Bobcat Bulletin

Monday-Thursday

7:55-8:00- First Bell

8:00- Tardy Bell- All students arrive after 8:00 are tardy and should be checked into the office

2:40- End of Day Dismissal

Friday

7:55-8:00- First Bell

8:00-Tardy Bell

12:25- End of Day Dismissal

3rd-4th Grade Students- Side Gate Pick up Location

K-2- Front Doors Pick Up Location

7:00-7:30- Sunshine club members only- must be registered

7:30-7:45- Students having breakfast may be dropped off at the side gate for the cafeteria

7:45- all students may be dropped off and enter the school and head to their classrooms

8:00- Tardy bell rings- all students arriving after the 8:00 bell must be checked in at the office

On July 1, the Healthy Schools Act went into effect. This act targets 11 different ingredients that are commonly found in many foods. Please see the flyer below for the specific list of ingredients. You may still pack food of your choosing for your student; however, we may not pass out any food items to students that contain these ingredients. This does not apply to individually packed lunches. Parents can still send food items that contain these ingredients with your student in their personal lunches. What it does mean is that we have to be selective with the food items that are distributed to students. This largely effects common birthday treats. Please see the flyer below for alternative ideas of items that would be approved.

Have you considered making a difference by becoming a substitute teacher? Substitutes play an important role in helping our schools and students continue their learning when a teacher needs to be away. Please check out the QR code on the flyer to learn more about becoming a substitute.

Each month, our school counselor, Mrs. Klaine contributes to our counseling corner. Here she shares information and ideas that will be useful to parents and students alike! Here is this month's edition of the counselor's corner!

🚌 Student Pick-Up Zones

At dismissal, each grade level will report with their teacher to their designated pick-up zone:

• Kindergarten & STEPs: Outside the front doors
• 1st Grade: Blacktop near the playground
• 2nd Grade: Front grass
• 3rd & 4th Grade: Taylor Hicks Drive Gate

Please see the map below for the specific locations.

🚗 If You Are Using the Pick-Up Line

Parents should remain in their vehicles while waiting in the pick-up line. Our staff will bring your child to your vehicle.

This is the safest and most efficient way to get everyone home quickly. We know parking can be limited, so we encourage families to use the pick-up line whenever possible.

🚶 If You Choose to Walk Up

If you would like to walk up to pick up your child, please park your vehicle in a designated parking space. Please do not park in or leave your vehicle unattended in a red-curbed area.

When walking up, please allow teachers to first escort their students to their designated pick-up zones before checking out your child.

Multiple classrooms will be exiting the front of the building, so it is especially important that we keep doorways and walkways clear so every class can safely reach their assigned dismissal location.

🚨 Campbell Avenue Loading Zone

One final important reminder: Campbell Avenue, along the front of Taylor Hicks, is a loading zone only from 2:00–2:40 p.m. Vehicles may not be parked and left unattended in this area during that time.

Thank you so much for your patience, cooperation, and support as we get into our dismissal routines. Your partnership helps us keep dismissal safe, organized, and efficient for everyone.

And once again—what an amazing first day! We are so excited about this school year and all the wonderful things ahead for our Bobcats!

Thank you for being part of the Taylor Hicks family!

Every Bobcat Matters. Every Moment Counts. 🐾

🚗 Morning Drop-Off Procedures

We want to make sure our mornings are safe, smooth, and efficient for everyone. Please review the following morning arrival procedures:

🕗 Regular School Drop-Off — 7:45 AM

Our front-of-school drop-off does not begin until 7:45 AM.

Please do not arrive at the front drive-through before 7:45 AM. We need to keep our drive-through lanes open so that traffic can continue to move safely and vehicles can access our Delano Avenue exit. When vehicles wait in the drive-through before drop-off begins, it prevents through traffic from being able to exit.

• 7:45 AM: Students may be dropped off and should report directly to their classrooms for morning activities.
• 7:55 AM: First bell rings.
• 8:00 AM: Tardy bell rings and the school day begins.

Students who arrive after the 8:00 AM tardy bell must be escorted to the office by a parent/guardian and signed into school for the day. Please do not send students into the school alone after the 8:00 AM bell.

🍎 School Breakfast — 7:30 AM

Students who are eating school breakfast may arrive beginning at 7:30 AM.

Breakfast students should be dropped off at the side gate of the blacktop. A staff member will be outside beginning at 7:30 AM to assist students as they exit their vehicles and safely enter the cafeteria.

🌅 Sunshine Club — 7:00 AM

Families who need an earlier drop-off option can take advantage of our Sunshine Club.

Sunshine Club is free for families, but students must be registered in advance to attend.

• 7:00 AM: Sunshine drop-off begins. Students report to the library.
• 7:30 AM: Students are escorted to the cafeteria for breakfast.
• 7:45 AM: Students transition to their classrooms.

Registration forms for Sunshine Club were sent home during the first week of school. If your student needs to attend, please make sure they are registered before using this early drop-off option.

Thank you for helping us keep morning arrival safe, organized, and moving smoothly! We appreciate our Bobcat families partnering with us to ensure a great start to each school day. 🐾

On the first day of school your child was given a small packet of forms to be filled out. The orange emergency and health information form needs to be completed and sent in along with the other forms in the packet. Our school nurse will be using these cards to verify the information that is currently in our student information system. We appreciate your assistance with this!

Standards-Based Grading at Prescott Unified School District

Dear PUSD Families,

As we begin a new school year, we want to thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child's learning. Last year, Prescott Unified School District fully implemented standards-based grading and report cards for all K–8 students. We appreciate your support throughout the implementation process and would like to provide a refresher on how standards-based grading helps communicate your child's academic progress.

Why Standards-Based Grading?

The purpose of grades in PUSD is to clearly communicate what students know and are able to do in relation to Arizona's academic standards.

Standards-based grading provides families, students, and teachers with meaningful information about:

• What students are learning
• How well they are progressing toward grade-level expectations
• Where additional support or enrichment may be needed

This approach allows grades to reflect a student's level of academic proficiency rather than factors such as behavior, participation, or work completion.

Benefits of Standards-Based Grading

Clear Learning Goals
Students understand the specific skills and concepts they are expected to master, helping them take ownership of their learning.

Meaningful Feedback
Families receive clear information about areas of strength and opportunities for growth.

Consistency and Equity
Students are evaluated using common learning standards and consistent expectations across classrooms.

Focus on Growth
Students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning and improve their level of proficiency over time.

Preparation for Future Success
A focus on mastery helps students develop the knowledge and skills needed for future academic success.

How Are Grades Determined?

Academic grades are based on evidence of student learning gathered through:

• Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)
• Quarterly benchmark assessments
• Performance tasks and projects
• Writing samples
• Classroom assessments aligned to grade-level standards

Teachers use multiple pieces of evidence to determine each student's current level of proficiency on the essential standards.

Daily classwork, homework, practice activities, and formative checks continue to play an important role in the learning process by providing students with opportunities to practice, receive feedback, and prepare for assessments. While these activities support instruction, they are not the primary factor in determining final proficiency scores.

Understanding the Proficiency Scale Student achievement is reported using the following proficiency levels:

Academic and Non-Academic Reporting

To provide families with a complete picture of student success, academic achievement and learner behaviors are reported separately. Academic Grades reflect a student's understanding of grade-level standards.

Learner Behaviors are reported independently using PUSD's core values:

• Respectful
• Responsible
• Safe
• Kind
• Productive

Separating academic achievement from learner behaviors provides a more accurate picture of both what students know and how they contribute to our school community.

Partnering for Student Success

Standards-based grading is designed to strengthen communication between home and school by providing clear, meaningful information about student learning. We encourage families to regularly discuss report cards with their children, celebrate growth, and partner with teachers to support continued success.

If you have questions about your child's progress or how standards-based grading works, please contact your child's teacher or school principal.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to ensure every student learns, grows, and succeeds.

Hello Parents,

Please make sure to register your students that will be riding the bus on this link. This is linked to the transportation department and needs to be completed so that they will know what students will be riding on which route. This is the official bus riding registration page.