Teacher, bring your student’s school supplies, pay lunch ...

August 2019

It is hard to believe that the summer break is almost over and school is about to begin. We hope that you have enjoyed your summer with your family and friends. We are looking forward to a great year at University Academy as we learn and grow together. We are excited to see the progress that was made last year and look forward to a new year with even more student growth.

Important Reminders or Changes:

1. Our Meet the Teacher event is August 8th from 1:00-5:00pm. This is the time to meet your child's teacher, bring your student's school supplies, pay lunch accounts and fees, sign up for PowerSchool and SchoolPay. Make sure to join us the same day to celebrate UA's 20th Anniversary from 4:007:00pm! We'll have food, drinks, games on the athletic field, music and other activities to celebrate our milestone. We welcome all families, staff and of course alumni. We look forward to kicking off our 20th year in style with all of you!

2. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 12th. On the first day of school, all students may proceed directly to their classrooms. The second day of school and on, all K-5 students will proceed to their assigned spaces (K in assigned rooms, 1st-2nd in Small gym, 3rd-5th in Big gym). Students may arrive at school as early as 7:00am. All parents must check in at the front office with a state issued ID in order to walk anywhere in the building.

3. In an effort to streamline our curriculum and processes more effectively this school year, all 3rd and 4th grade classrooms are now self contained. This means that students in those grade levels will NOT rotate between classes and will instead be assigned to one teacher for the entire 2019/2020 school year. 5th grade classes will remain subject specialists and students will continue to rotate between all teachers in the grade levels.

4. Your student's school supply list is available on our school website. This year's tax free weekend is August 2nd-4th.

5. All Lower School students need to be in the building and through the Central office prior to 7:30am or they will be marked tardy. Please see the handbook for the tardy and absence policy as it has been revised this year.

6. Dismissal: Classes will dismiss at 2:40pm, Parent pick up will be 2:50pm-3:10pm. Late charges will start to accrue at 3:15pm. Buses will leave by 2:53pm.

7. To change your Lower School student's transportation for the day, you MUST call the LS office by noon. Please do not contact the teacher to do so. ALL changes MUST go through the office.

8. SchoolPay: You can pay most UA fees online - please go to and create an account where you can add money to lunch accounts, pay for field trips, ASP, and buy yearbooks and Gryphon gear... you name it! To register for an account go to , click on green Create an Account button and follow the steps. Your student's SchoolPay ID # is listed above. SchoolPay will be active by the first day of school. Field trip amounts will be added later in the fall.

9. Bus route information will be sent by mail the fourth week of July from Ms. Kendall Johnson. Please know that bus route information will be withheld until all 2018-2019 outstanding fees have been paid (field trips, meal account, Parent Pick Up fees, ASP, and etc...).

10. Free and reduced lunch applications are available on the school website under the Parent Tab or a paper copy can be obtained in the Central Office.

11. We want to keep connected with you so please make sure your most current information is in PowerSchool. Please contact the LS office to update any information. The last week of each month, look for the Lower School's newsletter in your email, child's backpack or on the school website. It will have important information and highlight some of the great things happening at school.

We hope that this information is helpful and we want to do our best to keep you informed this year. Please be sure to contact the Lower School office if you have any further questions or concerns. Thank you for calling UA your family!

We look forward to seeing you at Meet the Teacher!

Mrs. Ashley Knapp

Ms. Danielle Blackstock

Lower School Principal LS Assistant Principal

Grades K-2

Grades K-2

Mrs. Aisha Smith

Lower School Principal LS Assistant Principal

Grades 3-5

Grades 3-5

Important People in our Lower School Office

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year!

Greetings everyone! My name is Mrs. Ashley Knapp and I am the Lower School Principal for grades K-2nd. Over the past 19 years, I have had the privilege of being a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal for our kids

and families in Kansas City. I hold degrees in Curriculum & Instruction and an Educational Specialist Degree in Elementary and Middle School Administration. I know that every child is capable of learning, but not all children learn in the same way. I believe that children need to feel safe and successful in their classroom. They also need to know how much they mean and that they contribute to our school community. I believe that families and teachers must work together in order to have the greatest impact on a child's learning and love of learning! Knappa@ (816) 412.5965

It is my pleasure am honored to education for over Principal. I hold a Leadership and social/emotional skills necessary to school year and contact me

to welcome you to University Academy. My name is Aisha Smith and I serve as the Lower School 3rd-5th Principal. I have been in the field of 18 years as a former UA teacher, Instructional Coach, and Assistant Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in School Administration. I value the importance of a quality education and the development of each child as they transition through school and learn the become productive citizens in our society. I am looking forward to a great building positive relationships between the school and families. Feel free to at smitha@ or (816) 412.5914

Hello UA Families! I am Mrs. Lashonette Kemp and am proud to serve as the 3-5 Assistant Principal here in the Lower School. I have been in the education field for 23 years and hold a Master's Degree in Educational Administration. I believe that communication is the key to making a good school great. Open lines of communication with families and the school will help to forge positive relations for all involved. I look forward to helping your student prepare to succeed in an institution of higher education and to participate in society. Feel free to contact me at kempl@ or (816) 412.5930

Welcome to UA! My name is Mrs. Chelsea Hagan and I am your Lower School Counselor. I am so excited that you and your child are joining the University Academy family! My job is to help students with personal/social and academic obstacles. I also like to help students start thinking about careers as that is where they will spend the most time as an adult. My hope is to help your child thrive in school and beyond. Please contact me if you have any concerns about your child's development here at school; when we work together we are able to help them succeed even further! I am looking forward to working with you and your child this year!! Haganc@ (816) 412.5973

Welcome to University Academy! My name is Mrs. Katy Bockelman-Sanders (It's a mouthful, so I go by Mrs. Sanders and I am also your lower school counselor. I am happy to be a part of such a wonderful school community at University Academy. I am here to support your child's academic, social, and emotional growth and look forward to welcoming families to our UA school community. Because it takes a team effort to help a child reach their academic and personal goals, I believe collaboration between students, parents, and teachers is essential. I encourage you to reach out about any concerns you might have regarding your child's behavior or social development. I look forward to getting to know your child this year! Sandersk@ (816) 412.9260

Welcome to University Academy! My name is Ms. Nakisha Thatcher and I am an Administrative Assistant for the Lower School and you can find me in the K-2 office. As your scholars embark upon a new year at UA, I will ensure that they have an amazing, exciting educational experience by helping them succeed in all areas of their lives. My role at UA is to answer telephone lines, maintain departmental files, type materials as needed for the faculty and the department, assist any student at all times and serve as the receptionist for Lower School. I look forward to this amazing experience and getting to know all the new families of University Academy. Thatchern@ (816) 412.9230

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download