Tower Rock Elementary

• August 18: 4K / 5K Playdate, 4:00-5:15pm on the Tower Rock playground
• August 27: 4K Orientation, 3:00pm in the library
• August 27: School Supply Drop Off, 3:30-5:30pm
• August 27: Kindergarten Orientation, 4:30pm in room 112
• September 1: First Day of School (Link to school supply lists)
• September 10: Friends of Education (parent fundraising group), 6:30-7:30pm in the library
• September 17: Tower Rock Picture Day
• September 24: Back to School Night for all TR families, 5-7pm. Details coming in Sept.
• October 2: Homecoming Field Trip for K-5 students, 12:45-2:45pm.
• October 7: No School for students, professional development / planning meetings for teachers
• Week of October 26: Parent / Teacher Conferences in the evenings.
• October 28: Picture Retake Day
• October 29 & 30: No School

LINK TO DISTRICT CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT DATES FOR 26-27

Dear TR Families,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I look forward to seeing all of you in the coming weeks. As a staff, we are very excited to get back into our school routines. The start of the school year is always busy and can cause some nerves for our students as they meet their new teacher and start a new year. Parents often ask, "How can I get my child ready for the new school year?" My response is usually about routines - - start getting that bedtime routine more established and more regular if you veered off normal bedtime during the summer. Start having your child look at books / read books for 15-20 min at a time to help build back some of their reading stamina. And please reassure them that the teachers are here to help! We hope to make this shift back into the school year as smooth as possible for you; please reach out if we can help in any way.

In this newsletter, please find information about:

• Communication with the school
• Back to school events
• Lamers bus app
• Tower Rock open positions - we are hiring!
• Arrival / Dismissal procedures
• School breakfast and lunch
• Early release Wednesdays
• New staff
• FOE parent group
• Food Service Hiring

As we get back into the swing of things, please reach out with any questions you might have. The office line is (608) 643-1997 and my email is kelly.petrowski@saukprairieschools.org

Here we go!

Kelly

608-643-1997

kelly.petrowski@saukprairieschools.org

Our point person for daily communication is Jenna Stuettgen (pictured here), who is the school secretary. Her office phone number is (608) 643-1997. Jenna's email is jenna.stuettgen@saukprairieschools.org

She handles all attendance calls, early pick-ups, bus changes and all of the office goings-on. Please stop by the office during Supply Drop-off if you haven't yet met her.

To get in touch with your child's teacher, there are a couple of options. Calling the office would allow you to leave a message for the teacher. Email and using the Class Dojo App are the quickest way to get in touch with teachers. They will primarily use Class Dojo (4K and 5K families we will talk about this at orientation) to communicate information about upcoming field trips, schedule changes, etc.

The best way to stay informed about bussing and transportation for your child is to use the MyRide website or app. Here are directions to log into the website and for downloading the app. School staff can help you download the app at Supply Drop Off on August 27 if needed.

We have two last-minute openings at Tower Rock:

• Full time special education assistant
• Half-time assistant (mostly supporting medical needs)

Arrival and dismissal will work the same as it has the past few years. In the morning, buses will unload between 7:45 and 7:50am. Families who are dropping off their students can feel free to pull through the bus lane if the buses have completed their unloading. If there are buses in the lane when you arrive, please either wait until they pull through, or park in the lot and walk your child to the cross walk where staff members will greet them. The school day starts at 8am.

Dismissal will begin just after 3pm when the Soar and bus students will be dismissed first. After the buses are loaded, we will have our pick-up students exit the building and wait until they see their car. Cars can pull all the way through the bus lane as seen in the picture below, and staff members will help students get to their family. Reach out if you have questions!

Breakfast and lunch are served daily at Tower Rock. Teachers will go over their daily procedure for both breakfast and lunch when you see them at Supply Drop Off. Free and/or Reduced lunch forms are available on the district website (LINK TO FORM). Any family who qualifies for free or reduced food service also has the option of having their family's district fees waived too. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the District Office at 608-643-5990.

As a district, we will no longer have our early release Wednesdays once a month as we have in the past. We have found that the once a month schedule change was difficult for both students and staff. Instead, we have two non-student days (Wednesday, October 7 and Wednesday, January 27) to do our district and building planning. Please mark your calendar for those unusual "no-school" dates.

We look forward to welcoming new staff members for the 26-27 school year!

Heather Baumel - library assistant

Natasha Stark - 3rd grade teacher

Brittany Wanless - special education assistant

Savannah Fjoser (Curtis) - PE teacher

Tower Rock follows the middle school expectations regarding cell phones. The middle school policy for cell phones is "Off and Away All Day." Tower Rock follows that same expectation. We know some students have smart watches. As the middle school does, students are able to wear them, but they should not be texting/playing games/listening to music on the smart watches during the school day. Thank you for helping us keep students focused during the school day!

Friends of Education (FOE) is our school’s caregiver–educator organization, which supports students and staff through fundraising and volunteer efforts. We’re excited to announce the 2025–2026 FOE Officers:

• President: Heather Baumel

• Vice President: Jackie Wolf

• Treasurer: Sonia Barber

• Secretary: Leah Kornish

Our first FOE meeting will be Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m., in the Tower Rock Library. Come see what FOE is all about, no commitment or volunteering required! It’s simply a great way to stay informed, meet fellow Tower Rock families, and connect with our school community.

You can also stop by our booth during Back to School Night on September 24 to learn more and meet FOE members.

Now Hiring: School Food Service Team Member

Looking for a schedule that truly fits your family’s life? We are currently seeking a friendly and dedicated individual to join our school food service team!

This position is ideal for parents looking to get out of the house, earn a little extra income, and still be home for their children before and after school.

Perks of the Job:

• No nights or weekends

• The same days off, holidays, and breaks as the school district

• Summers off to enjoy with family

• A supportive, community-focused work environment

View the full position details and apply online here: APPLICATION LINK

Come soar with us and be a part of your children's school day!

Email: jenna.stuettgen@saukprairieschools.org
Website: https://telm.saukprairieschools.org/
Location: S9033 Denzer Road, Prairie du Sac, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 643-1997