MEADOWLARK NEWSLETTER
October 2019
Happy Fall!
It is hard to believe that we are turning the corner into completing our first nine weeks of school. Our routines and procedures are well underway and we are getting deep into the learning. Another item that has been highly anticipated this month has been our School Jobs. All 2nd through 5th graders had the opportunity to apply for a school job. Based upon the feedback from students on the spring exit job survey, we added and deleted a few jobs. A few new jobs this year are: Assistant Principal, All Star Decorator, and Teacher Assistant. As an Assistant Principal, Third, Fourth and Fifth graders will have the opportunity a few times per month to work with me. Based upon the feedback on the survey, many students felt like our school could use some freshening up, so the All Star Decorators are going to work on making our hallways come to life! And, students wanted to have the opportunity to choose which classroom in which they wanted to help, so we have teacher assistants in many classrooms, not just in Kindergarten and First Grade. The two jobs that were eliminated were Cafeteria Crew and Equipment Specialist.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 17th for Parent-Teacher conferences. Please make sure that you have signed up online via Signup.com from your classroom teacher. If this date does not work, please coordinate with your child's teacher to find an optimal time to meet.
Thank you for your support!
Dana Matheny
CALENDAR
October 1
- Start Student Jobs (2nd-5th Grade)
- National Custodian Appreciation Day
- 9:15 am - 3rd Grade COW Career Day
October 3
- 8:50 am - Crew Morning Meeting
- 3:45 pm - Learning With Legos
October 4
- Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl Practice during 5th ELP time
- 8:50 am - All Star Pep Rally
October 5
- World Teachers Day
October 7
- 3:45 pm - After School Spanish Club
October 8
- Yom Kippur begins at sunset
October 9
- Fire Prevention Day
- 5 - 9 pm - Freddy's Frozen Custard Family Night (see flyer below)
October 10
- 3:45 pm - Learning with Legos
October 11
- Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl practice During 5th ELP Time
- 8:50 am - All Star Pep Rally
October 14
- Columbus Day
- 9:00 am - PTO Meeting
- 12:15 pm - Humane Society visit Kindergarten
- 3:45 pm - After School Spanish Club
- 6:30 pm - Andover Board of Education Meeting @ District Office
October 16
- Boss's Day
- End of first Quarter
- Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl Practice During 5th ELP Time
October 17
- NO SCHOOL - Parent/Teacher Conference
October 18
- NO SCHOOL - Professional Learning
October 21
- 9:00 am - 5th Grade Music Practice @ ACHS
- 3:45 pm - After School Spanish Club
October 22
- 9:00 am - 5th Grade Music Practice @ ACHS
- 7:00 pm - 5th Grade Music Program @ ACHS
October 23
- Red Ribbon Week - Wear Work-Out Clothes
October 24
- United Nations Day
- Red Ribbon Week - Dress in Bright Neon Colors
- 8:50 am - Crew Morning Meeting
- 3:45 pm - Learning With Legos
- 4:00 pm - Site Council Meeting
October 25
- Red Ribbon Week - Dress for the Red Carpet
- 8:50 am - Crew Morning Meeting
- 1:30 pm - 5th Grade Kind Kids Crew Meeting
- 2:10 pm - Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl Practice
- Report Cards Go Home with Students
October 28
- Red Ribbon Week - Wear Crazy Socks & Crazy Hair
- 3:45 pm - After School Spanish Club
October 29
- Red Ribbon Week - Wear Your Favorite Team Shirt
- 10:45 am - Picture Day (2nd chance/Retakes)
October 30
- Red Ribbon Week - Wear Pajamas & Slippers
October 31
- Halloween
- Fall Classroom Parties
- 11:20 am - October Birthday Lunch with Mrs. Matheny
Brooke Roebke - 4th Grade Teacher
John Harpstrite - Night Custodian
Becky Zarich - 1st Grade Teacher
Lindsay Litwinski - Nurse Aide
Danielle McLain - Art Teacher
Kate Brown - School Psychologist
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE
Date: Thursday, October 17th
Time: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tips for making Parent-Teacher conferences successful:
- Always prepare. Have some specific questions ready concerning your child's strengths, needs, study habits, and social skills.
- Be positive. Showing the teacher you appreciate his/her efforts helps build a strong relationship. Share with the teacher activities your child has enjoyed in the school.
- Check back. Work with your child on areas that need help. After a few weeks, check back with the teacher on your child's progress.
- Set goals. Establish goals that can be achieved through co-operation between school and home.
HEALTH OFFICE
New District Immunization Policy
The Health Office would like to remind you that the Andover School district USD 385 has adopted a new exclusion policy in regards to Immunization status. If the Health office does not have required documents showing your student is up to date with the required Immunizations by October 16th 2019, your student will not be allowed to return to school until proof of immunizations is provided to the Health Office. The Health office will contact by phone and/or letter informing you if the Health Office records indicate your student is missing any required Immunizations. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Health Office.
The Health Office Staff continues to review Care Dox online enrollment, if you have been receiving emails from Care Dox requesting completion of enrollment, please do so. Parents are required to complete and/ or review their student’s health information in Care Dox each academic year and electronically sign. The health office staff reviews each student’s enrollment upon completion by parent. If you have question or need assistance please call the Health Office so we can help you.
Medication Policy Reminder
Prescription Medications:
- All prescription medications require written permission from the parent/guardian AND physician. Permission must be resubmitted every year.
- Prescription medications must be provided in the original container and be within the expiration date period.
- All controlled substances defined as such under state or federal law will be kept in locked cabinets under the supervision of the registered nurse.
Over-the-counter Medications:
Parents/Guardians of students in grades PreK-5 may choose to allow their child to receive over-the-counter medications (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, triple antibiotic ointment, cough drops, anti-itch cream, etc.) in the school setting without a physician’s signature. Permission must be resubmitted every year.
Grades PreK-5:
- Parents/Guardians must present a signed parental OTC Medication Form.
- Parents/Guardians may fill out and return the attached form at any time, but we encourage them to send medication only when their child needs it.
- OTC medications will be given according to label instructions. Check your medication carefully to be sure it is labeled for use for your student’s age and is not expired. Current weight may need to be obtained.
- OTC medications will need to be provided by the parent/guardian and must be delivered to the school in an unopened sealed container.
- Vitamins, supplements and other once, twice or three times a day medications should be given at home whenever possible.
- All medications at school are given at the discretion of the school nurse who may ask for clarification and/or refuse to administer any medication.
Fall Party Celebrations
Per the Family Handbook:
Organized classroom parties are planned by the PTO room parents. The purpose of classroom parties is to allow students the opportunity to celebrate special occasions but should not interfere with the instructional environment of the school. Classroom parties shall not exceed one hour.
For fall costume parties, participating students should bring their costumes to school in a sack. Costumes will be put on prior to each classroom’s party and should be something that is easy to put over the child’s clothing. Please use discretion when choosing your child’s costume. Students are not permitted to bring or wear masks, make-up, or any scary, or ghoulish costumes. Students are also not allowed to bring any type of play weapon. If you do not want your child to participate in a fall costume party, please notify your child’s teacher, so that they can plan an alternate activity for your child.
THE FRONT PARKING LOT IS OFF LIMITS TO PARENTS AFTER 3:00 PM.
If your child's party ends after 3:00 pm, please park your vehicle in the north parking lot (eCademy) or across the street (United Methodist Church).
MEET OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Josh Well, President
Bob Baier, Vice President
Matt Forney, Member
Melinda Fritze, Member
Carly Haynes, Member
Jennifer Seymour, Member
Andrew Chaney, Member
Dear Meadowlark Parents,
Students in grades 3-5 are able to participate in the William Allen White Award
program. This is a Kansas state book award and the winner of the award is chosen by
the students. The award is in honor of William Allen White, a renowned newspaper
editor, politician, and author. Each year, books are nominated in grades 3-5 category
and grades 6-8 category. The books must be published within the last two years. The
books are nominated by Kansas librarians and often include Newbery award winning
books.
At Meadowlark, students in grades 3-5 have the option to participate in the William
Allen White challenge. Students will read the books and take a quiz over the book at
school or write a summary over the book. Students must get at least a 70% or better
on the paper quiz for it to count. Students will be able to vote for the winning book in
April. They must read at least two books in order to participate in the vote for the award
winner.
Students wanting to earn the pizza luncheon in late April, will need to read the following
number of books: 5th Grade: 8 books, 4th Grade: 7 books, 3rd Grade: 6 books .
(Two books MAY be from previous award winners to count toward the total number
required) . Students from any grade that choose to read the current year William Allen
White books will be honored on the William Allen White Challenge Wall of Fame here
in our library. These nominated books are available at the Meadowlark library, but
students can read their own personal copies or a copy from the public library as well. If
the book is outside of your child’s reading range, feel free to read to/with them.
Students will have until April to complete the reading challenge and qualify for the pizza
and movie luncheon.
More information about the award and a list of this year’s nominated books can be
found at: https://wawchildrensbookaward.com/2018-2019-masters-lists
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at pfaffm @usd385.org
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Pfaff, Meadowlark Library Media Specialist
SPELLING BEE IS BUZZING THIS WAY!
The time is quickly approaching for our annual Meadowlark spelling bee, which is held on January 17th. This school spelling bee is for grades three, four, and five. Each classroom will be selecting two classroom representatives to participate in the school spelling bee. This selection process will take place in late October and early November in their homeroom classroom.
The teacher will conduct a written (October 23rd-25th) and then oral (October 28th-31st) spelling bee only with those students that return a spelling bee permission form that has been returned and signed by Wednesday, October 16th. From this classroom bee, two students will be selected to represent their classroom in the school bee. At the school spelling bee there will be one school spelling bee winner with an alternate chosen as back up. The first place winner will represent our school in the county spelling bee on February 7th in El Dorado.
As a way to prepare and learn new words, any student may study words for this web address: www.myspellit.com. These are not the official words that the classroom representatives will be given, just a fun way to learn new words. The student may practice any of the words on the left hand side of the web screen under the various languages or words you need to know section in order to practice being a good speller.
Please contact Mrs. King, Spelling Bee coordinator, with any questions you might have about our bee. Meanwhile………happy spelling!
THINKING CAP QUIZ BOWL
The 5th Grade Meadowlark Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl is scheduled for Friday, November 8th at 9:00 am, is approaching quickly. The team will be made up of the most well rounded minds. We begin practicing for the competition on Friday, October 4th.
Best of luck to the members of the team for the Fall 2019 competition!!
ALL-STAR CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM
These students were recognized for showing all character traits in September!
Friday, September 6th
Friday, September 13th
Friday, September 20th
Friday, September 27th
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH
MUFFINS WITH MOMMY
GREATER ANDOVER DAYS PARADE
Thanks to all those families who came out to support Meadowlark! GO ALL STARS!
NEW MEADOWLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The new school will be ready for the 2020-21 school year.
New Address:
1122 N. 159th St. E.Andover, KS 67002
HOW TO EARN CASH FOR OUR SCHOOL
Dillons Community Rewards Program
Dillon's makes fundraising easy---all you have to do is shop at Dillon's and swipe your Plus Shopper's Card! Go to Dillons.com and sign in or create an account to enroll. This enrollment must be updated every year. Once signed in, update your Community Rewards under your Account Settings. Search for Meadowlark to earn extra $$$ for our school!
Shoparoo
Every photo of a grocery receipt earns money for our school! Free to download, free to use. Nothing to buy or sell. Help us raise thousands of dollars a year!
- Download the Free Shoparoo App in the App Store & Play Store http://www.shoparoo.com/
- Select Meadowlark
- Take pictures of Receipts!
- Watch Meadowlark earn money!
ANDOVER WRESTLING CLUB
Courage, Commitment, and Dedication
Ages 4 & Up – No Experience Necessary
Parent Meeting – Tuesday, November 5, at 6:00pm
Andover High School Commons – 1744 N. Andover, RD. Andover KS. 67002
Questions?
E-mail brett.hutchinson@sedgwick.gov (head coach)
Website: http://www.andoverwrestlingclub.com Registration: https://andoverwrestling.sportngin.com/register/form/024773541
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AndoverJaguarWrestling/
“This is not an Andover Unified School District 385 sponsored program or activity. Approval to distribute flyers does not imply endorsement. USD 385 accepts no liability or responsibility for this program/activity.”
Season is November – February for novice and November – March for open, with some postseason opportunities through mid April.
Practices are tentatively scheduled from 6:00 – 7:15 on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for novice and 6:00 – 7:45 on Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for open. Practice locations will be Andover High School and Andover Central High School.
eFLYERS
In the past, our schools sent home loads of fliers in students’ backpacks. As part of our efforts to be more environmentally friendly and to embrace innovative technology, we are moving from paper to a digital flyer delivery.
With our Peachjar e-flier program, the e-fliers will be sent directly to parents’ email inboxes as well as posted on school websites for easy access. All fliers may be accessed by clicking on the logo.
Each year, our schools will save tons of paper and reduce copy costs by thousands of dollars. In addition, paperless delivery of school fliers removes a significant administrative burden from teachers, office staff, and volunteers.
School and school district-approved e-fliers will keep you informed about upcoming school activities, programs and events. And our children's backpacks will be a little bit lighter!
Meadowlark Elementary School
Email: harveyr@usd385.org
Website: http://meadowlark.usd385.org/
Location: 1411 N Main St, Andover, KS, United States
Phone: 316-218-4630
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meadowlarkelementary