Dear Augusta Ranch Community,

For those of you who did not hear, I was honored to be appointed the Principal of Augusta Ranch. I am excited for the opportunity and will work hard to continue the ongoing success of Augusta Ranch.

The 2014-2015 school year is coming to an end and I wanted to take the time to thank all the people who make Augusta Ranch the great school it is. First off, the staff members of Augusta Ranch are the most dedicated group of people I have come across. They work extremely hard to make sure that all the students at Augusta Ranch are successful and I want to thank them for all their efforts. I would like to thank the students of Augusta Ranch who are extremely hard working and caring individuals who make the culture of Augusta Ranch the great place it is. Finally, the community and PTSO of Augusta Ranch have been amazingly supportive this year. With budgets as tight as they are, we appreciate all the community’s support and because of it, we are able to do great things at Augusta Ranch.

Please take the time to enjoy the summer and spend quality time with your family. I would also encourage you to keep your student academically challenged throughout the summer. Please encourage your children to continue to read over the summer. Our librarian, Cindy Schaible, has reading resources on her teacher page on the Augusta Ranch web page. We will also email those resources out to parents soon. You can also go online to find resources for all other subjects that can keep your child engaged in academics during the year.

Thanks for a great year and have a safe summer!

Mike Hansen

Augusta Ranch ElementaryPrincipal

Augusta Ranch Elementary Home of the Rattlers

April, 2015

Mr. Mike Hansen, Principal Mrs. Amy Mulliken, Dean of Students

If your student(s) WILL NOT be returning for the 2015-2016, please be sure to let Ms. Kipp or Mrs. Esterly know.

Also, if your 6th grader WILL NOT be attending a Gilbert district Jr. High School, we also need to know that. The 6th grade files are automatically sent to Desert Ridge High school unless we are informed otherwise ahead of time. Thank you.

Parent & Guardian

Contact Info.

Dear Parents of Students Entering 6th Grade (Fall 2015)

Arizona State Department of Public Health Immunization Laws directly affect any child who will be eleven (11) years of age AND entering the sixth grade for 2015-2016. Should your student turn eleven (11) during the 2015-2016 school year, the immunizations will be required immediately on or after their birthday.

The following are the required vaccines prior to the start of school 2015:

TDAP (Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis)

MCV4 (Meningococcal)

Please bring the immunization record to the health office after it has been updated so we can ensure compliance.

FREE and/or

REDUCED MEALS If you are interested in applying for the free and/or reduced meal program, please remember that you MUST re-apply each year.

You can access the online application form by going to the following:www.gilbertschools.netScroll down on the right side under Quick Links to the Free/Reduced Meal link

When registering your students for school,please bring the following documents:

Birth Certificate Immunization Records Proof of Residency

(Utility bill, rental/lease agreement) Driver’s License Custody/Legal documents (if applicable)

2015 – 2016 Registration

Hello Parents,

As we all look at the end to yet another amazing school year, we want to remind you to be sure to pick up your students medication(s) from Health Office staff prior to dismissal (12:40) on Thursday, May 21, 2015.

Per GPS medication policy, if medications are not picked up by that time, they will be destroyed. As a reminder, only an adult, over the age of 18, are allowed to pick up medications.

Please feel free to contact the Health Office at (480) 635-2011 ext. 307 for any questions.

Thank you,

Nicki Scarlett, MAMaria Rivard, RN

Coming Events…May 15 Student Council ElectionsMay 21 10:00am, 6th Grade Promotion

Last Day for K-6 students

ImportantCafeteria News

Parents and Guardians:

As we approach the end of the school year, please keep

in mind that we are no longer able allow students to

“owe” for their breakfast for lunches.Each student must have enough money on their account for a Breakfast or a Lunch for that day or they will receive a sack breakfast/lunch. Lunch consists of a cheese sandwich, fruit, milk and/or juice. Breakfast will be cereal, fruit, milk and/or juice. As we come near the end of the

school year please help keep all accounts updated.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call.

Thank you,Karri RomneyAugusta Ranch Cafeteria Manager480-635-2011 ext. 4

To request homework for an absent child, please leave a voicemail or an email for your student’s teacher early in the morning to allow them time to gather the items. You will be able to pick it up in the afternoon at the front desk unless you have made other arrangements with the teacher directly.

Phone calls will ONLY be made to the classroom for shoes or lunches that are dropped off. The office staff will not interrupt class for homework or instruments being dropped off.

We are a large school and unfortunately, cannot remember everyone’s faces. If you are picking someone up, please be prepared with your ID just in case you are asked for it.

If you are signing a student out early, we will not call them out of class until someone is here to sign them out. If someone other than the parent/guardian will be picking them up, please make sure that his/her name is already on the yellow emergency card.

Throughout the school year, we have countless “lost” jackets, sweaters, lunch boxes, hats, etc. We will show them several times on morning announcements. After that time, we will offer them to students who are in need of the above-mentioned items. To avoid this, please remember to put your child’s name on ALL of their belongings.

While on campus, students are NOT permitted to have energy drink, coffee or glass containers. They may not have it in their lunch, on the playground or throughout the day.

Transportation change calls will be put through to the classroom AFTER 3:15pm, AFTER 2:00pm on early release Wednesdays. Parents calling before this time will be asked to call back at the above-mentioned time.

school policy

Thank you to our AMAZING & OVER THE TOP PTSO group. Visit the Augusta Ranch

Elementary PTSO webpage:

http://www.augustaranchptso.com/

Dear Parents, As some of you may be aware, the State Legislature passed legislation regarding procedures a district must follow when using seclusion/confinement. Governor Brewer signed HB2476 in April 2013, to be in effect for the 2013-2014 school year. This legislation requires school districts’ policies to include a process for prior written parental notification and consent before seclusion/confinement is used. Seclusion is the solitary confinement of a student alone in any space from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. These policies must also provide for an exemption to prior written parental consent if a school principal or teacher determines that a student poses imminent physical harm to self or others.  Please know that it has always been the district’s philosophy that seclusion/confinement be used only if there is a threat of imminent physical harm to self or others. For further information, see GPS Governing Board Policy GBEB.

House Bill 2476 (seclusion/confinement)

Dear School Nurse: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act seeks to provide healthcare coverage for all individuals in the US. All individuals must enroll in health insurance by March 31, 2014.

While many families will have more affordable choices for health insurance, Arizona pediatricians are concerned that some children may not be able to receive healthcare insurance for a number of reasons. First, some employer-provided health insurances will only include the employee, and not that employee’s family. Secondly, many of low and middle income families will not qualify for federal tax credit subsidies to help offset the cost of monthly premiums. And lastly, 14,000 Arizona children lost their KidsCareII health insurance because the program has been “frozen” and new enrollment has stopped.

The new online health insurance marketplace is where families can “shop” for health insurance plans that fit their needs. However, finding health insurance on the marketplace can be a confusing process, and some families are just not aware of the crucial importance of obtaining healthcare coverage. Luckily, there are certified navigators/ assistors who are trained to help families apply for health insurance on the marketplace.

The AzAAP Access to Care Committee understands the critical role school nurses play in our community. You are in a unique position to communicate with many families who are facing difficulty accessing health insurance by March 31, 2014. As you interact with families, please urge them to:

1. Sign up for health insurance by March 31, 2014 2. Connect families to a certified navigator/ assistor by asking them to call 1-800-318-2596

The Access to Care Committee has created bilingual posters which have information on how to help families enroll in health insurance. In addition we will be providing you with a list of terms with easy to understand definitions to help parents understand the language of the current healthcare enrollment process.

We hope that this will be helpful to many of the children that you come in to contact with! We are all in this to help the kids!

Elizabeth Homans McKenna, MD Healing Hearts Pediatrics, PLC (480)821-1400

www.healthcare.gov/marketplace