Pine Ridge Prep Update

Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

Happy Monday! It's hard to believe that we are in our last couple weeks of school! As a reminder, the last day of school for Pine Ridge Prep student's is Tuesday, May 21st. It will be a half day of school ending at 11:30. We will not serve lunch on the last day. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. At Pine Ridge Prep, we know that all of our staff are teachers and we celebrate them all during this week! Today I made a post on our Facebook celebrating our staff. We would LOVE if you would add comments and shout-outs highlighting staff who have made your experience at Pine Ridge Prep a positive one!

Click here to access the 2023-2024 Family Handbook.

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. Kim Meyers-Lopez, Building Leader

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May 6-12: Teacher Appreciation Week; Screen Free Week

May 7: Teacher Appreciation Day; DCAC @ 6:30

May 9: AE Barnyard Event @ 10:00-12:30; Ice Cream Social @ 4:15-5:15

May 12: Mother's Day

May 15: Summer Kick-Off Celebration @ 4:30-6:00

May 16: Brown v. Board Commemorative Reception @ 4:30-6:00; Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

May 17: Pine Ridge Prep 4 Year Old Promotion Ceremony @ 1:30

May 18: National Speech & Language Pathologist Day

May 21: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - 1/2 Day with Dismissal at 11:30 (no lunch served)

Pine Ridge Prep Preschool will join thousands of schools, libraries, and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millions of Americans to turn off televisions, computers, and video games for seven days and turn on the world around them.

Screen-Free Week is a chance for children to:

• Read
• Play
• Think
• Create
• Be more physically active
• Spend more time with friends and family

Many grownups choose to join their kiddos in giving up screens all week long and engaging in other fun activities. This kind of support is helpful to your family’s experience.

Please enjoy the screen free activities provided for your child and family. We encourage you to send back the choice board with at least 5 boxes marked off, and your kiddo will get a reward!

Online registration for the 24-25 school year is now open. See the graphic below for more information. Please note, PK students will be assigned to Quinton Heights. This is NOT a school placement, but is a holding place for PK applications as the enrollment team processes them.

The last day of school for Pine Ridge Prep students will be May 21st, which will be a half day of school dismissing at 11:30. We will not serve lunch.

The Promotion Ceremony for our 4 year old students going to Kindergarten next year will be on Friday, May 17th at 1:30. See the invitation above for more information.

Topeka Public Schools is offering exciting summer school programs for the month of June! Pine Ridge Prep, Shaner, and Sheldon students are invited to apply to attend a summer program hosted at Shaner Early Learning Academy. There are additional enrichment opportunities available to PK students as well. To apply for the Shaner option or the district PK enrichment option, please see the information below. These programs are FREE to all TPS students and families! Register early as classes fill up quickly!

Click the link to view course offerings: https://tl.topekapublicschools.net/directory/summer_programs

Click the link for instructions on enrolling through ParentVue:

https://shorturl.at/iqxGN

Regular school attendance is one of the most important factors that determine school success.

The habit of attending school every single day begins with the preschool year(s).

Daily Absence Information:

• Parents/guardians should notify the school each day a student is absent by 9:15 a.m, by calling (785) 438-4530. If leaving a voicemail, please provide the student's name, classroom teacher and reason for absence. If the parent/guardian fails to notify the school, the school will attempt to contact the parent/guardian. The communication can be in a variety of methods, such as electronic communication, telephone call or in person. Home visits will be conducted if there has been no contact made after two days.
• All absences, including those excused, will count against a student’s attendance.
• The school encourages parents to schedule doctor and dental appointments after school hours, or on days when school is not in session.
• Parents/guardians may be required to submit supporting documentation in order to excuse the absence of their student if student absenteeism is excessive.
• Preschool absences are recorded in Synergy, the district's student information system. The expectation is that students attend school at least 90% of the time. If the student falls below 90% (excused or unexcused) a letter will be sent home. If this issue does not improve an official attendance plan will be put into place and/or a meeting with the school principal will be scheduled.

The Kansas State law specifically says that a student is truant if they have missed 3 unexcused days in a row, 5 unexcused days in a semester, or 7 unexcused days in a school year. Truancy may result in a report being filed with DCF.

Examples of Excused Absences:

• Personal illness or medical appointment
• Illness of an immediate family member
• Death in the immediate family or other emergency beyond the control of the family
• Religious holidays of the student’s religious faith
• Participation in a district approved or school sponsored activity or event
• Required court appearance or subpoena by a law enforcement agency
• Family vacation/Out of town (that have been pre-approved by the school principal)

Examples of Unexcused Absences:

• No contact by parent/guardian
• Oversleeping
• Personal grooming appointments (hair, nails, etc)
• Shopping/errands
• Suspension from school
• Family vacation/ Out of town that have not been pre-approved
• Missing the bus/ride

Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Arrival begins: 8:30 a.m.

Arrival ends: 8:45 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 8:50 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:30 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 3:45 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 3:45 p.m.)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Arrival begins: 9:30 a.m.

Arrival ends: 9:45 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 9:50 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:30 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 3:45 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 3:45 p.m.)

Before the first day of school, you will receive a newsletter that explains the arrival and dismissal procedures.

Pine Ridge Prep follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar.

Check out this WIBW article on car seat safety. This website has a lot of great information and resources, including on car seat safety.

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

Email: klopez@tps501.org
Website: https://pineridgeprep.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1120 Southeast Highland Avenue, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785-329-7870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineRidgePrep/
Twitter: @PinePrep