Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

School picture day is coming up quickly! Pine Ridge Prep's picture day will be THIS WEDNESDAY, September 22. Order information has been sent home and details regarding online ordering are below. Please be sure orders are sent in, with payment, this week!

Are you looking for a new job that would allow you to match your work schedule with your child's preschool schedule? Pine Ridge Prep is looking to hire a full-time classroom paraprofessional to work in one of our wonderful classrooms. If interested, please apply HERE.

Please ensure your children are coming to school with masks each day. It is a good idea to send a spare mask as well. We appreciate your support in ensuring students come to school prepared to learn and masks are essential to a safe learning environment. Additionally, please be sure your children are seated in the proper car seats, per Kansas law. If you need help with this, see the Family Resources section below!

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

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

Mrs. Shelley Banzhaf, Building Leader Intern

Pine Ridge Prep's Fall Individual Picture Day is on September 22! The flyer below provides details on the different packages that are available for order. You may order online, or pay by cash or check. If paying by cash, you must provide the EXACT amount. We will not be able to make change. If paying by check, please make the check out to Strawbridge Studios. Paying online is the easiest! We will collect orders and payments at the school beginning September 13 and ending on picture day, September 22. Paper order forms were sent home on Friday, September 10.

This link will allow you to sign up to receive updates via email regarding your child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.

Let us know if you have any questions!

At home visits you received information from your child's teacher regarding completing the ASQs. This is an important measure that we are required to complete each year. The links were resent to you yesterday. Please be sure you are getting this completed. Let us know if you need the link again or need support completing this screener. Thank you!

Please be sure you are communicating with the office or your child's teacher when your child is sick or has been exposed to COVID-19. We are following all Shawnee County Health Department guidance when it comes to evaluating students being at school. We are keeping careful track of students who are identified as having COVID, as a close or household contact to ensure quarantine periods are being followed. Your communication is critical in ensuring we have the information we need to keep everyone safe and healthy! This page on the Topeka Public Schools website provides the most up-to-date COVID information for our families.

If your child takes medication at school, you will need to have your child's physician complete and sign a Request to Administer Medication form, which will need to be returned to Mrs. Banzhaf. Medication must be sent in the original packaging with the original label. If your child needs meal modifications due to medical restrictions, please complete and return the attached form.

Please be sure you send an extra set of clothes (bottom, top, underwear, socks) with your student on the first day of school, in case of accidents. Make sure they are appropriate for the current weather.

Pine Ridge Prep will be using a car line arrival and dismissal process again this year. It will take us a few days to get it down, but if you give us grace during that time, I ensure that we will be a well-oiled machine by the end of the second week of school! Our highest priority is student safety so we will take our time to ensure the safety of all. The number one thing I have learned over the years is that when everyone follows the rules, the system works, and works quickly!

The maps below highlight the traffic flow for the car line and for families who walk up. Please remember that we are located in a fairly compact neighborhood. We want to ensure we are respectful of all Pine Ridge Prep's neighbors by following speed limit and other traffic signs and by not blocking driveways.

The picture above shows the proper way to enter the neighborhood to join the car line. Cars will enter SE Highland from SE 10th. Vehicles will stop in front of their assigned building (Owl, Deer, Rabbit) to drop off their student. Vehicles will continue on SE Highland to exit the car line.

Walkers will approach the school from the intersection of SE Highland and SE Gilmore.

Footsteps2Brilliance (F2B) is a Pre-K through 3rd grade literacy solution that utilizes mobile technology to connect school, home, and the community for academic success. Its innovative Mobile Technology Platform allows comprehensive literacy apps to be accessed online or offline from any mobile device (Apple or Android) or traditional computer. Families can use this resource at home, even without an internet connection, once the app has been downloaded. Take a look at these informational flyers and this short video in English or Spanish for details!

Above are two different QR codes with some great information pertaining to car seat safety and drug abuse within the home and how it relates to children. You can download many free QR readers to your phone and when you scan the code it will take you directly to the websites.

We have seen in the news recently about many children and caregivers not surviving car accidents because they were not properly restrained. Unintentional accidents is the leading cause of death among children. We have a great resource we use to obtain car seats - if you need assistance with this, please reach out! Also, please remember that the car seat needs to be properly restrained within the vehicle, and you must have the proper number of seatbelts per people in the car.

After alcohol, marijuana use is the most commonly used psychotropic drug (drugabuse.gov). In Kansas, it is illegal to drive under the influence of a combination of alcohol and any drug(s) to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving a vehicle (Kansas State Legislature).

Please let us know if you need any referrals as we work together to keep children healthy and safe.

The Topeka Public Schools Board of Education voted on August 5th to follow the CDC Universal masking guidelines to start the school year. This means that masks will be required indoors for all staff, students, and visitors regardless of vaccination status. Masks will not be required during outside times. Please be sure you send your student to school with a clean face mask each day. This is part of their required dress code and we appreciate your assistance with ensuring we are providing a safe environment for our students! We will also be continuing with frequent handwashing/sanitation, disinfection protocols, and maintaining a social distance of 3 feet. Follow this link to view the entire "TPS Safe to Return to School Plan".

Late Start has moved back to FRIDAYS for this school year and the arival time will be at 10:10. The first late start of the year will be our second day of school, August 20th.

You can find the 2021-2022 Academic Calendar HERE.

Family Service and Guidance Center is hosting a 12 session series for parents of an autistic child. The flyer is attached here.

The Nest, Pine Ridge Prep's food and clothing bank, is up and running! Ms. Heather is available to assist families with needs. You can reach her at 785-329-7876.

September is Baby Safety Awareness Month! Child injury is predictable and preventable. 2019 Kansas Vital Statistics data shows that unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, with most of these injuries being preventable. Please see this link and the pictures below for information and resources.

Are you receiving the amount you should for Child Tax Credit? This tool will help you determine what your payment should be.

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.

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

English and Spanish

Website: https://www.topekapublicschools.net/pine-ridge-prep
Location: 1110 SE Highland Ave.
Phone: 785-329-7870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineRidgePrep/
Twitter: @PinePrep