Sheldon Update

Dear Sheldon Families,

Happy Monday! It is so hard to believe that this is the last full week of school! As a reminder, Sheldon student's last day is Tuesday, May 14th. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. At Sheldon, we know that all of our staff are teachers and we celebrate them all during this week! Today I made a post on our Facebook celebrating our staff. We would LOVE if you would add comments and shout-outs highlighting staff who have made your experience at Sheldon a positive one!

Click here to access the 2023-2024 Family Handbook.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May 6-8: GraceMed Dental Clinic

May 6-12: Teacher Appreciation Week; National Nurses Week; Screen Free Week

May 7: Teacher Appreciation Day; DCAC @ 6:30

May 8: Water Day; National School Nurse Day; Policy Council @ 11:30

May 9: Family Advocate Day; AE Barnyard Event @ 10:00-12:30

May 12: Mother's Day

May 14: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for Sheldon Students! 4 year old Promotion Ceremony @ 2:00 (details to come)

May 16: Brown v. Board Commemorative Reception @ 4:30-6:00

May 18: National Speech & Language Pathologist Day

As part of our Head Start Grant application process, each year Sheldon staff develop a Self-Assessment and Annual Report. We are asking for your input to ensure our program meets the needs of our families. Please complete this short survey by Monday, May 13th. We appreciate your help and support!

Family Survey - English

Family Survey - Spanish

Sheldon Head Start will join thousands of schools, libraries, and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millions of Americans to turn off televisions, computers, and video games for seven days and turn on the world around them.

Screen-Free Week is a chance for children to:

• Read
• Play
• Think
• Create
• Be more physically active
• Spend more time with friends and family

Many grownups choose to join their kiddos in giving up screens all week long and engaging in other fun activities. This kind of support is helpful to your family’s experience.

Please enjoy the screen free activities provided for your child and family. We encourage you to send back the choice board with at least 5 boxes marked off, and your kiddo will get a reward!

Online Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is OPEN! Go to the Topeka Public Schools website and click on SynergySIS Login at the top. From there you will sign in, click online registration, 2024-2025 enrollment. If you only see the 2023-2024 enrollment option then you need to delete that registration and 2024-2025 will generate. If you have questions or it is not working email SIShelp@tps501.org. For Sheldon returners you will need an updated physical with lead and hemoglobin results, immunization record, dental form and a state issued birth certificate before school starts if you have not already submitted one.

La inscripción en línea para el año escolar 2024-2025 está abierta! Vaya al sitio Web de las escuelas Públicas de Topeka y haga clic en Iniciar sesión en SynergySIS en la parte superior. Desde allí inicia sesión, haga clic en el registro en línea, inscripción 2024-2025. Si solo ve la opción de inscripción 2023-2024, entonces debe eliminar la inscripción 2023-2024 y generará. Si tiene preguntas o no funciona, envíe un correo electrónico a SIShelp@tps501.org. para Sheldon necesitaran un examen físico actualizado con el resultado de plomo y hemoglobina, registro de Vacunas y formulario dental. Y un certificado de nacimiento emitido por el estado antes que comience la escuela si aún no ha presentado uno.

Online registration for the 24-25 school year is now open. See the graphic below for more information. Please note, PK students will be assigned to Quinton Heights. This is NOT a school placement, but is a holding place for PK applications as the enrollment team processes them.

We would appreciate families returning the Family Advocate Packets you received. These help us with knowing what resources we need to locate for families and or training/community support we need to bring in. Thank you!

The last day of school for Sheldon students will be May 14th, which will be a full day of school with transportation running as normal. We end the school year earlier than the rest of the district due to end of the year home visits.

The Promotion Ceremony for our 4 year old students going to Kindergarten next year will be on the last day of school, May 14th, at 2:00.

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

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

All students should have received their blue Sheldon Sharks t-shirt. We encourage students to join us in wearing their Sheldon shirt EVERY FRIDAY of the school year!

Monday through Thursday: 9:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Arrival begins: 9:15 a.m.

Arrival ends: 9:30 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 9:35 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:45 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 4:00 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m.)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 10:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Arrival begins: 10:15 a.m.

Arrival ends: 10:30 a.m. (students will be considered tardy after 10:35 a.m.)

Dismissal begins: 3:45 p.m.

Dismissal ends: 4:00 p.m. (all students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m.)

Sheldon Head Start follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar.

Each week the Sheldon staff reviews one of our Head Start Policies & Procedures and felt it was important that families stay up to date on these as well. This quarter our focus is on Family Service and Parent Involvement. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!

**At this time, we are conducting a review and update of all Sheldon Head Start Policies & Procedures. We will resume including these in the weekly newsletter when all updates are complete and approved by the Policy Council and Board of Education.

Mrs. Haley, our school Mental Health Coordinator, just returned from a conference in Austin. There she learned of the All Pro Dads group!! Their website is amazing. As we continue to expand our father/father figure engagement at Sheldon we will add in tidbits in this section to encourage you in your very important role in your children's lives. We are so glad to be working with you. If you have any suggestions or questions feel free to reach out to Ann Kuebler, Family Service Coordinator at akuebler@tps501.org or 785-438-4538.

We would love to hear how these one liners worked with your kids!

https://www.allprodad.com/15-amazing-one-liners-your-kids-need-to-hear-you-say/

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

Website: https://sheldon.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1155 SW Seabrook Ave.
Phone: 785-438-4530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart