HME's Back to School Newsletter

Hello HME Cardinal Families!

I am beyond excited to begin this school year with each of you. Walking into Harry McKillop Elementary, I can already feel the pride, tradition, and excellence that live here. Thank you for welcoming me. I cannot wait to see all the incredible learning, laughter, and growth that will fill our halls. Let’s make this year an exceptional one!

Kimberly Cole

Principal

The first couple of weeks are all about building routines, relationships, and a strong classroom culture. You’ll see teachers spending extra time on expectations, procedures, and community-building activities. This foundation sets the tone for an amazing year of learning! Please make sure to view the slides for detailed information about the start of school.

To keep everyone safe and efficient:

• Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:15 am.

• Please follow staff directions in the car line. Safety is our #1 priority.

• Dismissal procedures will begin early in the first few weeks. Students will only be released according to dismissal tags and pre-approved methods.

Thank you for helping us make transitions smooth and stress-free!

We love our volunteers! To keep our school safe, all volunteers must complete a background check each year. All volunteers, field trip chaperones, and event helpers must complete a background check before joining us on campus. If you’re planning to help in the classroom, attend field trips, or volunteer at events, please click the link below to complete your background check:

During the first couple of weeks of school, we will be working hard to establish routines and expectations in the cafeteria. To support this, lunch will be closed to parents and visitors until Monday, September 15th. Thank you for giving us this time to help students learn procedures and settle in smoothly.

We know sometimes dismissal plans change. If you need to make a change during the school day, please contact Kati Jones at the front office before 2:30 pm. This ensures we can get the message to your child in time. Please do not email teachers for same-day changes, as they may not see your message during instruction. We cannot guarantee dismissal changes made after 2:30 pm.

We love celebrating our students’ special days! However, outside food (cupcakes, cookies, etc.) may not be brought in for birthdays. Instead, families may consider sending a small non-food item (stickers, pencils, etc.), or teachers can recognize students in meaningful classroom ways.

We are excited to continue building a culture of positivity and consistency through PBIS! PBIS helps us teach, model, and recognize positive behaviors so that all students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Look for updates from your child’s teacher on how we are celebrating and reinforcing positive choices on campus! Students will learn and practice our school-wide expectations:

Students at HME will S.O.A.R. = Safety, Ownership, Achievement, Respect.

Together, we will recognize and celebrate positive choices that help our school shine!

• Make sure your child has a full water bottle. It would also be helpful if their water bottle was labeled with their name.
• Your child needs to bring a snack each day, separate from their lunch box.
• Remember a change of clothes in your child’s backpack.
• We will send home a red folder with your child tomorrow, please return to school daily. Please initial or sign the calendar each day after school to let me know you have checked their folder.
• If your child goes home by car or liberty solo walker, you'll also notice a laminated white card with your child’s number, this should be returned daily as well.
• To help with dismissal we attach a colorful tag to your child's backpack, please do not remove the tag as this will help us dismiss your child safely all year.

Harry McKillop Elementary will host Grandparents' Day lunches from September 2-5, 2025, welcoming grandparents to eat lunch with their grandchildren at school. Grandparents' Day Lunch will be held on the dates below, according to student last names, during the grade-level lunch times. RSVP is required by Friday, August 30th by noon.

Sept. 2 - Last Names A-E
Sept. 3 - Last Names F-K
Sept. 4 - Last Names L-P
Sept. 5 - Last Names Q-Z