Notes from the North Park Hive

We are off to a great start at NPES! We were so proud of our kindergarten students this week. They quickly started learning routines, how to interact/learn/work with peers, how to be a part of our school community and that school is FUN! We can't wait to see how these students learn and grow over the next several months!

We do need some parent assistance in a few areas:

1) Car Rider Procedures

Our car rider line will get faster - we promise! It is always very slow at first. This is due to a couple of factors. One, our buses have been late arriving because it is an adjustment for many children as they learn to load and ride a school bus. They are slow getting on and off the bus. That will speed up and we will be able to get the buses out quicker over the next few days. Therefore, we will be able to start the car rider line a little sooner. Second, students are very slow in the car rider line still. This will improve, but consider helping us by noting the bullet points below:

• Once the line starts moving, please make sure your child is unbuckled, and has his/her backpack/lunchbox ready. Your child should be ready to hop out quickly (or with assistance if there is a need) when the doors are opened.
• Please try to put your child behind the driver's side if at all possible. We know this cannot always happen, but it helps tremendously with the speed of the process.
• Say your goodbyes as you pull up so that your child is ready to step out and have a great day.
• A sense of safety paired with urgency can help the car rider line move faster. Be watching, pull up all the way and be ready to quickly (and safely) drive away makes it go much faster.

2) Communication

Since all of our students are under the age of six at NPES, we heavily rely on parent communication to be an effective school. We LOVE communicating with our parents and try to keep you informed and updated frequently and consistently. We need your help with reading communication. If you are reading this newsletter, you're already doing a wonderful job!! Please read the messages and announcements shared on our App stream as well as the Room announcements/messages shared by your teachers. This is VITAL to a successful year for your child (and you!).

• Download the HCS app if you have not already done so
• Tap on Rooms to see your child's Room and announcements from the teachers
• All students enrolled (in kindergarten) should now be accessible in Rooms. Preschoolers are mostly added and will be ready ASAP.
• If you are not getting notification alerts, please check the settings within the app and on your phone and make sure they are turned ON for the app and for Rooms.
• Follow us on Facebook

If you need assistance with the app in any way, please call the NPES office at 270-351-4464 or email laurabeth.hayes@hardin.kyschools.us

We look forward to a great FIRST FULL WEEK for kindergarten!!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Hayes (principal)

Just a reminder that car rider for kindergarten is the access road around the school. Please do not try to walk your child to the front door unless you are needing assistance from the office/nurse. Preschool drop off is at the front of the school once preschool begins, so we try to keep the two drop off locations separate. If you have a child in both preschool and kindergarten, you can utilize either option.

Be sure to follow our HCS app stream and your child's "Room" on the App for all of our important North Park announcements and weekly snapshots. We use our facebook page to showcase learning, events and activities and celebrate our student achievements. If you are not receiving HCS app notifications, please check your phone settings. Be sure you have downloaded the app and connected to your child's classroom. You do have to change the settings so that you receive push notifications. We send out multiple reminders and announcements each week. You can also directly message your child's teacher or administration staff.

Be sure to follow the HCS facebook page for important district announcements and reminders.

Open House for Preschool is this THURSDAY. It is very important for all families to attend so that you can meet your child's teacher, walk through our school, receive important paperwork, receive help with various needs and services and ensure transportation is accurate. We cannot wait to welcome you and your students!

Entrance to Open House is through our covered area on the left side of the school. You will enter through the gated covered area and then check in. Please park in the front of the school or the soccer field on the side. No parking is permitted in the back (except for staff) due to families walking in and out of that area. You will exit out the front doors at the end of Open House.

All students will have access to a free breakfast and a free lunch again this school year. However, each family is still required to complete a Household Income Form to maintain accurate data as a requirement for state and federal funding. If this information is not collected accurately, Family Resource Centers, Youth Service Centers and instructional resources are in jeopardy of losing essential funding.

Please fill out even if your family does not qualify. It does not take long at all.

The form is available by CLICKING HERE. Free lunches are provided through a program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Its continuation is dependent on the number of school meals served. HCS encourages all students to participate in school lunch and school breakfast as much as possible!

• In alignment with updated requirements from the Kentucky Board of Nursing and the Kentucky Department of Education, a written provider order must be on file before any prescribed medication can be administered by the school nurse. In the past, a grace period was allowed for submitting this documentation. However, effective with the 2025–2026 school year, that grace period will no longer be permitted. When bringing prescribed medication to school for administration by the nurse, you must also bring the written provider order at the same time. Without it, the medication cannot and will not be given to your student.

• Also in alignment with updated requirements, effective for the 2025-2026 school year, over-the-counter medications (i.e. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Neosporin, Tums, etc.) cannot be given to a student without a written consent on file. If you give permission for your student to receive over-the-counter medications administered by the school nurse, please return your Healthy Kids Clinic registration forms with your consent. We will no longer be able to accept verbal permission.

Thank you for the AMAZING donations to our Tiny Trojan store! Check out the photos of our store so far. The kids are going to LOVE IT! We will continue to appreciate ongoing donations - any new items are greatly valued and will be put to good use. Bulk items are always best if that is an option. Check out the photos below. Students earn bee bucks for attending school daily, great procedures, hard work, meeting goals and more!