State Street Elementary

School Hours:

Monday- Thursday: 8:40 am - 3:40 pm (doors open at 8:10 for breakfast)- TARDY bell at 8:40 am

Friday : 9:30 am - 3:40 pm (Doors open at 9:10 am for breakfast)- TARDY bell at 9:30 am

Office Hours: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Mr. Allen Lake, Principal

Mrs. Amy Glinka, Assistant Principal

Ms. Christine Williams, Administrative Assistant

State Street Students and Families,

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer filled with fun, relaxation, and special memories!

While students and families are enjoying a well-deserved break, our amazing custodial team has been hard at work getting State Street ready for another fantastic school year. From preparing classrooms and moving furniture to organizing spaces across the building, they have been busy making sure everything is ready to welcome our students back. We are also incredibly grateful to our district Facilities and IT teams for their support with painting projects, technology moves, and many other behind-the-scenes improvements that help keep our school running smoothly.

A huge THANK YOU to all of our families who have already completed registration for the upcoming school year! If you have not yet registered, please take a few minutes to do so. Registration links and directions can be found below. Early registration helps us plan for staffing, class placements, and student support services.

Throughout the summer and school year, our newsletters will keep you informed with important dates, attendance updates, student celebrations, positive behavior recognitions, and other exciting happenings at State Street. We encourage you to check them regularly and reach out if you ever have questions.

As a reminder, our administrative team will be out of the office until July 12. We will return on Monday, July 13, and look forward to assisting families as we prepare for the start of another great year.

The countdown to a new school year has begun, and I cannot wait to welcome our students and families back to State Street. It is going to be an amazing year of learning, growth, and success!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we'll see you soon!

Mr. Allen Lake

alake1@tps501.org

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is opened now! Register now through Synergy Parent Vue. LINK

The district has updated the school supply list for next school year. Click HERE to access the elementary list.

Please click this link to view the preschool supply list.

Our TPS Summer Meal Program began June 1st! Breakfast and lunch will be served to all children 1-18 at sites throughout the city at no cost.

• July 13- Front Office Staff Return
• July 21- In-person enrollment @ State Street from 8AM-4PM
• July 24- Popsicles with the Principals 3PM-4PM (See below)
• August 10th- PK Meet the Teacher Night, Elementary Schools- Meet the Teacher 4:30-5:30 PM
• August 11- Kindergarten 1st Day
• August 12- 1st-5th 1st day
• September 23, 2026: Family Fitness Fun Night, Hummer, 5:30-7:00
• September 30, 2026: Rainout Date Family Fitness Fun Night, Hummer, 5:30-7:00

We hope you can join Mr. Lake and Mrs. Glinka for Popsicles with the Principals on July 24th! We are excited to meet new and returning students and their families, hear all about your summer adventures, and help kick off a fantastic school year together. We look forward to connecting with our State Street families and welcoming everyone back! 🍦💚💛

The District's Academic Calendar provides a quick-glance overview of important dates for parents to be aware of. This calendar includes days school is not in session, parent-teacher conferences, and start and end dates for the 2026-2027 school year.

Please be on the lookout for communication from Mr. Lake and Ms. Ruby in July. Beginning July 1, we will start collecting Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) information for all preschool and incoming kindergarten students.

Families of incoming preschool/kindergarten students will be asked to complete the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 surveys. These questionnaires provide valuable information about your child's development and school readiness and are required by the state of Kansas.

Thank you for helping us prepare for a successful start to the school year!

Please join us in welcoming all of our staff members that are new to State Street. We are excited to have them join our community!

• Amy Glinka, Assistant Principal
• Mariah Mosqueda, 1st grade teacher
• Willow Neel, 5th grade teacher
• Jennifer Gonzales, EL Teacher
• Kalena Tannahill, Special Education Teacher (3rd)
• Ran Zhang- Special Education Teacher (K/1)
• Randy Castillo, Math Interventionist
• Mariah Guerrero, Paraprofessional
• Brenda Hanger, Paraprofessional
• William Love, Paraprofessional

Please fill out the link below and tell us about staff that has had an impact on your student/family and why! We will highlight these amazing educators with the community as well as recognize each educator at our staff meetings. Thank you for supporting your State Street staff and community!

Complete this form: https://forms.gle/cc6eVDgPmKoPNtz96

It is important that your child attend school each day to have a consistent educational program. Of course, illness or other family emergencies can cause absences. If your child will be absent please let us know by contacting the office at 785-438-4430.

Research shows that the single greatest factor contributing to student achievement is school attendance. School hours are 8:40 AM – 3:40 PM (M-Th) and 9:30 AM – 3:40 PM (On Late Start Fridays). Doors will open at 8:10AM Monday-Thursdays, and 9:10 on Fridays. Students will enter the classrooms at 8:30 M-Th and 9:20 on late start Fridays.

Tardies

Monday-Thursday: Students who arrive after 8:40 AM are tardy.

Late Start Fridays, Students who arrive after 9:30 AM are tardy.

The Topeka Public School Procedures are as follows:

1. Absences are excused for student illness or family emergencies. If your child is going to be absent, you should call the office before 9:30 a.m. It is each parent’s responsibility to be sure the office has been notified of the reason for absence. Advanced notice is appreciated.

2. A phone call attempt will be made on every child that does not arrive at school by 9:30 am.

3. After 2 days of unexcused absences, staff will conduct a home visit or make other direct contact with the child's family, determine what assistance is needed to remedy the problem.

4. Unexcused absences can result in a truancy report being filed.

5. Each absence after 10 excused absences will result in the need for a doctor’s release note to be considered an excused absence.

6. Although Kansas law does not require students to be in school prior to the age of 7, ANY child enrolled in public school does fall into the state truancy policies. Truancy reports will be made to the district truancy officer for any student with excessive absences and/or tardies.

As we look ahead to the 2026–2027 school year, we are excited to welcome our students back for another year of learning and growth.

One of the best ways to help your child succeed is through regular school attendance. Every day matters, and being present helps students stay connected, build strong habits, and make the most of their educational experience.

To help you plan ahead, we have provided a school calendar with important dates for the upcoming year. We encourage you to use it when scheduling appointments, vacations, and other activities whenever possible.

A huge thank you to our amazing PTO leaders who are ready to make this school year fun, engaging, and successful for our students, staff, and families!

⭐ President: Lisa Chappell
⭐ Vice President: Vacant- could be you!
⭐ Secretary: Vacant- could be you!
⭐ Treasurer: Liz Toyne

Our PTO works hard behind the scenes to support school events, celebrate our staff, and create memorable experiences for our students. We invite all families to get involved—everyone is welcome!

📅 First PTO Meeting: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM
📍 Location: School Library

Come meet other families, learn about upcoming events, and discover how you can make a difference in our school community. We can't wait to see you there!

💙 Together, we make our school an amazing place to learn and grow! 💙

If you have questions, or would like to volunteer for one of the open officer positions, please email statestreetpto1@gmail.com

• There will be no student supervision prior to 8:10 am. Students should NOT be left unattended on school property upon arrival.

• Vehicles should only use the two designated drop off lanes when dropping off students.

• There should be no parking in either drop off lane, except when students are exiting the vehicle.

• If you need to visit the office or want to walk your student to the front door, please park in the designated parking lot so that traffic can freely flow through the lines.

• All students must enter the building through the front (south) doors.

• All students will be greeted by staff as they walk to the gym or cafeteria between 8:10-8:20.

• Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:10-8:40.

• Bus riders will enter through the north door.

• All students should who arrive at 8:20 or after should report directly to their classrooms.

• Students arriving after 8:40 will be considered tardy. Parent/guardian must check-in the student in at the office.

Late Start Fridays (Begins--> August 21st)

Every Friday of the school year (except for the first Friday, August 14th), the doors will open at 9:10, and school will start at 9:30 students will be counted tardy at 9:30. This allows time for teachers to collaborate, look at data, and plan for the following week with their teams. Thank you for your flexibility in supporting teacher collaboration!

It is expected that students stay at school until 3:40 pm so no instructional time is lost.

• Parents must exit their cars and pick their students up from the teacher.

• Teachers will not be sending children out to the street or parking lot to enter cars.

• Pre-K and Kindergarten students will dismiss out of the southeast (closest to Chase) Performing Arts doors.

• First grade students will dismiss out of the side (south) gym doors.

• Second grade students will dismiss out of the west—farthest south—doors (on Sumner Street).

• Third grade students will dismiss out of the west—farthest north—doors (Classic front doors).

• Fourth grade students will dismiss out of the north—by the auditorium—doors (on Division).

• Fifth grade students will dismiss out of the front (south) doors.

• Bus riders will go to the cafeteria. These staff members will check them off the list and ensure they get on their designated bus.

• All students must be picked up prior to 3:55. Students who are not, will be taken to the front office for pick-up. IF a student is picked up after 4pm, the parent/guardian will need to come inside the office to sign the student(s) out.

Loading/Unloading

Students riding to and from school in cars or buses are to be loaded and unloaded from the side of the street adjacent to the school grounds. At no time should unattended students cross the street to or from cars! Students are not to be loaded or unloaded in the marked crosswalk areas. Sumner is a one direction street from 3:00—4:00 p.m.

Early Pick-up

When picking students up early please be aware that anytime away from school is recorded. Picking students up early multiple times can affect attendance. Our school day ends at 3:40. Students may be excused early for appointments, but a parent/guardian must check-in at the office and sign the student out. Students will only be dismissed from class after someone checks them out of the office first. This ensures that we keep our students safe.

To help protect valuable instructional time, we ask that families schedule an appointment before meeting with a teacher or staff member during the school day. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to supporting student learning and make the most of every minute with students.

If you would like to meet with a principal, teacher, counselor, or other staff member, please contact the school office at (785) 235-7280. We will be happy to help arrange a meeting time that is convenient for both you and the staff member. IF the Principal is not available, please complete the Notice to Meet form from the secretary.

Thank you for your partnership and for helping us maintain a focused learning environment for all students.