New Manchester Elementary School
August 2026
A Message from the Principal -- "Racing Toward Success: Ready, Set, Learn!"
Welcome Back, Families!
Welcome back! We are so excited to begin another school year and can't wait to welcome our students and families through our doors. A new school year brings fresh opportunities to learn, grow, make new friends, and create lasting memories. A new school year also brings a new theme. This year, our schoolwide theme is "Racing Toward Success! Ready, Set, Learn!". We are grateful to have you as part of our school community and look forward to partnering with you every step of the way.
This year, we continue to embrace our mission: "It Takes a Team to Educate a Child." Those words remind us that every child's success is built on the strength of the partnership between home and school. When families, teachers, and staff work together with a shared purpose, amazing things happen. Every conversation, every word of encouragement, and every act of support helps our students build confidence, develop a love of learning, and reach their full potential.
Communication is one of the most important ways we can work together. We encourage you to stay connected with your child's teacher, celebrate your child's accomplishments, ask questions, and share any concerns along the way. By keeping the lines of communication open, we can ensure that every child feels supported, challenged, and cared for throughout the year.
This year, we will continue to provide a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment where every child feels valued, challenged, and inspired to reach their highest potential. We are committed to fostering academic excellence while also helping students develop kindness, responsibility, perseverance, and confidence—skills that will serve them well both inside and outside the classroom.
Together, we will celebrate successes, overcome challenges, and inspire our students to dream big, work hard, and believe in themselves. Thank you for trusting us with your children and for being such an important part of our team. We are looking forward to an incredible school year filled with learning, laughter, and growth.
Here's to a fantastic year—because together, we can help every child shine!
Back To School Dates
8/10 Office opens from 8:00 - 3:00
8/17 - 8/21 Welcome Back Staff - Professional Learning Days
8/18 - 8/27 Pre-K Classroom Visits (times/dates to be determined)
8/19 Meet the Staff from 4:00 - 5:30
8/24 First Day for Students 1st - 4th Grades
8/27 First Day of Kindergarten
9/1 First Day of Pre-K
9/7 No School - Labor Day
9/21 - 9/25 Book Fair
9/24 Open House from 5:00 - 5:45 and 6:00 - 6:45
Meet our Racing Team
Join NMES staff on Wednesday, August 19th, anytime between the hours of 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. to meet your child’s teacher, learn about the curriculum at NMES, and discover what is new at NMES this school year. This is how your child will find out who his/her teacher will be for the 2026-27 school year.
Your child may bring in his/her school supplies during this time. You may also bring any items that you may want to donate for “Stock the Staff Lounge.”
If you are unable to make it on August 19th, the teacher will message you on Dojo by August 21st to inform you and your child that he/she is your child’s teacher.
Stock the Lounge
We need your help to show our appreciation for our staff and welcome them back to the school year by “stocking the lounge” with snacks, drinks, or any other treats you would like to donate. Please feel free to bring in your donations during our “Meet Our Racing Team” time or any other time that is convenient for you. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.
Some suggestions include water, soda, iced tea, crackers, cookies, chips, candy, chocolate, granola bars, snack cakes, etc.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures for this School Year -- NEW
Bus Schedules
- Will be available at "Meet the Team" as well as posted on our school website, Facebook page, and Class Dojo
- Make sure to check the schedules as things have changed this school year - your child's stop, times, and/or bus number may have changed
- Bus dismissal will begin at 3:00 p.m. and will continue until all busses have arrived at the school
- Bus dismissal will occur AFTER Car Rider dismissal this year - THIS IS A CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
We encourage ALL students to ride the bus due to the limited spacing that we have in our parking areas as well as the congestion that pick up/drop off causes on Frankfort Road.
Drop Off (We would prefer your child to ride the bus to school, but if you must drop your child off...)
- Car riders can begin dropping students off at 8:00 a.m. (please do not arrive prior to this time as we are trying to unload busses). Please enter the parking lot at the first entrance coming from Rte. 8 and exit the parking lot at the opposite side. Please note that busses have priority in the parking lot.
- Drop off will occur between 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. Please ensure your child is dropped off prior to 8:15. If you arrive after 8:15 a.m., a parent/guardian MUST park the car and walk the student in and sign them in as "TARDY" in the book in the vestibule.
- All students will be dropped off in the top parking lot due to students walking through the weapons detectors. Just follow the flow of traffic. A staff member will escort your child out of the car.
- Please make sure students are ready to get out of the car when a staff member gets to the car door. Make sure you have said your "good-byes", they have all of their belongings, and their seat belt is off. Due to the traffic in the parking lot, we cannot have students lingering in their cars as this holds up traffic.
- Please do NOT go around other cars. Please wait your turn and remain in the car line.
- All Pre-K students will be dropped off the same as the K-4th grade students. You do NOT need to park and walk your child to the front doors. We will get the students from the car.
Dismissal Procedures - this is different from previous years -- please note the changes
Car Riders:
- Students who are car riders will be dismissed at 2:55 p.m. (they will be dismissed prior to bus students)
- Parents may enter the parking lot beginning at 2:50 (no sooner) and park along the sidewalk area of the school. The first car to arrive should pull all the way up to the Exit. Each car should then follow behind.
- Students will be escorted to the car.
- Please have a sign in your front window of your child's first and last name for the first few weeks of school until we learn all of the cars (and if you drive a different car or have a different person picking up your child throughout the year).
- Rider pick up will end at 3:00 p.m. to allow for Bus Dismissal. If you arrive after busses are in the parking lot, you must wait until the busses have left the parking lot and then pull into the parking lot, park your car, and come to the main front doors to pick up your child.
Bus Riders:
- Bus Dismissal will begin at 3:00 p.m.
- Students will be loaded onto busses as they arrive
- Please be patient the first few weeks of school as times at stops may need to be adjusted
- Please be at the bus stop approximately 10 minutes early both morning and afternoon as many things out of the control of the driver can affect the time of bus arrival
School breakfast, grab & go breakfast, and hot lunch is free of charge for all students. Menus are posted on the county website as well as our Facebook page and Class Dojo. Please encourage your child to try the school meals (remember at breakfast they can only choose one – first breakfast or grab & go. If you choose to pack a lunch for your child, please read the tips below:
· Before you pack your child’s lunch, ask yourself, “Can my child open this himself/herself? Have your child practice at home opening lunch items as well as placing straws into various containers
· Don’t overdo packing a lot of food in your child’s lunch as they have 30 minutes to eat lunch
· Don’t pack your child energy drinks or other sugary drinks and do not send in meals from fast food restaurants.
If your child forgets his/her lunch at home, it is okay. We will order a hot lunch for your child. You might be surprised to find that your child may try something at school that they normally would not try at home.
Regular school attendance is fundamental to a child’s success in school. When a child misses school, they miss classroom instruction thus causing gaps in their learning.
For safety reasons, all parents/guardians are expected to call the school to report their child absent as soon as possible. Contacting the classroom teacher through Class Dojo, email, or a telephone call does not excuse your child, as you must contact the school office. You can either leave a message on the School Attendance Line or speak directly to the school secretary. You must state your child’s name, grade, and the reason for the absence. If contact is not made, a written excuse is required the following day or an unexcused absence is recorded.
New Manchester Elementary School
Email: cyeater@k12.wv.us
Website: https://newmanchester.hancock.k12.wv.us/
Location: 128 Frankfort Road, New Cumberland, WV, USA
Phone: 304-564-3242
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Elementary-School/New-Manchester-Elementary-School
Class Dojo: https://www.clasdojo.com