Good Afternoon Meadowside Families,

It's the final countdown before school starts! We are so excited to meet our new students and to see our returning students. If you are new to Meadowside, every Friday at around this time, we email out our weekly news which includes highlights of the week, important events and information. Often the weekly email will include links to sign up for events and activities and information from the PTA as well as photos that highlight our students involved in learning!

Our first Day of School is Wednesday, August 28th. We open our doors at 8:20 for our 8:40 start and dismiss at 3:25. Please be sure to review our Welcome Letter and Arrival/Dismissal Information as these two documents mailed to your home answer many of the common questions that allow for a smooth first day for your child. Be sure to fill out the orange dismissal form that was included in the mailing and send it in with your child on their first day. Additionally in your mailing we included name tags for students for the first two days as well as pick up tags for families who pick up in cars in the afternoon. Please remember also to send your child into school with a refillable water bottle as we have water filler stations throughout the building in place of water fountains. Students have the option of bringing snack and lunch or purchasing through our Food Services. Information on buying school lunch, including links to the Free/Reduced Price Meals Application, can be found on our district Food Service Webpage.

Please read on for some additional and equally important information for our opening of the school year:

Chromebook Insurance: You Can Renew When You Enter the Parent Portal - Many parents have reached out to us to ask about Chromebook Insurance. We are happy to report that our low-cost Chromebook Insurance program is WELL worth the annual renewal fee ($25 per year). If you’ve got kids, then you already know there’s always the potential for something to happen to the Chromebook during the year: cracked screen, broken hinges, water damage, just to name a few. Do yourself a favor. Purchase the insurance – it will give you peace of mind and save you a lot of aggravation when something goes wrong. You can renew your insurance right on your Parent Portal account when you first sign in next. If you have any questions, please contact our BIDS dept. at (203) 783-3446.
Our Kindergarten ‘Meet and Greet’ is on Tuesday, August 27, 2024; 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ‘Save the Date’ cards and emails have been sent out to families with all the details.
2024-25 BUS ROUTES: We are pleased to release the 2024-25 Bus Routes for the Milford Public Schools. Click on this link to be forwarded to the bus routes page. We ask that you check back, intermittently, before school starts as routes may sometimes change. Just a friendly reminder: Food and drinks are not allowed on our school buses when students are being transported to or from school. Consuming these items while in transit is a safety concern; our bus drivers will be reminding you as the school year gets underway.
Food to Kids: Is an organization whose mission is to provide free meals to families of children who attend local schools. If you are interested in learning more about this program or have any additional needs that we might be able to help with, please reach out to our Social Worker Claire Bogart at cbogart@milforded.org or our School Counselor Brittany Smith at brittanysmith@milforded.org.

Finally we are SUPER excited to share that our PTA is once again hosting a back to school picnic. The picnic is scheduled for Friday, August 30th: 5:00-7:00 pm. We will keep an eye on the weather - because there is nothing better than gathering with all our families to celebrate the start of a new school year. We hope you will join us -- It’s a really great time to meet new families and reconnect with old friends.

Important Dates:

Printable MPS full year calendar can be found on the district Back to School Central Website.
Wednesday, August 28: First Day of School!
Friday, August 30: 5:00-7:00 pm - Welcome Back Family Picnic. It’s a great time to meet new families and reconnect with old friends
Monday, September 2: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
Thursday, September 12: 6:00 Meadowside Open House
Wednesday, September 18: Early Release Day: Students dismissed at 1:25
Thursday, October 3:
NO SCHOOL - Rosh Hashanah

See you soon!

Meadowside Elementary School

Heart Highlights 8.23.24