Sheldon Update

Dear Sheldon Families,

Have a wonderful week! February will be a busy month with several different activities going on. Stay tuned for next week's newsletter with A LOT of new information!

Click here to access the 2023-2024 Family Handbook.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

January 25: Fire Safety Lesson

January 29: Kansas Day

January 30: TSCPL StoryTime

Does your family have a need for a computer in order for you student to continue learning activities or engage with the school? USD501 has Chromebooks available for families through a grant with the FCC. If you are interested, please reach out to Mrs. Tanner.

All students should have received their blue Sheldon Sharks t-shirt. We encourage students to join us in wearing their Sheldon shirt EVERY FRIDAY of the school year!

Monday through Thursday: 9:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Arrival begins: 9:15 a.m.

Arrival ends: 9:30 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 9:35 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:45 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 4:00 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m.)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 10:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Arrival begins: 10:15 a.m.

Arrival ends: 10:30 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 10:35 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:45 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 4:00 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m.)

Blood testing is something to consider in children ages 12-24 months, and up to 6 years old. How do you go about getting the blood lead test? The pediatrician will order the test, and it will require a blood draw, usually via finger or heel prick. See the picture below for more information on how to keep kids safe from lead.

As the weather begins to cool, we want to remind families and staff of school closing notification procedures. When making decisions about closing school, a number of factors come into play, including the safety of travel but also the safety of students who will be home during the day.

Should school be canceled, we will:

• Send a text, email, and/or phone call via SchoolMessenger
• Update the district social media pages
• Update the district website
• Contact our local media partners

To sign up for text message updates, text Y to 67587. To learn more about school delays and closures, please review our How We Communicate With Families document.

Sheldon Head Start follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar.

Each week the Sheldon staff reviews one of our Head Start Policies & Procedures and felt it was important that families stay up to date on these as well. This quarter our focus is on Family Service and Parent Involvement. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!

**At this time, we are conducting a review and update of all Sheldon Head Start Policies & Procedures. We will resume including these in the weekly newsletter when all updates are complete and approved by the Policy Council and Board of Education.

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.

The 2024 LIEAP application period will begin December 18, 2023 and will continue until the close of business on Friday, March 29, 2024. Once the application period begins, you can apply online by clicking on "Apply for Services" at the top of this page. If you would rather receive a paper application or if you have questions about an application you've submitted, you can call 1.888.369.4777. Click here for more information and the application.

Take a look at the Topeka Resources Checklist. This is very helpful for planning! This is a list of possible resources to help you stretch your dollars and avoid economic emergencies. Place a check beside the ones you are using or have used.

You can find the link to the 2021 Community Resources Council Resource Directory here. This directory provides contact information for a variety of community resources.

If in need of resources, you can also contact the United Way by dialing 211.

See the following links for Food Pantry resources available to families.

English and Spanish

Website: https://sheldon.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1155 SW Seabrook Ave.
Phone: 785-438-4530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart