Back to School Update
Hello parents! Wednesday, August 28th is our first day of school for students in grades K-4. Pre-K will start on Tuesday, September 3rd. Our staff is ready to get started, and we hope your children are too! Here are a few reminders about school procedures.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Class assignments were emailed home on Thursday afternoon. Please contact the main office if you did not get an email from your child’s teacher.
BUS ROUTES
Bus routes are posted on the district website. You can follow the link below, then click "Mohegan". Some bus stops may have changed since last year, so be sure to check before your child comes to school.
http://www.sheltonpublicschools.org/transportation
Be aware that this year students will get an ID card that will have to swipe when they go on and off the bus. I was informed that students at the elementary schools will get a lanyard that can be attached to their backpacks for easy access. Information regarding this process was sent out with the bus route notice earlier this week. Please be patient as we begin this new procedure.
ARRIVAL AND PICK UP PROCEDURES GRADES K-4
For the first few days of school, please be patient with our arrival and dismissal procedures. We have new staff, new parents and new students that need to learn the routines. Buses are typically a little delayed and walker pick up lines are long. Our number one priority is ensuring that your child gets home safely, so thank you in advance for your patience.
The front driveway is for SCHOOL BUS DROP OFF ONLY. If you bring your children to school in the morning, please drive around to the back of the school. There are two lanes going into the back lot of Mohegan School. Stay in the double lanes until you merge into one in the back. Please stay in your car and follow the loop around the parking lot. There will be staff members out there to help guide traffic. Staff members will help children out of the car and guide them into school.
Parents are not allowed into the building through this entrance.
Cars in the drop off loop must pull all the way up, signaled by our staff. We request that parents stay in their cars and have the student leave the vehicle from the passenger side back door. We try to make this quick and easy for families and avoid a back-up on Mohegan Road.
For safety reasons, only students are allowed to enter the building during morning drop off. All students are expected to be in their seats by 9:00am or are considered tardy (if not arriving to school via bus). If the drop off doors are closed, please drive around to the front of the school. We know this procedure will go a little slow until parents and students are familiar with the routines, so please be patient while waiting. No student will be marked tardy if there is a long drop off line.
LATE ARRIVALS
Any child arriving to school after 9:00am, MUST be accompanied by an adult and buzz-in at the main doors. A staff member will assist in signing your child in.
EARLY PICK UP
If an emergency occurs and you must pick up your child early, please pick up your child by 3:30 at the front entrance. Anyone picking up a child MUST show an ID. If you try to pick up your child after 3:30, we will ask you go around to the pick up line which will start at 3:45.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
If you wish your child to be in the parent pick up line, please send a note into the school. If we do not have a note, we assume the child will be going home on a bus.
Similar to arrival, parent pickup will occur in the back of the school. The front of the school is for BUSES ONLY during dismissal. Dismissal will begin at 3:45. Parents will pull around back, wait in line, and remain in their cars for dismissal. Anyone picking up a child at dismissal must have an ID. We need to verify that your child is being picked up by someone on the Infinite Campus profile. Parents will stay in line in their cars and your child will be brought outside to you. Again, please be patient for the first few days as pick up lines typically move slow as parents and staff adjust to the procedures.
PRE-K ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
Pre-K begins on September 3rd. AM Pre-K arrival coincides with arrival for the rest of MES. Pre-K parents will stay in their cars and pull around to the Pre-K drop off area in the back of the school near the Media Center. Staff members will be there to guide you. Pre-K parents will need to exit their car to unbuckle their children from the car seats and bring them to the door.
AM Pre-K pick up at 11:50 is in the back of the building at the cafeteria doors. Please drive carefully as recess may also be occurring at the same time. Parents will wait in line and can get out of the car to buckle their child in. MES Staff will not buckle children into their car seats.
PM Pre-K arrival at 12:50 is in the back of the building at the cafeteria doors. Please drive carefully as recess is also occurring at the same time.
PM Pre-K dismissal is at the same time as dismissal for the rest of MES. Pre-K parents will loop around to the pre-K pick up area near the Media Center and park their cars. Parents will get their children at the door and buckle their child in their car seat. MES Staff will not buckle children into their car seats. Once the Pre-K child is picked up, parents will then re-enter the K-4 MES pick up line and proceed to the exit.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is very important and we ask that if you are planning a family vacation that you utilize your school calendar when planning your trip. Work will not be handed out ahead of time for family vacations. Work will be completed when the child returns to school. Parents can excuse up to 9 absences themselves. Any absences beyond 9 must be approved by a medical professional (Doctor, PA, Dentist, etc).
DISTRICT CALENDAR
The district calendar is on the district website under the District Info tab. Please use this calendar as you plan your year. We ask that families coordinate their family vacations around the school calendar so students do not miss school and fall behind. A link to the calendar is also here.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
Shelton Public Schools are returning to its regular food service program. This means that breakfast and lunch will be available for sale daily. Parents may apply for Free or Reduced lunch prices based on their income. Prices are listed below:
Breakfast - $2.00
Reduced Breakfast - $0.30
Lunch - $3.45
Reduced Lunch - $0.40
If you would like a hard copy of the application, please contact the secretaries in the main office. An electronic version of the application can be found at the end of the newsletter.
The August Lunch menu is also attached at the end of this newsletter.
SCHOOL HOURS
Regular Day
Grades K-4 9:00am - 3:45pm
AM Pre-K 9:00am - 11:50am
PM Pre-K 12:50pm - 3:45pm
Scheduled Early Dismissal
Grades K-4 9:00am - 1:50pm
AM Pre-K 9:00am - 11:05am
PM Pre-K 11:45am - 1:50pm
Weather Related Early Dismissal
Grades K-4 9:00am - 1:50pm
AM Pre-K 9:00am - 11:20am
PM Pre-K NO SESSION
2 Hour Delayed Opening
Grades K-4 11:00am - 3:45pm
AM Pre-K NO SESSION
PM Pre-K 12:50pm - 3:45pm
TECHNOLOGY POLICY
At the bottom of the newsletter is the Acceptable Use Policy which pertains to any student using the district computers and school internet network. The policy reviews appropriate internet and computer use etiquette and consequences if those protocols are not followed. This is for all students. A sign off sheet will be sent home with your child. You can view the entire policy in the attached PDF. Should you wish a hard copy, please contact the main office.
PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY USE
Personal electronic devices are not allowed at Mohegan Elementary School. Students will use district provided computers for any necessary work; these laptops will not go home with the child.
No use of a cell phone/smartwatch or other personal communication device will be permitted during school hours. These devices must be turned off or on silent and left in backpacks. Smartwatches may not be worn during school hours. Please do not try to call or text your child at school. If you need to give them a message, please call the main office.
If a child is found to have a cell phone on them or if it rings and disrupts the class, progressive discipline steps will be taken:
First Infraction: Device given to an adult and returned to the student at the end of the day. A parent will be notified.
Second Infraction: Device is given to administration. A parent must come to the school to pick up the device.
Third Infraction: Device is given to administration. A parent must come to the school for the device. Parent meeting to discuss further consequences.
SUMMER WORK
Students were asked to complete the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge and Shelton’s Summer Math Challenge. All paperwork needs to be submitted to school by Friday, September 6th for a special reward (there was an error with the due date in the previous newsletter).
PTO NEWS
I want to thank the PTO for having a muralist come in to paint a new Mohegan Mustang mural in our main hallway. It is a wonderful way to show our Mohegan Pride and brighten up the hallways!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Please see the attached community fliers below.
We look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday, August 28th for a great opening day of school!
Mr. John Coppola
Mohegan School Principal
