Husky News
December 2016
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A Message From Dr. Waggoner
After looking through the December calendar, it amazes me that our first semester will soon be complete. I still vividly remember greeting students as they walked in on the first day of school. Time passes so quickly! I want to say thank you to parents, students and staff for helping to make our first semester run so smoothly.
Many people have been impacted with economic difficulties, but one gift most can give is the gift of time. Time spent asking your child how his/her day was, inquiring what was learned, taking a look at completed work, or reading together are all great ways to stay involved in your child's education. Please take time during this busy season to share experiences with your child that let him/her know how you value what is happening at school. It truly does make a difference!
Winter break is a time for relaxation and reflection. Enjoy this time with your family! I look forward to everyone returning in 2017 refreshed, renewed and ready to put forth their best effort. I wish you the very best and hope this holiday season is a time for you to reconnect with the people you love.
Dr. Ruth Waggoner, Principal
Upcoming Events
12/21-1/4, Winter Break, No School
1/5, School Begins
1/16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School
1/17, Professional Day, No School
2/3, Professional Day, No School
2/8-9, Conferences
2/10, No School
2/20, President's Day, No School
2/23, Kindergarten Round-up, 1-6 p.m.
3/13-17, Spring Break, No School
3/20, Professional Day, No School
4/21, Spring Festival
Winter Parties
The winter parties will be on Tuesday, December 20th. Classroom parties for first through fifth grade will start at 2:30 p.m. The morning kindergarten and Pre-K parties will be at 10:30 a.m. that day.
Tis the season for some holiday cheer and we have a lot of fun planned for the kids!
Tuesday, Dec 20, 2016, 02:30 PM
Heatherstone Elementary School, West 123rd Street, Olathe, KS, United States
Yearbook Photos Needed!
Dear Heatherstone Parents,
My name is Becky Smith and I am the yearbook co-chair for Heatherstone, along with Gina Blessing. We have a deadline of January 15 to have the first half of the yearbook completed.
This includes the two-page spreads for each grade and the portrait pages. To get this done, we need your pictures and we need them now! For those of you who don’t know, we try to put 6-8 candid pictures of each class on each portrait page (and make every effort to make sure every child is in at least one of these pictures), and then 17-20 pictures of the whole grade on the 2nd-page spread.
If we don’t get more pictures sent in before Christmas break, our pages will be very empty. Please take pictures at the Winter Parties on December 20! Group pictures with the kids facing the camera are best. Also, please make sure to get a class picture if no one in your class got one at Halloween or LapAThon.
Please make sure to upload your pictures to the www.box.com website as outlined in the attachment immediately after the winter parties so that we can get them in the yearbook by our first deadline.
You can still take pictures at the Winter Party, but they will need to be sent in immediately afterwards to be considered for this part of the yearbook.
Below are instructions on where to upload your pictures. Or, if you just have a few pictures, feel free to email or text them to me or Gina Blessing directly: beckybsmith@gmail.com, 913-481-3276 or gblessing@hotmail.com.
We will still be collecting pictures after the holidays, but those will be for the second half of the yearbook. If you haven’t seen a Heatherstone yearbook before, there are copies in the office if you’d like to get a general idea of the kind of pictures we’re looking for. Feel free to email me with any questions and thank you for your help!
Becky Smith
How To Upload Yearbook Photos
- Go to www.box.com.
- Log on using the grade username and password from the section below.
- After logging on, you'll see a folder for each grade and sub-folders for each teacher. Select the folder your photo fits into.
- Any photos that don't fall into a grade or teacher folder should be put into "All Grade Yearbook Pictures" within the "5th Grade and Extras" folder.
- Photos should be clear and of good quality (resolution of 1 MB or higher).
- Please do not upload individual or home photos! Yearbook photos can be taken outside of school (scout meetings, sporting events, etc.) but should be of current Heatherstone students only. Also, make sure there are no dates or other printing on the photo.
- Please upload both vertical and horizontal shots – we can use a variety of both.
GRADE USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS FOR LOGGING IN
Pre-K and Kindergarten
Username: HeatherstoneyearbookPreKK@gmail.com
Password: huskies1
1st and 2nd Grades
Username: Heatherstoneyearbook12@gmail.com
Password: huskies1
3rd and 4th Grades
Username: Heatherstoneyearbook34@gmail.com
Password: huskies1
5th Grade and Extras
Username: Heatherstoneyearbook5@gmail.com
Password: huskies1
Questions? Please contact Heatherstoneyearbook5@gmail.com.
Order Your Yearbook
Special thank you to all of the parents who have submitted photos to be used in our yearbook!
COLD WEATHER ALERT!
Please make sure your child comes to school prepared for the cold, wearing or bringing a coat, hat and gloves or mittens. We realize some areas of the building are warm, and some students prefer not to wear long pants and/or long sleeves. A great solution to this debate is to have your student keep a pair of sweats or track pants in his or her backpack to slip on for recess.
REMEMBER, Heatherstone students do go outdoors for recess MOST days, even when the weather is cold. The fresh air and opportunity for movement is crucial for learning, and children do need that chance to take a break from schoolwork. We don’t want them to risk their health doing so, however. Wearing warm clothing outdoors will allow your child to have the fun and benefit of recess breaks while staying healthy and safe! Please get in touch with myself or Mrs. Smith, our school counselor, if you do not have access to cold weather gear for your child or children. Thank you for following through with your student at home, making sure he or she is prepared for the day.
Ellen Hanke
Heatherstone Elementary School Nurse
Donate to Spring Festival Silent Auction
Please email Gina Blessing at gblessing@hotmail.com if you are interested in making a donation for our April 21 spring festival. Please add "Spring Festival" to the subject line of the email.
Sibling Dismissal
How to Know About School Cancellations
The winter weather season is here, so parents are encouraged to stay connected with the district in several ways to learn of school cancellations.
When the chance for severe or inclement weather looms, we will only post the cancellation of school, athletic events and other activities. We will not post when school, athletic events and activities are proceeding as scheduled.
If school is canceled due to snow or bad weather, the information will be available in these ways:
- Blackboard notification to parents and staff via text and email information on file
- Local television and radio stations
- Olathe School District website
- Olathe Public Schools on Facebook
- Olathe Schools on Twitter
- Channel 18 (Comcast and Time Warner)
- By calling the district information line, 913-780-8000
The new Blackboard notification system replaces the previous Olathe Alert and City Watch systems because of streamlined capabilities to send messages within minutes versus hours. Any parent who is in the district’s system, and who has included a cell phone number, will receive a text message in case of the cancellation of school. If there has been a change in your phone number or email address since enrollment, please notify the Heatherstone front office.
No Early Dismissal
If school is in session when deteriorating weather conditions are present, regular dismissal time will be observed rather than dismissing students early from school. District administrators are mindful of safety issues such as transportation, particularly for those students who normally ride the bus or are driven to and from school; lack of supervision at home because of an unscheduled dismissal; and the uncertainty of sending children away from a protected school environment and out into hazardous weather conditions.
Facility Usage/Building Rental
If school is canceled for the entire day, all facility usage/building rentals will also be canceled.
If school has been in session all day but evening district activities are canceled, facility usage/building rentals will also be canceled.
Athletics and Activities
The final decision about whether to cancel school activities will be made at the district level. Administrators understand the importance of these activities, but the safety of students is always of greater importance.
If school has been canceled for the entire day:
- All middle school and elementary school activities (practices, games, and other activities) will be canceled.
- With district-level approval, high school activities may be allowed to take place. This includes practices, contests and travel to events outside the city.
- Updates on the status of scheduled events will be communicated by building administrators, coaches/sponsors when final decisions have been made.
2017 Kindergarten Roundup
All Olathe elementary schools will have kindergarten roundup on the same date and during the same time for the 2017-18 school year.
Kindergarten roundup will be on Thursday, February 23, 2017, from 1-6 p.m. at each school.
Teachers and Staff Treated to Holiday Goodies
There were plenty of cookies, nuts, bars, fudge, and brownies to be indulged. At the end of the day, our table centerpiece was raffled off and kindergarten teacher Mary Sharp was the lucky winner of a beautiful greenery arrangement. Congratulations, Mrs. Sharp!
PTO Treasurer's Report
- Kindergarten field trip to the KC Pumpkin Patch
- New basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, kickballs and basketball nets for the playground
- Donation to the Student Health Emergency Fund
- Hospitality event for teachers and staff
- Classroom assistance for teachers
- Fourth grade field trip to JCCC
- Second grade special request for an owl program
- Third grade field trip to Main Street USA
Thanks again for all of your support!
Early Childhood Fee-based Peer Participation Application Requests Begin Jan. 9
Application requests will begin on January 9, 2017, for the 2017-2018 school year. Applications cannot be requested prior to this date.
To be considered for a peer slot you/your child must meet the following guidelines:
- Your child must turn 3 or 4 years old on or before August 31, 2017.
- You must live in the Olathe School District. (Even if you are an employee of the district you must still live within the Olathe School District.)
- Your child must be potty trained. (Not wearing pull-ups.)
- Your child must speak and understand English very well.
- You must complete the “Ages and Stages” questionnaire with your child and once scored, your child must be at the appropriate developmental level.
To request an application packet on January 9, please contact Kim Russell at 913-780-7341 or krussellhlc@olatheschools.org. Be sure and include your child’s date of birth.
Download GoNoodle App for Winter Break Fun
Download in the App Store. Don't have an iOS compatible device? You can still use GoNoodle on any web browser at gonoodle.com.
4 WAYS TO USE GoNOODLE OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK:
- Dinnertime Chaos: Take a minute to get things done while your kids move along to fun dances, silly sing-alongs, and more.
- Emotion-focused Coping: Help your kids manage stress through reflection, relaxation, and positive intentions to strengthen their minds and bodies.
- Cabin Fever: When the weather outside is frightful... have a family dance party in your living room to burn off extra energy!
- Bedtime Anxiety: GoNoodle's kid-friendly calming activities are a safe and happy way to wind down before catching some Zzz's.
Heatherstone Elementary School
Website: http://schools.olatheschools.com/buildings/heatherstone/
Location: 13745 W 123rd St, Olathe, KS, United States
Phone: (913) 780-7480
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherstoneElementary/