Beagle Bulletin August 2024

Dear Lake Buff Families!

Welcome to the 2024/2025 school year. We are eagerly awaiting your return and looking forward to our school, once again, being filled with laughter and learning.

In order to help you with the transition back to school, we have compiled a comprehensive list of information. Thank you for taking the time to read through the information below and feel free to contact the Lake Bluff Office with any questions you may have.

Warm Regards,

Johanna French

Interim Principal

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Back to School events!

August 27: New Student/Family Popsicle Social (4:30-6:30, all families new to LB during welcome to join the PTO on the little playground outside of the EEC building). Questions? LakeBluffPTOPresident@gmail.com

August 29: Meet and Greet 5:00-6:00pm. Students in 5K-6th grade are welcome to drop off school supplies at this time, meet your teachers, and reconnect with friends. (4K students do not attend this event as they have Kickstart.) Interested in ordering school supplies online? Click here!

September 12: Lake Bluff Parent/Caregiver Orientation 6:00pm-8:00pm. This is a “parent/caregiver only” event. Your student’s homeroom teacher will present an overview of the curriculum, as well as their classroom management plan, information about field trips, and other specifics for the year.

Registration for the 2024-25 School Year

Thank you to those that have completed your online registration. If you haven’t yet, please do not worry, you can do it now. Here is a letter describing the process. Class placements will be sent to families on August 23 to those that completed registration. Please note students will not be able to attend school until this process is successfully completed.

First Day of School for Students in 5K-6th Grade

September 3, 2024

First Day of School for Students in 4K

September 5, 2024 (Kickstart is Sep. 3 & 4)

5K-6th Hours

8:15am -3:25pm*

*Early Release Wednesdays: Dismissal is at 2:25pm every Wednesday

4K Hours

Morning session is 8:15 -11:05 a.m., Wednesdays 8:15-10:35 a.m.

Afternoon session is 12:35 – 3:25 p.m., Wednesdays 12:05-2:25 p.m.

Care for Shorewood Schools Early Release Wednesdays is now being provided by Milestones Programs for Children. Care is offered at Lake Bluff and Atwater Schools from 2:25 pm - 3:25 pm on Wednesdays during the school year. The cost is $10.00 per week which will be billed every four weeks. There is also a $20.00 registration fee that is due upon registering. The 3:25 pm pick-up time will be strictly enforced. Space is very limited. NOTE: If your child is already registered for Milestones after school on Wednesdays, you do not need to register for this program. To register, please click here.

Here is the link to the school supply list. Please wait until after your class placement is given so you get the correct items. Don’t feel like shopping? No worries- the PTO is working with School Tool Box so your school supplies can be ordered and shipped to your house. Here is a flyer with all the details.

Please lock your bikes on the designated racks. Scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, etc should NOT be used inside the school or during the school day, and should be left outside the classroom. Please refrain from using the parking lot as a pedestrian walkway. Our school grounds and surrounding sidewalks are full of children and families, and we would like to remain diligent in ensuring student safety by avoiding accidents. Please know that all of these procedures are put in place to keep everyone safe.

Student Drop-Off/Pick-up

• Children should be dropped off either in front of the building on Lake Bluff Blvd. (pull-over on the westbound side of the street only) or on the street adjacent to the side door nearest their classroom. Do NOT have your child get out of the car while you are still in the traffic lane or if you are traveling eastbound on Lake Bluff Blvd. There is no parking on Lake Bluff Blvd. during drop-off and pick-up, only brief pausing for your kids to get out or get into the car.

• Crossing guards are hired and supervised by All City Management Services, and are scheduled to be on duty before and after school at the following locations: 1) Lake Bluff & Oakland Ave., 2) Lake Bluff & Morris Blvd., 3) Lake Bluff & Newhall St., 4) Kensington Blvd. & Bartlett Ave.

• Bartlett Ave. is also OFF LIMITS for pick-up and drop-off, as our student buses/vans must be able to get through. To minimize congestion, please do not use that street in your route to school, if at all possible.

• If you wish to park and walk with your child to the school entrance, please use the side streets (Newhall, Larkin, Morris, etc…) radiating out from the school campus. Many parents find this preferable to waiting in the line of cars to drop off on Lake Bluff Blvd.

• Please use the surrounding streets (excluding Bartlett Ave.) to quickly receive students after school. We recommend setting up a plan and location with your student for pick-up at the end of the day.

• Students should line up at their designated grade level entrances (Map Attached) before school. Teachers will come to collect the students at 8:15 and walk them to the classrooms.

• Using the loading dock by the cafetorium to unload/receive students or to turn around is never allowed. We have deliveries and grounds workers that must be able to access this area at all times. Children may also be present in this area before and after school.

• PARKING LOT:

• The parking lot and back door located behind the school off of Bartlett Ave. are NOT for parent or student use, and should never be used for dropping off or picking up students. The parking lot is reserved for staff members and students in need of an accessible entrance.

• Bright Beginnings and Milestones programs are in the EEC (The “Little Building”). They will communicate drop-off and pick-up preferences with you.

As a parent/guardian, you can excuse your child from school for up to 10 days, because of an illness, professional appointments, emergencies, funerals, holidays or family trips. Once you near 10 absences, defined as part or all of a school day, we will send a reminder in the form of an attendance concern letter. Part of the day includes those days when you are running late getting to school as well as when you pick your child up early before the end of the day. An exception would be when you are absent to see a physician and bring the office an excuse written by that physician; those absences do NOT count against you according to attendance laws. Additionally, if your child becomes ill while at school and is dismissed through the health office, this situation does NOT count towards the 10 days. If a parent/guardian does not provide a school with a phone call or written excuse within 48 hours of the absence, we must list the absence as unexcused in our student database. We will also notify you, in writing, that an attendance issue exists and what the next steps will be as required by the State Statute. In summary, please be sure to always notify the office of an absence by calling 414-963-6972 and press 1 for the attendance voicemail or email at lbattendance@shorewood.k12.wi.us.

Your child needs to start school on time each day. When a child is tardy they miss valuable information. They also can feel like they are playing catch-up for the rest of the day. Please make every effort to get your children to school on time.

Please see Elementary Parent Student Handbook for more details.

Hot lunch is available for students for $2.80 through our food services company, Aramark. The lunch program begins on the first day of school. Below is a breakdown of the prices for meals.

Elementary lunch: $2.80

Reduced lunch: $0.40

Elementary Breakfast: $1.50

Reduced breakfast: $0.30

**Breakfast will be served at 8:00am in the cafetorium. Please enter the cafetorium doors on the side of the building. Students must be in the cafetorium no later then 8:05am **

Milk: $0.60

We encourage you to pay for lunch using your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. If you need assistance with Infinite Campus, please contact the front office. If you currently qualify for free or reduced-price meals, you must reapply for the 2024-2025 school year. Parents/guardians can apply online by logging in to your parent Infinite Campus portal. Click the “More” button on the left side of your screen. Click the “Meal Benefits” link and start the online registration. Even if you have not qualified for free/reduced meal status in the past, you may be eligible moving forward. We welcome all families to complete the confidential application process if you believe that you may require assistance due to changes in your employment or income status.

The Shorewood School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, creed, ancestry, pregnancy, marital or parental status, gender identity or expression, veteran status, physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, or any other legally protected status in its educational programs, activities, or employment with the District. The District also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following designee handles inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer, 1701 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood, WI 53211, 414-961-2854, humanresources@shorewood.k12.wi.us.