Greetings Families!
Welcome back to all our returning families, and a warm welcome to the new students and families joining us this year! We’re thrilled to have everyone here and we are off to a fantastic start. If you haven’t had a chance to review our handbook yet, please visit our website at https://poplargroveelementary.fssd.org/. One important detail that isn’t in the handbook but is worth noting is our Spirit Day Fridays. Each Friday, we encourage students and staff to show their Poplar Grove pride by wearing blue and green or sporting their PGS shirts. Thanks for helping show your PGS love and for such a great start to the new year. We appreciate your tremendous support!
Together in education,
Alisha Erickson
Messy situations (food spills, falling into mud, bathroom accidents, etc.) often happen at school. If you have a pre-K, kindergarten and/or 1st grade student, please send in a change of clothing for them to keep at school. Please put clothing in a plastic bag with your student's name written on the bag. If messy clothing arrives home with your student, please send us a clean change of clothing to keep in their locker.
If you have questions about medications at school, please call the school clinic at 615-472-3906 or visit the Student Health Services section on the FSSD website. All medications to be given at school require a Student Medication Form. These forms can be found on the website or in the school clinic. Medications, prescription and non-prescription, need to be delivered to the school clinic by an adult.
You may be wondering what are some of the positive behavior interventions provided at school? With our talented and caring teachers and staff… we are able to meet the behavioral needs of our students with our school-wide PBIS program, Check In / Check Out (CICO), and Parent Partnerships. You know better than we do that our children thrive when we set routines, expectations, and boundaries. Who couldn’t use a little extra support these days? If you are interested in learning more about any of these interventions please reach out to Mrs. Carroll (Assistant Principal) at carrolljan@fssd.org or 615-790-4720. We love partnering with you in your child’s academic and behavioral education!
Car Rider Arrival
Here are some things you can do to help us keep things moving quickly and safely...
- Leave as LITTLE SPACE AS POSSIBLE between your car and the car in front of you. This prevents us from having cars backed up on the road.
- Have your child get ready as soon as you turn into the parking lot and ready to open the door when you stop.
- Turn right when exiting the parking lot. There are lots of roads back to Highway 96 that don't require you to go down the main road in front of the school.
Car Rider Dismissal
Is your student a car rider or walker? Can you arrive at the school by 2:00pm for dismissal? If you answered YES to these questions, you can help!
Your Poplar Grove PTO is in need of volunteers to help with car rider dismissal every day from 2:00-2:30. Volunteers will utilize Google Sheets to identify who is in the car rider line and communicate that information to teachers. You need to be familiar with spreadsheet applications (Excel, Google Sheets) and willing to download the app for Google Sheets to your phone.
If interested please contact Dr. Erickson at ericksonali@fssd.org
When your child is absent please do the following:
Call the school @ 615-790-4720, email, or send a message via Parent Square to the attendance secretary, Kristen Brown, at brownkri@fssd.org to let us know why your child is absent.
When your child returns, please send a Dr. Note or a parent note that includes the student name, date(s) of absence, and the reason the child was absent. You have 7 days to return this note.
Please keep in mind, a parent note does not necessarily excuse the absence but the documentation helps. For a list of approved absences please view the student handbook on our website.
We’ve already had a terrific first week in the library with classes coming in to check out books! Your student will be visiting the library every week with their class to check out books. Let’s make this the best year ever by remembering to:
Return library books on time
Keep books in a safe place away from food/pets
Thank you for your support!
Mrs. Gray
We love to celebrate birthdays at school! The district has adopted a policy of no outside food for birthday celebrations but we have several other ways to help your child celebrate.
- If you would like to send something for your child to pass out to classmates on his/her birthday, you may bring non-edible items such as pencils, bookmarks, stickers, erasers, etc.
- You may choose to dedicate a new book to the library for your child’s birthday by reaching out to Mrs. Gray at grayjes@fssd.org. She will help you choose just the right book and will put a plaque in the front of the book for you.
- You may also purchase an ice cream treat for all students in the classroom to enjoy at lunchtime but we kindly ask for a minimum of a two weeks notice. Follow this link to the ice cream form https://www.fssd.org/students-families/fcs
Follow Poplar Grove
Be the fist to know and have a behind the scenes look at what is happening in our school by following us on X (formerly Twitter) and liking us on Facebook.
FSD
The FSD has an App. Stay up to date on the most recent tweets, posts and announcements from your school and the district through the Activity Stream. Check out the calendar and add events to your device on the fly! You can login to Skyward Family Access, view menus, pay your cafeteria account, access our new Tip Line, or just scroll through the fun pictures in the photo album!
You may have seen or heard we have a 4 legged staff member. Parker is our PGES therapy dog. He loves school life and is always good for a cuddle. There are many benefits to having a therapy dog in school, some of these are:
Physical- interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, and stimulates the senses.
Social- a visit with a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, promotes greater self-esteem and well-being, and focused interactions with others.
Cognitive– companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving, and game-playing.
Emotional- an adorable four-legged visitor improves self-esteem, acceptance from others, and lifts the mood, provoking laughter.
Environmental- a dog in a facility decreases the feeling of a sterile environment, lifts mood and this continues after visits.
We are excited about this opportunity and we hope you are too!
We are so proud of our newest PGES students! They are working hard learning rules and procedures for school. Kindergarten parents are also doing a great job helping them to be independent by allowing students to walk to the classrooms by themselves.
Students need to remember to bring a snack to school every day. Please also send in a change of clothes to keep at school.
Final Days
The 2024-2025 Yearbook is available to order NOW! Early bird pricing is available through December so click HERE for the lowest price of the year. Yearbooks will be delivered to the school in May.
Box Tops
Earning cash for Poplar Grove School is easy! Just scan your receipts with the Box Tops app. Click HERE or on the Box Top image above to download the Box Tops app.
Grocery Store School Partnerships
PGS receives funds from local stores simply because you shop there and have registered your account with our school's information. This is such a simple way for PGS to receive "free" money from several local businesses. Please take a few moments to register with the following organizations and encourage grandparents,
aunts, uncles and friends to do the same.
Kroger - Visit http://www.kroger.com to assign your Kroger Plus card to this program. Click "Community Rewards" - then click "Enroll Now" - then select Poplar Grove - Link card(s). Swipe your Kroger Plus Card each time you shop to earn money for PGS.
Publix - Visit http://www.publix.com to link your Club Publix account. Click "My Publix Partner" and select Poplar Grove School PTO. Every time you shop, enter the phone number associated with your account. It's that easy!
Volunteers Needed
Fuel Bag Delivery
We need your help! Make a BIG difference for PGS students by delivering bags of food to PGS for students in need. Sign-up (URL listed below) to pick up fuel bags from Graceworks each Thursday. We would greatly appreciate any slot that you might be able to fill during the school year.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Amy Webb at amy.r.webb@gmail.com
Sign up URL: https://signup.com/go/YsEjHKX
Centennial Youth Cheer and Dance Clinic
Centennial is hosting a Youth Cheer and Dance Clinic on September 28 from 9:00-12:00. This event is open to Kindergarten through 8th grades. Cost to attend is $65.00 Register by September 13 to ensure your child's t-shirt size. Click this link to register https://bit.ly/CHSYouthCheerDanceClinic
or click the photo to be taken to the registration page.
Feeder School Night at Centennial High School
All PGS students can attend the Centennial High School football game for FREE on September 6th. Kickoff starts at 7:00. Be sure to wear a PGS shirt to the game and arrive early so you can line up on the field at 6:50 with the CHS cheerleaders as the players take the field.
Grandparent's Day
We love our PGS families and always welcome you to join us for lunch, but we would like to extend a special invitation for grandparents to join us on September 9. The cafeteria will be serving up something special on this day so we can celebrate Grandparents Day.
We hope to have many grandparents in attendance and we look forward to meeting them. Adult lunch is $6.00
Menu: Hamburgers/cheeseburgers
Meatball subs
Roasted Potatoes
Salad bar
Sandwiches (ham, turkey,peanut butter)
Pizza Lunchables
Desserts
Groovin' at the Grove
Make plans to attend our 11th annual “Groovin’ at the Grove” Fun Run, September 13.
This will be an all day family fun event that you will NOT want to miss! Students will be running to raise money for PGES. We plan to use the funds for a shade structure for the kindergarten playground, classroom headphones, and grade-level classroom needs.
Look for more information to come about how you can help make this event a smashing success. And be sure to visit the Bake Sale when you are here that day!
Contact Us
1030 Excellence Way
Franklin, TN 37069
615.790.4720