Parent Newsletter

September 2021 Parent Newsletter

Welcome back to in-person learning at John H. Taggart School! In this newsletter, you will find answers to some commonly asked questions about sending your child back to school this year.

Important Dates

Our September 2021 student calendar can be found here.  Our October calendar will be posted on the school website in late September as soon as it is available.  Calendars are translated into different languages and are printable.

Some important dates to remember are:

  • September 6 → Labor Day Holiday, no school
  • September 7 → Rosh Hashanah holiday, no school
  • September 8 → School supplies give-away from Revzilla.  (Students will receive supplies during the school day)
  • September 10 → PBIS Kick-Off Day!  (Held outdoors)
  • September 13 → STAR baseline exams begin in school
  • September 15 → Virtual Back to School night on Zoom.
    Principal Reyes and others will present information on health and safety, after school care, extracurriculars, and the parent classes that are being offered here at Taggart through the Beyond Literacy program.
  • September 16 → Yom Kippur, no school
  • September 29 → Half Day of school for students; Teacher professional development

PBIS and Parent Survey

Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Incentive Support) program is a way of encouraging positive and prosocial behaviors in school.  Students earn “Dojo Points” when they exhibit positive behaviors in the classroom and in the school environment.

Students can redeem their “Dojo Points” at the end of each month for a reward.  Past rewards have included special assemblies, special field trips, homework passes, and prizes.

We are currently conducting a “Parent Survey” to gather further input from parents and community members to determine how to make our PBIS program more successful.  Please participate in our survey by going to our PBIS website and clicking on “Surveys,” then “Parent Survey.”  Thank you for your feedback and support!

Student Chromebooks

Students should bring their School District issued Chromebook to school every day.  The Chromebook should be fully charged and ready for the day.  Students will be using their Chromebooks for research, writing, and online academic programs to enrich their learning.

If a Chromebook is broken, lost, or stolen, a parent or guardian MUST go to the Chromebook Repair Center at South Philadelphia High School at 2101 S Broad Street, Philadelphia PA.  The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The center will not be open on school holidays.  No repairs or replacements will be made at Taggart School.

Students who have transferred to Taggart School from another School District of Philadelphia school should bring their Chromebook that was issued to them by their previous school.

A technology inventory of all students’ devices will begin during the week of September 13.  The serial number of the Chromebook will be recorded on the student’s academic record; and the student is responsible for that Chromebook device throughout their years in the School District of Philadelphia.

By utilizing the Chromebook and the school’s WiFi connection, the student agrees to the School District of Philadelphia’s Acceptable Use Policy.  See the following website for the Acceptable Use Policy:

Students new to the district can pick up a Chromebook from the Chromebook Repair Center at South Philadelphia High School at 2101 S Broad Street, Philadelphia PA.  The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The center will not be open on school holidays.

 

Student arrival and dismissal time

Students should begin lining up in the school yard at 8:45 a.m.  No before care is available at this time.  Teachers will collect their homeroom students beginning at 8:50 a.m.  Students will proceed to breakfast and then to their homeroom.

Dismissal time is 3:39 p.m.  Please communicate with your student’s homeroom teacher on dismissal location and if there are any special circumstances regarding dismissal for your child.

Please see the new bell schedule at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1veYHfBjA5mrwGLG1e9Wox0H-kOSVEtSB/view?usp=sharing

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast and lunch are offered free of charge for all students at Taggart School.  To see the daily breakfast and lunch menus, visit our website at http://taggart.philasd.org and click on “Daily School Breakfast and Lunch Menu” (scroll down to the bottom on the right side).

School Uniforms

John H. Taggart’s School Uniform is a navy blue shirt and khaki pants or skirts.  This year, students are also required to wear a face mask each day in order to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and its variants.

Retailers such as Walmart, Old Navy, and Target carry school uniform items that adhere to our school uniform policy.  We will also have a limited number of uniforms in different sizes on hand throughout the school year.  Parents of younger children, or students who may require it, should consider packing an additional change of clothes for their children in their backpacks in case of spills or other accidents.

School Uniforms at Target

School Uniforms at Walmart
School Uniforms at Old Navy

Classroom Assignment and School Supplies

A complete list of our classrooms, their teachers, and their requested supplies can be found on the Taggart website at http://taggart.philasd.org , or at the following link :

​​https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_yxNZVofbSpf_0Ziqv_VZLAQmReIFGMqEOZRhdyuMNY/edit

 

Class Dojo App

ClassDojo is a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what’s being learned in the classroom home through photos, videos, and messages.  Class Dojo is available as a free app for your smart phone so that you can keep track of your student’s academic and behavioral progress in real time!

Students will receive points for if they are being Responsible, Respectful, and Safe.

If a student is able to achieve enough points they will be invited to special events or be able to purchase rewards.

John H. Taggart School also uses the Class Dojo app to send out important announcements such as parent meetings, school closures, and important notices.

We strongly encourage every parent to sign up for the John H. Taggart Class Dojo platform.  You can download the Class Dojo app from iTunes or Play Store.  To join the John H. Taggart Class Dojo app, click “Sign Up” at this link : https://home.classdojo.com/#/classInvite/?s=512a5b626b353a900c000254

Language Interpretation Services

For our families who speak languages other than English, we have a staff of Bilingual Counseling Assistants.  Their names and schedules are :

Spanish → Iris Velez, at Taggart on Mondays

Nepali → Homa Kafley, at Taggart on Wednesdays

Khmer → Sotha Sour, at Taggart on Mondays

Mandarin → Siu Ka, at Taggart on Tuesdays

Karen and Burmese → Naw Doh, at Taggart on Tuesdays and Thursdays

 

School Website

The school’s website is located at http://taggart.philasd.org .  A wealth of information can be found on our website and it is updated regularly!

What is my child learning?

The School District of Philadelphia follows the Common Core State Standards for learning.  Public schools in the state of Pennsylvania teach Common Core standards using a variety of textual and online resources.

During the month of September, our teachers are acclimating the students to the classroom environment and its procedures, as well as behavioral norms.  Teachers are also taking baseline assessments in order to determine specific academic needs for each student.

Contact

Please reach out to us with any questions!  The school’s telephone number is 215-400-8290.  Thank you for being part of our community!