Jaguar Journal 1

Welcome to the 24-25 school year!

I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in the district or have relocated from another city, state, or country. Sharon is a special place for all children!

I am excited about the wonderful opportunities and experiences that lie ahead for our students! At Sharon Elementary we are committed to fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our dedicated staff has been hard at work planning engaging lessons, preparing the classrooms, and participating in professional development to ensure we provide the highest quality education for your child.

Together, we can make this a successful and memorable school year for all our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of our staff. We look forward to seeing everyone soon and working together to make this school year the best one yet!

Go Jaguars!

Please see important bullets below:

• School will release at 3PM August 1st and 2nd.
• Allergy Awareness Classrooms: See letter attached below.
• Volunteers: Sharon Elementary welcomes volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering for your child's classroom, please contact their teacher. Volunteers must watch the training video, once the video has ended, follow the prompts to complete a background check. www.walton.k12.ga.us/WCSDVolunteerTraining.aspx
• Lunch: Parents are welcome to eat lunch with their child beginning August 19, 2024. Please contact your child’s teacher for specific lunch times. This allows students a few weeks to learn the routine and cafeteria expectations.
• Lost and Found: Please write your child's name on everything he/she brings to school. In the event your child misplaces an item, the safety patrol students will be able to return the item quickly. Items not able to be returned will be placed in the lost and found area in our cafeteria.
• Student Birthdays: You may celebrate your child's birthday by having their name displayed on our digital sign for $5. Please go to mypaymentsplus.com to purchase and complete paperwork.
• Ice-cream: For sale daily during all lunch times! $1 for any ice-cream.

YOU MUST HAVE A PARENT ACCOUNT TO DO THIS UPDATE!

https://www.walton.k12.ga.us/departments/instructional-technology/technology-help/infinite-campus/annual-parent-information-update

**If you do not have a parent portal account, please contact Tina Perry or Cali Lee in the front office!

School Hours: 8:00 AM- 3:20 PM.

1. Doors open each day at 8:00 AM. No student will be permitted in the building prior to 8 AM.

2. Car riders may only be dropped off in the car rider line on the side of the building near the gym. Adults will be stationed to open car doors from 8:00-8:40 AM. Please have your child ready to exit the car with his or her belongings in hand.

3. Students arriving to class after 8:40 AM are counted tardy. Parents must park and check students in at the front office if they arrive after 8:40AM.

4. If your child is eating school breakfast, please have them to school by 8:20 AM. This allows time to eat breakfast and the instructional day to begin at 8:45 AM.

5. There will be a staff member in the mornings at the crosswalk in front of the school connecting to the neighborhood. Be sure to follow the crosswalk rules, especially in a school zone.

**Check for the flashing lights and be sure you're not speeding so you may stop if a pedestrian needs to cross.

1. Georgia law requires drivers to stop and yield to people walking in crosswalks.

2. Drivers have to stop and stay stopped until the pedestrian has left their side of the road.

Car riders may only be dropped off in the car rider line on the side of the building near the gym. Adults will be stationed to open car doors from 8:00-8:40 AM. Please have your child ready to exit the car with his or her belongings in hand.

If an adult needs to enter the building, the vehicle should be parked in the front parking lot (not in the handicapped spots), and the student escorted all the way to the building using the crosswalk. For safety, it is not allowed to drop your child off in the front parking lot.

1. Car rider line: Car rider signs can be picked up at Open House. Anyone picking up a child in the car rider line must have a school issued car rider sign. If no sign is present, the adult will be asked to park, visit the office, and show ID before a child will be released for the day.

2. Flagpole/walkers: (Changed this school year) This option is only for students who will be walking home with an adult, PreK students & their siblings.

3. Transportation: All transportation changes have to be completed on the form below. This form can be found on the Sharon Website (www.walton.k12.ga.us/sharonelementary_home.aspx). Phone calls, emails, and written will not be accepted. You will be directed to use this form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDFrT2veEphybbk9tSf4zHU9QIyr4X-pcpRPv4v9FpatOtzw/viewform?usp=sf_link
4. Checkouts: No checkouts after 2:30 PM unless a doctors note is provided regarding an appointment.

Friday, August 2nd: 5th Annual Kiss and Goodbye Day!

Thursday August 1st: parents are welcome to walk their children to class beginning at 8 AM.

Friday, August 2nd is "Kiss and Goodbye Day"

"Kiss and Goodbye Day"- This is the day students will walk by themselves to class. Car rider works best! We will have staff throughout the building, to ensure your child finds their classroom. The main purpose is for school safety, we also encourage and promote student independence, and appreciate your support. We have many events planned for this school year which will allow families to join us for different holidays, programs, and more. We also always need volunteers!

PTO will be serving breakfast for parents on the front picnic tables!

Excused and unexcused absences result in too much time lost in the classroom. Many children miss 10% of a school year – that is almost a month per school year!

When your child is out, you will complete this google form and it will have the option to upload a doctors, dentist, etc note. See link below. This will also be accessible on the Sharon Elementary School Website.

When this form is completed a copy will be sent to the homeroom teacher and front office staff.

Here is the link to the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnHolt75aPIZaOe-40z1CjaCulwdBNP8BH4x5kf4BLNbbtmg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The 2024-2025 school year meal prices will be staying the same as last year.

K-12 breakfast: $2.00

K-5 lunch (paid): $2.75

6 - 12 lunch (paid): $3.00

We are excited to announce that we also have online free or reduced price applications once again! The app is called ezMealApp: https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ApplicationScreen.aspx

Online payments

We have a new online payment program: ezSchoolPay (https://www.ezschoolpay.com/Login.aspx?District=1864886). Same idea as MyPaymentsPlus, just more reliable!

Funds remaining in student accounts at the end of last year have been transferred to the new cafeteria program.

All questions regarding accounts, menus, etc. should be directed to Dawn Davis, SES Cafeteria Manager: jennifer.d.davis@walton.k12.ga.us

Medication and the paperwork drop off may be done at the Open House 4:30-6:30 PM.

- All medications should be dropped off prior to the first day of school.

You may call or email any questions to:

Amanda Dunbar

678-684-2850

Amanda.Dunbar@walton.k12.ga.us

Please remember:

· No medication is given without written permission from a parent/legal guardian.

· Students are not allowed to transport or possess medications.

· Medication must be in the original container.

Students will be allowed to carry diabetic supplies and emergency medications for asthma or allergies if a Self-Administration of Medication form, a Care Plan and an Authorization to give Medication at School are filled out, signed, and on file.

ALL FORMS CAN BE FOUND ON THE SHARON ELEMENTARY WEBSITE. They can be found by clicking on the faculty/staff tab and then going to Nursing Services.

We need some basic supplies donated for the clinic:

Small baggies for ice packs

Small sprites

Kleenex

Small water bottles

Saltines

Children’s Motrin and children’s Tylenol

Soft peppermints (dissolving kind)

Before School Program

Hours of Operation: 7:10 - 8:00 a.m.

Begin Date: August 5, 2024

End Date: May 20, 2025

Cost: $6.00 per day, $25.00 per week

After School Program

Hours of Operation: 3:45 - 6:15 p.m.

Begin Date: August 5, 2024

End Date: May 20, 2025

Cost: $12.00 per day, $50.00 per week

3:45 - 4:10 p.m. Homework/Free Choice Centers

4:10 - 4:30 p.m. Snack Time
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Activity/Recess
5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Activity/Recess

Activities include: Arts & Crafts, STEM/Science, and Games

Payment

A registration fee of $10.00 is also required, per family, and will cover materials and resources for both programs.

Accounts must be paid in full by the end of each week in order to attend the following week. Please make checks payable to Sharon Elementary School. You may also pay with cash or online through MyPaymentsPlus.

Click on the link below to complete the Online Application for the Before/After School Program.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScp3e0Uwy5ZCBkTt1uNu-H_Asu6rXDPqBvz__RRiL0sdhO-5Q/viewform

Our PBIS team is so excited to kick off a new school year at Sharon Elementary School! As Jaguars, we ROAR. We are Respectful, Organized, Accepting, and Responsible. At the beginning of the year, your students will be taught what this looks like in each area of the building. The students will then receive points on the PBIS Rewards app. A letter with directions for downloading the PBIS Rewards Parent App will be coming home with your child in the first couple weeks of school.

We have lots of fun plans for this school year to reward positive behaviors. We will kick off our school year with another Glow Bash. The tickets will be $10, and can be purchased online at MyPaymentsPlus or by sending in payment with your student. This fundraiser will help to pay for the rest of the events and rewards throughout the year. The flyer for this event is attached to this email.

Volunteer to help at PBIS Events! Sign Up Genius link below:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0849ABAD28A6FBC07-50300799-pbis

The Amazon wish list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1B6LQGZIJIF33?ref_=wl_share

The best way to earn points is to be at school each day and to be Respectful, Organized, Accepting, and Responsible!

After recent redeterminations for Medicaid that ended in May, many students may have lost healthcare coverage, leaving them without necessary medications and treatment. PeachCare for Kids is a medical assistance program that provides health care coverage for children in low-income families in Georgia. PeachCare and Medicaid currently provide over 1.9 million children with healthcare benefits that include primary, preventative, behavioral health, specialist, dental, and vision care and, for little to no cost, can help students and families who might find themselves without coverage.

During back-to-school events like Open House, registration, etc. Families need access to information regarding PeachCare now. Communicating the availability and links for application as soon as possible could provide families with life-saving information.

Schools and districts can share the links and resources below with parents. These links offer information, guidance, and application resources.

• Program Information: PeachCare for Kids® | Georgia Department of Community Health

• PeachCare for Kids® Income and Eligibility Criteria: https://dch.georgia.gov/peachcare-kids/eligibility-criteria

• To apply for health care benefits: https://gateway.ga.gov/access/

• To download English flyers: https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/pck-outreach-english-flyer/download

• To download Spanish flyers: https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/pck-outreach-spanish-flyer/download

• To request Outreach Supplies: PeachCare for Kids® Outreach | Georgia Department of Community Health