Dear PRS Community,

            Happy Birthday Philip R Smith School!!  This year will be one of reflection and celebration as we look back on fifty years of excellence in education at PRS.  Our community has a rich history and an exciting future.  The PTO is forming a committee to plan fun and exciting events to honor our fiftieth birthday.  If you would like to join please contact one of our PTO presidents or the school office.  

            I look forward to seeing all of you at Meet and Greet on Monday, August 31, from 8:00-8:45 AM.  All of our staff will be here with smiling faces to greet your family. 

The Time is Now…to set goals for a successful school yearJ

Enthusiastically,

Laura Stuart-Wonderlie

Laura Stuart-Wonderlie

Principal

A Celebration of PRS Families September 25

You are invited to join us for a new family event at PRS.  “A celebration of our families” this event will include a gallery of posters representing each family and a potluck supper featuring family favorite dishes.  We hope you will join us for a wonderful evening with family and friends.   This will be a great way for you to connect with old friends and make new ones.  We need your help to make this event a success.  First we would like you to make a poster that introduces your family to the PRS community.  Second decide upon a dish that represents your family to bring to the potluck dinner.  Included are some guidelines for clarification purposesJ

Family Poster Gallery Guidelines:

1.     Not larger than 9 by 12

2.    Family Name/names large in center

3.    Present your family to the community

a.    Hobbies

b.    Traditions

c.    Pets

d.    Photos

e.    Words

f.    Your creative idea J

4.    Send poster to school on the first day.

Potluck Guidelines September 25

Bring a favorite dish that represents your family’s tastes and/or culture.

(If you have children in more than one grade please choose one)

Kindergarten-Grade 1

·         Appetizer

Grade 2-Grade 3

·         Entree

Grade 4-Grade 5

·         Dessert

We hope to have all our families’ participate.

Open House September 30

Open House will continue as an event for adults only.  Meet and Greet will remain a family event, but Open House is an event for adults only.  The purpose of open house will be to provide information for the adults about the classroom environment, curriculum expectations and rituals and routines for the upcoming school year.    It will allow the classrooms teachers time to fully communicate with all of you and help all of us to have a successful school year together.  A schedule will be sent home with students in early September.                                                 

BREAKFAST/LUNCH AT SCHOOL

Information will be mailed to you by the South Windsor Schools Food Service Department. Feel free to call them at 291-1230, if necessary.  Food service will be available at meet and greet to update student accounts.

TRANSPORTATION/BUSING

Please check the newspapers for bus schedules. Bus numbers and stops are printed in the Reminder.  You may also visit our website for bus information. www.southwindsorschools.org

Ø  Special Transportation Requests will be processed through Friday, August 21.   Again this year, no Special Transportation Requests or Emergency Bus Passes will be approved during the week before school starts and during the first week of school thereafter, please allow three days to process a special transportation request.  There will be no exceptions to this policy.

Ø  Kindergarten and first grade children - will receive in the mail an identification tag, listing their name, address, bus number and address to which they are bused.  These identification tags must be worn to school each day during the first two weeks of school.

Ø  Children should be at their bus stops half an hour before school begins.  We encourage parents to allow their children to take the bus beginning with the first day of school.    An adult should be visible at mid-day kindergarten drop-off or the child will be brought back to school. 

Ø  If you occasionally must drive your children to school, please park in either of the two parking lots, even if you only plan to be here for a few minutes.  Vehicles may not park in front of school or in the circle where buses line up.

The police have also requested us to remind all drivers that State law prohibits vehicles from driving past buses which have their red lights flashing, and that includes buses in the circle.

DISMISSAL

Ø  Dismissal during the day:  If a child is being picked up from school during the day, we must have a written request (no phone calls, please, unless it’s an emergency) stating what time the child is being picked up, and by whom.  Please report to the office and the child will be called down.

Ø  Early dismissal – 3:40 p. m. this year, since we are a late opening school.  – Again, send a written request to school stating that you want your child dismissed at early dismissal time.  When you arrive, please wait in the lobby where they will meet you. A staff member will check the early dismissal list and ask you to sign them out.

FAMILY DIRECTORY

Again this year, we are providing each family with a directory listing the names of all students and their families alphabetically.  The directory will be compiled using the names, addresses, email and phone numbers as they appear in our student database.  We hope to have this directory ready for distribution by the end of September. If, for any reason, you do not wish to be included in the directory, please call the school office (648-5025) and let us know.

IMPORTANT DATES

August 31--Meet and Greet—8:00-8:45 a.m.

·         Parents and children attend

September 2--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

September 7 --Labor Day NO SCHOOL

September 9-- PTO Meet and Greet

September 19--PTO Meeting

September 25--Celebration of PRS Families

Gallery of family posters viewing and potluck supper

September 30--Open House (Adult only event)

October 12--Columbus Day NO SCHOOL

November 3--Professional Day NO SCHOOL

November 25--Abbreviated Day

November 26-27-- Thanksgiving recess

December 9, 10, 11--Conferences

We are a LATE School this year!!!

School Hours:  9:15 – 3:50

Kindergarten:  9:15-12:00 (p.m.)

                        1:05-3:50 (p.m.)