Classes begin in earnest tomorrow August 26. Read on for some updates heading into the new week
Car line entry times
Arrival and dismissal always runs slower than normal at the beginning of the school year as parents and students learn new patterns. We ask everyone to be patient with each other and with our staff as we work through this together.
Our school buses will begin running on August 26, which will alleviate the car line somewhat. However, note that CMS (and McKee Elementary) are back to school this week, which means we need to enforce our normal limitations on early car arrivals:
Morning car line - You will not be allowed to enter the Telra/church campus before 7:45am
Afternoon car line - You will not be allowed to enter the Telra/church campus before 3:05pm
Plan to arrive after these times. Do not arrive early and camp out in the turning lane prior to these times. Drive on and find a place to turn around, or you might be blocking staff or before-care families that need to enter.
It's critical that families shift their travel patterns to avoid arriving too early. Early arrivals contribute to McKee Elementary traffic and fill our parking lot, making it difficult for staff, visitors, deliveries, and emergency vehicles.
More information on our Arrivals and Departures page.
If you're commuting from farther away and need a place to wait, consider the parking lot at 10800 Sikes Place. Please don't loiter in a nearby neighborhood and park your car in front of someone's home.
Updated schedules and placements
Telra staff have been hard at work over the last four days updating placements, schedules, and locker/cubby locations based on the testing during week 1. Instructional group changes have been made to ensure that each student is in the most appropriate instructional group for them to have an appropriate level of challenge and to maximize their growth. In other cases, overall schedule changes have been made to balance class loads or the streamline the day for students.
Please log into Alma to confirm your child's schedule and locker location and note any updates for Monday morning. We will have updated printed schedules available for students in their 1st block class.
iReady score reports
Last week, students took the i-Ready diagnostics in reading and math, and some students took paper curriculum-specific math placement tests. i-Ready reading is used as a measure of readiness for specific reading courses, while i-Ready math serves as only a measure of growth, not a placement measure. Families can access their child's results in the iReady Parent Portal at any time.
Visit i-ReadyConnect.com and log in using the credentials below
Username = Student ID number (you can find this in Alma)
Password = telra
Click on the For Families dropdown and select the For Families report.
Enter the Telra District Report Code: NNXHJ4
For more help interpreting the scores, see the attached file:
Car line reminders
Some important reminders about morning and afternoon car line:
Safety
Parents, do not exit your cars
Do not let your children out of the car until a Telra attendant approaches or motions for your child to exit
Stay in your lane unless instructed to change by staff
Efficiency
Telra uses left-side exit from the car. Seat your children in the rear and on the left side of the car for faster (and safer) exit & entry.
Make sure your children have all their belongings ready, and seat belts unbuckled before the attendant comes to your car.
Pull in as close as you can to the car in front (aim for 1-2 feet)
If you need extra time/help loading or unloading, let a staff member know. They'll ask you to pull ahead to the curve (we call it "cone zero") where you no longer block traffic
This is a great option if you have an injured or reluctant child!
Remember, our processes for registering your dismissal plan and for car pool groups have changed since last year.
School uniforms
Students had a grace period in the first week of school, but staff will begin enforcing our uniform policy this week. Please be sure to read up (or listen to the fun audio explainer!) on our school uniforms page
Uniform tips of the week
Black and white are not approved colors
All students wear sneakers - no dress shoes, sandals, or hightops
Make sure skirts and shorts are the appropriate length - not more than 2 inches above the knee
Grades 2+ must tuck in their shirts