RIDGECREST ROAR August 13, 2023
Good evening Ridgecrest families,
We have had a great response this past week from families completing this year’s registration online. Thank you so much. It helps us to better plan and prepare for your children as they get ready to come back to school next week. The teachers and I will be busy working together this week and we look forward to seeing many of you on Wednesday at Back to School Night!
School Information
Back-to-School registration for the 2023-2024 school year continues this week. Please complete this as soon as possible.
There is often confusion between enrollment and registration. Enrollment is the process that connects your student to our school. If your child attended Ridgecrest last year, your enrollment is complete. If you are new to Ridgecrest then enrollment is your first step. Please visit our school website at ridgecrest.canyonsdistrict.org to complete enrollment. You can also call our main office at (801) 826-9250 if you have questions.
Registration is the process we use to update information each year. This is the step after enrollment. Registration is done every year for all students and is completed online using Skyward. Each family who is enrolled should have received an email from Canyons School District with instructions and access information for this process. If you have trouble completing registration online, we will offer registration help at Ridgecrest during the following dates and times:
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August 14th 8-3 PM
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August 15th 8-3 PM
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August 17th 8-3 PM (Spanish interpreter available from 12-3PM)
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August 18th 8-12 PM (Spanish interpreter available from 8-11AM)
We are asking families to complete the registration process as soon as possible and make personal information updates as needed. Here is a link to more information: Registration Info
Kinder KEEP Assessments – Kindergarten students will start this school year on Thursday August 24th! The days before that will be used by our kindergarten teachers to complete individual assessments, known as KEEP, with each kindergarten student. Kindergarten families should have received notice to sign up for a time to come to the school for this assessment. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do ASAP.
Back to School night – Back to School night will be held on Wednesday, August 16th from 6 – 7:30 PM. We will hold a general parent meeting at 6:00 PM in the Ridgecrest gym followed by an open house in teacher classrooms between 6:30 and 7:30. The general sessions will include information about our school processes and procedures as well as messages from the PTA and the SCC. The teacher open house will be a time to meet teachers, and learn about the classroom. Please come in, meet your teacher, and see the school!
Join our PTA/PTSA! – All parents, grandparents, educators, and others who are active in schools are invited to join our officially recognized parent association. It’s a great way to stay informed and get to know your child’s teachers, school staff, and other parents. You can choose your level of commitment. Don’t have time to volunteer? That’s fine. Your dues will help support school activities, field trips, and more! Of all the factors that determine student success, parental involvement is among the most important. Watch for PTA tables at our Back to School night for more information about signing up and for the opportunity to meet new people and have a voice in decisions that impact your child and all our students.
Ridgecrest is Hiring – Ridgecrest has some opportunities for a great part-time job. If you or someone you know are looking to work during the hours children are in school please check out our jobs! Here’s a link: jobs.canyonsdistrict.org. We have a truly great group of people at Ridgecrest that would love to work with you.
Nominations are now open for the Ridgecrest School Community Council (SCC). School Community Councils are composed of elected parents and/or guardians whose children attend the school, elected employee representatives, and the school principal. As directed by state law, School Community Councils (SCC) review achievement data, help identify academic needs, provide input on school improvement plans, and assist in evaluating the success of the plans.
The SCC is also responsible for determining how the LAND Trust funds are used in our school. When Utah was granted Statehood, parcels of land were placed in a perpetual Trust with the children of Utah as beneficiaries. Revenues from these lands go into the Permanent State School Fund. The dividends and interest of that fund are distributed annually to each public school in Utah.
Serving on the School Community Council is an excellent way to be part of school improvement and supporting your child’s educational experience. Each fall parents and teachers are invited to submit a Declaration of Candidacy to serve on the SCC. Elections are held each year before the start of the school year, if needed.
If you are interested in being a member of the School Community Council (SCC), please email Sara Allen (sara.allen@canyonsdistrict.org) by Sunday, August 13th, 2023.
Information previously shared that still may be helpful:
Bussing and Space-Available Permits – Before classes start on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, Canyons District families are urged to check their bus eligibility and bus-stop places and times using this online tool. Type your home address into the search field and press “go” for a list of schools for which you’re eligible for busing. Then, click on the highlighted school for bus stop information. Transportation services are provided to qualifying students. Canyons District receives funding for busing provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade who live at least 1 ½ miles from school and students enrolled in grades seven through 12 who live at least 2 miles from school. Don’t qualify for busing? Non-qualifying students may submit a space-available request for transportation services starting Monday, July. 31 at 8 a.m. These permits are awarded when space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here if you want to submit a space-available bus permit for your child. Please note that students who attend a school other than the one assigned to them by geographic boundary do not qualify to be considered for space-available permits. Families will be notified about whether they have received a space-available bus permit by Friday, Sept. 7. During the first few weeks of the school year, bus services will not be provided to non-qualifying students, even if they have submitted a space-available permit request.
Volunteer Registration – It is time to renew your supervised volunteer application with Canyons School District. All volunteers in schools, including members of the PTA, School Community Council, anyone attending field trips or working with students in any capacity need to complete and submit a yearly application form for background screening. For more information, please visit volunteer.canyonsdistrict.org or call 801-826-5171.
Parent Square: Our school will be using Parent Square again this year as its primary form of communication with families. This platform provides many options that facilitate communication with families of all languages. You are not required to sign up or download the app to receive communication from Parent Square, but it will improve the features for you if you do. More information about Parent Square is attached as a flier here with an overview video and support option listed below. ParentSquare Handout
Overview video of Parent Square
Parent Square Training Modules
Please note, class information for the upcoming school year will be listed in Parent Square starting August 14th, however, classes are not finalized until the first day of school. This allows us to adjust for new student enrollment and staff changes if necessary. So, please be aware that class assignments may still change.
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
August
16 Back to School Night 6:00-7:30
21 First day of school 8:40 AM -3:20 PM
24 First day of Kindergarten 8:40 AM
Kinder parent greeting 8:45 AM Media Center
29 First Fire Drill 2:30 PM Outside
September
1 Room Parent Social 2:00 PM Media Center
11 PTA Meeting 12:00PM Media Center
-Sara
Sara Allen
Principal, Ridgecrest Elementary School
