School starts at 8:45 a.m. for AM Kindergarten and 1st Grade.  Outside school doors will be opened at 8:35 a.m. with all doors being locked at 8:50 a.m. each day.  If you should arrive after 8:45 a.m., please come to the main entrance and use the marked door. PM Kindergarten begins at 12:50 p.m. with the doors being locked at 1:00 p.m.  School ends at 11:45 a.m. for AM Kindergarten and 4:00 p.m. for PM Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

 

Every Wednesday is early release for students.  During the release time teachers meet in small groups to discuss student learning, review data, organize plans and share ideas. The schedule for early release is:  School begins at 8:45 am for AM Kindergarten and first grade.  AM Kindergarten ends at 11:35 am.  PM Kindergarten begins at 12:40 pm and both PM Kindergarten and first grade end at 3:20 pm. 

All outside exits to the building are locked at 8:50 a.m. All visitors and volunteers must check in at the office and are asked to wear a badge.

Please put your child's name inside of their jackets, coats, lunchbox and book bags.  It is most helpful in identifying lost items. 

If you have changes in your child's regular transportation arrangements, you MUST send a note to your child's teacher or call the office.  Please DO NOT rely on email in case of computer glitches or a sub not being able to access email. 
Please call the office if your child will be absent or late.  

Please be sure the office always has current contact information, so we will be able to contact you in case of an emergency.  You may also make all changes in Family Access on the USD266 website. 

Party invitations can NOT be distributed at school.  We ask that you mail invitations to personal events or parties directly to the students you are inviting rather than distributing them at school.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

Please remember to review the policy on sending medication to school.  All medications must be transported to the school health office staff by the parent/guardian.  Students may not transport medications.  The  policy is located in the 2010-11  District Handbook on page 20. All medications need to have a completed "Request for Adminstration of Medication"form in order for the nurse to give the medication. This form may be obtained from the nurse. Please contact Ronda Hutchinson at 722-8230 x2911 if you need assistance.

Welcome back to the gym!  We are off to a great start.  We have a new school and a brand new gym.  If you have not had a chance to see our new facility, let me tell you that it is first class!  We have a wood floor this year and therefore, need to take care to protect the finish.  That is why we have asked  ALL STUDENTS to have an extra pair of tennis shoes to keep at school, to  be used just for PE.  Students will change into these shoes before PE and then change back to their street shoes after PE.  These shoes do not have to be new, just clean.  I want to thank all of you who have provided your child with PE shoes and ask those who have not, to do so as soon as possible.  It would also be a great help to practice tying shoes with your child if they have tie up shoes. 

I will be sending home information about our Backpack program soon! 
Again thank you for all that you do and remember to Keep Moving! 

The PE Department 

     Getting your child to school each day and arriving on time are two habits essential to a successful school year.  Parents should not be under the impression that since it is only kindergarten or first grade their child can attend sporadically or arrive late.  All  the academic programs are sequential in nature with each skill building to the mastery of a particular concept. Regular attendance is crucial for continued improvement. In addition, regular punctual attendance in the early grades sets a pattern for future years. 
     If you are planning family holidays, please review the school calendar.  By scheduling around in-service days and holidays, missed days can be kept to a minimum.  Important dates and student release days will also appear in each parent newsletter.  This will help in planning. 
     The school does realize that certain absences are unavoidable.  If your child is absent, please contact the office the day he/she is gone.  The elementary schools are using an automated calling system to check on students who have unexcused absences.  If you receive the message at home, you will need to contact the school office at 722-8230 the next day to let us know why your child was absent.  If you don't call to verify the absence, the absence will remain marked as unexcused. Three consecutive unexcused absences from school or five or more unexcused absences in a semester will be brought to the attention of the building principal and will be reported to SRS as required by law.
     Finally, checking in a student from class after 9:45 a.m. is considered a half day absence, as is leaving before 3:00 p.m.

  
Just a reminder: Kindergarten classes are not provided a snack this year, but they will receive a milk each day.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open the following hours during conferences.

September 15th-   8:00 am-7:00 pm

September 16th- 12:00 pm-7:30 pm
 
   Please Donate $1.00 for this worthy cause.

   Scholastic Book Fairs will match the dollars we raise.

   The non-profit programs that receive funding include:

         Kids in Distressed Situations

Volunteers play an important and valuable role in the Maize School District.  Students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community benefit from the work of individuals who freely share their talents and resources.   Last year the Maize Board of Education adopted a new policy which requires background checks on volunteers who work in the elementary schools on a regular basis.  These checks are done by National Screening Bureau (NatSB).   NatSB provides the district with secure, confidential, multi-jurisdiction checks in a timely manner.                            Individuals who plan to volunteer may start the background check process by clicking here to complete the application.  Individuals can also go to any elementary school website and click on "Volunteer Background Check Application".  The form can either be filled out online at home or online in any of the school offices.   Volunteers who work in more than one building only need to fill out one application for the district, not each building.  Applicants can request a copy of the check when it is completed.  If you completed a background check last year, you will still need to complete the application this school year as well.  Background checks are conducted on an annual basis.  If you have questions about the background check process, contact Mr. Mountain at MMountain@usd266.com or 316-722-8230. 
Karen McDermott
Director of Communications
Maize USD 266
316-350-2021

  · Hot lunches include one carton of milk in the price of the meal.  ($2.05 for hot lunch)
· Students that bring a cold lunch are allowed to charge one carton of milk.  (30 cents for milk)
· If a student would like an extra carton of milk, we require written permission.  One permission note will be good for the remainder of the school year.  (An extra 30 cents will be charged from lunch account).
· Notes should be given to Mrs. Woodward.  A master list will be complied that will be located on the extra milk cooler.
· Any student may bring 30 cents for milk.

We are starting friendship groups to help students get to know each other better in a smaller setting.  A friendship group or a lunch group meets during lunch or a child's recess.  A child may be referred to be in a group by a teacher or a parent.  The child picks some friends that they would like to come and we meet once a week for a month.  We play games, play with legos, paint and we just have fun!  Your child may be picked to be in a group by a classmate.  Every first grader will be in a group sometime during the year.  If you do not want your child in a group, please let a counselor know.  It is a good way to let the students make closer friendships with their classmates.