Silver Lake Elementary
Family Newsletter
2023-24
August 28th - September 1st
SECURITY UPDATES!
YOU MUST USE A VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECK
If you are coming to campus, and have access to other students during the school day, you will need a volunteer background check AND a visitor's badge. Completing the volunteer background check can take up to 3 days. You need to complete this prior to accessing our campus! Please get it done! Click here to complete this now! THIS INCLUDES IF YOU COME UP TO CAMPUS TO EAT WITH YOUR CHILD(REN) DURING LUNCH.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 31 - Curriculum Night for all grades (Not Kindergarten) 6-7
There will be two sessions provided by teachers- ON CAMPUS EVENT:
6-6:30 and 6:30-7
Sept. 1 - College Colors Day
Sept. 4 - School Holiday - Labor Day (No School)
Sept 7- Boosterthon Fun Run! **Parents can attend, but you MUST have a volunteer background check completed prior to attending.
Silver Lake Elementary families,
The day is here! You can now register for our Silver Lake Stars Glow Run! Our goal is to raise $20,000 for field trips, school events, student activities, classroom grants. Registering is easy and free!
⭐️ Register Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️
Be sure to check out the easy sharing functions on MYBOOSTER.COM to let others know how they can help support our school.
Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!
Campus Updates
Points from your Principal:
Our school year has begun at a perky pace, and teachers are getting to know your children. They are also beginning to assess student knowledge and build lessons designed to meet the needs of each student.
Our teams of teachers plan every week together to discuss plans, and how we can enrich them. Our Learning Liaison, an on campus coach, district coaches, and I also pop in and out of planning. When many minds are at work on lesson design, great ideas come to the surface.
One of my favorite things to observe is watching teachers teams come together and buzz with excitement on their lessons that will engage and excite our students. I hope your students come home sharing their experiences with you at home!
Nicole Whiteside
Points from your Assistant Principal
The following includes steps that the district takes to update parents/guardians regarding a student's absences in relation to Attendance for Credit and Grade Level Promotion and Attendance Referrals for Truancy. Parents/guardians can monitor student absences in Skyward.
Attendance for Credit and Grade Level Promotion: In order to receive credit for a class, a student is required to attend class 90 percent of the days a class is offered regardless of whether the student's absences are excused or unexcused.
Attendance Referrals for Truancy: Students enrolled in prekindergarten-grade 12 are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled.
Informational Items
STUDENT DROP OFF & Pick UP
Please note that the school does not open until 7:25. If you drop your child off before this, please know that they will not be under adult supervision.
We are continually streamlining our arrival and dismissal procedures and are grateful for your help and assistance in getting our learners to and from school safely!
With that, we wanted to send some updates and reminders regarding our arrival and dismissal procedures:
Parents, please stay in your car during carline drop-off and pick-up. This keeps the line moving efficiently for all, and is safer for students and families.
Children will be responsible for buckling and unbuckling themselves.
Students need to be in class by 7:40. With that in mind if you are not in the car line inside the gate at 7:40 you will be asked to turn around and walk your student in. Please bring your ID to Raptor into the office.
After the initial traffic in the first week, the back gate will be closing at 3:20. If you arrive after this time, students will be picked up in the front of the school through the office.
Thank you for all you do to help us keep our students and staff safe during these times.
Lunch Visitors Will Start Sept. 5th
Upon arrival, you will need to use our intercom system and let the front office know you wish to have lunch with your student. Please state if it's inside or outside. You will need to bring a valid state-issued ID and use our visitor kiosks in the vestibule to obtain a visitor's badge, then proceed to the front office. Please allow extra time before your scheduled time to get checked in. You will need to bring your own lunch as we will not be able to accommodate visitor lunches through our lunch lines at this time. You may bring lunch for your student or they may go through the line while you wait.
You will be meeting your child in our visitor area in front of the office. Since we have very limited seating we will be following the schedule below:
Mondays - Pre K, 1st, and 4th
Tuesdays - Kinder and 3rd
Wednesdays - 2nd and 5th
Thursdays - All grades while spots last
Fridays - All grades while spots last
Grade Level Newsletters
On Wednesday, September 13th at 6:30 p.m., you are invited to hear from guest speaker Amy Kirchhoff speaking about loving and leading our children through anxiety and sensory overwhelm at Grapevine Elementary.
You can find details HERE.
Repeated Information
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures:
CAR TAGS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN. Please be proactive and ask the front office if you need one.
During arrival, the front parking lot will only be available for buses, staff, families with handicap needs (these families will have unique car tags), and any families with an appointment on campus in the morning. All walkers entering the front building will enter through the front doors.
FRIDAYS ARE SPIRIT WEAR DAYS!
Every friday we encourage all students and staff to wear Silver Lake gear, or green and blue! We have a competition going to see how many class members can wear the most spirit wear!
We will have a spirit shop open to purchase shirts and gear soon.
Student lunch accounts
Parents, as a reminder, please check your student's lunch account. It is important to check often so your student's lunch account does not go into a negative balance. Our cafeteria manager has sent home letters and an email if your account is currently negative.
BIRTHDAYS- NO FOOD, NO DRINKS, NO BALLOONS
You may bring small toys, stickers, pencils (if you want to bring something to share with others).
Lunch Drop off:
Parents, please leave lunches in the vestibule, if you come before 9:45 to drop off a lunch. After that, you will need to get a raptor badge and place your student's lunch on or in the shelves right next to the cafeteria doors.
If you come during your child's lunch, you will need to raptor badge in, and go into the cafeteria as a visitor to hand it to your child.
We wish we had enough staff to manage this, but we could really use your extra hands! Thanks for understanding.
If you want to come into the school, and you will be around other children you MUST complete a Volunteer Background Check. This could take up to a few days to complete. Click Here. If you are unsure if your volunteer background check has been approved or not, please contact Itzy in the Front Office at 817-251-5750.
Returning Parent Volunteers- You must complete the volunteer background check EVERY SCHOOL YEAR. Please be sure you click the link to re-enroll for the 23-24 school year.
Times to remember:
7:20-Students will be able to enter the campus beginning at 7:20am in the morning. They may get breakfast until 7:35. After this, the breakfast line will be closed.
7:40-Classes begin promptly at 7:40am. Please ensure that your child has time to get to their classroom and be in their spots ready to learn at 7:40!
Our outdoor staff come into the building at this time-as we begin serving our students in classrooms then!
Tardies-Students are late if they are not in class by 7:40. If your student is late, please park your car and Raptor into the office. Please bring your ID. This will ensure students enter safely
3:00-Dismissal is at 3pm.
From The District
2023-2024 Back to School Attendance Updates
Please include the following in your campus newsletters. The Spanish version is also included below.
Important Attendance Information
Attendance matters! Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Parents and students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary absences. Two important state laws govern attendance. In efforts to promote student attendance and learning, please note the following reminders and updates to GCISD attendance requirements.
Laws Governing School Attendance:
Compulsory Attendance (AKA Truancy)
Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled at a campus.
Ages 6–18
State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended-year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt. Students/families who do not meet compulsory attendance will be referred to the GCISD Attendance Review Board and/or referred to Tarrant County Court for truancy. If a student fails to attend school without excuse on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period but does not fail to attend school for the time described below, the district shall initiate truancy prevention measures on the student.
Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (AKA 90% Rule)
To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten–grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. With the exception of absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, all absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. Students who are in danger of losing credit or promotion will be contacted by the campuses with plans for opportunities to regain lost instructional time.
Official Attendance-Taking Time
Official attendance is taken every day at 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken at 8:55 a.m. at Collegiate Academy and 12 p.m. for Bridges.
Documentation after an Absence
Up to eight days per year (four per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. All absences whether excused or unexcused count toward the 90% rule.
A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent, but reserves the right to require a written note. A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
Extended Day Program is HIRING!
EDP is seeking to hire part-time staff in order to accommodate more students into the after-school program. Work hours are 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM, and the starting rate is $17/hour. Click here to apply.