Reed Newsletter • August 17, 2022 

First Day of School

Thursday, August 18

New Families Welcome

Thursday, August 18

8:30am

A welcoming orientation for families new to Reed

Back to School Night

Thursday, September 15

6:00-7:30pm

Parent/caregiver only event

Dear Reed School Families,

Last week we sent the following letter to all Reed families (PreK, Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grades) with important information about the coming school year.  We're re-sending the letter with some update information.  Please take the time to read this before tomorrow:

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year!  I open this letter extending the warmest welcome to our new Reed families and a sincere welcome back to our returning families. This is going to be an exciting year filled with new learning opportunities, new friendships, and new experiences. Our Reed team is excited to begin the new school year and to expand our program to include prekindergarten. Below you will find some key start of year information. Ongoing information will be shared with you in our bi-weekly Reed School Newsletter. You also can find detailed information in our Reed Family Handbook. It is located under the Parent tab of our school website. 

New Reed Team Members

I am delighted to introduce our newest Reed School team members. These talented individuals  bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and expertise to our Reed School community!

• Ms. Mari Rice & Ms. Bahareh Farhid join our Instructional Aide team
• Ms. Kayla Casey joins our PreK team.
• Ms. Kelly Morphy joins our kindergarten team - she has transitioned from her role as Reed/Bel Aire Spanish Specialist
• Ms. Kirsten Iverson joins our 1st grade team
• Mr. Paul Devoto joins our 2nd grade team - he has transitioned from his role as RUSD TOSA

First Week School Hours

8:30am-1:40pm  Thursday, August 18 (Early Release Day)

8:30am-2:40pm  Friday, August 19

Regular School Hours

8:30-2:40pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

8:30-1:40pm Wednesdays (Early Release Day)

First Day(s) of School Arrival Plans (August 18 & 19) 

Campus supervision begins each morning at 8:00am. You are most welcome to walk your child on to the playground for the first two days of school. 

• Thursday, August 18: Parents and caregivers may join students on the playground beginning at 8:00am. Classrooms will be open at 8:20am. Parents and caregivers may escort their child to the classroom. Instruction will begin at 8:30am and parents and caregivers are kindly asked to depart at that time. The bench area outside the front gate will remain available to parents and caregivers wishing to continue visiting and making connections. 

• Friday, August 19: Parents and caregivers may join students on the playground beginning at 8:00am. At 8:25am students will line up at their classroom number painted on the playground. Teachers will escort students to class. 

First Day of School Dismissal Plans

In addition to sending a note outlining pick up plans to your child’s teacher, please be sure your child understands your family’s pick-up plan. If you plan to pick up your child in person, please meet them at their classroom # spot painted on the playground (alongside the field). You may want to visit the campus before the start of school to practice your pick up routine with your child.

First Day of School Reminders

Please be sure your child brings the following items:

• A healthy snack & lunch (Please do not send in candy or any food or snacks containing nuts) 
• Water bottle
• Comfortable clothing and shoes (PE begins right away)
• A note indicating pick-up plans (e.g., bus, carline, caregiver pick-up, Ranch Activity, BTCCC)

Regular Morning Drop Off (Beginning Monday, August 22)

Campus supervision begins each morning at 8:00am. Beginning Monday, August 22, please plan to drop your child off at the carline or the front gate. Yard supervisors will be on site to welcome and monitor your child. In the event of tearful separations, please be ready to release your child to one of our caring staff. Tears generally subside within minutes! (Goodbyes are always hardest on the adult; I promise!)   Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

Morning Bus: Students arriving by bus will be greeted by staff at the front bus gate to the left of the front office. RUSD Yellow Bus Program

Morning Carline: Morning carline begins Thursday, August 18. Please note that carline begins at 8:00am and closes promptly each morning at 8:25am.  For the safety of students, please do not leave your child unattended at carline before or after the volunteers open and/or close the gate. If you arrive after carline has closed, please find street parking and walk your child to the front office. 

* Carline placards and gate ID tags will be coming home on the first day. Please look for an envelope in your child’s tote or backpack. 

Other Important Arrival/Dismissal Information 

For the safety of students, staff, and families, please be reminded not to use the front circle to drop off or pick up your child. The front circle is reserved for buses and emergency vehicles only. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

While we love our friendly four-legged friends, dogs are not permitted on or around the school campus. This includes the sidewalk area in the front circle. Some of our students are either allergic and/or nervous around animals so please leave your pets at home when dropping off and/or picking up your child.  

School Supplies

All needed school supplies will be provided to each student. PreK and kindergarten students will receive a Reed School tote at the Meet & Greet or on the first day of school (provided by our Foundation for Reed Schools). 1st and 2nd grade students may select to bring a backpack to transport belongings to and from school. Please be reminded that students may not bring cell phones, toys, and other electronic gadgets to school. 

*New Information:  School Lunch Service

Our new School Lunch service will begin on Thursday, August 18.  Parents do not need to pre-order.  Staff will check in daily with students before lunch service begins to determine who needs a lunch.  Students choosing to select a school lunch will be offered two entree choices, along with fruit and milk.  Entrees are being finalized based on availability from the provider.  (In the future, the entree offerings will be posted for the month).  All lunches adhere to the state's required nutrition standards.  Please understand the program is still in development and more information will come as we learn more and make refinements.  As always, you may choose to send your child to school with a healthy lunch from home (*please do not send in any food or snacks containing nuts).    Thank you for your flexibility and patience as we work to launch this state sponsored school lunch program together.

*All students need to bring a water bottle and a healthy morning snack.

Volunteer Opportunities at Reed

We are delighted to share that we can resume welcoming volunteers on campus!  Please look for information from our amazing Reed PTA about how you can be involved and support Reed school. You also will hear all about opportunities to support your child’s classroom at Back to School Night. We are so grateful to our dedicated community!

Teacher Assignments

Lastly, and perhaps the most exciting...teacher assignments!  PreK & Kindergarten teacher assignments were sent yesterday, Tuesday, August 16.  A class placement email will be sent to 1st and 2nd grade families today, Wednesday, August 17 after 4pm. 

I know I speak for the entire Reed School staff when I say how excited we are to begin the new school year. We look forward to meeting our students and families and beginning our year together. See you all tomorrow, Thursday, August 18!

Warmly,

Mary Niesyn & Staff

Reed School Principal

Dear/Reed Parents,

On behalf of Reed’s Parent Teacher Association, I would like to extend a warm welcome to new and returning students and their families. The PTA’s mission is to enrich the lives of our children and the school community. Our Reed School PTA is comprised of a group of dedicated parent and teacher volunteers working together towards creating the best possible environment in which our children can learn and grow.

If you are interested in learning more or want to get involved, please contact me and join us for a PTA meeting which are scheduled on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:00am.

Thank you for supporting Reed School!

Julie Ohara Stewart

Reed PTA Site Chair

ReedPTA94920@gmail.com

Classroom Coordinator Volunteer Opportunities

Are you interested in volunteering in your child’s classroom? Get more involved at Reed and help create a sense of community within your class! Please consider volunteering as a Room Parent, Car Line Coordinator, Yearbook Photo Coordinator or Party Coordinator for your child's classroom. These are very important and rewarding volunteer positions with the wonderful upside of working closely with your child’s teacher.

Please complete THIS FORM and submit by Friday, August 26th. Volunteers will be contacted by their Grade Level Coordinator with further details by September 2nd. Please see the detailed job descriptions HERE. Thank you for sharing your time! If you have any questions, please contact your Grade Level Coordinator:

• For PreK/Kindergarten, contact Zey Nasser Knowles zeynasser@yahoo.com
• For 1st grade, contact Adriana Mason adrianamayorga.mason@gmail.com
• For 2nd grade, contact Michelle Thomsen mmsmith8@yahoo.com

Volunteer with the Reed PTA

The Reed PTA is looking for volunteers to help with lunch service, car line, library as well as other PTA roles. If you’re interested in helping out, please complete THIS FORM today!

Join us for the PreK/Kindergarten Playdate on Saturday, August 20th from 9:30-11:00am on the Reed School Playground. Meet other PreK and Kindergarten families and learn more about the Reed PTA. Please RSVP to ReedPTA94920@gmail.com

Note: the restrooms at Reed will NOT be open, so please plan accordingly.

The RUSD Parent Teacher Association (PTA) welcomes you to the 2022-23 school year. The RUSD PTA is a membership-based organization that combines the efforts of parent volunteers, teachers and administrators to enhance the school experience of our children. The PTA coordinates parent volunteers and sponsors many events and activities throughout the year. There are many opportunities to get involved and we hope that every family in the district will participate in the PTA this year, both as members and volunteers.

Support the PTA by becoming a member!

Reed Union School District will have a new lunch program starting this year. All students will be able to receive both breakfast and lunch free of charge. Monthly menus will be posted on our school website.

Volunteers are needed to make the distribution of lunches run smoothly. If you can help, please fill out the form below and your school’s lunch volunteer coordinator will contact you. Service will start tomorrow on the first day of school, August 18th!

GET INVOLVED!

RUSD Mission & Vision: Each student will be challenged and inspired to reach their fullest intellectual, social-emotional and creative potential to positively impact the world.