The Jim Plain Insider

We've had a great first few days of school! Just a reminder that Monday is "Independence Day" and students will be walking themselves into the building. We appreciate how you've helped prepare students for this by allowing your child to show you the way to their classroom. We'll have staff here ready to help students find their way on Monday in case they forgot. Remember school starts at 7:30, and the expectation is that students are in their class by the 7:30 bell. Please see important transportation reminders below. Have a great weekend!!

💖Mrs. Ulatoski

24-25 Academic Calendar

August 19

• Regular dismissal time begins: PreK at 2:40; Kinder-2nd at 2:45; 3rd-5th at 2:47

August 30

• PTA Back to School Bash & Movie Night - more info to come!

School Dismissal Manager is how campus staff knows how your child should go home each day. You should have received an email from School Dismissal Manager (SDM) on Tuesday to set up your account and designate your child's transportation information. In case you didn't receive the email, please go to the SDM website to create an account or sign in if you already have an account. You must create an account and designate your child's default dismissal method at the beginning of every school year. You will also use SDM to communicate transportation changes, called exceptions in their system. Here is a parent guide for more info!

We will begin blocking the front entrance on Monday (red area in above map) and it will only be opened for those that are in need of handicapped access.

Please be sure you follow our regular morning arrival procedures below. Students may enter the building starting at 7:10 am. Please be sure you are paying attention to crossing guards and street signage. We've seen an increase in cars parking in no-parking zones which causes traffic congestion and confusion for drivers. Be respectful of our crossing guards and staff. Yelling at them is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

See the map above for student drop off options. We strongly encourage the car rider line if you are driving your child(ren) to school. We have a great system and when cars pull all the way forward, we can get approximately 8 students out at a time. Your student(s) can walk right into the building, and you can stay in the comfort of your vehicle! Win, win!

Should you need to park and walk your child to the building, please park in the area in front of the school on S. Brook. The front parking lot is not for dropping students off at arrival unless you require the use of handicapped spaces. Do not move or drive around the barricades. If the spaces on S. Brook are full and you park on Coulee, please use the sidewalks and crosswalks in the front of the school and avoid walking through the parking lot and bus lanes.

Students and families walking to school will also use the front entrance on S. Brook. There are bike racks in the front of the building for bike riders. Only bus riders may use the school entrance near the bus lane, and only car riders may use the entrance near the car rider line. Do not drop off students in the bus lane or staff parking lots. This creates a safety concern for children who are unsupervised in these areas.

The front will be blocked off during dismissal beginning on Monday and will only be opened for those needing handicapped access.

We begin dismissing at our regular time this week. PreK will dismiss at 2:40. All other grade levels will begin dismissing at 2:45.

If you will be meeting your child at the front of the building, please allow Pre-K and Kindergarten families to meet their child(ren) under the awning in the front of the building. First grade - fifth grade families can meet their students in the grassy front area of the school by the flag poles. Again, please use the crosswalks and follow instructions from our crossing guards.

Should you need to park and walk to the building to meet your child, please park in the area in front of the school on S. Brook. The front parking lot is not for picking students off at dismissal unless you require the use of handicapped spaces. Do not move or drive around the barricades. If the spaces on S. Brook are full and you park on Coulee, please use the sidewalks and crosswalks in the front of the school and avoid walking through the parking lot and bus lanes.

For the 24-25 school year, all bus riders need to register for bus transportation. Please follow this link to register your child for bus transportation!

Please make sure you do the following to ensure you are receiving timely information from us:

• Make sure your email addresses are correct and up-to-date in Home Access Center
• Subscribe for email and/or text delivery of Reminds - Remind is how we send the Plain Insider to all families each week as well as other campus information! Remind makes it easy to choose how you receive these messages. Please make sure you are set up and that notifications are turned ON so you don't miss anything!
• Read the Plain Insider (this newsletter) every Friday for communication on events as well as instructional updates (comes via Remind!)
• Follow Plain Elementary on Facebook
• Read all weekly emails from teachers
• Bookmark the Plain website for additional information and events

Please see this document with more information and numbers for who to call if your MySchoolBucks isn't working!

Leander ISD will now use MySchoolBucks for cafeteria purchases.

To Get Started:
1) Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
2) Create your free account and add your students using their school name/student ID

3) View cafeteria purchases and add funds using your credit/debit card or electronic checkclick on REGISTER or LOGIN to create and go to your student’s account. You will need to select the application "My School Bucks", then Get Started to add your students. If applying for free/reduced lunch please start a meal application.

Prices

• Student Free Breakfast: $0.00
  
• Student Reduced Breakfast: $0.00
• Student Paid Breakfast: $1.50
• Student Free Lunch: $0.00
• Student Reduced Lunch: $0.40
• Student Paid Lunch: $2.90
• Guest Breakfast: $3.00
• Guest Lunch: $4.25
• Elementary A La Carte Pricing

Free & Reduced Meals

LISD provides free and reduced-price (F&R) meals for children approved for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). To apply for this program, submit an application online, or download, print and submit one of these forms:

• F&R Application in English | F&R Application in Spanish
• Letter to Households in English | Letter to Households in Spanish
• F&R Meal Application Directions in English | F&R Meal Application Directions in Spanish

Setting up Snack Limits

There are several snack items students may purchase that are not part of the breakfast/lunch meal and have extra associated costs. These items range in price from $.50 to $3.50. If you would like to limit the amount your child is able to spend out of their account, you can set up an account through My School Bucks, add your children to your account, then set your own spending limits.

Menus

Bookmark this link OR download the Nutrislice App on your phone to see what's for breakfast and lunch each day!

We show our Plain Pride spirit by wearing our Plain school shirts on Mondays!

This year we will also celebrate Future Fridays -- wear a DMS, LMS, or GHS shirt to celebrate our future LISD schools, wear your favorite college t-shirt, or wear a future career, company, or military shirt to show off our BRIGHT futures!

We love our JPE PTA! They work together to create incredible experiences for our students, staff, and families. Interested in joining or learning more? Find out more about out JPE PTA here and be on the lookout for the PTA table at our back to school events!

Volunteer opportunities are everywhere! Take a moment to complete your volunteer application for 2024-25 if you have not had the chance to do so already: https://www.leanderisd.org/volunteering/