Paul Banks Elementary

Dear Paul Banks Families,

First, welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Ever since I was a young boy, the beginning of the school year brought so much anticipation and excitement. There was so much possibility, so many opportunities for discovery and learning, and so many new friends to make. Decades later, I still feel many of these same emotions. I am sure your kids are feeling many of these emotions in the days leading up to our first day.

Our office staff (the wonderful Katy) and our custodial staff are hard at work preparing, and the rest of our staff will come together Tuesday morning in anticipation of the arrival of your children. We recognize how important these first few years are for building your children’s learning foundation, and we will work every day to ensure that your children feel safe, receive a top-notch education, feel inspired, and have fun.

One word that is so frequently used to describe the community at Paul Banks is family, and we want to welcome you all. Please feel welcome to sign up to volunteer with us. It is such a treat to have parents, grandparents and community members in our building helping all our kids grow as readers, writers, problem solvers, thinkers, and friends.

We can't wait for the beginning of what we know will be a fantastic year!

Go Peanuts!

All the best,

Sean Campbell

Drop off and Pick up

Our doors open at 7:30, and we will welcome students into Paul Banks. For students arriving before 7:40, we will have activities in the gym. Additionally, breakfast will be available starting at 7:30 and ending at 7:45. Beginning at 7:40, classrooms will open and teachers will welcome students. During the first two weeks of school, we welcome parents to walk their child down to their classroom, recognizing that this transition can be challenging for some students and families. If you choose to do so, please arrive at or after 7:40. After this initial period, we encourage parents to park and walk their child to the front doors.

Our instructional day ends at 2:30. Students taking the bus will dismiss first from 2:30-2:35. For safety reasons, please wait in your vehicle until all buses are clear. After the buses depart, we welcome families into the building to pick up their children, see student work, and visit teachers. Please come in via the west entrance (this is a departure from last year), walk to your child’s classroom and your child’s teacher will greet you at the classroom door. At 2:45 music will play on our intercom system, signaling to families that it is time to head home. This will ensure that we can begin our collaboration meetings, staff meetings, intervention meetings and all other meetings intended to create an awesome educational experience for your children. If you would like additional time to meet with teachers, you are welcome to schedule a conference with them for a different time. Additionally, for those families whose children ride the bus, we anticipate many opportunities for all families to return to Paul Banks for different celebrations and activities this year.

Timing & Process

7:30-7:40

Student arrival via bus and family drop off

7:40-7:50

Classrooms open and students may transition to class

2:30-2:35

Bus dismissal

2:35-2:45

Family pick up from classrooms

Here is the link to the KPBSD District Wide Calendar.

KPBSD Free and Reduced Meal application

Again this year, Paul Banks will have a school supply fee instead of asking families to purchase specific supplies from a list. The supply fee will be $30 and payment to the PTA can be made online at https://paulbanks.memberhub.com/store/items/855922. Teachers will be given confirmation once payment is complete, so please wait until class lists are announced on 8/11 to pay the fee. All payments are due by Thursday, August 31, 2023. If you are unable to pay the school supply fee, assistance will be available. Donation to the supply fund will also be accepted throught the PTA online store.

The only other supplies student will need are a backpack, water bottle, spare change of clothes, and PE appropriate "inside shoes".

· If interested in busing to or from school, contact First Student Bus Company: 235-0124.

· After you set up busing with them, please let the school know so we can write a bus note.

Bus note information we need:

· What days your child will ride the bus home

· What bus (number) they will ride

· Where the bus stop is located

· The name & contact number for the person meeting the bus *Kindergarten aged students must be met by an adult or a sibling in the 4th grade or higher

We welcome parents and family members to volunteer in classrooms. The opportunity to see your child learning in school is a special one; plus, you can make a significant difference for teachers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the school district website to complete the application process to volunteer and/or substitute. Don’t hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions.

Please be sure that your child's immunizations are up to date before school starts. Please see the KPBSD website for more details.

We welcome your feedback and input. Please feel welcome to share what we are doing well, what we need to work on and other suggestions here via this Paul Banks google form.

Our District Office has created three different surveys so that you can offer feedback on your child's teacher, our school and the principal. Please feel welcome to share your feedback.

Email: scampbell@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/paul-banks/
Location: 1340 East End Road, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-226-1801
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulBanksElementary/