Family Newsletter
September 4th, 2022
Note- This is a long newsletter- please read it in sections, I don't want you to miss any important information.
Wow, what a week! Our teachers have really hit their groove with instruction this week. I can see our kids are engaged and excited about their new learning. We had our first week of grade level assemblies this week. Our focus this week was on bullying- you can view our presentation here. At the end of the presentation we drew names of kids that had earned WISE vision tickets for being welcoming, inclusive, safe and equitable. Winners got to spin the prize wheel to win a relationship based reward (time with principals, dismissal duty, arrival duty, help in specials, etc). The kids have loved showing their positive character traits and earning tickets, but most of all they have loved doing the positive phone calls home to YOU! They really light up when they hear the excitement in your voice and how proud of them you are. We are so proud of all of our Roadrunner and know that this new practice will increase our belonging and connections and highlight the great things are kiddos are doing each day!
As you know, I appreciate feedback and really take it to learn and grow as a leader. This week, I have been able to reflect on the communication regarding being a nut free school. Because I started in Covid, we have never had peanut allergy tables and birthday treats have been individually wrapped and nut free. I apologize that I did not clearly communicate our nut free practices in our back to school communications and upon looking into it, we found that our website regarding nuts and allergies had not been updated since 2018. I am sharing the updated communication that was in the handbook and is now on our website regarding Robinson being nut free.
The information below is included in our handbook and website regarding being nut free at Robinson:
Robinson Elementary is nut free. In an effort to support our students with food allergies please pack a nut free lunch and snack. All lunches purchased at school are also nut free. We want to be able to ensure all students' safety while on campus and during transportation. Please do your part to ensure the safety of all of our students. We appreciate your compliance with our food safety measures. Thank you for your consideration for the children who are at risk.
For students who love the uncrustables- here is a nut free alternative. Robinson does have a refrigerator, toaster and microwaves available for students during lunch time. Students may use these as needed for their meals.
Speaking of lunch and snacks, our lunch team has asked me to remind you that milk and juice are no longer free. You need to put money into their school account if you'd like them to have a drink from school with their lunch from home. Also, breakfast and lunch are no longer free either. There is additional information about this below as well as our Free and Reduced Lunch paperwork. Please reach out to Dima Shabaneh if you need assistance completing or submitting this paperwork.
We have had a great first full week and look forward to welcoming you in on Friday for our first Fun Friday at lunch! Please watch the short video below and read the details to help our first Fun Friday be successful. We hope to see you at lunch on Friday!
Our students finished their fall benchmark testing this week. They did a great job showing us what they know in reading and math. These assessments are nationally normed and provide a percentile rank for students. We use this information to help us determine students who need intervention and enrichment in addition to their universal instruction. We will be analyzing the data soon and will communicate benchmark results and intervention placements in the next few weeks. Keep a look out in the KSD eSpotlight for additional information.
Please reach out at any time to share any questions, concerns, or ideas. I am here to help and support you and your family. Thanks for all you do to help keep our students and staff safe.
Take Care-
Angeline
Tuesday- A Day- 3:45 Green Tree Parade Planning Meeting in the OLC
Wednesday- B Day- PICTURE DAY!!!
Thursday- C Day- 6:00 REG Meeting in the OLC
Friday- D Day- Fun Friday during lunches- additional information below
Saturday- Outdoor Work Day 8:00-12:00 - additional information below
8:30 Rotary Ramble- additional information below
Attendance at Robinson
When your child hits benchmark absences, 5 days, 10 days, 15 days, 20 days (every 5 days) we will be sending out the attendance letter via email. We are working with our social worker, Dima Shanbaneh, to support families of students who hit attendance triggers. The district has 10 days absence as its benchmark for at risk attendance.
We thank you for your partnership in promoting good attendance with your child. We will be recognizing perfect attendance and improved attendance at each quarter's celebration assemblies. Grade levels and classrooms can also earn rewards for hitting attendance goals each quarter.
Please click the link below to learn more about our attendance practices at Robinson:
K & 1 parent handout- elementary handout- whole school infographic
Picture Day- Coming Soon!
Picture Day Is: Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Wagner Portrait Group will be photographing students for portrait packages & school records.
ONLY ONLINE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
(Please do not bring checks, cash, or order forms to school as they will no longer be accepted.)
Online Pre-Order Password: 5D5S4Q2U
Can’t order online or have other questions? We are happy to help! 314-567-5900
New Lunch Initiative Starts this Friday
- Arrive 15 minutes before your child's lunch shift.
- Buzz in the front door.
- Have your ID ready- we will put it through our Raptor system to print you a badge with your picture on it.
- Once your badge is ready and on, step out into the vestibule to wait for a staff member to escort the group to the cafeteria.
- Siblings are not allowed at Fun Friday- family members who are adults are welcome (parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc)
- You are welcome to wear something fun and festive for the event.
- Your child is welcome to bring an item in the back pack to quickly put on for lunch on Fun Fridays (the items will go in the lunch tote so they don't go out to recess with the kids, examples- hats, fun glasses, cape, etc)
- We will have fun dress up items for families to choose from to put on.
- Classroom teachers and other teachers are welcome to join in the fun in the cafe and dress up.
- When you get to the cafe you may sit with your child or stand near them if seating is limited (I'm not sure how many families will attend since it is our first one).
- We will eat quietly the first five minutes, once everyone is settled we will turn the music on.
- When the lunch shift is over, you will need to exit out the front doors again.
- Lunch times:
- K: 11:15-11:35,
- 1: 11:40-12:00,
- 2: 12:05-12:25,
- 3: 1:20-1:40,
- 4: 12:55-1:15,
- 5: 12:30-12:50
If you would be willing to pop popcorn - please click here to sign up for a Fun Friday day and time slot. We will be popping popcorn in the morning b/c you can't pop fast enough in between the lunch shifts for everyone. Fun Fridays are posted on the building calendar.
Robinson Homework Expectations
- All students should be reading or be read to for a minimum of 20 minutes each night. The correlation between reading and academic success, graduation rates, and other important indicators is staggering. We know that reading on grade level by third grade is a goal for each of our students. Please take the time to read with your child each night. They will enjoy the time together with you and it will help to develop a love of literacy.
- We should not send homework home that students are unable to complete independently at mastery. Homework should be differentiated by ability to allow students to build their fluency and automaticity with work that they are able to complete independently. This is used as additional practice not new learning.
Survey Request - Additional Student Resource Officer at the Pre K and Elementary Schools
Please take a moment to complete this survey regarding adding a School Resource Officer. We currently have four SROs that serve our KSD schools. One covers KECC and the elementary schools, one position is at NKMS, one position is at Nipher, and one position at KHS. This survey will provide feedback related to adding another SRO position. This new position would share responsibility with the existing SRO at the Pre-K through elementary level.
As with our current SROs, this position would be funded cooperatively with the Kirkwood Police Department. KSD provides 75% of the funding for the position.
As school safety needs continue to evolve, we will gather and evaluate feedback about the district SRO program from multiple constituencies, including students, staff, parents and community members. It will include a review of the existing Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Kirkwood Police Department to ensure it is reflective of the district's mission and vision.
Please complete the survey by Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Message from KPD Officer Jason Herndon
iPad Insurance Recommended
Please consider purchasing iPad insurance for your students if you have not already. The last day to purchase will be October 3rd.
For more info check out https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/ipadinfo
Robinson Equity Group (REG) Initial Meeting
Thursday, September 8
6:00 pm
OLC (Robinson pavilion)
Please join the Robinson Equity Group (REG) at our first meeting of the year! We will introduce our mission, announce planned activities for this semester, brainstorm activities and initiatives for the rest of the year, and hear from the PTO president about recent changes to the Equity and Inclusion Officer on the PTO board. We hope you will join us! Contact us at robinsonequity@gmail.com with questions.
Greentree Festival and Parade is September 16th-18th
Repeated Information Below
Lunch in the OLC
5th Grade Parents
Hello, parents of 5th graders,
Beginning band starts in FIFTH GRADE! We would love to have your child join us for classes starting September 12. Please follow this link for more information and to sign up. Read our handbook for details about instrument rental and lots more.
If you're signing up or are even thinking about it, please join us next Tuesday, August 30 at 6:30pm in the KHS Keating Theater for a brief (40 minute) meeting where you can hear about the instrumental program: expectations, practice habits, rental information and meet the teachers.
Best regards,
Elizabeth Wright
Kirkwood Schools Performing Arts
Kirkwood High School
801 W. Essex Ave.
Kirkwood, MO 63122
Phone 314.213.6100 x1425
Clubs & Activities 22-23
The federal program allowing all children free breakfast and lunch has ended
For the past two years, funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture made it possible for the Kirkwood School District to provide breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students. This funding has expired, which means that free meals will no longer be available to all KSD students (effective May 26th, 2022).
Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals must fill out an application for the 2022-23 school year in order to receive free or reduced price meals. Even if you have filled out a form in the past, you will need to reapply for the 2022-23 school year.
Filling out a form could result in additional financial assistance for your family. In KSD, those benefits include:
50% reduction in student technology fees
50% reduction in middle school and high school annual activity fee
50% reduction in bus pass fee
KHS students qualify for testing and college application fee waivers
If you are not sure if your family qualifies for free and reduced-price meals, you can see FAQs provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education here.
Please click here to view the meal prices and ala carte prices for 22-23
Please click here to view the Robinson breakfast & lunch menus for 22-23
Please click here for information and application for the Free & Reduced Meal Program for 22-23
KSD Nutrition on the Weekends
KSD N.O.W. - Nutrition on the Weekends Registration for the 2022-23 School Year
Kirkwood School District offers the KSD N.O.W. program to supply an array of nutritious, non-perishable meals and snacks for children experiencing food insecurity, free of charge. During the 2022-23 school year, boxes will be distributed to families at their homes via delivery in a discrete and caring manner once per month.
If you wish for your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete the form below. Only one form is needed for all the school-aged children in your family, but please include information for each child on the form below. This information is kept confidential.
Once your child is signed up, they will receive boxes of food each month of the school year or until you no longer wish to participate. If your form is received after the deadline each month, your child will be eligible to participate in the program the following month(s).
If you have any questions, please contact program coordinator Emilie Lytton at ksdnow@kirkwoodschools.org. All inquiries will remain confidential.
If you have unmet food needs for your family, including older children, babies, or toddlers, please contact KirkCare at 314-965-0406 or dial 2-1-1 for referrals to food banks and social services in your area.
In order to receive support through KSD N.O.W. for the 2022-23 school year, please complete the online registration at https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/KSDNOWRegistration.
ALL FAMILIES MUST COMPLETE THIS FORM TO PARTICIPATE IN KSD N.O.W. Students who currently participate will not automatically be re-enrolled.
To find out more and how to support, we welcome your financial contribution to keep KSD NOW running to support our students. We continue to accept online donations via our online giving campaign.
Robinson Cares Food Pantry
https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/Page/9538
how to navigate Schoology as a parent is here:
how to modify Notifications in Schoology:
Don’t have a myschoolbucks account?
Kirkwood School District’s online payment system used for lunch meals, laptop insurance fees, activity fees, holds, etc. We highly recommend creating an account!
PARENT/GUARDIAN LOGIN: MySchoolBucks
NEW USERS:
Go to MySchoolBucks to create an account for free.
Select: MISSOURI as Your State
Select: KIRKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT R-7 as Your District
Complete your account information and then click on the "Create Account" button.