Newsletter: August 14, 2023
August 14, 2023
School News
Principal's Message
Dear Thomas Families,
The school is filled with an exciting buzz as teachers get ready to welcome students into their classrooms! We can’t wait to see you on Wednesday for Walkthrough (2:00 - 3:00), or on Thursday for the first day of school.
Kindergarten families, as a reminder, your child will only attend school on either Thursday or Friday, but not both. If your child’s last name begins with A - K, they’ll come on Thursday; if their last name begins with L - Z, they’ll come on Friday. All kindergarten students will attend on Monday, August 21, and then every day after.
68% of our families have completed their Annual Update in Infinite Campus–thank you! If you haven’t, please do that before the first day of school. You’ll be asked to complete this update at the beginning of each school year.
Below, you’ll find information about the procedures of a typical day at Thomas. Not every weekly newsletter will be this long! We want to make sure families have all the information they need to start the school year. Please call the office, or stop by during Walkthrough, if you have additional questions.
Go Tigers,
Melissa Garris
School Information
ARRIVAL
Students may begin to enter the building at 9:00, and the tardy bell will ring at 9:10.
If they ride the bus to school, they will unload at the front of the building. If students are car riders or walkers, they will enter through the doors on the side of the building. If you are driving your child to school, please be mindful in the parking lot– it will be very crowded and filled with kids! Pull all the way up before letting your child out, and make sure they are ready to exit the car quickly.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
Thank you for your patience as our district Transportation department loaded route information into Infinite Campus. Bus information is now available to be viewed in Infinite Campus.
Some families may have noticed that traffic over the Hayden Run Bridge is slow-moving. We are expecting delays for the following buses in the afternoon:
Bus 31, 69, 111, 132, 134
The drop-off times listed in Infinite Campus do not account for potential traffic delays, so please keep that in mind while you are waiting for your child at the bus stop in the afternoon! Like you, we’ll be eagerly waiting for that road improvement project to wrap up.
In some circumstances, families request that their child be dropped off somewhere different from their home address (for example, a babysitter, daycare, grandparent, etc.). If that alternative address is within our school boundaries, the transportation department is happy to route your child to that address. If this situation applies to you, please complete this form. The route change will not take effect until the Transportation department communicates with you.
ATTENDANCE
Sometimes, circumstances require students to miss school. If your child must be absent from school, please follow these steps:
An absence is considered unexcused until we receive written documentation from you regarding the absence. You can submit written documentation via email or by sending in a note with your student when they return.
The preferred way to notify us of an absence is by emailing the school at gtes_attendance@dublinschools.net. Your email serves as written notification of the absence; therefore your student's illness would automatically be excused.
If you report your student's absence by voicemail or phone call, the absence is still considered unexcused until we receive written notification (in the form of email or note).
Until an absence is excused, you will receive an automated attendance call notifying you of your child's absence. The attendance call must go to parents if the student's absence is considered unexcused. To avoid receiving the call, please email the school before 9:45 to report your child's absence.
SIGNING YOUR CHILD OUT EARLY
If you need to pick up your child before the end of the school day, please keep these things in mind:
Be sure you have your photo ID ready each time you pick up your student.
In order for someone to pick up a student, their name must be listed as an emergency contact in Infinite Campus. We cannot release a student to someone who is not an emergency contact in Infinite Campus. They will also be asked to show a photo ID.
Thank you so much for your cooperation in this as we work to keep your children safe!
LUNCH
Every day, students have 45 minutes for lunch and recess. The first 15 minutes are dedicated to lunch only, though students can stay longer if they have not finished eating. After 15 minutes, they may begin to head out to recess if they are finished eating.
Students have the option to bring a lunch from home or purchase a lunch at school. Here’s a link to the August lunch menu. If your child is purchasing a school lunch, money must be loaded on their PaySchools account. You can do that on the PaySchools website. Your family may qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch prices; please complete an application (translated into a variety of languages) to determine eligibility.
When students go through the lunchline, they’ll be required to enter their lunch number. First and second grade students will be given a card with their number that they can hand to the kitchen staff. Third, fourth, and fifth graders will enter their lunch number into a pinpad themselves. Your child’s teacher will provide you with that number, but if you want to get a jumpstart on it… here’s a copy of the pinpad for practice, and your child’s lunch number is their six-digit student number, which can be found on Infinite Campus.
DISMISSAL
Our dismissal bell rings at 3:40. The first students to leave are walkers and car riders, so if you are picking up your child please arrive by 3:40. Like in the morning, cars will line up along the side of the school. Please pull all the way forward in the line, even if you already see your child. This allows for us to get more cars in the lane to pick up students.
If your child is attending Latchkey, they will be dismissed straight to the Commons where they will be received by the Latchkey staff.
If your child’s mode of transportation will change for a single day, please send a note in with your child or call the office before 2:30. This gives us time to communicate the change with your child’s teacher, so they can get to the correct place.
PTO News
Interested in helping out with the PTO? Stop by our table at Walkthrough and sign up with your email address. You’ll be entered in a raffle for the opportunity to win Thomas gear like t-shirts or water bottles!
Three times per year, the PTO holds “General Meetings”. These meetings are open to all parents at Thomas Elementary, and will share information about PTO projects and roles. The first General Meeting of the year is Tuesday, September 12 at 6:00 in the school library.
Keep an eye out for our Fall Mum sale and Tiger Trek information, coming soon!
Upcoming Dates
August 16: Walkthrough (all grades), 2:00 - 3:00
August 17: First day of school for grades 1 - 6
First day of school for kindergarteners with last name A - K
August 18: First day of school for kindergarteners
with last name L - Z
August 21: All kindergarteners attend school
August 25: Fall Picture Day
August 31: Curriculum Night (adults only)
- 5:15 - 6:00: Grades K, 1, 2
- 6:15 - 7:00: Grades 3, 4, 5
September 12: PTO General Meeting (all are welcome!) 6:00