Kratz Family and Student Handbook 2026-2027

Kratz Vision and Mission

At Kratz Elementary, our vision is to educate all students so they can advocate for themselves and others, reach and expand their potential, and prepare them to become responsible people, collaborative problem solvers, and compassionate members of society.

We will accomplish this by:

• Building partnerships with families and the community.
• Developing strong relationships with students.
• Teaching and fostering the skills that will help students grow from social and internal conflict.
• Providing students with a positive, caring, and educationally stimulating environment.
• Helping students become caring, capable, and connected.
• Giving students opportunities to learn to persevere through challenges.
• Facilitating learning to help students become productive, independent thinkers.

School Mascot: Mini-Huskies

Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Universals

Kratz Huskies PAWS!

• Practice a Positive Attitude
• Act Responsibly
• Work Together
• Show Respect

Back to index

Arrival

Arrival procedures are designed with safety in mind. Thank you for your cooperation in complying with these procedures to keep everyone safe.

Members of the Kratz staff are not available for supervision of students before 8:15 a.m. unless this is for specific students as part of an extended day program. Students are not permitted on the school grounds or in the building before 8:15 a.m. unless they attend extended-day programs. Please do not drop off your child before 8:15 and, if walking, speak to them about leaving home to arrive at school at a time that will allow them to enter as soon as they arrive on site.

Students may enter the building between 8:15 and 8:40 a.m. to get breakfast and start their day. School begins at 8:40. After 8:40 a.m., students will be considered tardy. At that point, parents must walk their child into the office to sign them in, and students will get a sticker to notify their teachers that they have checked into the office. Please ensure they arrive on time so your child doesn’t miss instructions. Please see the “Attendance” section to understand why this is important.

Students arriving by car should be dropped off at the back of the building via the north parking lot entrance. There are staff members to support students in the building and once they’ve entered. Family members should stay in their cars for the drop-off line to flow. For the safety of the students, car riders may not be dropped off at the front. The car rider line will operate until 8:40 a.m., after which students are considered tardy and must be walked into the front door and brought to the office for them to be signed in.

Please see the “Independence” section. Staff are present to assist your children if they need support finding their class, getting breakfast, or if there is another need.

Only buses and daycare vans will be allowed in the front driveways and parking lot. The bus line is in front of the building. Only students who are eligible for bus service may ride the bus. The school office can inform you if your address is eligible, and the information is also in PowerSchool.

Walkers may enter the front of the building at the main (south) entrance with the bus riders, or the back of the building with the car riders.

Please be courteous to other drivers and keep in mind the safety of students during arrival.

Y Club (before-school care) participants meet in the cafeteria. Students will enter through the front middle door. The door is kept locked, so the Y Club number will have to be called to communicate with them. To arrange on-site childcare, please reach out to the Y at 314-962-9450. Other providers in the area transport students to and from school, as well, and a list of those providers is available in our main office.

For the safety of your child and all children, please follow all policies and directions of staff members. No child should be dropped off in a manner other than the described procedure mentioned above.

Back to index

Attendance

Because regular and punctual attendance is essential to a student’s success in school, staff members work closely with families to achieve good student attendance.

For your child’s academic success, they must be engaged in Kratz's classes and coursework every single day.

We recognize there will be times when you need to keep your child home due to illness. When your child is experiencing fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or other significant symptoms that require a doctor’s visit, please keep your child home and notify the school via the attendance line at (314) 493-6361.

Please try to schedule routine doctor and dentist appointments outside of the school day. When your student misses school for these appointments, please provide documentation.

Please expect to receive letters and phone calls should your child exceed six days of absences.

Contact a counselor or social worker if you need support with attendance

• Erin Provaznik: 1, 3, 5 counselor (provaznike@ritenourschools.org)
• Carla Theiss: K, 2, 4 counselor (theissc@ritenourschools.org)
• Amy Bourland: social worker (bourlanda@ritenourschools.org)

For more information regarding district attendance policies, please refer to the Ritenour Parent and Student Handbook.

Back to index

Behavior

Kratz Elementary is a Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) School.

Kratz’s PBIS Universal Beliefs:

Kratz Huskies PAWS!

• Practice a Positive Attitude: Kratz Huskies are courteous, try their best, come to school ready to learn, and set goals every day.
• Act Responsibly: All students are expected to be prepared with materials and supplies, use appropriate voice levels, use materials properly, and clean up after themselves.
• Work Together: All students at Kratz listen to others, take turns, follow expectations, and keep hands, feet and other objects to themselves.
• Show Respect: Kratz students use kind words and good manners.

We will proactively teach leadership skills, character education, social skills, and daily routines and expectations throughout the school day and year.

Students are expected to uphold these values. We also work to ensure students understand that their actions can have positive and negative consequences.

The Ritenour Parent and Student Handbook outlines disciplinary offenses and potential consequences.

We strive to create an inclusive environment where every student feels a sense of belonging. We will make every effort to be positive and proactive with your child in helping them develop socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. We need your help as parents to model and reinforce school-appropriate behaviors, as well. Following school rules, such as arrival and dismissal procedures, is one way to model appropriate behavior for your child.

If you need assistance in supporting your child’s social, emotional, or behavioral development, we have interventions both in the school and resources outside of the school that can provide additional support. Please contact our school counselor or social worker for more information.

Back to index

Bicycles

• Students in grades 4-5 may ride bicycles to school.
• Elementary students must have their parent’s/guardian’s written permission and their principal’s approval. Teachers can provide the permission form for riding a bike.
• Students are legally required to wear safety helmets when riding their bikes to school.
• Students should walk their bikes on school property, park their bikes in the bike rack and attach the bike to the rack with a safety lock.
• The school does not assume responsibility for damages, losses, or theft of bikes and related equipment.
• Students should not arrive before 8:15 a.m.
• Skateboards, in-line skates, roller blades, and scooters are not allowed on school property at any time.
• Parents/guardians are encouraged to review safety practices with their children and to determine the safest route to and from school.

Back to index

Breakfast

If your child is eating breakfast, please have them to school between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast and lunch are free for all Ritenour students every school day.

All students eating breakfast will eat in their classrooms, except first grade, who eat in the cafeteria. Breakfasts will be a Grab & Go container that children will pick up and carry to their classroom.

Parents should not plan to accompany students to breakfast. We have staff ready to assist them in finding the cafeteria. We serve breakfast to approximately 400 students every morning, so it is important to have a streamlined process in the space.

Back to index

Cellphones, Headphones and Smart Devices

Many families choose to send their children to school with cellphones and other personal communication devices for safety reasons. The district is not responsible for lost, stolen, or confiscated cellphones, computers, headphones, or other technological devices brought to school. Please read the information below about the state-mandated policy on cellphones in schools.

Cellphones and other personal communication devices (including earbuds and smartwatches) should not be visible or heard between arrival and dismissal.

If a student has a cellphone or personal communication device out during the school day, or if it is disrupting the class/rings, the classroom teacher will first request that the child turn off the device and put it away.

If there is another incident, the teacher will make the same request and call home with the student.

A third incident will result in storage in the school office, as well as an office referral. A school administrator will contact the family and arrangements will be discussed based on the circumstances of the situation.

Chronic offenses will result in a meeting with the family and child to develop a plan, as well as an in-school suspension.

Students and staff have a right to privacy. As part of Ritenour School District’s policy, students may not record or take photos of other students or staff using personal devices or other recording devices on school premises. Per board policy, if a student records others, they could be suspended for this action.

Classroom teachers or the office will provide students with a space to lock up the device in the morning and return it to students at the end of the school day.

Please talk to your child about the appropriate use of cellphones both at school and when involving other students in messaging outside of school. Conflicts stemming from social media and texting sometimes cause disruption to learning, which could then result in consequences.

State testing prohibits students from having access to any unauthorized technology. Students will be asked to turn in their cellphones during this time.

Back to index

Class Celebrations and Birthday Treats

Kratz Elementary strives to create a healthy environment for learning. We work to limit the number of opportunities for sweet treats offered at school.

Please do not send sweet treats or other items (such as balloons, flowers, etc.) for birthdays, which may distract from instruction and learning. We will celebrate birthdays on the morning announcements each day. If treats come to school, they will be handed out at lunch.

Each class at Kratz will celebrate two class parties: Winter Celebration (December) and Friendship Parties (February).

Parents may send items for the class parties. Please organize with your child’s teacher. Healthy options with limited sweet treats and junk food are encouraged. All items must be commercially made and must comply with our district's Student Allergies – Avoidance, Prevention and Response Policy.

Back to index

Class Placement

We have 100% highly-qualified teachers for every class at Kratz Elementary, as they are all certified to teach what they are teaching.

Each year in May, we go through an arduous, 2-week process of developing classes for the following year that we hope will create the best learning group for all students. If you have information to share about what kind of learner your child is that would help us make a good decision, please share that information with us.

We do not take parent requests for specific teachers but will consider what environment best matches a student’s learning needs.

Kindergarten placement goes through a trial period at the beginning of the year as we get to know your child as a learner. Therefore, your child’s teacher will change within the first two weeks of school. We will communicate who their assigned teacher is in a note home the day of the Kindergarten Meet the Teacher Night.

Back to index

Classroom Visits

Visits to classrooms while class is in session will follow current district policies.

All visits to the classroom must be prearranged with the school office and administration.

There is district paperwork that must be filled out before any classroom visits.

We have a legal obligation to keep student academic progress confidential and provide a nondisruptive educational environment. Please note that confidentiality regarding our students is paramount, and visitors to the classroom must agree to respect the rights of students, as well as school staff, and refrain from sharing any information observed during the visit. Please do not interrupt the teacher. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the teacher to have a conversation during noninstructional hours.

Teachers are busy instructing students during the day and will not have the opportunity to respond to families while they are supervising students. You can leave staff members messages on their email or voicemail, and they will contact you at their earliest convenience.

Back to index

Communication

Please make sure your phone numbers and email addresses are up to date with the office, and notify the office of any changes. It is extremely important that we have a way to contact you should an emergency arise.

Please update your emergency contact information in the Parent Portal. You will have peace of mind knowing we have updated information to reach you or others in emergency situations. Please indicate if your child is allowed to be released with your emergency contacts. If there are specific legal changes related to student dismissal, custody, or any other legal matter relevant to the school, legal documentation is required to support those changes.

Regular communication will be sent home by your child’s teacher. At the beginning of the year, teachers will establish a preferred communication method. We encourage you to download Class Dojo to help establish regular communication with your child’s teacher. If the electronic communication system isn’t working for your family, please contact your child’s teacher.

School communication includes our newsletter, Peachjar electronic flyers, and text/email/phone message communication blasts.

Teachers are instructing students during the day and will not always have the opportunity to respond to parents immediately. You can leave staff members messages on their email or voicemail, and we will contact you at the next available open time.

Back to index

Dismissal

Kratz dismissal procedures are designed with safety in mind. Thank you for your cooperation in complying with these procedures to keep everyone safe.

Early dismissals will end promptly at 3 p.m. every day to account for the changes occurring in the classrooms, hallways, and office at that time.

We will dismiss your child by the method you chose in PowerSchool. Daily changes must be communicated to the school office before 2:45 p.m. so that we can communicate changes with the child’s teacher in a timely manner. For safety reasons, changes in dismissal need to be communicated by the guardian to the office, not directly to the teacher.

Dismissal begins at 3:35 p.m. Please pick up your child on time.

Students who ride the bus should display the same behaviors as they would when riding in the family’s car. Parents or guardians must be at the bus stop to pick up students in grades K-1.

Students must live more than one mile away to be eligible to ride the bus. The school office can be contacted to see if your address qualifies.

Students who do not maintain proper behavior on the bus can be temporarily or permanently suspended from riding the bus, especially if they are putting themselves or others in danger.

Parents of car riders will enter the parking lot on the north side of the building and pull through the two north parking lots, guided by cones. At approximately 3:30 p.m., a staff member will come to the stopping point, gather names, and dismiss the first 30 cars onto the lot. Another staff member will direct the cars into rows. Please follow the directions of these staff members so that your child can be safely delivered to your car.

To ensure safety, walkers will be dismissed after the buses have left and after a majority of the car traffic has left the campus. Parents wait for walkers to be brought to them across the southside crosswalk (for those walking south), on the steps in front of the school (for those walking north), and at the back playground (for those who walk behind the school).

The YMCA also runs the YClub program for students before and after school. This program is run independently from Ritenour. The phone number for this program is (314) 962-9450.

Several area daycare centers also pick up students. Ritenour does not promote or endorse any specific daycare provider, but can give you the names of centers transporting students to and from Kratz.

All dismissal procedures are designed to keep students safe. We appreciate your cooperation with these procedures.

Uninterrupted learning time is important. Please ensure your child knows their dismissal plan before they leave for school and communicate it with the office before 2:45 p.m. if it is different from normal. During the first week of school, dismissal can last longer than normal. We ask for your patience during this time when families are learning the process.

Back to index

Dress Code

Gym or athletic shoes that students can wear throughout the day should be worn so transitions outside and around the school can occur quickly. This allows students to access the playground equipment and/or play athletic games at recess and physical education (PE).

Students should not wear clothes that are offensive or disruptive to the educational environment.

Please see the Ritenour Parent and Student Handbook for more information

Back to index

Early Dismissal

Instruction is occurring in classrooms until the end of the day, so please make every effort to keep your student in class until the end of the day.

The office will not call students out of the classrooms after 3 p.m. unless administrators have approved the dismissal before that day. Calls to classrooms at the end of the day are disruptive to the classroom environment.

For safety reasons, a photo ID is required for early dismissal.

Back to index

Family Events and Field Trips

We will provide a calendar of family events you can participate in with your family.

We are always looking for parent input. Please let us know if you are available to volunteer and help give input related to events!

We want our students to have a fun and joyful learning experience at Kratz. We work hard to plan meaningful and engaging lessons, as well as provide fun activities and events.

We are looking for parents to volunteer for our PTO. Our first meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at 6:15 p.m.

Field trips enrich instruction and help introduce or conclude a unit of study. Students must have a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian to go on a field trip. For the safety of students, verbal permission is not permissible. In situations where the safety of a student is in question due to the nature of the field trip or prior behavior by the student, 504 & Individual Education Plan (IEP) teams will determine if the student should or should not attend. If the student does not have a 504 or IEP, the building principal will partner with the classroom teacher to determine whether the student will participate in the field trip or what conditions need to be in place to ensure student safety.

Parents must contact the school nurse if any medications are to accompany their student on the trip.

Adult volunteers who assist with field trips must complete a Volunteer Application before participating. This can be obtained in the school office and may take up to two weeks to process.

Back to index

Head Lice

The National Association of School Nurses and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following practices regarding head lice:

• Students should not be excluded from school due to head lice.
• The school should provide parents with information to support treating head lice, if needed.
• Head lice do not jump. Students can only contract lice from direct head-to-head contact.
• If we notice head lice on a child, the school nurse will notify the parent.

Back to index

Independence

Developing independence is a process that begins now and continues until students reach maturity. Some ways to encourage your students to become independent are:

• Make sure they can button, zip, tie shoes, and develop other self-care skills.
• Encourage students to attempt homework and coursework on their own.
• Students should walk into school on their own. After the first three days of school, parents are asked to let students go to class without parent support so they can develop independence.

Back to index

Keep Personal Belongings At Home

• Every year, we have students who bring toys and other items to school that are disruptive to the educational process. We ask that they only bring to school what directly relates to their school work.
• Please check your child’s backpack daily. Extra bags, toys, makeup, and other items should remain at home.
• The school cannot be held responsible for items brought from home that are lost, stolen, or broken.

Back to index

Lunch

School lunch is free for all students.

Students will have at least two options to choose from at lunch.

Please let the school nurse know if you have any food allergies so that we can accommodate meals.

Students may bring a plastic or metal water bottle to school. Please do not send glass containers to school.

Students may bring their own lunch or breakfast to school. Please ensure items do not require being heated. If a student brings their own lunch, they may purchase milk or juice. We encourage limiting candy or sweet treats sent to school. Students should not bring soda to school.

Families are allowed to join their children for lunch. Please come in at the student’s assigned lunch time. You will need to sign in at the front office. Please be aware that you will have to sit separately from other students due to food allergies.

Back to index

Meetings with School Personnel (Principals, Teachers, Counselors)

Staff members are always willing to meet with parents to review student learning or help resolve a situation.

Please note that staff have supervision and other requirements during the day. We want to be welcoming and supportive. Calling and making an appointment is required to ensure staff availability and to be able to give situations the attention they deserve.

You can also fill out this “I’d Like to Meet” form, and it will send us an alert that you’d like to meet:

Back to index

Nurse

Kratz has a full-time registered nurse (RN) available at school to care for minor injuries and health issues and to assist with health-related emergencies and health screenings.

The nurse is responsible for maintaining health records and contacting parents concerning students’ health problems, as well as vaccinations.

Please contact the school nurse if a child has any special medications or restrictions.

The nurse is not authorized to provide diagnoses for students or families, nor to be a substitute for family physicians or regular healthcare providers.

Kratz’s nurse, Nurse Maureen Rahenkamp, is available via

• Email – rahenkampm@ritenourschools.org
• Office Direct Line (314) 493-6368
• Fax (314) 493-6439
• Extension 5305 if you call the school’s main line

Do not send medication with your child without the prescription on the bottle, and please do not tell your child to keep the medication in their bookbag.

Back to index

Outside Recess

We will make every attempt to allow students time outside daily. Research shows that recess helps social and physical development. It also provides an opportunity for students to release energy to help them focus on their afternoon studies.

Please ensure your child dresses appropriately for the current weather conditions.

Students should wear athletic shoes each day for safety.

If your child does not have a coat, we do have some to lend or give. Please let a counselor or your child’s classroom teacher know.

Students will stay indoors if there is precipitation or if the wind chill or the temperature goes below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If the heat index or temperature goes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, students will stay indoors for recess.

There may be other situations when teachers or administrators keep students inside, as well.

If your child has medical reasons they need to be inside, please contact the school nurse to share documentation and coordinate the doctor’s recommendations. If no documentation is provided, students will return to normal outside recess with their class after two days.

Please talk with your child about recess, what kind of problems they come across and how they could solve those common problems peacefully. While we do this at school, it is wonderful to talk through those same situations with their families at home.

Back to index

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences this year are the week of Oct. 26, 2026 and the week of March 8, 2027. Teachers will schedule conferences with you.

Please bring your child to conferences with you. They will run the conversation regarding their goals and progress.

Fall conferences will be focused on setting goals for the year. Spring conferences will provide students an opportunity to show families their learning.

Report Cards are based on student progress toward learning standards, which means that students are evaluated based on their progress toward year-end goals. Report cards will be sent home at the end of each quarter.

SSD teachers, special area teachers, interventionists, English Learner (EL) teachers, counselors, and other Kratz staff are available during conferences and may attend your child’s conference.

Back to index

Parent-Teacher Organization

Kratz has a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Families and school staff partner to enrich the learning experience of the entire Kratz community.

Interpreters and childcare can be available at PTO meetings.

The goal of PTO has been to support the school and community. Previously, they have fundraised to support student field trips and special events. They also have put on community-building events for families to participate in.

In the past, administrators have also shared learning and school updates with our PTO.

The dates for this year’s PTO Meetings are:

If you are interested in getting our PTO running again, please reach out to Dr. McNulty or Ms. Moccio. We will have an informational meeting about PTO on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, from 6:15 to 7 p.m.

Back to index

Partnership

When we work together, your child will make the most progress possible.

In partnership, we suggest:

• Ensuring your child has a regular bedtime and sleeping pattern.
• Providing a quiet, conducive spot for homework and virtual coursework during Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI) days.
• Talking to your child about their school day.
• Assisting your child with skills when needed.
• Staying informed about school and classroom events and projects.
• Following building expectations.

The expectations you can hold us to include:

• Providing daily lessons incorporating reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and social/emotional skills.
• Caring about you and your child.
• Providing classroom communities that seek to engage and invite children.
• Providing a safe learning environment.
• Providing quality instruction.
• Recognizing and giving extra support when needed.
• Communicating regularly with you.

Back to index

Reading

• The only way a student becomes a better reader is to practice reading.
• Please set aside time nightly to read to or with your child. Most teachers ask students to read or be read to for 20 additional minutes nightly.
• Students whose parents read with them nightly do better academically.
• English learners benefit from reading in their home language and English.

Back to index

Safety

• All visitors to the building must report to the office, no matter what time of day.
• Visitors will not be allowed through the building and must remain in the office.
• We will ask any person picking up a student to be able to present a valid ID to ensure that the person has permission to pick up the child.
• Throughout the year, we will conduct emergency drills as a part of our district and school safety plans. These drills include evacuation, severe weather, earthquake, hold in place and intruder drills. Staff also receive annual training on these procedures.
• We will make every effort to provide your child with a safe classroom and school environment.

Back to index

Technology

Students will be lent a Ritenour Chromebook that is specific to them. Students will be allowed to take home Chromebooks for homework, virtual learning during AMI days, and special projects.

In order for students to be able to take home technology, guardians will need to sign the district technology agreement in PowerSchool and either purchase or waive insurance through One2One Risk Management. This can be done during Chromebook pickup day, Open House or before school starts through the Ritenour website.

Students are expected to take care of Chromebooks and accessories. Any damage beyond normal wear and tear will be assessed through the technology department for damage costs.

Students may not use Chromebook devices to take photographs or recordings of other students or staff at school.

Chromebook Handbook 2026-2027 link

Back to index

Telephone Use

Each classroom has a telephone for the teacher to contact parents, other classrooms, and the school office or to use in the case of an emergency.

Classroom telephones are not meant for student use. Students are only allowed to use classroom telephones in case of emergency and/or under the supervision of a staff member.

After-school arrangements should be made for your child before the beginning of the school day. If plans change, please call the office before 2:45 p.m. to notify the school. The office will communicate with your child and their teacher.

Back to index

Volunteering

Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to your community and help Ritenour students.

Process for Volunteering in Ritenour

1. Register with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services using the attached Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR) Worker Registration form.

   A one-time fee is required at the time of registration. The fee is $15 if registration is submitted online and can be paid by debit or credit card with a convenience fee of $1.25 added for processing the electronic payment. The FCSR registration is for a lifetime, and the registrant must contact the FCSR if their name or contact information changes. Additional instructions can be found on the second page of the form.

2. Volunteers must also fill out the volunteer application and return it to the school office. This form must be updated annually.

Back to index