Skillin Newsletter from Principal Connolly (September)
Hello Skillin families!
We are very excited to welcome students back to school this week! This Back to School Newsletter that was sent in August has detailed information for families. For district elementary information, please see the Elementary Handbook for Students and Families 2023-24. Here are a few back to school reminders:
School hours
8:45am, doors open to students
9:00am, school day begins - students arriving after 9:00am will be considered tardy
3:10pm - dismissal begins
Tuesday, September 5th - 1st day of school for students in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade
Thursday, September 7th - kindergarten meet and greet for students and families
Friday, September 8th - 1st day of school for kindergarten
Please remember that the beginning of school is often very busy as we work together to streamline arrival and dismissal procedures both for students being dropped off and picked up at school by parents/guardians as well as those being bused to and from school by our transportation department. This year, with the opening of the new South Portland Middle School, we anticipate increased traffic - both vehicles and pedestrians in the mornings and afternoons. We ask for your patience and partnership as we work together to get our students safely to and from school.
Busing and transportation
Please visit the transportation page on the district website for information regarding transportation including bus stops and pick up/arrival times. Parents/guardians can also sign up for the Ride 360 app to get information regarding busing. If you have questions regarding transportation, please call the transportation department at 207-767-7714. https://www.spsd.org/o/spsd/page/bus-routes
Drop off and pick up information
Detailed information regarding the drop off and pick up circle is in the Back to School Newsletter.
Drop off for arrival begins at 8:45am. There is no before school supervision and we ask that students remain in their vehicle until Skillin staff come outside to receive them. There are some walkers who will be outside waiting to enter the building but we ask that students who arrive in cars, remain in their cars.
School begins at 9:00am - please make every effort to drop your child off before 9:00am so they can have breakfast and start their day.
In the afternoon, dismissal will begin at 3:10. Depending on busing, we may dismiss bus students before walkers and students being picked up. In order to minimize the amount of traffic on Wescott Road during dismissal for the middle school and Skillin, we ask that parents/guardians wait until 3:00pm to arrive at Skillin for dismissal.
Attendance
We know that students learn best when they have consistent attendance and are on time to school. We will be closely monitoring student attendance this year and want to work with families to support all students in getting to school consistently and on time. If you have health related questions or concerns for your child, please call Nurse Kristie. If you need support with your child’s attendance, please contact their classroom teacher, Mrs. Holt, our school counselor, or Mrs. Connolly or Mrs. Remsen.
2 absences a month = 18 days of missed instruction over the course of the school year!
Please consider the following
Try not to schedule appointments during the school day or schedule them for the beginning or end of the day so students can be at school for the majority of the day.
Consider scheduling vacations/time away during school vacation weeks and long weekends.
Communicate with school immediately if your child is experiencing any issues with attendance (illness, school refusal, etc.)
We know that children sometimes are ill and need to stay home - please call the main office in the morning to report the absence. The main office will call all families of students who are absent if we do not hear from a parent/guardian in the morning.
This year, we will continue to focus on our school-wide expectations of being safe, responsible, respectful, and kind. These are community-wide expectations that families will hear much more about this in the coming weeks. As we work together to make sure all students get to and from school safely, we ask that Skillin families work with us to set positive examples and help our SKYHAWK students SOAR:
S - Safety First
O - Offer Kindness
A - Act Responsibly
R - Respect Others
First Day Forms
Students will have a packet of first day forms that need to be filled out and returned to school by the end of the first week of school. It is important that we have up-to-date contact information and at least one emergency contact for every child. If you have any questions about these forms, please contact the main office at 773-7375.
PTA Corner
The Skillin Scoop is the PTA’s weekly email blast that is the best way to stay in the know about important dates, calls-to-action, and other information that impacts our Skillin Skyhawks each week. Click the link to sign up: Skillin Scoop Sign Up.
Looking forward to a great year full of learning and fun with our Skillin Skyhawk community!
