Kingsley ES Principal Newsletter
August 8, 2021
"Individually Unique, Together Complete"
Thank You, Kingsley Comets!!
Both students and teachers are very excited about being back in school face-to-face. Teachers reviewed processes, procedures, routines, and expectations with students. We will continue to prioritize safety first. On a daily basis, we will work to ensure that our students have on masks and are wearing them properly, wash their hands regularly, classrooms are sanitized, and students are distanced to the greatest extent possible.
Our students have been reacclimatized to the school environment and are ready to begin the learning process. Our safe school dismissal process has become more efficient over the course of the week and we will continue to fine tune the process so that operational efficiency is parallel to student safety.
Your patience and flexibility this past week are appreciated as we carefully received and dismissed students that returned face-to-face. Thank you for your continued support and partnership!
Water Bottles
Virtual Curriculum Night, PTO Meeting, and Title 1 Meeting
STEAM News
Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
We are so excited to have kids back in the STEAM Lab this school year! We are going to continue STEAMing ahead at Kingsley!!! This week, our focus was Teamwork. Make sure you talk to your kids about teamwork and how it is important to work together to help each other succeed! The kiddos will be using this skill in the STEAM Lab.
This week they completed their first STEAM challenge of the school year - Saving Fred. They could not use their hands to touch Fred (the gummy worm), the boat (the cup), or the life jacket (the round gummy) with their hands. They could only use paper clips to move the items around! They rocked this challenge!
Check out our kids and their teamwork!!!
The STEAM Lab Needs your help!!!
We need recyclable materials:
- cardboard boxes - Shoe boxes, snack boxes, cereal boxes, etc.
- toilet paper OR paper towel tubes
IMPORTANT DISTRICT UPDATE
Out of an abundance of caution and due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, we will continue the visitor protocol that was in place for the 2020-2021 school year.
Visitors and volunteers will not be permitted in buildings until further notice. We will continue to monitor conditions and data provided by the Department of Public Health (DPH), the DeKalb County Board of Health (DBOH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). It is our sincere hope that conditions will improve, and we will be able to reopen our doors and benefit from the value that our committed volunteers add to our schools and centers.
We appreciate each of our volunteers and community partners. In the interim, we will look for and we invite you to help us identify opportunities for volunteers to support our school community virtually.
What Does This Mean For Kingsley Elementary?
1. First day of school- No parent(s) will be able to walk their students into the building. We will have staff members outside in the halls to help walk students to class. Please know that our KES staff is ready to help our youngest with this transition.
2. Volunteers- No visitors or volunteers are allowed in the school until the district changes the above guidance.
3. Supply drop off- There will be a supply table set up outside for school supplies. The KES staff will get them to the classroom. In order to make this process work, please make sure supplies are organized as follows:
- Condense supplies into as a few bags as possible (supplies must be in a bag/box).
- Label each bag with student name, grade level, and teacher name.
- If any supplies can fit into your child's book bag, this will be helpful.
4. Missed Open House/ Registration: We will serve these families in the Media Center a few at a time. Our registration will be Monday (8/2/2021), Tuesday (8/3/2021), Thursday (8/5/2021) from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. We do ask for patience for this process. Staff will walk students to their classroom.
5. Dismissal: No parents are allowed inside. Students will exit the building once dismissed. We will make sure your child has their Family ID hangtags available starting Tuesday.
6. Kingsley's After School Program (ASEDP) pick up: Parents will ring the bell at the front door of the school, and someone will be ready to assist you with pickup. Please have your ID ready to show.
Please know we are a team. Together we are going to have a great year. It is important that we take these extra steps for the safety of all our students and staff. Thank you for your understanding and support.
COVID SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Safety is our top priority. Masks are required for all students inside the building and on school buses. Masks will be provided to students who do not have one. All students will receive sanitizer as they enter the school building each day. Classrooms and restrooms will be sanitized throughout the day and at the end of each day. Students will socially distance to the greatest extent possible throughout each day. Students should bring a reusable water bottle to school each day and a yoga mat/blanket for eating lunch outside. Reusable water bottles can be used at our bottle refilling stations throughout the building.
*Please review the student/parent handbook for more information about our COVID Safety Precautions.
2021-2022 AFTER SCHOOL EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM (ASEDP)
We have open slots for our ASEDP which is available Monday-Friday from 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM and each day that school is in session. The ASEDP program offers the following:
- Homework help
- Recess
- Enrichment Activities
- Snacks
Our checkout system will be done through QR codes, therefore, bring your ID and your phone to the front door to scan the QR code.
Please contact our ASEDP Director, Pamela Jones, if you have questions:
HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED AND REVIEWED THE 2021-2022 STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK?
A comprehensive student/parent handbook was developed over the summer that outlines our school policies and procedures.
***Please download the handbook using the attachment below or click on the QR code below and save it to refer to throughout the school year.
KES School Supply Lists
Please click on the link below or visit our school website to retrieve school supply lists. http://kingsleyes.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
If you ordered the school supply box at the end of the school year, it has been delivered to your child(ren)'s homeroom teacher.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY ID HANGTAG?
Car Riders/Walker:
Family ID hangtags are required to be visible in your car (carpool) or hand (walkers) during dismissal.
If you are in need of a family ID hangtag, you may pick it up any weekday 8:00 AM - 1:30 PM from the school. Please email Mrs. Bari marian_lamson@dekalbschoolsga.org or Mrs. Yazmin Acevedo yazmin_acevedo-mendez@dekalbschoolsga.org .
SILENT DISMISSAL SYSTEM
An Inside Look into Afternoon Dismissal! Does it take longer? Yes. More importantly, is it safer? Yes! We will no longer use holding areas or call students in groups to dismiss. Students are all dismissed directly from their classroom. We started our dismissal system in March of 2021 when students returned back for face-to-face learning. The dismissal system ensures a safe exit for all. We use a live spreadsheets on all classroom Promethean boards. We have staff members stationed all over the school grounds working on the spreadsheets to dismiss students and ensuring students stay distanced and get to the right location. Once students see their name pop up on the spreadsheet, they exit the class. Bus riders are dismissed using the silent dismissal system. We have improved our dismissal system and will continue to make the process better. Thank you so much for your patience as we dismiss students safely from our school into your care.
Carpool Guidelines
Parents are encouraged to use carpool when dropping off their child for school. Parents should not drop off students on Brendon Drive in the morning
- Get in the carpool line by 7:05 AM (morning) and 2:05 PM (afternoon) to ensure that you get through the line quickly.
- Be kind to the carpool staff that are taking their time to keep all children safe.
- Do not park on the opposite side of the street and send your child across the street alone.
- Do not drop off your child in front of the school during morning arrival.
2021-2022 BUS ROUTES
Bus routes can be found on the district website. https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/bus-routes/
Each bus is associated with a color (red, yellow, green, or blue):
Route 733 - Blue
Route 734 - Yellow
Route 735 - Green
Route 736 - Orange
Route 737 - Red
Route 738 - Purple
**The times you see listed on the bus routes are for the morning only. The bus runs in the reverse order (route) taking students back home each afternoon. Buses generally leave the school by 2:30 PM.
If you have any questions related to DCSD school buses, please contact Mrs. Johnson lawanda_johnson@dekalbschoolsga.org or Mr. Morrison james_morrison@dekalbschoolsga.org .
SCHOOL UNIFORMS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED FOR STUDENTS
Fridays are designated as Spirit Days. Students may wear an Kingsley Elementary t-shirt or the color red or blue, with denim bottoms.
MEDICATION FORM
If your child needs to have medication administered at school, please download the form below and have your physician to complete it.
You may drop off the medication and the documents for the medication on the first day back to school. A staff member will meet you at the front entrance of the school to collect the documents and medication or you may place the form and medication in a Ziploc bag clearly labeled with your child's first/last name and grade. You may send it by the student with the necessary document. Inform the teacher and Nurse Thomas (email address below) that these items are in your child's backpacks and we will be sure Nurse Thomas receives them.
Please feel free to reach out to Nurse Thomas by email or you may call the school 678.874.8902 if you have any questions. brenda_thomas@dekalbschoolsga.org .
We Have The BEST PTO! Have You Joined? Register with the PTO Website/Membership Toolkit.
Want to make sure you are up to date on all school news? Register with the PTO today!
1. Register with the PTO website/Membership Toolkit (this will ensure you receive PTO/Kingsley Newsletters).
(If you are a returning Kingsley family, update your information as necessary!)
2. Pay your School Dues of $40 per student to help with supplies, teacher stipends for materials, etc.
3. Donate to the Kingsley Annual Fund. Annual Fund donations help for major projects such as the recent playground renovation and the remodeling of the teacher's lounge.
Remember registering with the PTO website/Membership Toolkit ensures you’ll receive the PTO/Kingsley newsletter--- you need this newsletter--- it has LOTS of information about virtual school and other fun activities for your students!
Here’s the website: https://kingsleypto.membershiptoolkit.com/
FALL 2021 PRINCIPAL'S ADVISORY COUNCIL (PAC) ELECTIONS
What is the role of the Principal Advisory Council?
- Act as a link between the school and the community
- Encourage the engagement of parents and other stakeholders within the school community
- Work to increase student achievement through transparent operations and shared best practices
- Review the Continuous School Improvement Plan and monitor progress toward goals
- Participate in the selection of the school principal
Complete the form below to run for a position on your school’s Council.
Parent/Guardian Candidate Declaration Form (Spanish Translation Included)
If you declare your name, please email Dr. Harris-Thompson at tyra_harris-thompson@dekalbschoolsga.org with your bio and picture. Thank you!
Updates on DCSD Mask Wearing Protocols
DCSD MASK PROTOCOL (UPDATED JULY 12TH)
DeKalb County School District is committed to providing safe learning environments for students and staff. DCSD has amended the masks protocol to all students, staff, and visitors must wear a mask indoors. Students must wear masks on the bus. You can find the protocol here or below.
SCHOOL MEALS - Lunch Update
Breakfast and lunch are served each day of school. All meals are FREE through the 2021-2022 school year. Please review the School Cafe flyer below.
Students will be eating lunch in the cafeteria this year. ALL students will have access to free meals for the 2021/2022 school year. However, we ask that families who qualify for free and reduced lunch complete a lunch form so Kingsley can receive the funding associated with the program. The cafeteria is hoping to start selling a la carte items so please set up a School Cafe account for your child at schoolcafe.com if you would like your child to have the option to purchase additional a la cart items different from the provided school lunch.
Breakfast and lunch menus can always be found on this website: https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/school-nutrition/menus/
Please contact our Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Cataline Moreno-Ortega, if you have questions: catalina_moreno-ortega@dekalbschoolsga.org
2021-2022 SCHOOL CALENDAR
The school calendar is set by the Dekalb County School District. Please click the link below to view the 2021-2022 school calendar.
Sign up for School Messenger to stay informed with Kingsley ES and DCSD news and updates.
We are Kingsley Elementary School where our staff and students strive for the best and never accept anything less.
Email: tyra_harris-thompson@dekalbschoolsga.org
Website: http://kingsleyes.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 2051 Brendon Drive, Dunwoody, GA, USA
Phone: (678) 874-8902
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingsleyElementarySchool/
Twitter: @KingsleyComets