MES Family Communication from Principal Kelly

Good Afternoon,

Happy new year! I hope you are all keeping warm today. Your students have a fun and different kind of energy with the cold temperatures and snow/ice! Devices will be sent home again today in case of a school cancellation on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Please read the information below about drop-off and student safety. I want to thank the families who have been supporting our new drop-off plan and advocating for a safer solution. We are working with SPS Safety and Security, families, and our staff to come up with the safest solutions for our students and families and we need your help!

I also want to extend the opportunity to connect with me directly. We work as a school to be solution oriented when problems or conflict arise and your voice is an important part. Outside of our monthly coffee chats, please feel free to email me or call me.

I hope you enjoy the 3 day weekend- no school Monday!

In partnership,

Kelly Walter

Drop-off

As you know we made some changes to our morning drop-off routine when we returned from winter break. I want to remind families and provide clarity around the decision, routine, and locations for car drop-off and walkers. We are asking all students to enter through the play court from McGraw St or the Ella Bailey gate (please see the map below). The front door is not an entrance before 8am and the lunchroom/commons entrance is also closed. It is a common practice across the district to limit access to supervised doors beginning at 7:35. This decision is 100% rooted in the safety of our students. We have supervision on 28th, McGraw, and in the play court to keep your students safe.

If you plan to walk your students to the play court, please park at least a block from the school (see the map below). The no parking zone is within the yellow lines. We are asking you not to park or drop off students on McGraw or Smith street. If you choose to drop your student off, you can pull up to the drop off zone on 28th. Your student will then walk along 28th to McGraw to get to the play court. We have had many near accidents with cars and students on Smith and McGraw. These streets are not designated for drop off and the blocks that border our school campus should not be parked on. Leaving a little earlier, parking in the neighborhood and walking your student to the play court is a nice way to connect and start the day.

Lastly, driveways and cross walks are blocked by cars parking daily during drop-off and pick-up. This is unsafe and frustrating to our neighbors. Please model being a safe and thoughtful community member for our students.

Safety Patrol Lead

We are looking a a parent or community member to run our student safety patrol. Last year we had a staff member run this program before and after school. At a minimum, the before school time is important. It is a great opportunity for student leadership and emphasizes safety before and after school. There is also a small stipend attached to this roll. If you are interested, please reach out to me and feel free to share my contact with neighbors and community members and I will provide more details.

Before School Volunteers

PTA and MES are partnering to help keep students and families safe during morning drop-off. In order to do this, we are looking for more adult supervision to line 28th and McGraw from 7:35-7:55. This would include connecting with and greeting students and families and an increased presence of community members wearing orange vests. Your students can head to the courtyard at 7:35 where there are classroom teachers supervising or the lunchroom for breakfast. Each classroom will be assigned a week to sign-up, and communication will be sent through your student’s room parent beforehand. This will start the week of 1/29. If you are interested in volunteering before, please contact me. Thank you in advance for keeping our kids safe!

Magnolia Elementary School (MES) Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Update

Community Cultural Celebration

Let’s all come together on Tuesday, January 30th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm to celebrate the many different cultures within our MES community.

We want to have as many different cultures represented as possible with food, crafts, and activities.

Please sign up now to bring a food dish and/or a craft/activity.

MES PTA After-School Program Winter Session

The Winter After-School session will run from January 22nd to April 5th

Registration opened on Jan 12 and there are a few spots in a few programs still open!

Please register for MES PTA After-School Program Winter Session now

Don’t miss important news, sign up for Orca Tales the MES PTA Newsletter.

Every other week important news and information is shared with the MES community through Orca Tales the MES PTA Newsletter.

Please make sure to sign up so you don’t miss out on any important information.

Sign up for the PTA Newsletter.

Registration is now open for Magnolia Little League including Baseball, Softball, and Tee Ball.

Register for Magnolia Little League and for more details.

Registration closes January 31, 2024.