MIGHTY MASCOUTAH
FEBRUARY EDITION 2024
MES Families
This newsletter will keep you up to date and in the loop as we begin the month of February. Please read at your convenience as we have several pieces of important information for the upcoming month.
Communication between home & school is vital for student success. All of us at MES are dedicated to supporting our vision statement: Mascoutah Elementary provides excellence in learning by engaging every student every day. Every student and all staff will be contributing members of society who value the pursuit of learning and service to others by demonstrating critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and compassion.
Please feel free to contact the MES office if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Michelle Cooley
Principal
5 Essentials Survey
We need your help! Each year at this time, the Illinois State Board of Education releases the 5Essentials Survey for parents, students and staff to complete. This anonymous survey provides our school and district with important feedback that we use to guide our ongoing efforts to improve our school and continue to offer our students a supportive environment and excellent education. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand your perspective of MES and guide improvement. Please take a few moments to fill out this anonymous survey on behalf of Scott Elementary School: SURVEY LINK Thank you for your time!
Use the link below to view the 2023-24 MSD19 School Calendar
Upcoming Events for the Month of February
February 1: First Day of Black History Month
February 1- February 7: 100th Day of School
- February 1st - 5th Grade ... Celebrating 1000 days of School Attendance
- February 1st - Kindergarten .. 100th Day of School
- February 2nd - 1st Grade . . . 101 Days of School - Dalmatian Style
- February 5th - 2nd Grade . . . 102 at the zoo!
- February 6th - 3rd Grade . . . 103, What will you be?
- February 7th - 4th Grade . . . 104, Watch us score!
February 14: Valentine's Day
February 15:Parent-Teacher Conferences (Teachers will reach out to select families)
February 19: President's Day- No School
February 23: MES Spirit Day-- Wear your Purple
February 28: Schoolwide PBIS Celebration
February 29: Individual PBIS Celebration & NEAP Assessment for 4th Grade
March 1: SIP Day- Half Day Student Attendance
We Need Your Help π
We are all in this together. As you know our attendance Rate is 20% of our School Report Card. Due to the collaboration between the school and our amazing families MES was awarded 83/100. Our goal this year is to get 90/100 points and in order to do that, we need our AMAZING SCHOLARS in the building. Below is a graphic to show how MES received the Exemplary Status.
Attendance Matters
Children who are ill or show signs of becoming ill should not be sent to school. Please follow these guidelines:
Fever 100Β° or Above: Student must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: No further incidence for 24 hours.
Strep Throat: 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Antibiotic treatment for 24 hours and no drainage from the eye.
If any concern of contagious illness, please contact your healthcare provider for further guidance before returning to school.
If itβs determined that your child needs to go home due to illness or injury, a parent or guardian will be notified and shall provide or arrange immediate transportation. Please check Skyward to make sure that the emergency contact information for your child or children is up-to-date.
Parent Teacher Conferences
2nd Semester Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held at MES on February 15 from 5:00-8:00. Unlike Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences, these conferences are scheduled only at the request of the parent and/or teacher. If you would like to schedule a conference with your child's teacher, please contact them directly.
Morning Arrival
It's has been two weeks since your last arrival process, please refresh your memory on how we drop our students off in the morning:
Carpoolβ to drop off car riders in the morning, please proceed to the CARPOOL LANE (RIGHT SIDE) in the front circle drive. PLEASE PULL FORWARD in the yellow zone as far as you can. Staff members will be outside to direct you where to pull. Students will exit the car on the passenger side ONLY, away from traffic. Parents are asked to remain in their cars and be prepared to move quickly when students exit the car. Depending on how far a parent is asked to pull up in the carpool lane, a student may enter the building near the 5th Grade hallway at Door #7 and walk through the building to their designated holding location or through the front door. Staff supervision will be provided in the carpool lane and throughout the building to help with the arrival process.
Students walked in by parents -if you would like to park, help your child from the car, hug them good-bye, etc. please pull to the left side of the front circle lane. Park in one of the many parking spots here. Students in this lane need to exit the car on the left side Only, away from traffic. Parents then must walk with the child on the sidewalk to the crosswalk located across from Door #7 or the Front door and deliver the child safely to the sidewalk in front of school. The parent then must again cross at the crosswalk, find their car and wait patiently to pull away using the middle exit lane.
Walkers and Bike Riders - K-2 students will use the bike rack near the PreK building and along with any walkers enter the back of the building through door 22. 3-5 students will use the bike rack near door 10 and along with any walkers enter the back of the building through door 10.
Bus Riders -buses will enter the bus lane from the south and pull to the north. Three buses at a time will unload students. The students will walk together into the building at a designated door. PreK buses will pull to the north side of the building and load and unload on Harnett.
Core Values- PBIS
Be Kind, Be Honest, Be Safe, Be Accepting
At MES everyday we talk to our scholars about our 4 Core Values and how to make good choices. We utilize a Positive Behavior Information System to set behavior goals for the school and students individually.
At the end of each month if we meet the school wide goal we CELEBRATE as an entire building! YAY! Each month the process starts new, and students are afforded the chance to get an incentive again.
MES loves to include parents in our school. We believe that it takes all stakeholders to meet the needs of "Every student, Everyday."
The Schoolwide Goal for February is that we will have 35 or less office referrals and if we do each class and each student will get to enjoy a 10-15 minute dance party. We would love your help and assistance in reiterating the Core Values and good decision making at school.
Thank you for trusting us with your child(ren) everyday, we do not take that lightly.
IAR Testing πππ
IAR Testing
From April 9th-19th, all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be taking the state assessments known as the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. Students will be tested in ELA & Math. More specific information will be shared in the near future.
Our Snow Day Alert Process
Communicating About Snow Days
To make sure that you have all the latest news, you can continue to check this newsletter for updates. You should also do all of the following:
How to find out if we have a weather-related delay/closing:
- Ensure we have the most up-to-date contact information in Skyward.
- Check our website
- Check your local news station for announcements regarding school closures.
- KMOV Channel 4 and KSDK Channel 5.
Our PTO Rocks
We have an amazing PTO at MES that plans a large number of fun activities throughout the school year. If you are interested, please follow the "Mascoutah Elementary PTO" Facebook page for information and details.
MES Spirit Wear
We've got spirit, how about you!? The PTO has launched the Mascoutah Elementary spirit apparel store! Both adult and youth sizes are available with several different options of short sleeve, long sleeve, and/or hoodie. Purchases are available for shipping or in-store pickup. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds go back to the PTO and into funding future events that benefit and support our students and staff!
If youβre interested in buying apparel, the Mascoutah Store can be found here: Mascoutah Store
Your Administration Team
Principal
Michelle Cooley
Assistant Principal
Sandra Litteken
Assistant Principal
Laura Yarber