Irvington Weekly Newsletter

Thank you to all of the volunteers who came out last Saturday on Community Care Day! We had a great turn out, both kids and adults alike, who worked hard for three hours pulling weeds, edging, shoveling/spreading mulch, and raking leaves. Our grounds are looking much better, and we have you to thank!

The Back-to-School BBQ is just two days away: this Sunday, August 25, from 4:00-6:30pm! Head over to the school grounds to reconnect with families and friends from last year and to welcome new families to our school! The details:

• Free dinner starts at 4:00. We’ll be serving pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, and sides. Bring your own water bottles, please!

• Activities: Foam Party and Facepaint! The Foam Party will run from 4:15-5:15. Learn more here, and consider bringing along a change of clothes… and maybe even some goggles!

• Stock up on Irvington gear at the merchandise table!

• Stop by the "Get to Know You" table to get your grade-level color coded wristband, and by the PTA table to learn more about what we do and how you can help the school!

WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS! Thank you to everyone who has already signed up! There are still slots to fill, so please visit the SIGN UP to see how you can help!

You'll see this information in the family handbook (available on the first day of school), but I wanted to share beforehand our policy around cell phones and smart watches. Like last year, we have an “off and away” policy for such technology, and students should not access them during the school day. If your child brings a cell phone or smart watch to school, they will check it in with their teacher at the beginning of the day and receive it at dismissal. This will cut down on possible distractions during the school day. Thank you for making a plan with your child prior to the first day of school!

Perhaps the most fun way to consistently (or periodically) get involved in everyday life at the school, the cafeteria staff needs two adult volunteers every day in order to make the lunch service possible. Here’s how it works:

• First, become a PPS approved volunteer here, which lasts for three years. Parents, caregivers, grandparents, or other adults in your students’ lives are welcome to become approved volunteers.

• After approval, sign up for shift(s) here. The site is live and ready for you to sign up for August and September! You will receive a confirmation email after you sign up, and a reminder email the morning of your shift.

• On your volunteer day, arrive at 10:50am to the front office, sign in (Karen or Eliza will help you if you have never done it before), and head down to the cafeteria where Rie will show you your apron and gloves and what to do! You’ll help set out the food, serve the students, and get to visit with your child while they eat if you choose to. You even get free lunch! The shift ends around 12:40. (Early release day schedule is 9:40-11:30.)

• Watch the weekly newsletter for alerts that future months are open to sign up.

We will have a few new faces at Irvington this year!

• Our new music teacher is Carly Daniels, and she will be at Irvington on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Our new school psychologist is Karina Kidd, who will be at Irvington on Fridays.
• Because of a grant to support early literacy, we will be sharing a reading interventionist. Erin Arias will be with us in the mornings and at Sabin in the afternoons.
• Emma Wuerth will be a paraprofessional supporting in Ms Lexi's room this year.

Please remember that breakfast is to be eaten in the cafeteria. Students should not grab breakfast, join their line, and eat in the classroom because it can create a mess in the hallways and classrooms.

Change from last year: Because all students are now eligible for free breakfast and lunch, it is no longer an option to purchase milk separately. If students want to drink milk with lunch, they have to choose either to get a school lunch or to bring milk from home.

Here are a few capital improvement projects you'll be seeing or hearing about this year:

• Thanks to the PTA's fundraising, we will be erecting a fence along Brazee St.
• Over the course of many three-day weekends, all of our lockers will be cleaned, stripped, and repainted.
• They are repaving part of the blacktop behind the school to stop leaks from forming in our boiler room. (You can see that outside now!)

Reminder: the hours for school this year are 8:00-2:30, and the cafeteria is open for breakfast starting at 7:45. The first day for students in grades 1-5 is Tuesday, August 27. As in years past, students will line up to meet their teacher under the covered area behind the school. You can look for a cone with your child's teacher's name on it.

The first official day for kindergarten is Tuesday, September 3, but during the week of August 26, all kindergarten families will come in for a meeting with the teacher, AND all kindergarteners will come for a "practice" first day. Please sign up for these two pieces with your child's teacher.

Thanks to school community fundraising by our PTA, all school supplies are provided for students. No need to bring any supplies on the first day of school! (This is one way that we can ensure an equitable school experience for all students.) Please refer to your child's teacher's welcome letter to see if there is anything specific to bring (e.g., a water bottle).

Sunday, August 25: Back to School BBQ, 4:00-6:30pm

Tuesday, August 27: First day for students in grades 1-5!

Tuesday, September 3: First day for all kindergarteners!

Thursday, September 5: Ice cream social, 5:30-6:30pm

Friday, September 6: Tea with Mr. G., 8-9am

See it all at a glance here: https://www.irvingtonschool.com/