Events
Be sure to check out the Oak Street Activities Calendar!
 

The State of Kansas has mandated some changes in immunization requirements effective with the 2008-09 school year.  The new requirements will affect kindergarten through 5th grade students. (Please see IMPORTANT NOTE below.)

According to the new state guidelines, all Kansas students, kindergarten through 5th grade, will be required to have completed the Hepatitis B Series (3 doses) and have at least one dose of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.  Written documentation from either doctor or parent/guardian of prior Varicella disease will be sufficient in place of the immunization.  The documentation of Varicella disease will require month and year of disease.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Hepatitis B and Varicella requirements for schools are being phased in due to vaccine funding and availability considerations.  Additional grades will be added each school year until students of all ages are included.  As changes to the immunization requirements are announced by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, we will keep you informed.
If you have questions or concerns about the new requirements, please contact Leslie Greenwood Eisenhower Middle School nurse at 794-4150.

Thanks to each of you who helped us get our school year off to a great start.  The kindergarten classes have been working very hard and have established a well oiled routine to get them through each day smoothly.  We appreciate all of the time and support that you are giving to your child at home, especially since we have begun the “Read To Me” program that you and your child are participating in.  Don’t forget to send your weekly certificates back to school that show that you have read your 75 minutes per week.  Parents are the best models for instilling in their kids a love for reading.

At the end of this month, you will have the chance to participate in your child’s first parent/teacher conference of the school year.  You can simply call the school office to set up a time to visit with your son/daughter’s teacher.  We all look forward to visiting with you at that time.  The kids will be out of school Oct. 28-31…..mark your calendars.  We will also be having our Fall party on Monday, October 27.  Be watching for information from your child’s teacher to see how you can help out with the festivities.

Many parents ask what they can do at home to help their child be prepared for first grade.  The best thing that you can do at this time is to help them develop a substantial sight word vocabulary.  Sight words are words that they cannot sound out because they don’t phonetically “play fair”.  These words have to be recognized upon sight only.  It would be great if you could make a set of flashcards for your use at home….index cards work great for this.  If you are not sure of the sight words that your child is working on at school, please contact their teacher…….they would be more than happy to give you an up-to-date list of words.

It’s hard to believe we are back at school and ready to go.  We are excited to have so many little first graders eager to learn.  They are like little sponges ready to soak it all up.  That is why it is important to work with your child every night, whether it’s nightly reading, sight words, spelling words, or math concepts.  These children are our future and it is our responsibility to help them succeed. 

In the months of October and November, we have many fun activities planned.  In October, we will be taking a field trip to Walters Pumpkin Patch in Burns, KS.  This will be a wonderful experience for the children with many activities to keep them entertained.   In November, we will celebrate Thanksgiving by having our annual Thanksgiving feast.  The first graders have a fun time making many festive decorations, which we incorporate into our math centers with patterning.

It is going to be a busy year, with much to learn, but we know our first graders can handle it.  First grade is always a joy to teach because it is very rewarding to see each child’s growth from the beginning to the end.  We look forward to a wonderful year.  Thank you for all your help and participation.  We couldn’t do it without you.

What a fabulous team of second grade players we have. We have started the year with such great attitudes and such eagerness to learn. To assist us in learning we have completed a variety of tests (NWEA and DIBELS) that are significant to tailoring the learning experience for our students.

Please continue to read nightly with your second grader. This is truly a place where the motto “the more the better” applies. Also, working with addition and subtraction flash cards nightly will be helpful as a baseline for all of our 2nd grade math curriculum.

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 29 and 30. Keep your eyes open for more information about the Fall Party.

The third graders have been very busy settling into a new routine!  In reading we are completing a unit on money where the students have learned the history of money, and the ways people earn money to get what they need.  Money has also been the focus in math the last few weeks.  We have been busy adding and subtracting money, along with learning how to make change.  The students have been taking time tests called Rocket Math.   It would be to their benefit to practice addition and subtraction math facts at home.  In social studies we are wrapping up a unit on communities, and preparing for the upcoming election where we will be learning about the election process. 

Keep an eye out for our upcoming field trip in October to a play called “School House Rocks!” 

There are several things your child can work on at home even if they have no other homework.  Reviewing math facts, studying spelling words and reading a book are great ways to enhance learning at home.  Please help us out by checking and signing your child’s agenda book every night.  As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.  Thank you for all your support!

The year is off to a great start for 4th grade.  Fourth graders are working on reading comprehension skills, regions across the United States, multiplication facts to 12, and formatives to prepare for state assessments in the spring to name a few.  Organizational skills are a must in 4th grade.  To help your child keep organized make sure to check and sign his/her agenda daily and clean out the communicator folder on a regular basis.  Also sign and return any notes that the teacher may have sent home.

You may have noticed that 1st quarter progress reports for 4th grade are done differently than other grade levels.  This is due to the fact that 4th grade teachers email weekly reports.  Don’t forget to check your email account at the beginning of the week to see your child’s current grades.  If you have a problem receiving the report or a concern about a grade please contact your child’s teacher.

As we are heading into fall make sure to check the weather and have your child dress accordingly.  We have already had a few cold spells this year.  We will go outside for recess as long as the temperature and wind chill are above 25 ºF.

4th Grade Tips
Now that school is back in full swing there are a few things to help your 4th grader be successful. 

• Make sure to check and sign your child’s agenda daily.
• Clean out the communicator folder on a regular basis.
• Take papers out of the “Keep at Home” side and complete and return papers in the “Return to School” side in the communicator folder.
• Sign and return any notes that the teacher may have sent home.
• When completing homework at home find a nice quiet place in the house.
• Read for 5-20 minutes each evening.
• Practice multiplication and division facts to twelve.
• Email or call your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.

• If your child will be absent or tardy from school, please make sure and call the office at 794-4200 by 9:30 a.m. We will be calling on all unverified absences. We encourage parents to schedule appointments on days we are not in school, if possible (inservices, 1/2 day releases, holiday beaks…).
• If your child is tardy or coming to school late (ie. doctors appt.) you will need to come into the office to sign them in.
• If your child is a bus rider and you will be picking them up at the end of the day we either need you to write a note in the morning or come into the office to sign them up as a walker by 3:45. You may call to let us know your plans but we must have confirmation in writing.
• Any change of transportation must be done in writing.

• Any change in a child’s daily bus routine must be verified in writing from the child’s parents/guardians before school starts that day. Written notice must be given to the office if the child is to be picked up that day instead of riding the bus home. For the safety of your child we do not honor telephone calls to change a child’s school bus routine unless it is an emergency.

• No Mesh, see-through , halter, tube tops or one shoulder tops may be worn. All strap tops must be at least one inch wide or worn with a shirt under it. Muscle shirts must be worn with a shirt underneath. Midriffs must be covered.
• Clothing may not be worn with printing or pictures that promote the use of drugs, alcohol, or double meaning messages.
• Hats, Bandanas, and other head apparel may not be worn in the building.
• Clothing considered to be undergarments can not be visible. No sagging.
• Unnatural hair/highlights (such as blue, green, purple, etc) are not allowed.
• The building principal reserves the right to disapprove any apparel which he/she feels may create a disturbance or is inappropriate in the school setting.
• The building principal may approve exceptions to the dress code based on such reasons as religious reasons, student health reasons, parental requests and school activities.