Emery Hall Newsletter
September 17, 2021
From the Principal:
You are the first and foremost TEACHER for your student! Training your child in daily routines helps them to have control over their environment, independence skills and responsibility. Please consider ways that you can implement responsibility to your child, simple chores around your home, daily expectations in the kitchen, etc. Independence, responsibility and endurance can be taught at home and supported here at school.
We are entering our 6th week of school! It is flying by, but I'm excited to see the fall colors arrive in Olathe!
September is Deaf Awareness Month
Virtual Deaf Cultural Festival at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Deaf Cultural Festival goes virtual this year to celebrate Deaf Cultural Month! Learn more about Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL) from our community partners: The Whole Person, Kansas School for the Deaf, and the Museum of Deaf History, Arts & Culture.
Check out the Link: https://nelson-atkins.org/nelson-atkins-at-home/deaf-cultural-virtual-festival-2021/
Deaf 101-- Videophones and Video Relay Service
Free Videophone from Sorenson
Did you know that your Deaf/Hard of Hearing child can get Sorenson Videophone at no cost?
Through a high-speed internet connection, Deaf callers use a videophone, computer, or mobile device, to place Sorenson Relay calls to hearing people, who receive the calls on a standard phone.
Calls route through an interpreting center, where an interpreter, fluent in ASL and spoken English or Spanish, appears on the device.The Deaf caller signs the message to the interpreter, and the interpreter relays the conversation between the two parties.
As both Deaf and hearing callers use their preferred language, communication is smooth, natural, and seamless. This 24/7 service is paid for by the government’s Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) fund.
To qualify for Sorenson Relay, you or your child must be Deaf and use American Sign Language to communicate.
More information and application can be found at this link:
Healthy Lunch Ideas
Over the past few weeks, it has been noticed that some lunch boxes are in need of color! A good rule of thumb is: fill half your plate (or lunch box) with colorful fruits or vegetables , one-quarter with whole grains, and the remaining quarter with healthy proteins. Healthy fats and a small amount of dairy round out a tasty meal that will fuel an active, healthy lifestyle.
When packing your child’s lunches,
- Choose any 1 fresh fruit. For example: grapes, apple slices or rings, any melon chunks (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), any berries or banana slices.
- Choose any 2 vegetables. For example: carrot coins or sticks, cucumber, broccoli, bell pepper strips, or grape tomatoes.
- Choose any 1 healthy protein. For example: Beans, hummus, veggie burger, roasted turkey or chicken slices, or a hardboiled egg.
- Choose any 1 whole grain. For example: whole grain pasta, bread, and crackers, etc.
- Incorporating dairy - All students have an option to get whole milk or chocolate milk
Presentation
- Kabobs: Cut fruits, vegetables, and proteins into cubes or small balls and insert onto a skewer with rounded or blunt edges.
- Bento boxes: Lunchboxes that contain several small divided containers are great for portion control, keeping foods separate and encouraging a variety of foods.
- Themes:
- Mexican = beans and brown rice, whole grain tortilla chips, homemade guacamole or salsa made with diced tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.
- Chinese = chicken strips and broccoli florets served with brown rice and low-sodium soy dipping sauce.
- Pizza = whole grain pita or crackers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers, mozzarella string cheese, chicken slices.
- Eat a Rainbow = red grape tomatoes, orange hummus, yellow cheese, green cucumbers and bell peppers, blueberries, purple grapes.
- Shapes: Cut sandwiches into triangles or smaller squares, or use cookie cutters.
Save Time with Meal Prep
Amidst hectic weekday schedules, meal prep is a great tool to help keep us on a healthy eating track.
- Choose a day that you are less busy to wash and chop fruits and vegetables, and prepare batches of healthy proteins like chicken, eggs, and beans.
- Have kids participate in food prep! Younger children can help to wash fruits and vegetables. Older children can learn how to use a knife on softer foods.
- Have children pack their lunch boxes the night before. Display choices of protein, vegetable, fruit, etc. and let them create their own meals.
COUNSELING CORNER
Library News
Dear Parents,
Some of our students have books that still have not been returned to KSD. Many reminders had been sent last year but the books still have not been returned. This is to let you know that we will be charging for these missing books. Please send cash or check (written to KSD Endowment) to pay for book fines. These notices will be sent out in the mail in the next week or so.
Thank you for helping us keep books available in our library! Also, ask your teacher when your child’s library day is so you can help your child remember to bring their books to school on library day.
Thank you!
Mrs. Beadle
Author Highlight!
We have an author who works at KSD! Her name is Kellie Crayton, one of our language facilitators! She wrote the book, “The Princess of Lasstar.” It is a story about a King who has been murdered! A greedy pirate comes to overtake the kingdom and make it his own! It is up to Prince William to save his people! He searches for a mythical creature, the Princess of Lasstar, who he hopes will help him save the kingdom. Will his search be in vain? Read the book to find out!!!
We have ordered two copies of her book for our libraries! Congratulations to Kellie for publishing her first book!
KC Chiefs Shirt/Sweater Fundraiser
We are doing a fundraiser for our playground equipment once again. We are excited to announce that you now have the option to order KC in ASL hooded sweater in addition to t-shirt this time around!
To order, you should get an order slip from your child's backpack, fill out and return to Val at EH office. If you need more ordering slip, please contact Val Watson at vwatson@kssdb.org.
Deadline: Monday, September 27th and the shirt/sweaters are estimated to arrive around October 15th.
Trivia Cup Registration!
If your child is in 3rd-5th grade, they are eligible to participate in the Trivia Cup competition which is a Kahoot game with questions related to different topics.
Sign up here! https://apply.gallaudet.edu/register/TriviaCupElem?fbclid=IwAR0qSKm1TEL659ZDdqg3_T9FbKDF2bECGa3SrxPDhU5T0a76WkLozwY2ekA
All Wired Up is a Kahoot related to movies, TV shows, and video games. They will ask about movie character names, or titles of movies with a picture shown on the Kahoot. If you want to participate, please sign up asap! The competition is next Tuesday, September 21st at 1:00 PM.
The second competition, "Are you Smarter than your Teacher" will be held on November 2nd at 1:00 PM.
If you sign up, please let Julie Bustos and Beth Beadle know so we can help prepare your child for competition! jbustos@kssdb.org, bbeadle@kssdb.org.
There is also a competition for middle school students, grades 6-8. If you want to sign up, please sign up on this page:
This will be more of a tournament competition, and you will have to participate several times if you advance. We hope some of our 6th graders will participate!
Thank you!
Picture Day Rescheduled
NOTE: There will be no retakes due to short staffing at Lifetouch Studios; we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.
Healthy Sleep Habits - Tips from the AAP
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents to make sure their children develop good sleep habits right from the start
Keep to a regular daily routine. The same waking time, meal times, nap time, and play times will help your child feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime. For young children, it helps to start early with a bedtime routine such as brush, book, bed.
Be active during the day. Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air.
Monitor screen time. The AAP recommends keeping all screens—TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, and phones out of children's bedrooms, especially at night. To prevent sleep disruption, turn off all screens at least 60 minutes/1 hour before bedtime.
Create a sleep-supportive and safe bedroom and home environment. Dim the lights prior to bedtime and control the temperature in the home. Don't fill up your child's bed with toys. Keep your child's bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. One or two things—a favorite doll or bear, a security blanket—are okay and can help ease separation anxiety.
Avoid overscheduling. In addition to homework, many children today have scheduled evening activities (i.e., sports games, lessons, appointments, etc.) that pose challenges to getting a good night's sleep. Take time to wind down and give your children the downtime that they need.
Attendance
Checking In and Out
We will have contactless student drop off and pick up. If your child is arriving to school after the start of school day, please call the office at 913-324-5861. A staff member will walk out and help get your child into the building.
If you are checking your child out for the day or for an appointment, please contact the office via email or call at 913-324-5861. We will have a staff member walk your child out to your car. If you are not able to call from the parking lot, please feel free to use the foyer doorbell to the office and we will bring your child to your vehicle.
Visitor Protocols
Office Contact Information
Valerie Watson
Senior Administrative Assistant
Emery Hall
Email: Vwatson@kssdb.org
Phone: 913-324-5861