Roadrunners Report

August 2022

• Tuesday, August 23rd: Grades 1-5 Open House (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
• Tuesday, August 23rd: Kindergarten Open House- Please watch your email for more details from the Kindergarten teachers
• Thursday, August 25th: First Day of School

Welcome Back!

We are so excited to see all our students back at Robert Frost/Challenge Center in just a few weeks! I am equally excited to return to the Roadrunner community! I’ve been at Garfield Elementary the last three years as the assistant principal. Before that I was at Robert Frost/Challenge Center, five years as an instructional coach and two years as the assistant principal. It feels like returning to home and I appreciate the warm welcome.

Please read through this newsletter carefully as there is a lot of information about the upcoming school year. As always if you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at school (605-367-6170) or by email- Jaime.Bell@k12.sd.us. We look forward to working as a team to make this upcoming year the best year.

Mrs. Jaime Bell, Principal

Mrs. Jamie Zimmerman, Admin Intern

Grades 1-5 Open House will be held on Tuesday, August 23rd from 4:00-6:00 pm.

Families should plan to enter through Door A near the office as this is where the class lists will be posted.

Our Open House will be an opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher and to see his or her classroom. Families can finish their online enrollment/update, complete their Free/Reduced Lunch applications and turn in any paperwork that is needed in the office. This is also a great chance for you to ask any questions that you may have.

Kindergarten Open House will be held on Tuesday, August 23rd. Please watch your email for more details from the Kindergarten teachers.

Visit Robert Frost and Challenge Center websites to view supplies list

Students learn best when they are healthy and well-fed!

The Child Nutrition Team is committed to providing affordable and well-balanced meals each school day. Supply chain issues and higher food costs continue to be a challenge, but SFSD is happy to provide competitively priced breakfasts and hot lunches. Click here to view menus and Child Nutrition Information.

Also are asking that should parents/guardians want to have lunch with their children, they please take the child(ren) out for lunch just as was the practice last year; our lunchroom seating is limited. Thank you for your understanding and support.

SCHOOL HOURS:

Breakfast begins in the cafeteria at 7:30 a.m. Students may enter Door H on the playground and go to breakfast. To ensure students have adequate time to eat breakfast and fuel up for the day, please encourage your child to eat first instead of playing on the playground before going to breakfast. Thank you for your help!

Supervision on the playground begins at 7:40 a.m.; if your child is not eating breakfast, please ensure they do not arrive to school prior to 7:40 a.m. to ensure supervision is present.

School Day starts at 7:55 a.m.

School Day ends at 2:45 p.m.

VOLUNTEERS: All volunteers must complete the appropriate procedures prior to volunteering. If you are completing the unsupervised volunteer/drivers section, it is very important that you complete all the necessary steps at least four weeks prior to the field trip/event to ensure the background check comes back prior to the field trip/event. Here is a link to the registration forms:

http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/images/docs/Volunteers/Adult%20Volunteer%20Registration%20Form%2017-18.pdf

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS and TREATS: RF/CC is no longer having food items be brought in for birthday treats. Instead, we ask that families use other ways to help celebrate the special day of their children such as donating a book to the class, reading to your child's class, letting your child bring something special to show the class, etc. Our teachers have come up with some fun and phenomenal ways of making the students feel special as well!

If your student has medication at school (EpiPen, Inhaler, Pain Reliever, Daily medication, or Emergency medication) please visit the links below and have your child's doctor fill out the form. Elementary students cannot self-administer any medication at school.

Asthma and Anaphylaxis Form

Staff Medication Administration Form

Special Diet Form

Research shows that attendance is an important factor in student achievement. Creating a habit of good attendance helps students learn the future skills, persistence, and grit needed to show up every day.

It is important to be prepared for the winter storms and extreme cold that every South Dakota winter brings. Please read the following information so you are aware of the procedures for school related cancellations and postponements.

District leaders rely on experts from the National Weather Service and city/county officials when we make decisions on school cancellations, late starts or early dismissals.

Cancelling School/Late Start

When a severe storm hits the area, or is forecast, we start contacting local officials as early as 3:00 a.m. We communicate with our Operational Services Department, the Weather Bureau, the City Street Department, Sioux Falls Transit, and our transportation contractors. It is our goal to decide whether or not to cancel school by 5 a.m. to allow time for parking lots and sidewalks to be cleared, food services to prepare meals and the bus company to begin operations. In the event that school needs to be cancelled or delayed, families will be alerted via a ParentLink phone call. These calls will generally be sent between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. to accommodate families whose children are picked up by buses at 6:45 a.m. Announcements are also made on the District’s website, Sioux Falls School District social media sites

(Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: http://twitter.com/SFSchools) the SFSD app, and over the local radio and television stations.

Because the public schools have a limited rural area, it is often possible for Sioux Falls to have school when nearby towns may not.

Early Dismissal

Storms occasionally move in during the day, making it necessary to assess whether or not to dismiss school early. We choose early dismissal only under the most extreme circumstances. In most cases, it is safer for students to remain at school due to the need for transportation and proper supervision. In the rare instances when schools are dismissed early, families will receive a ParentLink phone call and the information will appear on the District’s website at www.sf.k12.sd.us, and our Sioux Falls School District social media sites (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: twitter.com/SFSchools ). Announcements are also made over the local radio and television stations.

Notifications refer to dismissal “one hour early” or “two hours early” because of the number of different building schedules. In addition to noting the early dismissal, announcements about evening activities are normally included.

It is very important that every family has a plan for early dismissal. Be sure your student knows where to go in case no one is at home. Parents/Guardians are urged to talk with their student about his/her safety during winter weather emergencies.

Be Safe This Winter

The school system offers these suggestions concerning cold weather and

emergency situations:

1. Listen for a ParentLink phone call regarding school closings, late starts, or early dismissals. Check the District’s website at www.sf.k12.sd.us for updated information.

Follow us on our Sioux Falls School District social media sites (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: twitter.com/SFSchools ) for updated information. Announcements will also be made on local radio and television stations. (Please avoid calling schools or the Instructional Planning Center. Phone lines are needed for emergency communications.)

2. Make sure students are properly dressed for predicted weather conditions so they are prepared for walking or waiting for a bus in the cold or for being delayed on a bus in a weather-related situation.

3. Students should not arrive at school until the scheduled time for outdoor staff supervision or the breakfast program begins.

4. Develop a plan and inform your student about where your student will go if school is dismissed early.

5. School officials will use their best judgment about school closings, late starts, or early dismissals, but please remember that a parent has the right to keep children home or to pick them up from school early if they feel weather conditions require this action.

PTO is excited to announce that we are now a part of the AmazonSmiles Rewards Program! Follow this link to our webpage for more information on how your purchases will earn money for our school! Thank you for your support! More Info - click here!

Website: sf.k12.sd.us/robert-frost/home
Location: 3101 South 4th Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 6053676170
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobertFrostSFSD/

Please keep the following in mind to when utilizing the parent/guardian drop-off lane on the west end of the building.

• It is important to stay in line and pull ahead in the lane to keep the traffic moving.
• Students should exit and enter the car on the passenger side; this will ensure student safety as cars are pulling out of the lane. Parents/Guardians, please remain in the vehicle.
• If you are choosing to park instead, students need to be walked to the sidewalk and should not be crossing the parking lot or streets unattended. It is always safest to cross at the patrolled corners.

THANK YOU for helping us ensure a safe drop-off and pick-up for all of our Roadrunners!