Smith Family Connections
August 28, 2026
A message from Mrs. Simpson
Smith Families,
Wow! What a wonderful first week! Make sure to check out our Smith Facebook page for pictures and events that are happening in our school community. You will also be receiving a weekly email from your child's teacher that will include updates on what your student is learning, classroom specific celebrations, needs and events and other need to know items. We are so happy to have our kids back in the building and learning! What great energy!
It's a great day to be a Saber!
Sarah Simpson
Smith Principal
Early Dismissal Mondays
Just a reminder that on Mondays we have early dismissal! K-5 students are dismissed at 2:30 and Sprouts dismiss between 2:00-2:15. Set a reminder on your phone, it is a hard one to remember:)
First Fire Drill
We had our 1st school wide fire drill today! I was so proud of our students. I only had to remind a few students to stay quiet as we leave the building. I explained we need to be able to hear our names called to make sure we are all accounted for and listen to adult direction in case we need to change our route. We have such respectful students and they all agreed we want to make sure everyone is safe including any fire fighters if this wasn't a drill.
Girls Thrive
I am so excited Girls Thrive is coming to Smith. 4th and 5th grade girls may pick up and turn in registration at the front office. There will be an informational meeting for students on September 9th.
Hearing Speech-Lanuguage Screenings
Over the course of the next few weeks, all Kindersprout's, Kindergartener's, 1st grade students, and new students to the district will be participating in hearing and speech-language screenings. Parents will only be contacted if their student has difficulty with the screening or does not pass. If you have any questions, please contact jseidensticker@helenaschools.org Thank you.
Thanks,
Jenny Seidensticker, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Smith Elementary 324-1525
Fall Youth Needs Screener
Our fall youth needs screener is coming up. Please see attached letter. Contact Ms. Fred with questions.
Beginning of the Year Benchmarking
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events:
Monday, August 31st First Day of School KinderSprouts and Kindergarten
Monday, August 31st Cheers and Tears for Kindergarten Parents 8:30 under the Sun Shelter
Monday, September 7th No School Labor Day
Friday, September 11th Family Tailgate 6:00 @HMS HHS football game begins at 7:00
Sunday, September 13th Carnival Classic Community Wide Event at Memorial Park
Tuesday, September 22nd Fall Pictures
Saturday, October 3rd Helena Sun Run @ Smith for Smith Solar Panels
Wednesday, October 7th Walk to School Day
October 12th and October 13th Parent Teacher Conferences
October 15th and 16th No School MEA Days
Important Times to Remember
Kindergarten-5th grade:
Our playground and breakfast opens at 8:00am with adult supervision. Please do not have your child arrive at school before that time.
Monday dismissal is 2:30 and Tuesday-Friday dismissal is 3:15.
KinderSprouts:
KinderSprouts play area opens at 8:30, drop off is from 8:30-8:45. Parents of KinderSprouts must park and walk their child to their play area and check child in with adult. KinderSprouts eat breakfast in the classroom if they have not eaten at home.
Monday dismissal is 2:15 and Tuesday-Friday dismissal is 3:00. Once again parents must park and check their child out with adult in the play area. KinderSprouts are signed in and out by their adult daily.
Meal Accounts
Now is the time to check your Mealtime account balances. If financial information in your household has changed, or needs to be updated, now is the time to adjust before a negative balance incurs. If your child is just beginning at Smith you will need their student ID which we can give you from the office once they are registerd. Feel free to reach out with questions or concerns. We will also have computers ready during our Backpack and School Supply event and Open House.
Volunteers and Visitors
We love volunteers and visitors at Smith! Visitors are parents/grandparents that come to the building to attend a quick assembly or performance or join your child for lunch or help out with a class activity. Volunteers are parents/grandparents/outside community resources that partner with the school to provide more small group or individual support. Volunteers must follow the procedure set by the district for fingerprinting and background checks. Fingerprints are good for 5 years. Please see form below for specific volunteer information. We will have forms readily available during Open House.
