SUMMER NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2025

AUGUST

🍎 25: First Day of School, Grades 1-5

25: Kdg Meet the Teacher Night, 5 pm

25: BOT Mtg, 6:30 pm, Cafeteria

🍎 26: First Day of School, Kindergarten

29: School Closed, Labor Day 🇺🇸

SEPTEMBER

1: CLOSED, Labor Day 🇺🇸

📣 SDM activation emails have been sent out the afternoon of Saturday, August 16. They only go to the first parent's email in our system. That parent must add other pick-up people, or parents may contact the school to be added.

School Dismissal Manager (SDM) is our app to manage student dismissals, whether it is by parent, bus or daycare! Parents are notified when their child's daycare or bus leaves the school. Parents coming through the Car Line check into the SDM app which tells the teacher you are on our property. Students are then brought to the loading area where staff help them into their vehicle. This system works very well when everyone uses the SDM app!

☀️ ARRIVAL:

• Doors open at 8:05 am.
• 🚗 Car line parents, please arrive no earlier than 8:00 am. Classes begin at 8:30 am.
• Walkers, please cross 6th St at Hickory and report to the rear of the building. We have a crossing guard at Church and Union as well.

👟 DISMISSAL:

• Dismissal begins at 3:00 pm.
• 🚗 Car line parents, please arrive no earlier than 3:00 pm

Scheduled half-days end at 12:00 pm. Students are provided with lunch before they leave.

🚌 Bus Transportation is provided by your resident school district. Most districts communicate directly with families regarding bus assignments, stops and times about a week or two before school starts. Please make sure they have your current contact information. Bus forms are required to obtain busing. Contact our front desk if you did not fill out a form for the 2025-26 school year.

Daycare Transportation: Please make sure we know if your child is being transported by daycare. This must be marked in SDM. IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not release students to a daycare without confirmation from the parent.

The first day of school is devoted to getting to know our new friends and teachers, our school building and our expectations! Below are some noteworthy points to know before school starts! See the link for our Family Handbook at the bottom of this newsletter!

FOOTWEAR

• What to wear- Sneakers or closed-toe shoes with a flat heel. Crocks are permitted if they are worn in 'sport mode' with the strap around the heel.
• What to avoid- Flip-flops, slides, loose-fitting sandals or slippers pose a safety issue and are not permitted.

HEAD COVERINGS

• What to wear - Hooded sweatshirts are allowed in school, but the hood must be kept down when inside the building.
• What to avoid - Hats and bandanas are not permitted in the building. If they are worn for religious reasons, please communicate this with your child's teacher.

FOOD & BEVERAGES

• ALL STUDENTS EAT FREE! Breakfast and lunch are offered free to all students.
• What to bring - Bottled water, healthy beverages and snacks.
• What to leave home - Candy, fast food, caffeinated or high-sugar/energy drinks are not permitted in school. Foods containing nuts or nut oils are not permitted to protect students who are at risk for serious allergic reactions to peanut exposure.
• Stanley Cups - Please do not send these tall, metal water bottles in with your child. They topple easily, spill and break, causing a disruption to the classroom setting.

TECHNOLOGY

• What to bring - We understand that cell phones are provided to students as a safety measure for some of our families. During school hours, phones must be off and put away in the child's book bag.
• What to leave home - Recording devices, smart watches, i-Pads or gaming devices should not be brought to school. If they are needed for after-school hours, they must be off and put away in the child's book bag. AAECS will not responsible for lost or stolen items.

MEDICATIONS

• What to bring - Medications with the required Medication Authorization form, signed by a doctor, must be brought in by the parent and handed to the school nurse.
• What to avoid - All medications not authorized by a doctor and provided to the school nurse must be left at home, including, but not limited to: inhalers, aspirin, ibuprofen, medicated creams or cough drops.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

• Sign into the Jupiter portal and check all contacts. These carry over from year to year. Make sure the names, relationship, number and emails are correct.

Students tend to leave items behind when they leave the classroom and may not even notice it until it is time to go home or even days later.

Labeling your child's bookbag, lunchbox, coat, gloves, etc. with their name helps us find and return lost items quickly!

We strongly advise parents to avoid sending students to school with expensive jewelry, clothing or with items that have sentimental value.

🎈

Kindergarten folders will also be distributed at Kindergarten Meet the Teacher Night, August 25 at 5 pm.

First Day Folders, which include your child's teacher, classroom schedule and other important information, will be available for pick-up.

Student name tags with your child's teacher and other important information will be included in these folders. Putting a nametag on your child's shirt before they enter the building helps ensure they will get to their assigned classroom and teacher quickly to reduce first day anxiety.

Supply lists cost parents hundreds of dollars each year! Many items on these lists are the same supplies we provide anyway. At AAECS, we do not ask parents to purchase these items. So what items can you get for your child? Here's a short list!

• A bookbag
• Lunch box
• Earbuds or headphones if there are specific ones you prefer.

AAECS is proud to be a federally-recognized CEP School (Community Eligibility Provision), providing free meals for all students.

AAECS does not prepare food on site. Our school breakfast and lunch is provided by Linton's Catering. Breakfast, lunch and milk is delivered daily. Hot lunches are kept hot and served fresh.

Apply for federal programs including free summer meals, grocery vouchers, daycare funding and more via our School Cafe app!

• Choose PA and enter "Arts Academy Elementary Charter School".
• Instructions for Free and Reduced Meals through SchoolCafe

AAECS NUTRITION PROGRAM

Nut-aware

The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School will enforce a nut-aware environment to protect students who are at risk for serious allergic reactions to peanut exposure. Please keep this in mind when packing a lunch or snack for your child. There will be a nut-free table in the cafeteria for students with nut allergies.

Healthy Snacks

If you choose to send in a snack for your child, please make every effort to provide a healthy item. Healthy snacks would include such things as fruit, vegetables, pretzels and granola bars (nut-free).

Birthday Celebrations

We recognize that birthdays are a very special time, especially for a child. Your child’s teacher will celebrate each student’s birthday by honoring him/her on that day. Parents are not required to send in anything with their child. However, if parents would like to send in an item, only non-food items will be permitted.

We are now on a wait list as both programs are full. If you wish to join the wait list, see the link below.

A Stakeholder Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13 in the AAECS Cafeteria at 11 am to review the 2025-26 School-wide Plan, Title Expenditures and our Wellness Policy. The detailed agenda and draft plans will be sent out shortly.

Calendar Link

Family Handbook Link

Out School Doc app is where your child's health information is stored. Links will be sent out closer to the start of the school year to sign in! Meanwhile, if you wish to send us your child's Immunizations or School Physical, please contact us at office@artsacademyecs.org

Email: office@artsacademyecs.org
Website: https://www.artsacademyecs.org
Location: 601 Union Street, Allentown
Phone: (610) 841-4560
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsAcademyElementary