INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARY BULLDOGS

If your child is going to be absent for any reason, please call the school before 8:15 AM. Attendance is taken every morning and parents will receive a call from our automated calling system if the office doesn't receive a call regarding their child's absence. If you call and get the voice mail, leave a message. The office phone number is 701-356-5890 or you can email wfreih@west-fargo.k12.nd.us

May 22 - Awards Ceremony for 4th & 5th graders in the Gym at 8:30 AM

May 22 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Red River Zoo

May 22 - 4th Grade Field Trip to Bonanzaville

May 23 - Talent Show at 1:15 PM in the Gym

May 24 - PTO Sponsored Family Fun Night in the Gym at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Games Galore/Inflatables

May 25 - Last Day of School

August 7 - Registration 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

August 8 - Registration 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

August 24 - Back to School Night

August 29 - First Day of School

WE HAVE MANY STUDENTS WITH NEGATIVE LUNCH ACCOUNTS. ALL ACCOUNTS HAVE TO BE PAID IN FULL BEFORE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. Please make sure your child has enough money left in their account for the rest of the school year. All accounts have to be paid in full before the last day of school. Contact the school office if you have questions.

There will be an awards ceremony for 4th & 5th graders on Monday, May 22nd at 8:30 AM in the Gym. Mr. Shea will be presenting Super Improver Awards, Perfect Attendance, PE Awards and Battle of the Book Awards to 4th & 5th graders. Presidential Awards will be presented to 5th graders. Parents are Welcome!

Try outs have been held and those students selected will perform at the Talent Show on Tuesday, May 23rd at 1:15 in the gym. Parents are welcome!

Letters will be mailed home the last week of school to students who are enrolled in Summer School. Summer School will be held at Freedom Elementary. First day of class is Monday, June 5th. Classes will run 8:00 AM - 11:45 AM and will be held Monday - Thursday. No classes on Fridays. The last day of Summer School is June 29th.

The last day of the program is today Friday, May 19th. Your child will need to bring a HEALTHY snack from home for the last 4 days of school if they want a snack with their milk /juice break.

If your child has a medication (prescription or nonprescription) at school it has to be picked up by Friday, June 2nd or it will be discarded. We can't send the medication home with your child it has to be picked up by a parent.

Please contact the school office if your child WILL NOT be attending West Fargo Schools in the 2017-2018 school year. Thank you for your assistance as we plan for the next school year.

Please remind your child to check the lost and found if they're missing any items. Items not claimed by the last day of school will be donated.

Deadline is today by the end of the school day. Sign up and payment should be returned to your classroom teacher. If you didn't get a chance to order before today, they can be purchased at the PTO Sponsored Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 24th.

If anyone has Coke reward points to spend before the June 30th deadline, they can donate their points to Independence! The points can then be converted to cash for us to use toward our new math and reading apps that will be implemented next year!

It's official! Our School Toolbox sale started April 1st! Just head on over to schooltoolbox.com, register for an account and place your order for next year's school supplies.

These are high quality supplies from brands such as Crayola, Elmer's and Fiskars. All of the supplies are contained in a nice box with a handle and can be picked up during school registration in August.

As an added bonus, School Toolbox will donate one meal to Feed My Starving Children for every box sold!

WE HAVE TOO MANY STUDENTS ARRIVING AT SCHOOL LATE. MOST OF OUR TARDY STUDENTS TELL US THEY'RE RUNNING LATE. THIS IS AN UNEXCUSED TARDY AND IS DOCUMENTED IN THEIR ATTENDANCE. Students who arrive at or after 8:10 are considered tardy and will need to stop in the office for a pass. If your child is tardy a parent will need to come into the office and sign their child in. Do not drop you child off and send them in alone. Please have your child to school on time. It is disruptive to the classroom when a student arrives late. Also, Mr. Shea our Principal does the daily announcements shortly after 8:10 and your child is missing important information for the day.

Drop Off: PLEASE be extra careful when dropping your child off in the morning. Pull up as far as you can in the drop off lane. Remain in your car as your child exits. Do not block the crosswalk and let your child out of the car. Pick Up: PLEASE be extra careful when picking up your child at the end of the day. Pull up as far as you can in the pick up lane. If you pull into the parking lot you need to park in a spot. DO NOT block the aisles.

May Box Top Competition notes were sent home. The notes will have a small note attached to put INTO the baggy that you return. Please return May before May 19 to get credit for the month. REMEMBER: 50 non-expired, trimmed Box Tops per baggy. The classroom with the most box tops will win a classroom POPCORN PARTY. THANK YOU!

Please teach your child your phone number. We have many students of all grades come into the office and ask to call a parent but they don't know the phone number. Thank you for your help!

If you would like to join your child for lunch, please call the office before 8:15 AM. Plan on purchasing a school lunch or bringing a lunch from home. Food from a restaurant, candy and pop are not allowed. The cost for an adult lunch is $3.50.

Students must have a bus ID tag attached to their backpack. They need to scan when they get on and off the bus. Please check your child's backpack and make sure they have their bus tag. If your child needs a new bus tag, contact the school office. Thank you!

If your child has a fever, is vomiting or has diarrhea they cannot come to school. Children who have a fever cannot return for 24 hours after the fever has subsided without the use of fever reducing medication. Children who are vomiting or have diarrhea cannot return to school until they have been symptom free for 24 hours.

Please call the school office at 356-5890 before 1:00 if you need to get a message to your child regarding a change to their end of the day dismissal.

Please do not drop your child off before 7:30 AM. There is no adult supervision until 7:30 AM. The only exception is if your child is enrolled in the YMCA before school age program.

Dismissal is at 2:40 and all students need to be picked up no later than 2:50. No students should be left at the school after 2:50. The only exception is if they're in a club or intramurals.

If you have a change to your home phone, cell or work phone number, please contact the office to update your numbers. Also, contact the office if you change jobs or move to a new home address.

Where: Potbelly Sandwich Shop

When: 2nd Monday of each month

Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Why: Potbelly will be donating 25% of all sales to support the Independence PTO

Have a great supper and help support our PTO at the same time!