Thursday Tidbits
Building Future Leaders at Polo Elementary
August 24, 2023
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! Thursday Tidbits is a weekly newsletter that the office sends home to parents as a form of communication as to what’s going on in the elementary (PK-6). We will highlight important events and dates, as well as our students. Thursday Tidbits will be emailed to all parents that have an email on file with Infinite Campus (our new student information system). Thursday Tidbits will also be available online at polo.k12.mo.us. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at 660-354-2200; boydstonj@polo.k12.mo.us, or palmerm@polo.k12.mo.us.
After School Pick-Up Procedures
Our after school pickup procedures have been in place since 2019. This particular procedure was put in place for the safety of all of our students. Below are the dismissal procedures that will be followed for the school year. To aid in the understanding of the process, an understanding of the following terms will be needed.
BUS RIDERS: Any student that will ride the bus home after school (nothing changes with these procedures)
WALKERS: Any student that will be walking HOME, TO A BABYSITTER, SOMEWHERE IN TOWN.
CAR RIDERS: Any student that will be PICKED UP after school.
CAR RIDERS
Any elementary student that is a CAR RIDER for the day, will be picked up at the Elementary Multi-Purpose Room doors. Parents will drive around the circle drive (can come through the parking lot or the street in front of the school), and pull up to the orange cones. A teacher will be on duty and will call for your child from the Multi-Purpose Room. Your child will then exit the MP Room doors and enter your car on the PASSENGER side. Once your child is in the car AND you are able to pull forward WITHOUT PASSING ANYONE, you may exit the drive.
**This procedure will apply for ALL KINDERGARTEN parents as well.
Please note that there may be cars entering the elementary circle drive from 2 directions, as well as preschool parents entering the preschool drive. All parents will need to be patient and courteous to each other in the pick-up line. Please do NOT block any driveways, handicap parking spots, and the building in front of the school that houses the school vans.
WALKERS
Any elementary student that will be walking home, to a babysitter’s house, or to someone else’s house (prior approval needed from parent with a note or phone call), will be escorted across the walkway in front of the central office doors when the bell rings for the middle & high school dismissal.
If you have a Middle or High School Student picking up your child, they will need to come to the Elementary Multipurpose Room to pick them up.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who attended Back to School Night. All of us enjoyed seeing the students back in the building and welcoming our new students to the district.
We would also like to thank everyone for their patience in the implementation of our new student information system, Infinite Campus. A district team has worked extremely hard to get the new system up and running. We realize with anything new, will come questions and issues. EVERYONE has done an excellent job of completing tasks that were asked of them. Thank you!!
Items of Importance
1. We have had many students purchasing a 2nd entree at lunch. If your child wants a 2nd entree, he/she will be charged $1 (even if your child qualifies for lunch assistance). If your child wants a 2nd full tray, he/she will be charged the full price of a meal (even if your child qualifies for lunch assistance). With that being said, if you DO NOT want your child to get a 2nd entree or 2nd full tray, please COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD’S teacher. They will do their best to honor your wishes. However, first having conversations with your child about your wishes is the best plan of action.
2. Please make sure your child has a water bottle at school (especially while the weather is so hot).
3. It is very important that if your childs’ dismissal plans are going to be changed, please make sure that you send a note or call the elementary office BEFORE 2:30 p.m. Sometimes towards the end of the day, some classrooms might be somewhere in the building besides their classroom & getting messages to them might be challenging. We appreciate your cooperation!
4. If your child is going to be absent: In order to get an “excused absence”, you must either call or email the office or your child’s teacher letting us know the reason for the absence. If they are not feeling well, please call the school so we can report symptoms to our school nurse as she tracks trends of illnesses in classrooms and areas around the school. If she sees something developing, we have our custodial staff go beyond their normal disinfecting of the classrooms, etc. to ensure germs aren’t being spread. Thanks for your cooperation!
5. Morning Drop-Off time is 7:50-8:20. Please do NOT drop your child/children off earlier than 7:50. The doors to the MP Room will remain locked until that time. Teachers are not contracted until 8:00. Therefore, there will not be teacher supervision. At 7:50, Mrs. Palmer will be on duty until the teachers arrive. If students are arriving or being dropped off prior to 7:50, phone calls will be made home to remind parents of the 7:50 rule.
Upcoming Dates
Sept. 4 Labor Day (No School)
Sept. 6 PTO–Club’s Choice Fundraiser Kickoff
Sept. 8 School Picture Day
Sept. 22 Last day of Club’s Choice Fundraiser