94-1170 Waipahu St., Waipahu, HI 96797 • Phone: (808) 307-7200 Fax: (808) 675-0216

August Ahrens Elementary School

Message from Administration

Welcome to August Ahrens 2017 School Year! We had a smooth opening. Many thanks to the

school community - parents, students, teachers, school

staff, and the public for their efforts to provide a safe

start. There have been some changes around school.

Mr. Zachary Sheets has started a new assignment in the

Waipahu-Pearl City Complex. Mr. Leonard Padayhag

is our new Vice Principal for grades 2, 3 and 6.

Mr. Padayhag comes from Central Middle School.

Ms. Denise Canon will also be joining the

administrative staff in a temporary assignment. There are a few new teachers, too. Please welcome

Arlyn Tagalicud and Kacie Aguirre in Kindergarten,

Pauline Benavente in Grade 1, Ashleigh Milani in Grade

3, and Florence Peralta in Grade 6. Additionally, there

are a number of student teachers on campus to learn

about teaching and provide some extra help to the stu-

dents. Operationally, we have 2 priorities. The city rezoned

the parking areas which creates a lane for school entry.

This lane is coned in the mornings. The net result of the

rezoning is the loss of only 4 parking places for the

neighborhood. So far, feedback from parents about the

flow of traffic is good. There is also no parking along

the sidewalk on Waipahu Street to keep the sidewalks

clear and accessible to all. As the school year continues,

“Eyes Open, Safety First.” Our JPOs and security

officers will help everyone follow the new patterns and

get to school safely. The second operational priority is cool classrooms.

We continue to work with the state and contractors to

upgrade and add air conditioning and fans as quickly as

possible. Our first parent night is coming up on August 17. It

is a reminder about how to protect your child from

Cyberbullying. Retired Detective Chris Duque will

present. It would be great to see many of you there.

Bullying and Cyberbullying can be prevented if we

work together to encourage appropriate technology use

for our children. Finally, check out our website for new information.

-Maribeth Thompson, Vice Principal

Noted:

Principal - Hanh Nguyen Vice Principals - Maribeth Thompson, Leonard Padayhag, Denise Canon (TA)

Parent Newsletter - August 2017

For more information please visit: www.AugustAhrens.org

Noted: ________

JOIN US FOR AN

EDUCATIONAL AAES PARENT NIGHT

PRESENTATION By retired HPD Detective Chris Duque

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 5:30 pm in Main Cafeteria

We want to help parents protect their children

from on-line hazards. This is an opportunity to learn

from this respected expert on cyber security. This

presentation is supported and highly

recommended by our AAES PTO!

Hope to see you there!

JPO Promotions

1st Capt. Wayne Estanique, Jr.

2nd Capt. Sabrina Marata

1st Lt. Danielle Gallano

2nd Lt. Kenneth Valdez

3rd Lt. Paul Ibous

4th Lt. Candy Moemoe

1st Sgt. Janelle Acosta

2nd Sgt. Flora Thompson

3rd Sgt. Samantha Cabico

PACIFIC KNIGHT M.C. INSPIRE CHURCH COSTCO WAIPIO

For your donations of backpacks and school

supplies. We appreciate your generosity and

community support!

August Ahrens is honored to be selected as

CFES School of Distinction based on

its performance during the

2016-2017 school year. Way

to go!

PLEASE JOIN US FOR “EAT BREAKFAST WITH YOUR CHILD”

ON AUGUST 15 & 16

To kick start School Lunch Month

(Watch for other parent-child Meal Days through September 16)

For every purchase you make at Papa John’s on these special dates, our school gets rewarded! (More dates for the school year to come.) Mahalo for your continued support!

Night

10/17 11/27 12/19

8/22 9/19

School code

Meal Account Deposits

Cash deposits are accepted daily in our front office from 7:30am to 4:00pm. Be sure to bring the exact amount you want deposited; we do not have change available. Make sure Name, grade/room #, and the amount to be deposited are listed on envelope. Payments made after 2:30pm, will be credited the next morning.

You can now apply for free or reduced meals online at hionlineapps.primeroedge.com.

Meal Prices

Breakfast Prices Full Paying Student Breakfast $1.10 Reduced Price Student Breakfast $0.30 Second Student (and adult) Breakfast $2.40 Lunch Prices Full Paying Student Lunch $2.50 Reduced Price Student Lunch $0.40 Second Student (and adult) Lunch $5.50 Milk Only/Additional Milk* $0.60

*All students regardless of lunch status will be charged 60¢ for milk only. The student must take whole meal to receive the FREE Meal benefit. *Meal Prices are subject to change*

August Ahrens Elementary School uses an automated meal card system. Each student has an individual account that works like a debit checking account. Parents/Guardians must deposit monies into the account to be charged for meals purchased. The school community has decided that all payments must be made in CASH ONLY. Envelopes are available in the front office, or you may use your own. If your child’s account has a negative balance equal to or greater than $7.50, students in grades 3-6 may not be served a meal on Wednesdays. If you are unable to make a payment, please send a home lunch and drink with your child.

School Meal Information

Proceeds go toward school

activities and classroom

supplies. This code is good

all school year. Mahalo for

your continued support!

FROM THE OFFICE

Notice and Request for Accommodations

If you are an individual with a disability, please contact School

Administration at #307-7200 to make arrangements for

reasonable modifications and accessibility to school events at

least 10 days before the event you wish to attend. Reasonable

efforts will be made to accommodate your request. For August

Ahrens School events, please contact the school office at

#307-7200.

Messages for Students

Please refrain from calling the school office with messages for

individual students. Calls cannot be transferred to classrooms. In

an emergency, and as appropriate, a message can be delivered

by office monitor. Thank you for your cooperation.

Early Release

Please check in at the front office and have your picture ID avail-able when picking up your child early from school. This is for safety and security reasons. We are enforcing a cut off time for early releases. 12:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 1:45 p.m. for all other days. Please note that if you child is picked up before 11 a.m., he/she will be marked absent for that day.

Student ID (Meal) Card Policy 3

School ID's are used to purchase school meals, as well as check out books. Lost, stolen, misused, forgotten or destroyed ID's can be replaced in the Library for a nominal cost. A student who is unable to obtain a replacement ID can be issued a temporary meal card at no cost in the Front Office.

School Hours and Supervision YMCA Before/After School Care

Translation ILOCANO: No adda saanyo nga maawatan, wenno

matarusan, wenno saludsodyo maipanggep iti aniaman nga

naisurat ditoy “Parent Newsletter”, umawag kayo ti #307-7200.

TAGALOG: Kung may hindi kayo naitindihan o mga tanong

tunkol sa anumang naisulat didti sa “Parent Newsletter”,

tumawag kayo sa #307-7200.

If any assistance is needed to translate this document into

another language, please call #307-7200.

Driver/Pedestrian Safety

Please make right turns when leaving the drop off areas before and after school, and when leaving the main parking lot during the school day. The construction is designed to reduce traffic congestion. We are also working with HPD to encourage motorists to follow the designated right of way. Watch for JPOs and crossing guards to help point you in the right direction. They are on duty from 7:00 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. before school, and at 2:00 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. after school.

Please be mindful of the children walking on or around campus when driving in our school zone and please BUCKLE UP.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Services

Students eligible for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Services have the right to request to transfer to the school pre-

viously attended during that period of time, if feasible. For ques-

tions, please check with the school office.

School office hours are 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through

Friday, closed on holidays and weekends. Adult

supervision is available for your child from 7:45 am - 2:00 pm.

On Wednesdays, adult supervision ends at 1:00 pm.

Breakfast is served in the main cafeteria and in

I cafeteria beginning at 7:10 am. Students who eat breakfast are

supervised in the cafeteria only.

If dropping students off before campus opens at 7:00 am,

we encourage you to take advantage of the YMCA Before-

School Program.

The Leeward YMCA offers on-campus before (starting at 6 am)

and after school care (until 5:30 pm). Please contact the

Leeward YMCA Office at #675-0208 for more information.

Field Trips

Field trips are taken to give students an opportunity and

experience learning in a different environment. Please submit

permission form and payment together by the deadline stated on

the form. Payment must be turned into the TEACHER by 8:00

am on collection days as stated on the permission form.

Payments should be CASH ONLY and exact change. Office

cannot accept any late payments or extensions. We will do our

best to remind students and families via school connect

message and parent phone calls, as appropriate.

Extended Trips

Any trip of 10 or more days will result in disenrollment of the

student. Students may be re-enrolled when they return, provided

they still meet the criteria of enrollment. If only the parents are

leaving town, please remember to provide the school with a

power of attorney so that we may release students to their

designated caregiver.

Title I

August Ahrens is a Title I school. Title I means 50% or more of

our students receive free or reduced meals. As a Title I school,

we are provided additional federal funds. We are using the

additional funds to purchase an additional teacher position to

reduce class size, part time casual hires for our Response to

Intervention (RTI) program, English Language Learners (ELL)

program, and Kindergarten Ramp Up program a Parent

Community Network Center (PCNC), classroom supplies, and

parental involvement activities, which include, but are not limited

to, newsletters, parent nights, workshops, etc.

Attendance Matters

Too many children miss too much school due to chronic

absences (defined as missing 10% or more of the school year for

any reason). Chronic absences are a problem for 1 in 10 kinder-

garten and 1st graders nationwide. Chronic absences matter

because success in school means being in school. Chronic

absenteeism in kindergarten is associated with lower levels of

academic performance in 1st grade. A child who is not present is

not acquiring what they need to succeed in school. For children

of low income parents, early absenteeism predicts the lowest

levels of academic achievement by the end of the 6th grade.”

-From “Early Warning! Why Reading By the End of Third Grade

Matters,” by the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Parent/Family Involvement Policy

The following are the 6 components of the Hawaii Board of Education Parent/Family Involvement Policy:

Communicating: Communication between home and school is regular, two way and meaningful.

Parenting: Responsible parenting is promoted and supported.

Student Learning: Parents and families play an integral role in assisting student learning and development toward college and career readiness.

Volunteering: Parents and families are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.

School Decision Making: Parents and families are partners in the decisions that affect children and families.

Collaborating with the Community: Community resources are made available to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning.

-Marlo Oya, Tech/Title I/Accredit. Coordinator

The SCC is comprised of representatives from the schools'

different stake holders. It is a place to exchange ideas on how to

improve student achievement and help with the school's

Academic and Financial Plan.

This plan establishes the goals, programs for the school and

available resources. The council meets once per month. Further

information can be found on the SCC website, or the SCC

bulletin board that is located in the AAES office.

Members include, Hanh Nguyen, Principal; Sue Smith and

Marissa Noury, Certificated; Grace Beltran and Kacie de la Cruz,

Parents; Wendy Idica, Classified; and two student reps, along

with their advisor, George Stone.

School Community Council

If you are interested in purchasing school

uniforms online, please go to:

https://www.kulathreads.com/collections/

august-ahrens-elementary-school

Or call Kula Threads at #847-6600

2016 Colburn Street, Honolulu, HI 96819

School Uniforms

Health and Wellness

Please support the health and wellness guidelines designed to promote school wide wellness. To support these guidelines please:

A. Bring healthy snacks such as fruit or vegetable trays or

positive favors such as bookmarks/pencils when bring-ing in a special treat for birthdays/celebrations.

B. Do not send food that contains peanuts or nuts. Some

of our students are allergic.

Health Room

If your child has a SEVERE ALLERGY OR MEDICAL

CONDITION, please contact Julie Kojima in the Health Room to

discuss Emergency Action Plans for your child. If your child is

sent home with a fever, they must be fever free for 24 hours

before returning to school. It is important that your child’s

emergency records are up to date in the Health Room. If you

update your child’s immunizations records, or if our child has any

changes in health conditions, please submit a copy of these

updates and/or changes to Ms. Julie in the Health Room. Also,

please make sure that parent and/or emergency contact

information on file is current. Mahalo!

Parents, if you are interested in borrowing books, please

see Ms. Smith or Ms. Angela. Adults may borrow up to 5

books for up to 2 weeks.

The Library Club is continuing its service project of

sending books to the Philippines and the Waipahu

Community. If you would like to donate books for the give-

aways, please send them to the library.

We are also collecting Box Tops for Education. Please

send any you can to the library.

Mahalo for all your support! -Ms. Smith, Librarian

Library Media Center