We look forward to seeing you at our Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party on Monday morning.  We’re so happy that school starts on Tuesday and can’t wait to see the school full of smiling kids! Scroll down for all the information you need about transportation, including carpool procedures and bus rider information. See you soon!

Gearing Up for School

This week’s newsletter is all things Back to School.  It has a lot of information, so please scroll down all the way so you don’t miss out on anything.

A huge THANK YOU to Osborne State Farm, Hoover Learning Group, Mathnasium of Green Hills and Brentwood, and Berns Therapy Solutions for sponsoring all of our Back to School activities. Sponsorships help us underwrite the costs associated with things like kindergarten totes, new family yard signs, the popsicle party and the Family Picnic, and we are so grateful for the support of Osborne State Farm!

Kindergarten Families:  The orange tote bags will be passed out at the Sneak-a-Peek.  If you are interested in getting your bag monogrammed, please click here.  If you are unable to attend the Sneak-a-Peek, your child’s tote bag will be waiting in their classroom.

Important Dates

• August 2 – Teachers will send email greetings to their classrooms
• August 7 – Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party*-NEW DATE
  New Families Sneak-a-Peek @ 8:15
  All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party @ 9:00
  *Families are invited to come meet their teacher and bring school supplies to the classrooms
• August 8 – First Day of School (Half Day for Kindergarteners only)
• August 9 – Half Day for Kindergarteners only
• August 17 – Open House & Invest Kickoff
  5th, 4th and 3rd Grade: 5:00 p.m.
  2nd, 1st and Kindergarten: 6:00 p.m.
• September 1– No School
• September 4-Labor Day, No School
• September 8 – Fall Picnic
• September 11 – Tiger Cup Golf Tournament at Old Natchez

Back to School Information

August 7 – All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party 

8:15 am – New Families (parents and children) are encouraged to come snap a picture with our school mascot, Percy, and then head on to your child’s classroom to meet your teacher. Then, meet on the playground and enjoy popsicles while socializing with other PPE families. The PTO will be there with kindergarten orange totes and the Roar Store will be open.

Kindergarten Families: Please read this document for instructions on getting your bag monogrammed.

9:00 am – ALL returning families are invited to stop by the school to meet teachers and visit classrooms. Then, meet on the playground and enjoy popsicles while picking up some new PPE gear from the Roar Store.

School Supplies Note: If you have purchased items through First Day School Supplies, they will be shipped to the school the week of August 1st.  Boxes will be delivered to each classroom, so you’re all set! If you did not purchase items through First Day School Supplies, school supplies lists by grade can be found here. Parents are encouraged to bring all school supplies to their child’s classroom during the All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party, or otherwise on the first day of school.

Car Rider Numbers Note: Car rider tags will be distributed to new families at the All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party, as well as on the first day of school. Returning families will continue to use the same number. Please work with your child to learn his or her Car Rider Number before school starts, or even consider writing it on their tote bag/tag.

August 8 – First Day of School

Kindergarten Note: 11:30 dismissal on August 8 and August 9 for Kindergarteners. Kindergarteners will need to bring a snack on the first two days of school but will dismiss before lunch.

Boo Hoo Party: Bring a cup of coffee with you and stay a while after drop-off to mingle with other parents at our All School Boo Hoo Party in the front circle, from 8:00-8:30! The Roar Store will be open, too!

School Supplies: If you have purchased items through First Day School Supplies, they have been delivered to each classroom, so you’re all set! If you did not purchase items through First Day School Supplies, school supplies lists by grade can be found here. Families who did not bring school supplies to their child’s classroom during the All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party can bring them on the first day of school.

Car Rider Numbers: Car rider tags will be distributed to new families on the first day of school, if they did not get one at the All School Popsicle Party. Returning families will continue to use the same number. Please work with your child to learn his or her Car Rider Number before school starts, or even consider writing it on their tote bag/tag.

Transportation

On the first day, many PPE parents choose to walk their children to the school’s front entrance. Parking is encouraged on Priest Road and Willshire Drive, and it gets crowded! Note that buses and the car line will run, so walking students to the front entrance is purely optional. During the first week of in-person school, all methods of transportation tend to be slower than normal – please plan accordingly.

Bus Riders

If you live more than 1¼ mile from school, you should receive information from the MNPS Transportation Department that details your child’s bus route number and pick-up and drop-off times and locations. This information can also be accessed here.

There is also the Remind App that helps parents keep up with their bus. To join, send a text message to 81010.  The content of the message should be as follows:

For Route 1 Pink Bus please text @ppebus1

For Route 2 Orange Bus please text @ppebus2

For Route 3 Blue Bus please text @ppebus3

For Route 4 Purple Bus please text @ppebus4

For Route 5 Yellow Bus please text @ppebus5

Walkers – Updated Information for 23-24 School Year

Arrival – Students who walk to school will enter the school through the front doors and front entrance.

Dismissal – As we prepare for the beginning of construction of our new building, we will no longer have a separate walker dismissal from the rear exit.  Walker dismissal will be from the front of the school.  If you walk to pick up your student, you should have a car rider number and report your number to Ms. Cathy or school staff in the front loop.  The preferred dismissal method for non-bus riders is the car rider line.  If you are a walker family, but drive to pick up your student, please use the car rider line for dismissal.

Car Rider Protocol – Arrival 

Drop off begins at 7:40am, and students must exit out of the passenger side of their cars. The front doors close at 8:00am, so students are encouraged to arrive between 7:45 – 7:55am. After 8:00 am, parents will be required to walk children in, and sign them in at the front desk.

In order to prepare your child to exit your car, please have them ready with tote in hand, and goodbyes finished, once you cross the first Tiger Paw. Remember – parents, grandparents and other caretakers, please do NOT exit your car during drop off.

• Please use the following map to guide your approach to Percy Priest. EVERYONE MUST APPROACH THE SCHOOL FROM PRIEST ROAD. From Priest, turn right onto Otter Creek.
• Please use the right margin of Otter Creek as you approach the school entrance (your right tire should nearly be in the grass!).
• If you cannot pull up to the Tiger Paws, PLEASE WAIT ON OTTER CREEK. Turn into the loop only when cars begin to move. If your vehicle can fit within the first set of tiger prints, you may enter the circular driveway. If not, please remain on Otter Creek Road and to the far right of the shoulder to allow buses and other vehicles through.
• While you are in the loop, please stay as far left as possible to leave room for buses.
• NEVER PASS A CAR!
• Please do not park on the Percy Priest Campus unless you wait in line and use a marked parking space. DO NOT PARK IN THE GRASS ALONG OTTER CREEK. There is no safe path for your child to enter PPE if you park in the grass; kids must walk between cars if they do not enter from the pickup line.
• We want to be good neighbors at PPE! Otterwood and Hounds Run have asked that we not park in their entrances. Neighbors living on streets adjacent to Percy Priest have also asked that we not park in their yards. Please represent PPE well by respecting their wishes.

Car Rider Protocol – Dismissal

Dismissal begins promptly at 3:00pm. Parents, grandparents, and other caretakers are encouraged to begin lining up before 3:00pm along Otter Creek and Priest Road. Cars may not enter the Percy Priest circle until dismissal begins and Ms. Cathy waves cars into the circle.

** Have your car rider number ready to go and visible. This number is used to call your child out front. The PPE staff will enter your car rider number information into an app which displays in the classrooms.  When seeing their car rider number, your child will exit the building at their assigned door and make their way to your car.

Place your car in park, step up from your car door and when you see your child walk out, wave to indicate your location (please do not walk up to the front steps to retrieve your child).

Once the lane of cars is safely within the two sets of paw prints and in parked position, and the car rider numbers have been called, the students will be released as ONE group to then walk to their respective cars.

Once all students are safely within their vehicles, all cars will be dismissed from the PPE staff at the end of the line.

Round One Dismissal – The first group of cars lined up in the semi-circle will resemble the graphic included in this document, including buses in the third row.

Rounds Two, Three, and Four Dismissal – The first round of cars and the buses leave the semi-circle, and Mrs. Cathy or another school representative will wave your car in when it’s your turn. Cars will be lined up in three rows between the Tiger Paws. Once you are in your spot, please put your car in park and wait for students to be dismissed to your car. You will be able to exit your car at this point to let your child know where you are in line. Teachers will dismiss children to cars by turning a STOP sign to GO or SLOW.

Upcoming School Events

Open House (Parents only)-August 17

Save the date for this year’s Open House, on Thursday, August 17! Hear important information from your child’s classroom teacher, school leadership, and the PTO regarding what’s ahead for the school year.

• 5:00 – 3rd through 5th grade parents will meet in their classrooms
• 6:00 – Kindergarten through 2nd grade parents will meet in their classrooms

Fall Family Picnic – September 8th 

Join us September 9th from 5-7pm on the PPE playground for a fun family night out! Bring a picnic or grab dinner from local food trucks. More details and ways to help to follow! Questions? Contact Patty Bea Presley (pattybeapresley@gmail.com), Erin Thomas (elpark2@gmail.com) or Amanda Woods (amandamoorewoods@gmail.com).

Tiger Cup Golf Tournament – September 11th – REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Percy Priest PTO’s Tiger Cup Golf Tournament is Monday, September 11th at Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin and registration is now open.  Enjoy 18 holes of golf with PPE friends, family and/or neighbors.  Register individually or with your foursome by clicking here to register.  We have been able to offer this fun event without raising prices for the past five years; however, we have increased our registration and sponsorship costs slightly this year due to the increased costs imposed by the course as well as several of our vendors. Registration for this year’s event will close on Friday, August 25th.  Registration this year includes a Tiger Cup Golf Polo!!!! To get you the size that you request, we must place orders by this date.

We need you!!!  We need you not only to participate, but also to sponsor this fabulous event which directly supports our children, their teachers, and the school.  Fund raised from this event will support enrichment, extracurriculars and teacher supplies throughout the school year.  Learn more about how you can support PPE by clicking sponsorship opportunities.  Not only does this give back to our wonderful school, but also is a great way to advertise your business. We would like all sponsors committed by Friday, September 1st to ensure all printing is complete by the date of the event.   Please sign up today!

Mamas and Mimosas

Ladies ~ Not a golfer but want to learn more?  Back by popular demand is Mamas and Mimosas, a group lesson at 10 am with several ONCC golf pros who will share tips on basic golf terminology, putting, driving and more.  Enjoy a drink (or two), some fabulous bites and a spectacular view while you learn about this great game.  Max capacity for this is 20 people so please register today by clicking here to register.

Volunteer Opportunities

Can’t commit to the entire day?  That’s ok – consider volunteering at the event or helping with prep by contacting tigercupppe@gmail.com for more details.  Please reach out to us with any questions!  Looking forward to seeing you on the course.

~Kass Johnson and Kimmy Peterson, Co-Chairs

General Announcements

Percy Priest Handbook

Download the 2023-24 Handbook to get all kinds of Back-to-School information. Check it out!

Class Lists were posted on August 2nd to Membership Toolkit.  An email from your child’s teacher was also sent to the email on file.  If you haven’t received an email or do not see your child’s name listed, please reach out and we can assist you.  Please reach out to erinkaiser2@gmail.com for any questions.

PPE Buddy Program

Please let us know if you are new to Percy Priest and are interested in having a returning family serve as a “buddy” to help you get acclimated at the school by filling out our Buddy Request Form. Buddies serve as friendly faces, resources for questions you may have, and connectors as you begin at our school. Tell us about yourself and we’ll match you with someone who would love to know you!

The Roar Store is a wonderful way to show Percy Priest Spirit. Students can wear Percy Priest Spirit wear shirts any day to school in place of collared shirts. They can wear the spirit shorts/skorts on Fridays. This gear, along with PPE accessories, can be purchased through the Roar Store. The Roar Store shop will be open on the following back to school days:

• August 7 – All School Sneak-a-Peek and Popsicle Party
• August 8 – First Day of School
• August 17 – Open House
• September 8 – Fall Picnic

Updated Standard School Attire 

PPE has revised our SSA standards.  Our website has all of the details about Standard School Attire Check it out before back to school shopping!

Lands’ End will donate 3% of all qualifying Standard School Attire (SSA) purchases to Percy Priest. Its catalog has a large selection of SSA and PPE logo clothing. Visit Lands’ End to place your order! Be sure to link to Percy Priest by linking your account to our Preferred School Number: 900121294

Publix Partners will donate $250 to the Percy Priest Elementary PTO for every $37,500 spent cumulatively by our school’s participants. To support Percy Priest, join Club Publix. If you’re already a member, log in to your account and select My Publix Partner to search for the school of your choice. Remember to pay with the Publix app or enter your phone number at checkout each time you make an eligible purchase. Parents do have to re-register annually.

The funds raised from this event will be used to support the PTO budget which provides our school with additional staff, software and supplies to our school.

Pre-loved PPE Attire Needed!

It is that time of year- time to clean out your Tiger’s closet before school starts! We will be accepting gently used clothing items or accessories that have PPE’s logo for our inaugural “Percy’s Vintage Closet” sale this fall! More details to come, but anything you’d like to pass on to another Tiger, please drop off on the school’s front porch. Any tops, bottoms, accessories with PPE logos on them that are gently worn, are all accepted!  Look for the marked plastic bins that say “Pre-loved PPE attire” and we’ll take it from there. Thank you!

How to Volunteer

We need your help to make next year the best year yet at Percy Priest! Dedicated and engaged parents are a key ingredient to making our school the great school that it is. There are big and small volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Please check out our volunteer form and let us know what things interest you. We’ll be in touch with more information.

We particularly need returning parents who are willing to be “buddies” for new Percy Priest families, simply serving as a friendly face and a point of contact. 

If you have questions of any kind, please contact us at presidentsppe@gmail.com. Thank you!

How to Stay Connected

Email Lists

New families – Be sure to sign up for our school newsletter, which includes grade-level information each week. Register today.

Add PPE happenings to your calendar automatically!

You can subscribe to our PTO calendar and have all of our events show up on your calendar, so you never lose track of important dates! Following the links below will prompt you to subscribe to the calendar via your preferred calendar app. Any time the PTO updates an event through the website, it will update on the calendar of all subscribers (how often your calendar pulls updated info will be based on your individual personal settings – every 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 week, etc).

For Calendar Apps (apple calendar etc), go to: webcal://www.percypriest.org/?post_type=tribe_events&ical=1&eventDisplay=list

For Google Calendar, go to: https://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=webcal%3A%2F%2Fwww.percypriest.org%2F%3Fpost_type%3Dtribe_events%26tribe-bar-date%3D2022-08-31%26ical%3D1%26eventDisplay%3Dlist