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Crocker Chronicles
September 2023
WELCOME TO THE CROCKER CHRONICLES
WELCOME BACK!!
new Staff at Crocker!
Jessica Garland - 5th Grade Teacher
Taylor Peek - Music Teacher
Sol Cancel - ESOL Paraeducator
Dajon Chavez - General Education Paraeducator
Elizabeth Grother - General Education Paraeducator
Rayan Mohamed - General Education Paraeducator
Natalie Targgart - General Education Paraeducator
Kristina Wayda - Special Education Paraeducator
Meet Mrs. Garland - 5th Grade
I'm excited to introduce myself as the new fifth-grade teacher at Crocker, Mrs.Garland. This will be my 14th year teaching fifth-grade in the Ankeny district. I previously taught at Prairie Trail and Northwest Elementary. I have an Elementary Education degree from Iowa State University and a Master's Degree from Viterbo University. What I enjoy most about teaching is that every year I learn new things alongside my students. I'm passionate about fostering creativity and relationships in my classroom.
Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my husband and three children. I look forward to getting to know the families of Crocker this school year!
Meet Ms. Peek - Vocal Music
I graduated from Wartburg College in 2016 where I received my Bachelor's degree in K-12 Music Education. I will be entering my 8th year of teaching and am very passionate about teaching music to elementary students.
I look forward to getting to know the students and parents at Crocker and can't wait to teach your kids how to be tuneful, beatful, and artful little musicians!
Student Survey
Over the next month, Crocker will be sending permission slips asking for consent allowing your student to take a building-wide survey focusing on each student feeling valued and connected. This permission is newly mandated by Iowa law, so we appreciate your consideration for this important survey. The three question survey helps us improve our school community and how we provided supports to students.
When this is sent out, please reach out to our principal, Brandon Hargens, with questions or concerns.
Thanks for your continued support!
NOTES FROM NURSE JULIE MAILE
Welcome back to school, Crocker Family!
I am so excited to partner with you in keeping your student healthy and safe at school this year! Please make sure your contact information is accurate in Infinite Campus. I will try to email you when your student visits my office, and call you if it is something more serious or urgent.
I’d like to remind you of a couple of district health policies as we get this year started.
*If your student has a fever (over 100.4) they need to stay home until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
*If your student has had vomiting or diarrhea, they need to stay home until they have gone 24 hours without an episode.
Please remember to send your student with a water bottle every day, and encourage them to drink it! Proper hydration helps with immune function, headaches and abdominal issues!
Have a safe and healthy school year, never hesitate to reach out with ways I can help support your family!
SNACKS
Ankeny Schools Elementary Families:
Your child may bring a small, healthy snack to school daily. With the variety of needs in a classroom and the short amount of time available, we ask you to ensure the snack is small, healthy, free from nut-products, does not require refrigeration or utensils, and your child is able to open and eat the snack independently. Further, there may be classrooms where an alternate list is shared to accommodate a specific allergy.
The full guidance, along with examples of healthy snacks can be found in the attached guidance.
If your child has a food allergy and/or sensitivity that may make it complicated for them to be in a space where a particular food item is / has been eaten, please immediately contact your child's school nurse to discuss the situation and develop an appropriate plan for your child's safety. The district is committed to working with your family to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all students.
If providing a daily snack is a financial hardship, and your family needs assistance, please contact your child's teacher, the school nurse, Julie Maile, or the school social worker, Nicole Ritland.
If your family is in the position to donate snacks, our school community could use individually packaged snacks like pretzels, applesauce pouches, goldfish or popcorn.
Notes from School Social Worker Nicole Ritland
BackPack Program
Ankeny Schools in a partnership with the Food Bank of Iowa offers school aged students access to the Friday BackPack Program. This program is designed to increase access to easy-to-prepare, single servings of food to support your child over the weekend. If you are interested in your child receiving a sack filled with kid-friendly foods each Friday, please contact Nicole Ritland, nicole.ritland@ankenyschools.org, Crocker School Social Worker.
FREE/REDUCED MEAL APPLICATIONS
You can apply for free/reduced lunch electronically through SchoolCafe by clicking here or using the QR Code below. A printable application and fee waiver are also attached. Return completed applications to your school's main office. A new free/reduced meal eligibility application must be completed and submitted each year.
Ankeny Schools Breakfast and Lunch: Free/Reduced lunch eligibility information and application.
If you have questions or if you would like assistance contact Nicole Ritland at 515-965-9604 ext. 51703 or at nicole.ritland@ankenyschools.org.
Ankeny Schools Breakfast and Lunch: Free/Reduced lunch eligibility information and application.
23-24 Free Application Packet - English
23-24 Free Application Packet - Spanish
Ankeny Waiver of Confidentiality
ANKENY RESOURCE LIST
Please see attached list for several Ankeny Resources that are available.
Crocker Spirt Week - September 11th-15th
Helpful Information!
By following these Back to School tips, you’ll be well-prepared for the upcoming school year and have several tasks checked off your to-do list!
BACK-UP CLOTHING
Unforeseen accidents in the classroom, lunch room and playground can result in wet or soiled clothing. Please make sure your student(s) has the following back-up items in a grocery sack or large ziploc that can be kept in their locker for those unforeseen accidents.
Appropriate back-up clothing suggestions:
- Shirt
- Long pants
- Underwear
- Sock
- PE shoes
CROCKER PTO
Crocker Social Media
Stay updated on all things Crocker!
Attendance Reminder
Starting Monday, September 11th, we are excited to introduce a convenient new way to report student absences! The Absence Request tool in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal allows you to report your student’s absence online with just a few clicks. This can be done using your desktop computer or the Parent Portal app on your mobile device.
Entering an absence request is quick and easy. Follow these simple steps:
- Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.
- Select your child's profile.
- Navigate to the Absence Request section.
- Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.
- Submit your request.
Visit this Absence Request Guide for detailed information on how to report absences.
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Per the student handbook, students who know they will be absent for a reason other than a school-sponsored trip or school-sponsored activity must have a parent notify the school’s office in advance of the absence. This notification can be provided using the Absence Request tool outlined above, or by phone call, e-mail, or written note.
If the school is not notified of an absence, the office will attempt to contact the Parents/Guardians at their primary number listed on Infinite Campus.
STUDENT APPOINTMENTS AND DELIVERIES
If your student forgets to bring something needed that day for class, we ask that you ring the Aiphone doorbell and we will ask for you to put the items on the table just inside the door. Please label item with the student's name and teacher.
Please remember that delivery's of flowers, candy, balloons, or presents are not accepted for students as stated in the parent handbook and will be sent back with the delivery driver.
Water Bottles
TENNIS SHOES FOR PE
Register for School Cafe`
School café is a great resource for lunch information click here to register.
Register for TouchBase
VIRTUAL BACKPACK
The information distributed in the Virtual Backpack (vBackpack) is provided as a community service to inform members of the community of available activities or services. The majority of information included in the vBackpack is from community organizations. Community groups can submit their information within certain guidelines, governed by Board Policy #1004.25.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September 2023
8 - Lifetouch Picture Day
11-15 - Homecoming Week - See above for Spirit Week information
11 - PTO Meeting in the Media Center at 6:30 pm
25 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Professional Learning Day
Crocker Elementary
Email: cr.office@ankenyschools.org
Website: crocker.ankenyschools.org
Location: 2910 Southwest Applewood Street
Phone: 515-965-9710
Facebook: facebook.com/CrockerElementarySchool
Twitter: @AnkenyCrocker