Renner Report
Family Newsletter February 25th
Renner Elementary School
School Hours: 8:15-3:15
School Phone: 816-359-4350
Principal: Dr. Denisha Johnson Assistant Principal: Dominic Martinez
Counselor: Dr. Kevin Bland Social Worker: Tara Davis
Office Staff: Melissa Wiehe and Brittany Kleinmeyer
Nurse: Leigh Benton
Important Dates
Important Dates!
- March 1: Donuts with Grownups Kindergarten & First Grades 7:55-8:45
- March 5: McTeacher Night 4:00 to 8:00
- March 6: Roadrunner of the Month Assemblies
- March 6: Early Release Dismissal 1:15 pm
- March 6: PTA Papa John's Pizza Night
- March 7: PTA Meeting 6:00
- March 8: Donuts with Grownups 2nd & 3rd Grades 7:55-8:45
- March 8: End of 3rd Quarter
- March 8: Half Day for Students. Dismissal will be 11:58 am.
- March 14: District Mathletics Meet at Congress 4:45
- March 15: Donuts with Grownups 4th & 5th Grades 7:55-8:45
- March 21: 3rd Grade Music Program 6:00 pm
- March 21: 4th Grade Music Program 6:45 pm
- March 25-29: NO SCHOOL Spring Break
Save the Date! (April)
April 1: Little Chomper's Dentist Assembly in Gym (More Details to Come)
April 3: Early Release dismissal @ 1:15 pm
April 10: PTA Fun Run Kickoff
April 11: Student Showcase/STEAM Night
April 17: Papa John's Night
April 23: DEIB Council Meeting 5:30-7:00
April 25: PTA Meeting @ 6:00
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
Curriculum Connections
DEIB Community Connections
Members of the Park Hill School District's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Council will facilitate this community update and conversation in partnership with Sophic Solutions. Join us!
Park Hill School District parents/guardians, staff, and community members are welcome to join us for these conversations. In these upcoming online forums, we will start with a presentation to all participants, overviewing the work our DEIB Council and DEIB Action Teams have accomplished since our 2023 community forums. We'll also share how this aligns with the current 2023-2028 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). After our large group presentation, we will move into small groups where participants will have an opportunity to engage in dialogue about the work that is being done and provide input regarding how they would like to see this work carried out within the specific school(s) they are associated with.
We look forward to sharing the work of our council and action teams thus far. We also look forward to our next steps, in alignment with our DEIB drivers and narratives, and the individual council work at each building. Thank you for your connection to this critical work in Park Hill.
We are hosting two community forums. Please choose only one of the forum dates to register below. The forum Zoom link will be sent on the day of your event.
Registration links:
Donuts with Grown-Ups!
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Sign-ups
2nd & 3rd Grade Sign-ups
4th & 5th Grade Sign-ups
Health Room Update
Health Room Update
It's that time of year again when we will begin to see an increase in illnesses at school. We want to take a quick moment to remind our families and students to please stay home if they are not feeling well.
In the event of illness, students must be symptom-free for a full 24 hours before returning to school. This includes fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Please reach out to the health room with any questions.
COVID-19 Protocols
When a student or employee notifies us that they have tested positive for COVID-19, we are continuing to follow current CDC guidance for isolation.
Currently, that means that everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be asked to isolate at home for 5 days after symptoms started.
Points to remember:
- Employees, students, and families should follow current CDC guidelines if they test positive for COVID-19
- Day 0 is the day of symptom onset (or test date if you tested positive with no symptoms)
- Day 1 is the 1st full day after the day your symptoms started (or the 1st full day following the day you tested positive with no symptoms)
- Isolation may be ended after day 5 if symptoms have improved and the person is fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medications)
- It is recommended that people continue to wear a mask from days 6 through 10 when they end isolation and return to school/work
- We are not notifying parents about every COVID-19 case
- If there are 3 or more cases of COVID-19 identified during the same incubation period, we will follow our communicable disease process by sending home a classroom condition alert to parents/guardians of the students in that classroom only
- We are no longer doing any contact tracing or reporting cases to the health departments for contact tracing
- We are no longer recommending quarantine for people who are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19
Please visit the Park Hill School District public website and the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan for more information.
You may also review the CDC Isolation Guidelines. We will continue to monitor the guidelines and inform you when the guidance is updated.
Heritage Month Recognition
Black History is celebrated the month of February. Black History Month began in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the week long recognition to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black History Month has been celebrated in the United States every February since.
Renner Black History Month Bulletin Boards
Renner Black History Month Bulletin Boards
KC Comets Game & 5th Grade Choir Performance
RENNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Families are invited to attend the Kansas City Comets pro indoor soccer game on Sunday, March 10th at 4 pm at Cable Dahmer Arena when the Comets host Utica City FC. Come out and support the Renner Elementary School Choir as they perform "God Bless America" on the Field at Halftime.
TICKETS: Just $16!
- Date/Time: Sunday, March 10, 2023 at 4:00 pm
- Tickets: Only $16 each for Renner students, staff, and families!
- You will receive your tickets via text message to the cell phone given at the time of purchase.
- Your paid receipt from PayPal is proof of purchase.
Come on out and cheer for the Comets and experience Hot Winter Nights for yourself!
Masked Reader
McTeacher Night
NWEA Growth (Spring)
Students will be taking their spring NWEA Growth assessment between March 4th and March 15th. The testing schedule will be shared in your classroom teacher's newsletter. As we prepare for our spring assessment, below are some tips to remind your child at home to help them do their best.
Please remind your child of the following test-taking tips.
Before the Test:
*Develop a positive attitude and growth mindset.
*Get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.
*Get up early enough to avoid rushing to get to school on time.
*Eat a healthy breakfast.
During the Test:
*Relax and Stay calm.
*Listen carefully to the directions the teacher gives.
*Ask questions if you do not understand what to do.
*Read each question carefully. Find the key words. Try to figure out what the question is really asking.
*Read the entire question and look at ALL the answer choices before you make your answer choice.
*Use strategies you learned in class to figure out the answer.
*Take your time!
Please encourage and motivate your child by letting him/her know that the formula for success is: taking your time and doing your best.
Park Hill Star Nominees
Help us wish a huge congratulations to 4th grade teacher Tessa Sipp and Recovery Room Interventionist Kim Mcfarland-Miller on receiving Park Hill Star Nominees! We are extremely lucky to have both of these amazing educators at Renner!
PTA Website
Website: Rennerelementarypta.weebly.com
Email: beepbeeppta@gmail.com
Yearbook Information
Repeated Information
Artsonia
Buzz Book 2023-24
We are in the process of creating a new Renner Buzz Book directory. The purpose of the Buzz book is a student/ family directory for families in our school. This is used as a communication tool for families. Please complete the form below with the information you wish to have included for your family. Only complete the form below if you wish to have you and your child's name and information listed in the Buzz Book.
- It is NOT to be used for any solicitation or business purposes.
- Families must request access by contacting the front office.
- Only legal guardians listed in Infinite Campus can have access to the Renner Buzz Book.
- Information is not carried over from previous years.
- You must complete a new Buzz Book form each school year.
Attendance
School attendance is vital for student success and academic growth. Please help your student(s) be successful by arriving to school on time each day. We also ask for your help in this area by attempting to schedule any necessary appointments either after school hours or on non-attendance days. Please remember that the arrival time for Renner is 7:55am. Prior to that time, there is no adult supervision for students. Please do not drop students off before 7:55. Students are tardy if they arrive after 8:15am. If your child will be absent, please contact the school office by 8:30. Also, if you have changes in plans regarding transportation home, please notify your child’s teacher or the school office before noon at 816-359-4350. Thank you for making your child’s education a top priority!
Renner Arrival & Dismissal Information
ARRIVAL:
- Adventure Club: Drop-off begins at 6:30am and parents must check in their child in the cafeteria with AC staff. Students must be enrolled in Adventure Club to participate.
- Walkers: Students may enter the building at 7:55 through the car rider doors.
- Bus Riders: Students will be released from the buses as soon as they arrive at Renner. A staff member will be waiting to greet students as they get off the bus. Students will either report to the cafeteria for breakfast or go directly to their classrooms.
- Car Riders: Drop-off begins at 7:55am. As a reminder, car riders are not allowed to exit cars until 7:55. Cars must pull through the car rider loop and be released to an adult. Students will report for breakfast in the cafeteria or go to their classrooms. All cars will enter Renner at the bottom east parking lot off Stoddard and use a single file line for dropping off students. If your child is late, arriving after 8:15, please escort them to the office to sign them in using our check-in system. Please be sure not to park or drop off students in the front bus loop between 7:55 and 8:15 am.
DISMISSAL:
- Adventure Club: Pick-up begins at 3:15pm in the cafeteria.
- Walkers: Students will be released to parents gate area on the sidewalk where car riders are dismissed.
- Bus Riders: Students riding buses will be escorted by their classroom teacher to their bus starting at 3:10pm. Students will be met by bus greeters as they get on the bus.
- Car Riders: Pick-up begins at 3:10pm. Cars will begin to line up along the curb. Students will be supervised in the gym until their name is called by our staff. Staff members use the name sign on your dash/visor to call student names in order of parent arrival. Students will stand by a designated cone and then be escorted by staff to their car. Cars without a visible name card will be asked to park and check out their child from the front office.
Car Rider Reminders:
In an effort to make make our car rider dismissal procedures a smooth and quick process, we ask that all families please:
- Have name placards visible in window dash. (Without it you will be asked to park and display your ID in the office.)
- If you feel the need to make any adjustments to your child’s seating harnesses, please pull to the side, out of the flow of traffic to do so. You will be able to join the line as soon as you are finished.
Food in Classrooms
Classroom Treats: To protect the health and safety of our students, homemade treats will not be distributed to students in the Park Hill School District. Due to allergies and other food intolerances, only birthday favors listed below are allowed.
Birthday Favors: Students may bring a birthday treat or favor to school to share with their classmates, as long as they come from our list of treats that contain none of the eight (8) major allergens - milk, wheat, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish.
Thank you for understanding that all classroom treats must come from this list, because we do not have the staff capacity to check for allergens that could threaten the health of some students. Please bring birthday treats ahead of time (two hours after the start of school, at the latest).
Stickers
Erasers
Pencils
Crazy straws
Blow Pops
Juice boxes
Popcorn
Smarties
Dum Dum lollipops
Jelly Belly
Nerds
Ring Pops
Skittles
Sour Patch Kids
Starburst
Swedish Fish
Life Saver Gummies
Free and Reduced Benefits
Families who qualify are encouraged to apply for Free and Reduced Benefits. This is typically advertised as Free and Reduced Lunch, but there are many more benefits beyond lunch.
Families who qualify for Free and Reduced Benefits have access to:
- Free/Reduced Price Lunch
- FREE insurance for student device
- FREE WiFi Hotspot from Park Hill School District
- Free/Reduced application costs for college applications
- Free/Reduced Cost access to PTA Events and more. Please see our social worker Tara Davis for any questions you have!
Homework Helpers (Updated)
Health Room Information
Immunizations: All students need to be up to date on immunizations BEFORE starting school on August 21. Documentation of immunizations must be turned into the health room. No exceptions will be made.
Infinite Campus - Parent Portal
Park Hill School District uses Infinite Campus as our student information system. You can access your child’s essential school information and district information quickly! This includes Attendance, Grades, Schedule, Bus Information, Technology Fees and School Communications.
To be able to access your child’s information, you must set up an account. You will need to log-in and enter the Activation Key, followed by setting up your own username and password.
Infinite Campus organizes students by household, so you can access your family in just one account. If you have questions, need technical support, or have misplace your unique access key code, feel free to call us at 816-359-4350
Kid Guard Insurance
Parents can purchase additional insurance protection for accidents that may occur during school classes and while students are away from school, at home, during weekends and vacation periods, including the summer months. For information regarding this optional coverage, visit www.kidguardinsurance.com for additional benefit and on-line enrollment information.
Meal Assistance Program
Families who think they qualify for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program will need to apply after August 1, 2023. This is a program you must reapply for each school year. If your child is eligible for free or reduced meal benefits, you can also receive additional benefits at Park Hill High School such as fee waivers, activity passes, free screenings and more.
Click here to learn how to check your eligibility and how to apply.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our school social worker, Tara Davis at davist@parkhill.k12.mo.us or (816) 359-5547.
If you need the application translated, please use this link. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/translated-applications
Meal Information:
Students may bring their lunch from home or purchase a school lunch from the cafeteria. Students also have the option to purchase a breakfast upon arrival to school.
Breakfast: $1.50
Lunch: $2.70
Milk: $0.70
Park Hill Clothing Center
The PTA Clothing Center serves all Park Hill School District students from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and the PTA asks you to bring some proof that you are enrolled in a Park Hill school. This could be a student ID, bus pass, dated letter from a principal or social worker, class schedule or enrollment form.
Donations are welcome at the Clothing Center. Please make sure your donations are clean, in good condition and bagged in kitchen-sized bags that the volunteers can lift.
2023-2024 Park Hill PTA Clothing Center Shopping Dates
- September 5th and 19th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- October 3rd and 17th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- November 7th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm.
- December 5th and 19th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- January 16th and 30th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- February 6th and 20th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- March 5th and 19th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- April 2nd and 16th: 10:00-12:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm
- May 7th: 4:00-6:00pm
Park Hill STAR Award Nomination
That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a Pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. It asks you to share how your nominee demonstrates our district values of continuous improvement, high expectations, integrity, visionary leadership and student focus. You can also share how your nominee supports the goals in our district’s strategic plan.
PBIS (PRIDE) Positive. Respectful. In-Control. Determined. EVERYDAY!
School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (SWPBS) is a systems approach to establishing the whole-school social culture and intensive individual behavior supports needed for school to achieve social and academic gains while minimizing problem behavior for all students. SWPBS is NOT a specific curriculum, intervention or practice, but a decision making framework that guides selection, integration and implementation of scientifically-based academic and behavioral practices for improving academic and behavior outcomes for all students. A central feature of SWPBS is implementation of behavioral practices throughout the entire school. SWPBS defines practices that all students experience in all parts of the school and at all times of day.
- Fewer behavior problems
- Improved school climate
- Reduction in discipline referrals
- i.e.—Every faculty and staff member will have a protocol to follow.
- Safer schools
- More time spend on instruction and less on discipline
Safety at Renner
Call Box at Front Entrance: All schools in Park Hill have a Call Box at the locked Front Entrance Doors. Front entrance doors will be locked when school is in session. Office staff will ask for your name and the reason for your visit before the door is unlocked. Each time a parent or a family member visits Renner, a photo ID is required to check out a student or enter Renner beyond the school office area.
Student Check Out Process: Please be prepared to show a photo ID when picking up your child early from Renner. Students will not be allowed to leave with siblings or other family members unless the sibling or family member is listed on the child’s authorized pick-up list or verbal permission is granted by the parent by phone. A picture ID is required when picking up students.
Student Lanyards
Transportation Bus Change
Bus transportation boundaries were revised which resulted in bus service being offered only to students living within a defined distance from Renner.
Park Hill School District will provide transportation services to students who live more than 0.5 miles from Renner.
Families received transportation update emails about their status. If you have concerns or questions, please email the Transportation Department at transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us.
Transportation Information
For the safety of all our students, communication is the key! During Back to School Night, please be sure that you communicate with your child’s teacher the details of your child’s mode of dismissal transportation. Families must establish their child as one of the following:
- Bus rider:
- Car rider
- Walker or Bike Rider
- Adventure Club
During the year, please notify the school office of any transportation changes prior to 2:00pm. Thank you for your assistance!
Additional Bus rider information: In early August, our bus company, First Student, will be sending an email with your student’s bus information if you live within the bus boundaries. Our recommendation is for you to contact First Student if you have any concerns regarding your student’s stop. First Student can be reached at 816-359-4560 or contact Kay Burnos at kay.burnos@firstgroup.com.
Visiting and Volunteering at Renner:
Lunch Visits: Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch at school. Lunch visitors must check in at the office. We have a designated area for students with lunch guests to accommodate space for visitors. Lunch visitors may only have lunch with their own children. Any visitors who are not listed as a contact for the student will require advanced permission from the student's parent or guardian.
Volunteers: We welcome all volunteers into our schools and classrooms, with prior arrangements made with Renner staff. All volunteers who work with our students need to complete background screening by Park Hill. Forms for the screening are available in the Renner office. Volunteers must check in at the office and wear an ID sticker.
Helpful Links
Dr. Denisha Johnson - Principal
Renner Roadrunner
Dominic Martinez - Assistant Principal
Contact Renner Elementary
Follow us everywhere for the latest news from Renner Elementary!
Email: Kleinmeyer@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: www.renner.parkhill.k12.mo.us
Location: 7401 NW Barry Rd Kansas City, MO 64153
Phone: (816) 359-4350
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RennerElementary