Dear Sheldon Families,

Welcome back from Spring Break! We are ready for an amazing 4th quarter!

If you have further questions after reading, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

Class Picture Day will take place on April 10th. All students will receive one free group photo of their child's class. No orders are necessary.

NEW & EXCITING this year! Strawbridge will also be taking cap & gown pictures of our 4 year old students who will be promoting to Kindergarten next year! These photos will be available for purchase. See the flyer below for ordering details. A paper order form will be sent home with students as well. We are excited to offer families this opportunity this year! Please be mindful of student hairstyles to ensure the cap fits on well, stays on, and doesn't mess up their hair-do when taking it off.

This link will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We encourage everyone to wear BLUE on Friday, April 4th to bring awareness to this topic. Below is a calendar of family activities for fun, positive engagement with your kiddos.

Due to the number of inclement weather days, TPS will be using some of the days built into the calendar the last week of May. The last day of school for TPS students will be May 29 as a half day. Sheldon's last day of school will also be adjusted. Our last day will be a full day on Tuesday, May 20th with Promotion for our 4 year old students being on May 19th.

Our next staff meeting is Thursday, March 27th. I can't wait to share more shout-outs with staff!

This form will be live for the rest of the school year. Feel free to submit your shout-outs and then we will print them, read them out loud at our monthly staff meeting, and provide the printed note to that staff member. Thank you for taking a moment to highlight the hard work our staff does daily!

March is Women's History Month, Music In Our Schools Month, National Social Work Month, and Youth Art Month

March 25-28: Sheldon Dino Week

March 25: Story Time with Boomer Bear

March 27: Story Time with Boomer Bear

March 31: National Crayon Day

For those students going to Kindergarten next year, your home school is based on your current home address within the 501 attendance boundaries. The exceptions to this are Williams Science & Fine Arts Magnet and Scott Dual Language Magnet. See the flyers below for information on how to apply for Scott Dual Language or Williams Science and Fine Arts by April 1. To request a transfer from your assigned home school to another district elementary school, fill out the transfer request form by March 31. For questions call 785-295-3055.

Monday-Thursday: 9:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 9:00 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 9:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 9:15 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 9:15 AM. Students arriving after 9:15 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 10:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 10:15 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 10:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 10:30 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 10:30 AM. Students arriving after 10:30 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Late Start is on FRIDAYS for this school year and the arrival time will be at 10:15. This is for every Friday that school is in session.

Each week the Sheldon staff reviews one of our Head Start Policies & Procedures and felt it was important that families stay up to date on these as well. This quarter our focus is on Program Management & Program Governance. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!

Program Governance

POLICY: 1301

The program will establish a Governing Board, which will consist of the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education and a Policy Council/Parent Committee.

PROCEDURE:

Governing Body:

Members of the Governing Body must adhere to the following criteria:

• They must not have any financial conflicts with the Head Start agency.
• They must not receive compensation for their service on the Governing Body or for providing related services.
• They must not be employed by the Head Start agency or have immediate family members employed there.
• They must operate independently from Head Start staff.

Exception:

If an individual holds a position due to a public election or appointment and has a conflict of interest, they may still serve; however, the Head Start agency is required to report this conflict.

Responsibilities:

Sheldon will ensure that the Governing Body and Policy Council receive consistent and accurate information regarding program planning, policies, and operations. This includes financial statements, enrollment reports, audits, and other relevant updates.

Topeka Public Schools Board of Education:

The Board will:

• Hold legal and fiscal responsibility for programs, ensuring the safeguarding of federal funds.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws.
• Review funding applications and establish procedures for recruitment and enrollment.
• Approve major policies, financial management practices, and personnel policies.

Policy Council:

Sheldon will form a Policy Council to facilitate shared governance, allowing parents and community members to engage in decision-making processes. The council will be established at the beginning of the program year and will operate according to established by-laws.

Conflict of Interest:

Members of the Policy Council must not have any conflicts with the Head Start program and will not receive compensation for their service. Membership is limited to one year, with a maximum of five years for any voting member.

Responsibilities of the Policy Council:

The Policy Council will be responsible for approving decisions regarding:

• Parent involvement activities
• Recruitment and enrollment priorities
• Funding applications and budget planning
• By-laws governing council operations
• Personnel policies and staff employment

To encourage participation, reimbursement for reasonable expenses will be provided. Regular orientation and training will also be offered.

Parent Committee:

A Parent Committee will be established at the center level, typically composed of parents of currently enrolled children on the Policy Council. Meetings will be held regularly and conducted by elected parents, with staff prohibited from voting or holding office.

This handbook includes important information about Sheldon Head Start including our mission and vision, policies and procedures.

Please take time to review this handbook.

Sheldon Head Start follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar. The only exceptions are a later start date and earlier end date. The first day of school for Sheldon students is Wednesday, August 21st. The last day of school for Sheldon students will be May 16th.

Our Sheldon Head Start Facebook page is active! We use this as a way to communicate with families and share many pictures. Please follow the page to stay updated!

@SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart

Regular school attendance is one of the most important factors that determine school success. The habit of attending school every single day begins with the preschool year(s).

Daily Absence Information

• Parents/guardians should notify the school each day a student is absent by 9:15 a.m, by calling (785) 438-4530. If leaving a voicemail, please provide the student's name, classroom teacher and reason for absence. If the parent/guardian fails to notify the school, the school will attempt to contact the parent/guardian. The communication can be in a variety of methods, such as electronic communication, telephone call or in person. Home visits will be conducted if there has been no contact made after two days.
• All absences, including those excused, will count against a student’s attendance.
• The school encourages parents to schedule doctor and dental appointments after school hours, or on days when school is not in session.
• Parents/guardians may be required to submit supporting documentation in order to excuse the absence of their student if student absenteeism is excessive.
• Preschool absences are recorded in Synergy, the district's student information system. The expectation is that students attend school at least 90% of the time. If the student falls below 90% (excused or unexcused) a letter will be sent home. If this issue does not improve an official attendance plan will be put into place and/or a meeting with the school principal will be scheduled.

The Kansas State law specifically says that a student is truant if they have missed 3 unexcused days in a row, 5 unexcused days in a semester, or 7 unexcused days in a school year. Truancy may result in a report being filed with DCF.

Examples of Excused Absences:

• Personal illness or medical appointment
• Illness of an immediate family member
• Death in the immediate family or other emergency beyond the control of the family
• Religious holidays of the student’s religious faith
• Participation in a district approved or school sponsored activity or event
• Required court appearance or subpoena by a law enforcement agency
• Family vacation/Out of town (that have been pre-approved by the school principal)

Examples of Unexcused Absences:

• No contact by parent/guardian
• Oversleeping
• Personal grooming appointments (hair, nails, etc)
• Shopping/errands
• Suspension from school
• Family vacation/ Out of town that have not been pre-approved
• Missing the bus/ride

Check out this website for free or affordable mental health resources and supports.

Check out this excellent packet of community resources available, provided by the City of Topeka.

Take a look at the Topeka Resources Checklist. This is very helpful for planning! This is a list of possible resources to help you stretch your dollars and avoid economic emergencies. Place a check beside the ones you are using or have used.

You can find the link to the 2021 Community Resources Council Resource Directory here. This directory provides contact information for a variety of community resources.

If in need of resources, you can also contact the United Way by dialing 211.

See the following links for Food Pantry resources available to families.

English and Spanish

Website: https://sheldon.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1155 SW Seabrook Ave.
Phone: 785-438-4530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart