Pleasant Hill Family News

We have officially wrapped up our first two days of school, and I could not be prouder of our students! The hallways of Pleasant Hill are alive again with energy, laughter, and smiles.

Thank you for your partnership in making this transition so smooth. We have seen amazing things this week:

• Brave transitions: Kindergartners and new students are settling in and learning school routines.
• Reconnecting: Friends reuniting and welcoming new classmates on the playground.
• Safe, inclusive communities: Teachers focused on building joyful, supportive classrooms.

If your child is extra tired, emotional, or hungry after school, please know this is completely normal as they adjust to new routines. As always, please reach out if we can be of support.

We are honored to partner with you. Rest up this weekend, and we will see everyone back on Tuesday morning!

Warmly,

Jenn

who designed the wonderful bottlecap mural pictured below, using recycled materials to help preserve our planet and beautify our school. Through creative collaboration, they transformed everyday materials into a meaningful work of art that reflects our school spirit, teamwork, and commitment to caring for our environment. Thanks to Mrs. Chaples for inspiring our young artists at Pleasant Hill!

*Please have your child continue to bring the lanyard that their teacher provided with their daily dismissal plan through this week as we all get comfortable with this year's plan.

Buses - Click here for the 26-27 Bus Routes

Our bus routes are currently all loaded in MyRide K-12 software. You can access the bus routes via the My Rides K-12 app on your cell phone or by the My Rides k-12 website on your computer. Here are the directions to access via the phone app or the website. If you don’t know your child’s ID number, please call the school your child attends and they can share the child’s ID number (it is the same number as your child’s lunch number).

We ask for your patience as we start the year. Our drivers are doing their best to make sure the students get to where they need to be safely and it may take a little longer to start off the year. Things will settle out after the first couple of weeks. Thank you for your understanding!!

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in our K-2 Family Handbook.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or would like to connect.

Please have your child use their Bus Badge if they have one from previous years. First and Second Grade families, if your child will ride the bus and doesn't have a badge, please email the office and we will add you to the list. The Bus Department makes up these badges and you can expect one within the next several weeks.

This Open House style event will be a great chance for you to see your child's classroom, some work from their early days of learning, and meet the PH staff!

Parking is very limited at PH. If you do not find parking in either of our lots, please park in the back neighborhood or on Woodland Road, avoiding the hill to maintain visibility at the intersection of Woodland and Highland. Parking is not permitted on Highland Avenue or on the hill on Woodland Rd.

As we gear up for the upcoming school year, our focus is making sure every student has what they need to feel confident and ready to learn from day one.

We know that back-to-school preparation can be a busy and overwhelming time for everyone. We have an abundance of school supplies available, including backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and other daily essentials.

If your child needs any supplies to start the year off right, please let us know. You may reach out to our PH Social Worker, Danielle Auclair at dauclair@scarboroughschools.org can reply directly to this email or call our office. All requests are kept completely private and confidential.

Please note the following tips for safe arrival and dismissal for all...

BUSES: Please know that buses generally run a bit slower during the first few days/week of school as bus routes become established and children get used to routines of the bus. It's helpful to arrive at your bus stop a bit early at the beginning and end of the day, recognizing that you may need to wait for a few minutes. Please be certain your child has their bus ID tag each day. Thank you for your patience as we navigate the new year. Please also keep in mind that due to the spotty wifi in Scarborough, the times shown on the app may not be accurate.

CAR DROP OFF/PICK UP:

Please pull into campus (between 8:30-8:50) via the entrance on the right of the school. Loop around parked cars to the curb, where staff members will be to greet your children in the morning, and deliver them to you in the afternoon.

Dismissal begins at 3:05 pm. Feel free to arrive a few minutes early. The line begins at the curb where drop off happens each morning.

In order to make drop off and pick up time safe for all, please help us by following these key safety measures:

1) Please remain in your vehicles.

2) Please ensure your child can enter and exit your vehicle on the passenger side of the car.

3) Please be sure children await a staff member to deliver/collect them from their vehicles.

In case of late drop offs: Staff will be on the curb for drop off time from 8:30-8:50. If you are arriving late to school (after 8:50), please park along the curb in the bus loop area and walk your child inside to sign them in. Our outdoor staff have indoor duties beginning at 8:50.

Thank you for your cooperation.

WALKER PICK-UPS

Many families elect to walk or park across Highland Ave on Woodland Rd due to the lack of parking in our lot. If you choose to park on Woodland, please park on the right side of the road as you head up the hill only. If on foot, please use the crosswalk and remain on the sidewalk, keeping the bus loop area clear at all times. Walker pickups meet in the front of the school near the bike racks. A staff member will come out to take your child's name and send them your way.

CAR TAGS

All families should have been given a car tag if they needed one at the appointment days. Even if you don't regularly pick up, please store it in your car in case your plans change. If you need additional car tags for others who'll regularly pick your child up, please let the office know.

For all adults picking up: Please understand that as our staff gets to know each of you better, we may, at times, need to ask you for your identification. Please have that ready in case the staff member helping you requests it.

Leaving summer behind can be a tough transition for our students (and staff 😄). Thinking about setting good routines and reasonable expectations for your family at the beginning of the year can help avoid struggles later on.

1. Send students in comfortable play clothes-whatever that means for them. We want students to be able to access all playground equipment and activities throughout the day with ease.
2. Set clear boundaries about what goes in the backpack. Students need a water bottle, extra set of clothes, lunch/snack, and extra layers like a sweatshirt/sweater. Nothing should be sent to school that might distract your child from the school day. Speak with your child's teacher for guidance about a particular item that you have a question about.
3. Per our family handbook and policy, personal electronics like smart watches and cell phones are not permitted during the school day. See Policy JICJ .
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4. If you tell your child you will pick them up, make sure you tell the office! We have students regularly telling us that they have a different dismissal plan that what we know to be true. We understand that plans change or may be renegotiated in the hustle of the morning. Please take a moment to let the office know as this alleviate A LOT of anxiety for your child.

Most of all, give yourselves grace. Let us know how we can support you!

**Please remember to update your child's teacher in Nutrislice to this year's homeroom.**

All existing students whose parents have an account will be able to order breakfast and lunch using the same procedure as last year, from the Nutrislice app on a device or at the Nutrition Program Menus page (at the top of the page click “Quick links”, then go to School Lunch Info for all meal menus).

Parents of new students to the district will have to make a Nutrislice account through the Nutrislice app or through https://scarboroughschools.nutrislice.com/menu/create-account before they can order breakfast and lunch. Parents will need the child's ID# before they can start the registration process. If you do not have this, ask your child's teacher or contact the office at phoffice@scarboroughschools.org.

For breakfast meals in all of our schools, you can order online on the same day before 6:30 AM, while for lunch meals, you can order online on the same day before 7:30 AM. You can order meals for the day, or set up a weekly or monthly plan for meals to be provided to your children. The menus for all meals for a new month will be posted on the school’s website and on the Nutrislice app the last Monday at the end of the previous month.

Summer reading can help children maintain skills, expand their vocabulary, and get ready for the next school year. On top of all that, the word on the street is that if PH kids read 10, 000 minutes as a group, Mrs. Humphrey will kiss a PIG this fall!

Let's tally up all our wonderful summer reading! Please bring in:

• your pink summer reading challenge papers that went home in June, OR
• write down your summer reading minutes on a paper of your choice

Extra logs can be found in the bin outside the main entrance of the school. Reading logs can be turned in to the bucket in the school lobby during the first two weeks of school.

NOW is the perfect time to get volunteer trained! This is REQUIRED for anyone who wants to volunteer, chaperone a field trip, or visit your child's classroom.

Trainings are held monthly, and you only need to be trained ONCE during your time here at Pleasant Hill School. If you are unsure if you have received training yet, you can always check with the front office at 207-730-5250. If it turns out you have already taken the training, we will send you the updated confidentiality link, which you are required to sign ANNUALLY.

TRAINING SESSION:

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 12:30pm

Training is 20 minutes in length.

Where: https://scarboroughschools.zoom.us/j/9577613642

No need to sign up, just hop on Zoom!

All students, from Pre-K through Grade 12, are prohibited from using cell phones and other personal electronic devices with Internet or cellular network connectivity capabilities for the duration of the entire school day, from starting to dismissal, except as otherwise permitted in this policy. Students are not permitted to carry/wear or access on their person, personal cell phones, smart watches, or other PEDs during the school day.

Although I do not anticipate unauthorized device use will be a persistent area of challenge for our primary learners, I do want to be transparent about the policy shift and related implications. Please know, there are limited exceptions to personal device use which can be found in greater depth within policy. Thank you in advance for your understanding and partnership as we support students in fully accessing and enjoying their school experience.

• 9/4 & 9/7- No School
• 9/9 - Volunteer Training 12:30 pm Where: https://scarboroughschools.zoom.us/j/9577613642
• 9/16 - Early Release Day (Dismissal @1:45 PM)
• 9/16 - Open House (5-6 PM)
• 9/21 - Picture Day (more info to come). Retakes 10/26.

Fridays: Red Storm Pride. Show your school spirit if you wish by wearing red or your Scarborough gear!

COMMUNICATING WITH US

For all communication regarding students, please contact the office via email phoffice@scarboroughschools.org or by phone #207-730-5250.

*Please also include their teacher in the email if it is regarding a change in dismissal plans.*

Student Absence Reporting:

We ask families to report their child's absence from school by calling the main office at 207-730-5250 or by email at phoffice@scarboroughschools.org. When leaving a message, we ask that you state the reason for the absence, otherwise, office staff will reach back out to you for that information.

Excusable reasons for an absence:

• illness
• appointment
• religious holiday
• family emergency
• planned absence

For Planned Absences (a day out of school which is not illness or medical appointment related), families should fill out the PH Planned Absence Form. To reduce lost instructional time, we ask families to do their best to coordinate vacations so they line up with our scheduled school vacation weeks.

For questions about attendance, please contact the main office at 207-730-5250 or email us at phoffice@scarboroughschools.org

PLEASANT HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Principal- Jennifer Humphrey

Phone: (207) 730-5250

Email: jhumphrey@scarboroughschools.org

Office-Laurie Olore

Phone: (207) 730-5250

Office Email: lolore@scarboroughschools.org

Website: https://pleasanthill.scarboroughschools.org/

Location: 143 Highland Ave, Scarborough, ME, USA

Email: jhumphrey@scarboroughschools.org
Website: https://pleasanthill.scarboroughschools.org/
Location: 143 Highland Avenue, Scarborough, ME, USA
Phone: 207-730-5250