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We made it to October and finally fall weather...?

This week's edition brought to you by Stephanie Swanson, PTA Parent Volunteer (not an official spokesperson of Border Star Montessori or KCPS)

I am so thankful for fall temperatures starting to finally show up! This means a few things for us:

  1. I just realized our 4-year old has no uniform pants that fit.
  2. We've already had a week of missed school from pneumonia.
  3. Classrooms are open for observations.
  4. Parent-teacher conferences are coming up soon... and the book fair!
Let's all mourn for a second together that we completely failed in preparing our 4-year old for winter during uniform sales, so our wallets are not so happy about trying to find uniform pants at this stage in the game. Thank goodness for the uniform closet bailing out our poor planning! In our defense, though, I did think she would be bigger by now...
PTA Meeting - Thursday, October 3rd, 2019
PTA Meeting tomorrow! Be sure to RSVP to Comica Shaw on the Dragon Parents Facebook group for dinner: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragonparents/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragonparents/

5:30pm: Dinner (provided based on number of RSVPs)
6:00pm: PTA Meeting

What to expect:
Meetings are once per month, the PTA has dinner for anyone who RSVPs and LINC provides childcare - typically playing outside, in the gym, or watching a movie in the auditorium. It’s the best place to meet other parents, to find out what’s going on in the school, and learn about Montessori! Our littlest ones (babies or young toddlers) typically have stayed with us in the meetings while we send 3-year olds and up to the LINC childcare so we can focus on the meeting. Look for dates coming up for the next meeting!

Attendance Policy & Sick Days: What to do?

I've always found one of the hardest things about juggling work, kids, school, and all the other things is when someone gets sick! It's always by this time of year that we've been hit with this reality... last year it was 2 kids with a stomach bug, this year it was a week of pneumonia. -_-

While it's extremely hard on a family at times to have a sick kiddo at home, remember that sick kids spread germs and when you send your little one back a little earlier than recommended, that's potential hardship on another family when their child gets sick also! 

If your student is sick, please plan on keeping them home until they are well for 24 hours. This means fever- and vomit-free for a full 24 hours. If you have questions about cold symptoms without fever or any other illness, please call the school nurse!

Be sure to alert the office that your child is home sick. If you child misses school for any reason, you will be notified by the office that they have an unexcused absence until they have officially marked the absence as an illness. The KCPS official district attendance policy is located here:

https://www.kcpublicschools.org/Page/6725

I have heard from many P3/P4 families that they plan to take vacations over the course of the year and are curious about the school policy on non-medical absences. Unlike many other preschools or daycares for children of this age, attendance is expected (even for the preschool level) so be sure to talk to Mr. Rhyne if you have any personal absences planned into the school year.

Parent-Teacher Conferences - October 17th
Parent-teacher conferences are coming up soon! Our teachers are doing a great job establishing their classrooms and developing the routine of the school year and this is a great time to find out how things are going from their perspective! 

Montessori (particularly for older grades) typically follows a student-led conference model. This may involve the student showing their parents a portfolio of their work and/or a self-analysis of what they feel they are doing well and what areas they feel they could improve. The independence and self-confidence that this model instills is inspiring! 

Children's House classrooms vary in how they handle conferences due to the age and needs of smaller children. Each teacher may have a different model of conference structure, so please check with your teacher if you haven't heard what to expect. If you are uncertain, feel free to ask your teacher if you should plan on bringing your student.

On that note, if you are interested in a classroom observation, contact your teacher to schedule it directly with them. When arriving for an observation, please check in the with office first before heading to the classroom. 
Book Fair: October 10th - 17th
It's book fair time! There are books for all levels at the book fair and the kids love it! It also serves as a fundraiser for the PTA... and remember, the money that the PTA raises goes to things like spirit wear shirts for all the kids for field trips, a new sound system for the auditorium, playground supplies & equipment, teacher support for each classroom, etc. Border Star will keep 20% of all sales. 

Consider volunteering (signup here!)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c44adae2ca3fa7-border

Dragon Stars (for future days off school)

Encore shout-out for Dragon Stars, October 11th!

For days off of school, you saw a flyer come home for “Dragon Stars.” What is it? I’m glad you asked! This is independent from the school district but is available childcare for KCPS days off of school. Flyers will come home with your student but also will be announced here on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dragon-Stars-166281913440512/

The low-down:

  1. Hours: 8:00am-5:30pm
  2. Dates: Most KCPS closed days (Next date: October 11th)
  3. Ages: 3 - 12
  4. Location: 406 W 74th St. Kansas City MO
  5. Cost: $30 per day (or $50 for two children) - pay with a check
  6. Food: bring a lunch for your student
  7. To reserve a spot: Contact Diana Thomas: https://www.facebook.com/diana.thomas.7?hc_location=ufi
  8. Paperwork: fill out an application when you arrive!

Any questions about the program should be directed to Diana Thomas directly!

Little Dragons Update
Whew - what a ride! Our family (and several others) finally got a spot starting Tuesday, October 1st and I now believe all families on the wait list are taken care of. If you are still on the wait list, let us know! There are some work-around options for anyone who needs additional care (splitting care with families that only use a few days a week, etc).

Please note - while we always expect some beginning of the year bumps in the road, this was far beyond a few bumps and instead pointed to some serious issues in planning for the early childhood extended learning program that Mr. Rhyne has initiated conversation with the district to alleviate next year. We are thankful for his work to help make sure we can avoid a similar issue next year! 
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The purpose of this communication is to help keep new (and new-ish) parents informed of things they might not otherwise realize are happening around Border Star - for example: Should I plan to come to the Winter Program? When are the dress down days? There are a lot of things going on around Border Star and we know it can be helpful to get a parent perspective on them - let us know if you have any questions we can help answer!

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