GRRR Gazette

Upcoming important dates:

August

• 8/14/23 - 4-6p Peek at Pick (Back to school)

• 8/15/23 - ½ of the students

• 8/16/23 - 2nd ½ of the students

• 8/17/23 - All Students 1-4

• 8/18/23 - 1st Day KG

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Principal Email: dave_zwiebel@plsd.us | AP Email: chelsea_brown@plsd.us

Counselor: andrew_sells@plsd.us | Secretary: valerie_jackson@plsd.us

Location: 775 Long Road, Pickerington, OH, USA | Phone: 614-548-1400

Pickerington Elementary PTO: @PickElemPTO

PTO email 📨 pickelempto@gmail.com

The start of the 2023-24 school year is quickly approaching, so we wanted to communicate and provide the opportunity of this initiative to all of our students from grades 1 through 4. Last year we provided a staggered start for just our 1st grade students and it proved to be very successful. Staggered start at the elementary level provides a smaller class size for the first two days of school. What this will offer to teachers and students is the opportunity to begin building some connections to invigorate those crucial relationships.

📢 Parent meeting those days:

During your students staggered day we will have a parent meeting in the morning at 9:30am. We invited those parents to attend during your students staggered start day for a Informative parent meeting with the opportunity to better understand our buildings expectations and procedures.

PLEASE RSVP HERE:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjcsz5Fu13I24vN8RgW12evTxpphUJ94i_5JfW2--BH9JNlA/viewform

Your student(s) will only need to attend their assigned staggered start day, either August 15th OR August 16th, each group that has been divided for these days will attend only the assigned day prior to all students reporting on Thursday, August 17th.

Important Dates:
August 14th- “Peek at Pick” 4pm - 6pm (for all students/families)

August 15th- Only Group 1 of our students attend
August 16th- Only Group 2 of our students attend
August 17th- First day for ALL 1st - 4th grade students
August 18th- First day for Kindergarten students (2nd day for 1st - 4th)

Please contact the office (614-548-1400) if you are unsure of your student(s) staggered start date

This year we will partnering with Kona Ice once again to bring special treats to Pickerington Elementary and help raise some funds for the school! In order to make this process even easier than before, Kona will be offering a prepay option for the entire year! We plan on having Kona come 6 times throughout the year and for only $25 dollars per student, they will be able to enjoy a Klassic Kona every time they visit. Feeling generous? feel free to pay it forward for a another family as well. This option will be available during out Peek at Pick night.

New car tags will be given out this year!

Continuing during the 2023-2024 school year, we will be using a system called PickUp Patrol to help us track dismissals. PickUp Patrol (PUP) will save us a great deal of time here in the office and will reduce interruptions in our classrooms—while also providing you with a convenient way to make changes to your children’s dismissal plans. Most importantly, it will help us ensure that our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations.

Use the PUP web app for:

ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early.

DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans. For example:

• A student normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.

• A student usually goes to aftercare, but is leaving early for an appointment.

How it works:

Your child is assigned a dismissal plan at the start of the year. This is the plan they will regularly follow on normal days. We call this the Default Plan.

Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit a change through the PUP app. When the plan is submitted, the school will be notified and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.

All plan changes should be entered in PickUp Patrol. Notes, emails or phone calls will not be accepted for changes, except in emergencies.

Getting started with PUP:

1. REGISTER: You will receive a registration email from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account.The PUP web app is free to parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer. PUP is not accessed through the app stores. Instead, for easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen

2. ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children.

Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students.

If you have any questions, please first check the PUP FAQ page. If you still need help, contact Mrs. Jackson in the office at valerie_jackson@plsd.us or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.

In order to reach more of our families, we will be using the app Talking Points. If you have not already done so sign up online at families.talkingpts.org/welcome. We will be sending reminders, newsletters, and other pertinent information this way. The app allows you to translate messages into languages that best fit your families needs...something that Infinte Campus just cannot do.

Administering Medications at School

Prescription medications

In the event your child needs to take prescription medication while at school, the Request for Administration of Medication by School Personnel form must be completed by the child’s physician and parents.

Prescription Medication Form

Nonprescription medication such as Advil, Tylenol, cough drops, etc. may be administered to students if the parent/guardian brings in the medication along with written permission for the medication to be given. All medications must be sent in the original container. Dosages cannot exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations for age and weight. We must have a note from the doctor to give a dose of medication that is different from the dose stated on the bottle.

Nonprescription Medication Form

***Both prescription and nonprescription medications must be brought to the school by a parent or guardian. You can drop off medications during “Peek at Pick” on August 14th, or you can make arrangements by emailing melanie_thompson@plsd.us

Parents seeking information about their child’s bus pick-up and drop-off may use our interactive online system. After clicking this link:

• • You will be asked to enter your username and password. Both of those are your child’s student ID number. If you don’t know your child’s student ID number, you can get that information through Infinite Campus.
  • Click “Log-In.”
  • Click “Work with Students.”
  • Click “View My Students.”
  • Click a student’s name to be taken to their transportation information page. Read this page carefully as it explains the morning and afternoon transportation information for your child.

Students with the same home phone number will be grouped together on the “View My Students” page. If, for some reason, you do not see all the students in your household, try logging in again using one of your other children’s information.

There's an App for That

You can download the “Versatrans My Stop App” from Tyler Technologies at Google Play or the App Store.

If your student has a negative balance in their food service account, please pay it off before the end of the school year. You can send cash, a check made payable to "PLSD Food Service" with your student to school, or pay online at mypaymentsplus.com. If you need assistance with My Payments Plus you can reach their parent helpline at 877-237-0946.

Questions? Please call the food service office at 614-833-3645.

Registration is open for the 2023-2024 school year. At the time of registration, a $25/child registration fee will be charged to complete the registration.

Pickerington Before & After School Programming, 2022-2023 School Year

Phone: 614-425-8178

Email: garverregistrar@ymcacolumbus.org

Parents can register online here.

Click here to get involved with PES PTO.

If you need to contact the PTO please feel free to contact us at pickelempto@gmail.com We are excited to be your representatives next year!