**Dear Families and Caregivers, **
**As we prepare for our 2024/2025 school year, I want to extend my gratitude to our families and community members for their continued support of Sharon Elementary School. Over the past 22 years, I have had the privilege to get to know families and community members first, starting as a classroom teacher and for the last 5 years, as the building Principal. In doing so, I have built strong ties to this community and continue to advocate for the best educational experience for our students. Each member of our staff works diligently to develop positive relationships with students and families so that in conjunction, we can support our community of learners. Classroom teachers will be sending individual letters to families, welcoming them, and letting caregivers know a bit about the upcoming school year. **
**It has been a busy summer at Sharon Elementary. Our One Planet summer program has been a huge success. I have been extremely impressed with the programming. One Planet Director Stephanie Jarrait and her team have done an amazing job engaging students in fun and exciting activities throughout the summer. I can’t thank Steph and her crew enough for all of their hard work! **
**Our custodial and maintenance crew, David Whitaker and Doug Cummings, have worked tirelessly to make sure our building is ready for students and staff for the upcoming school year. Cleaning rooms and making repairs takes an enormous effort. I want to extend a big thank you to Dave and Doug! **
**Welcome Back to School Details: **
**On Monday, August 26th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm, we will be hosting our annual Welcome Back Potluck for Sharon Elementary School families, including our PreK families. The evening will start with a welcome address from myself. Then folks will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to teachers, learn about our Title 1 services, learn more about our PTO, and socialize with one another. Please feel free to bring a dish of your choice, if you are able. The hope is to have the potluck outside, but in the event of rain, we will be in the cafeteria. **
**Our first day of school is August 28th! This is a full day. We have a tradition on our first day to parade through town. This year’s parade will start at 9:30 am, with a fire truck escort. Families are welcome to line the streets on Rte 14 and 132 to view the parade and cheer on our 24/25 student population and staff. The route for the parade starts at the back of the school and circles around to the front, passing Maplefields, the Church, and the town offices. **
School Day Details:
**Being present at school and on time is critical to a student’s daily success. We welcome students as early as 7:30 am. We offer a served breakfast from 7:30 am until 7:55 am. At 7:55 am, grab-and-go breakfast is available. Students who arrive before our first bell can either eat breakfast or go to the playground for an early recess. The first bell, where students head to their classroom, is at 7:55 am. The school day officially begins at 8:00 am. Students should be in their classrooms at this time. Classroom meetings start the day and these meetings are an important piece of the daily schedule as it allows students to connect, learn what the upcoming day will bring, and to reflect on the prior day. Please make every effort to have your child to school on time and present each day. The following is our daily schedule: **
- **7:55 am: First Bell - students head to their classrooms. **
- 8:00 am - 2:50 pm: School Day
- 2:50 pm- Bus Bell: Students who ride the afternoon bus are dismissed
- 2:55 pm: Parent Pick-Up Bell- Students who are picked up by parents/caregivers are dismissed
- 3:00 pm- One Planet Bell: Students head to the One Planet Afterschool program
**Drop Off and Pick Up Procedure: (Elementary School) **
- **Students can be dropped off in front of the school as early as 7:30 am. A greeter will be present at the door to meet your child(ren). **
- **For the afternoon pickup, caregivers should arrive around 2:45 pm and remain in cars, parking along the outside edge of the circle. Please do not park in front of the bus if you arrive before it leaves. Students will be brought from the classroom by teachers. As students are loaded into cars, the next car will then move up and pick up their student. This process usually takes a total of 10-15 minutes. There are times when One Planet is not in session and the timing can take a bit longer. We respectfully ask that you refrain from talking with staff during the pick-up time as it prolongs the process. If you wish to have a conversation with your child’s teacher, make an appointment to do so. **
Bus Details:
If you would like to utilize our bus service in the morning and/or afternoon, please reach out to our administrative assistant, Robbin Conway at **, as soon as possible. Bus routes need to be developed based on where folks are riding from. Please indicate whether you will need bus services in the morning, afternoon or both. **
**Community Conversation: **
**Starting on Tuesday Sep 10, 2024 I will be offering a bi-weekly “coffee hour” at Maple Fields from 8:05 am until 9:05 am. This is a time for folks to meet with me to discuss any school-related topics. This is NOT a time to discuss individual students or personnel. Please consider joining me at some point in the year! **
**If you have any questions concerning this letter or anything else school-related, please do not hesitate to ask. You can also find more information in the Student-Parent Handbook, available on our website: sharonelementary.org under the School Information tab. I hope that together, as families, staff, and community members we can instill a love of learning by helping our students to become resilient and curious, community-minded and flexible thinkers, to be effective communicators and collaborators, and all along the way to become academically proficient. I look forward to working with everyone to make this come true. **
**Respectfully, **
Keenan Haley
Principal
Sharon Elementary School
