SME eBlast: 8/8/21
Important announcements from the SME Principal, PTA and AFB!
Principal Lewis' Sunday Update for the week of 8/9/21
School starts this Thursday, August 12th at 7:50am!
Hello SME families, this is Mrs. Lewis, your principal! The 2021-22 school year is here and we are ready to go! We are excited to have your kiddos back in person and begin our journey of re-building relationships, re-kindling a love of learning, and re-booting our high excellence in academics. Although not how I envisioned a start to this year, we will once again persevere and make it a great year! Please have your kiddo begin wearing their mask around the house this week so they have the stamina to make it all day with a mask starting on Thursday. All staff and students will wear masks at all times while inside the school building.
Please check the SMORE for details on all of the upcoming dates and announcements for this week:
August 10-11 - Teachers return for virtual Professional Development and classroom set-up.
August 11 – Parent Portal teacher assignment access goes live at 4pm. Check the school website sme.pusd.us and Parent Portal for all school information. All class placements will be viewable from Parent Portal. If you do not yet have a Parent Portal Account, fill out this access form and email back to tarry.georgina@pusd.us
August 11 – Welcome New Kinders & Welcome Back Social at Memorial Park. Kinders from 4:30-6:00pm and 1st-5th from 5:30-7:00pm
August 11 – New families to SME, self-guided tour of the campus from 6:00-7:00pm
August 12 - Welcome Back to School for all students. School begins at 7:50 a.m.
August 12 – Coffee + Tea + Me at 8:30am on the front grass lawn for parents/guardians.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Arrival - Student drop-off will be on all three sides of the campus, by grade level. You may either drive up, or park and walk up to the entrance. If you have more than one kiddo, please drop off all of your kiddos at the youngest grade level entrance. There will be a daily screening protocol that PUSD is working on and will be communicated with everyone as soon as the system and protocol is confirmed.
Kinder Drop-off Location- Hermosa Ave.
Please drive going east on Highland and then wait to turn left/North on Hermosa.
1st, 2nd and 3rd grades Drop-off Location-Highland Ave.(in front of the school)
Please drive north on Auburn from Sierra Madre BLVD or West on Highland Ave. Drop-off will be at the sidewalk at the bottom of the stairs.
4th and 5th grades Drop-off Location- Auburn Ave.(at the compass gate)
Please drive going South on Auburn and pull over against the curb AFTER the staff parking lot gate entrance.
Students may get dropped off between 7:35-7:45am and will be taken to their teacher. After the first two days, students in grades 1-5 will walk up to the playground and wait for their teacher. All Kinder students will be escorted directly to their classroom. Students may arrive as early as 7:35 when general student supervision begins. School begins promptly at 7:50.
Dismissal - Student pick up at dismissal will be in the same locations as drop off and can be done via car or walk-up. Tuesday through Friday dismissal is at 2:15pm and Monday is an early release at 12:35pm. Please be sure to use the posted crosswalks when crossing the street for the safety of all. Students not in an after-school enrichment program and not picked up from school by 2:30p.m, T-F, will be escorted into the office where they will need to be signed out.
Late Arrival/Early Pick Up - If you need to drop your student off after the bell has rung at 7:50am, all students must enter through the main entrance on Highland Ave. and check-in with the office to confirm health screening and to obtain a tardy slip. If you need to pick your child up early from school, you must come to the front of the school and call the office at 626-396-5890 and we will bring you the sign out book.
FAQ sheet
Please make sure you have read the Frequently Asked Questions about Reopening Slide Deck attached to the SMORE.
PTA Welcome Back/Social at Memorial Park
Please join PTA at Memorial Park on August 11th @4:30pm for our Kindergarten Play date followed by SME’s Welcome Back Social starting at 5:30pm-7pm. It’s a great way to welcome our new families and catch up with families we haven’t seen all summer. Kona ice will be there, 20% of the proceeds help support SME. Please wear a mask.
COFFEE + TEA + ME
Please join me on Thursday, August 12th at 8:30am to hear about the learning plan and schedule for this year, updates about SME and how you will get information digitally this school year. Please park your car across the street and wear a mask.
For more event information, please be sure to visit our school website at sme.pusd.us
And now for this week’s riddle. Why did the M&M go to school? Check the SMORE letter for the riddle answer at the bottom.
I’ll connect with you again through our digital Wednesday Folder and next Sunday! See you this Thursday!
Stay safe and healthy!
Bye Bye!
“Please join us at Memorial Park on August 11th @4:30pm for our Kindergarten Play date followed by SME’s Welcome Back Social starting at 5:30pm-7pm. It’s a great way to welcome our new families and catch up with families we haven’t seen all summer. Kona ice will be there, 20% of the proceeds help support SME. Since this is a school event, all attendees must wear a mask”.
“Please join me, Principal Lewis for our first Coffee+Tea+Me of the school year. August 12th @8:30am. Come hear about the 2021-2022 school year while having a chance to meet other families. Please make sure to wear your mask.
PTA Announcements
Our first PTA Meeting is on Wed. Aug. 18th at 6:30pm. Join us to learn about our plans for 2021-22, hear from Mrs. Lewis, & learn about volunteer opportunities. It will be a virtual Zoom meeting, so you'll need to register in advance at: https://zoom.us/j/97598571306?pwd=RGVVc3lYc1JOM0hTV2t2eDNNMEI2UT09
2021-2022 PTA Permission Slip & Waiver In order for your student to be able to participate in activities like the Jog-a-Thon, Family Dance and more, we need every student to have a permission slip completed and saved on file. Please take a moment to fill out this form online once you have your teacher assignment: https://forms.gle/ngQ6emfKNoLQS1Km7
Annual Fund Boosters(AFB)
SME's Annual Fund Boosters (AFB) has the big goal of raising $200,000 to fund our staff and programming needs - that's $375 per child. We can get there together if you'd please make your contribution to AFB's "All In For Fall" campaign! Our goal is 100% participation from all of our SME families, and donations of any amount are welcome. Go to tinyurl.com/smeafb2022 and support SME today!
Please visit the Annual Fund Facebook page to learn more about how you can help support SME!
Mrs. Lewis' Riddle
Answer: It wanted to be a Smartie!
Contact Info
Email: lewis.lindsay@pusd.us
Website: sme.pusd.us
Location: 141 W Highland Ave Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: 626-396-5890