The Cheetah Coalition #3
Weekly Updates from the Atkinson Office — 8/28/26
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A GREAT START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!
Dear Atkinson Families,
We had a wonderful first three days of school with our 1st–5th graders! On Monday, we welcome our full Kindergarten classes, and we are excited to have our entire Atkinson community together.
As our Kindergarteners join us, I want to ask for your help with one small but important part of our morning routine.
HELPING STUDENTS SAY GOODBYE FROM THE UPPER PLAYGROUND (K–2nd GRADE)
Some children have a harder time separating from their grown-ups in the morning. I know from experience as a parent that there is something really special about watching your child line up, walk into school, and giving that last wave goodbye.
For some of our students, though, those lingering goodbyes make the transition much harder. Seeing their own parent—or even seeing other parents standing nearby and waving goodbye—can make it difficult for them to make the transition into their school day.
When the bell rings at 7:53 a.m. and students are safely in their class lines, please help us by saying a cheerful goodbye and promptly leaving the area. This is especially important when you see a child who is struggling with separation. Our staff will take it from there.
We also know that drop-off is a wonderful opportunity for parents to connect with one another, and we want to encourage those connections! After saying goodbye, please move your conversations to an area that is out of sight of K–2 students entering the building, like the outdoor classroom space or the basketball court area. A child who is working hard to separate may see a group of parents—including their own—still standing nearby and have a much harder time making that transition.
It may feel counterintuitive, but sometimes the most loving thing we can do is make the goodbye short, confident, and positive. Let's put our students first and help them start their day successfully.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW FOR OUR FIRST FULL WEEK
As we settle into our routines, here are a few reminders that help us keep school safe, calm, and focused on learning:
Please keep personal toys at home.
- This includes balls and other toys students may want to bring for recess. Personal toys at recess tend to create conflict over sharing, ownership, and lost or damaged items. If your child tells you we don't have enough balls or equipment at recess, please let me or our PE teacher know. Stocking recess equipment is our responsibility—we'll get more!
- Fidgets may be used when they are issued by a staff member or approved as part of a student's formalized support plan. If you believe a fidget or another accommodation would help your child access learning, please begin by talking with your child's teacher.
WHO CAN BE IN OUR BUILDING?
One of the ways we keep Atkinson safe is by making it very easy for students and staff to recognize who belongs in the building. During the school day, adults in our building fall into three categories:
Staff: PPS employees wear their PPS identification badge. Contractors wear a green badge.
Visitors: Visitors must have official business at the school. Parents and legal guardians are generally considered visitors during the school day. All visitors enter through the main foyer and check in at the office.
Volunteers: Volunteers must be adults, have completed the required background check, and be scheduled to volunteer with a specific staff member. Volunteers enter through the main foyer, check in at the office, and wear their volunteer badge while in the building.
Non-enrolled minors may not accompany adults into classrooms or on field trips. If you are volunteering or visiting during the school day, please make other arrangements for children who are not enrolled at Atkinson.
I know that some of these procedures can occasionally feel inconvenient. Consistency, however, is what makes them effective. When everyone follows the same routines, our students and staff can quickly recognize when something is out of the ordinary.
Thank you for partnering with us to create a school that is welcoming, joyful, and safe for every student. I'm looking forward to our first full week together!
In service to students,
Debbie Armendariz
Principal
Atkinson Elementary School
PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Our student store is a fun opportunity for students to practice responsibility, communication, and money-management skills. We're looking for parent volunteers to help run the store during the school day. It is open most Mondays, from 9-10:30 and 12:30-2. No experience is needed-just a willingness to lend a hand and connect with our students!
If you're available to volunteer or interested in learning more, please email our school counselor, Bri Henderson, at brhenderson@pps.net. Thank you for supporting our students and school community!
WE'RE HIRING: BILINGUAL DUTY SUPPORT [REPEAT]
We’re looking for a caring, dependable English/Spanish bilingual speaker to join our Atkinson team as a Temporary Duty Support person. This role helps keep our students safe and supported during lunch and recess, while reinforcing positive behavior and building relationships with students.
The position is Monday–Friday, 10:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., and is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working with children and being part of a school community. Experience working with children in a school, childcare, youth, sports, or community setting is required.
Spanish speakers are highly preferred! If you or someone you know would be interested in joining our team, please check out the job description details here. The job posting will soon be appearing on the PPS jobs website.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL [REPEAT]
ARRIVAL
- When you arrive at school in the morning, classes will line up behind the school: K–2nd grade students on the upper playground (where the play structures are), and 3rd–5th grade students on the lower playground (by the basketball court); see the attached map.
- When the first bell rings at 7:53 a.m., students get in line and enter the building. This is when parents say goodbye and exit the playground area.
- Students that arrive after the second bell rings at 8 a.m. will need to sign in on the tardy sheet in the foyer.
- We kindly ask that parents do NOT come into the building during morning arrival. This is an especially vulnerable and important time when staff need to be focusing on student safety and preparing for the school day. If you have business you need to handle with the office staff, please try to wait until 8:05 a.m.
DISMISSAL
Student safety is our top priority. To that end, please observe the following:
When picking up your K–2 child at the end of the school day, please wait in the upper playground until the dismissal bell rings at 2:30 p.m. Only legal parents/guardians and those listed as emergency contacts in our database will be allowed to pick up K–2 students. If you need to add emergency contacts, please contact Katie in the office (kcarriker@pps.net).
Students in 3rd–5th grade will be released in the lower playground area. These students should meet their parent/guardian or immediately begin their walk home. We do not provide after school supervision, therefore students may not remain on school grounds without a parent/guardian who is providing line of sight supervision.
Students riding buses or transitioning to after school programs will be escorted by school/program staff.
Anyone with concerns about dismissal procedures, please contact the principal or your child’s homeroom teacher.
BUSES [REPEAT]
Atkinson will have two General Transportation (GT) routes this year: 247ATK and 279ATK. Route information is available HERE.
If you plan to have your child ride the bus to and/or from school, you must communicate that information to the office (kcarriker@pps.net) AND your child's teacher.
Any student is welcome to ride the bus at an existing stop. If your child has not been assigned a stop but you would like them to ride, please contact Katie in the office (kcarriker@pps.net). If you live further than 1 mile from the school and there are no existing stops near your home, we may be able to request a new stop. All students who ride the bus in the afternoon will be provided with a bus tag to clip on their backpack.
Please make sure to communicate about all bus riders to your child's teacher and to Katie in the office (kcarriker@pps.net).
REPORTING ABSENCES [REPEAT]
- log into ParentVUE, click on Attendance, and then click Report Absence and follow the prompts
- call the school office (503-916-6333)
- email the school office (kcarriker@pps.net) AND your child's teacher
If you inform your child's teacher, but the message does not get passed along to the office, you will still receive an attendance phone call because teachers are only able to mark a student with "Unexcused Absence." Only the office has the capability to mark "Excused Absence," so the office MUST be informed about all attendance changes.
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL ATKINSON STUDENTS [REPEAT]
All students in PPS will be able to enjoy breakfast and lunch at no charge for this school year! One breakfast and one lunch will be provided to all enrolled students each day and families do not need to apply for meal benefits. In addition, milk can no longer be purchased separately — students bringing lunch from home and wanting milk will need to come through the service line and choose two other components (such as a fruit and a vegetable) to accompany their milk. Additional information, including menus and allergen information, can be found on the Nutrition Services website.
Staff and volunteer meals can still be purchased. They will need to have a SchoolCafe account set up with available funds.
PTA NEWSLETTER
UPCOMING DATES TO KNOW
- Monday, August 31 — First official day of school for Kindergarten
- Monday, August 31 — Principal's Coffee with Kinder parents, 8:10 a.m., cafeteria
- Friday, September 4 — First Running Club at Lunch Recess
- CORRECTION — Friday, September 4 — PTA Popsicles on the Playground, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
- Monday, September 7 — Labor Day, NO SCHOOL
- Wednesday, September 9 — Fall STOPPS Drill for bus riders
- Thursday, September 10 — First PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m., Clinton Park playground
- Wednesday, September 16 — Early Release at 11:50 a.m.
- Thursday, September 17 — Back to School Night, 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, September 21 — School Pictures for Grades K-2
- Tuesday, September 22 — School Pictures for Grades 3-5
- Friday, September 25 — Principal's Coffee in the Cafeteria at 8:10 a.m.
Access the full school calendar here.
EARLY RELEASE DAYS
We have early release at 11:50 a.m. on the following Wednesdays: September 16, October 21, December 16, January 20, February 17, March 17, April 21, and May 19.