🦁 The Lion’s Pride

Welcome Back to the 2026–2027 School Year!

Dear LES Families,

Welcome back! I hope your summer has given your family time to relax, enjoy the beautiful weather, spend time together, and make some wonderful memories.

We are so excited to welcome our students and families back to Ludlow Elementary School for another year of learning, growing, and succeeding together. We are also very happy to officially welcome several new students and families to our LES community. We hope you quickly discover what makes our small school community such a special place.

As we begin this new year, we remain grounded in our school motto:

Learn. Grow. Succeed, and our commitment to being Safe, Courteous, and Responsible.

📌 Welcome Back — At a Glance

• First Student Day: Wednesday, August 26

• Welcome-Back Community Breakfast: Beginning at 7:30 AM in the LES Gym

• 8:00 AM: We will introduce our teachers and staff, welcome everyone to the new year, and students will head to their classrooms.

• Lunch Menu: 8/26 - Bacon Cheese Burger; 8/27 - Chicken Nuggets; 8/28 - Pizza

• PowerSchool: All families should log in to their PowerSchool Parent account, complete the 2026–2027 annual forms, and review/update contact and emergency information. (You should have received an email from Rob Oakes)

• Student & Family Handbook: Please take time to read our updated 2026–2027 LES Student & Family Handbook.

• NEW Cell Phone Policy: Vermont's new requirements regarding student cell phones and personal electronic devices take effect this school year. Please see the important information below.

• School Day: 7:45 AM–2:45 PM. Morning drop-off begins at 7:15 AM.

• Stay Connected: Please make sure we have a current email address and phone number so you receive newsletters, School Messenger notifications, emergency alerts, and other school information.

🍎 Welcome New Teachers and Staff

We are very excited to welcome Erin Shimp back to LES as our 5th-grade teacher!

Many of our students and families already know Ms. Shimp. Erin joined us last spring as our long-term substitute in fifth grade and finished the school year with that class. We are thrilled that she is returning this year as our fifth-grade teacher and continuing to be part of the LES community.

We are also excited to welcome Miranda Eisenman and Beth Oldenberg to our LES team; they will be working with our kindergarten team. I know our school community will join me in giving Erin, Miranda, and Beth a warm LES welcome!

🥞 Start the Year Together — August 26

Our first student day is Wednesday, August 26, and we would love to begin the year together as a community.

Please join us for a light welcome-back breakfast in the LES Gym beginning at 7:30 AM. This is an opportunity for students, families, teachers, and staff to reconnect before we officially begin our new year.

At approximately 8:00 AM, we will gather to welcome everyone back and introduce our teachers and staff. From there, students will head off with their teachers to begin the exciting first day in their new classrooms.

Families are welcome to join us for breakfast and our opening welcome!

📱 NEW This Year — Cell Phones, Smartwatches & Personal Devices

One of the most important changes for families to know about this year is our new cell phone and personal electronic device policy.

Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, Vermont law requires public schools to prohibit students from using cell phones and other personal electronic devices during the school day. In accordance with this requirement, TRSU has adopted a district-wide policy designed to reduce distractions, improve focus, support learning, and encourage positive social interactions.

At LES, students may not use or access cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds/headphones, smart glasses, or other personal wireless devices from arrival through dismissal.

If a student brings a device to school, it must be turned off or silenced and stored in the cell phone locker in the main office. Devices remain stored throughout the school day and may not be used in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, the cafeteria, at recess, or on the bus.

If your child needs to contact you during the school day, we will always make sure they can do so using a school phone. Likewise, if you need to reach your child, please call the LES office at 802-875-5151, and we will get your message to them promptly.

We appreciate families talking about this change with their children before the first day of school. Our goal is not simply compliance with a new requirement—it is to give our students a school day with fewer distractions and more opportunities to learn, play, talk, and connect with one another.

💻 PowerSchool — An Important Back-to-School Task

Before the start of school, all families should log in to their PowerSchool Parent account.

Please take a few minutes to:

• Complete all required 2026–2027 annual forms

• Review and update parent/guardian contact information

• Confirm emergency contacts and phone numbers

• Make sure your email address is current

• Review transportation and dismissal information

• Update any other information that has changed since last school year

Having accurate information is especially important in an emergency. Our handbook also reminds families to keep their contact information current, so they receive School Messenger phone, text, and email notifications.

📘 Please Review Our Updated Student & Family Handbook

Our 2026–2027 Student & Family Handbook has been updated and includes important information on school procedures, attendance, health and safety, student expectations, transportation, communication, and more.

I ask every family—both returning and new—to take some time to review it. Even if you have been part of LES for many years, there are changes for the new school year, including the new cell phone policy.

Our partnership with families is an important part of what makes LES successful. Knowing our procedures and expectations helps us begin the year on the same page and allows us to focus on what matters most—our students.

❤️ A Personal Note

As we begin this new school year, I also want to share something personal with our LES families. I will be retiring at the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

It is certainly bittersweet to know that this will be my final first day of school as principal of Ludlow Elementary School. LES is an incredibly special community, and it has been a privilege to work alongside our students, families, teachers, staff, and community members.

There will be plenty of time later this year for reflection and goodbyes. For now, my focus is exactly where I want it to be—on making this a wonderful year for our students and our school.

We have a full year ahead of us to learn together, celebrate together, solve problems together, and continue making LES a place where every child knows they belong.

I can't wait to see everyone on August 26 and begin one more wonderful year together.

Learn. Grow. Succeed.

Warmly,
Dr. Debra Higuera
Principal
Ludlow Elementary School

📅 Important Dates — Mark Your Calendars!

Here are some important dates for the first half of the 2026–2027 school year. Please save these dates—we look forward to seeing our LES families throughout the year!

Date

Event

August 26

🍎 First Day of School for Students

August 31

No School — District In-Service Day

September 7

No School — Labor Day

September 15

🏫 Back-to-School Night & Open House — 5:00–6:30 PM

September 15

📚 Book Fair — 4:30–6:30 PM

October 9

No School — In-Service Day

October 12

No School — Indigenous Peoples’ Day

November 2

📸 Picture Day

November 11

No School — Veterans Day

November 12 & 13

💬 Student-Led Conferences — 11:30 AM dismissal both days

November 25–27

🦃 No School — Thanksgiving Break

December 3

📸 Picture Retake Day

December 15

🎶 Winter Holiday Concert — 5:30–6:30 PM

December 23

11:30 AM Dismissal — December Holiday Break begins

December 23–January 1

❄️ December Holiday Break

Please note: Additional events and reminders will be shared throughout the year in the weekly Lion’s Pride Family News.