Primary School

All of us at Primary School are excited for the first day on Tuesday, September 1st! This newsletter details important information to review so families are ready for the first day. We can't wait!!!

Have a great weekend,

Amy Grice, Principal

Chisago Lakes Primary School

Please put the tags on your child's backpack before the first day and let the office know if their tag goes missing. Students will need their tags all year long.

For the stafety of all our students, please review drop-off and pick-up procedures in detail. I want to highlight a few items:

• Please Note: We will ONLY be able to release students to cars with the school-issued visor number. If you need more visor numbers for other family members, please request this from the office. It is critical for the safety of our students to follow procedure and match the student backpack tag to the vehicle. If a car does not have a visor number, they will be asked to park in the parking lot and pull up to the front office after the buses leave to show identification in the office. We will hold to this procedure, even if we know you. Thank you for your understanding in having procedures that keep our students safe.
• Please have the number displayed on your visor.
• We are a neighborhood school. Please be kind to our neighbors and DO NOT PARK in front of our neighbors driveways.
• Preschool mid-day pick up will occur behind Primary using the same procedure as the end of the day pick-up. Click on the document listed below for detailed procedures.

Drop-off and Pick-up: Here is a review of the procedures -

1. Drop-off & Pick-up Procedure Document
2. Video detailing the procedure with maps and pictures (7 minutes)

Teachers will teach and practice these procedures with students, but for your information, here is how students will enter the building:

• Walkers - Door 1 front entry

• K/1 bus students who will eat breakfast - Door 1 front entry (starting next week)

• K/1 bus students not eating breakfast - Door 2 by Kindergarten

• Drop-off - Door 10 in the back

• Preschool coming by bus - Door 16 by preschool wing

• Preschool morning parent drop-off - Door 15

Bus information on ParentVue - now available. ALL parents should check ParentVUE Mon, August 31st for any updates. Special education routes are still being finalized. Parent should check ParentVue daily. If you do NOT have bus info listed in ParentVUE, contact the bus garage ASAP. To find your students bus info, go to the ParentVue, click on the "Student Info"tab and look for “additional Information” on the bottom right.

**Please check this before the first day of school. There is the possibility of some changes. If anything is going to change, it could be the pick up or drop off times. Transportation info is on the district main webpage.

For transportation questions, there are two ways to connect with the bus garage:

#1) Phone: 651-213-2020

#2) E-mail: Wendy Armstrong at WArmstrong@isd2144.org

At the bus stop after school, a family member MUST be outside waiting for the Primary School student at the bus drop-off location. The age of the students at Primary School requires we follow safety protocols and make sure we know someone is home. In addition, many of our students do not know when their home is approaching. An open garage door alone is not a signal we can rely on and must have someone physically waiting outside for the student. Thank you for your cooperation!

Expect the buses to run later than scheduled the first week of school. As the students get used to the loading routine, the buses will arrive closer to the scheduled times. Bus route information can be found in ParentVue for Kindergarten and First Grade students.

Click HERE for the 2026-27 attendance letter and Chisago County Attendance Protocols. If your child will not be attending a day of school or will be picked up early please email our School Secretary, Amy Odland. There are three ways to report your child's attendance:

CALL: 651-213-2200

E-MAIL: psattendance@isd2144.org

ParentVUE: Click HERE for step by step directions to submit an absence

at aodland@isd2144.org. You can also call Amy Odland at 651-213-2202. Amy will notify your child's teacher of the absence/early pick-up so you do not need to notify the teacher. Building an attendance habit information and resources can be found HERE.

Please click HERE for the Student Handboook.

Our school has adopted the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Students and staff will be training, practicing, and using the protocol.

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is based on an all-hazards approach as opposed to individual scenarios. Like the Incident Command System (ICS), SRP utilizes clear common language while allowing for flexibility in protocol. The premise is simple - there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a “Term of Art” and is then followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers and first responders. The SRP is based on the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

Click here to visit the District Website to learn more about the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP).

To read more about the reading program in Chisago Lakes, click HERE.

Parents and siblings are invited to eat lunch at school throughout the school year. However, please give us the first 1-2 weeks to help students build routines. We welcome lunch visits to begin the middle of September. If you want to have school lunch with your child, please call the office and let them know. We request that you reserve a lunch when you call so they will have the extra food prepared if you are planning to eat a school lunch.

Parents should always check in at the office and wait there until their child’s scheduled lunch time. You’ll receive a badge that needs to be visible while you’re in the building. You will need to go directly to the lunch room. We have special dining seats available for visitors and their own children. Please do not invite other children to join you for lunch as we make sure the cafeteria is a safe space for all students including those with allergies. We ask that parents do not walk in the hall with the class but rather depart when the student’s classroom teacher arrives. Always remember to check out in the office when your child’s lunchtime is over.

Chisago Lakes School District continues to participate in the Minnesota Free Meals Program which provides reimbursement to schools so that students can have one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school day. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is necessary to qualify for exemption from class fees and to be considered for free/reduced athletics and technology. Families must complete the educational benefits application AND the waiver form to be considered for free/reduced fees.

What is NOT included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

Students must have a positive balance in their account or cash to purchase non-reimbursable items

Single-item purchases and non-reimbursable meals are not free. Some examples include:

• Extra carton of milk (One carton of milk is included in the free reimbursable meal. If a student brings a lunch from home or would like an additional milk, it must be purchased)

• Second breakfast or second lunch

• Extra portions (mega bites)

• Snack Items/a-la carte

Special Diet Accommodations

Please note that diet accommodations remain in effect from one school year to the next unless we are notified otherwise. If your student no longer requires a previously approved diet accommodation, please contact Laura Cierzan @lcierzan@isd2144.org or 651-213-2506 so we can update our records and discontinue the accommodation.

Click here to access complete Food & Nutrition Services information, including menus, access to PayPams, special diet/allergen information and the Application for Educational Benefits form/waiver form.

Help our students learn their colors by dressing in these colors in September!

14th- Red

15th- Orange

16th- Yellow

17th- Green

18th- Blue

21st- Purple

22nd- Pink

23rd- Brown

24th- Black/White

25th - Rainbow Day!

Email: agrice@isd2144.org
Website: https://www.isd2144.org/Primary
Phone: 651-213-2200