|
Welcome to all of our new Penguins and welcome back to our returning students and families. We are stoked to start the 2023-24 school year. It is shaping up to be the best year ever!
Teachers, assistants, and staff have been in the building for the past two weeks, day and night, preparing for the return of our students. The floors are squeaky clean, the air is electric, and the classrooms have been decorated with love. All students will arrive to the first day of school as we have in the past. Please remember to stay in your vehicle at all times and allow your child to exit on the building side/driver side of the car. This is extremely important to mitigate the efficient flow of the car line. This year, students will report directly to the hall outside of their classrooms instead of to the gym this year. Faculty and staff will be readily available through the halls to help our Penguins find their way on the first day. Please remember to send in the dismissal procedure card and all other information sent home in the summer packet.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Drop Off - First day ONLY
For the first day of school, we ask that all students in kindergarten and first grade be walked into the gym to meet their teacher. Please pull around the building and park in the lot adjacent to the playground. The playground gate will be open. We ask that you walk your child into the gym, meet the teacher, and verify your dismissal procedure before heading out.
**Students in 1st grade are welcome to take the bus to school. We will happily meet them at the front door and verify dismissal through your card return.
Kindergarten Late Arrival Wed, Thurs, Fri.
To ease our kindergarten families into our drop off procedure, we ask that kindergarten students wait until 8:50 to be dropped off the first couple of days. This will allow the bulk of our car riders to clear out of the Richard Road entrance to make the first couple of days less stressful and more informative.
Staff will meet the kindergarten line and help to exit the students from the vehicles. This way we can practice our routine. Please stay in the vehicle at all times. Once you arrive near the door, parents should remain in the car while students exit the vehicle through the driver's side of the car, avoiding exiting on the driveway side for safety. Once the students have safely exited the vehicle and the door is closed, please proceed to exit the kindergarten line and turn left to follow around the building to the Pennell Rd. exit. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding so that we can have an efficient drop off routine each morning.
Dismissal Procedures
Dismissal will continue as it did last year as well. Walkers will be dismissed from the building starting at 3:25, as will car riders. Once the walkers are safely away from the building, we will begin calling the buses.
Just like last year, please be patient the first few weeks of school as we establish our dismissal routine. It is imperative that we do it slowly and diligently to start until we are familiar with everyone's individual needs. I promise you that after the first 2-3 weeks, we will clear the building quickly and safely.
**Reminder: anyone picking up your child MUST have the blue card with your family's name on it, or they will be asked to go the office and produce identification so that we can check it with our system and your approved people.
Free and Reduced Lunch
Any family experiencing economic hardship is encouraged to apply for free or reduced lunch for their child(ren). Please click HERE for information about the program. Please click HERE for the application.
Bus information can be found at pdsd.org/bustimes
Benchmarking
Student academic benchmarking will start right away this year. Once the assessments are administered and the data is entered and analyzed, teachers will communicate if your child will receive academic interventions based on need. Regardless of testing, all students will receive rigorous core instruction at their grade level and have a period in their day where they get "what they need." We made great progress last year as a school, and we are determined to do it again!
Upcoming Dates for your Calendar:
- 9/7 Start of Acadience Benchmarking
- 9/12 @ 6PM Back to School Night
- 9/14 @ 6:30PM PTO Meeting
- 9/25-29 Spirit Week
- 9/29 Homecoming
- 10/2 Assembly
| 
