Eagle Express
August 30, 2019
Message From Your Leadership Team
We can't wait to see everyone for our Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop Off on Tuesday (Last Names ending in A-L from 1:00-1:30 and M-Z from 1:30-2:00)! School officially starts on Thursday morning at 7:50 AM. Log in to the parent portal to check and see what time the bus will be arriving in the morning.
Here are some tips to help with the back to school anxiety and excitement:
- Model behaviors (remain calm, confident and enthusiastic)...remember, YOU set the tone!
- Establish routines (bedtime, morning, afterschool)
- Focus on the positive (new and old friendships, learning and growing)
- Plan ahead (lay out clothes the night before, predetermine breakfast and lunch choices)
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help with the transition back to school. We look forward to partnering with your family throughout the school year. Have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend!
Warm Regards,
Jen Sullivan (Principal) and Jill Doyle (Assistant Principal)
We Need Your Support (Please!)
If you are a parent of a 1st-5th grader and are willing to come in to help with Kindergarten lunches please click on this link to the sign up genius. We appreciate the extra hands on deck as our youngest students are learning to become independent but still need quite a bit of assistance. We ask that kindergarten parents do NOT sign up for this volunteer role but have no fear, there will be plenty of opportunities to have you in throughout the school year. As the kindergarten students are learning how to “do school” for the first time it often creates a set back if parents come in early in the school year as separating after lunch can be an unpleasant experience. Thanks for your understanding parents of Kindergarten students and your support parents of 1st-5th grade students.
Important Dates
Meet & Greet/Supply Drop Off for Students with Last Names Ending in A-L: Tuesday, September 3rd, 1:00-1:30 PM
Meet & Greet/Supply Drop Off for Students with Last Names Ending in M-Z: Tuesday, September 3rd, 1:30-2:00 PM
First Day of School: Thursday, September 5, 2019, 7:50 AM-2:20 PM
Curriculum Night for Grades 1 & 2: Thursday, September 12th, 5:15-6:15 PM (parents only)
Curriculum Night for Grades 3, 4 & 5: Thursday, September 12th, 6:30-7:30 PM (parents only)
First Day for 4th & 5th Grade Activity Period: Thursday, September 19th, 2:20-3:05 PM
Stay Connected
The School Website: http://www.websterschools.org/plankSouth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlankSouth
Parent Portal: https://websterny.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/webster.jsp (Individuals that need access to their Infinite Campus activation code or have troubleshooting questions should email icportal@websercsd.org)
Remind: For Text Reminders Text @plankro to 81010
Board of Education
Check out the “From the Board” column to learn more about the work of the WCSD Board of Education.
Timings, Pick Up, Drop Off, Attendance
NOTE: The building will remain LOCKED 100% of the day. Anytime you are coming in to school you MUST bring a photo ID and check in via the main office.
Start & End Times
Start of the school day: 7:50am
Drop Off NO Earlier than 7:45am
Students Exit Buses at 7:50am
End of the school day: 2:20pm
Parent Pick Up Begins at 2:09pm
Dismissal to Wondercare and Activity Period Begins at 2:09pm
Buses Roll at 2:20pm
End of activity period (art club, intramurals and chorus for 4th & 5th grades): 3:05pm
ONLY students enrolled in these activities will be able to ride the activity period buses home
Parent Pick-up & Drop-off
Student Pick-up: To pick up your child you will need a photo ID. Please send in a note to school with your child so we can plan accordingly or email your child’s classroom teacher as well as Peg (peg_weidmann@webstercsd.org) and Jay (jay_gargana@webstercsd.org) in the main office. If a note did not get sent with your student we ask that you inform us of any changes that need to be made in the morning.
Student Drop-off (along the median): Students may be dropped off between 7:45 and 7:50am. It is best if parents pull up as far as possible along with sidewalk and “drop and go” so we can keep the traffic flow moving. We will have someone at the cross-walk to assist children in getting from cars into school safely. If dropping off after 8:00, please park in the parking lot and walk your student into the main office to sign him/her in for the day. There is NO parking allowed in the student drop off area between 7:30-8:15am.
Bus Loop Parkers Beware! Do NOT enter the bus loop from 7:40-8:10am, 1:50-2:25pm, and 2:40-3:10pm. If you park in the loop during these times it is likely that you will get blocked in by buses!
Attendance
If your child is going to be absent, dropped off late or picked up early for any reason, please do one of the following
Call the attendance line, (585) 670-4062
Email your child’s classroom teacher as well as Peg (peg_weidmann@webstercsd.org) and Jay (jay_gargana@webstercsd.org) in the main office
Send in a note to your child’s teacher with your child’s name, teacher, date(s) and reason for absence
Digital Citizenship
Check out the Digital Citizenship Newsletter for tips on how to navigate our digital world.
Breakfast and Lunch
Students have the option to purchase both breakfast and lunch at school. If your student qualifies for the free or reduced program, they automatically qualify for the same level of benefits for both breakfast and lunch. Breakfast and lunch can be paid for out of your child’s MySchoolBucks account (set up account by visiting MySchoolBucks.com) or by sending in a check (made out to Webster Food Services) or cash.
The cost of breakfast will be $1.75 and the cost of lunch will be $2.60 for the 2019-2020 school year. A variety of balanced meal choices will be offered that meet state and federal nutrition guidelines. Check out the lunch menus.
Breakfast will be served starting at 7:45am daily. Students that want to participate in the breakfast program will ride their regular bus in the morning. We will let students who are buying breakfast off the bus early so they can get breakfast and then proceed to their classroom and eat there. Lunch schedules vary by class.
If you have any questions specific to the breakfast or lunch programs, please contact the Director of Food Services, Mark Balfour at Mark_Balfour@webstercsd.org or 670-5105.
We love having parents in the building for a variety of reasons, including to have lunch with their child. If you would like to come in to eat lunch with your child during the school year you will need to bring your photo ID and sign in at the main office. You may bring in lunch for your child but may NOT share food with any other children. If you have a concern about another child while you are in the cafeteria please bring your concern to the attention of the cafeteria staff (do NOT attempt to intervene). We have students with a variety of needs and want the trained staff to be responsible for handling the variety of situations that come up in the cafeteria. Thank you for your understanding regarding this matter.
Social Worker
If you or another Plank South family is in need of support, please contact our social worker Janet Weisensel, LCSW: 585-670-5980, janet_weisensel@webstercsd.org
Therapy Dog
Meet Karuna!
Plank South Therapy Dog
(Her name means compassion)
“It makes me smile when I see Karuna at school.” This is just one of the countless comments heard from our Plank South students about Karuna.
We are excited to welcome Karuna back as our Plank South Therapy Dog. The 19-20 school year will be her third year with us. Karuna’s presence has helped students in countless situations. Whether she was there for a student who was injured or upset , listening to a student read to her, motivating students to do their best, visiting classrooms or greeting students as they arrived, she brought comfort, joy, and smiles. We are excited that she will be back and full time at Plank South this year.
Karuna is a Cavapoo. She has a hypoallergenic coat and is certified through Therapy Dogs International.
As a Therapy Dog, Karuna is a tool to help support students’ social, emotional and learning needs, as well as being a joyful presence for all at Plank South School. Therapy dogs have been shown to decrease stress, help support students with anxiety, help de-escalate students in distress, and motivate students who face learning challenges. Therapy dogs have been effective in helping students with Autism, language impairments, ADHD, and motor impairments.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Julie Erbe, School Psychologist or Jen Sullivan, Principal. Julie can be reached by emailing her at Julie_Erbe@webstercsd.org or calling 670-4060. Jen can be reached by emailing her at Jennifer_Sullivan@webstercsd.org or calling 671-3190.