Leawood Giving Tree

We want to express our sincere thanks to all of the families, staff, and community members who generously contributed to our Giving Tree this year!  Our families who benefit from this support are extremely grateful for this help at what can be a very difficult time of year. Thank you for sharing your time and resources...the Giving Tree would not be possible without you!

From our SEL, Social-Emotional Learning teacher

Happy New Year, all. Once again, my name is Melissa Bushmann, and I am Leawood’s Social Emotional Learning Specialist. I teach as well as collaborate with classroom teachers and Leawood’s full-time Social Worker, Jennifer Magri, to implement Second Step, our school’s social-emotional curriculum that builds skills for learning, empathy, emotion management, and problem solving.

Here are the skills we’ve most recently been working on in each grade:

• Preschool: Identifying feelings in our bodies

• Kindergarten: Calming down strong feelings with belly breathing

• Second: Respecting different preferences in others 

• Third: Calming down strong feelings with belly breathing

• Fourth: Calming down strong feelings by learning to stop and name the feeling

• Fifth: Accepting Differences in others

A great way to learn more about what your child is learning in Second Step is to ask them questions about what skills they are learning, why they might be important, and create some open space for both of you to share your thoughts with each other. You might ask, “Why or when might this skill be important at school? at home?” Or you could ask, “How could this skill help you learn and/or make friends?” If you have any questions about your child’s social-emotional learning, please feel free to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or myself.

Last but not least, Jennifer Magri (Leawood Social Worker) and I created a website for Leawood student, family, and community supports. Please check it out: https://sites.google.com/jeffcoschools.us/studentfamilyandcommunitysuppo/home

Thanks for all you do to support your child’s social-emotional wellness!

Melissa Bushmann (Ms. Melissa)

From the Library for January

Dear Families,

As we design our new library space, we would love help from community members with a background in interior design and/or painting.  If you can help, please fill out this short Library Design Survey.  

Fifth Grade Parents:

Each month, we learn a new Digital Citizenship skill.  December’s focus was Privacy and Security. Please visit our 1:1 Chromebook Website to see these lessons and get family ideas for home discussion. 

Mrs. Pepper, lisa.pepper@jeffco.k12.co.us

From Music

Leawood’s Cub Choir is excited to announce that they will like to invite new members from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade for the spring choir semester! This is an exciting opportunity to work with peers and the community in a creative environment where their voice will be heard and valued. If your child(ren) is interested in joining choir, please contact Avrial Turner, the music teacher, for an information packet and contract. Those who join will have the exciting chance to perform with Columbine High School, Ken Caryl Middle School, and many elementaries in the area. Again, if you’d like to join, contact Avrial Turner!  Avrial.Turner@jeffco.k12.co.us

From P.E.

What a great first part of the year.  We had a very large number of kids on our track team this year and they worked hard and did very well.  Our kids in 3rd, 4th and 5th had team sports after school after track season. We have been working in basketball at this time which led to 5 on 5 games for our 3rd-5th grade students.  Our 1st and 2nd grades’ played Detroit basketball and Make and take that we used to work on their skills. Our kinders worked on ball handling and shooting with a smaller ball. All students also worked on throwing skills and catching.  We will be starting Gymnastics after Christmas break. We are hauling our spring floor along with other equipment to Leawood on Saturday January 4, 2020.

While we have the spring floor here, we will be using our climbing wall along with rope swinging games and rope climbing.  Our rope swinging will involve competing and obstacles. We have our spring floor for tumbling, vault and beam. This has so far been such an enjoyable year because we have such great kids, staff and parents.  Our Leadership is the best that anyone can have. I look forward to a great 2nd half of year after the holidays.  

Thank you,

F.T. Gonzales/Leawood P.E.

A Message from Band and Orchestra!

Hello Band and orchestra community, and Happy New Year! We have only TWO WEEKS of classes until our second after school concert of the year. Our Columbine Area Music Festival will be held on January 22 at Columbine High School in the gym. Orchestra will arrive at 5:45pm for a 6:00pm concert, and the band will arrive at 7:00pm for a 7:15pm start time.

This event is a really fantastic opportunity to hear the progression of our students through the years. After the Columbine Area Elementary music group, you will have the chance to hear the Ken Caryl Middle School and Columbine High School musicians perform. Please come out and support our Columbine area music.

Students should wear all black with their Columbine Area Instrumental Music shirts. They should bring their instruments, music, and a folding stand to the concert.

I am still seeking parent volunteers for chaperones at our all day concert tour on Wednesday May 6th, 2020. This event can only happen with the assistance of parents, so please contact me if you can help.

Sincerely,

Eric R. Whaylen 

From Our Principal

From the School & Office

From Our Teachers

From PTSA/Accountability

From the District/Community

Student, Family, & Community Supports