PES Newsletter | January 2022

Dear Popplewell Elementary and Buhl Community,

Happy New Year, and Welcome Back! I hope that everyone enjoyed the long Winter Break with friends and family.

As we look ahead, I encourage all of us to remain diligent as we begin this new year. Our student's and staff's health, safety, and well-being remain our top priority. Classroom teachers will be re-teaching and re-practicing our health and safety and our PBIS procedures with our students as we begin to settle back into school. Families can support us with these efforts by continuing to help students with homework, communicate with teachers, and assess their child(ren) for sickness. Students and staff are to stay home if they are sick. Staying home helps prevent the spread of germs to others when our students and staff are safe, healthy, and happy learning flourishes. Thank you to all our families for working alongside us this school year. Your support is fantastic.

A quick reminder, report cards will be sent home Friday the 9th; we will also be taking our Universal Screeners this month. These assessments demonstrate our student's growth, and these assessments data help teachers accommodate student learning and small group decisions. So, parents, please help students get a lot of sleep.

Weather

Before sending your child out to the bus stop or dropping them off at school, please take a few moments to ensure that they are dressed appropriately for the weather. Students should come to Popplewell Elementary wearing clothing that keeps them warm during the school day. Dressing your child in multiple light layers is recommended so that they can remove the top layer if they get too warm while indoors. As the temperatures get colder, please make sure that your child is also wearing the appropriate outerwear, such as a jacket, gloves, hat, etc.

Attendance Arrival and Dismissal

We all want students to do well in school. However, parents sometimes don’t fully appreciate how students' absences impact learning. There is a direct connection between student absences and student achievement, including readiness, keeping up with Idaho Standards, and losing their self-esteem. Arriving at school is also very important. School starts at 8:00 am, the tardy bell is at 8:05 am. School ends at 3:00 pm buses leave at 3:05, and students need to be picked up simultaneously.

Finally, please check the district calendar for important dates. Teachers will keep parents up to date as well. Thanks for all of your continued support for the Popplewell staff and me. We are very grateful.

Sincerely,

Cynthia M. Cooper