August 4, 2023

Dear Crest Hill Families,

We can’t wait to see you again and to meet our new families! We hope you had a wonderful summer and were able to enjoy the cooler - and then warmer - weather. This year, we are excited to have an assistant principal - Mrs. Chrissy Golen - joining our staff! Mrs. Golen will be working at Crest Hill and Journey Elementary. And once again, this summer has been a busy one at Crest Hill. Our classrooms got a makeover with new flooring and carpeting. Construction crews were hard at work building a new retaining wall for our playground, and there was some behind-the-scenes work done, as well.

As you get ready for the new school year, we want to call your attention to some important dates listed on the next page. We are also including a few key parts from our Parent/Student Handbook. Topics in this letter include School Hours, School Meals information, Animals and Pets, Health and Safety, Nurse, Parking/Pick-up/Drop-off/Bus procedures, School Supplies, Virtual Learning Days, Visits to School/Classroom, and Volunteering. Please go to our website to view our complete handbook, or request a copy from the office.

Finally, to make sure the start of the school year runs as smoothly as possible, please log on to Infinite Campus Parent Portal and ensure all your household contact information is correct. You will also want to set permissions for media, field trips, library use, and more by clicking “MORE” on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on “District Parental Acknowledgement” under Quick Links.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Moum, Principal

Crest Hill Website https://sites.google.com/myncsd.org/cresthillelementaryschool/ 

Crest Hill Student/Parent Handbook https://shorturl.at/orKWZ 

NCSD Website www.natronaschools.org 

IMPORTANT DATES

Mon, August 21 Teachers Return to School

Thur, August 24 Back to School Night (5:30-6:30 pm)

Mon, August 28 First Day of School!

Mon, September 4 Labor Day, No School

Thur, September 14 Student Success Night (5:30-7:00 pm)

Tues, September 19 Individual Picture Day

Mon, September 25 All School Evacuation Drill and Bus Evacuation Drill (10:30 am)

September 26 & 28 Kindergarten and 1st Grade Conferences (3:45-7:15 pm)

Mon, October 30  No School for Students

TBD Dodgeball!!!

November 14 & 16 2nd-5th Grade Conferences (3:45-7:15 pm)

November 22-24 Thanksgiving Break

Dec 18 - Jan 1 Winter Break

Mon, January 15 Equality Day/MLK Jr. Day - No School

Fri, January 19 End of Semester 1

Fri, February 16  No School for Students

Mon, February 19 President’s Day - No School

Feb 20 - March 8 Read-A-Thon

Thur, February 29 Bingo for Books (5:30-7:30 pm)

March 4 - March 8 Donuts with Grownups (8:00-8:30 am by grade level)

Wed, March 13 3rd and 5th Grade WY-TOPP Writing Test

Thur, March 14 K-3 Student Led Conferences; 4-5 Curriculum Night (4:00-6:30 pm)

March 25-29 Spring Break

Wed, April 24 Thur, April 18    4th Grade WY-TOPP Test

Wed, May 1 Thur, April 25    3rd, 4th, 5th Grade WY-TOPP

Wed, May 8 Thur, May 2       3rd, 4th, 5th Grade WY-TOPP

Mon, May 27  Memorial Day - No School

Thur, May 30 5th Grade Graduation (4:30-5:30 pm)

Fri, May 31 Last Day of School - End of Semester 2

SCHOOL HOURS

8:00 Playground supervision begins

8:10 Breakfast served

8:45 First bell

8:50 Tardy bell

11:30-11:50 Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Lunch

12:05-12:25 4th and 5th Grade Lunch

3:30 School dismissed. No after school playground supervision is provided.

3:45 Parent Pick-up/Bus Supervision ends

Breakfast/Lunch Accounts: 

Apply for the free/reduced meal program at https://natrona.rocketscanapps.com/. 

We encourage all families to create a lunch account online at www.myschoolbucks.com in the event that your child needs to purchase a meal.

Any items beyond a standard meal are at an additional cost (such as an additional milk or a second helping). If students have a negative balance of $10 or more, they will be provided with an alternate meal. 

Please contact our lunch clerk, Kristine Collins, if you have further questions regarding lunch accounts.

Sack/Cold Lunch: Write your child’s name and teacher on the bag/container. Please note that lunches from home should be prepared ready to eat. Staff are not permitted to warm up or cut up a student’s food. 

Lunch Visits: Visitors who would like to eat with their child at lunch must first sign in at the office. Visitors may only eat with their child at designated areas. 

ANIMALS / PETS

We love pets! We love your children even more! Due to unpredictable pet/animal behaviors, children who are uncomfortable around animals, and children who suffer with pet allergies, we request that pets/animals visit Crest Hill through the use of 21st century technology. Your child is welcome to video or take pictures of his/her favorite pet/animal and then bring these to school. For additional information please refer to Board Policy 6900.

Crest Hill has a Therapy Dog - Snickers. She is a labradoodle and works with our counselor, Mrs. Ernst. Crest Hill also has a registered rabbit in Mrs. Winzenried’s 3rd grade classroom. If you have any concerns about your student and allergies, please contact Ms. Moum.

HEALTH AND SAFETY (Abbreviated)

Extreme Weather: The District has made the following recommendations regarding extreme weather conditions for school age children:

1. When the still air temperature or wind chill combine to produce an outside temperature of 10 degrees or lower, children should have an indoor area available, and should not be sent outside for extended periods of time (greater than 10 minutes).

2. When sustained wind speed exceeds 30mph, children should be held indoors and not sent outside for extended periods of time (greater than 10 minutes).

3. When still air temperatures or wind chill combine to produce outside air temperatures below zero degrees, children will be kept inside for indoor recess.

Illnesses: School is an environment in which there are a large number of people in a relatively small area. Because of this, illnesses tend to spread quickly. If your child has a temperature, diarrhea, or vomits the night before school, keep your child home until symptom-free for 24 hours.

Roller Skates, Heelies, Skateboards, etc: For the safety of our children, roller skates, heelies, and skateboards need to be left at home. They are not permitted on school grounds.

School Entry: All doors are locked during the school day. All visitors to the building must enter through the building’s main (north) entrance. Visitors may push the button inside the vestibule and someone will let you in. Please see our visitor policy for more information.

Weather-Appropriate Dress: Snow boots, hats, and gloves are strongly encouraged for outdoor play in cold weather. Dressing in layers is also helpful in an environment where weather can change very quickly. Please label your child’s clothing items so lost items can be easily returned.

NURSE

A school nurse is provided for all schools in the Natrona County School District No. 1. The nurse is responsible for checking the general health of a student (eyes, hearing, ears, throat, teeth). She works in the area of communicable diseases, accidents and illnesses that occur at school. During the school year, the nurse also conducts general health screenings. If you do not wish to have your children screened, view the films or conduct the standard eyes, ears, hearing, throat, teeth checks, please notify our school nurse in writing of your request. 

• Children will not be permitted to return to school until they are fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours. Office staff will notify families of the earliest day a child may return.

PARKING, PICK-UP/DROP-OFF, AND BUS AREA

Once students arrive, they are not permitted to leave campus without a parent or guardian until dismissal. This includes the gas station. 

Please be sure your child knows how they are getting home each day. If there is a last-minute change to pick-up plans, please call the office before 3:00 PM, and we will get a note to your student.

Bus Loop: The bus loop and teacher parking lot are for buses only. Parents are not permitted to pick up or drop off students at the bus loop except with specific permission from the principal for educational access reasons. Monitors will direct cars in these areas to move to our Main Parking Lot or Sunrise.

Crossing Guard: Our crossing guard is on duty from 8:00am-9:00am and 3:00pm-4:00pm. We ask all parents to support our Crossing Guard by waiting for his instructions and crossing with him. 

Drop-off: Playground supervision begins at 8:00 AM. 

• Students will not be permitted to wait in the foyer or commons - please make sure they are dressed for the weather. 

• Students will drop their backpacks off at their line before playing in their assigned areas. 

• A breakfast bell will ring at 8:10 AM. 

• During inclement weather, students will wait in their assigned area.

• Parents will not be permitted to wait with their child inside the playground.

Pick-up: Students may be picked up at the Main Loop, Sunrise, or Yesness Park.

• Main Loop: If picking up your student in the Main Loop, please remain with your vehicle. A staff member will help students enter your vehicle on the passenger side.

• Sunrise, Walkers, Bikers: Students being picked up at Sunrise, walkers, and bikers will be dismissed through the playground at 3:30 PM. Parents - please wait in the Sunrise Parking Lot for your students to cross at the crosswalk.

• Yesness: The Yesness gate in the playground will be open for students. 

• Daycare Vans and Buses: Daycare vans and buses will pick students up at the bus loop.

Main Parking Lot: The main (north) parking lot loop is ONE WAY only. Please keep in mind it is very difficult to back out of parking spots at the end of the day. If you are meeting your student at the door, please park at Sunrise Parking Lot.

To prevent congestion at the Main Lot, all visitors must follow these guidelines:

1. When picking up and dropping off students, idle in the right hand lane. The left hand lane is for passing. If you need to enter the building, park in any available spot in the main lot.

2. Only vehicles in parking spots may be left unattended. You may park in any spot.

3. Use turn signals at all times.

4. Only right turns are permitted going IN and OUT of the parking lot.

5. Steadily move forward to prevent congestion on Poplar Street.

6. Load and unload children on the right side of the vehicle only.

7. Watch for small children.

8. Follow monitors’ directions.

9. Follow crossing guard directions and hand signals.

Sunrise Parking Lot: The Sunrise parking lot is more spacious and provides the best opportunity for parking. We ask parents to please wait in the Sunrise Parking Lot for their student to cross at the crosswalk.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Please note that Crest Hill will supply all school supplies for students (pencils, crayons, markers, etc). We just ask that you purchase a backpack, water bottle, and, if applicable, a lunch bag/box for your student. If your student would like to use headphones with their i-Pad or computer, please provide those, as well. If you would like to donate supplies to your classroom, please communicate with your classroom teacher. 

INCLEMENT WEATHER SCHEDULE

If a Virtual Learning Day is called by the district, all Crest Hill students will follow the schedule below. K-1 students will need to have access to an iPad and 2-5 students will need to have access to a computer. 

• Parents may request a school device through their classroom teacher to leave at home for the school year. This device should be stored in a safe place in the event school is canceled unexpectedly and we have online learning. Please view the NCSD Technology Use Agreement on Crest Hill’s website.

Virtual Learning Schedule for ALL Crest Hill Students

8:45-9:00 Students log in to Google Classroom/troubleshooting. Teachers submit attendance at 9:00.

9:00-10:00 ELA 10-20 minutes of direct instruction, followed by synchronous/asynchronous work

10:00-10:15 Break/Recess

10:15-11:15 MATH 10-20 minutes of direct instruction, followed by synchronous/asynchronous work

11:15-12:00 Lunch/Recess

12:00-12:15 Students log in to Google Classroom/troubleshooting. Teachers submit attendance at 12:15.

12:15-1:15 K-1: Individual student support (WIN/Tier 2/Tier 3) 

2-3: Specials and PLCs as scheduled

4-5: Social Studies/Science (same format as ELA/Math)

1:15-2:15 K-1: Social Studies/Science (same format as ELA/Math)

2-3: Individual student support (WIN/Tier 2/Tier 3)

4-5: Specials and PLCs as scheduled

2:15-2:30 Break/Recess

2:30-3:30 K-1: Specials and PLCs as scheduled

2-3: Social Studies/Science (same format as ELA/Math)

4-5: Individual student support (WIN/Tier 2/Tier 3)

• Related services will be provided at their scheduled time unless there is a FERPA conflict.

• “Individual student support” encompasses WIN/Tier 2/Tier 3 supports, including tutoring and resource time. 

• Additional tutor/resource time may be utilized during Social Studies/Science times

VISITS TO SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM

Parents are always welcome and encouraged to visit our school. Visitors must communicate with the teacher ahead of time and follow the guidelines below to ensure your classroom visits are as productive as possible. Visitors and volunteers will not be permitted in the building beyond the main office or commons without an escort. 

Classroom Visits

• If you would like to observe a class, work with your classroom teacher to arrange a time. Teachers will notify the office of your upcoming visit.

• We encourage multiple short visits (an hour or less) rather than one or two long visits.

• Drop-in visits are not permitted.

• Check in at the main office and get a visitor’s pass. You will need a state-issued ID to check in.

• To ensure student safety and confidentiality, visitors are not permitted to take photos or videos of students without explicit permission from the teacher or administration.

• To ensure student safety and confidentiality, visitors will not enter a room without the teacher’s explicit permission.

Other Visits (e.g. lunch, class parties, scheduled meetings, volunteer)

• All visitors must check in at the office and get a visitor’s pass. Visitors need a state-issued ID to check in.

• Parents, guardians, and family on Infinite Campus are welcome to eat with their children. 

  • Visitors may only eat with children they are connected to on Infinite Campus unless the child’s parent or guardian is also present. 

  • Visitors and their children can eat at designated parent tables.

  • Visitors at lunch are restricted to the Commons area and not permitted in other areas of the school or playground without an escort.

• Office staff will provide visitors with directions for getting to/from classrooms. In most cases, office staff will walk with visitors.

• If volunteering, visitors will follow all volunteer processes and expectations.

VOLUNTEERING

If you would like to volunteer at Crest Hill, please visit the front office to get a Volunteer information packet.

We welcome and encourage parental involvement in our schools. However, we have a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for our students and staff. Any parent or other community member that wishes to volunteer within our schools must undergo a fingerprint/background check prior to being allowed to volunteer (Policy and Administrative Regulations 4130). To make an appointment to begin the volunteer sign-up process or for more information, please call Central Services at 307 253-5200.

Volunteers are required to sign up, in advance, for volunteer hours. Please work directly with your child’s teacher or the office to schedule a time to volunteer.

During volunteer hours, volunteers will: 

• Check in at the office and clearly display their volunteer badge at all times.

• Model and follow all school and district safety and behavioral expectations.

• Help in assigned areas and follow the guidance of the staff they are working with (e.g., make copies, sort paper, photograph lost and found, get items ready for the next day, work on cutting out items, help with setting up snacks, etc.).

• Inform the teacher or classified staff of any behavior concern so it can be addressed appropriately and confidentially. 

• Inform the teacher or classified staff of any injured child so staff may tend to the child and follow up with the nurse and guardians as necessary. 

• Inform staff of any potentially dangerous situations right away.

During volunteer hours, volunteers will NOT: 

• Bring individuals who have not been cleared to volunteer (this includes spouses, other children, pets, grandparents, etc.).

• Redirect students for failing to follow behavior expectations unless there is an immediate threat to life or safety. If this occurs, the volunteer will immediately inform a staff member.

• Interrupt the instructional environment or the learning of students.

• Enter a classroom or area without permission.

• Physically pick up or carry a student, assist with toileting, etc. If a student needs assistance, the volunteer must notify a staff member.

• Take photographs or other recordings of students or staff. 

Did you know - Crest Hill has raised over $12,000 with Box Tops over the years? Now turning in Box Tops is more convenient than ever! Simply download the Box Tops app on your iPhone or Android, create an account, then scan your receipt!

Don't want to scan your receipt? Send it to school with your student and we'll scan it for you.