PCCS : Eriksson's Frog Pond Report ~ 8/22/21

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools:

08/22/2021 2:00 PM

Frog Pond Report ~ Sunday, August 22,  2021

Dear Eriksson Families,

The 2021-2022 school year is fast approaching and I want to officially welcome you back! I hope that you and your family have enjoyed the summer, and that you are looking forward to the new school year as much as we are. I am excited to be returning for my fourteenth year as principal of the Frog Pond and to bring the majority of our school community back together! Anita Wilder will also be returning for her third year as our Student Support Coordinator.   We will be working together to provide a safe, educational and excellent experience for your children.

It goes without saying that the last year and a half has been a challenging time. Through these obstacles, we’ve learned what is truly important and how we can best serve our students. With this in mind, I am excited to share that our theme for this school year is “Together”. This word encompasses our need for connectedness and community.  We are stronger, better, when we share in a common purpose... When we are together!. 

In this initial Frog Pond Report you will find many pieces of information for the beginning of the school year.  With so much information needed to launch each year, there is more to come next week.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at kevin.learned@pccsk12.com.

Enrollment

Throughout August, the district continues to monitor student enrollment very closely so that schools are not over or understaffed.  If you are receiving this message, your child is currently registered at Eriksson for the 2021-2022 school year.  If you are receiving this message in error and are not planning to return to Eriksson School this year, please contact me as soon as possible.  You can do so by calling me at (734) 981-6995 or emailing me at kevin.learned@pccsk12.com.   

School Communication

For those new to Eriksson School, I communicate with families three different ways each week.  Every Sunday, parents should expect an automated phone message at 2:00 PM.  The script for that phone message, along with additional information, is posted on the Eriksson website and is emailed to parents each Sunday as well.    The automated phone system and district website are used by the district in the case of an emergency or for school closings.  If you would like our website updates sent directly to your email, click on the “Subscribe to School News” icon the left-hand side, and follow the prompts.  You can also follow us on Twitter @ErikssonFrogs.  I encourage you to get familiar with these communication outlets.  It is my goal to keep you informed of all important school information.   

Employment Opportunities:

Eriksson currently has paraprofessional openings for lunch duty, student arrival, and student dismissal.  This is a terrific opportunity, particularly for stay-at-home moms, dads, and grandparents to make a little extra money and build a greater connection to the school.  This position opens the door for hours later in the year to help in classrooms as well.  If interested, please visit Support Staff Positions on the P-CCS Employment page. The job codes for Eriksson are:

• 08-1606 AM Paraprofessional

• 08-1604  Lunch Paraprofessional

• 08-1605 PM Paraprofessional

Construction Information: 

We are incredibly excited about all of the enhancements being made to our school thanks to the community’s support of the 2020 Bond.   This year, students and parents should enjoy the following benefits right at the start of the school year.

• New front and back playgrounds

In addition, you should expect even more updates to be completed around January 1, 2022.

• New front entryway through the main office

The challenging part of these updates is the time it takes to complete.  For anyone familiar with construction, there are almost always unforeseen delays.  This summer, the weather provided challenges for all of the upgrades to our outdoor areas.  I apologize for the impact this may have on Open House and any meetings that may have otherwise occurred before school.  We will do everything in our power to get families what they need, and we will reopen school successfully, TOGETHER!

Upcoming Schedule:

• Monday, August 30 ~ Teacher placements will be visible on MISTAR Parent Portal after 4:00 PM.  Once logged in, your child’s teacher name will appear as the student’s advisor. 

• Tuesday, August 31 ~ Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled on Zoom from 6:30-7:30 PM for our new Kindergarten and Young 5’s Kindergarten families.  At this Zoom meeting, we will review the information that will help families know about how things work in our school.  We will share procedural information and resources to support your child’s successful start to our school. 

• Wednesday, September 1 ~ Virtual Open House is scheduled from 5:30-7:00 PM. To honor the schedules of families with multiple children as much as possible, we ask that you follow this schedule:  

• Tuesday, September 7 ~ First Day of School.  This will be a scheduled half day for students in grades Y5/K-5.  The start and end times for each full and half day are provided below.  Student should start arriving on school grounds at 8:40 AM.  Students will be dismissed at 12:10 PM. 

Important Links

• Eriksson’s Suggested Supply List

• P-CCS 2021-2022 Student Handbook Link

• Medications at school

School Calendar, Arrival and Dismissal Times, and Absences

• 2021-22 District Calendar

• Start and End Times

• Absence Line - to help us make sure that all children arrive safely to school, please report the absence or tardiness of your child by calling 734-981-5560 ext. 2.  Office staff will call to check on unconfirmed absences. 

• Arrival and Dismissal - information will be provided in future communications regarding changes in our arrival and dismissal procedures.  Stay tuned..  

Food and Nutrition

• Please complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application

Back to School Check-In Process

• The Back to School Check-in process, which is a requirement for returning Kindergarten through 12th grade P-CCS families to easily update medical, demographic, and contact information in MISTAR Parent Connection (formerly Parent Portal), opened on August 16. If completed online through this process, you will not have to complete an emergency card for your student at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

• Once logged into MISTAR Parent Connection, you will look for the ‘Back to School Check-in’ link in the top of the home screen and follow the prompts. This registration will be available starting on Monday, August 16, and will run until Friday, September 24. This process must be completed for all students.

As always, I thank you for your attention to this message, and remember… “Learning and Leading, It’s the Eriksson Way!”

Sincerely,

Kevin M. Learned, Principal

kevin.learned@pccsk12.com

(734) 981-6995

This press release was produced by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.