The Eagle Express
Plank South Newsletter, Back to School Edition, August 2017
From Your Plank South Leadership Team
Welcome back!!! Okay, we know there is still a little summer left, but we are all so excited to welcome back the kids and to kick-off the 2017-18 school year!! From opening day through the whole school year our focus is going to be on making our Webster Vision, Compassionately Connected, Joyfully Engaged, Always Learning, come to life at Plank South!
As we are headed into the new school year, here are some important dates for your calendar:
- Wednesday, August 30th, 6:30-7:30 pm: Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grade Curriculum Night. This parent session is a time to find out about our program and practices before the year begins.
- Thursday, August 31st: PTSA sponsored Back to School Social!
5:00 pm: New family meet and greet (grades 1-5). Mr. Scott and Mrs. Sullivan (our amazing Assistant Principal) and would love to meet you before the fun and craziness of our Back to School Social at 6 pm! Also, if you can’t make that time contact us and we’ll figure out another time to give you the tour!
5:30-7:30 pm: All Plank South kids and families are welcome on the playgrounds behind Plank South. This is a great way for the kids to feel connected to school and new friends! If you haven't already, please consider going to this sign-up and volunteering to help.
- Tuesday, September 5th: First day of school for kids. See below for timings and pick-up/drop-off information.
- Thursday, September 7th, 6:30-7:30 pm: Curriculum Night Grades 3-5. This parent session is a time to find out about our program and practices before the year begins.
- Monday, September 11th: First Day for 4th & 5th grade before school activity period. New families, if you are not signed up please contact the office to learn more and get involved in band, chorus, orchestra, art club, and intramurals!
Enjoy the last days of summer and we look forward to seeing you all in the coming weeks!
Warm Regards,
Your Plank South Leadership Team,
Scott Wilcox & Jen Sullivan
PTSA-Sponsored Back to School Social!
Please join us in welcoming students to the 2017-18 school year with an opportunity for both kids and families to reunite with old friends and make some new ones, too! We will serve pizza and snow cones while the kids enjoy dancing to the music of the DJ and playing on the playground and fields. We still need a few more volunteers so please sign-up at this link for a time you can help (you're going to be there anyway!).
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Location: Plank South Playground
Pick-up, Drop-off, & Timings
Start & End Times
Start of school day (also when students exit the buses): 8:50am
End of school day (when the buses leave): 3:20pm
Parent Pick-up & Drop-off
Student Pick-up: To pick up your child you will need photo ID. Please send in a note to school with your child so we can plan accordingly. 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. Parent pick-up is at 3:09. This allows us to safely get students connected with families before the rest of the school goes out to the buses.
Student Drop-off (along median): Students may be dropped off between 8:45 and 8:50am. 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 9:00, please park in the parking lot and walk your student into the main office to sign him/her in for the day.
Bus Loop Parkers Beware! Do NOT enter the bus loop from 7:40-8:10 AM, 8:35-9:10 AM & 2:50-3:25 PM. If you park in the loop during these times it is likely that you will get blocked in by buses!
From the Health Office
Most everything we learned about preventing infectious diseases we learned from our moms & dads: Wash Your Hands, Cover Your Mouth & Nose When You Sneeze, Throw Away Your Tissues Promptly and then Wash Your Hands! Students should wash their hands prior to coming to school after they eat their breakfast. Also, it is wise to have them wash their hand when returning home from school.
Regarding colds/flu here are some guidelines to use in determining whether your child should stay at home:
- Fever greater than 100.4 orally. Your child must be fever free for 24 hours (un-medicated) prior to returning to school
- Your child is too ill, sleepy or lethargic to sit all day in school.
- Severe headache, especially if accompanied by a fever (contact your healthcare provider).
- Severe sore throat, with fever or lethargy, lasting longer than 48 hours (contact healthcare provider).
Reminder: If your child has had a throat culture for strep, he/she may NOT be in school until the results are known. If your child is diagnosed with strep, he/she MUST be on antibiotics 48 hours before returning to school.
Medications in school – all medications (prescription AND over-the-counter) must be in their original container with label, have a signed doctor’s order and parent signature. Medications are to be brought in by a parent or guardian.
If you ever have a question or a concern or just want to say hello, feel free to call me. My direct number is 670-4054. Please keep in mind that between 8:30 and 9:15 can be very busy in the health office and it is probably not the best time to reach me. Emails are a great way to contact me; michelle_smoyer@webstercsd.org.
Welcome back to returning families and welcome to new families!!
Regards, Michelle Smoyer-Mallo, School Nurse