Hi Shark Families!

On behalf of our entire school family, we are thrilled start the 2024-2025 school year!  Safety will always be a priority and we are excited to not only create a safe environment but also to achieve our goal of providing engaging, challenging and equitable opportunities to each student! We know that this year will be our best one yet and we are excited to be spending it with you!  The purpose of this letter is to welcome you and to also answer some housekeeping questions that you may have – below you can find information regarding uniforms, buses, arrival/dismissal, etc. 

Uniforms

Shelby Academy has a uniform policy.  Students are permitted to wear navy, black, or khaki bottoms and any solid color polo shirt.  The full dress code was mailed to families with welcome letters prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year.  Additional copies are available and the full dress code has been posted to our website.  We are happy to assist families in need of support.  If you need assistance with uniforms, please contact the school at 502-485-8327.

Car Rider Information

Arrival: All Car Riders will enter through the main entrance to the school building.  Car Riders should arrive between 9:05 and 9:40 AM.  Please drive up and keep your student(s) in the vehicle until they can be greeted by school staff.  One by one, they will be instructed to exit the vehicle and enter the gym doors.  Students will sit in their assigned area while waiting to be escorted to their classrooms. 

Dismissal: All Car Riders will exit through Exit 3 (front of building through gym).  Dismissal will begin at 4:20 PM.  Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes before dismissal to avoid traffic backups in the area.  Students will be waiting in the gym in their assigned area and will be called one by one in the order that vehicles arrive. 

All families will be provided with 2 car rider tags.  Please make sure Car Rider tags are visible at all times.   If additional individuals are permitted to pick up a student, please call the front office at 502-485-8327 to ensure they are on the approved list. 

Bus Information

It is CRITICAL that we have accurate transportation information on each child. If you move or need to change a bus for any reason, please contact the front office at 502-485-8327. To ensure safe travels for all students riding the bus, Bus Riders will have tags placed on their back packs that help school staff and bus drives ensure they are transported to and from school correctly.  Please DO NOT REMOVE these tags, and contact the office if you believe the information is incorrect, or you have lost your students tags. Your Kindergartener will have a red tag and any other students will have yellow tag. If the bus permanently changes, we will update or switch their tag at school. 

Transportation Changes/ Early Dismissal

All Transportation Changes need to be made by 3:50 PM.  With the number of students enrolled, it takes full staff coordination to ensure students are sent home safely.  We need ample time to communicate a student’s transportation change to all parties involved. 

Please pick up any students for Early Dismissal before 3:35 PM.  Due to the number of families picking up their students in the car rider line, you will need to get into the car rider line if you arrive any later than 3:35. 

Visitors in the Building

In order to keep our students and staff safe, no parents/guardians/visitors will be permitted to enter the building at any time.  Tardy students will be checked in by staff at the air lock and students leaving early will be escorted there as well. 

Nurse and Nurse Consent

Please ensure that your child is healthy and has been symptom free for at least 24 hours prior to sending them to school. This is regardless of their mode of transportation. If a student has a temperature of 100.4F or higher or any other symptoms deemed by our nurse to be a risk for contagion or to be harmful to the child, the office will contact the guardian to pick them up. 

If your child has been diagnosed with COVID, please call the nurse so that he can advise you of next steps, including quarantine guidelines. 

Communication with Families (School Messenger/PowerSchool)

Families can expect regular updates from the school and district throughout the school year.  Please sign up for School Messenger if you haven’t already done so!

• SchoolMessenger is a one-way messaging tool used at Shelby and by the district to send texts and emails directly.

• PowerSchool is our communication platform and offers a variety of resources.  You can send/receive messages to and from the district, schools, and teachers!  It also offers a setting to receive/translate information in your family’s preferred language!  Be sure to keep the front office updated with your correct contact information to make sure you are receiving communication from the school building.

Required Beginning of Year Forms

Included in this folder are some required Beginning of Year forms that we need you to complete!  You can fill these out on paper and return to school with your student, or scan the below QR codes in their folder using your smart phone’s camera to fill them out online. 

Again, we are SO excited to have our students back with us for another year!

Sincerely,

Jimica C. Howard, PhD

Your Principal

Email Jimica C. Howard