AAA Elementary Newsletter

Temperatures will be HOT this week. We will keep students inside when the heat index is in the danger zone and will shorten outdoor time when temperatures are in the yellow zone. They will still have the same total amount of recess time each day.

Thank you for helping keep our kids safe by entering our morning drop-off line from Subbert Lane! We will continue to ask that parents DO NOT enter the school from 12th street. With buses dropping off students and parents turning out of the carline, 12th street in front of the school gets very busy.

The only cars entering the arts center parking lot are teachers or parents that have a need to come into the office with their child or children. Siblings may not walk students from the arts parking lot.

The carline was moving quickly Friday and will only get faster.

Starting Monday, we ask that parents allow students to enter the school by themselves. We will not allow parents to enter the building to drop their student off at their classroom.

Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade will be in the gym each morning from 7:30-7:50. We will dismiss them to their rooms at 7:50. Fourth grade, 5th grade, & 6th grades will sit in the main hallway until 7:50. Any students who need breakfast can go straight to the cafeteria when they get here. We will have staff at all doors to make sure students know where to go.

Start the new year off with great attendance habits! Help your student get to school every day on time by ensuring they are in their classroom by 8:00. Our doors open at 7:30 and students can go to their classrooms at 7:50 so they are ready to start learning at 8:00.

Thank you for your patience! We already saw an improvement in the length of carline on Friday! Our kids, staff, and parents are all getting into the routine and we are working together to improve every day!

Carline Tips

• Enter from 13th onto Subbert Lane. If you cannot scan the QR code, turn on your hazard lights and we will get you checked in. Do not leave your vehicle in the carline to check in your child. We will come to you.
• Please help us get kids to you more quickly! No more walk-ups to check out. 3:30 is a VERY busy part of the day. Everyone is needed to be on duty to get our students safely dismissed to the right people and we do not have additional staff to find students for parents that walk up to the front doors. It makes it more difficult for us to get all of our other students out. We will not check out students for walk-ups after 3:00 unless previous arrangements have been made with the office or you have an emergency. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and for making dismissal more efficient for everyone.
• When we walk by and give you a "thumbs up," we are checking to see if you have your kid(s). Give us a thumbs up to confirm that you have everyone you need. If you DO NOT have your children, roll down the window and we will call them for you. The line does NOT move unless everyone has their children.
• The line ONLY moves when all cars are full and the staff member at the front of the line signals for cars to move. This procedure keeps our students and staff members safe.

School Dismissal Manager

• We are aligning the default dismissal type for families in SDM. You may receive emails if we make changes. Let us know if something is incorrect!

Independent Walkers

• Walkers will have tags on their backpacks tomorrow. Please help us keep this attached. If you need a new one, let us know. It will help us identify students who are on the walker list as they leave the building. Students without the tag or who are not on the list will not be allowed to walk. Contact Erin McGarrah at emcgarrah@artsk12.org if you live in the neighborhood and would like your child to walk home independently.

We will use this first assembly to practice assembly and performance procedures with our students and we will celebrate our first full week together! Parents do not need to attend this assembly. We will not have performances or awards yet. PTA will open the school store for students who would like to purchase school supplies or other items before Rise and Shine.

We will begin giving out Terrific Kid and other monthly recognitions in September and parents are welcome to join us! Homeroom teachers will notify parents of awards their children will receive so they can attend that month's Rise & Shine if they are able.

Dear K-6 Parents:

Welcome back for the 2023-24 year! I am looking forward to greeting you and your children at Open House. A goal I have for this year is to continue strengthening relationships with our K-6 students and families. I welcome phone calls, emails, or visits from you, whether it's a question, concern, or information you would like to share about your child. I will build relationships with students through the following services:

Classroom SEL (Social and Emotional Learning): These classroom groups focus on discussions and activities surrounding feelings expression, coping and self-regulation tools, growth mindset, diversity and acceptance, compassion, gratitude, conflict resolution, and career knowledge.

Small Group Counseling: These groups often focus on students working through their emotions and conflict, while learning valuable relationship and communication skills.

Individual Counseling: Students are allowed to be heard and validated in regard to emotions or concerns they are facing. Topics might include anxiety or sadness, school struggles, peer relationships, family changes, and growth mindset.

Parent Support: Parents often need the opportunity to share thoughts, ideas, and questions related to their children or brainstorm solutions.

Identification of Community Resources: Please reach out if you would like to have your child receive a weekly snackpack from the Samaritan Community Center or need help with community resources. I can also provide community mental health therapy resources. We are happy to announce that we will have a school-based therapist this year from Chenal Family Therapy.

We will continue to recognize and celebrate student accomplishments through Kiwanis Terrific Kid Awards and Blue Kindness ticket drawings, among other awards through our monthly Rise and Shine assemblies.

Please don't hesitate to call or email me throughout the year at 479-877-1739 or ashover@artsk12.org. Have an amazing year of learning!

Amanda Shover, LCSW

K-6 School Counselor

Arkansas Arts Academy

Click here to add funds to your child's lunch account at my payments plus!