Transcript May 2015 Newsletter - Gilbert Public Schools

Augusta Ranch Elementary
Home of the Rattlers
April, 2015
Mr. Mike Hansen, Principal
Mrs. Amy Mulliken, Dean of Students
Dear Augusta Ranch Community,
For those of you who did not hear, I was honored to be appointed the Principal of
Augusta Ranch. I am excited for the opportunity and will work hard to continue the
ongoing success of Augusta Ranch.
The 2014-2015 school year is coming to an end and I wanted to take the time to thank
all the people who make Augusta Ranch the great school it is. First off, the staff
members of Augusta Ranch are the most dedicated group of people I have come across.
They work extremely hard to make sure that all the students at Augusta Ranch are
successful and I want to thank them for all their efforts. I would like to thank the
students of Augusta Ranch who are extremely hard working and caring individuals who
make the culture of Augusta Ranch the great place it is. Finally, the community and
PTSO of Augusta Ranch have been amazingly supportive this year. With budgets as
tight as they are, we appreciate all the community’s support and because of it, we are
able to do great things at Augusta Ranch.
Please take the time to enjoy the summer and spend quality time with your family. I
would also encourage you to keep your student academically challenged throughout the
summer. Please encourage your children to continue to read over the summer. Our
librarian, Cindy Schaible, has reading resources on her teacher page on the Augusta
Ranch web page. We will also email those resources out to parents soon. You can also
go online to find resources for all other subjects that can keep your child engaged in
academics during the year.
Thanks for a great year and have a safe summer!
Mike Hansen
Augusta Ranch Elementary
Principal
Dear Parents of Students
Entering 6th Grade (Fall 2015)
Arizona State Department of Public Health Immunization Laws directly
affect any child who will be eleven (11) years of age AND entering the
sixth grade for 2015-2016. Should your student turn eleven (11) during
the 2015-2016 school year, the immunizations will be required
immediately on or after their birthday.
The following are the required vaccines prior to the start of school 2015:
TDAP (Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis)
MCV4 (Meningococcal)
Please bring the immunization record to the health office after it has been
updated so we can ensure compliance.
If your student(s) WILL NOT be returning for the 2015-2016,
please be sure to let Ms. Kipp or Mrs. Esterly know.
Also, if your 6th grader WILL NOT be attending a Gilbert district
Jr. High School, we also need to know that. The 6th grade files
are automatically sent to Desert Ridge High school unless we
are informed otherwise ahead of time. Thank you.
If you are interested in applying for the
free and/or reduced meal program,
please remember that you MUST
re-apply each year.
You can access the online application form by going to the following:
www.gilbertschools.net
Scroll down on the right side under Quick Links to the Free/Reduced Meal link
2015 – 2016
Registration
When registering your students for school,
please bring the following documents:
 Birth Certificate
 Immunization Records
 Proof of Residency
(Utility bill, rental/lease agreement)
 Driver’s License
 Custody/Legal documents (if applicable)
Hello Parents,
As we all look at the end to yet another amazing school year, we want to
remind you to be sure to pick up your students medication(s) from Health
Office staff prior to dismissal (12:40) on Thursday,
May 21, 2015.
Per GPS medication policy, if medications are not picked up by that time,
they will be destroyed. As a reminder, only an adult, over the age of 18, are
allowed to pick up medications.
Please feel free to contact the Health Office at (480) 635-2011 ext. 307
for any questions.
Thank you,
Nicki Scarlett, MA
Maria Rivard, RN
May 15
May 21
Coming Events…
Student Council Elections
10:00am, 6th Grade Promotion
Last Day for K-6 students
Important
Cafeteria News
Parents and Guardians:
As we approach the end of the school year, please
keep
in mind that we are no longer able allow students to
“owe” for their breakfast for lunches.
Each student must have enough money on their
account for a Breakfast or a Lunch for that day or
they will receive a sack breakfast/lunch.
Lunch consists of a cheese sandwich, fruit, milk
and/or juice. Breakfast will be cereal, fruit, milk
and/or juice. As we come near the end of the school
year please help keep all accounts updated.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate
to call.
Thank you,
Karri Romney
Augusta Ranch Cafeteria Manager
480-635-2011 ext. 4
school policy
To request homework for an absent child, please leave a voicemail or an
email for your student’s teacher early in the morning to allow them time to
gather the items. You will be able to pick it up in the afternoon at the front
desk unless you have made other arrangements with the teacher directly.
Phone calls will ONLY be made to the classroom for shoes or lunches
that are dropped off. The office staff will not interrupt class for homework
or instruments being dropped off.
We are a large school and unfortunately, cannot remember everyone’s
faces. If you are picking someone up, please be prepared with your ID just
in case you are asked for it.
If you are signing a student out early, we will not call them out of class
until someone is here to sign them out. If someone other than the
parent/guardian will be picking them up, please make sure that his/her name
is already on the yellow emergency card.
Throughout the school year, we have countless “lost” jackets, sweaters,
lunch boxes, hats, etc. We will show them several times on morning
announcements. After that time, we will offer them to students who are in
need of the above-mentioned items. To avoid this, please remember to put
your child’s name on ALL of their belongings.
While on campus, students are NOT permitted to have energy drink,
coffee or glass containers. They may not have it in their lunch, on the
playground or throughout the day.
Transportation change calls will be put through to the classroom AFTER
3:15pm, AFTER 2:00pm on early release Wednesdays. Parents calling
before this time will be asked to call back at the above-mentioned time.
House Bill 2476
(seclusion/confinement)
Dear Parents,
As some of you may be aware, the State Legislature passed legislation
regarding procedures a district must follow when using
seclusion/confinement. Governor Brewer signed HB2476 in April
2013, to be in effect for the 2013-2014 school year.
This legislation requires school districts’ policies to include a process
for prior written parental notification and consent before
seclusion/confinement is used. Seclusion is the solitary confinement
of a student alone in any space from which the student is physically
prevented from leaving. These policies must also provide for an
exemption to prior written parental consent if a school principal or
teacher determines that a student poses imminent physical harm to
self or others.
Please know that it has always been the district’s philosophy that
seclusion/confinement be used only if there is a threat of imminent
physical harm to self or others. For further information, see GPS
Governing Board Policy GBEB.
Thank you to our AMAZING & OVER THE
TOP PTSO group. Visit the Augusta Ranch
Elementary
PTSO webpage:
http://www.augustaranchptso.com/
Dear School Nurse:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act seeks to provide healthcare coverage for all
individuals in the US. All individuals must enroll in health insurance by March 31, 2014.
While many families will have more affordable choices for health insurance, Arizona
pediatricians are concerned that some children may not be able to receive healthcare insurance
for a number of reasons. First, some employer-provided health insurances will only include the
employee, and not that employee’s family. Secondly, many of low and middle income families
will not qualify for federal tax credit subsidies to help offset the cost of monthly premiums. And
lastly, 14,000 Arizona children lost their KidsCareII health insurance because the program has
been “frozen” and new enrollment has stopped.
The new online health insurance marketplace is where families can “shop” for health insurance
plans that fit their needs. However, finding health insurance on the marketplace can be a
confusing process, and some families are just not aware of the crucial importance of obtaining
healthcare coverage. Luckily, there are certified navigators/ assistors who are trained to help
families apply for health insurance on the marketplace.
The AzAAP Access to Care Committee understands the critical role school nurses play in our
community. You are in a unique position to communicate with many families who are facing
difficulty accessing health insurance by March 31, 2014. As you interact with families, please
urge them to:
1. Sign up for health insurance by March 31, 2014
2. Connect families to a certified navigator/ assistor by asking them to call 1-800-318-2596
The Access to Care Committee has created bilingual posters which have information on how to
help families enroll in health insurance. In addition we will be providing you with a list of terms
with easy to understand definitions to help parents understand the language of the current
healthcare enrollment process.
We hope that this will be helpful to many of the children that you come in to contact with! We
are all in this to help the kids!
Elizabeth Homans McKenna, MD
Healing Hearts Pediatrics, PLC
(480)821-1400
www.healthcare.gov/marketplace