Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

Happy Tuesday! We hope you all had a wonderful 3 day weekend! TOMORROW we have an exciting opportunity with the Discovery Center! During the school day, students will get the chance to visit the Mobile Museum. Join us that afternoon for a family event for all to join the fun! See the flyer below for more details. *Please note, the location has changed to the Empowerment Center around the corner!

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

Mrs. Kim Meyers-Lopez, Building Leader

See below for an invitation to Pine Ridge Prep's Promotion Ceremonies for our 4 year old students heading to Kindergarten next year! We do still have a half day of school on May 29th. Please plan for your student to attend the last day!

Topeka Public Schools has summer program offerings available in June to any preschool student who attended in a TPS program in the 24-25 school year. Students MUST BE fully potty-trained. This summer program will be held at Shaner Early Learning Academy. Click this link for more information on dates, fees, and registration. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Additionally, there is a summer program available at the Deer Creek Community Center. See more information below. Reach out to Ms. Kim if you would like a printed copy of the full summer program packet.

Check out this site for information on the Summer Book-It Program!

Our next staff meeting is coming up. We would LOVE to have more staff shout-outs to share! 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!

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Better Hearing & Speech Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Military Appreciation Month

May 1: School Principals' Day

May 1: Story Time with Boomer Bear

May 1: Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

May 2: School Lunch Hero Day

May 5-9: Staff Appreciation Week

May 5-11: Screen Free Week

May 6: Teacher Appreciation Day

May 6: DCAC Meeting @ 6:30

May 11: Mothers' Day

May 15: Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30

May 18: National Speech & Language Pathologist Day

May 26: Memorial Day

May 27: PRP Promotion Ceremony @ 1:30

May 29: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Dismiss @ 11:30 - no lunch served

As of July 2024, Topeka Public Schools will be using My School Bucks as a way for parents to track and pay student fines, fees and other costs online. Pine Ridge Prep students DO have an enrollment fee. This ranges from $21-$32. The lower rate is for those families who qualify for free or reduced lunch by completing the Child Nutrition Form (link to complete is further down in this newsletter). See the pictures below (you can click on a picture to make it bigger) for instructions on how to set up your My School Bucks account and pay your fees for the 24-25 school year. Please reach out to the office with any questions.

The Topeka Public Schools Online Registration link is live. Register TODAY for the 2025-2026 school year!

*Preschool Registration is part of the district registration and is found on the same link. Students who will be 3 or 4 years of age on or before August 31st can register for preschool. All preschool students will be placed at "Quinton Heights" until the Early Childhood Enrollment team has processed applications, ensure students qualify, and assign to specific schools.

*Students registering for Kindergarten will be assigned to their home elementary schools.

All students must register, even if you will be returning for the second year of preschool. If you have questions or need help through the process, please reach out to our Preschool Enrollment team at preschool@tps501.org or 785-438-6899.

Please note required immunizations for the 25-26 school year, pictured below.

Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

• Arrival begins: 8:20 AM (drop off at classroom door)
• School starts: 8:30 AM
• Arrival ends: 8:30 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 8:30 AM. Students arriving after 8:30 AM will need to sign in at the main office )
• Dismissal begins: 3:30 PM (pick up at classroom door)
• Dismissal ends: 3:45 PM (all students must be picked up by 3:45 PM)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

• Arrival begins: 9:20 AM (drop off at classroom door)
• School starts: 9:30 AM
• Arrival ends: 9:30 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 9:30 AM. Students arriving after 9:30 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:30 PM (pick up at classroom door)
• Dismissal ends: 3:45 PM (all students must be picked up by 3:45 PM)

Late Start is on FRIDAYS for this school year and the doors will open at 9:20 and school will begin at 9:30. This is for every Friday that school is in session.

This handbook includes important information about Pine Ridge Prep including our mission and vision, policies and procedures.

Please take time to review this handbook.

Pine Ridge Prep follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar. The only exceptions are a later start. The first day of school for Pine Ridge Prep students is Wednesday, August 21st.

Our Pine Ridge Prep 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!

https://www.facebook.com/PineRidgePrep/

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) 329-7870. 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

Email: klopez@tps501.org
Website: https://pineridgeprep.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1120 Southeast Highland Avenue, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785-329-7870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineRidgePrep/
Twitter: @PinePrep