Pine Ridge Prep Update

Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I am so excited to welcome all of our new and returning Pine Ridge Prep Wolves!

I am privileged to be beginning my seventh year as principal at Pine Ridge Prep Preschool and Sheldon Head Start. Here at Pine Ridge Prep we are blessed with the best ~ the most passionate and dedicated teaching staff, incredible students, and rock star families! Working together, we will set the tone for your child's continued academic success!

Once school starts, you will receive a weekly newsletter from me highlighting all upcoming dates and events. The weekly newsletter will also include reminders and important information. Please make sure to read the newsletter each week so you stay informed! This is the number one way I communicate with all families. This newsletter will be sent via email, text, and posted on our Pine Ridge Prep Facebook page. Speaking of, haven't followed us yet on social media? Please do! We love to share pictures of all the fun we are having!

This edition of the newsletter contains important information you need to know leading up to the first day of school. I hope this newsletter helps answer many of your questions. There are also several required items that MUST be completed. Please pay careful attention to those and complete them ASAP.

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

Welcome to the new school year! It is my pleasure to serve as the Building Leader Intern at Pine Ridge Prep for the fourth year! I am excited to be a part of the Pine Ridge Community to continue and

grow our partnerships with the community. I have spent my teaching career in early childhood and early childhood special education and look forward to serving you and your family.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve and collaborate with the Pine Ridge community!

~Mrs. Kim Meyers-Lopez, Building Leader

You know that place where all the missing socks disappear to when you're doing laundry? Well, that happens to us here too and student belongings sometimes disappear into the void! Help us help you by labeling the inside of your child's belongings with their first and last name. We also have a Lost & Found in each classroom. Check there for any items that turn up missing!

There is a NEW app for families to access their child's school account. The screenshot below shows what it looks like. It is called ParentVUE (New) and has a purple background. When you download and open the new app, you may get a screen that asks if you have an activation code. Your options will be No, Yes, or Already Activated. Click on Already Activated and you should be able to log in to your account like normal.

Class lists were finalized on Friday, August 7th.

You will find out your child's teacher when they reach out to you and schedule a home visit to occur before the first day of school. At Pine Ridge Prep, we complete a home visit before school starts so your child can meet his or her teacher team in a familiar environment. This allows the staff to learn about your child and begin building a relationship in a setting that your child is comfortable with. We love meeting students at the home visit because then the child has already met the teachers. This results in a much smoother "Meet the Teacher Night" and "First Day of School." This also gives us a one-on-one opportunity to share information and complete required paperwork.

We look forward to setting up home visits with each family.

We believe names are important and want to ensure we are pronouncing student names correctly. If your child has a more unique name, please consider going into Synergy and recording your child's name pronunciation.

Please be sure you send TWO extra sets of clothes (bottom, top, underwear, socks) with your student on the first day of school, in case of accidents or just because sometimes preschool can be messy! Make sure they are appropriate for the current weather.

Here are some suggestions for appropriate clothing for preschool kids and why it is important.

What to Choose:

• Washable & Durable: Preschool is a messy environment with paint, glue, and dirt, so choose clothes that are easy to wash and won't be ruined by accidents.
• Easy to Manage: Select pants and shirts with elastic waistbands and simple necklines that children can easily pull on and off.
• Comfortable: Clothes should not be too tight, as this restricts movement, nor too loose, which can be a tripping hazard.
• Sturdy & Safe: Tennis shoes with velcro are ideal for active play. Closed-toed shoes and closed heel shoes are a must for safety, as sandals, flip-flops, and boots can cause trips and falls. Tennis shoes allow kids to safely run, pedal, and climb.
• Layers: Dressing in layers allows children to adapt to different temperatures indoors and outdoors.

What to Avoid

• Challenging Fasteners: Items with many buttons, snaps, zippers, or belts can slow dressing and make it difficult for children to use the toilet independently.
• Overalls & Suspenders: These can be tricky to manage in the bathroom and pose a tripping hazard.
• Long Dresses: Long dresses can be a tripping hazard and make it difficult for little girls to dress themselves.
• Special or Expensive Clothes: Avoid sending your child in clothing that is meant for special occasions or that you don't want to get messy or stained. Help your child distinguish between school clothes and party clothes.
• Open-toed Shoes: Sandals, flip-flops, and party shoes are not safe for active play and can lead to falls.

We will be providing each student a water bottle to use throughout the day. There is no need to send one with your student.

Families should plan to attend "Meet the Teacher Night" on Tuesday, August 18th. This event is from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and is a come and go event. Bring your child, see your child's classroom and school.

Students at Pine Ridge Prep are dropped off and picked up from their classroom door. Beginning at 8:20 Monday-Thursday and 9:20 on Friday, school staff will be outside each classroom to greet students. An adult is to walk the child up to school staff for them to be checked in. DO NOT drop your child and pull away/walk away. It is important for safety that an adult have eyes on all children at all times. At the end of the day, please walk up to pick up your child. The arrival process ends at 8:45. Any student arriving to school after 8:45 will need to check in at the office, located in building 1120. The dismissal process ends at 3:45. Any student not picked up will need to be checked out at the office.

We have seen in the news recently about many children and caregivers not surviving car accidents because they were not properly restrained. Unintentional accidents are the leading cause of death among children. If you need a car seat, we have a great resource to obtain one. Also, please remember that the car seat needs to be properly restrained within the car as well and you must have the proper number of seatbelts per person in the car. Please move seats between cars as needed when changing vehicles with the children.

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 in the car line)
• 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 through car line)
• 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 in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 3:45 PM (all students must be picked up by 3:45 PM)

Before the first day of school, you will receive a newsletter that explains the arrival and dismissal procedures.

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/

Pine Ridge Prep follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar. The only exception is a later start date. The first day of school for Pine Ridge Prep students is Wednesday, August 19th.

Topeka Public Schools utilizes the SchoolMessenger system for web services and to deliver text messages to families in the district. Alerts come straight to your mobile phone with important information about school events, school closings, and more.

Parents and guardians can participate in this free service by sending a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to the TPS short code number 67587. You can also opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying "stop" to one of our messages.

View our communications document in English and Spanish to learn more about how Topeka Public Schools communicates with families throughout the school year.

Don't forget to follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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. The lower rate is for those families who qualify for free or reduced lunch. 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 26-27 school year. Please reach out to the office with any questions.

As a state and district expectation, all preschool children must have the ASQ3 and ASQSE2 completed each year.

Please use the appropriate link below to complete BOTH the ASQ and ASQ-SE screening forms. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. When you click on the link, you will have the option of choosing to complete BOTH surveys.

English version: https://www.asqonline.com/family/58ce82

Spanish version: https://www.asqonline.com/family/824204

If you need additional help completing the screener please use our step-by-step directions using the link below.

ASQ Parent Guide

SPANISH ASQ Parent Guide

Thank you to the families who have delivered, sent or uploaded the required preschool documents!

If you have not done so, please submit your child's:

• birth certificate
• immunization records
• health assessment (physical)
• your W2 forms or 1040 (first page of taxes)

The above documents can be submitted by , scanning and emailing them to klopez@tps501.org or delivering them to the Pine Ridge Prep office.

We must have the required documents before the first day of school.

New interactive meal menus can be found here. In the first drop down, choose Pine Ridge Prep. In the second drop down, pick either breakfast or lunch.

If your child takes medication at school, you will need to have your child's physician complete

and sign a Request to Administer Medication form, which will need to be returned to the office. Medication must be sent in the original packaging with the original label.

If your child needs meal modifications due to religious or medical restrictions, please complete and return the attached forms.

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 9:00 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

If in need of resources, you can also contact the United Way by dialing 211.

English and Spanish

Website: https://sheldon.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1155 SW Seabrook Ave.
Phone: 785-438-4530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart