• President, Tiffany Westerly
• Treasurer, Tracy Fahrion
• Secretary, Sarah Kalas
• Members:
  • Molly Foster
  • Kristen Graves
  • Rebecca McCune
  • Heather Nadeau
  • Megan Stubbs
  • Nicole Schwegler
  • Courtney Thielman-Simmons
  • Stacie Zink
• Teacher Representative:  Cara Heffernan
• Teacher Representative:  Christina Piscitello

Reach us at:  pto.karenacres@gmail.com

Arrival

Our school day begins at 8:50 AM. If students are eating breakfast at school, they will enter the front doors of the building and go to the lunchroom at 8:35 T-F and 9:40 on Mondays. All other students will enter the building at 8:40 T-F and 9:45 on Mondays and go immediately to their locker (grades 4 and 5) or their classrooms (grades k-3).

All students are welcome to eat breakfast at school.  Breakfast will be served in the gym beginning at 8:35 T-F and 9:40 on Mondays.  For students eating breakfast, they need to arrive with enough time to eat and be off to class at 8:47 AM T-F and 9:52 on Mondays.  

There will be no supervision outside the building before 8:35 T-F and 9:35 Mondays, as such, Kindergarten-5th grade students should not be dropped off before 8:35 T-F and 9:35 on Mondays.

The Karen Acres parking lot is one way going north to south.  We ask that parents stay in their car and staff can assist with getting students to the right place.  It is perfectly fine for parents to wait with their students outside of school, but ask that families then park on the street in legally marked areas and walk their student up to the school.

As we are working on building independence for students, it is fine to walk students into the classroom on the first two days of school, but beyond that, students will be able to enter the building by themselves.

Line Up Locations

All students will line up at the front of the building.  There will be separate spaces for grades to line up. (Visual)

• Kindergartners will line up under the Karen Acres sign the the front and enter the door between kindergarten classrooms.
• 1st grade will line up at the front doors and enter through the front door.
• 2nd grade will line up on the front sidewalk south of the main entrance and go through the front door.
• 3rd grade will line up north of the gym door and enter through the gym doors.
• 4th grade will line up south of the door and enter through the gym doors.
• 5th grade will line up in the grade in front of the gym doors and enter through the gym doors.

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Students should be dropped off at the front of the building.

4th Grade and 5th Grade

Students can be dropped off at the front of the building or they can be dropped off on Roseland Avenue and walk on the sidewalk to the front of the building to line up.  

On particularly cold, windy and/or bad weather days students will be allowed in to wait in the entryway.

Dismissal

The school day ends at 3:40 PM and we will begin the dismissal process immediately at 3:40 PM.  Students will be released in an organized manner. 

Walkers/Bike Riders

Students who walk will be released out the closest exit to their classroom.  Parents of kindergarten and 3rd grade students who will walk with their child can meet their child at the front of the building.  

Parents of 4th and 5th grade students could meet parents on the southwest side of the building (near the playground) or in front of the building.  Older siblings will be allowed to meet their younger siblings in the hallway to exit the front doors together. 

Car Pick-Up

The school will get each family a sign with their children’s names.  If you have multiple students it will go home with the youngest student. Whether you walk up or drive please have this sign with you and displayed every day that you are picking up. This will help us to get students out as quickly as possible. Students will remain inside the building until called out by a staff member.  Students will exit the front doors to get into their parent’s vehicle.  

As you pull in, please pull as far to the south as possible to get as many cars as possible in the parking lot and out of the street.  Those picking up should stay in their car.  Families who want to meet their child at the door should park on side streets in legally marked areas and walk to meet their child.  

• Parents are also welcome to park at Aldersgate church and use the walkway to meet their child for pick up.  Students will not be permitted to walk independently to the parking lot as the walkway leads to the Karen Acres parking lot and there is not a crossing guard or stop sign to assist at 75th and Wilden.

• 4th and 5th grade parents have the option of picking up their student on Roseland Avenue behind the building.  There will not be a consistent staff member monitoring Roseland Avenue.  Parents, please communicate with your teacher if you are going to pick up your child on Roseland Avenue and they will be released with the walkers.

Late Arrival and Early Dismissal

If your child arrives late, they will need to be signed in using the digital sign-in.  The QR code will be at the door.  Students can also be signed in at the main office.

If your child is leaving early, please be sure to call the main office ahead of time 515-457-5700.  Sign out can also happen using the digital sign-in; the QR code will be at the door.  Parents can sign their student out in the main office.

• Parent Teacher Organization Bylaws [PDF]
• Goals [PDF]
• Reimbursement Form [PDF]
• Idea_Activity_Proposal
• Deposit Form [PDF]
• Student Annual Popcorn Pass
• Volunteer Opportunities [PDF]
• New Parent Guide [PDF]
• PTO Board Job Descriptions [PDF]

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