RStar Weekly News
September 30th- October 4th
2019-2020 School Information
National Walk/Bike to School Day!
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 marks National Walk/Bike to School Day!
We encourage Rising Star families to walk or bike with their students on this day! While some students are already walking and biking to school this day, this is a great way to connect as a family to walk or bike together to make new memories—even if it’s just for the day! Perhaps you’ll have so much fun, you’ll decide on a few more days throughout the year to do it again!
There’s a feeling of joy and independence —a sense of adventure—that doesn’t fade. When walking or biking, parents and children get to appreciate things they don’t notice while driving—listening to the sounds of the neighborhood, seeing friends and neighbors and feeling connected with their community. Parents, children and friends can enjoy one another’s company without the usual distractions.
Walking and bicycling events celebrate these experiences and help make them possible for others. They bring schools and communities together for a common purpose. Most of all, they are fun! Please be safe while walking or biking! Be sure to follow all traffic laws, wear a helmet if biking, and check our bike for all the necessary safety features! This is a great time to review all biking/walking safety.
If you walk or bike on Wednesday, take a selfie and celebrate the occasion! Share your walking experiences on Twitter @RStar512 and @walkbikeschool on Twitter! We will also greet students/families at the trail walker doors with photos to mark the occasion! Don’t have a Twitter, and you’d like to still participate? E-mail photos to RyanWilson@smsd.org, and we’ll post them!
We also understand that biking/walking to school is not a possibility for many of our families at Rising Star. We will continue the day with having a special focus on exercise, walking, and biking as a way of mindfulness. Research has shown that exercise helps calm the body as a way to refocus, reenergize, and reinvigorate our bodies and minds.
Have fun, be safe, and be active!
Lost & Found
Reminder for all families to label student(s) name(s) inside their jackets/coats and on their backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles! Our Lost & Found already has quite a few items in it, and labeling items with names will help us find their owners!
We are in need of boys and girls clothes of all sizes! If you have any items you would like to donate please bring them to the office.
Call for All Reflections Entries!
Reflections is an arts contest sponsored by the PTA both locally and nationally. Students can enter a work that relates to the theme in one or more of six categories: Dance Choreography,
Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Art. This year's theme is "Look Within." Sound like something you want to do? Grab an entry form here or from the office! Want to know the guidelines for entries? Click here.
**Entries and entry forms need to be turned in to the office with an entry form on or before Friday, October 18.**
Sign up to be a room parent coordinator or helper for the Fall and Valentine’s Day parties!
General MVP Information
- We love having volunteers in our classroom, and we will definitely need volunteers for upcoming field trips!
- If you are wanting to become a regular volunteer, please begin the MVP process. You will not be allowed to accompany us on a field trip until the process is completed.
- MVP General Information: https://www.smsd.org/families/volunteer-mvp
- The MVP Process is as follows:
- Complete the application here: https://bit.ly/1wM7Pvv
- Complete the background check here:http://bit.ly/mvpvolunteer
- Go to an MVP training at one of the sites listed in the schedule. (Please see the General Information link for dates, times, and locations.)
- If you need any help or have any questions, please e-mail Mr. Wilson at any time at RyanWilson@smsd.org
Help Wanted!
Food Service... Did You Know?
Did you know that National School Lunch Week is October 14-18, 2019? This year’s theme, “School Lunch: What’s on Your Playlist,” spotlights how today’s school cafeterias are serving up healthy menu items that kids want to eat, with increased choice and customization. School lunches offer students fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein and milk, and meet federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories and sodium. The federally-funded National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has been fueling students for success for more than 70 years. It is dedicated to the health and well-being of our nation’s children. Please help celebrate NSLW 2019.
Food Service Payment Options
Payments for school meals may be made:
- Online through efunds ($3 fee per transaction)
- At the school with check or cash
- At most schools with a credit card (no fee)
- Calling food service office with credit card (no fee)
Students will not be permitted to purchase ala carte items if their account is negative. More information on student account guidelines is available at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service/prices.
Don’t forget – if your child receives free or reduced meals, they are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch per day as part of this benefit. All breakfast and lunch meal choices are available for all students regardless of eligibility status.
The school breakfast menus, lunch menus, and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service.
Changes to Vaccination Requirements
Changes to Vaccination Requirements for Kansas Schools
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has announced two new vaccination requirements for the 2019-20 School Year.
Students entering Kindergarten and First Grade: Two doses of Hepatitis A are required.
- Many students have already received two doses of hepatitis A as it has previously been required for daycare and Pre-Kindergarten programs.
- Students with one dose of hepatitis A, will need to receive and provide documentation from their health care provider of the second dose of hepatitis A by October 18, 2019, or 6 months from the first dose.
- Students who were previously unvaccinated for hepatitis A will need to provide documentation of receiving the first hepatitis A vaccine from their health care provider by October 18, 2019.
Students entering Seventh Grade: One dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine is required.
- Students are required to provide documentation of receiving one meningococcal ACWY vaccine from their health care provider by October 18, 2019.
Students entering 11th Grade: One dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine is required.
- Students are required to provide documentation from their health care provider of receiving the 11th grade meningococcal ACWY vaccine after their 16th birthday.
Vaccine requirements for schools can be found online at: http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/schoolInfo.htm.
About the Vaccines
Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine
The meningococcal ACWY vaccine protects against meningococcal disease. Meningococcal disease has two common outcomes: meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and bloodstream infections. The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease spread through the exchange of nose and throat droplets, such as when coughing, sneezing, or kissing. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. With bloodstream infection, symptoms also include a dark purple rash. About one of every 10 people who gets the disease dies from it. Survivors of meningococcal disease may lose their arms or legs, become deaf, have problems with their nervous systems, become developmentally disabled, or suffer seizures or strokes.
Hepatitis A Vaccine
The hepatitis A vaccine protects against the hepatitis A virus. The virus is spread primarily person-to-person through fecal-oral route. In other words, the virus is taken in by mouth from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces (stool) of an infected person. Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, poor appetite, vomiting, stomach pain, and sometimes jaundice (when skin and eyes turn yellow). An infected person may have no symptoms, may have mild illness for a week or two, may have severe illness for several months, or may rarely develop liver failure and die from the infection. In the U.S., about 100 people a year die from hepatitis A.
If you have questions about the requirements, please contact your school nurse.
West is Best Scholarship Fund
West is Best Scholarship Fund was founded in 2012 to provide financial assistance to students to participate in after school sports or scouts. Recipients must live or go to school in the SM West attendance area. Over the years, we have provided over 520 scholarships totaling over $56,000 to area youth in all grades, K-12, at all West-area schools. For more information or our scholarship forms, please visit our website at www.westisbestscholarshipfund.com.
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Website: risingstar.smsd.org
Location: 8600 Candlelight Lane, Lenexa, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-4500
Twitter: @RStar512