Hello Lister Families,

 

Yearbooks are on sale now. You can purchase them online through the Compass app (Compass) or MySchoolbucks https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ websites as well as in person at the main office. Accepted forms of payment include cash and card.

 

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

 

-Tim Harris, Principal at Lister Elementary

 

 

 

Important Dates

 

June 6^th: 2^nd Field Trip- Point Defiance Zoo

June 9^th – 13^th: Wildlife Champion Buddy Park Week

June 9^th: Kindergarten Field Trip- Point Defiance Zoo and Wildlife Champions End of Year Assembly

June 12^th: Lincoln Grad Walk at Lister

June 16^th: Kindergarten Promotion 9:30-10:00 and 3^rd grade Field Trip – LeMay Car Museum

June 17^th: Headstart Graduation 10:00-11:30 and Last day of school for Head Start and Peer Inclusion

June 19^th: No school in honor of Juneteenth; district offices are also closed

June 18^th: Field Day 9:00-3:00, Staff v. 5^th grade kickball game 2:15

June 20^th: 5^th grade promotion 10:45-11:45 and Last day of school and early release 11:55 a.m. 

June 25^th: Report Cards available in ParentVue

 

 

 

Important Information
 

Looking for summer programs? 

Registration is open for weekly programs available to TPS elementary school students this summer. Programs are similar to Beyond the Bell – run by Parks Tacoma in Tacoma’s schools. Financial assistance is available.

Get more information: Summer Beyond the Classroom - Parks Tacoma

 

Find summer meals for kids and determine eligibility for other meal benefits

The Parks Tacoma Summer Meal Program provides free lunch to all youth age 18 and younger over the summer, from June 23 to Aug. 28. Get locations and times at link below.

Funding available for summer meals for eligible families

Through SUN Bucks, some children are eligible for funding for meals during the summer, when school meals aren’t available. The SUN Bucks benefit is a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child in each household. 
Find summer meals for kids and determine eligibility for other meal benefits | Story Detail - Tacoma Public Schools

 

Keep bus passes over the summer

Please be sure to keep track of your child's bus pass this summer. They will need that same pass next year to ride the bus safely.
The bus pass works for the duration of a student’s Tacoma Public Schools career. If a student switches routes, schools, addresses, etc., the same bus pass will still work.
Replacing a bus pass will cost $5. Students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch will not be charged for replacements.

As a reminder, students receiving special education transportation do not carry a pass. However, they receive the same benefits of the pass through services provided by their bus driver.

 

What to do with your child’s laptop over the summer 
All students can keep their school-issued laptop at home over the summer. Please note, families of kindergarten students who want to have their laptop over the summer need to fill out Student Laptop Checkout form with their school because those computers need to come back to a specific classroom.

Families of students in 1^st and 2^nd grade can store their child’s school laptop at their school over the summer. Please contact your school if you’d like to store your child’s laptop at school. However, if your child is changing schools within TPS, they will need to keep their laptop over the summer and take it with them to their new school (for example, fifth-graders moving to middle school, or eighth graders moving to high school).

 

Resources for sports physicals for 2025-26 school year

Sports physicals are required for all Tacoma Public Schools middle and high school students participating in school athletics. Our school-based health care centers can perform a sports physical exam, and they’re open over the summer. Find clinic hours and additional resources here: Resources for sports physicals for 2025-26 school year | Story Detail - Tacoma Public Schools

 

Walking School Bus

In an effort to increase student attendance, we would like to establish a walking school bus. A walking school bus is a group of students who walk together with adults along a designated route with designated stops. If you are interested in participating please fill out this survey: Lister Walking School Bus Interest Survey

 

Preschool registration open

TPS offers a mix of free half-day and full-day preschool programs for qualifying families. Registration for those programs is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Early Learning (Preschool) - Tacoma Public Schools

 

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. 

 

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 253-571-2900

 

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.

·       We do not have microwaves at school. Please encourage students to bring non-microwaveable food or eat school lunch.

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 8:40-School Starts, breakfast is served 3:10-School Ends	9:10-Student arrival. Must wait on playground. 9:25-Building opens 9:40- School Starts, breakfast is served 3:10-School Ends

 

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

1.      Arrival: Big changes coming to our morning routine. Staring Monday, April 21^st, our morning routine will change to the following:

o   Peer Inclusion, TK, Kindergarten and 1^st grade students will enter the main entrance and go straight to class to start the day. Breakfast will be served and eaten in the classroom starting at 8:40 on M,T,TH,F and 9:40 on Wednesday.

o   2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade students will line up on the playground by class starting at 8:35. At 8:40, each class will enter the cafeteria from the playground. Teachers will lead each student through the breakfast line so they have an opportunity to grab breakfast. Once each student moves through the line, they will report to their classroom to eat and start the day. Students that show up after 8:40 will be directed to enter the building through the main entrance where they should check in at the main office then wait in the Think Tank before being dismissed to get breakfast.

o   NOTE: 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. Street parking is available as well as 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, Headstart, Peer Inclusion and Kindergarten 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.