Sheldon Update

Dear Sheldon Families,

Reminder - there is NO SCHOOL this Friday, April 3rd! School offices will be closed. Have a great week!

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 Sheldon 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!

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

Summer camp options are available to Topeka Public Schools Preschool students! Take a look at the links below. BOTH of these options are available for Sheldon students. Please note, Sheldon is NOT a host site for preschool summer camp.

• Preschool Summer Camp @ Shaner
• PK-12 Summer Academic/Enrichment Summer Camp

See details below!

See below for new information and a friendly contest for Kindergarten Orientation! During February Parent/Teacher Conferences, we provided a postcard that showed your child's assigned Kindergarten school. This is where you should attend Kindergarten Orientation. If you need a reminder, please reach out.

We will celebrate The Week of the Young Child with a spirit week April 13th-17th. See details below!

Class Picture Day will take place on April 9th. All students will receive one free group photo of

their child's class. No orders are necessary.

Strawbridge will also be taking cap & gown pictures of our 4 year old students who will be promoting to Kindergarten next year! These photos will be available for purchase. See the flyer below for ordering details. A paper order form will be sent home with students as well. We are excited to offer families this opportunity this year! Please be mindful of student hairstyles to ensure the cap fits on well, stays on, and doesn't mess up their hair-do when taking it off.

This link will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school

portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more

pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the

student's name as it is on file at the school.

The Preschool Application for next school year will open in April. ALL preschool students, including those who will be returning for their second year, MUST complete the online application.

See the flyers above for information on Kindergarten Orientation. ALL FAMILIES with students who are going to Kindergarten next year should plan to attend. You will attend this event at your home Kindergarten school. We will provide information at Parent/Teacher Conferences on your child's home Kindergarten school.

We will go on several field trips this year. Dates and locations are listed below. Parents are welcome to attend field trips BUT must provide their own transportation and their own entry fee. Siblings are welcome to attend, with parents providing transportation and entry fee, EXCEPT for the Discovery Center field trip as they are closed to the public on the day we visit and children outside of Sheldon will not be able to attend. We will pay all fees for Sheldon students. Even if their family attends, students are to stay with their school group. Finally, we require a signed permission slip before every field trip. Teachers will provide these. These MUST be completed in order for students to attend.

Topeka Zoo: Monday, April 6th @ 10:00-12:00 (upstairs classrooms)

Topeka Zoo: Tuesday, April 7th @ 10:00-12:00 (downstairs classrooms)

As a federal Head Start program, Sheldon implements policies & procedures to ensure a safe and effective program. Each week, one will be posted here for review. This quarter our focus is on Program Management & Governance.

Community Assessment

POLICY: 1302.11

The program will determine community strengths, needs, and resources.

PROCEDURE:

1. A Community Assessment will be conducted within the service area at least once over the

five-year grant period to help design a program that meets community needs and builds on

strengths and resources. The assessment will use data that describes community strengths,

needs, and resources and will include, at a minimum:

A. The number of eligible preschool-age children, including their geographic location, race,

ethnicity, and languages they speak, including:

• Children experiencing homelessness in collaboration with, to the extent possible, McKinney-Vento Local Education Liaisons (42 U.S.C. 11432 (6)(A));
• Children in foster care; and
• Children with disabilities, including types of disabilities and relevant services and resources provided to these children by community agencies.

B. The education, health, nutrition, and social service needs of eligible children and their

families, including prevalent social or economic factors that impact their well-being;

C. Typical work, school, and training schedules of parents with eligible children;

D. Other child development, child care centers, and family child care programs that serve

eligible children, including home visiting, publicly funded state and local preschools, and

approximate number of eligible children served;

E. Resources that are available in the community to address the needs of eligible children

and their families; and,

F. Strengths of the community.

Monday-Thursday: 9:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 9:00 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 9:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 9:15 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 9:15 AM. Students arriving after 9:15 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Late Start Fridays (every Friday): 10:15 AM - 4:00 PM

• Arrival begins: 10:15 AM (drop off through car line)
• School starts: 10:15 AM
• Arrival ends: 10:30 AM (Students will be considered tardy after 10:30 AM. Students arriving after 10:30 AM will need to sign in at the main office)
• Dismissal begins: 3:45 PM (pick up in the car line)
• Dismissal ends: 4:00 PM (all students must be picked up by 4:00 PM)

Sheldon Head Start follows the Topeka Public Schools Academic Calendar. The only exceptions are a later start date and earlier end date. The first day of school for Sheldon students is Wednesday, August 20th. The last day of school for Sheldon students will be May 18th.

Our Sheldon Head Start 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!

@SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart

Check out this link for Kansas Food Source. This link provides a map of all of the KS counties and indicates what food resources are available in each county.

Take a look at the Topeka Resources Checklist. This is very helpful for planning! This is a list of possible resources to help you stretch your dollars and avoid economic emergencies. Place a check beside the ones you are using or have used.

You can find the link to the 2021 Community Resources Council Resource Directory here. This directory provides contact information for a variety of community resources.

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

See the following links for Food Pantry resources available to families.

English and Spanish

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