Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!

Teachers and staff have been planning and working on the safety and curriculum for next school year throughout the whole summer. The first day of school is so exciting and teachers are thrilled to usher in the new school year and meet YOUR kiddo. The PTA has also been working on plans for the upcoming year. We’re excited for all the teamwork ahead. When teachers, staff, parents, and caregivers come together, our community and kids have the best chance to grow and succeed.

That’s why we asked experienced caregivers and teachers to share information and ideas that would help kick off a successful school year. A lot of this is also part of Mrs. Cheadle’s New Family Orientation. We hope this helps you feel more confident and positive as the school year kicks off! We’re glad you’re here.

HOW DO I DROP OFF/PICK UP MY CHILD?

Safety is the responsibility of ALL of us. Drop off and pick up times can be chaotic, especially at the beginning of the year. Please be patient and leave plenty of time to get to school and drop off your child. If you do not walk to school, please drop off your child in the safety valet area or park LEGALLY and see them off or walk them in. If you have any questions about the process, please direct them to your child’s teacher or your room parent.

TK/K Arrival:

• Enter through the TK/K gate (South Gate on Marengo) at 8:10 am or 11:35 am.

• Must be accompanied by an adult; Wait for teacher just outside gate

• Please do not use Valet Line. This is a walk up gate, so please either walk to school or park legally and walk your child to school.

1st-5th Arrival:

• Valet service is available after 7:50 every morning on Marengo Avenue.

• Enter through the Marengo Avenue gate or the Stratford Avenue gate starting at 7:50 am.

• To use the Stratford gate, please either walk to school OR park legally and walk to the gate. This is NOT a drop-off gate.

• To use the Marengo gate, you may walk up, park and walk up, or use the drop-off valet staffed by PTA volunteers.

• If you are unfamiliar with the valet line, please watch the video, read the protocols, and/or talk with one of the volunteers to understand how it works. *For the safety of all of our children, please pay attention to the valet line volunteers.

Dismissal

Students will exit campus through assigned grade level gates. If you are picking up students from different grade levels at the same dismissal time, they may exit from the youngest sibling’s gate. MAKE SURE your student knows who is picking them up. The little ones will be less nervous if they know the pick-up plan. For older kids, remind them to let their teacher know or to go to the office if they have a problem or don’t see the person picking them up.

• TK/K: Exit through TK/K gate at 11:35 am or 3:00 pm. Must be picked up by an adult.

• 1st: Marengo Avenue gate near the auditorium

• 2nd: Stratford Avenue gate

• 3rd: Marengo Avenue gate north of the office

• 4th: Marengo Avenue classroom doors

• 5th: Marengo Avenue gate south of the two-story building

• If your child is in an aftercare program off campus, please check with the staff of that program to understand their pick-up procedures.

WHAT DO STUDENTS NEED TO BRING TO CLASS?

• There will be a Wish Night on August 18th, during which you will learn more about your teacher’s hopes and dreams and how you and the PTA can support them.

• Teachers will let you know what specific supplies your child will need. Some teachers only allow specific school supplies in the classroom so refrain from spending a ton of money on pencil boxes, erasers, etc. that the teacher will inevitably not prefer in the class.

• Parents who are unable to attend Back-to-school night will get the information they missed from the room parent.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MEALS AND SNACKS?

• Free brunch and lunch is available daily this year.

• Please refer to the district website and communication for more information, .

• Help your student memorize their 6 digit student ID number.

• Find your child’s student ID number on the Parent Portal at my.spusd.net → sign in → Student Info → Profile → General → Student ID.

• If you send a snack with your child, please try to make it a healthy snack and let your child know that sharing snacks is not permitted.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES?

Families should continue to monitor themselves for symptoms of infectious illness, such as flue or COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms should stay home and seek proper testing and care. Please be assured that student illness is taken very seriously by our school staff who do everything they can to uphold safety standards on campus.

WHAT IF MY CHILD NEEDS TO MISS SCHOOL?

Call the school at (626) 441-5850 and leave a message with the attendance line. It is also helpful to make contact with your child's teacher to ask what the expectation is for making up missed work.

WHAT IF MY CHILD NEEDS HELP OR HAS A PROBLEM?

• Please encourage your child to let the teacher know if they need help.

• If they are not in the classroom, playground supervisors and other support staff are around during recess and lunch.

• If there are ever any issues, please communicate with your child’s teacher. The more we strengthen the school/home partnership, the more we nurture student success.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW REGARDING COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOL STAFF?

Stop by the office (not during the rush of drop off or pick up). The office is where you will go if you’re volunteering or have meetings with school staff/teachers, need to pick up make-up work, or if the health clerk calls you to pick up your child. Ms. Leah knows everything Marengo, so you can think of her as a very busy resource.

Know how to access the Aeries parent portal and check out the following to help make sure you’re always in the know. Remember to update your email/phone number on these forums to ensure emails are not going to junk mail.

• School Website: marengo.spusd.net

• PTA Website: marengopta.org

• SPUSD Website: spusd.net

• Facebook: Marengo Elementary PTA

• Instagram: @lionsofsp

• ParentSquare Emails: Download the app &/or register at http://parentsquare.com/signin

• Weekly Lions Loop Newsletter

• Campus Marquee & Posters

DOES MARENGO HAVE A MASCOT?

Yes! Mango (named by our students) the Lion joined our community last year. We couldn’t be happier when Mango shows up to dance.

PRO TIPS

• Label EVERYTHING if you want it back. Jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes etc. If it's not attached to your child it can and most likely will get lost. Label it. We have a lost & found, and we’re always in need of volunteers to help organize it!

• Talk with your child about YOUR excitement and expectations for their first days of school then let them share THEIRS. Make sure everyone is on the same page to help make the start of the school year very powerful and positive.

• Set norms/rules NOW for homework, bed times, etc.

• Never doubt that you are an important part of our community. Get involved. Volunteer. Talk with others during drop-off/pick-up. Attend PTA meetings and Parent Education Workshops and Webinars.