Starside's Comet
Newsletter Communication for January 28, 2022
Starside Elementary
Our Starside Mission:
Through a collaborative learning community we will build a foundation upon which all students can develop essential academic and life skills.
Click HERE to visit our school website!
Email: SE@usd232.org
Website: se.usd232.org
Location: 35400 W 91st St, De Soto, KS, United States
Phone: 913-667-6270
Facebook: facebook.com/StarsideComets
Twitter: @StarsideComets
A Message From Principal Hicks
Starside's Virtual Lost and Found
Starside Parents, Are your students missing any items such as coats or accessories? Do I have some exciting news for you! Starside now has a virtual lost and found! Thank you to Andrea Clem for the idea and organization of this. Thank you to Michelle Brown for adding this to our website. Check out the link below to browse pictures of all lost items. If you find something that belongs to your student please email your child's teacher and let them know. Thanks for helping us clean house around here!
Save the Date
February
- 10 - Class Pictures and Yearbook Group Pictures
- 14 - Classroom Valentines Day Parties
- 16 - Half-Day of school - dismissal @ 12:10 PM
- 16 - 4:40-8:10 PM - Parent-Teacher Conferences
- 17 - 10 AM - 8 PM - Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School
- 18-21 - No School - President's Day
March
- 4 - PTA event Java with Jan
- 4 - Glow Dance Party during the school day - no visitors
- 9 - Kindergarten Round Up at Starside from 6-7 PM
- 11 - End of Q3
- 14-18 - No School - Spring Break
- 21 - No School for students - Teacher PD and Work Day
- 22 - Q4 Begins
Nurse's Notes
Illness and Isolation/Quarantine Information Resources
Please see below for Johnson County Department of Health and Environment guidance and recommendations regarding COVID symptoms, isolation, and quarantine timeframes.
- Image 1 provides a comparison of common symptoms to help you consider possible illness causes.
- Image 2 is a link to the JCDHE isolation and quarantine calculator and is an excellent resource for clarity on isolation and quarantine recommendations, including calculating return dates.
- Image 3 is an easy-to-follow chart to help determine what steps to take if you or your child become ill or exposed to COVID-19, which is also found on our district website.
- Image 4 is a link to our district Covid-19 page for answers to any other questions you may have, as well as other available resources.
Counselor's Corner
Kindest Kansas Citian contest
The Kindest Kansas Citian Contest is sponsored by Synergy Services in an effort to find the GOOD things that are happening in our community. School-age children from the entire metro area are encouraged to nominate someone who is 18 years or older, who is not in their family, and who lives in the KC metro area that they feel represents KINDNESS in some way.
Students can nominate an individual, couple, or group who they feel deserves the “Kindest Kansas Citian” distinction. All they need to do is submit a one-page essay or a drawing (Grades K-2) describing the caring ways of the person(s) they have nominated.
From thousands of entries, the top 20 students and their nominees will be honored on Friday, May 6th, 2022 at a Virtual Kindest Kansas Citian Awards Celebration. We encourage any Starside students who are interested to participate and continue this wonderful tradition. This year, instead of turning in a paper copy of your child’s essay or drawing, we are asking that you use the link below to submit your entry electronically. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Mispagel, MMispagel@usd232.org
SPARK & Clubs
No SPARK or Clubs February 14-18th due to Parent Teacher Conferences.
No SPARK or Clubs March 14-18th due to No School for Spring Break
McKenzi Mispagel, MMispagel@usd232.org
Madison King, MKing1@usd232.org
Starside Yearbook
Order your Yearbook now!!
Yearbook Order Deadline is March 28th!
The online ordering code is: https://inter-state.com/YearbookEntry/65010X
If you have any questions about Yearbook, please contact Mrs. King or Mrs. Hessong.
Maddie King, MKing@usd232.org
Danielle Hessong, DHessong@usd232.org
PTA
-The PTA Glow Dance Party has moved to March 4. More details to come as it gets closer.
-No Bingo Night this year. Instead PTA will be helping with Starside's Family Night in May. More information to come later in the year.
- Several changes to note! The updated calendar is available on our website at www.StarsidePta.org/calendar. Or go to www.starsidepta.org and click on Calendar and then the Calendar file.
View our monthly meeting minutes from November and January on the website, too.
Join our Facebook page at Starside PTA and follow us on Instagram at starsidepta232 to stay up to date on information and events.
Fundraising Opportunities:
- Casey's Rewards - download their app and earn points
- BoxTops - download the app and scan your store receipts
- smile.amazon.com - choose Starside PTA as your favorite charity
MAKERSPACE Donations Appreciated!
-Cotton balls-Hot glue sticks-Pringles cans-Pipe cleaners-Aluminum foil-Small canning jar lids-
SE Community Information
Special film - Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety
USD 232 is partnering with the USD 232 Education Foundation to host a special online screening of ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety the week of January 31-February 6.
ANGST is a film-based education program designed to raise awareness around anxiety, with an emphasis on youth and families. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, experts, and parents with the goal of helping people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encouraging them to reach out for help.
Starting on Monday, January 31 through Sunday, February 6 families in our district will be able to watch ANGST as a Virtual Screening from home anytime that week. Also included with the film will be an informative, paneled discussion led by the film’s experts and filmmakers.
Here is the link to gain access to the film ANGST which will be active starting at 5:00 p.m. on January 31 > ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety
Thank you for your interest in this film and for continuing the conversation.
- USD 232 Administration
USD232EF Quarter Kudos
The USD 232 Education Foundation would like to recognize the amazing teaching and learning going on in our classrooms. We even want to brag about it! Getting students excited about learning is a teacher's superpower, so we want to CELEBRATE the teachers of USD 232!
Last quarter, we came up with the idea of “Teacher Kudos”. This gave parents and teachers alike a chance to share a fun or innovative activity that really impacted students' learning by posting on Facebook. Each post submitted was a chance for the teacher to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card from the USD 232 Education Foundation.
We are doing this again for the second quarter which will be a great way to end the semester. Here is the Facebook link:
Pre-School Enrollment begins 2/21/22
USD 232 offers high quality preschool programs for children, ages 3 to 5, that are not yet kindergarten eligible. All programs are half-day, hold low student to adult ratios and use research-based curriculums tied to the Kansas Early Learning Standards. Preschool programs are located in the NEW Cedar Trails Exploration Center at the corner of Mize Blvd & 83rd St., next to Mill Creek Middle School. Grant funded (FREE) preschool spots are available for students who qualify. Transporation (busing) will also be available for grant funded spots and special education services.
Preschool Enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year begins on February 21, 2022. On that date, an online application will be available via the USD 232 Early Childhood website at https://www.usd232.org/Page/9209. Paper applications are also available within Cedar Trails Exploration Center (Lenexa, KS) and Starside Elementary (De Soto, KS) offices. All applications must be submitted to the Cedar Trails Office by March 4, 2022 at 4pm, to be considered in the first round of enrollment.
For more information, please visit https://www.usd232.org/Page/8960
Contact the Cedar Trails Office at 913-667-1820 with questions.
Construction News will be continued next Spring...
Eastbound K-10 on-ramp and highway are now open! Both East and Westbound K-10 will remain open until construction begins on the Westbound ramp and highway in late spring or early summer!
REPEATED INFORMATION
Community Service
Community service hours should be tallied from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Attached you will find a form for tracking service hours. All service hours are due no later than Monday, April 4th this school year.
The definition of service under the President’s Volunteer Service Award program includes any activity that has a significant impact on meeting the needs of the community. Services that are paid for or carried out for a family member do not count towards service hours. Some examples of services include helping with community organizations, school-based programs, scouting services, or any effort to help others.
Students are responsible for keeping track of ALL of their community service hours including hours completed at Starside such as Comet Guard. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at Starside at 667-6270 ext. 2196 or e-mail me at mmispagel@usd232.org. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
McKenzi Mispagel
Starside School Counselor
Contacts: Front Office
Be sure to add SE@usd232.org to your contacts list so we don't end up in your spam folder!
LIKE the Starside Facebook page!
Making A Difference
What is Bullying?
SKYWARD Report Card Access
Parents – This year Starside will not be printing grade cards to send home with students. However, you may access your child’s grades in Skyward.
Directions:
Log in to Skyward Family Access
Click on the Documents tab on the left side
Next, click on the blue link that says 21-22 Q1 Report Card
For further instructions please reference the Link (Pay close attention to page 3 and page 7):
Substitute Teachers Needed
USD 232 Parents As Teachers
Clickable Links:
Virtual Tour of Starside with Principal Hicks
232 Families.