Arcadia Stars Newsletter

I hope you are all enjoying your last days of Summer. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your students back to Arcadia Elementary. I am eager and excited to start our 2025-2026 school year together!

Arcadia promises to set high expectations for our students, and we believe in every child's potential. This year we will continue to focus on developing independent learners and critical thinkers, while also promoting creativity and collaboration. We will also focus on the social emotional growth of our students, and how to be great citizens. To achieve this, we encourage strong communication between home and school. As we embark on this school year together, remember that parent involvement is vital to the success of our students. We look forward to working along side you this school year. Together we are better!

I look forward to our school community coming together to kick off our 2025-2026 school year! Through the collaborative efforts of staff, students, parents, and community, we will work together to get it right for our students. Again, I welcome you all to the 2025-2026 school year. It's a great year to be an Arcadia STAR!

Wishing Blessings, Peace, and Joy,

Meaghan O. Timmons

Principal, Arcadia

Wishing you all Blessings, Peace, and Joy,

Meaghan O. Timmons

We would like to thank Mr. Benny for his many years of service at Arcadia, and congratulations on your retirement! Thank you to Mrs. Childress for your support of our students and families, congratulations on your retirement! Thank you to Ms. Fabiano for educating our Arcadia Stars over the years, and best wishes to you in your new city! Thank you to Mrs. Valade for your dedication to Arcadia students, and best wishes to your new role serving our high schools!

A Big Warm Welcome To:

• Mr. Lashon Potts, Day Custodian
• Mrs. Arce Vargas, Upper Elementary Special Education
• Mr. Jacob Frye, Third Grade Teacher
• Mr. Anthony Spencer, Fourth Grade Science, Social Studies, and Writing
• Mrs. Yasmeen Saad, Speech and Language
• Mrs. Lauren Gallagher, School Pyschologist
• We now have a brand new ECSE Preschool at Arcadia! Welcome to Mrs. Rebecca Osborn, lead teacher and Mrs. Rebecca Carroll, Paraprofessional.
• Coach Linda, Ms. Linda - Title I Tutor
• Mrs. Andrea Gooch, Title I Tutor
• Mr. Alejandro Quesada , Title I Tutor
• Mrs. Brittany Sykes, Lead Secretary

Full Day: Students can begin arriving at/after 8:30am. (We have a process for arrival/ dismissal -SEE DIRECTIONS for this BELOW). School doors open for students at 8:44 AM. (Only students may enter, all adults must go to the office for any school business.)

Half Day: Instruction ends at 12:06 PM. Busers, walkers, and pick ups will dismiss after the bell rings at 12:06 PM.

PARKING: If you are parking, it is best to park on Ellendale St. behind the school, and walk your student through the fence to the courts. The parking lot is small, and the lot will most likely be full.

• SUPPLIES AND SNACKS: If you have supplies/ snacks to drop off, you may drop them off in the front office. Please have them labeled with your student's name/grade or the teacher's name. Our secretarial staff will ensure it gets to your student's classroom teacher. Parents will not enter the classrooms during our first day arrival process to ensure the safety of our students.

• Please stay in a single file lane, staying curb side. Once you have dropped off your student, you may use the travel lane to exit.
• Please DO NOT let your student out in the traveling lane of our circle drive or in the street. Do not drop students off in the parking lot or bus lane.
• If you are dropping off and leaving, your students will be escorted to the back tennis courts by Arcadia Staff Members to meet up with their teachers.

If you need to call the office to change your student's dismissal plan:

• On half days, you must call the office by 10:30 am; On full days you need to call the office by 3:15 PM.

• When calls are made to sign students out early, the teacher will be notified promptly. However, students will not be called down to wait in the office. Students will be called down when a parent arrives to sign them out.

• Students begin traveling through the building to get to their destinations by 3:30 PM, please wait in your vehicles for your student. We can not call students to the office after 3:15 PM.

• Students will be brought out front, and will wait in their grade level lines. They may not leave with you until the staff has given them permission. This is for the safety of our students.

FLOW AND GO - CURBSIDE STUDENT PICK UPS ONLY

• Pull your car into the front circle drive, AND REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLES. This causes crowding and is a safety risk for students. Students will enter your car from the sidewalk curb. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE STREET and walk up to your student or wait on the sidewalk, as this is the path for students to walk to their cars or to their homes. Adults crowding the sidewalk or children and adults crossing the traffic lane is a safety issue. Thank you in advance for your support!

FOR PARENTS THAT WALK TO PICK UP STUDENTS:

There are two waiting areas: (see map):

• Peep, K, 1st parents can wait near the cross walk (see Green circles on map) and staff will speak with you to check your student out.
• 2nd through 5th parents can wait by the fence line/ grass area and students will be sent to you after staff speaks with you and your child. (see map)

• No hats
• No Hoods
• Pants must be worn on the waist, and should not fall below the waistline.
• No cell phones, use of personal electronic devices, or use of phone Watches during the school day
• Fighting on school grounds or a KPS bus will result in a suspension and a re-entry meeting before your student may return to school.

Please read and review the KPS student code of conduct for a full list of KPS conduct expectations before your student attends school.

"It's our job to keep the school safe. It's your job to help keep it safe."

Aug 25th: First Day of School - Half Day - Dismissal at 12:06 PM

Aug 26th: First Full Day of School - Dismissal 3:50 PM

Aug 29th: No school for students

Sept. 1st-: Labor Day No School

Sept. 2nd: First Day for ECSE Students

Sept. 8th- First Day for PEEP students

Sept. 11th: Open House 4:30-6:00pm

Oct. 22nd: No school for students

Oct. 31st: K-12 Half Day Dismissal 12:06 PM

• Communication Folders -These are plastic folders that go home with your student daily and/or weekly, which will hold hands outs, homework, and information.
• Arcadia Stars Monthly Newsletter - Electronically sent via email and texts, and posted on the Arcadia Website Page
• Arcadia Website Page: https://arcadia.kalamazoopublicschools.com/
• Arcadia PTO Facebook Page:
• KPS Website: https://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/
• Phone Calls and Texts: You will receive phone calls and/or texts from both the principal, teachers, and the KPS district with updates and reminders.
• Emails
• Grade-Level Newsletters from teachers
• Google Classroom- Teachers that use Google Classroom will post and share assignments and information about their classroom.

Email: timmonsmo@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Website: https://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/Domain/10
Location: 932 Boswell Lane, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Phone: 269-337-0530
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