Skillin Newsletter from Principal Connolly (August)
Hello Skillin families!
We are so excited to welcome our students and families back to Skillin Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year! Please read the following information for important details regarding the return to school, arrival and dismissal procedures, upcoming dates, and more.
This year, there is a slight adjustment in the start and end time for elementary schools.
8:45am - students are welcomed into the building
9:00am - the instructional day begins - please make sure your child is on time for the start of school
3:10pm - dismissal begins
3:15pm - buses are loaded for dismissal
Classroom placements for students in grades 1 through 4 will be shared with students and families, via email, on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 29th. Teachers will be sending a welcome email. Kindergarten placements will be shared, via email, on Thursday, September 7th. In the meantime, information about each grade level can be found on our website.
Back to School Meet and Greet
We are excited to welcome our students back to school! Teachers will be available, in their classrooms, to meet students and families on the dates below. Students and parents/guardians are welcome to attend and meet the teachers.
1st - 4th grade: Wednesday, August 30th from 4:30 - 5:30pm
Kindergarten: Thursday, September 7th from 4:30 - 5:30pm
Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival and dismissal are two very busy and important times of the day. In order to keep all of our students safe, it is critical that we have accurate dismissal plans and that all members of our school community follow the procedures for arrival and dismissal safely and respectfully.
It is very important that students, parents, and guardians follow these procedures and all staff directions. Being on time for drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon is critical to making these plans work! Help us keep our students, staff, and community safe!
Students are welcomed into the building starting at 8:45am. There is no supervision available before school. If a child is dropped off prior to 8:45am, a parent/guardian will be called to pick them up and return at 8:45am.
Students report directly to classrooms when they arrive at school. There are staff on duty outside and inside to greet students and make sure they get to their classrooms safely.
We will not be able to accommodate dismissal changes after 2:45pm.
Please remember that dismissal always takes a bit longer at the beginning of the year. Your patience is greatly appreciated!
For dropping off and picking up students, parents/guardians must stay in their cars, follow staff directions, and at dismissal wait for their child/children to be brought to their car. It is critical that everyone follow staff directions. The process for arrival and pick up is outlined in the chart below.
Kindergarten students must be accompanied by an adult at the bus stop in the morning and met by an adult in the afternoon. If there is not an adult at the bus stop to meet the kindergartner, they will be brought back to school and will need to be picked up at Skillin.
All students will be given a color-coded name tag that will help staff know what grade and classroom students are in and how they are getting home. Students should wear these to and from school everyday! They may be clipped/pinned to backpack straps so they are visible when looking at the child’s face. These will be given to students on their first day of school.
See this chart for more details about arrival and dismissal procedures and contact information.
Please complete the form below regarding how your child will get home from school:
Transportation form - Please complete this form by Thursday, August 31st. This will help us know how students are getting home from school. Teachers will also ask for this information at meet and greet on the 30th.
Please note! The main office must be notified of any changes to dismissal plans by 2:45pm. For the safety of all our students, we cannot accommodate last minute changes to dismissal. Please call the main office
Supplies
We will supply everything that students need for learning at school. Teachers may have classroom wish lists for shared classroom supplies that families may donate toward. There is no need to purchase supplies for your child. If you want them to have some supplies at home the following items might be helpful but are NOT necessary: paper (lined and unlined), pencils and sharpener, crayons, markers or colored pencils, glue sticks, safety scissors.
Students should have the following items for school. All personal items, including jackets and sweatshirts, should be labeled with students’ names. If you need help getting any of these items for your child, please contact our school counselor, Mrs. Holt.
Backpack
Reusable water bottle
Lunch box (if they are bringing lunch or snacks from home)
Sneakers for PE class
A change of clothes (including socks, pants, underwear, shirt) to be kept at school
School Nuitrition
All students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch while at school. Breakfast is eaten in classrooms at the start of the day.
Classes will also have a snack time at some point during the day. Please send in a healthy snack for your child to have. We will have some snacks on hand and are hoping to receive a fresh fruit and vegetable grant to continue offering that to all students.
Please do not send in any nut products for snack. Classrooms are nut free. In the cafeteria, there is a nut-free table.
Please do not send soda or candy into school for snack or lunch.
Menus for school meals will be posted on the district website
Important Dates
South Portland Schools 2023-24 calendar - linked here.
August 28, September 5th and 6th - Kindergarten screening
If you do not have a screening appointment or have registration questions, please contact Mrs. Quirk in the main office.
Tuesday, August 29th - class placements shared via email
Wednesday, August 30th - 1st - 4th grade meet and greet, 4:30-5:30pm
Tuesday, September 5th - 1st day of school, grades 1st - 4th
Thursday, September 7th - kindergarten meet and greet, 4:30-5:30pm
Friday, September 8th - 1st day of school, kindergarten
Wednesday, September 20th - Early Release, dismissal at 12:40pm
In partnership with our amazing PTA, our new playground structure has been installed and the blacktop behind the school has been resurfaced. Our next steps are to get new swings installed and build a storage shed for playground equipment. This is just the beginning - we have many ideas to make our playground a welcoming space for the whole community!
As we look forward to the start of school, we are always in need of substitute teachers, lunch aids, and substitute lunch aids. If you are interested in learning more about any of these employment opportunities, please visit the district website for more information. Being a substitute or lunch aid is a great way to connect with the students and staff at Skillin!
There will be more information to share in the coming weeks and teachers will be communicating with families directly. Please call the main office at (207) 773-7375 with any questions you may have, email (contacts below) or visit the Skillin website.
I am looking forward to an exciting school year ahead! Mrs. Connolly
School contact information:
Mrs. Connolly, Principal - connolbe@spsdme.org
Mrs. Remsen, Assistant Principal - remsenni@spsdme.org
Mrs. Quirk, clerk - quirkpa@spsdme.org
Mrs. Tweedie, clerk - tweedihe@spsdme.org
Mrs. Holt, School Counselor - holtsha@spsdme.org
Ms. Scribner, nurse - scribnkr@spsdme.org
