From the desk of Principal Papes
Dear Alto Families,
It has been an incredible start to the 2023-2024 school year! It has been great to have
students back in the building again. Our teachers and students have been busy building their classroom communities, and students are quickly learning procedures throughout the school. Our kids have done an exceptional job of transitioning back to school. There has been a positive buzz of Kid Energy permeating the building! Thank you for your support. It is clear that you are doing an excellent job of preparing your children for success each and every day. We are excited to continue partnering with you to make this an amazing school year!
Alto All Stars/PBIS
We have again welcomed Alto students to the 2023-2024 school year as the “Alto All Stars” as we start our 9th year as a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) school. This is a Lowell Area Schools district program that we continue to be very excited about. Our focus throughout the year will be teaching students to be STARs (Safe, Thoughtful, Accountable, and Respectful). We will continue to focus on several strategies that will help us teach students our school-wide behavioral expectations. Our teachers have been teaching lessons that focus on STAR behaviors throughout the school. A core principle of the PBIS program is that we teach students expected behaviors just as we would teach them to read and write. We will continue to review these expectations throughout the school year.
Another core belief of the PBIS program is that positively reinforcing appropriate behaviors increases the likelihood that the behaviors will happen again. To encourage and reinforce positive behaviors, Alto staff has begun giving students silver tickets (whole class recognition) and gold tickets (individual recognition) when they witness STAR behaviors. The gold tickets can be saved up for the school store, or students may collect them to earn rewards or experiences.
Please see the attached PBIS Student and Parent Handbook.
Arrival and Dismissal
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to establish routines with students for a safe arrival and dismissal.
A couple things to help move the drop-off procedures along:
Please have your children ready to get out of the car when you pull up along the curb
Have students exit vehicles parked anywhere along the curb. Please do not wait to move to the front of the line to have your child exit the vehicle.
Also, thank you for your patience and cooperation with our dismissal process, which is always slower to start the school year. We have many new pick up students. Please remind your child to look for your car and listen for their name being called. This process will continue to become more efficient as we become more familiar with new students and vehicles.
Ice Cream Social – Friday, September 15th- 6:00-8:00 PM
Alto Families are invited to the school on the evening of September 15th from 6:00-8:00 PM for an ice cream social. The Lowell High School Fusion Rock Orchestra will be performing. We are excited to again be hosting this event! We will need parent volunteers to help make this event successful. Please stay tuned for opportunities to sign up.
Thank you for all that you do to support your children and our school. Have a great weekend!
With Appreciation,
Paul Papes
Principal
Alto Elementary
Secretary Squad!
A few notes from your office ladies!
*Volunteers needed! If you would like to help pop some popcorn or help kids shop at the "golden ticket store", please sign up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44AFA728A4FEC70-popcorn1
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44AFA728A4FEC70-golden1#/
*Please have your student(s)bring an extra pair of "weather appropriate" clothes in their backpack. We are pretty well stocked with cold weather clothes but not too many warm weather options!
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Lowell Area Schools does not provide student accident insurance. As a service to students and their families, Lowell Area Schools has coordinated the ability for families to purchase student accident insurance plan through FIRST AGENCY, INC for any enrolled child in grades Pre-K thru 12, at a very nominal cost. The most basic plan covers your child while s/he is at school and involved in supervised events (classroom, halls, playground, etc), this plan excludes interscholastic sports. Plan purchase options allow for additional coverage, up to 24-hours including interscholastic sports, except grades 9-12 football. Some plans offer extended dental coverage as well. Grade 9-12 football participation insurance is available as a stand-alone policy.
These plans would be a secondary plan to any other insurance your child may be covered by. If you have no insurance at all for your child, this is an opportunity to provide at least a base level of coverage during the school day. Plans will provide benefits for medical expenses incurred because of an accident. Deductibles and co-pays in your current health plan require you to pay out of pocket costs first, while these plans allow benefits to be applied to your deductible or co-pays.
For more information, or to purchase coverage, contact First Agency. Lowell Area Schools makes no warranty or guarantee on this insurance plan and is not responsible in the administering of benefits. We are not an agent of FIRST AGENCY, INC and receive no compensation, of any kind or form, for offering this service or any enrollments generated. Coverage does not become effective until the later of the date premium is received at First Agency, Inc. or the first day of school. All questions regarding this coverage should be directed to First Agency, Inc. at (269) 381-6630.
