School district prepares for back-to-school
Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/hl/News/25122/
Local students determined to enjoy summer vacation for as long as they can are now in a race with the school calendar.
For Siloam Springs School District, classes will recommence Monday, Aug. 18 for students in grades kindergarten through 12 th.
Similar to years prior, high school local students, in grades 9-12, will attend class between 8: 30 a. m. and 3: 30 p. m. Monday through Friday.
Students enrolled at the middle school, Pete & Pat Allen Elementary and Northside Elementary, in all nonhigh school grades, excluding third through fifth grade, will beat the bell by arriving to school promptly before 8 a. m.
Middle school students final bell of the day will sound at 3: 10 p. m. and other students will discharge at 3 p. m. Pupils and faculty at Southside Elementary will begin their school day at 8: 15 a. m. and can expect to be dismissed at 3: 15 p. m.
The staggered start and end times at the various schools is primarily for bus transportation purposes, said district assistant superintendent, Kent Raymick. If all schools dismissed at the same time some students might have to wait 15 or 20 minutes after school is dismissed for their bus to arrive.
With the strategically staggered arrival and release times buses are waiting for students so that they can go directly to them when school is dismissed for the day. Parents and guardians with children attending different grades at various schools that must make multiple pick ups and drop offs also benefit from the time allowance.
The children don't have to wait as long for their parent to arrive from another school, Raymick said. And parents can drop their children off in the morning starting with the earliest school, working up to the later starting schools.
During the first week of August, high school students who pre-registered are welcome to go to the high school office to choose lockers and pick up class schedules for the 2008-09 year.
On Aug. 5, pre-registered seniors may pick up schedules from 8 a. m. to 11 a. m. and pre-registered 11 th graders may pick up their schedules from noon to 3 p. m.
The next day, on Aug. 6, pre-registered tenth graders may pick up schedules from 8 a. m. to 11 a. m. and ninth graders may obtain schedules from noon to 3 p. m.
Registration for new students begins Aug. 6 and lasts through Aug. 8 and will be held at various times, dates and school locations for each grade.
In order to register, new students must arrive equipped with documents including legal proof of date of birth, social security number, proof of Arkansas residency and up-to-date immunizations.
Children who will be four years old on or before Sept. 15 that qualify under Arkansas Better Chance guidelines, may register for preschool.
Arkansas law requires that all children who will be five years old on or before Sept 15, 2007, be enrolled in kindergarten.
All incoming kindergartners are required to have a comprehensive physical examination and a Health History Form completed.
The physicals and paperwork must be complete prior to the first day of school.
According to the districts back to school press release, children who have successfully completed a kindergarten program in a public school in the State of Arkansas or who will be six years old on or before October 1, may be enrolled in the first grade.
Children who have not successfully completed a kindergarten program in the State of Arkansas must be evaluated at Allen Elementary before permanent placement can be made.
All students within the local school system are required to have three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine, two doses of measles, one dose of rubella, one dose of mumps, four doses of DTP for kindergarten students and three doses of DTP for grades 1-12, three doses of polio and one dose of Varicella. REGISTRATION
NEW STUDENTS Pre-K Northside Elementary Aug. 6 9: 00 a. m. - 1: 00 p. m. Kindergarten 501 W. Elgin Aug. 6 9 a. m. 1 p. m. Grades 1 2 Pete & Pat Allen Elementary Aug. 6 and 79 a. m. 2 p. m. 1900 N. Mt. Olive Grades 3 - 5 Southside Elementary Aug. 6 and 7 9 a. m. - 2 p. m. 200 W. Tulsa Grades 6 - 8 Middle School Aug. 5 and 6 9 a. m. - 2 p. m. 1500 N. Mt. Olive Grades 11- 12 High School Aug. 7 8 a. m. - 2 p. m. Grades 9 - 10 1500 W. Jefferson Aug. 8 8 a. m. 2 p. m. OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULES
Pre-K & Kindergarten August 14 4 p. m. 5: 30 p. m.
Grades 1 & 2 August 14 5 p. m. 6: 30 p. m.
Grades 3 - 5: August 14 5: 30 p. m. 7 p. m.
Grade 6 August 14 5: 30 p. m. 7: 30 p. m.
Grade 7 & 8 August 14 6 p. m. 8 p. m.
Grade 9 and New Students
August 11 6 p. m. 7 p. m. (hot dogs will be served )
Grades 10 12 Returning August 11 7 p. m. 8 p. m.