Pine Ridge Prep Update

Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

Happy Monday! We are at the time of year when it is cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons. Please send students with a jacket or layers. Reminder, there is NO SCHOOL this Friday due to unused inclement weather days.

As stated in the Family Handbook, students must be signed in and out daily to ensure student safety. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE to drop students off at the curb and have them walk up to the classroom or office door by themselves. It is expected that every student is walked up to the building by an authorized person, 16 years or older.

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

March is Music in Our School Month, Youth Art Month, and Women's History Month

March 18: NO SCHOOL

March 19: Beginning of 4th Quarter

March 21: Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

April is Autism Awareness and Occupational Therapy Month

April 1-5: National Assistant Principal Week

April 3: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day; Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

April 6-12: Week of the Young Child

April 10: Class Picture Day

April 11: Kindergarten Orientation @ 5:30-6:30

April 14-20: National Volunteer Appreciation Week

April 17: Fire Drill

April 18: Advisors Excel Barnyard Event; Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

April 19: NO SCHOOL!!

April 21-27: Administrative Assistant Appreciation Week

April 22: Earth Day

April 24: Administrative Assistants Appreciation Day

April 28: National Superhero Day

April 29: NO SCHOOL!!

Pine Ridge Prep 4 year old students who will be attending Kindergarten next year are invited to attend Kindergarten Orientation on April 11th from 5:30-6:30 PM. Students are to attend with their family. Kindergarten Orientation will take place at your child's Kindergarten school. At P/T Conferences, you received information telling you where your child will attend next year based on your home address.

Pine Ridge Prep Class Picture Day will take place on April 10th. All students will receive one free group photo of their child's class. No orders are necessary.

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. Be on the lookout for more information in the upcoming weeks!

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

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We encourage all staff and students to WEAR BLUE on April 5th to promote the importance of child abuse prevention.

For students who will be going to Kindergarten next year, you received information about your child's home school during Parent/Teacher Conferences. If you would like to request a transfer to another Topeka Public Schools location, you will use this link. Deadlines for transfer requests to Scott Dual Language Magnet and Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet are March 9th. All other transfer requests must be submitted by March 31st.

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 these cool parent newsletters available from PBS!

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