Snow Days at PSE- Here are my thoughts for us on inclement weather days. I want your kiddos to play in the snow! I want them to make messy forts and drink hot chocolate. We will check in on them twice during the day and provide activities for academics at home, but students should have the excitement of snow days. Sorry I am slightly passionate about snow days at PSE.

Remote Learning Day (Inclement Weather) Plans

Students should have their devices at home to participate in remote learning. This day remains a school day, but it will look and feel a bit different. The learning day will include check-ins with teachers and asynchronous work for all students, including VirtualED. Elementary students should see assignments on Canvas as they start their day. Optional activities from the specials teachers are available. In addition, your teacher will be providing Zoom links for two sessions--once in the morning (9:00 am) and once in the afternoon (12:30 pm). The length of these live Zoom sessions may vary by teacher and are intended to be a check-in with students to provide direction for assignments, an opportunity to take attendance, and answer any questions from students.

Around 12:40 p.m. today, our fire alarms sounded and the building was evacuated. The building was inspected and no problems were found. It was determined that the alarm was set off inadvertently by a sensor in the alarm. The all clear was given and students were back in the building around 12:45 p.m.

Thanks to our staff and students who evacuated just like we practice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Your child’s online safety, in the palm of your hand. We recognize that student safety and well-being in the online world is a shared responsibility between our schools and families, especially during this time of In-person and VirtualED modes of learning. As part of the Blue Valley’s commitment to digital safety, families can download @SecurlyHome Parent Portal app for opportunities to monitor your child’s online activity, set custom filters, pause the internet and more on their child’s district-provided device device. Download today on iTunes or Google Play!

• Parents that have “Education Rights” and “Lives With” in Synergy/ParentVue will have access to an account. The login for the Securly App will be the parent email address listed in ParentVue. Put in a BV Care Technology ticket if you have trouble getting started.

• If you already have a Securly Home account established for a child at the middle or high school level, you will not receive an automated email. Your elementary child will automatically appear in your preexisting Securly Home account

Click here to learn more about Securly Home Parent monitoring.

Please don’t forget to order the 2020-2021 YEARBOOK! It’s a fantastic keepsake for your child to remember their time at Prairie Star! Ordering is easy and all online this year from the PTO Website! This year's book will include both virtual learners and in-person learners so virtual families please don't forget to buy your yearbooks and submit your pictures too!

https://prairiestarpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home

We want to see your child and his/her friends so please continue to send us pictures! Send us your “Winter Party” and "Spirit Days" pictures using either of these two easy ways:

1. Use the Balfour app called “Image Share” to download and upload pictures right from your phone. It’s called ImageShare Balfour, and our project this year is 127759.
2. Email them to us at full size (you can do this right off your phone!) at prairiestaryearbook@gmail.com

If you have any questions please send to Amber and Sally at prairiestaryearbook@gmail.com!

As we head into the start of the second semester, the PSE PTO is asking for your financial support. This year has forced the delay of important PSE fundraising events such as the PSE Carnival, Justice Grove Picnic, and the PSE Wolf Walk. Typically our PTO is able to fund a variety of school wishes including classroom supplies for teachers, meals for staff during conferences, and maker space supplies in addition to the playground improvements that have been done. The PTO would like to continue this support.

Our goal through this fundraiser is to help financially support the PTO needs until we are able to have our larger fundraising events. Show your PSE pride by purchasing a 4" PSE Star car decal for $10, or $9 each if you purchase multiple decals (discount will be applied at checkout). Any additional financial donations are greatly appreciated.

Decals will be sent home with In-Person students, or delivered to homes of students enrolled in Distance Learning.

https://prairiestarpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/133917

Celebrate Kansas’ 160th birthday on
January 29th with a spirit week!!

Monday, January 25th-Mascot Monday
Support your favorite Kansas team!!

Tuesday, January 26th-Terrific Sunshine & Sunflowers
Wear yellow and shine with Kansas pride!

Wednesday, January 27th-Wind Blown Wednesday
Hold onto your hats, hat day!

Thursday, January 28th- Home on the Range Day
Wear your western wear, cowboy hats, blue jeans, belts, bandanas and boots!

Friday, January 29th-No Place Like Home
Pajama Day

We were so thrilled with the success of our first All School Zoom Read Aloud in December that we have decided to do it again! This time, we will celebrate World Read Aloud Day on February 3 by inviting you to join us on Zoom where PSE Staff members will share books they LOVE. Feel free to come and go as you please between 6:30-7:30 PM. The Zoom meeting ID is 312 870 3390 and the password is wolves. Hope to see you then!

We are so excited for incoming students to begin the kindergarten journey at Prairie Star Elementary School!!

We encourage new families and families who may have questions about kindergarten to look for a video with a welcome to PSE on February 22nd. Please share this information with PSE friends and neighbors who may not have siblings who already attend PSE. Also, if you have access to neighborhood or subdivision newsletters, please feel free to pass along the meeting date and time to help us get the word out!

Please click on this link to pre-register: https://forms.gle/9VGStQfPEYo5ie8D9

Our traditional Kindergarten Round-Up date is April 9, 2021. More information to come on this.

Valentine’s Day Party-Feb.12th

• Parent volunteers are creating, finding, providing a game for the class to play (virtual for VE classes) and in-person will follow all the typical safety protocols when using materials - handwashing before and after and using Tersano water to disinfect game materials (intended to take about 15 minutes)

• Parent volunteers are providing individually packed treats that meet nut-safer guidelines

• Party treats will follow our snack safety procedures, including eating cohorts, spacing, and when needed, a staggered eating time

• Parent-provided materials need to be at PSE by Feb.10th

• Student Valentines to exchange: No food or candy attached to notes/messages; Please keep Valentines unsealed or use stickers to seal (avoid licking); Classrooms should plan to wash hands before & after opening at school

Did you know for our community service drive in November we collected 2,372 fruit cups for L3??? Way to go PSE!

Souper Bowl-On February 1st-5th, we are going to be collecting canned goods for Harvesters. Be looking for a flyer that will come home with items that are most needed. Start searching your pantry for canned goods. We hope this food drive is souper successful!!

Conference time is right around the corner! Our conferences are being held the week of February 22nd-February 25th. Families will be getting a link from your classroom teacher to sign up when it is most convenient for your family. The teacher will send the zoom link to you as well.

If you would like to schedule a conference with our Specialist, please email them directly to schedule a conference.

• Kirk Harrington- Physical Education, dharrington@bluevalleyk12.org
• Elizabeth Donaldson - Music, emdonaldson@bluevalleyk12.org
• Liv Arquieta- Spanish, larquieta@bluevalleyk12.org
• Alison Kavanagh - Art, ajkavanagh@bluevalleyk12.org
• Jill Hammes - Library Media Specialist, jshammes@bluevalleyk12.org

• Melissa Green- Computer, magreen02@bluevalleyk12.org

• Libby Rooney-Counselor, lbrooney@bluevalleyk12.org

• Marisha Lindquist- Social Worker, mllindquist@bluevalleyk12.org

Please call the school office if you have any questions. Thank YOU!

I am pleased to inform you that the PSE PTO offers two scholarships of $1,000 each to two deserving 2021 graduates of a Blue Valley high school who attended Prairie Star Elementary for at least one year.

One scholarship is the Dr. Laura Swartz Scholarship, named for a former principal of PSE, for a student who plans to obtain a B.S. in Education.

The other scholarship is the PSE PTO Scholarships for a student who best exemplifies the BV virtues.

Please visit the PSE PTO website, https://prairiestarpto.membershiptoolkit.com/ptoscholarship

for the application and details. The applications are to be uploaded by Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Winners will be notified by email, and we would like to present the certificate at Senior Night at their high school.

Blue Valley High Feeder Schools K-12: 1/20/21 @ 6:00PM

This program is offered to all parents in Blue Valley. Parents and teens should attend this event if they would like more information about panic, depression and/or suicidality. Julia will be discussing the basic protocols in case of suicidal ideation and planning as well as managing impulsive emotions, intrusive thoughts and high stress environments She will introduce the biomechanics of stress and the differences between suicidal ideation and suicidal planning. Julia will share insight into breathing, heart-rate variability, pain management, relationships, drugs and alcohol, sleep, social media and mindfulness.

Registration is now open, click here to get started.

Registration Landing Page: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/35794

BVSD COVID Dashboard

Positive cases by school are reflected on the BV COVID Dashboard. The dashboard is updated every Friday with information from the prior week (Wednesday to Wednesday).

Our families and teachers have done a great job getting kids in the routines of wearing their masks at school! Most all kids are consistent in those routines - they are so resilient!

Our next focus is to improve student mask-wearing in terms of...

• Fit (if the mask does not stay above the nose or needs frequent readjustments across the school day, it doesn't fit properly)
• Cleanliness (is wet or soiled)
• Ability to withstand physical activity, such as running during recess (often gaiters don't meet this criteria)

You may see your child come home with a different mask from the one they went to school in. If so, it is most likely that we have issued one at school because one of the 3 above factors were true. If you are wondering whether your child is struggling with the fit, cleanliness or recess withstandability of his or her mask, please contact your teacher to ask.

This next layer of attention to student masking is being made to help reduce the likelihood that students create unnecessary high-risk exposures for one another. This will help us keep both the spread and the quarantines away from school as low as possible, especially considering the climbing local case numbers.

Blue Valley families,

Durham School Services has opened bus registration for any Blue Valley family who chose to switch from VirtualED to in-person learning for the second semester. You are receiving this email because our records indicate that in November you selected in-person learning as your second-semester learning mode preference.

To register your child for bus transportation beginning second semester, visit www.durhamschoolservices.com/blue-valley/. Registration is needed by Dec. 19, 2020 to ensure services for new riders by the beginning of the second semester on Jan. 19, 2021. Students that were already registered and had been riding, don’t need to sign up again.

When registering, consider signing up for E-Link to find your child’s pick-up and drop-off times and Bus Alerts for same-day alerts and notifications. More information about Durham School Services is available online.

End of Quarter Information - Viewing Canvas Courses and Second Quarter Grades
At the end of each quarter, courses in Canvas will conclude and will no longer be visible on the Canvas app and website. Courses for this year’s second quarter will conclude on January 14th. Report cards will be generated and families will be able to view second quarter grades on ParentVUE at the end of the day on January 25, 2021.

How do I view my child’s report card?

• Log in on ParentVue

• Select your elementary student’s name

• In the left navigation bar, choose REPORT CARD

If you have questions about Standards Based Grading as you view your child’s report card, please review the information found on the Elementary Report Card resource page.

Each new quarter, classroom teachers will publish their next quarter Canvas course. As courses are published, students and families will again be able to see current courses on the Canvas app and Canvas website. For Canvas parent resources, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.

Free Student Meal information

https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34300

Online Payment System

https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34304

MEAL ACCOUNT ACCESS

• REGISTER STUDENT MEAL ACCOUNT(S)

All families participating in the district’s meal service program must set up an account with the district’s point of sale software, TITAN School Solutions, to pay meal fees if they you choose to use the online payment system to purchase other items beyond 1 breakfast and 1 lunch daily. To register, go to family.titank12.com and click Sign Up Today! to get started, or download the TITAN Family Connect app (available in the Apple Store and Google Play) to register on your mobile device.

HOW TO REGISTER

1. Register

Register at family.titank12.com (Use Safari or Chrome)
Or download Titan Family Connect from the Apple Store or Google Play.
Click on Sign up today!

2. Confirm Email

Confirm your email address by clicking on the email verification link sent to your email address.

3. Sign in

Now you can sign in at family.titank12.com or Titan Family Connect App using your email and password.

February 1st-5th: Souper Bowl for Harvesters

February 3rd: Supply Pick-up for VirtualED

February 3rd: PSE Read Aloud 6:30

February 12th: Valentine’s Day Party

February 15th: No School

February 22nd-25th-Parent Teacher Conferences

February 26th: No School

March 8th-12th: Wolf Walk Week

March 15th-19th: Spring Break

March 22nd: No School Professional Learning Day