I am excited to officially welcome all four hundred forty-four Harvest Hornets to the 2022-2023 school year tomorrow. Harvest Elementary has an incredible staff and is the perfect place to do the most important work in the universe. There is absolutely no other place to be! I know that the first day of school can be filled with many different emotions. Please enjoy Leena’s Shoes Are Nervous and see if you can connect to any of Leena’s first-day clothes. Students and grown-ups alike… let me know tomorrow if you feel more like Leena’s shoes, more like Leena’s dress, or more like Leena’s headband.
Additionally, on Friday I shared detailed information to make sure arrival/dismissal goes smoothly for all of us. If we work together, we can make sure everyone is safe.
Did you know that each Harvest Hornet has a special (art, media, music, innovation lab, physical education) each day? We rotate through a schedule to ensure both expected and unexpected days off allow all students to experience equitable experiences with all five specials!
On Wednesday we will be having our Harvest Open House from 5:30-7:00 pm where you can visit your classroom (drop off supplies prior to the first day of school) and meet Harvest staff members. With so many families visiting Harvest, parking tends to fill up quickly. The Saline High School parking lot is another great option to park. A crosswalk and sidewalk allow you to safely cross and get to our school. If you arrive before 5:30 pm, feel free to play on our playground where we will have games and meet a surprise guest. At 5:30 pm we will open all three sets of doors (main doors, Kindergarten/2nd grade, and 1st grade/3rd grade) where you can enter Harvest. Make sure to stop by the cafeteria to check out the PTA table selling Harvest gear and learn more about various community organizations. The Harvest office will also be open where you can meet our building secretary, Ms. Dawson, to drop off medication and complete the RAPTOR system for volunteering for the 22-23 school year (more information HERE).
We are so excited to see you on Wednesday.
Emily
Save The Dates
August 29th – First Day of School for 1st – 3rd graders
Y5 & Kindergarten Orientation (specific time sent with teacher letter)
August 30th – First Day of School for Y5 and Kindergarten students
August 31 – Ag Olympics at the Saline Fair (featuring SAS staff and students) – 6:30-8:00 PM
September 2nd & September 5th – No School
September 8th – Picture Day
PTA Points
Make sure to stop by the cafeteria and meet PTA board members during Open House or check out our Harvest PTA Welcome Letter!
Fun Run, our one and only fundraiser, coming up this fall!
Volunteer sign up for School Pictures on September 8th
District Notes
The Saline Area Schools’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to the Board of Education are seeking 6 new members. The membership includes students, parents/guardians, and community members that reflect multiple affinity identities including LGBTQ+, race, ethnicity, cultural diversity (language, religion, country of origin, etc.), and ability. Committee members are expected to have a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, advancing the District’s DEI initiatives and efforts. If you are interested in serving on the DEIAC, please complete the application by Friday, September 30, 2022.
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Washington at washingl@salineschools.org or 734-401-4901.
Did you know that Saline Area Schools is hosting a job fair on Monday? Many of these jobs are a great fit for family members who have students who attend Saline Schools! If you have any questions, call 401.4003.
I realize that there are a few weeks of summer left and I hope more fun is still left to be had. Please note some events to help with the transition back to school:
Get a letter from your new teacher this Thursday (8/18) at 3:00pm via PowerSchool. If you do not receive an email by 5:00pm on Thursday, please email harvestoffice@salineschools.org and someone will get back to you on Friday.
For our new to Harvest Hornets, tour the school and build community on the Harvest playground this Thursday (8/18) from 5:30-6:30pm.
Harvest Open House – August 24th from 5:30-7:00pm.
August 21st – Weber-Blaess Ice Cream Social **I’ll be scooping ice cream from 1-2:30pm, come and say HELLO**
August 24th – Harvest Open House (5:30-7:00pm)
August 29th – First Day of School for 1st – 3rd graders
Y5 & Kindergarten Orientation (specific time sent with teacher letter)
August 30th – First Day of School for Y5 and Kindergarten students
September 2nd & September 5th – No School
PTA Points
THIS THURSDAY from 5:30-6:30pm ALL families that are new to Harvest are welcome to join us on the Harvest playground. PTA representatives can answer questions and help families get connected to our wonderful community. Families can take a self-guided tour of the building, learning about Harvest from our student ambassadors along the way. Have a chance to meet Ms. Sickler prior to Open House on the 24th.
If you want to know more about Harvest PTA and how to get involved, feel free to check out our Harvest PTA Welcome Letter.
District Notes
We know that you are anxiously awaiting bus information for your students. Route info, including bus number, bus driver, stop location, and times, will be available during the week of August 15.
Again this year, we will be using Ride 360 to share this info. If you have not already set this up, please visit the Transportation page on the Saline Area Schools website for instructions. You will need your student’s school ID number when setting up Ride 360. The student ID is the same (usually 6-digit) number used for lunch accounts, and should also be listed on report cards.
We are still seeing new student registrations that can affect bus routes. You will want to check back in Ride 360 just prior to the start of school to make sure that you are aware of any time changes.
If you do not see information in your Ride 360 account for your student(s) by the end of the day on Friday, Aug 19, 2022, please feel free to reach out to us via email at transportation@salineschools.org, or by phone at (734) 401-4479.
Walk areas are in place again this school year for those living within walking distance of Harvest (Harvest walk area map). If you do not see a bus assignment and live near your school building, you may live in an area where no bus is provided.
Students who are in first grade and younger will be required to have an adult meet the bus in the afternoon. If you would like to give permission for your student to get off the bus with an older sibling, please send a signed note to your bus driver at the start of the school year.
Bus routes are established to be safe and efficient. You will find that bus stops may be in a different location than in previous years. Stopping at every driveway and cul de sac is just not feasible.
Saline is not immune from the nationwide shortage of qualified school bus drivers. If you or someone you know may have an interest in becoming a school bus driver or monitor, please contact us!
Did you know that you can already set up an account and deposit lunch money for your student for the 22-23 school year? Click HERE to get started!
We offer free and/or reduced school meals and can help walk you through the process. Feel free to contact someone in food service (401-4350), our school social worker, Terri Pickett (401-4509), or principal, Emily Sickler (401-4501) to answer any questions.
The 2022-2023 school year is right around the corner. I’m excited to be welcoming so many students to Harvest this year. I will use this blog to keep you updated with all the Harvest Happenings! Please be on the lookout for weekly updates each Sunday at 3:00pm. The cadence of this blog is consistent, with the following sections:
Note from Ms. Sickler
Save the Dates
PTA Points
District Notes
Quick Links
Sweet Tweets of the Week
Did You Know?
Ms. Sickler Reads
I hope to keep you informed on the most pertinent information about what is happening here at Harvest to keep all students safe, joyful, and able to thrive. If that is not the case for your child, please reach out to me directly so we can meet. I can be reached at sicklere@salineschools.org.
Our Harvest Handbook has a wealth of information. Throughout the next few months, I will be pulling out pieces of the handbook to highlight in this blog.
I am grateful for the important work to walk alongside families as students take some of the very first steps in their educational journeys.
Emily
Save The Dates
August 18th – Teacher Assignment Letters shared electronically
If the Powerschool re-enrollment forms are not completed by 8/15 (for returning Harvest students), families will not receive teacher placement letters on the 18th.
August 18th – New to Harvest Event (5:30-6:30pm)
Join Principal Sickler, PTA Members, and Harvest student ambassadors on the Harvest playground to build community and tour the building.
August 21st – Weber-Blaess Ice Cream Social
August 24th – Harvest Open House (5:30-7:00pm)
August 29th – First Day of School for 1st – 3rd graders
Y5 & Kindergarten Orientation (specific times sent with teacher letter)
August 30th – First Day of School for Y5 and Kindergarten students
September 2nd & September 5th – No School
PTA Points
On Thursday, August 18th from 5:30-6:30pm families that are new to Harvest are welcome to join us on the Harvest playground. PTA representatives can answer questions and help families get connected to our wonderful community. Families can take a self-guided tour of the building, learning about Harvest from our student ambassadors along the way. Have a chance to meet Ms. Sickler prior to Open House on the 24th.
If you want to know more about Harvest PTA and how to get involved, feel free to check out our Harvest PTA Welcome Letter.
District Notes
Saline Area Schools focuses on how to best harness new technology and provide developmentally appropriate learning resources, improve instruction, and increase student achievement while also developing students’ digital citizenship skills. In order to address issues related to mobiledevice usage, district leadership has decided to increase the guidelines to include the following:
