Panther Newsletter

Home of the Panthers 4801W. 2nd - (316) 973-3150 - Ms. Janet Jump, Principal
FROM THE PRINCIPAL: Our thanks to each of you for attending your child’s conference. Many classes had 100% attendance!! If you were unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher to schedule a make-up conference. I enjoyed meeting so many wonderful parents at the Chalk Talk, Coffee with the Principal sessions. We will be scheduling an evening session soon, as well as meetings to begin to organize a PTA or PTO. It is obvious that we have a very caring group of parents at Dodge, with the common goal of helping us create wonderful learning opportunities for our students. A facility review committee is meeting to provide input to the district on upgrades needed to our building. We have already determined that the bus and parking/drop off areas need work, and the district is in the process of getting bids to pave the parking lots next summer. If you have requests for our building that you would like to have considered, please let me know. Just as we want our parents to have a voice in school planning, we are also interested in giving our students a voice. This year our school will have a Student Council, Red Cross Organization, and Student Ambassadors to help make our school great! We look forward to working with these young student leaders as we plan for this year. I hope you continue to support our efforts to provide a top-notch educational experience for EVERY child at Dodge. Your support makes a HUGE difference for our staff and students alike. Ms. Jump, Principal	UNPAID FEES We ask that you make every attempt to settle your account(s) as soon as possible. Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated. Remember all breakfasts and lunches must be paid for in advance. Please watch your child’s bookbag for “low balance” slips. We are sorry, but are not able to allow children to charge meals. WEATHER SAFETY PROCEDURES Please be sure your children are dressed appropriately during the cold weather months. Students win t-shirt design contests Third grade students participated in a lesson on diversity from Diversity Kansas, and then were invited to design shirts. Congratulations to Alison Knoedler and J’Maica Frame Cabell for their winning designs for t-shirts for the 2007 Walk for Unity sponsored by Cargill.
STUDENT SAFETY In support of student safety, it is extremely important that all visitors, volunteers, community members, etc., first check in at the school office. While at school, visitor badges are to be worn, even if you plan to be here for only a few minutes. Please understand that this is in the best interest of our children. At dismissal time, we ask that parents wait for students outside the building or at the entry doors. This allows teachers to make use of every minute with the least amount of distraction possible. Some children are just returning from specials at 4:00, and we need our halls clear to return them to their classrooms. It also allows teachers to safely get students ready for dismissal, and take them to their designated dismissal area where they can make sure they are picked up by the appropriate person. If your child needs to leave early due to special appointments, please be sure to check them out through the main office. In the event of severe weather, students will be taken to a place of safety in the school. We will not release students if we are in a tornado warning unless a parent checks the student out. The phone number for the district weather information to find out if schools are closed is 973-4259. If there is a ever a need to evacuate our building, students will be taken to the Kiwana’s Park Building, next to our school playground. Our goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of all of the students, but we need your assistance in attaining this goal. Thank you for your cooperation.	ATTENDANCE We believe attendance is critical to a student’s success, and that active participation in daily class work is important to their learning. Please encourage your child to be in class on time, ready to learn, every day. If your child is sick or needs to be tardy, please remember to call the school office and report the absence to have it excused. WHY BREAKFAST? Kids do better in school and are more alert when they eat breakfast! It lets them be more creative and perform better with increased attention span and memory. They feel good and complain less of headaches and stomach aches from being hungry., it improves behavior and attitude. Breakfast provides nutrients kids need to grow and develop. Fall Into Good Reading Habits Now that your family is settled in the new school year’s routines, it s a good time to start a new routine. Designate a special time in the evening for family reading. Choose a variety of age-appropriate materials—newspapers, magazines, library books, etc. Try to limit distractions around you, such as the TV and telephone. You will be delighted with the results as your child develops a love of reading, and increases their reading skills.
	School Hours Just a reminder that school hours are from 9:00-4:10. Children should not arrive before 8:50 unless they are eating breakfast. There is no supervision before school. Children not eating breakfast will remain outside until the 8:50 bell rings. Breakfast is served from 8:30-8:50 in the multipurpose room.
	DODGE STAFF