Hello Lister Families!

 

Please take a few minutes to review updates below. Have a great week!

 

-Tim Harris, Principal at Lister Elementary

 

 

Important Dates

 

March 3^rd: Spring Pictures

March 11^th: Bookfair from 8:00-8:30am in the library

March 12^th: Bookfair from 9:00-9:30am in the library

March 13^th: Bookfair from 8:00-8:30am AND 12:30-6:00pm in the library

March 13^th and March 14^th: Teacher Conferences, early dismissal 8:40-11:55

March 28^th: Lion Pride Assembly-Inquisitiveness

 

 

Important Information
 

Lion Pride Characteristic of the month

·       Inquisitiveness: Being curious about the world and wondering about why or how things work 

Community Information Night

First Creek Middle School is holding a community information night on March 4^th from 6:30-8:30 for families to learn about current issues affecting our communities. The workshop will also provide information on how families can better prepare for uncertain situations related to immigration. The event will take place in their library. For more information please contact 253-571-2700.

Conferences

During parent-teacher conference week, school schedules will be adjusted.

On Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14:

• Elementary schools that have a regular dismissal time of 3:10 p.m. will be released at 11:55 a.m.

Student calendar now available for the 2025-2026 school year
The 2025-2026 student calendar is now available. Important dates include:

• First day of school for grades 1-12: Sept. 3, 2025
• First day of school for kindergarten: Sept. 8, 2025

See the full calendar here. 

 

Greater Lakes Counseling Coming to Lister!

In the next few weeks, Lister will be assigned a Greater Lakes Mental Health counselor to meet with students during the school day providing counseling and other mental health supports. If any parent/guardian are interested in their student receiving these supports, please email the Lister Counselor Ms. Vanessa Gaitan at vgaitan@tacoma.k12.wa.us with the students name so she can reach out.

 

Be sure your contact information is updated in ParentVUE
Snow is in the forecast, so please check ParentVUE to ensure your contact information is up to date. If the weather impacts our school schedule, we’ll contact you based on the information in ParentVUE.

If it needs to be updated, contact our office at 253-571-2900

This is also a good time to review your emergency contacts in ParentVUE. When you provide emergency contact information, consider adding trusted adults (neighbors, friends) who do not live in your household. ParentVUE allows you to update your emergency contacts directly in the app, without contacting our office.
Get help with ParentVUE. 

 

Mindful Hearts: To develop kids' confidence, praise effort
By encouraging effort, families can foster an environment where children feel empowered to overcome obstacles.
How can you do that at home? Praise effort rather than just success. For example, if your child is struggling with a task, acknowledge the hard work they’re putting in by saying, “I see how hard you’re working, and that’s what counts.” This helps them develop resilience and perseverance. Get more tips for developing confidence. 

 

New school-based healthcare clinic open to all students
Tacoma’s students now have another healthcare option - the new SeaMar Health Center based at Lincoln High School. It’s open to all Tacoma Public Schools students.

Nurse practitioners provide services including sports physicals, annual checkups and acute illness care for things like cough, cold, ear pain, UTI and minor injuries. Immunizations are also available.

Get more information here: SeaMar School-Based Health Center - Lincoln High School

Give your input on TPS Strategic Plan
Tacoma Public Schools wants to hear from you! We are in the process of updating our Strategic Plan and want to hear from students, staff, families and the community. We want to know what characteristics, attributes, and/or skills that:

• Students should have when they graduate
• Adults should have as they teach and support students
• The system should prioritize as it ensures the best learning and working environment for students, staff, and families

The survey takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your answers are anonymous. Take the survey: https://forms.office.com/r/PFY74YTfVs

 

 

When are kids too sick for school?
Respiratory illnesses are on the rise right now, and a stomach virus is making its way through some households, too. If you’re wondering when your child is too sick for school, take a look at this information from our health department:

Too sick for school?

Stay home with these illnesses
 

Questions? Contact our School Nurse Heather Guthrie at 253-571-2929

 

 

Safety Reminders

·       Please follow safe walking routes to school.  Suggested Walking Route Maps - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

·       Please sign up for valet if you drive to pick your child up from school. This will free up the front parking lot for buses and preschool families. Talk with your students teacher or the front office to sign up.

·       Please keep your students off the red brick walls in front of the school. Students walking on them could result in falls and injuries.

·       To access campus, enter through the front entrance and check in with the office before going about your business. More information below.

·       Please encourage your students to refrain from sharing their food with classmates. This will help us prevent accidental exposure to foods students are allergic to. 

 

Rules for building visitors during school day
We want to ensure that all of our buildings provide a safe, welcoming environment for students, staff and visitors.

If you visit our school during the day, please:

• Enter through the main entrance and sign in at the main office
• Provide a form of identification
• Follow all posted signage related to prohibited activities on school property

 

For safety and security, please enter the main door and check in at the front office if you need to walk your student to class. Please refrain from entering the building through the playground/cafeteria doors. You are more than welcome to walk your student through the main door, down the main hall and into the cafeteria to pick up breakfast.  It takes a group effort to ensure we stay safe. Thank you for working with us to make this happen.

Thank you for your help in keeping our school safe.

Building positive relationships at home

At home, it's important to talk to your child about small ways to show kindness, such as helping a friend or offering a compliment. 

Building positive relationships with children at home is essential for their emotional well-being, self-esteem, and social development. Positive family relationships help children feel secure, valued, and supported, which contributes to better behavior, resilience, and academic success. Create those relationships at home by:

• Spending quality time together
• Showing active listening
• Showing appreciation and affection
• Setting boundaries and routines
• Encouraging open communication

Get more ideas here. 

Teaching empathy through simple actions
In addition to teaching academic skills at school, we try to nurture emotional intelligence in children. Our Whole Child team put together a plan that can help families do this at home, too.

At home, you can help your child foster empathy. Encourage your child to think about how others might feel in different situations. 

• Try asking questions like, “How do you think your friend felt when that happened?” This helps children develop emotional awareness and improves communication skills. 

Follow the link for more ideas on fostering empathy: Take a look at more practical tips, insights and activities to get started. 

How to check grades in ParentVUE
You can find your child’s grades, assignments and posted test scores on ParentVUE.  Check the app for directions: ParentVUE Help - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

Do you know about the 10-school-day rule for grades and assignments?

• Students have 10 school days from the original due date to turn in an assignment and receive full credit.
• Students have 10 school days from receiving a grade on an assignment or assessment to request a revision, retake or correction.

 

Tutor.com offers free, online tutoring services : APPLIES TO GRADES 3-12
Our students have access to a free online tutoring service through Tutor.com. They can access this resource through Clever.

Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include: 

• Live tutoring
• Paper review
• Math question drop off
• SAT/ACT prep
• College admission essays
• Resume/cover letter writing
• Creating healthy habits

Students can access tutors by chat or a voice call in less than a minute without an appointment. Get more information, including a detailed list of services. 

24-25 Bell Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	Wednesday
8:10-Student arrival. Must wait on playground. 8:25-Building opens and breakfast starts 8:40-School Starts 3:10-School Ends	9:10-Student arrival. Must wait on playground. 9:25-Building opens and breakfast starts 9:40-School Starts 3:10-School Ends
NOTE: First late start day: Wednesday, Sept. 11 All schools start one hour later on Wednesdays except when noted otherwise.

 

Arrival and Dismissal is the process of dropping students off in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon.  

1.      Arrival: Students should report to the playground no earlier than 8:10 on Monday Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 9:10 on Wednesdays. We will not have staff on duty before these times. Driving families should use the bus lane to drop students off starting at 8:10. Parking is available in the street and behind the school. Please do not park in the bus loop or behind parked cars. This created a lot of issues last year, so we need everyone’s help with sticking to the process so we can keep the school community safe.

2.      Dismissal: The front lot will only be open to school buses, daycare vans and Headstart families between 2:55 and 3:15. Valet is our afterschool pickup process for driving families. Students line up in the hallway of the school and are walked to their parent/family’s car in back of the building by staff. We encourage all driving families to sign up for valet by contacting the main office or speaking with your student’s teacher. Please use street parking if you plan on walking up to the playground to pick up your student.