be a favorite title of your child, a book from the BH Birthday Book Suggestions Amazon Wish list, or a requested book from your classroom teacher. There will be special book plaques in the office or library that will be affixed to the book and include your child’s name. If you would like the book to be a surprise then you can drop it off in the office or have it shipped directly to the school from the Wishlist. Be sure to put your child’s name and teacher in the memo so we can make sure it is given to the correct classroom.
A good resource to check for age appropriate books is Common Sense Media. You are also welcome to email Mrs. Readman in the library if you have a question about a particular book being a good fit for a specific age group.
If you need support or are not able to purchase a book, just let your child’s teacher know. We will have a collection of books that students will be able to select from, so ALL students have the opportunity to participate.
Donate to the Book Bank: If you would like to donate to the Book Bank for our school you can do so by writing a check to Benninghoven and turning it in to the front office. Or, you can purchase books and drop them off as well. Your efforts to make this a success are appreciated as we celebrate our students and increase the love of literature!
News from your PTA
Sign-Up to Help at Back to School Breakfast for Staff
We are a few weeks away and could use some volunteers! If you would like to help with the Back to School Breakfast for staff, sign up at the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e49aba92ba5f94-welcome1
OPEN 2022-2023 PTA Board and Committee positions
We look forward to providing many of Benninghoven's annual events, programs, and activities for the 2022-2023 school year! To do that we need MANY hands. The open PTA Board positions include:
- VP, Student Programs: This person gets to work on all programs relating directly to the wonderful Benninghoven students. This person oversees the following programs that all have committee leads. Science enrichment, Citizenship and Reflections programs, assemblies, head room parents, picture days, Kansas Day, etc...
Current open committee positions:
Thank you to so many of you for signing up. There are only a couple spots left. Please sign up here if you want to help out and support our students, teachers and school next year.
Summer Learning Program
As in years past, Benninghoven is again providing a summer learning program to help keep our kid’s skills sharp and avoid the “summer slide.” Keep track of your students' math and reading over the summer on the Summer Learning Tracker. At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, we will host a Summer Learning Celebration. This will be for students who complete ALL 40 circles representing work in math and/or reading. Packets are due August 26th.
BUS TRANSPORTATION FOR 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR
In the 2022-23 school year qualifying to receive free busing will no longer be determined by the House Economic Survey. We will be following the process we had pre-pandemic. Students who qualify for the Federal Meal Program are able to enroll to ride an existing route at no cost.
Anyone, other than those that qualify to receive Special Education Transportation, must enroll for busing through DS Bus Lines. A Spanish version has been added to the bus enrollment website. DS Bus Lines website.
FOOD SERVICE INFO FOR 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR
UPDATED INFORMATION FOR 2022-23 - CHILD NUTRITION MEAL PROGRAM APPLICATION:
Families are encouraged to complete an application for free or reduced priced meals as part of the Online Verification. The link to the Child Nutrition Meal Program Application is available on Skyward or can be found on School Cafe. Families do need to create a School Cafe account if they do not already have one - more information may be located on the SMSD Food Service Free and Reduced web page. Children may receive free or reduced price meals based on certain Medicaid benefits or if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Applying and qualifying for free and reduced meal benefits not only assists families but also our district in the upcoming year.
- Students who qualify by a Meal Program application will be able to eat breakfast and lunch at a free or reduced cost this year. The application also generates additional state funds for our schools. If families do not complete the application, the district will not be able to receive state funding for which it is eligible.
- Additionally, qualifying for child nutrition meal benefits provides other benefits to eligible families, which may include free/reduced instructional resource fees, transportation fees, and Pre-k enrollment.
- Families are encouraged to complete a Consent for Disclosure form in Skyward which gives SMSD Food Service permission to share a child’s eligibility status information with the programs families designate on the consent form.
- Do not complete the application if you are Directly Certified to receive free meals. If you receive state assistance and have not received a notification of eligibility, call the SMSD Food Service office before completing a meal program application.
- Families who are directly certified are encouraged to complete a Consent for Disclosure form in Skyward which gives SMSD Food Service permission to share a child’s eligibility status information with the programs families designate on the consent form.
The meal prices for 2022-23 are BELOW: