Sheldon Update

Dear Sheldon Families,

Please join me in sending a huge THANK YOU to Advisors Excel this week for their generosity with the coat & shoe drive! 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

Congratulations to our new Head Start Policy Council Members! We are excited to welcome and congratulate the newest members of the Head Start Policy Council:

• Sue Bolley (BOE Representative)
• Lynette Sewell (Community Member)
• Kamiliah McKnight (Parent)
• Kasaralyn Blystone (Parent)
• Brooklyn Miller (Parent)
• Victoria Morse (Parent)
• Annie Pinto (Parent)
• Jasmin Cortes (Parent)

Students photos have arrived and have been sent home with those students who ordered. Still need to order pictures? The NEW Code Lookup Tool is now available. You can simply scan the QR code and follow the directions to access your child's picture ordering gallery. No need to contact Customer Service for an access code! *Student last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.*

The only way to enter the carline that will allow it to flow efficiently, is to enter from Gage. From Gage, turn west onto Sena St., continue toward Sheldon, and turn right into the parking lot. All traffic must turn right out of the parking lot onto Sena St. and then proceed on the most convenient path. Entering through a side street and cutting into the line slows it down and is frustrating for those who have been waiting. Please be patient and considerate during our arrival and dismissal times!

Each year our generous partners at Advisors Excel host a Coat & Shoe Event at Sheldon. It is

one of our favorite events of the school year because it brings so much joy to students, staff,

and the volunteers! AE staff will set up our multi-purpose room like a store. Each student will

get paired with a volunteer and be able to "shop" for a brand new winter coat, shoes, hat and

gloves. These items will all come home that day. Join me in thanking Advisors Excel for their

continued love and generosity for our Sheldon school family!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on October 22nd from 4:00-8:00 and October 23rd

from 8:00-8:00. There will be NO SCHOOL for students on October 23rd & 24th. Expect to hear from your child's teacher soon to sign up for a time frame that works best within your schedule. Teachers will then use that information to create a finalized schedule. Once that has been done, your student's teacher will send a confirmation of the date and time for your conference. These conferences will be held in person in your child's classroom. We look forward to meeting with you and sharing your child's progress!

We are excited to be heading to the Pumpkin Patch for our first field trip of the school year! All

classrooms will be going on Monday, October 20th. Permission slips for this trip will be sent

home. These must be returned by the day before your child is scheduled to go. Those students

without signed forms the day of the trip will not be allowed to attend. It is critical all students

arrive on time to school as buses will leave as scheduled.

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.

Lil Munchkins Pumpkin Patch: Monday, October 20th @ 10:00-12:00

Discovery Center: Monday, February 16th @ 10:00-12:00 (upstairs classrooms)

Discovery Center: Monday, February 23rd @ 10:00-12:00 (downstairs classrooms)

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

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

New this year! Please use this form (save to your bookmarks!) to report your student's absence from school. This helps us keep accurate attendance records and ensure student safety.

Submit one form per student. If your child will be absent for more than one day, please complete a separate form for each day they will be out.

If you have any urgent concerns, please contact the school office directly, (785) 438-4530. A QR code to this form is included below. We will also be providing all families with a fridge magnet with the QR code at the start of the school year.

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 Health & Safety and Nutrition.

Tooth Brushing

POLICY:

A program must promote effective oral health hygiene by ensuring all children with teeth are assisted by appropriate staff, or volunteers, if available, in brushing their teeth with toothpaste containing fluoride daily.

PROCEDURE:

1. Each child will have his/her own toothbrush labeled with his/her name.
2. Toothbrushes will be stored with the head of each brush upright in an appropriate toothbrush holder, not touching.
3. Toothbrushes and toothbrush holders will be kept clean and sanitary.
4. Toothbrushes must be kept out of the reach of children in a place where contamination will not occur. They should not be kept inside a bathroom.
5. When toothbrushes become worn, they are discarded and replaced (approximately every 3 months).
6. Toothbrushes will be discarded and replaced if a student was diagnosed with Strep Throat.
7. Classroom schedules should be developed so children will be able to brush their teeth once a day.
8. Students should be monitored by a staff member and provided direction on how to properly rinse their own toothbrush if an adult in the classroom is not.
9. Only toothpaste with fluoride is to be used.4
10. To eliminate contamination when one large tube of paste is used, place a small dab (pea size) of the paste on the inside of the child’s rinsing cup just prior to the child brushing. The child will use his/her toothbrush to scoop the paste off the cup onto their toothbrush. This will avoid transferring germs from one child’s brush to another.
11. Staff should wear gloves when handling toothbrushes. Hands should be washed after removing gloves.
12. Teachers will provide group activities that allow children to learn proper brushing techniques.
13. Toothbrushing must be supervised by an adult.

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

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