Hello Lister Families,

 

I can’t believe we are headed into the final week of September! Time is flyin’. We have our first Lion Pride Assembly and Coffee with the Principal this week. We also look forward to wrapping up iReady testing, so that we can create individual learning experiences for each student that will jumpstart their academic and social emotional growth.

Attendance has been strong this month. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigated a new morning breakfast routine. We cut wait time in half since the start of school thanks to your support and efforts by staff to get students through the line.

This is the time of year that we typically see a decrease in student attendance. Sickness starts to spread, friendships and problem-solving efforts break down, and general anxiety about “not doing well in class” starts to set in. Please work with your student and the school to remove all barriers to attendance by talking about “why” your student does not want to attend. If your student is struggling with friendships, feeling picked on, academic performance, please let your teacher know so that we can problem solve. If they can’t find a solution within the classroom, they will notify me so that we can all work together to resolve the issue.

We stand ready to partner with you to keep Lister safe for everyone. Thank you for your continued commitment and partnership as we navigate life together.

 

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

 

Principal Harris

 

 

Important Dates

September 3^rd: First Day of School 1^st – 5^th grade

September 8^th: First Day of School Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten

September 11^th: First Day of School HeadStart

September 17^th: Laptop refresh, 1^st and 5^th grade

September 26^th: Coffee with the principal 9:00-10:00 and Lion Pride Assembly 2:15-3:00

 

 

Important Information

 

Lister Gear Available for Purchase Online

The Lister gear store is open. It will close at midnight on September 26^th. We will notify families when orders are ready for pickup.

• https://listerelementary.allcolorink.com/

 

Use ParentVUE to report an absence

Families can use ParentVUE to report a student absence directly to their school. Please note, tardies cannot be reported through ParentVUE. Find detailed instructions on how to report an absence, check grades and more on our ParentVUE help web page.

 

When should kids stay home from school?

Help keep students and staff safe by limiting the spread of infectious illnesses and keeping your child home from school when they are sick. Students should stay home if: 

·       They are too sick to participate in normal activities

·       They need a level of care or observation not manageable at school

·       They create an unhealthy or unsafe environment for others
 

When children have respiratory virus symptoms, including cough, fever or chills, health care authorities recommend they return to normal activities when both of the following are true for at least 24 hours:

·       Symptoms are getting better overall, and

·       No fever (and not using fever-reducing medication)

Get more information on our website. Questions? Contact our School Nurse Heather Guthrie at 253-571-2900

 

Vaccination clinic open to all TPS students

TPS students can get all back-to-school vaccinations at an event on Sept. 25. Get more information here or on our website: Back-to-school vaccination clinic for TPS students on Sept. 25 | Story Detail - Tacoma Public Schools

 

You can support classroom projects using Donors Choose

If you’re looking for a way to support work going on in our classrooms, consider Donors Choose. It’s an online platform through which teachers can post a classroom project and people can donate any amount to help bring that project to life. Donations fund materials not typically purchased by a school's budget. Materials will be shipped directly to the school. Take a look at project requests from across our school district: Tacoma Public Schools | DonorsChoose 

 

Please complete important CNEEB application by Oct. 1

We're asking all families to complete the Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefits (CNEEB) form by Oct. 1. MySchoolApps - Select District

It may reduce or eliminate fees for:

·       Athletics participation and uniforms

·       ASB

·       Before and after school programs

·       Classroom or library books

·       Musical instrument rentals

·       Technology fines

·       College applications or tests

 

CNEEB can also:

·       Determine eligibility for the College Bound scholarship, which is free public college tuition.

·       Identify which schools need additional staffing or resources

·       Qualify a school for grants

You can choose to translate the survey in your preferred language. Additional languages and printable copies can be found on our website. Annual Student Forms - Tacoma Public Schools

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

25-26 Bell Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	Wednesday
§  8:10-Student arrival. K-5 students must wait on playground. §  8:40-School Starts, breakfast is served §  3:10-School Ends	§  9:10-Student arrival. K-5 students must wait on playground. §  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:

Peer Inclusion, TK, 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.

Kindergarten, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade students will line up on the playground by class starting at 8:35/9:35. At 8:40/9:40, 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 8:40/9:40 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.

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:

Valet is our afterschool pickup process for driving families. Students line up in the hallway 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 your student’s teacher. Please use street parking if you plan on walking up to the playground to pick up your student. The front lot is open to driving families between 2:55 and 3:15 on a first come first serve basis. Please do not block 44^th street or the center lane of the parking lot. If the front lot is full, please use street parking.