After we receive the forms from Step 1 and 2 above, Shelly McCann, Lead Secretary and Keeper of the Belmont Elementary Records, will enter the information you provided into Skyward, our student management system. She will then send you an email to let you know that you are ready to log in to your Skyward Family Access Account to complete the remainder of your child's enrollment. Mrs. McCann will send directions in that email to assist you with this process. If you are having difficulty with any of the online portions of enrollment, we will be happy to provide assistance and will have devices available for use in our office during open enrollment in late July. Don't worry! We will get it all accomplished, together!

Documents you will complete through your Skyward Family Access account:

• Parental Insurance Waiver
• Anti-Bullying Policy Awareness
• Acceptable Use Policy for District Technology
• Data Disclosure
• FERPA Preferences
• Other Health Updates, including Over the Counter options for your child.

We're so glad you asked! Part of doing our best to keep your child learning is knowing about them as growing individuals. The more we know about their health story, the better able we are to proactively and, if necessary, reactively respond to your child if they present with an abnormality. Headaches? Do they have any history of concussions? Tummy aches? Do they struggle with acid-reflux or chronic constipation? Easy to cry? Are they sensitive to change or more anxious than the average child? Do they puke when they spin? Have any allergies that could affect their skin, their day or their breathing? We really want to know these things because we are about to be partners on a really important team....Team (Insert Your Child's Name Here)!

Some of the Health Information Forms that you will complete are included in the Skyward (the second, online after Shelly gives you the green light) portion of your child's enrollment.

IMPORTANT:

• Before your child may begin kindergarten in Kansas, we must have your child's up-to-date immunization record IN OUR HANDS. The immunization record (do they still give out those pink tri-fold cards?) should be completed by your doctor's office and signed by your physician. (Form is attached below- other signed form provided by doctor is acceptable, such as a computer printout of immunizations and applicable dates.)
• A physical or wellness check is also required for students entering a Kansas school for the first time. The physical should be recent to be most helpful, so within the last year, please. (Form is attached below- other signed form provided by doctor is acceptable.)

There are several more pieces of information that we will need to collect before school begins. Open enrollment dates (July 28 & 29) are the perfect time to bring these items to us so that we can make copies for your child's file and safely return the original to your hands.

• Proof of Residency: We'll need a current utility bill, lease, or home contract. We don't care about the details, but we do need to see your name and address to make sure that we are enrolling your child in the correct school of attendance.
• Birth Certificate: Although the certificate they give you at the hospital with the sweet little footprints is adorable, we actually need a copy of the original, certified birth certificate issued by the state in which your child was born. These can take several weeks to obtain from the state so NOW is a good time to request it if you don't already have one. You'll need this for many reasons as your child ages.
• Fees: Student fees are $65 per student, plus a $15 technology fee BUT we don't want your money until July, so just hold on to your dollars for now!

Sorry. Sometimes, I think I'm funny. Ha! ABC and 123 and SOOO much more is what kindergarten is all about, but helping your child to be successful in kindergarten begins with helping us better know their current, relative strengths and weaknesses as it relates to learning and communication skills. We call these GLOWS and GROWS! In order to gain a clear snapshot of your learner, we are partnering with the Kansas State Department of Education by asking parents of incoming kindergarten students to participate in the ASQ screener program. In no way are we screening our students in an effort to block or judge anyone, we just love to know more!

ASQ-3 stands for Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Version 3. ASQ:SE-2 stands for Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional, Second Edition. These questionnaires, which will take 10-20 minutes to complete with your child, ask questions about your child's behaviors and social-emotional growth. The information you supply will help reveal your child's strengths, uncover any areas of concern, and determine if there are community resources or services that may be useful for your child or your family. More information can be found at http://agesandstages.com/ks/.

FAQs

When will we give the questionnaire to our child? Principals will email the links to the online questionnaires at the beginning of August 2023. We will also have printed copies at each school building available upon request.

Who will have access to this information? Only individual classroom teachers, the building principal and specified district administration will have access to student-specific data. The state will only have access to data related to the overall number of students who entered our school district developmentally ready for Kindergarten.

How will this information be used? The results of these questionnaires will allow us to support decision making to meet the needs of individual students and support partnerships between teachers and parents. Ultimately, this is just one of many pieces of information that staff will use to meet the needs of students and cannot serve as the only determinant of important decisions, such as class placement or referrals for special education, and will not be used to determine a student’s eligibility for Kindergarten.

As stated above, the link will be sent to parents at the beginning of August 2023. We respectfully ask that all screeners are completed within two weeks, ideally, prior to the first day of school on August 16th! Pick a time when you feel like your child will be most successful (well rested, fed, and ready to play) and have fun completing this questionnaire with your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at phargrove@usd232.org.

Are you already aware of special service needs for your child?

Contact any of the following helpers:

Natalie Arbaugh, School Counselor; narbaugh@usd232.org

Ariel Everett, School Psychologist; aeverett@usd232.org

Larkin Fales, Social Worker; lfales@usd232.org

Kim Watts, School Nurse; kwatts@usd232.org

Holly Schreiber, School Improvement Specialist; hschreiber@usd232.org

Pam Hargrove, Principal; phargrove@usd22.org

Your kindergartener will enjoy learning not only in their homeroom, but also in Specials classrooms throughout the week. Every child will experience Art, Library, Music, Physical Education, and Technology. Our Specials classes follow a rotation throughout the year, to avoid the same students missing the same Monday or Friday classes over and over again as those tend to be the days most often re-purposed in the academic calendar. Each classroom has a unique DAWGS Specials Schedule, so once you learn which days are which for your child, you'll never miss returning library books or wearing tennis shoes on the correct days. The DAWGS Schedule is posted each week in the Paw Print (see below) and can also be accessed by clicking on that button, or in the Logistics section under the Family tab on our website.

Do you have your child fully enrolled and ready for 2022-2023? If so, FABULOUS and THANK YOU! If you're not quite there yet, or if you have a new neighbor who might need this information, please plan to join us for open enrollment Thursday, July 27th from Noon-6:30pm or Friday morning, July 28th from 8:00am - 11:30am.

This is a great time to turn in any paperwork (like proof of residency and health forms), pay fees (exact cash and checks accepted in the office, but electronic options are available online) and get support to complete any remaining online forms!

If your enrollment process is complete, there's no need to stop in unless you just want to say hello! All school supplies pre-ordered through the PTO will be delivered to classrooms before open house. We'll see you at our Family Welcome Night on Monday, August 14!

The Belmont PTO gets things rocking right off the bat each year and we are so very grateful for the support! There are LOTS of opportunities to help with ideas and planning and to volunteer through our PTO throughout the year. There will be plenty of places to sign up and people to talk with about events and such during our Welcome Night in August! Our first PTO Meeting of the year will happen soon after the new year begins. We'll be doing important business to get the year started, so please join us! More information will be available on both the Belmont PTO Website (www.belmontpto.com) and the Belmont Elementary School PTO Facebook page when all of the details are ironed out.

Bulldog Dash, our BIGGEST FUNdraiser, will take place in early fall during a school day. Watch for exciting news and announcements and follow the PTO on Facebook and through their website. You'll find the link right below this article so just keep on scrolling!

July 27 Open Enrollment, 12:00pm - 6:30pm

July 28 Open Enrollment, 8:00am - 11:30am

August 14 Family Welcome Event, Time TBD (we'll let you know!)

August 16 First Day of 2023-2024 School Year for K-5th 12:10 Dismissal, No lunch served.

September 4 Labor Day, No School

September 27 K-5th 12:10 Dismissal, No lunch served.

September 27 & 28 Parent/Teacher Conferences

September 29 Buildings Closed, No School

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