Portsmouth Elementary School
2023-2024 General Information
8-7-2023
Hello Trojan Families!
It's that time again when a new school year is just around the corner. We look forward to a fantastic school year!
Kindergarten:
Please read the following thoroughly to help your child make a smooth transition into Kindergarten.
Your child’s teacher will be calling you the week of August 14th- August 18th to make an appointment to meet you and your child.
At your appointment time, you and your student will be met at the Kindergarten classroom door by the teacher. You will have an opportunity to meet the teacher, bring in supplies and ask any questions at this time. After that, we will ask you to go back to your car with paperwork to fill out and wait until your child is done with a Kindergarten assessment. Typically, this will take about 30 minutes. We will then bring your child out to you to go home. We will take very good care of your child during this 30 minutes☺
Kindergarten students are to be dropped off every morning at the Kindergarten playground between 8:10am-8:30am and picked up each day from an assigned door on Glover Street between 2:15-2:30.
Please remember, if you bring your child to school they may NOT ride the bus home. They must arrive to school on a bus in order to ride a bus home.
All other PES grade levels:
Start Times and Locations
Our school start time is 8:30 am. The tardy bell will ring at 8:30am. If your child would like breakfast, it begins at 8:10 am and continues being served until 8:30am. We are very happy to announce that our school breakfast and lunch will be free this school year for ALL students!
All students in grades 1-6 are to be dropped off in the morning at the main entrance of the building on the Union Street Side. THE DOORS WILL OPEN AT 8:10 am. ALL STUDENTS MUST STAY IN THE CAR WITH THEIR RIDE UNTIL THEY REACH THE ENTRANCE. IF YOUR CHILD IS DROPPED OFF BEFORE 8:10 am, THEY WILL NEED TO BE SIGNED UP FOR LATCHKEY SERVICES.
In order to make this process as smooth as possible, we asked for students in grades 4, 5, 6 to arrive between 8:10-8:20 and students in grades 1, 2, 3 between 8:20-8:30. If you have students in both grade bands, please plan to arrive around 8:20. We expect the car line to be slow at first until we get the routine down and the kinks worked out. We appreciate your patience.
Dismissal Times and Locations
-Students who are picked up in Preschool are dismissed starting at 2:15pm from their classroom door.
-Students who are picked up in K are dismissed starting at 2:15pm from an assigned classroom door on Glover Street.
-Students who are picked up in grades 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will start dismissing at 2:30pm from the main entrance area. If you have students in BOTH 1st, 2nd, 3rd AND 4th, 5th or 6th, you will pick up your children from the main entrance starting at 2:40. You will receive a car mirror tag that will identify what children you bring and pick up from school with an assigned number. We will provide you an extra car mirror tag as needed for people you list on the emergency medical form as being allowed to pick your child up from school. You must arrive between 2:30 pm and 2:55 pm, pull into a spot, wait in your vehicle and wait for your child to come to the vehicle. We will have adults as well as traffic scouts to help the children get to their car safely. If you already have a number tag, you may use it again this year. Your patience through this process will be greatly appreciated as we are sure there will be kinks to work out at the beginning.
-Students who are picked up in grades 4, 5 and 6 who do NOT have younger siblings, will start dismissing at 2:45pm from the 4th Street side of the building. The students will be with teachers waiting and when they see your vehicle, they will go to it.
- Students in grades 4, 5 and 6 who walk home will exit from the front door. Any student younger than 4th grade will need an older sibling or an adult to walk them home.
-Please be extremely careful and alert when dropping off and picking up your children. Safety First☺
Important Reminder: If your child needs to ride the bus home from school- please send them on the bus to school so that we know what bus they need to ride home. If you bring them to school, you will need to also pick them up.
First Days of School:
Kindergarten: Teacher will call and schedule an appointment for August 21st, 22nd or 23rd.
- Students with last name A-M will come to school on Thursday, August 24th.
- Students with last name N-Z will come to school on Friday, August 25th.
- ALL Kindergarten students will attend starting Tuesday, August 29th.
1st & 2nd Grade:
- Students with last name A-M will come to school on Monday. August 21st.
- Students with last name N-Z will come to school on Tuesday. August 22nd.
- ALL 1st & 2nd grade students will attend starting Wednesday, August 23rd.
3rd-6th Grade:
- ALL students begin Monday. August 21st.
OPEN HOUSE Grades 1st-6th is on Wednesday, August 16th from 3:30-5:00 pm