Dear Meadowside Families,
We hope that you enjoyed the summer and are as excited for the new year as we are! As always this time of year we are super busy getting ready to greet our students. Our front office team has been busy registering new families, ordering needed materials and coordinating schedules. Our custodians are finishing their school-wide summer cleaning and are in the process of setting up all of our instructional spaces. And, our incredible teaching staff is engaged in preparing to welcome back and meet the needs of all our students in fun and engaging ways. As you know we are all about HEART here at Meadowside -- so we can’t wait for our students to return, because when it comes to showing HEART no one does it better than our Meadowside students -- and we know that between our dedicated teachers, supportive families, and AMAZING students, Meadowside School is a Great Place to Learn.
Our PTA has been busy gearing up for the year as well. Our PTA is planning a Kindergarten playdate on Thursday, August 21st and a Welcome Back Picnic on August 29th from 5:00 - 6:30 pm, in addition to some super fun fall activities. Once again our PTA will also be providing student and staff Meadowside t-shirts. Click here to enter your child’s t-shirt size. Become a PTA member and register by using this link. Our first PTA meeting of the year will be a meet and greet on Tuesday, September 16th at 6:00PM. View our PTA Frequently Asked Questions here. Thank you Meadowside PTA for all you do for our students, our staff and our families!
While our students and families will see many familiar faces on our Meadowside team this fall, they will also see some new faces as well! We are in the process of putting a slide show together of all our Meadowside players for the opening week of school - but wanted you to have a little bit of a sneak preview!
Geri Mezzoni: Grade 2
Renee Lynch: Grade 4
Jenna Stanczyk: Social Worker
Kim Turiano: Special Education
John Summers: Intern
Mark Thibault: Custodian
Please continue to read on for some important information about our return:
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19: The Parent Portal in PowerSchool opens Tuesday, August 19th for classroom assignments. After you review and confirm contact information, and sign off on forms, you will be provided with your child’s teacher and bus information. To make the process easier, you may log in now to sign off on all district and building forms. Click here for the parent portal.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27: Our Kindergarten Meet and Greet is scheduled for Wednesday, August 27th at 2:00 in the afternoon. Kindergarten families please be on the lookout for specific information in a separate email.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28: Our first Day of School is Thursday, August 28th. We open our doors at 8:20 for our 8:40 start and dismiss at 3:25. Arrival and Dismissal Information is being mailed to your homes along with a blue dismissal form which should be completed and sent in with your child on the first day. Additionally in your mailing we have included name tags for students and new blue pick up tags for families. Pick up tags and guidelines are sent to all families.
Please remember to send in a reusable water bottle with your child. Students have access to our water stations and can refill as necessary throughout the day. Students may also get snack/breakfast and lunch at school or bring their own from home. Please visit our district website www.milforded.org for more information from food services including purchasing lunch.
If your student has a district issued MPS Lanyard, please make sure to send that into school with your child as well. Students will be utilizing the lanyards for checking out library materials, lunch and snack, as well as getting on and off district transportation. If your child hasn’t been issued a lanyard, don’t worry, they will be given one during the first week of school.
Additional Back To School information can be found through the district website at www.milforded.org including our school year calendar and food services information regarding breakfast and lunch programs. Read on also at the end of our welcome back letter for some Back to School tips to start off the year.
We hope that your family enjoys the remaining days of our summer break. As always, if you have any questions, you can email me or call the school at 203-783-3555. We are looking forward to seeing all our students on Thursday, August 28th. Together we will continue to make Meadowside A Great Place to Learn!
With HEARTfelt gratitude for our partnership in the year ahead,
Mrs. Gail Krois, Principal
Back to school is a big deal. Here are some start up tips to know:
🏫 Before School Starts
Re-establish routines early: Start waking up and going to bed on a school schedule at least a week before school starts.
Set up a school-ready space at home: Create a quiet, organized place for homework and school materials.
During the First Week
Keep mornings calm and consistent: Prep clothes, backpacks, and lunches the night before to avoid morning stress.
Stay positive and encouraging: Express excitement about learning and friends. Your attitude sets the tone.
Allow extra time for drop-off: The first few days may come with jitters. Reassure and remind them you'll be back after school. Also -- start your drop off routine the way you intend to drop off for the year -- this will help set up a comfortable routine right from the start.
Communicate with the teacher: Introduce yourself and let the teacher know of any concerns or needs.
🏠 At Home After School
Ask open-ended questions: Try: “What was the best part of your day?” or “Tell me something funny that happened.”
Monitor screen time and sleep: School is tiring, especially at the start. Prioritize rest and offline downtime.
Review and organize school papers daily: Check backpacks for homework, forms, and notes—set a routine for this.
Celebrate: Praise effort, not just results. Acknowledge acts of kindness, bravery, or learning something new.