Husky Highlights for Families
Back-To-School Edition~ August 1, 2022
Hawthorn Elementary School
School Hours: 9:03-3:53
School Phone: 816-359-4390
Principal: Brooke Renton
Assistant Principal: Morgan Taylor
Counselor: Bianca Mayfield-Miller
Front Office Information
Angie Linard: Attendance Administrative Assistant/ Registrar
Phone: 359-4390
Email: hawthornadministrativeassistants@parkhill.k12.mo.us
If you need to make transportation changes please contact the office prior to 3:00. This will help ensure that dismissal goes smoothly and minimize the chance of a possible miscommunication.
Mark Your Calendars!
August 22nd: First Day of School
August 29th: PTA Meeting @ 6:30pm
New Faces at Hawthorn
You will notice a few new faces around the Hawthorn hallways this year. We are excited to welcome the following staff members to our school family:
Justina Garcia
Allison Dawson
Kendra Mathiason
Diane Corte
Carly (Birdsong) Weimer
Amanda Connett
Tanya Riley
Rachel Gyore
2022-23 Classroom Teachers
Kindergarten Teachers
Mrs. Kristen Melancon
Mrs. Amy Meinke
Ms. Hannah Richardson
1st Grade Teachers
Ms. Kendra Mathiason
Mrs. Lindsey PickettMrs. Lindsey Smith
Mrs. Katie Wells & Mrs. Maddy Jenswold
2nd Grade Teachers
Mrs. Katelyn Gore
Mrs. Amy Ritter
3rd Grade Teachers
Mrs. Carly Birdsong
Ms. Kylie Hoffman
Mrs. Jessica Thomas
Mr. Chris Wilson
4th Grade Teachers
Mrs. Sarah Harrison
Mrs. Melissa Miller
Mrs. Christy Pittman
5th Grade Teachers
Mrs. Lisa Roepe
Mrs. Nicki Van Buskirk
Specialized Staff
Student Support & Intervention
Mrs. Dawson- Social Worker
Mrs. Knoll- ELD
Mrs. Ruiz- Reading Intervention
Mrs. Corte- Recovery Room Interventionist
Mrs. Reynolds- Nurse
Special Education Teachers
Mrs. Chambers
Mrs. Webster
Mrs. Monroe
Mrs. Connett
Encore Teachers
Mrs. Bradshaw-- Music
Mrs. Vaden-- Art
Mrs. Boshard-- Media Specialist
Back-To-School Night
Once you have your child's class placement, you will be able to sign up for Back to School Night. The class placement email will go out to families after 3:30pm on Monday, August 15th.
We are using a Sign-Up in order to stagger arrival in hopes of easing parking problems as well as making it possible for your child's teacher to have a greater opportunity to greet and visit with fewer families at one time.
The LINK will be added below on August 15th:
A Note from our Social Worker ~Mrs. Dawson
My name is Allison Dawson, and I am the new Hawthorn School Social Worker. Although I am new to Hawthorn, I was the social worker for the Park Hill School District Early Childhood Special Education and Title One programs before I moved with my family to Idaho. I am so excited to be back at Park Hill and begin working at Hawthorn!
Sometimes families find they need extra help getting support and resources and this confidential Resource Checklist (attached below) allows you to choose any of the services/items you may need. After filling out the form, have your child return it to their teacher who will make sure I receive it. I will then send information home with your child about how to access the assistance. Please contact me if you have any questions.
If you are not in need of any resources, please do not worry about turning a form in. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call, email or stop by my office! I will be at Hawthorn Elementary on Mondays and Tuesdays and Graden Elementary on Wednesday and Thursdays. I split Fridays between both buildings. Thank you so much for your time and have a great 2022-23 school year!
Residency Verification and Enrollment
Health Services and COVID-19
Park Hill School District continues to work closely with our community public health partners as we prepare for the 2022-2023 school year.
Please review these reminders as we prepare for back-to-school.
· The CDC continues to recommend masks in our schools, facilities and buses when community levels are high, but they will not be mandated at this time.
· The district will no longer have a COVID-19 dashboard.
· For up-to-date information about our community’s case numbers, the following dashboards are available:
o MARC KC Region COVID-19 Data Hub
Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports
School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (SWPBS) is a systems approach to establishing the whole-school social culture and intensive individual behavior supports needed for schools to achieve social and academic gains while minimizing problem behavior for all students. SWPBS is NOT a specific curriculum, intervention or practice, but a decision making framework that guides selection, integration and implementation of scientifically-based academic and behavioral practices for improving academic and behavior outcomes for all students. A central feature of SWPBS is implementation of behavioral practices throughout the entire school. SWPBS defines practices that all students experience in all parts of the school and at all times of day. Benefits of SWPBS include:
- Fewer behavior problems
- Improved school climate
- Reduction in discipline referrals
- Every faculty and staff member has a protocol to follow
- Safer schools
- More time spent on instruction and less on discipline
The power of PBIS at Hawthorn is that we have building wide expectations for all areas of the building. We use a Matrix (below) that identifies the expectation for each area in our building. The expectations focus on four key behaviors:
- Be Safe
- Be Kind
- Be Smart
- Be Your Best
When students demonstrate these expectations they are honored with a building wide currency (PAW POINT) which they can exchange for menu items. Students respond well to this and typically work hard to earn a lot of PAW POINTS!
When students struggle to demonstrate the expectations or need reminders/discouragement, we use the following strategies: Menu of Strategies to Discourage Inappropriate Behaviors
2022-23 PTA Meetings-- UPDATE
August 29th
September 26th
October 24th
November-- No Meeting
December 5th
January 30th
February 27th
March-- No Meeting
April 24th
May-- No Meeting
PTA Membership Drive~ Join During Back To School Night
Joining our organization is an easy way to support your child's school experience. Paying the membership fee helps fund field trips, classroom parties, fun events throughout the year and much more!!
If you want to join PTA now, simply scan the QR Code provided and you'll be all set!!
Thank you for supporting our students and staff.
School Supply Lists
SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST:
English: K-5 Combined School Supply List 2022-2023 (PDF)
Spanish: Lista de útiles escolares para 2022-2023 (PDF)
Arabic: 2023-2022 ي قائمة لوازم المدرسة للعام الدرا (PDF)
Amharic: ለ2022-2023 የትምህርት ቤት አቅርቦት ዝርዝር (PDF)
Somali: Liiska Sahayda Dugsiga ee 2022-2023 (PDF)
Image/ Contact Information Opt-Out Designation
Daily Arrival Procedures
Daily Dismissal Procedures
Your child's teacher will reach out to confirm your child's daily dismissal plan. Please communicate any changes to this plan, as they arise, throughout the school year to ensure that your child gets home safely each day.
BUS RIDERS: Bus riders are dismissed through the north doors (by the gym) each afternoon. Classroom teachers walk students to the buses and help them find the appropriate bus. During the first few days, this process can take a bit longer than normal as staff members double check that all students are on the correct bus. Then, the bus can get further delayed as the drivers take time to make sure students safely get off at the right stop.
If your child is a bus rider you will be able to access bus information in your parent portal on the morning of Monday, August 15th.
ADVENTURE CLUB: Students who participate in the after-school care program, Adventure Club, will be dismissed directly to their assigned classroom each day. Adventure Club staff checks in each student and cross-checks with our front office to ensure that all students who are enrolled in Adventure Club are accounted for at dismissal.
While the car rider line can be slow the first few days, once students and families learn the routine, it will speed up considerably. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding that our main focus is on all students getting into cars safely. Parents can help by staying in your vehicle and allowing staff members to assist students into cars and teaching your child how to buckle their own seat belt.
WALKERS: Walkers will be dismissed through the K/1 Pod doors and can meet their families near the baseball field south of the playground. Students who don't have a parent/guardian meeting them at school, will be accompanied to the corner of Chariton and 81st Street by a staff member who will make sure they cross safely.
CAR RIDER DISMISSAL PROCESS
Early Release Days
Early release days will be on Wednesdays for the 2022-23 school year. Dismissal on early release days begins at 1:50 pm.
Every early release day will be Interest Group Day at Hawthorn. All students will engage in a school-wide leadership assembly and then join interest groups to participate in an activity of high interest to them.
2022-23 Early Release Days:
Wednesday, September 7th
Wednesday, October 5th
Wednesday, November 9th
Wednesday, December 7th
Wednesday, January 4th
Wednesday, February 1st
Wednesday, March 1st
Wednesday, April 5th
Wednesday, May 3rd
Look for more information about interest group days in our monthly newsletters.
Safety Drills
Parent Volunteer Screening Information
We are looking forward to having parent volunteers support our classrooms this year. If you would like to volunteer in your child's classroom or on field trips, you will need to complete the volunteer screening process below.
Volunteer Screening Information:
- Any volunteer who will be alone with students must have a full screening, which includes a criminal background check, a check of the child abuse and neglect registry, and a check of the sexual offender registry. Volunteers must complete the paperwork (attached below) and return to the Park Hill Communications department or to the Hawthorn office.
- Visitors who will never be alone with students will not need a full background screening, but they will use our sign-in process, which checks the sexual offender registry.
- If you completed a background check with Park Hill before March 2020, you must do it again, because the earlier screening process did not include the criminal background check.
- If you completed the full screening in the spring of 2022, you will NOT need to do it again.
- All volunteers must read and agree to the rules in our policy and procedure, and each volunteer will sign in and reaffirm the rules each time they arrive at a school to volunteer.
- The district will receive updates if a volunteer’s screening status changes. Someone’s volunteer status can change at any time.
- The district must pay a fee of $42.75 for each background check, as required by the state. If you would like to donate to help defray this expense, please enclose a check made out to the Park Hill School District for this amount with your screening form. This donation is not required.
The screening process can take up to two weeks or longer, depending on the time of year. Please be aware of this when submitting your application in anticipation of volunteering for specific events.
Birthdays At School
Students may bring a birthday treat or favor to school to share with their classmates, as long as they come from our list of treats that contain none of the eight (8) major allergens - milk, wheat, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish.
Thank you for understanding that all classroom treats must come from this list because we do not have the staff capacity to check for allergens that could threaten the health of some students.
Please bring birthday treats ahead of time (two hours after the start of school, at the latest).
· Stickers
· Erasers
· Pencils
· Crazy straws
· Blow Pops
· Juice boxes
· Popcorn
· Smarties
· Dum Dum lollipops
· Jelly Belly
· Nerds
· Ring Pops
· Skittles
· Sour Patch Kids
· Starburst
· Swedish Fish
· Life Saver Gummies
Student Medications
Health Room Contact Information:
Phone: 359-4394
Adventure Club
Husky Attendance
Level 1: Attendance rate of 90%
Level 2: Attendance rate between 85% and 90%
Level 3: Attendance rate is below 80%
Mrs. Dawson, our School Social Worker, will be working with students and families to make sure we meet the 90/90 goal at Hawthorn. Please help us by making being at school a priority for your family.
If your child does have to absent, please call the school office (359-4390) to report the student's absence. If the school does not receive a call when a student is absent, we will attempt to contact you to check on the student.
Student Badges
Follow Hawthorn PTA On Social Media
Stay connected with what's happening with Hawthorn Elementary PTA in these channels:
Email: hawthornPTA@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HawthornPTA/
Instagram: @hawthorn_pta
Cafeteria Information-- New Meal Prices
The USDA ended the nationwide free meals that were available for all students at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year. This means that meals will be charged at full price for the 2022-2023 school year unless your family has been approved for the free and reduced meal program.
These are the prices for the 2022-2023 school year:
- Elementary breakfast: $1.50
- Secondary breakfast: $1.75
- Secondary premium breakfast: $1.90
- Elementary lunch: $2.70
- Secondary lunch: $3.10
- Secondary premium lunch: $3.50
- Adult lunch: $4.00
· Ala carte milk: $.70
To add money to your child’s meal account, please visit our nutrition services webpage.
Families who think they might qualify for free and reduced meals should apply for these benefits.
If your child is eligible for free and reduced meal benefits and you apply, you can also receive additional benefits like fee waivers, activity scholarships, free screenings, school supplies and more.
Eligible families will need to reapply to receive the meal benefits for the 2022-2023 school year. We encourage families to apply online through the SchoolCafe platform.
Did You Know?
KidGuard Insurance Enrollment
Park Hill School District (per Board Policy JHA) continues to offer all families the opportunity to enroll their student(s) (Pre-K through 12th) in a low cost, district approved insurance program.
KidGuard offers the following options:
1) 24 Hour Basic Accident Insurance Plan
2) School Time Basic Accident Insurance Plan
3) Increased Dental Accident Coverage
4) In-Hospital Sickness Benefit Option
The KidGuard Insurance Enrollment Form is to be mailed by families directly to KidGuard in Saint Louis, MO. The school district is not involved in the collection of applications or premium payments.
Parents can purchase additional insurance protection for accidents that occur during school classes, while students are away from school, at home, during the weekends, and vacation periods, including summer months. The cost of this insurance is a one-time payment of $40.00. For information regarding this optional coverage, contact KidGuard Insurance at 1-800-432-6915 or email a request for information to contact@kidguardinsurance.com.
English: Kid Guard Insurance Enrollment Form (PDF)
Spanish: Formulario de inscripción al seguro Kid Guard (PDF)
Arabic: استمارة التسجيل في تأمين حماية الأطفال (PDF)
Amharic: የልጅ ጠባቂ ኢንሹራንስ ምዝገባ ቅጽ (PDF)
Somali: Foomka Diiwaangelinta Caymiska Ilaalada Ilmaha (PDF)
Stay Connected
Communication is very important to your child’s success at school and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at Hawthorn. Please remember communication is a two-way process and you are encouraged to get in touch with your child’s teacher or Mrs. Renton and Mrs. Taylor as needed. We will use electronic communication frequently, so if you do not have access to a computer at home, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher to let them know, so they can send you information in your child’s backpack. We don’t want you to miss important information.
Below are a few ways to stay informed about Hawthorn and the Park Hill School District.
Hawthorn Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HawthornElementary
Hawthorn PTA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HawthornPTA/
Hawthorn Elementary Website: https://hawthorn.parkhill.k12.mo.us/
Park Hill School District Website: https://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/
First Hand E-mail Newsletter
Be one of the first to know what’s going on in Park Hill. Sign up for the First Hand e-mail newsletter at www.parkhill.k12.mo.us to get the most current Park Hill news. Your address will never be shared.
Nominate a Staff Member for the Park Hill STAR Award
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here in the Park Hill School District, and we would like to recognize them for all they do for our students.
That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. It asks you to share how your nominee demonstrates our district values of continuous improvement, high expectations, integrity, visionary leadership and student focus. You can also share how your nominee supports the goals in our district’s strategic plan.