Parent Newsletter

February 7, 2019

A Note From the Principal about Morning Drop-Off

We are very aware of the long line at parent drop-off in the mornings. Here are some things that you can do to speed up this process.

Have your student wear all of their outdoor gear. Do not have them carry extra bags and shoes as this takes longer for them to get out of the car. Students should be independent. Feel free to practice this at home.
Have your child sit on the driver's side back seat, so he or she may get out quickly.
Say your goodbyes at home. Parents need to stay in the car to keep the traffic flow going.
Please watch for children. Safety is our priority.
Pull up to the blacktop area, so three cars may unload at a time.
We will start drop off at 7:25. If we have 50 car drop offs, that means we need to get about four cars unloaded per minute to get everyone to class on time. If you pull onto campus at 7:40, it is highly unlikely that your child will make it to class on time.
Just a reminder, there is no parent drop-off in the front of the building between 7:25 and 7:45 unless we have a medical pre-approval from Dr. Wehrmann. Even if looks like there are no buses, there are times we may still waiting for a bus. After 7:45 you will need to park in the middle rows in the parking lot.

We know the long line may be frustrating. There is another solution...have your kids take the bus. They get to be with their friends, it encourages independence, the bus arrives on time, and if for some reason the bus is late, those riders will not be counted tardy.

Temporarily we have staff at car drop off to support student safety due to the new drop off guidelines and the recent icy conditions. This is not our long term plan.

Thanks for your support and teamwork to make this work smoothly and safely.

Icy Conditions = Indoor Recess

With icy conditions our playground and equipment have not been safe to play on. When we have these conditions, we will have indoor recess. Please feel free to send a favorite book with your student or check with their classroom teacher to see if there is a game you would like to donate.

Did You Know?

Conference Sign-Up

It is time to sign up for conferences. You will do this through Skyward Family Access. Conferences will be held on Thursday, February 28 and Thursday, March 7 from 3:20-7:20 p.m. You can begin signing up on February 7 at 7:00 a. m.Specialists will be available on these days:

Mr. Windel - Thursday, February 21, 3:20-7:20
Mr. Clifton, Mr. Monson, Ms. Hammero - Wednesday, March 6, 3:20-7:20
Ms. Zabinski - Wednesday, February 27, 3:15-5:15; Wednesday, March 6, 3:20-5:20
Mr. Schiemann - Tuesday, February 19, 3:20-7:20

Conference Pot Luck Sign Up

Conferences are fast approaching and our teachers put in some long days! Please take a moment to sign up for a potluck item for one of our conference nights, February 28 or March 7.

Reminders

Pencil Grams

Pencil Grams are a fun surprise for friends, buddies, teachers and staff members of Kimberly Lane on Valentine's Day! Students can pick up pencil gram forms from their teacher or the front office. There is no charge to pick up the forms. Payment will be collected when the forms are turned in. You can return completed pencil gram forms to your classroom or they will be on sale before school (7:25-7:45) in the commons on February 7, 8 and 11. Pencil Grams are 25¢ each or 5/$1.00. A fun pencil will be attached to the form and delivered the morning of Thursday, February 14.

MCA Testing

April 9-10 MCA reading testing April 16-17 MCA math testing. Please avoid medical appointments during these testing dates

It's Time To Order Your Yearbook

Please order your year book online at ybpay.lifetouch.com. Our year book ID is 2275619. Yearbooks will be delivered the last week of school to your students classroom. Wondering if you've ordered a year book? Go to ybpay.lifetouch.com and click "Get Details of Your Previous Orders by Email". Enter your email address and you will receive an email with information on all previous orders linked to your email.

International Night

Do you want to travel the world without getting on a plane? Come one, come all to International Night Friday, February 22, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Enjoy international cuisine, festive and colorful performances, crafts and games, country exhibits, and more! This is a free event unless you want to shop at the bazaar. We are looking for volunteers to join our committees: exhibits, performances, and food. If you have any questions please contact Eram Mashadi at Eram.Mashadi@wayzataschools.org.

Home Base Registration

Home Base child care registration is beginning soon and space is limited. For more information regarding the Home Base program and upcoming registration, please refer to the Home Base website.

Priority registration: February 4 at 7:00 a.m. - February 8 at 4:00 p.m.
(For current enrollees in any Home Base program component)
Open registration: February 13 at 7:00 a.m.

Volunteer Needs

PTA News

Join or Volunteer

The next PTA meeting is at 9:00 a.m. on February 19. Karen Keffeler, Meadow Ridge Principal, will be at the meeting to answer questions and discuss transition. Hope you can attend!

Preparations for the 2019-2020 school year are underway and the PTA is in need of lots of new faces to take on leadership roles. All Board positions (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary, and Teacher Liaison) are open. In addition, the following committee chair positions are in need of a leader:

Outdoor Education
Coyote Dash
Partners in Art
Health Screenings
Yearbook

Please consider stepping up to volunteer. If you have any questions about the Board or Chair positions, please reach out to Kayleen Litterer at littkd@me.com.

Did you know that there is a binder in the office that holds a list of all of the staff and teachers favorite things? If you are looking to surprise your teacher with a holiday treat just ask for the binder. We are all so grateful for everything they do for our students.

Around the District

Emergency School Closing
The superintendent may close school, delay the start of school or dismiss school early because of extreme weather or other emergency conditions. If schools are to be closed for the entire day, an announcement will be made as early as possible over WCCO 830 AM radio; WCCO-TV, Channel 4; KSTP-TV, Channel 5; KMSP-TV, Channel 9; and KARE- TV, Channel 11. Announcements will also be posted on the District’s website at wayzataschools.org and phone calls and email messages will be sent to all families using the district’s parent notification system.

Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver SMS text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information. To participate in this free service, ensure that you have entered your cell phone number in the Skylert section of Skyward Family Access, then send a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our district's short code number, 67587.

Preventing the Flu
Influenza, commonly called "the flu", is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus, which infects the nose, throat, and lungs. Symptoms include fever (100º or above), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches lasting up to a week or longer. The best way to prevent this illness is by getting a flu vaccination. Additional tips are available on the Minnesota Department of Health website.

Students and staff members need to be without a fever for over 24 hours before returning to school. When contacting the school to report that your child is sick, please be specific including if the fever is 100º or greater and if your child has a cough or a sore throat. If you have questions about these guidelines, please call your school health office.

6th Grade Band & Orchestra Instrument Selection Nights
Remaining 6th Grade Band and Orchestra Instrument Selection Nights are February 11, 21 and 26. Students who are interested in playing in band or orchestra in 6th grade must sign-up for a 20-minute instrument selection time at Central Middle School.

Band Instrument
Selection Sign-up

Orchestra Instrument
Selection Sign-up

If you have questions, please contact Karen Frawley about band or Tom Pieper about orchestra.

We've had so many great Ask Ali questions flooding our inbox over the past month. Thanks to all who have submitted! We want you to know Ali, along with her network of local experts, have been working hard to answer these questions. Responses are posted every Monday on her blog at partnersinpreventionmn.org/askali. Parents, you've got to check out the responses to these questions! There are some interesting ones that have been asked; chances are you might be wondering some of these things. Keep the questions coming!

Community Education

WISHES offerings at Kimberly Lane:
Engineering Club - next session begins March 4
Ultimate Drawing Workshop
Character Workshop - This is Drama Kids' first ever class devoted to learning the tricks of characterization! We will explore the ways we use our voices, our bodies, and our imagination to bring a character to life on stage. Register for this class and feel ready to perform your best for our play coming this Spring!
Pulley Engineers - starts March 14

New Youth and Adult Enrichment catalog is online now! Check out all our offerings!