Le Journal
AL News & Updates
18 August 2023
23-24 Priorities and Celebrations
Dear AL Community,

It was a great pleasure welcoming the students back to our buildings. We are pleased to report that almost all our new foreign teachers were able to start on the first day of school, a significant improvement compared to previous years. We have also recruited four more interns to help in first grade. 

This school year, we will focus on these four priorities: 
  • Staff and student safety and wellbeing
  • French immersion best practices
  • Addressing the learning gap for student subgroups
  • Educator support and retention

Besides, Académie Lafayette will launch a community academy that will give parents, staff, and board members the opportunity to regularly engage in productive conversations on important questions related to education, language immersion, student wellbeing, diversity, and more. Field experts will also be invited to share their expertise with our community.

Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Heather Royce, Cherry principal, and Mr. Armand Tsafack, ALIHS math teacher, for respectively winning the 2023 Star Leader and the Star Teacher Excellence in Education Award in Kansas City. Both Heather and Armand have been with AL for 12 years. Heather opened the Cherry campus.

Thank you for your invaluable support as another year starts. 

Bonne rentrée! 

Elimane Mbengue
Head of School
Upcoming Events
August 21
Board Meeting, 6 pm, Armour & Virtual

August 22
ALIHS Family Orientation, Armour, 6 pm

August 23
Armour Student Success Night, 6 pm

August 24
Cherry & Oak Student Success Night, 6 pm

September 1
Casual Day & K-5 Fall Pictures (casual wear)

September 4
NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

September 6
Late Start Wednesdays Start

September 11
Board Meeting, 6 pm, Armour & Virtual

September 12
ALIHS Financial Aid 101, Armour, 6:30 pm

September 13
Late Start

September 15
ALPTO Playground Mixers, Oak & Cherry, 15 min after dismissal to 6:30 pm
Access our live calendar here.
New Cherry & Armour Hours Start on 8/21
Armour hours:

Building opening hours: 7:15 am
Classes start: 7:45 am
School dismisses: 3:15 pm
Cherry hours:

Building opening hours:
  • Displaced bus riders only: 7:30 am
  • All other students: 8:00 am through the Cherry doors, 8:15 Kenwood.
Classes start: 8:30 am
School dismisses: 4:00 pm
Table of Contents
  • Board Meeting Notice
  • Agendas
  • Reminder for Parents of New Students
  • July & August Birthday Celebrations
  • K-8 Student Success Nights and ALIHS Family Orientation
  • MS Boys Soccer
  • Donations for New AL Staff
  • AL PTO Trash Bag Sale
  • AL PTO Meeting
  • Armour AL PTO Parent Volunteers
  • Late Start Wednesdays Upper Room Before-School Care
  • Meals
  • School Communications
  • Ads:
  • Franck Brichet - Realtor
AL Insights
Board Meeting Notice
The Académie Lafayette Board of Directors will meet online & in the Armour conference room at 6:00 pm on Monday, August 21. You can view the meeting live on our YouTube channel. Click here to read the agenda.
Agendas
The 1st-8th grade agendas cost $10 each. Please click here to pay for your student's agenda.
Reminder for Parents of New Students
A gentle reminder that beginning Monday, August 21, all students are expected to walk themselves to the classrooms. Parents need to say their goodbyes at the door so that we can start classes right on time. 
July & August Birthday Celebrations
July and August student birthday celebrations at Oak and Cherry will be held on August 25. Parents must adhere to the snack/party guidelines if bringing treats.

Only parents of children with August birthdays may come for lunch.

23-24 birthday lunch dates:
July & August birthdays: 8/25
September: 9/29
October: 10/20
November: 11/17
December: 12/15
January: 1/26
February: 2/23
March: 3/29
April: 4/26
May & June: 5/24
K-8 Student Success Nights & ALIHS Family Orientation
The Student Success Nights are parent/guardian-only events. You will learn more about curriculum, expectations, classroom schedules, procedures, and what's ahead this year!

8/22, 6pm: ALIHS Family Orientation for all HS families
8/23, 6 pm: Armour MS Student Success Night
8/24, 6 pm: Oak & Cherry Student Success Night
MS Boys Soccer
My name is Coach Colin, and I am the returning MS boys soccer coach. I am looking forward to working with all of our players, some for the first time and some returning.

This season is going to be starting soon so please click here to sign up today.
Donations for New AL Staff
Most of our new foreign staff have arrived (a few more to come!) and are getting settled here in KC. Every year, our community tries to support our new foreign staff as much as possible when they get here. They often come with very little and they don't have a lot of time between when they get here and have to start work, which makes moving that much more challenging and stressful.

The school does offer a relocation stipend, but this only covers some of their visa fees and travel costs, which vary from country to country - the school makes a strong effort to support them in other ways as well, but we know we simply can't cover all the costs of moving across the globe!

If you would like to help our new foreign staff settle into their life here in Kansas City, please fill out this form. We are asking for donations of furniture, home goods, and some person-power to help them move into their new home.

MERCI INFINIMENT A TOUS! Our teachers are incredibly thankful for the support they receive from our entire community.
AL PTO Trash Bag Sale
The ever-popular AL PTO trash bag sale is back!

Online orders are now open.

These durable trash and yard waste bags are available in a variety of sizes and colors for $12 a roll. More details are available on the AL PTO website.
AL PTO Meeting
Please join us for the first AL PTO meeting of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6 pm at the Armour campus. We will review the budget, introduce board members, review the calendar and more. It's a great way to meet other families and get involved with the AL community.
Armour AL PTO Parent Volunteers
Armour families, please complete this form if you are interested in getting involved in AL PTO activities for your student's class this year.
Late Start Wednesdays Upper Room Before-School Care
Upper Room before-school care is available at all three campuses on late start Wednesdays. Click here to register. The fee is $5/Wednesday.
Meals
We need every family, regardless of eligibility status, to fill out the 23-24 free and reduced lunch application (select START MEAL APPLICATION after choosing your language, do not use log in or register). This is a critical step to get many grants and funding. If you have questions, you can call 816-743-4973 or email foodservice@academielafayette.org.
Need help? Come fill out your application in person at Meet the Teacher night. A food service employee will be there to help you at each campus.

All meals can be paid for by logging into your child's Tyler account, where you will also find a current balance.

Breakfast and lunch menus are published on our website once received from the catering company. You can find more information about meals on that page as well.
School Communications
  • Académie Lafayette emails a weekly newsletter to all families using the addresses provided during enrollment. The school newsletter is used to communicate weekly with families. It is published on Fridays. It contains important information about upcoming events, school issues, as well as PTO news and articles about what goes on in the classrooms. 
  • We have several mailing lists and if you receive emails not pertinent to you or your child, please let us know by emailing communication@academielafayette.org. Unsubscribing will remove you from all of the mailing lists, so please communicate with us before clicking "unsubscribe". 
  • If you know someone who is not receiving this newsletter, encourage them to contact communication@academielafayette.org.
  • In addition to the weekly newsletter, the periodic all-calls, and email blasts, we also use Facebook to communicate with our families. Please "like" us at https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteKC/ and join our private FB group
  • Changing emails? Phone number? Let us know at communication@academielafayette.org.
Ads
Armour MS & ALIHS
201 E. Armour Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-800-8771
Cherry K-5
3421 Cherry St
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-888-7400
Oak K-5
6903 Oak St
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-361-7735