South Elementary School News

Dear South School Families,

It is hard to believe, but the time for another school year to begin is here. We are looking forward to a great year of learning and growing. The teachers and staff of South school have been busy preparing their classrooms and the building. We are anxious to hear the halls buzzing with children’s voices as we get back into the school routine.

Please contact me through the school office or by email should you have any questions or concerns. We want to help in any way we can. Let’s work together to make this a great year!

Tracie Murphy, Principal

South Elementary School

Back to school letters will be mailed the week of August 12th for Preschool, Kindergarten and first grade students. This letter will contain your teacher’s name as well as other information. By this point, class assignments have been finalized. Busing information is posted on our district webpage

Meet the teacher night will be held on Tuesday, August 20th from 4:00P.M.-5:00 P.M. for kindergarten and 1st grade students. Preschool students will have two opportunities for meeting their teacher; Wednesday, August 21st from 5:30 P.M.-6:30 P.M. or Thursday, August 22nd from 10:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M. This is an opportunity for you and your child to meet their teacher and drop off your school supplies. Teachers will have information about the school year to hand out as well. Meeting the staff can help with those first day “jitters”. Knowing what to expect can make the transition back to school a little easier for everyone. Please plan to attend this evening and meet the South School Staff.

In 2024-25, all K-12 students are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch at school. Per federal requirements, this applies to full meals only. There is a charge if students purchase "extra" or "independent" items. Examples of this might include extra milk, a bottle of water or special drink only, or extra entrees. Please contact Angie Welch, Food Service Director, at 330-364-7103 with any questions.

If you plan to drive your child to school, the drop off lane will be in front of South School on Shafer Ave. Please Do Not Park your car; this is a DROP OFF ONLY LANE. Please be sure to follow the “Traffic Pattern” map that you will receive at “Meet the Teacher'' in order to help this lane move more smoothly. There will be staff members on duty to direct students where to go. We are asking that parents remain in your cars. Students cannot enter the building until 8:40 A.M. They will report directly to their classrooms. Please do not drop your child off early as there will not be supervision until 8:40 A.M. We do not want groups of students waiting in front of the school unattended.

First grade students should enter through the front doors. Doors are “color coded” to help students remember where to enter. Kindergarten students should enter the doors nearest their classroom. This information will be shared by your child’s teacher during “Meet the Teacher”.

Morning Preschool begins at 9:00 A.M. and the afternoon session begins at 12:30 P.M. Parents will use the preschool side of the building, (Prospect St.) to drop off preschool students. A staff member will come out to get the students.

Buses will drop students off on Prospect St. Please do not park in the bus drop off lane. Bus students will enter through the side doors on Prospect. Staff members will be available to direct students.

As we all know, a strong parent-support partnership is important to a child’s school success. In order to encourage independence and to limit the number of non-school staff in the building, we are discouraging parents and other family members from escorting students to their classrooms including the first day of school. At our “Meet the Teacher” night students will learn where to enter the building and how to find their classroom. This is also a great opportunity for taking those “first day of school” photos. There will be plenty of staff members throughout the building to assist students in getting to their classrooms.

Please be sure to send a note to school if your child is going home a different way than is normal for them. Also, should you need to change the way your child is going home during the school day, please call the office by 2:30 P.M.. The end of the day is very busy and we would not want to miss someone. It is best if students know how they are getting home in the morning. Not being sure how they are getting home and where they are going sometimes causes children unnecessary stress and also causes confusion for all. Thank you for helping us in this matter.

There will be a pick up lane for parents that are providing transportation. Shafer Avenue, in front of

the building, will be the pick-up lane. Please do not park in this lane, it is for drop off and pick up

only. (Don’t pull into the handicapped spaces in front of the building unless you have a handicapped

sign in your car.) In unique circumstances, if you need to wait outside, please use the tornadoes

painted on the front sidewalk. Dismissal is a very busy time and we have young children. Gathering at the doors and along the sidewalks make it difficult for the staff to make sure each child leaves with the appropriate adult. Staff will be on duty to help direct students to their cars. First grade students will come out the main front doors. Kindergarten students will be dismissed through the other two front doors closest to their classroom. Students will be dismissed and supervised by staff.

Please be patient as you wait for your child. Dismissal is a very busy time. Please do not call your child to you until the teacher has given them permission to go. Staff members need to see the person taking each child. Our staff is working hard to make sure all students get home safely. Following these procedures will help us to keep all children safe.

Parents or Guardians are required to call the school office to report his/her child absent. If no call is made, the school will attempt to call you. Parents are responsible for informing the school of his/her child's absence and the reason for the absence. Please call the school office between 8:00 A.M. and 8:30 A.M. Upon returning to school, a written note is required explaining the reason for the absence. Please refer to our Elementary Handbook for our entire attendance policies and procedures.

Dover’s Title I Schoolwide Program is designed to serve the academic needs of all students with a focus on developing reading skills. Every student in grades K-3 has access to Title I services, with

Titleteachers spending time in each classroom. Reading interventions are data-driven and meet the needs of each learner. Students learn in small groups that are flexible and based on their instructional needs. The Title teacher and the general education teacher work together to plan and deliver instruction. Student progress is monitored regularly. Parents are invited to meet with Title teachers during Open House on October 10th from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The Title teachers will be available to provide information and accept feedback about the Schoolwide Title I program and activities at Dover City Schools.

In order to protect your child, we have a procedure that asks you to come into the school office to pick up your child while school is in session. Students must be signed out before being able to leave. Please be sure to state the reason for early pick up on the sign out sheet. Students arriving late to school must be signed in at the office as well. Please do not simply drop your child off at the door. You will need to escort them to the office to sign them in.

All doors will remain locked throughout the day. All visitors must use the office door when visiting our school. A monitoring device has been installed on the office door. Please activate it by pushing the button. Office personnel will unlock the door once you've been identified. If you will need to go anywhere in the building other than the office, you will need to provide a photo I.D. This I.D.

will be scanned and a visitor badge will be issued. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping everyone in the building safe.

Parents are reminded to update their child’s Emergency Medical Authorization, (EMA), every year.

This provides us with information about your child. If you haven’t updated this yet...please do so at your earliest convenience by visiting www.dovertornadoes.com.

*Click on the Parents tab located at the top of the web page.

*Click on Parent Portal

OR Click on the link below

https://dover.esvportal.com/

Students are expected to display proper behavior during home football games. Students are not permitted to play football anywhere in the stadium. The only football in the stadium should be the one on the field. Do not use other items such as water bottles and other items to "play football in the stadium. Many concerns have been raised regarding the safety of children as well as other spectators that are trying to watch the game on the field. Students MUST sit with their parents or guardians during the game. No rough play will be tolerated. Please be sure that your children are properly supervised.

We want everyone to be safe and to enjoy the game. Go Dover!!

Pets and/or other animals are not permitted on school grounds. This includes all exterior areas including sidewalks immediately surrounding the schools during drop-off and pick-up times. This policy is for the safety of all, and with respect to allergies and/or health issues of all

students.

Throughout the school year, we conduct several safety drills. These drills are required and also help

our students and staff know what to do in the event of an unlikely emergency. The following drills

are conducted throughout the school year; Fire drills, evacuation drills, intruder drills, reverse evacuation drills and tornado drills. Teachers review these with students before they are conducted. Our local Police department and first responders are also involved with conducting drills. If you have any questions regarding these required drills, please feel free to contact the school for more information.

Students that are walking home need to remember to cross with the crossing guard. Parents need to wait for the crossing guard as well for the safety of all. Please do not park across the street and wave your children across. Arrival and dismissal are very busy times with a lot of traffic, it is important to follow all safety rules and procedures. It is also important for us to model the proper procedures for our children. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe.

Prompt payment of workbook and supply fees is greatly appreciated. The fee for K-1 st grades is $25.00. As always, thank you for your cooperation. Pre-school tuition must also be paid by the first of each month. Our preschool tuition is currently $130.00 per month. Failure to pay your preschool tuition will forfeit your spot in our program.

Students can enter the building at 8:40 A.M. The first bell rings at 8:40 A.M. Students must be in their seats ready to work at 8:55 A.M. when the bell rings in order to be considered on time for school. Good habits begin early so it is important that children are on time and ready to begin their day. Dismissal

begins at 3:25 P.M.

Communication between home and school is very important. In order to keep you up-to-date with what is happening, we have several methods of communication.

1. Email Newsletters: Be sure to check your email for monthly newsletters and occasional updates.

Should your email address change, please let us know.

2. Phone Notification System: In the event of any emergency or to share important information, Dover Schools has a phone notification system. Please be sure to notify us if you change your phone number.

3. Staff Email: Each staff member has an email where they can be reached.

4. Voicemail: Each staff member has voice mail where you can leave a message if needed. Simply call the office and ask for the staff member you need. Mrs. Polce can transfer you to the proper voice mail box to leave your message.

5. Facebook: Check us out on Facebook to see what all is happening at Dover City Schools.

August 15th Kindness Celebration 4:00-7:00

Dover Park (By the Pool)

August 20th K-1 Meet the Teacher 4:00-5:00

August 21st K/1 First Day: (Kindergarten students

should only attend on their phase-in

day.)

August 21st Preschool Meet the Teacher: 5:30-6:30

August 22nd Preschool Meet the Teacher 10-11

August 27th Preschool: First Day of Phase-in

September 2nd Labor Day: No School

September 5th PTG meeting 6:00 PM East School

September 11th Picture Day