Windsor Newsletter
January 2020
- January 2nd First Day Back After Break
- January 13-14th Mobil Dental Van Clinic 2nd & 3rd Grade
- January 14th PAWS Meeting
- January 16- 20th No School Teacher PD
- February 7th PAWS Movie Night
- February 11th PAWS Meeting
- February 14th Valentines day parties
- February 25th No School Staff PD
- February 27th Spring Pictures
Notes From Mr. Nichols
Hi Everyone!
I hope everyone had a little time to relax with their children over the winter break. Here at school, it was a chance to take a deep breath, catch up on some paperwork, and get ready for the second half of the year. Not terribly glamorous, but welcome nonetheless. 🙂 As we transition into January, there's a few things I wanted to get on your radar.
First, even though there was just a long break, we will be having another long weekend coming up on January 16-20. This is new this year and will be used for teacher professional development and the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
DMPS will start its winter testing window on January 6. Students will be given the MAP and FAST test during that time. This will be a great opportunity for your child's teacher to evaluate the progress he or she has made up to this point and then look at what we can do to enhance their learning opportunities for the rest of the year.
The big news though is our use of SchoolCNXT. Some of you will remember that DMPS rolled out SchoolCNXT at the beginning of last school year. If you are a new parent, SchoolCNXT is an app for your mobile device where you can send and receive messages from your teacher or school, "Like"school or classroom news items, stay connected with the school, and so on. The biggest benefits of SchoolCNXT is that it will be one common platform across all the buildings in the district and it will automatically translate messages into over 100 languages.
SchoolCNXT really didn't get a whole lot of traction at that time for a variety of reasons. However, starting on January 21, 2020 (official start of the 2nd semester) we will be asked to send out all school communications through the SchoolCNXT platform. Which means you will need to get the app and start an account. That will be done via a text message using the mobile number you supplied during registration. Therefore, if you have had any changes to your phone numbers, it is important to get with Ms. Casey (casey.brown@dmschools.org or 242-8440) to update your contact information. Here are some important details as we work to get everyone signed up:
- I don't have an exact date when the text message will come to you, but it will be around the middle of January. If I hear a specific date, I will let you know.
- YOU WILL NEED LOGIN INFORMATION THAT IS SPECIFIC TO YOU. Those will be printed and sent home with your student.
- If you were a parent that already signed up for a SchoolCNXT account, you will not need to again and thus won't receive the invitation. You can simply just login and go from there. If you have forgotten your login information, you can use your email and phone number to access the system and then select "forgot password".
- If you have issues, we will be more than happy to help you. But honestly, it works pretty smoothly - if all of your contact information is up-to-date. If something does come up, just give us a call or stop in and we'll do our best to help you get it working.
As always, thanks for being a fantastic, supportive school community!
Mr. Nichols
1st grade had an "escape back to earth" activity for math. The clever space cadets earned an extra recess
The objective of the program is to educate children about what to do when confronted with abusive behavior such as safe and unsafe touches and other physical and emotional abuse. Every video in this series emphasizes the importance of going to a parent or another trusted adult when a child is confronted with an unsafe situation. An “Unsafe Touch” is defined as touching private parts of the body that are covered by a bathing suit. Stranger safety, Internet safety and other situations are also presented.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at Beth.doeden@dmschools.org
Windsor students practiced bus safety and evacuations in December. Great job Wildcats!
Shout out to our amazing community for sponsoring some wildcats at the shop with a cop event! #WindsorPoliceRock #MakeADifference #ShopWithACop
Pay Your Student Fees Online
School Fee Payment Instructions for Infinite Campus
1. Visit our district website at www.dmschools.org and find the Parents Link at the top of the site.
2. Click the Online Payments link under Links for School Info to get to the Des Moines Public Schools Web Store.
3. Select School Fees.
4. Enter your Infinite Campus Parent Portal User Name and Currently enrolled child’s birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) to access a list of your student’s fees.
5. Select the fees you would like to make a payment for and click Next Page.
6. Confirm your payment choices and click Go to Checkout.
7. If a new customer, select “I am a new customer”.
a. Enter your email address
b. Click “Sign in”
8. If a returning customer, select “I am a returning customer”.
a. Enter your email address and password
b. Click Sign in
9. Enter your billing information and create a password (if required).
10. Enter your payment information.
11. Verify information for accuracy and select Complete Order.Payment will be processed and Receipt can be viewed and printed.
Need Help?
Forgotten Web Store Password? Click Password Reminder under Services, enter your email address and click the arrow. Your password will be emailed to you shortly.
Forgotten your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Password or no Parent Portal Access? Contact your student’s school building secretary Casey Brown at
Windsor Elementary
Email: Windsor@dmschools.org
Website: windsor.dmschools.org
Location: 5912 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone: 515-242-8440
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windsordmps/
Twitter: @WindsorCatsDMPS