The B.Y.E. Buzz

Hello Families~

We had an amazing open house! It was great to see our returning Yellowjackets and meet our new families. We are excited to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year! Young Elementary has completed 25 years of excellence and we are excited to start a new year alongside your family. This newsletter includes basic information about back to school and items that you can complete now to help the year start smoothly (it won't always be this lengthy). There are several items that need completed below. Please see specific information on arrival and dismissal, especially if new to Young Elem. For returning families, we ask that you review information and be patient the first few days of school. Reach out with any questions that you may have.

Mrs. Norwood and Mrs. Kennedy

Sign up for the School Newsletter Emails!

Our newsletter email list starts over each year. ALL newsletters will be delivered electronically.

Sign up for the School Texts!

All last-minute messages will be delivered via text (ex: emergency, inclement weather)

Sign the Technology AUA and District Student Handbook Form

Sign the technology form before August 18th.

First Day Reminders

While many students walk in by themselves on the first day, you are welcome to walk your child in on day 1 if you would like. We have plenty of extra staff helping students find their class. Please be patient with the car line. It always takes longer at the beginning of the year while everyone is learning the systems. Don't forget to put your car tags in your car. Please see maps below and information about car line.

Welcome Back! It was great to meet families at the open house. We will have an August PTA meeting on Wednesday, August 27th at 5:00 in the cafeteria. Please enter through the back bus doors (off Harber road). We will begin our morning PTA meetings on the second Tuesday of the month in September.

Check out the QR code below to join the PTA and pre-order a Young Elementary Shirt. ALL shirts must be ordered by 8/20/25.

Help us out by completing the PTA volunteer survey! Let's work together for the best year yet.

A new school year comes with things to do to get prepared. Please help by doing these things before school starts.

Purchase School Supplies at local stores. Please follow the school supply chart. Some of the local vendors have incorrect lists for local schools. If you need assistance with school supplies, contact our school counselor, Mrs. Nelson (anelson3@sdale.org) or Mrs. Hannah (hannah.hiemstra@sdale.org).
Complete the AUA/technology form below before the first day of school so your child can access school technology. Parents have the option to purchase technology insurance through the technology/AUA form.
Contact Mrs. Stephanie, registrar, at smounce@sdale.org if your address has changed. Students will find out who their teacher is through a mailed letter.
Sign-up for email newsletter and school text (see buttons above). ALL important information will be sent this way. The weekly newsletter is our primary form of communication.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook (Bernice Young Elementary School) and Instagram (youngyellowjackets) for up-to-date information.

Please remember that students may only have outside food (such as Chick-fil-A, Tropical Smoothie, etc.) during their lunch period in the cafeteria. Outside food is not permitted in the classroom. Thank you for helping us keep our learning environment focused and distraction-free.

Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast is free for all students this year. Plan to have your child arrive at 7:25 if they need to eat breakfast. We will not be able to serve breakfast to those students that enter the cafeteria after 7:40.
Students can bring a lunch from home or purchase a lunch from school. Please use the School Cafe link above to put money on your child's account OR apply for free/reduced lunch.
Students will have two lunch choices (purchase or free). We will post the monthly menu or it can be found on the district website. Kindergarten students will have one option the first month while they learn the routines. This will be the highlighted option.
We welcome parents to eat lunch with their child(ren). The PTA has purchased picnic tables that are outside of the library for families to enjoy. If the weather is not appropriate for outdoor picnics, we have tables in the middle hall for families to enjoy. We will allow parents to eat with their children beginning the second week of school. Only family members or emergency contacts listed on a child's enrollment may eat with them at school. Students are not allowed to bring a friend/classmate to eat. If you plan to eat lunch with your child, please arrive 5 minutes before their lunch.

Arrival/Dismissal

Arrival:

The doors open at 7:25 and students report straight to their classrooms or to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. Please do not drop students off prior to 7:25. Bus riders and Pre-K students (and siblings) will enter through the back doors off of Harber road. Car riders can be dropped off at either the front doors or the side doors of the school. We strongly encourage those that have students in kindergarten and first grade to use the front doors. Please pull ALL the way forward so multiple students can exit their cars at the same time. Students that are walking/riding bikes should enter through the front doors and not arrive before 7:25. Parents will be allowed to walk students to class on the first day of school. After that, students will enter the building on their own.

Dismissal:

Dismissal begins at 3:10 with bus riders and car riders. Parents will display car tags with students names and numbers. A staff member will type in your number and your child's name will display in their classroom. At that time, students will report to their car.

K and 1st grade (and siblings) will report to the front door. 2nd- 5th grade students will exit from the west side of the building out of the blue/green hallways. It is VERY important you go to the correct location for pick up in the afternoon so your child reports to your car. See maps below. If you are picking up in the front of the building you will come in on Pippin Apple Circle from the East. If you are picking up on the side of the building, you will come in on Pippin Apple Circle from the West. Please do not change lanes as you pull onto the campus. We need to make sure all student numbers are entered. All cars will be directed to the front around 3:25. Please see maps below. We ask that you do not turn left off of Carver or Right off of Elizabeth during arrival and dismissal to help with our process.

The After School Program students are dismissed to cafeteria at 3:15. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:20. They are dismissed out of the yellow hall door on the East side of the building. Please do not have students walk to your car parked on a side street or at the pool. Please be patient for the first few weeks. The car line will eventually finish in ten minutes, but getting in the routine takes some time. Car tags will be handed out at the Open House.

Note:

Kindergarten and 1st-grade students will be given lanyards to wear to and from school. These lanyards identify which classroom the child is in and how the child gets home from school. Lanyards allow us to help all students find their classroom the first week of school. They will not wear the lanyard during the school day.

Arrival

Dismissal

Back to School Tips from the Counselor!

Here are some helpful tips to make mornings easier for you and your child(ren)!

Make sure everyone is getting enough sleep.

Adjust bedtimes and wake up times if needed.

Prepare the night before.

Plan breakfast, pack lunches, choose clothes
Have a designated area in your house for backpacks, shoes, lunchbox, etc.

Get up before your child(ren)

This gives you some quiet time before you have to wake them and gets you prepared for your day. When parents are calm, kids will most likely be as well.

Make a morning routine chart/checklist. Include visuals for the younger children.

Brushing teeth, combing hair, washing face, getting dressed, eating breakfast, putting on shoes, grabbing backpack/lunchbox, head out the door.
This helps your child become self-sufficient and learn routines.

Use the “When...Then” approach if needed.

When you finish brushing your hair and putting your clothes on, then we will eat breakfast.

Remain calm and connected.

Children can sense when you are rushed/stressed and they tend to mirror your actions and tone. When you start to get stressed, get down on their level and explain to them why you need their help and give them a task to take ownership of.

Try not to stray too much from your morning routine on the weekends

Here is the counseling virtual office.

Usage Denial Form

A parent can deny permission for any of the following scenarios:

Video taping of student
Publication of a student’s written and/or art work within a school, on a school website, or on media outlets
Use of a student’s first name
Use of a student’s picture
Access to computers and the use of internet for instructional purposes

To deny permission, the parent or guardian can access the Technology Usage Denial Form at their student's school. The second page of the form should be filled out and returned to the school office as soon as possible.