Dear Sheldon Families,

Happy Monday! We hope you all enjoyed the 3 day weekend!

If you have further questions after reading, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

See below for an invitation to Sheldon's Promotion Ceremonies for our 4 year old students heading to Kindergarten next year! We do still have a full school day on the 19th following ceremonies, as well as a full day for the last day of school on May 20th. Please plan for your student to remain at school after their ceremony and to attend the last day of school.

Topeka Public Schools has summer program offerings available in June to any preschool student who attended in a TPS program in the 24-25 school year. Students MUST BE fully potty-trained. This summer program will be held at Shaner Early Learning Academy. Click this link for more information on dates, fees, and registration. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Additionally, there is a summer program available at the Deer Creek Community Center. See more information below. Reach out to Mrs. Tanner if you would like a printed copy of the full summer program packet.

Due to the number of inclement weather days, TPS will be using some of the days built into the calendar the last week of May. The last day of school for TPS students will be May 29 as a half day. Sheldon's last day of school will also be adjusted. Our last day will be a full day on Tuesday, May 20th with Promotion for our 4 year old students being on May 19th.

We are SO EXCITED to have been chosen as a ShareFest site this year! This group of community volunteers will be completing several projects to beautify our outdoor space. Families and staff are encouraged to volunteer that day. If you are available and interested, please register using the link in the graphic above. Scroll down and sign up for Sheldon. *No children under the age of 12. Thank you in advance for your support!

Our next staff meeting is Thursday, April 24th. I can't wait to share more shout-outs with staff! It is such a positive start to our day sharing these!

This form will be live for the rest of the school year. Feel free to submit your shout-outs and then we will print them, read them out loud at our monthly staff meeting, and provide the printed note to that staff member. Thank you for taking a moment to highlight the hard work our staff does daily!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, Autism Awareness Month, Libraries in Schools Month, Occupational Therapy Month, and Volunteer Appreciation Month

April 21-May 2: Spring myIGDIs Assessment (4 year old students)

April 21-25: Sheldon Shark Week

April 22: Donuts with Dudes @ 8:45 (see flyer below)

April 22: Earth Day

April 22: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

April 22: StoryTime with Boomer Bear

April 23: Administrative Assistants Day (THANK YOU, Ms. Jerri!)

April 24: StoryTime with Boomer Bear

April 28: NO SCHOOL!

We will be doing an A-Z Countdown to Summer this year. Details for each day are below. Of course, participation is voluntary!

The Topeka Public Schools Online Registration link is live. Register TODAY for the 2025-2026 school year!

*Preschool Registration is part of the district registration and is found on the same link. Students who will be 3 or 4 years of age on or before August 31st can register for preschool. All preschool students will be placed at "Quinton Heights" until the Early Childhood Enrollment team has processed applications, ensure students qualify, and assign to specific schools.

*Students registering for Kindergarten will be assigned to their home elementary schools.

All students must register, even if you will be returning for the second year of preschool. If you have questions or need help through the process, please reach out to our Preschool Enrollment team at preschool@tps501.org or 785-438-6899.

Please note required immunizations for the 25-26 school year, pictured below.

Monday-Thursday: 9:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 9:00 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 9:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 9:15 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 9:15 AM. Students arriving after 9:15 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 10:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 10:15 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 10:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 10:30 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 10:30 AM. Students arriving after 10:30 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Late Start is on FRIDAYS for this school year and the arrival time will be at 10:15. This is for every Friday that school is in session.

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 Program Management & Program Governance. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!

Communication With Families

POLICY:1302.50

Program staff will ensure consistent communication with families.

PROCEDURE:

1. Both management and teaching staff routinely share details regarding education, special needs, health, dental, nutrition, mental health, family services, and safety with Head Start parents.
2. Information is conveyed to parents through various published media, including: parent handbooks, the school website, Facebook, flyers and handouts, bulletin board and marquee postings, Policy Council meetings, newsletters, personalized letters, email, automated phone calls, and automated texts.
3. Additionally, Head Start staff communicate verbally with parents through: home visits, parent/teacher conferences, informal discussions in classrooms or centers, and phone calls.

This handbook includes important information about Sheldon Head Start including our mission and vision, policies and procedures.

Please take time to review this handbook.

Sheldon Head Start follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar. The only exceptions are a later start date and earlier end date. The first day of school for Sheldon students is Wednesday, August 21st. The last day of school for Sheldon students will be May 20th.

Our Sheldon Head Start Facebook page is active! We use this as a way to communicate with families and share many pictures. Please follow the page to stay updated!

@SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart

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

Check out this website for free or affordable mental health resources and supports.

Check out this excellent packet of community resources available, provided by the City of Topeka.

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