2011-2012 back-to-school guide
Back to School Information
The first day of school for Springfield students is Thursday, Aug. 25. Be sure to check out mySPS podcasts featuring more information for students and families about registration, enrollment and immunizations to help you get a head start on the new school year.
Helpful Resources
2011-2012 School Year Calendar
Choose SPS: Your Guide to Schools and Programs
Important Dates
- Sixth-grade orientation:
- Carver- August 9, 9:00 a.m.
- Cherokee- August 16, 5:30 p.m.
- Hickory Hills- August 9, 9:00 a.m.
- Jarrett- August 9, 5:00 p.m.
- Pershing- August 10 8:30 a.m.
- Pipkin- August 9, 9:00 a.m.
- Pleasant View- August 9, 6:00 p.m.
- Reed- August 9, 6:00 p.m.
- Study- August 9, 9:00 a.m.
- Wilson's Creek-August 18, Last name beginning with A-L at 5:30 p.m., last name beginning M-Z at 6:45 p.m.
- Freshman orientation:
- Central- August 11, 9:00 a.m.
- Hillcrest- August 10, 6:00 p.m.
- Parkview- August 11, 6:00 p.m.
- Kickapoo- August 11, 7:00 p.m.
- Glendale- August 11, 9:00 a.m.
- First day of school: Aug. 25
- High school open house: Sept. 15
- Middle school open house: Sept. 22
- Thanksgiving break: Nov. 24-25 (Students are also out Nov. 23 due to staff professional learning.)
- Winter break: Dec. 23 - Jan. 2 (classes resume Jan. 3)
- Spring break: March 19-23
- Last day of school: June 1 (could be as early as May 23) Visit our FAQ page for more information about school cancellations and their impact on the calendar.
Donations
School supply donations will be accepted at any time in the office of Student Health Services located in the Doling building at 1423 W. Atlantic. Also donations can be made to the donors' school of choice. If necessary, arrangements can be made for pick-up of donated school supplies.
School supplies will be available for students at their school when staff returns (please call first to check on availability). Supplies will also be available at Jean Grabeel's office, Student Health Services, located at 1423 W. Atlantic, starting August 19th.
The Clothing and Shoe Banks are located at Bailey Alternative High School, 501 W. Central. Students who need shoes or clothing must first obtain a voucher from their school. The first day open for the Clothing Bank and Show Bank will be Wednesday, August 10, 9:00 a.m. -12 noon. The second day will be August 17th, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (if a heat advisory is issued, they will close at noon). The Clothing and Shoe Banks will begin their regular operating schedule on August 31, which is every Wednesday of the month, except the first Wednesday of each month while school is in session. They will be closed the month of December and will close for the season at the end of April.
Additional Saturday dates of operation for the Clothing and Shoe Banks include (9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.):
- 10/01/11
- 11/05/11
- 12/03/11
- 02/04/12
- 03/03/12
- 04/07/12
SPS families with students on F/R lunch qualify to access the Clothing and Shoe Banks. Families can come to the Clothing Bank three different times during the year and the Shoe Bank once during the year. For more information, call 523-2771.
To learn how to donate and how free school supplies are distributed watch a SPS TV interview. For more information, call Sharron Keith at 523-1630.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will staff be in the school buildings?
-
Elementary schools
-Principals and their secretaries will return by Tuesday, Aug. 2 -
Middle schools
-Principals and their secretaries will return by Tuesday, Aug.2
-Counselors/secretaries will return one week before school begins -
High schools
- Principals and their secretaries are in their buildings all year
- Counselors/secretaries will return one week before school begins
-
- Is my student eligible for free bus transportation?
- Springfield Public Schools provides bus transportation to approximately 7,000 students every day. Elementary and middle school students living 1.5 miles or more from their school are entitled to free bus transportation to and from school. High school students living 3.5 miles or more from their school are entitled to free bus transportation to and from school. Students with a qualifying handicap will be provided free bus transportation.
If your child is eligible for bus transportation you will receive a postcard in the mail indicating the time and location for pickup and drop off prior to the start of school. To determine your child’s eligibility for free bus transportation, contact the transportation department at 523-0500.
- Where can I find information about pedestrian safety?
-School Walking Route Maps depict streets, schools, traffic signals, marked crosswalks, sidewalks, and crossing guards. Visit the following links for more information about specific transportation and pedestrian safety topics: - How do I enroll my child in kindergarten?
-Call 523-1160 to schedule an appointment for a developmental screening.
-See more information on kindergarten screening.
-Listen to a podcast with Missy Riley, director of early childhood, who talks about kindergarten screenings and offers tips for the first day of kindergarten.
- How do I enroll a new SPS student?
Registering is easy just follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Call (417) 523-0500 to determine which school your child will attend. Provide your exact home address in the district and a transportation department staff member will confirm the elementary, middle or high school attendance area in which you live.
Step 2: Visit the school your child will attend to complete the necessary enrollment forms, several of which must be notarized by the school secretary. Enrollment takes about 30 minutes per student. Contact information for all SPS school can be found here.
Step 3: When you enroll, you will need to bring your child's birth certificate, immunization records, Social Security number and proof of residency (a utility bill, lease, etc.). To assist in requesting your child's school records, please provide the name and address of the school your child previously attended.
- What school will my student attend?
-Call the records office at 523-0005 or Transportation at 523-0500.
-View the boundary map,
- When can I pick up my student’s school schedule?
-Schedule pick-up dates and times will not be available until early August 2011. Contact your child's school or visit the school's Web page for dates. Elementary school principals and secretaries will return to their buildings by August 2.
- What are my school’s start and dismissal times?
-School start and dismissal times
- How can I get a school supplies list?
-See a general school supply list. These lists are general supply lists. Specific school/classroom supply lists may be provided by teachers on or after the first day of school, or may be available on your school's web site. Check with your child's school prior to purchasing supplies.
The following schools have school supply lists posted on their school web pages:Elementary Schools
Boyd
Holland
Jeffries
Mann
McBride
McGregor
Pershing
Pittman
Pleasant View
Rountree
Sequiota
Sherwood
Sunshine
Truman
Watkins
Weaver
Weller
Wilder
Williams
Wilson’s CreekMiddle Schools
Carver
Cherokee
Hickory Hills
Jarrett
Pershing (click on grade level under "Student Section")
Pleasant View
Reed
Study
- Am I eligible to receive free school supplies?
-Explained in a SPS TV interview. - When is the state sales tax holiday?
Missouri's Tax Free Weekend for back-to-school supplies and clothing runs from August 5-7, 2011 and applies to the following items:
- Clothing under $100
- School supplies under $50
- Computer software under $350
- Computers/computer equipment under $3,500
Where can I find a physical form for sports participation?
Print the physical form and have it completed and signed by your child's physician.
Please note the concussion information below must be read and then signed off on at the bottom of the physical form.
- What are immunization requirements for school?
- Students must be current on all required immunizations before they are permitted to attend classes. They must present documentation of month, day, and year of each immunization before starting school. Immunizations required to start school are provided free at Westside Public Health Center, 660 S. Scenic Ave., from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday in August. Read more. Listen to a podcast with Jean Grabeel, coordinator of health services, for more information about immunizations and student health concerns.
- How can I help my child get a healthy start to school?
- What are school meal prices and options?
Is my child eligible to receive free or reduced price meals?
Online application will be available to determine eligibility after Aug. 15, 2011
- How do I sign up to receive AlertNow telephone messages?
-AlertNow Notification Service allows the district and individual schools to contact parents via telephone with important announcements about school events or emergency situations. To receive AlertNow messages you must complete an AlertNow Student Information form for each child. This form is printed in the student handbook. Please fill it out and return it to your child’s school by Friday, Sept. 9. Read more.
- What are the summer hours for Kraft Administrative Center?
-June 7-July 29: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday (closed on Fridays).
-July 5-8: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, closed Monday, July 4
If you have additional questions, please give us a call at 523-INFO.
Additional Transportation Information
A pay-to-ride option is available to students who are not eligible for free bus transportation. For the 2011-2012 school year, the annual cost is $422 per child. A fee of $211 is available to students who qualify for free or reduced price meals. For a pay-to-ride application, call 523-0500 or 523-0159, or click on the following links: Pay to Ride Documents for Parents.
School Crossing Protection Committee
The School Crossing Protection Committee is a group consisting of Springfield R-12 School District PTA representatives, the Director of School Public Safety for the Springfield Public Schools, the District Traffic Engineer of the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Springfield City Traffic Engineer, City and County Law Enforcement Agencies, and Greene County Highway Department representatives. This Committee is responsible for reviewing and handling school crossing protection complaints and requests, taking immediate action to help correct emergency school traffic safety problems, establishing priorities on projects, and develop policies and procedures to insure a uniform school crossing protection program throughout the Springfield R-12 School District. This Committee forms the working technical committee to prepare recommendations and guidance for the Traffic Advisory Board, the R-12 School District, City Council and the Greene County Commission.
If you have a concern or question about a pedestrian safety issue, please contact your school’s PTA.
SPS’ neighborhood schools allow many students to walk to school. In order to assist the families of students who do walk to school, the City of Springfield’s Traffic Engineering Division has developed recommended school walking route maps for all SPS elementary schools. Each map features the location of the school, existing traffic controls, sidewalks, crossing guard locations, and arrow head markings that suggest the walking route for each child from his/her home to the school utilizing the recommended school crossing locations. These routes are also recommended for students who ride bicycles to and from school. Copies of each map are available here.
Springfield has a number of streets with an exceptionally high volume of traffic. In order to prevent students from having to cross the busiest street, SPS provides free transportation to students who live less than 1.5 miles from school in areas where they must cross a barrier street. To be classified as a barrier street, streets must meet at least one of the follow criteria:
- Any street with a functional classification of Expressway or Primary Arterial on the Springfield Major Thoroughfare Plan.
- A street with a speed limit of 45 MPH or more.
- A street with a traffic volume of at least 30,000 vehicles per day.
Adult crossing guards are provided at challenging school crossings to assist children crossing the street, help them develop safe crossing habits and to inform them of potential hazards. Adult crossing guards will be considered at a painted crosswalk where special traffic conditions exist that can be better handled by an adult. These conditions include complicated intersections, heavy vehicular turning movements, high vehicular approach speeds, and an extraordinarily high volume of heavy truck traffic. The existence of these special conditions will be determined and an adult crossing guard considered at locations that meet the following criteria:
a. At all painted crosswalks across Missouri Department of Transportation maintained routes. (A formal agreement with MoDOT is required to mark a crosswalk that commits the local government agency to provide an adult crossing guard.)
b. At any painted crosswalk where the requirements for a traffic signal as indicated above are met but due to unusual conditions, it is determined that an adult guard can provide better control of both children and vehicular traffic.
c. At any location where there are 15 or more children crossing a street with fewer than one adequate gap per minute during the crossing period.
If a location meets the warrants for an adult crossing guard as specified, the placement of the guard may be considered provided that:
a. An adult crossing guard is more feasible and economical than either a pedestrian grade separation structure or a traffic control signal specially installed to handle the crossing.
b. Necessary funds are appropriated by City Council, Greene County Commission, or others.
c. The adult crossing guard has been properly trained.
The Traffic Control Manual for School Crossing Protection provides additional information about pedestrian safety and the policies and practices related to this issue.
School walking route maps can be found here.
To determine your child’s eligibility for transportation, contact the transportation department at 523-0500.
Frequently Asked Questions by Topic
Registration and orientation
How do I enroll my child in Kindergarten?
How do I enroll a student who is new to SPS?
What school will my student attend?
When will staff be in the school buildings?
When can I pick up my student’s school schedule?
School supplies and clothing
How can I get a school supplies list?
How can I donate school supplies or clothing?
Am I eligible to receive free school supplies?
When is the state sales tax holiday?
Immunizations and wellness
What are immunization requirements for school?
How can I help my child get a healthy start to school?
Where can I find a physical form for sports participation?
Nutrition
What are school meal prices and options?
Is my child eligible to receive free or reduced price meals?
What are the district's nutrition guidelines for meals and snacks?
Transportation
Is my student eligible for free bus transportation?
Where can I find information about pedestrian safety?
How do I sign up for the pay-to-ride option?
Additional transportation/pedestrian information
Miscellaneous
What are my school’s start and dismissal times?
How do I sign up to receive AlertNow telephone messages?
What are the summer hours for Kraft Administrative Center?
Questions and additional information
