Bear Facts

Email: billingsm@usd231.com
Website: https://www.usd231.com/o/madison
Location: 800 W Madison St, Gardner, KS, United States
Phone: (913) 856-0400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadisonElementaryBears/
Twitter: @MDEBears

Just a reminder... Weekly balance reminders are sent to families whose students' account balances fall below zero due to purchases.

Welcome to Madison Elementary!

The staff at Madison Elementary appreciates the opportunity to share your child’s educational experience with you. The demands of the 21st century require a new approach to education to fully prepare students for college, career, and citizenship. Research, practice, and common sense confirm that a whole-child approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow by addressing students' comprehensive needs through the shared responsibility of students, families, schools, and communities.

Our staff has been busy preparing for the start of school next week for our K-4 students and the following week for our EC students. Class lists will be emailed later this afternoon to families who have completed the registration and enrollment process. Preparing classroom rosters is a collaborative effort amongst all staff members and administrators in the building. This process begins in the spring and can take several weeks, or go well into the summer.

There are many contributing factors that go into creating a classroom roster: the personality of the student and teacher, how many students are receiving exceptional services, the number of students who are being pulled out for small group instruction, how many boys and girls are in the class, and the academic levels of the students to balance classroom learning environments, which students had a tough time getting along with specific students the previous year, and at times, which kids socialize more when they're around specific students. Again, this process can take several weeks to complete. Our common goal is to make the school experience the best it can possibly be for every child. The Gardner Edgerton School District is fortunate to have excellent teachers who put children first. We all pledge to you that we will do all that we can to make your child’s education enjoyable, exciting, fun, meaningful, and productive.

You can find our Family Handbook which has a plethora of information on our website and by using this link. The Madison Family Handbook is designed to help our students, staff, and parents better understand our routines and procedures. Please note that the handbook is subject to change.

The first day of school for K-4 students is Thursday, August 11. Families are welcome to walk their children to the classroom beginning at 8:00 am. Kindergarten families can arrive at 8:45 to walk their children down to the classroom to help with the transition. The first day of school for our early childhood students is Monday, August 15.

We are looking forward to a wonderful year of inquiry and learning at Madison Elementary.

Take care,

Dr. Wachel, Principal

Please help me welcome the following staff members to our Madison Elementary Learning Community!

Ms. Brooke Fleener - 1st Grade

Ms. Heather Gagel - 4th Grade

Mrs. Allison Southerland - Counselor

Mrs. Jenny Sanders - Interventionist

Ms. Traci Boxdorfer - Early Childhood Paraeducator

Mrs. Nicole Westgate - Early Childhood Paraeducator

Mrs. Kristin McGuire - Special Education Paraeducator

Mrs. Michelle Noth - Special Education Paraeducator

On Tuesday, August 9, Madison Elementary will host a “Meet the Teacher Night” between 5:00 and 6:00 pm for all students—pre-kindergarten through 4th grade. Students will have the opportunity to see the classroom, drop off school supplies, and meet the teachers in an open-house-style event.

To help with parking, if at all possible we encourage families with last names A-L to come between 5:00-5:30 and last names M-Z to come between 5:30-6:00 to visit the classrooms and meet the teachers.

We are excited to see all of our Bears at Madison Elementary!

On Thursday, August 18, the Madison Elementary staff will host our Madison families for School Information Night as we prepare for the 2022-23 school year. Adults are encouraged to attend either at 5:00 or 5:45 pm. Each classroom teacher will share personal introductions, provide an overview of the grade-level curriculum, share classroom expectations, and highlight behavior plans/incentives, and other essentials for a successful school year. Both sessions will share the same information so feel free to come to the session that works best for you and your family’s schedule.

The following are Gardner Edgerton USD 231’s policies with respect to the publication of student photographs and personal work in print, broadcast, and district Website venues.

Publication of Photographs and Student Work

During the course of a school year, a student’s name, photograph, personal artwork and writing, awards received, and/or information about the student’s participation in school-related activities may be submitted for publication in such venues as:

• Gardner Edgerton School District Horizon Newsletter and District E-Newsletter

• School yearbooks

• Gardner Edgerton School District informational/promotional/marketing material

• Media outlets including local newspapers, radio and television stations

• The District Website, www.usd231.com

Student Appearance in School District Produced or Authorized Videos

Schools may photograph/videotape students for segments on the school morning news. From time to time, the school district may authorize outside organizations to produce videos in which district students appear. This includes school announcements placed on the Internet for viewing.

Personal Interviews with Students

With respect to certain awards, activities, and or events (for example Science Fair winners) a member of USD 231 district staff may request to personally interview your child for the purpose of compiling information to submit to one or more of the above reference venues. If an interview is deemed necessary, the school district will:

• Notify the parent or guardian for permission to obtain an interview

• Invite the parent or guardian to be present at the interview, or at the request of the parent or guardian, allow the parent or guardian to review the completed article prior to submission for accuracy and appropriateness.

News Media – Gardner Edgerton USD231 is not responsible for the independent actions of news media organizations in gathering information or seeking to interview students.

Compensation – Gardner Edgerton USD231 will not provide compensation to a student or their families for use of a student’s photograph, artwork, writing, or other information in any of the above-referenced venues.

Note: Gardner Edgerton USD 231 will not submit a student’s home street address or telephone number with any personal student work submitted for publication.

To opt-out, please contact the Madison Elementary office.

By opting out, your student will not appear in the yearbook. *If you would like to opt-out from media and opt-in for the yearbook please notify your school office of this preference.

8:00 am Students may enter the building and report directly to the classrooms

8:20 am School Officially Begins

3:25 pm School Evening Dismissal Process

Supervision of students begins at 8:00 am. Please do not drop off students before 8:00 am as we do not have staff members assigned to supervise prior to 8:00 am and we want to provide ample social distancing for our students. If a student needs to eat breakfast, he or she may eat breakfast upon entering Madison Elementary. Car riders and walkers should be dropped off in the car rider lane at the front entrance (see the map below). Students arriving after 8:20 am will be counted as tardy or have a partial day absence and will need to report to the office. Likewise, students leaving early will be marked with a partial absence.

Students who will be car riders every day will be considered “everyday car riders”. During dismissal, these students will be escorted to the primary pod. Staff members will supervise the car riders as they are dismissed to meet their ride. We request that parents remain in cars and form a pick-up line in the front circle area by the main entrance. When entering off of Madison Street, please form two lines that will merge as cars make a left turn. Cars will then form two lines again before merging as they turn right to finish the car rider line. Please pull forward and follow the path to expedite the process and keep our students safe. Each family will also have a car rider placard. This placard will notify the staff who is authorized to pick up students. Each family will receive two placards each year and can distribute these placards to whoever will pick up the students in the car rider loop. Teachers in the parking lot will radio teachers inside the building for children to come outside when their ride arrives. In order to eliminate congestion in the office and keep students safe, we ask that you wait in the “car rider” line in your car and do not come into Madison Elementary to pick up your child unless it is an emergency situation.

Students riding bikes or walking home will exit from the front doors. Any student needing to cross Madison or Waverly Street must walk to the intersection and follow the cross guard’s direction. Students are asked to “walk their bike” on school grounds.

Madison families should have received an email detailing bus information including stop location, time, and bus number. If you have questions regarding bus transportation or do not receive an email, please contact First Student at 913-856-5650 .

Change of Transportation: Please let your child’s teacher know how your child will be leaving school. If you need to make a change, contact the office with a note or phone call no later than 2:50 PM. A child will not be allowed to go home in a different manner unless they have a change of transportation form.

Thanks to our PTA, every student will receive a t-shirt on Meet the Teacher Night. If families want to purchase a matching shirt or sweatshirt, they can use this link through September 6.

Our year-round spirit store will be running a special on all purchases. To visit this store, please visit this link.

• Sale Dates: August 8th - September 7th
• Savings: 30% savings sitewide. Free shipping over $60. No coupon code necessary.

As we approach the start of a new school year, USD 231 Nutrition Services would like to inform you of changes to school meals beginning the first day of school. The federal government allowed schools to offer free meals to all students during the pandemic, but Congress did not extend this benefit for the 2022-2023 school year. Families that are eligible for free or reduced-price meals must again apply to receive them, and all other students must pay full price for their meals beginning the first day of the new school year. (This does not affect our summer meals program running through August 5, 2022!)

If your household has received an email from our office in the past few days notifying you that your students are directly certified for the 2022-2023 school year, you do NOT need to complete an application. Please follow the instructions in the second email sent in order to obtain bus and fee discounts.

Under certain circumstances, some families will be eligible for temporary carryover status for the first 30 days of the school year for meals (only), but this will not apply to transportation or instructional fee discounts. If your household is eligible for this carryover status, you should have received an email from our office on July 7, 2022, and will need to complete the online application before you can obtain fee/transportation discounts in 2022-2023.

We encourage all other households who wish to be considered for free or reduced-price meals in 2022-2023 to complete the meal benefits application as soon as possible. All applications can be submitted online through the link at https://bit.ly/USD231onlineapp

Meal Prices

Breakfast Meal Deal. Students must select at least 3 of the 4 (or 5) items offered – with at least one being ½ cup fruit or vegetable – to purchase a complete meal or “Meal Deal.” Typically this consists of the entrée, milk carton, fruit, and/or juice carton.

Breakfast

Student Full Pay - $1.55

Reduced Price - FREE

Free Price - Free

Milk/Juice Carton - $.60 (one of each included with a full meal)

Guest Full Pay - $2.35

Lunch Meal Deal. Students must select at least 3 of the 5 items offered – with at least one being ½ cup fruit or vegetable – to purchase a complete meal or “Meal Deal.” Typically this consists of the entrée, vegetable, fruit, juice carton, and/or milk carton.

Lunch

Student Lunch Full Pay $2.85 (elementary)

Reduced Price $0.40

Free Price FREE

Milk/Juice Carton $0.60 (one of each included with a full meal)

Guest Full Pay - $4.25

If you have additional questions, please contact our office by email at nutrition@usd231.com for assistance.

The Madison Elementary health room is available if your child becomes ill or injured while at school. Please familiarize yourself with the USD 231 Parent Handbook with details of our Health Services guidelines and procedures. Kansas law requires all students to have on file evidence of required immunizations prior to attending school. The Medication Authorization Form must be completed and signed by the parent or guardian for all medications given at school. It is recommended that medication NOT be sent to school with children. Parents should bring the medication to the health room (8:15 am to 3:45 pm).

A student will be sent home from school with any of the following:

• Temperature 100 degrees or greater, or with incidents of vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• Symptoms related to a possible communicable disease.
• Excessive drainage from eyes, ears, persistent earache, constant cough, or painful sore throat with enlarged lymph nodes.
• Students with acute infectious disease or parasite

Mrs. Angie Serrano, Madison Elementary’s Health Room Nurse, is available to answer any additional questions you might have and you may contact her directly at 856-0450.

Our staff is continuously preparing for the safety of the Madison community. There are guidelines in place in USD 231 to ensure all schools have emergency plans in place. It is our goal at Madison Elementary that all students, parents, and staff feel safe. This school year we will conduct various safety, fire, and severe weather drills. Our staff has been trained and will be discussing emergency procedures for all drills in the classrooms. Giving students and staff the knowledge and confidence of knowing safe procedures in the event of emergency situations is the purpose of these annual drills.

As USD 231 is committed to maintaining safe and secure academic environments for our students and staff, we want to make you aware of an added safety feature to every school building. With this enhancement in safety, we need your help with our protocols in place. Controlled entrances to all USD 231 school buildings have been implemented. All visitors and parents must now alert office staff of their arrival and identify themselves prior to entering the building. School doors will be unlocked as students arrive to school. After school begins, access to the building will be controlled by an external buzzer that rings into the main office. A video monitor will be used to identify the visitor and view the visitor’s photo identification. Once given permission to enter, the door will be unlocked and the visitor may enter the building. As always, all visitors must sign in at the main office and obtain a visitors badge.

We understand this may be an inconvenience to some of our visitors, but the District’s responsibility to keep every student and staff member safe in our buildings is a top priority. We also believe our commitment to safety and security are integral in providing the most optimal learning experiences. As always, our buildings welcome parents and visitors to Madison.

The schools have extensive safety policies which the district reviews regularly. Every staff member is trained in safety procedures and expectations, and students participate in safety drills at each school throughout the year. We appreciate your understanding and patience in this added safety feature in our schools. Should you have any questions regarding this protocol, please contact Dr. Wachel.

When is the first day of school?

Students in grades K-4 will begin on Thursday, August 11th. Families with only a kindergarten student will arrive at 8:45 am on the FIRST DAY ONLY to allow for families and students the opportunity to walk to the classroom by themselves. If Kindergarten students ride the bus on the first day, they will be guided to the kindergarten classrooms and will be with their teacher until the other kindergarten students arrive at 8:45 am. If families have a kindergartner and an older sibling, we encourage families to arrive at 8 am and walk both children to the classrooms before we start the day at 8:20.

This first day is an early dismissal (11:25). Pre-K students will begin on Monday, August 15th.

How do I connect and stay up to date with information regarding Madison Elementary?

You can find information on our school website, our Twitter account, and our Facebook page. Be sure to use the #MDEBears in your posts!

Do you have other questions?

If you have other questions not answered above, please contact the school office at 913-856-0400. We look forward to working with you to ensure a successful school year for all!

For all things related to the start of the 2022-23 school year, be sure to check out USD 231's Back to School Central page.

Exciting news for our Madison Families! Like the last two years, the Madison PTA is partnering with School Tool Box for ordering school supplies online. This is not a fundraiser; it is simply a convenience to our Madison Families. You can order your school supplies online with School Tool Box, and your supplies will be shipped directly to your home. Please allow 10 days for processing. Simply go to this link to place your online order: www.schooltoolbox.com

We know that many families are experiencing financial challenges. Hope Market is providing a backpack giveaway this year to help!

August 6th from 11am - 1pm

at the ARC 132 E. Main St. Gardner

Families just need to fill out this FORM HERE. Hope Market will then send out a confirmation email.

The free backpack is filled with school supplies. This year they will be offering socks and underwear as well! Please contact Mrs. Hodson, school social worker, at hodsonj@usd231.com if you have questions or additional needs.

The Madison Elementary PTA Executive Board is excited about the upcoming 2021-22 school year! PTA works to enhance student experience throughout the school year including supplementing the funding for Field Day, Pancake Bingo/Auction Night, School Carnival, Assemblies, Musical Refreshments, Teacher Appreciation, and purchasing additional resources to enhance the learning environment for our students. Get involved to make your child's elementary school years extra special! Joining the Madison Elementary PTA will ensure you are up to date on school events and helps you get involved in Madison Elementary activities. Check out the PTA link under Parent Info on the Madison Elementary website for more information.

Madison Elementary PTA Executive Board Officers

President: Leah Bates

Vice-President: Jessica Grimes

Treasurer: Heather Musselman

Secretary: Andrea Satterfield

Membership Chair: Diane Owen

Madison Elementary PTA Meeting Dates 9/6, 10/3, 11/14, 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 3/20, 4/10, and 5/1. All meetings will occur in the Madison cafeteria at 7 pm

Email us at: Madisonbearpta@gmail.com Like us on Facebook "Madison Elementary PTA Gardner, KS"

Interested in the Madison PTA Happenings? Stay in the know!

We invite everyone to join the Madison PTA Facebook page. By searching Madison Elementary PTA Gardner, KS under Pages, you will be able to join the group and receive updated PTA information.

If you are interested in joining the PTA, please see the membership form.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter - @MDEBears and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MadisonElementaryBears. We will use our twitter and facebook accounts to share information, pictures, and classroom happenings throughout the school year so you can have a window into the classrooms and experience the learning with your bear.