Piper Prairie Friday Parent Blast
April 9th, 2021
Important Dates for April
- Monday, April 12th ~ APEX Pep Assembly, 2:15pm, Zoom
- Tuesday, April 13th ~ APEX Lesson #1 M - Leaders are MINDFUL!
- Wednesday, April 14th ~ APEX Lesson #2 I - Leaders have INTEGRITY!
- Thursday, April 15th ~ APEX Lesson #3 G - Leaders have GRIT!
- Friday, April 16th ~ APEX Lesson #4 H - Leaders have HEROS!
- Monday, April 19th ~ APEX Lesson #5 T - Leaders THINK AHEAD!
- Tuesday, April 20th ~ APEX Lesson #6 Y - Leaders know when it's YOUR (MY) TURN!
- Thursday, April 22nd ~ APEX FUN RUN!
- Thursday, April 29th ~ 2021-2022 KINDERGARTEN PARENT MEETING, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Zoom
Message From the Principal!
Thank you for your support of Piper Prairie Elementary and the investments you make in your children's lives. We are so excited to announce that OUR school is participating in the APEX Fun Run as our major Spring fundraiser! The APEX program will last for 2 weeks and will kick off with a Pep Rally on Monday, April 12th, 2021!
APEX Fun Run is an interactive leadership program that helps schools all over the country raise funds, while promoting leadership, good character, and fitness. This year's theme is MIGHTY LEADERS! We can't wait to start encouraging kids (and adults) to be MIGHTY LEADERS - to be intentional, take action, stick with it, and make good things happen for OUR world! There will be a nightly blast with updates and challenges! So MUCH FUN FOR KIDS!
Today our teachers participated in our APEX Teacher Huddle as we set goals for our school and the students we serve. Here is what we would like to raise our funds for:
- Leveled Guiding Reading Books
- Picnic Tables for the Field Area
- Soccer Goals for the Field Area
- Playground Equipment for Life Skills Students
- Playground Musical Instruments
- Bench for the Kindergarten Playground
- Technology View Board for our Library
- Outdoor Learning Area for our Students
- Storage Binds for Outdoor Playground Equipment
During the APEX Fun Run program, students are challenged to get pledges for the laps they will run on Thursday, April 22nd to help our school. Students will run for 30 minutes and will run an average of 26-36 laps around the APEX Raceway! The maximum amount of laps is 36 and each lap is 1/16 of a mile. Through APEX's top-notch online pledging system, sponsores can pledge $1/lap, $2/lap, $5/lap, or any other amount for students and can pledge from anywhere in the world!
Thank you for your continued support - we're excited to begin this journey with you!
Piper Prairie Staff!
REMOTE LEARNERS & APEX:
Starting Monday, April 12, and going through Wednesday, April 21, Remote families can join in with their Hybrid classmates with APEX Zoom lessons. APEX is our school's fundraising event of the year while also giving our students outstanding lessons on lifelong leadership qualities. These Zoom lessons take around 15 minutes and may include fun activities that can be done for free in any setting. Your classroom teacher will communicate when these will take place every day.
The APEX Zoom lessons will be separate from your classroom teacher's Zoom lessons. While the teacher-led Zoom lessons have always been and will continue to be mandatory and used for attendance purposes, the APEX Zoom meetings are optional and will not count against school attendance. We strongly encourage participation due to the leadership lessons and excitement they bring to our students, however, we will leave participation in these activities entirely up to you, the families. Since your child is remote, they will participate in an APEX REMIX from home on our Fun Run Day. More information to come.
Hot off the presses! We have set dates and time for our upcoming 2021-2022 Kindergarten Parent Meeting and Discover Day! See details below in our Kindergarten Enrollment segment.
Believe it or not, our plans are underway for next year with schedules being formulated, class lists being organized and much more. This process plays a big part in our success for the next school year. As we prepare class assignments, it is important that the topic of parent requests for teachers be addressed.
Please permit the PPE teachers to make good decisions concerning the 2021-2022 academic placements for your child. Please refrain from requesting specific teachers as this creates an imbalance in the class lists. If you believe you child has any distinctive needs, please put your thoughts in writing addressed to me by May 1st. Be advised that parent requests will not automatically be honored as we must make academically appropriate decisions for every child in our school. Thank you in advance for honoring the recommendations of the teachers who have worked with your child this year. As a staff, we are committed to making the start of the new school year a positive experience for students, parents, and teachers.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Grable
2021-2022 Kindergarten Enrollment Information
DATES HAVE BEEN SET! NEW INFORMATION!
Mark your calendars for important dates:
Incoming Kindergarten Parent Meeting, April 29th, 6:30pm-7:30pm, via Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76870928785?pwd=QWs4UERaa1JTS0doMFR6eG45aUV2QT09
Meeting ID: 768 7092 8785
Passcode: zX61v1
At the Parent Meeting, the Kindergarten teachers will go over what your child will learn in Kindergarten and what you can do to prepare your child for a successful year! We will discuss our upcoming Kindergarten Discovery Day and how you can sign up for a date and time for your child's visit.
This meeting is for parents only ~we look forward to meeting you!
Kindergarten Discover Day is May 13th & 14th: On Discovery Day, your child will get a chance to experience a taste of Kindergarten. They will have their VERY FIRST photo taken as a Piper Pirate! They will get to visit our Kindergarten rooms, be given a Kindergarten readiness test, take a tour of one of our buses, and play on our playground.
On Kindergarten Discovery Day there will be NO SCHOOL
for our current Kindergarteners. These days will be remote learning with no zooms.
2021-2022 Kindergarten Parents!
If your child will be attending our Kindergarten program for the 2021-2022 school year, make sure to start your enrollment today!
If your child is currently in our Piper PreK Program, you will enroll your child as a returning student. If you child does not attend our Piper PreK Program, you will enroll your child as a new student. Please let your neighbors know!
Early enrollment assures adequate teaching staff in our Kindergarten classrooms.
Kansas law ~ children entering into Kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year must be 5 on or before August 31st, 2021 to attend school.
We are looking forward to another exciting year with our new incoming Kindergarteners!
Lunch
2021-2022 NEW Piper Residency Policy! PLEASE READ before you ENROLL!
Now that enrollment is live on the district website, please keep in mind critical changes to the proof of residency materials that you need to provide.
Please contact Kendra Hughes, Piper Prairie Elementary Registrar, with questions. khughes@piperschools.us / (913) 721-1243
Please find attached to this email the new Residency Policy in its entirety.
Below is the information sent out by Dr. Dain in her Tuesday Talk, 2/2/21.
2021-2022 Enrollment
NEW Piper Residency Policy
The Board of Education adopted a new Residency Policy that went into effect after the December 14, 2020 Board of Education Meeting.
The new policy was reviewed by the District’s General Counsel, the Piper High School Resource Officer, district and building administrators, along with aligning with Kansas State Statutes. Some of the points I would want to bring to your attention:
- Guardianships will require court orders
- In multi-family or generational homes, proof of residency will require both the home owner and the parent/guardian to provide a current driver’s license with the Piper residency
- All Families will have to provide three (3) different types of proof of residency. The following shall serve as appropriate proof of residency.
- Documentation of home ownership in the name of the caregiver;
- Documentation of a rental or lease of residential property in the name of the parent/caregiver that includes landlord contact information and the names of all tenants living in the residence;
- Property tax statement in the name of the caregiver;
- Proof of BPU or ATMOS utility service to the residential property in the name of the caregiver;
- Driver’s License with current address of home owner and/or parent and/or guardian with residency in Piper School attendance boundaries;
- Court Order or other Official documentation of the prospective student’s custodial status;
- Verification by a school official employed by USD 203.
Along with the proposed policy, the following administrative practices have been added:
- Parents will read and “sign off” that they acknowledge providing false information may result in criminal prosecution under K.S.A. 21-5824, which prohibits the making of a false writing with the intent to defraud or induce official action
- Creating a protocol in which community members can report a residency concern on the website that will notify the District School Resource Officer to investigate.
- Updated Skyward so that families only have to upload their Proof of Residency one time and it will link to all of the students in that family.
OPAA FOOD NEWS!
Wednesday Meal Pick-Up
Our Food Service Department is working hard to make meal pick-up for our remote families as easy as possible. With hybrid students in session at the Middle School on Wednesdays, the staff has had to make some slight adjustments to the pick-up location to keep traffic flowing for both meal pick-ups and the middle school dropoff line. On Wednesdays only, meal pick-ups at Piper Middle School will be moved further up the sidewalk toward the former East Elementary. Staff will be outside distributing meals with a sign showing you that you're in the right spot.
FOR HYBRID STUDENTS ONLY… To follow state guidelines to help students stay safe, lunch and breakfast will be eaten in the students’ classrooms. The OPAA! Staff will be delivering breakfast to the classrooms each morning for students who order breakfast items. To order breakfast for your child, you must fill out this form during the week prior. Each week, breakfast ordering is due Friday at 11:59 pm for the following week. You may, if you like, order for more than one week at a time.
Birthday treats from outside the school may not be brought into the building. However, our OPAA! staff will have an order form and be able to make cupcakes, cookies, etc. for your child’s birthday treat! The birthday treat order form will be available before school starts.
KSDE recently announced that ALL Kansas students can receive breakfast and lunch each school day through June 30, 2021. USDA covers the cost of these meals. Click here for more information about the free meal program.
Piper USD 203 PreK - 12th Portrait of a Graduate
BIRTHDAY TREATS
Birthday treats from outside the school may not be brought into the building. However, our OPAA staff can make cupcakes, cookies, etc. for your child’s birthday treats! Click below on Birthday Treats to find the form for ordering.
Remote Learning Norms
- Daily school attendance will be taken in the morning and afternoon for remote students.
- If your child has an appointment or is ill and cannot participate in their scheduled Zoom, please send an email to your child's teacher and Mrs. Kendra, our office secretary, to avoid an unexcused absence.
- Daily completion of assignments is expected, not optional.
- If a parent or caregiver has questions during the Zoom, please respect the teaching and learning time and email your child's teacher. They will get back with you when they are not teaching in the classroom.
- Only the student should be active on a Zoom. Parents, siblings, or pets should not be on the call.
- Teachers provide content and instruction. Parents of remote students are expected to provide guidance and direction for students.
- Remote students are expected to follow the daily class schedule.
- If you have questions, teachers are expected to respond within 24 hours.
Nurse Chelsea's Corner...
When to keep household members home:
● Sibling or household member has a fever or is out sick getting Covid tested
● All family stay home until diagnosis of sick family member or Covid test result is received
● Follow up with school nurse
Negative test result with symptoms (no exposure): may return to school
● If symptoms are gone
● If fever free for 72 hours (when fever applies to a situation)
Attendance: Please give a reason to why your student is out sick when calling the attendance line. Follow up phone calls will be made if more information is needed.
We know that this is a very difficult time, but our goal is to keep students and staff healthy.
Thank you for all of your patience and support through all of this.
Chelsea Fletchall RN, BSN
Piper Prairie Elementary School
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OUR FRONT OFFICE!
- School Hours are 8:35am - 3:45pm (5 minutes has been added to our school day)
- Students may enter the building @ 8:25am
- Students need to be in their classrooms by 8:40am to avoid a tardy slip. We will start dismissal at 3:35pm.
- Students arriving after 9:15am will be counted as 1/2 day absent.
- Students leaving before 3:35 pm will be counted as 1/2 day absent.
- Tardy Policy: 5 Tardies = 1 unexcused absence
- All transportation changes MUST be made by 2:30pm on the day the change is requested to ensure that the teacher is notified in time and your child arrives home safely.
- Student Half Days: Transportation changes will need to be called in by 10:30am.
- Students Arriving Late: If your child has an appointment of any kind that causes him/her to arrive late to school, please call the office. Once you arrive at the school, please call the office and an office staff member will walk out to your car, take your child's temperature and let them into school. Pleas have a doctor's note for the absence to be excused.
- Students Leaving Early: If your child has an appointment of any kind that causes him/her to leave early from school, please call the office when you arrive. After you arrive, we will call your child's classroom and walk them out to your car.
- Please call and let the office know if your child is absent or will be late coming to school. Our office will call and verify that your child is safely at home if we have not received notification from you. The office number is: 913-721-1243
Technology Support
Want to log into your child’s Canvas account? Your student can’t remember how to log into Skyward? Just need some technology help? Please check out Under the Parent Tab a page on called “Technology Tips and Support” that can help parents! See Link Here: https://www.piperschools.com/Page/530
If you need help with Clever or Canvas, email Ms. Heather at aheather@piperschools.us.
If you need help with SeeSaw, email Mrs. Martin at rmartin@piperschools.us.
Here are some videos to make sure you can get on your child's canvas account through clever and to sync your account with an observer.
Google Chrome Clever and Canvas (Pairing In Canvas is also in this Video)
iPad Clever App and Canvas App
Sign up for Canvas Account as Parent
TECHNOLOGY Support & Tips from the district. Click HERE
- How to Get Support
- Student Usernames for Google/Chromebooks
- Parent Login for Canvas
If you are still needing a device for your child, our district is working hard to get them in your child's hands. We will reach out to you and let you know when they have been delivered to our building and ready to distribute.
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES?
Are you having problems with your Chromebook or iPad?
If you need immediate support for your student(s) device or any services offered by the District, you can call our technology support company K12itc at 816.382.4840.
Bus Transportation
YCare!
Piper Prairie Dismissal Procedure
K/1 Cars EXIT RIGHT ONLY onto Leavenworth Road to alleviate congestion