Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope this letter finds you well and filled with anticipation for the new school year ahead. As the summer draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome back to each and every one of our families at Glendale.
It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that we embark on another journey of learning, growth, and discovery together. The start of a new school year is always a time of renewed energy and optimism; I am confident this year will be no exception.
Our dedicated team of educators and staff have been hard at work over the summer months, preparing an engaging curriculum, creating welcoming classrooms, and ensuring our school is a safe and nurturing environment for all students. We are committed to providing your child with the highest quality education possible, inspiring curiosity, fostering creativity, and instilling a love of learning that will last a lifetime. Our teachers utilize research-based best practices and analyze academic data to determine academic skill levels and set growth and improvement goals. Our mission is Empowering Each Student for College, Career, and Life Success.
As we begin this new school year, please stay actively involved in your child's education. Whether you volunteer in the classroom, attend school events, or simply ask your child about their day, your support and involvement make a difference.
We hope that you find our website helpful and informative. All the information we send out on Class Dojo is also on the website. I will send out a monthly newsletter to parents with current and future events. Additionally, we use Thrillshare to send out updates and quick announcements throughout the school year. The Thillshare is an automated phone message system for emergency updates and reminders. Please make sure you keep all contact information up to date in Final Forms so that you receive district communications. Glendale Elementary also uses ClassDojo. Please accept your invitation via email or text and install the app on your phone. You can access the school calendar and message staff through ClassDojo. It is a great way to communicate with our staff and to keep up-to-date on school activities.
Welcome to our new staff:
Ms. Jada Love will be our first-grade teacher, Ms. Molly French will join our SPED department as an Intervention Specialist, and Mrs. Nicole Vicario will be the new Gifted Intervention Specialist. We are so excited to have them on our Glendale team!
Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 12, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, visit the classrooms, and bring in your child’s school supplies. The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 13th, for our 1st-5th grade students. Preschool and Kindergarten will begin on Thursday, August 15th. We’ll have Curriculum Night on Thursday, August 29th, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. Curriculum night is an educational open house by grade at the start of the school year for parents to receive critical information to benefit their child's learning.
Dismissal: Families need to communicate their child’s regular method of transportation to the homeroom teacher. If you need to change your child’s transportation method for the day, you must call the school or send a note to your child’s teacher. If a child is walking home from school every day, please provide a letter stating they have your permission to walk home.
Bus Riders: First Student Transportation will provide bus transportation for our students. Potential bus riders should receive a postcard from the Transportation Department the week before school starts. Please contact the Transportation Department at 513-554-0105 if you have additional transportation questions. Because of new routes, buses may run behind for the first few weeks of school. Please be patient. Buses may run as much as 30 minutes behind.
Car Riders: Parents picking up their children, please provide a letter stating they are car riders and return it to the school at Meet the Teacher Night or the first morning your child attends.
Student drop off/pick up takes place in the front parking lot. Please do not drop students off before 9:00 a.m. unless they eat breakfast. Students eating breakfast may enter the building at 8:50 a.m. If you arrive before 9:00 a.m. and your child is not eating breakfast, we ask that you wait with your child until 9:00 a.m. Staff will report to the car line at 9:00 a.m. to supervise students exiting cars.
Student Safety Information Needed: Please log into Final Forms and make sure all your contact information is up-to-date. We must have accurate emergency information on all students and multiple contact numbers. If your child has any medical concerns, please contact our school health aide, Mrs. Latoya Mathews, at 513-864-1300.
The school day starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. If your child is going to eat breakfast in the morning, they will be permitted into the building at 8:50 a.m. and must report directly to the cafeteria. Breakfast will be served daily from 8:50–9:10 a.m. Students not in their homeroom at 9:15 a.m. will be considered tardy. Student classroom supervision begins at 9:00 a.m.; if your child needs to arrive before that time, they must participate in the before-school childcare offered by Champions. Champions offers before & after-school childcare to our families. They can be reached at 513-791-5000 for enrollment questions. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast (free) and lunch($2.25) at school this year. Our Food Service Program offers a consistent, nutritious menu. Meals are paid in advance. Payment can be made online via PaySchools or with cash or a check sent in the red folder. Free/Reduced applications are available online and should be completed before the first day of school each year. Monthly menus are available on the district website.
No School Dates:
September 2: Labor Day | January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King Day |
October 14-15: Fall Break | February 14: Professional Development |
November 27: Conference Exchange Day | February 17: President’s Day |
November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break | February 20 & 27: Conference Night |
December 20: Late Start Date | March 13: Late Start Date |
December 23-January 3: Winter Break | March 17 – March 21: Spring Break |
In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for entrusting us with your child's education. Together, as a strong and supportive school community, I am confident that we will make this school year one of growth, achievement, and success. Here's to another great school year ahead!
Warm regards,
Tim Walker, Principal of Glendale Elementary
Click here to view/print this letter
Click here to view/print this letter in Spanish