Welcome to Pinecrest Elementary

Main Line: 651-480-7280

Attendance Line: 651-480-7281
Health Office (Nurse): 651-480-7286
Kids' Campus: 651-480-7296
Hastings Bus Company: 651-437-1888

Pinecrest Homepage

Elementary Handbook

District Calendars

Website: pinecrest.hastings.k12.mn.us
Location: 975 12th Street West, Hastings, MN, USA
Phone: 651-480-7280

OCTOBER

10 - Informational Technology Levy Presentation - 6:30 pm at Kennedy Media Center

13 - No School - Teacher Workshop

16 - Evening Elementary Conferences

16 - Book Fair in Media Center - 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

17 - Evening Elementary Conferences

17 - Book Fair in Media Center - 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

18 - No School - A.M. Elementary Conferences

18 - Book Fair in Media Center - 8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

19 - 20 - No School - EDMN Days

25 - Picture Retakes

NOVEMBER
23-24 - No School - Fall Break
27 - No School - Staff Development

Please consider attending a public informational session to learn more about the upcoming technology levy question on the November ballot.

• Tuesday, October 10, 6:30 p.m., Kennedy Elementary School
• Monday, October 23, 6:00 p.m., Middle School Media Center

Please drop off all K - 4th grade students, at the front. Students will need to be dropped off along the curb. Do not have your child exit the car while in the middle lane. When dropping off your child, it is important to pull up along the curb and not block the middle lane of traffic.

Drop off times are from 7:40 to 8:00 am. Children should not be dropped off before 7:40 without direct parental supervision. If you need to drop off before the 7:40 bell, you can enroll your child in Kids Campus. Further information about Kid’s Campus can be obtained from the district’s website, or from our office.

Please do not drive around the back of the building, as this area is for buses only. Students will wait outside the building until the 7:40 bell at the front doors. We also ask that students do not play on the playground before school, as we are not able to provide supervision.

Pickup runs much like a drive through, with parents remaining in their cars and continuing to move through the car line. Staff will help monitor the flow of traffic to make this process as efficient as possible, asking parents to pull all the way forward before having students enter their vehicles. If you need to come into the building for any reason, please use the parking lot to help the flow of traffic continue along the curb.

For kindergarten student pickup, we use the parking lot on the east side of the building. Similar to grades 1-4, pickup runs a lot like a drive through, with parents remaining in their cars. Kindergarten students use a number system as we get to know our families.

Elementary conferences are scheduled in the evening of Monday, October 16 and Tuesday, October 17 and during the morning of Wednesday, October 18.

SCHEDULE HERE

Our Scholastic book fair will be held in the Media Center during conferences.

Monday, October 16, 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 17, 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 18, 8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Online shopping is available October 16- 29, 2023 at: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/pinecrestelementaryschool8

50% of all in-person sales and 25% of all online sales come back to the Pinecrest PTA and are used to purchase books for the Pinecrest library!

Volunteers needed! Sign up online:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044DA5A92FABFF2-44756004-pinecrest#/

Pinecrest Elementary School Picture Day with Cahill Studios is on:

How to Order?

All galleries will be delivered to parents via email 2-5 business days after picture day.

If you need/want to order with cash or a check, there are paper order forms available at the school. All paper order forms come with your students' school headshot and the standard gray background. All paper order forms must be given to the photographer on Picture Day. If you would like to purchase any additional poses or backgrounds, you will have to place your order online when links are sent out.

Cahill Studios will be sending you a picture day reminder before picture day from the following email address: no-reply@imagequix.com so keep a lookout!

View their 100+ FREE background options on their website so you can best coordinate your students' outfit! Don't forget to dress head to toe and get your haircuts done!

www.cahillphotostudio.com

Don't like your first day photos?
Wait to purchase photos, and your child can have their picture taken on Retake Day: Wednesday, October 25th.

Please note.. The email with your link to order may go to your junk, spam, or promotions folder. It is a secure link and it will allow access to your student's gallery. If you don't get an email within 5 business days after picture day, please reach out to Cahill Studio's customer service team.

Email: service@cahillphotostudio.com
Office Number: 715-268-9363
Toll-Free Number: 866-229-0135

In order to minimize interruptions to the classroom, students should not be picked up early unless it is an emergency. On those occasions when it is necessary to pick your child up during the school day, please go to the school office, with your ID, to sign your child out. If someone other than the parent/guardian is picking up, office must be notified in advance and their ID also is required. The office personnel will contact your child’s teacher to dismiss them and meet you in the office.

When there is a change to your child’s normal dismissal plan, please contact the main office at 651-480-7280 by 1:35 pm if possible.

Teachers will not release students unless the office gives prior approval. This practice has been established to help protect your child.

Your child's safety is of prime importance to us. There are a few procedure guidelines that help us maintain a secured building and limit the number of distractions to our classrooms. Our building is designed to have a single entry point during the school day. Please keep the following in mind:

• Always check in at the office whenever you are at school.
  
• We have a new secure entrance, please ring the doorbell and state your reason for visiting.
• When delivering things for your child (ex. snow gear), please drop them off at the office. We will deliver articles or call your child down to the office.

Please bring your driver's license with you when you are checking out your student.

Throughout the year, there may be times that your child may be sick, need to go to medical appointments, etc. If your child is absent, please call the attendance line by 7:50 am at 651-480-7281.

Being on time to school is very important. If you are late to school, please check your student in at the main office.

This year we are conducting routine vision and hearing screenings for Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grade students. Screenings will be completed during the school day in October. You will be notified by phone and/or email if your child has any concerns with vision or hearing after the screenings are completed.

Illness and Keeping your Child Home

A student should not come to school (and may be sent home from school) if they have or have had:

• a fever of 100 degrees F or more in the past 24 hours

• vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours

• an undiagnosed skin rash

Reporting Absences

If your student will not be at school, please call and report the reason for their absence at 651-480-7281. If your student is ill, please report their symptoms and/or any diagnosed communicable condition like chicken pox, strep throat, cough and fever, influenza, or pink eye. It is recommended that you follow the MDH and CDC exclusion guidelines for communicable diseases.

Immunizations
In order to attend school, students must show that they're in compliance with Minnesota School Immunization Requirements (see the Minnesota Department of Health Link below for more Information). Hastings School's immunization policy states that students who are not up to date on their immunizations will not be allowed to start school until they provide the school with documentation that they have received the required immunizations.

Parents/guardians may check their student's immunization status by logging on to the parent portal in Infinite Campus. To see the immunization records, click on the HEALTH tab. If your student's immunization status says "current for grade" in ALL immunizations required by law, then the student is up to date and ready for the start of school. If your student is not current, they will need to get the required immunizations to attend the first day of school. Yearly physicals with their healthcare provider are strongly encouraged for students to have optimal health.

Parents/guardians may choose to decline immunizations for their students by filing a legal exemption with the school. Student Immunization Form

If you have further questions, please reach out to our building nurse at 651-480-7286.

2023-2024 Minnesota Free School Meals Program

What is the Minnesota Free School Meals Program?

The Minnesota Free School Meals Program provides state reimbursement to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program so that students can have one breakfast and one lunch at no cost at school.

Can the meals be picked up or brought home like we did during the pandemic?

No. Congregate meal service is required in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Meals may not be taken off campus, sent home, delivered, or picked up by parents or others.

Do I still need to complete the Application for Educational Benefits?

Families need to complete the Application for Educational Benefits. Applications for Educational Benefits determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and support. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits, such as:

• WIC Benefits
• Metro Transit Assistance Program
• FCC Affordable Connectivity Program/Reduced price internet programs
• Some summer camps, athletics programs, and child cares offer scholarships or discounts

What is included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

The student must choose at least three items to be counted as a reimbursable meal at breakfast. The student must choose a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable as part of their breakfast. At lunch, the student must choose at least three components to be counted as a reimbursable meal. The student must choose a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable as part of their lunch.

What is NOT included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

Single-item purchases and non-reimbursable meals are not free. Some examples include: a carton of milk, snack items, a second entrée, a second breakfast, or a second lunch, meals that do not meet the minimum requirements, and meals served to teachers, staff, and other adults.

The price for breakfast and lunch meals will be $0 for all sites.

Fill out the Form! The Application for Education Benefits helps determine how much education funding your school will receive. Complete an application for your student for the school year 2023-24.

• Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Parents should complete an Application for Education Benefits.
• Only meals that meet the requirements are reimbursed. Students that want additional or single items will be charged for those items.
• The 2023-24 Free and Reduced Meal Application will be available online this summer on the district website under Food Service, and a paper application has been mailed out to families.

For more information, please call Andrea Seleski 651-480-7050 or Brittney Hirschauer 651-480-7126

My Payments Plus

If during the school year your address or daycare changes and this requires a change in transportation, please contact the school, not the bus company. If you give us the information we will work with the bus company to make the changes. The only changes that can be made are those that are permanent or for an extended length of time. It is very difficult for the bus company to make brief or sudden changes in the routes. If you need to update your address, please complete this form to turn into the office Thank you for your help in this matter.

As the weather begins to cool, please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for playing outside. Students spend twenty minutes outside for noon recess.

When the temperatures start to dip into the 40’s and 50’s, we do require students to wear a light jacket or sweatshirt outside. When winter arrives, winter clothing will be required.

The district adopted a wellness policy. We are still celebrating student birthdays; we are just not doing so with birthday treats. We ask that students not bring any treats in honor of their birthday.

As we continue to look to support our students’ mental health and well-being, please connect with your child’s classroom teacher, school social worker (Michaela Burr at mburr@isd200.org, 651.480.7287) or building principal (Paul Bakker at pbakker@isd200.org, 651.480.7280) with any questions, concerns or safety related issues.