Back-to-School Details
Dear Lancaster Families,
We have one week to go before students start school! Whether you’re still in summer mode or your child has already loaded a backpack in preparation for the first day, this newsletter has you covered! Today’s post includes information about:
Annual Back-to-School Update
Free & Reduced Lunch Info.
Student and Family Handbook
Ice Cream Social/Meet the Teacher
class lists
PickUp Patrol (PUP)
arrival/ dismissal procedures
school hours
The first day of school is Wednesday, September 2nd for all students, kindergarten through 5th grade.
Complete the Annual Back-to-School Update
Thankfully, the Annual Update is fully online and easy to complete:
Your current details are pre-filled—just verify, update if needed, and submit.
Smart drop-downs, checkboxes, and form fields make it easy to provide details.
Everything lives safely in one digital portal. No paper, no lost forms, no searching through backpacks.
Access the Parent Portal to begin... | Get help here...
All parents are requested to complete the annual forms prior to the start of school on September 2nd.
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If your family is experiencing financial need, you might be eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch. Here’s the application:
Free & Reduced Lunch Application
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Do you have questions about lunch & recess times… snow days… or cell phones in school? The Lancaster Student & Family Handbook has answers!
Lancaster Student & Family Handbook 2026-2027
Throughout the school year, I’ll highlight things from the handbook as questions come up or clarification is needed.
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Reminder:
Meet the Teachers & PTA Ice Cream Social- Monday, August 31st
FIRST… Meet the Teachers & drop into your new classroom (5:30-6:00 PM): All students (grades K-5) & families can drop in to see their new classrooms… this is NEW this year! We are hoping this will help ease any worries or jitters during the transition to a new grade. The classrooms will NOT be fully set up yet, as they will still be a work in progress. Teachers are balancing district training with time to set up their classrooms before school starts. This drop-in is a good time to meet the teacher, see classmates, and get a general orientation to where their new classroom will be. Teachers won’t be doing any presentations or providing parents with materials… yet. This will occur during our Open House Night on Wednesday, September 16th. See below.
THEN… PTA Ice Cream Social (6:00-7:00 PM) At this time, everyone will head to the playground for the Ice Cream Social. The building will be closed except bathroom use. All ice cream will be donated by Pica’s! We’ll have a big thank you card on hand for students to sign. 🙂
Is your child new to riding the bus? Or do they want a refresher on what it’s like to ride? During our Ice Cream Social, there will be a bus parked in front of the school. Students & parents are welcome to get on the bus & practice sitting in those big seats! It’s a great time for first day photos before the first day of school.
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Class Lists - Class lists will be posted on the front doors of Lancaster on Friday, August 28th around 3:00 PM. If you want to see your child’s teacher, log onto ParentSquare at 3:00 on Friday, August 28th, and you’ll see it there. If you have trouble finding it, call Kim Frost in the main office at (603) 893-7059.
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PICK-UP PATROL (PUP) information will be sent to parents on Friday, 8/28 around 3:30 PM. This will allow you to set your default (regular) dismissal preferences for the school year.
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For this next section, I have the directions written out AND I have maps attached. If you’re a visual learner like me, check out the attachments.
Buses use the FRONT loop closest to the main office (AM & PM).
The upper lot is used for staff parking only. No parents will be permitted to pull into the upper lot to park, drop off, or pick up their child.
PARENT MORNING DROP-OFF PROCEDURES:
For returning families, the good news is that the process is similar to last year. If you are dropping your child(ren) off in the morning, please enter the school across from Taylor Street and follow the flow of traffic.
To ensure that our lines move quickly in the morning, we ask that goodbyes are done at home prior to being in the drop-off line. Please have your child seated on the right hand side in the back seat of the vehicle for a safer and more rapid exit. Adults, PLEASE DO NOT get out of the vehicle. We will assist younger students by opening your car door and directing them to the playground.
Older students should be independent enough to exit their vehicle with their backpack and head to the playground area with their class on their own. Rest assured, we will have staff members on hand to help families navigate the process. After a few days, it will be easy.
For the first day of school only:
If you are a kindergarten parent/guardian, you are welcome to park your car and walk your child onto the playground on the first day of school. All other grades will enter the building around 8:45. Kindergarten parents will have time to take those last-minute photos and wish your child well. At 9:00, kindergarten teachers will walk kindergarten students into the building as parents say their goodbyes outside. There may be some tears (children and families), but students will be excited to get into their classrooms and start their day. 🙂
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Supervision of students begins at 8:30 a.m. There is no supervision prior to this and students should not be dropped off to wait.
2026-2027 Lancaster School Hours:
8:30-8:45 a.m. Drop off / recess / breakfast in Cafeteria
8:45 a.m. Bell to line up and enter building
9:00 a.m. Classes begin (students are considered tardy after 9:00 AM)
3:00 p.m. Dismissal
Please note that our main doors lock at 9:00 a.m. for building safety. For students arriving after 9:00, parents will need to park and walk your child to the front office to sign in. Please do not drive and drop-off. If you need to drop off a forgotten item (water bottle or an instrument etc.) after 9 am, there will be a table in the vestibule for your convenience. You will not need to come into the second set of doors to drop items off.
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BUS ROUTE INFORMATION:
Information about Bus Routes can be found here: https://sau57.org/transportation. Be sure to check back as we get closer to the first school day for more finalized routes.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Bus Riders:
Buses and our transfer bus will load by the school office, while our small buses will park closest to the dumpsters on the side of the school.
Bus Dismissal:
Please note that the first few days of school, bus times may be delayed in the afternoon as we load our buses and ensure everyone is accounted for. The drivers may also encounter delays as they learn their new routes and students learn their stops.
After School Care:
Students who are in after school care with Create & Discover or the Boys’ & Girls’ Club will be walked to their locations (cafe & gym).
Walkers:
There are no changes to our procedures from last year. If you prefer that your child walks home, they will be considered “walkers” in Pick Up Patrol (PUP). The crossing guard will stand at the crosswalk to stop traffic while students cross the street.
Parents are asked to stand on the sidewalk near the crossing guard to wait for their child. Staff will be looking for parents of younger children to ensure a safe handoff. If we don’t see a parent waiting, we’ll wait with the student until a parent arrives.
Parents should supervise their children at all times.
Older students may walk home alone if parents decide that.
Please make sure that students don't run on the sidewalk or walk on neighbors' lawns. We want to show respect to our closest neighbors.
Students should stay out of the street and walk (not run). Students should keep hands to themselves. If a student is being unsafe as a walker, he/she will be asked to return to the main office while a parent is called.
Bike Riders:
Please see pg. 8 of the Lancaster Student and Family Handbook for safety guidelines. This can be found at: Lancaster Student & Family Handbook 2026-2027
Parent Pick-Up:
Parents who pick up by car (“Parent PickUp”) will park their cars in the INNER LOOP of the lower parking lot.
Parent PickUp.. Park in ANY AVAILABLE designated parking space in the “inner loop” of the parking lot (see map below). In addition, once the designated parking spaces are filled, cars may park in two lines in the inner loop as they are doing now. This is similar to valet parking for a concert. Pull forward as far as you’re able, then park your car.
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CAUTION: We have a member of the Lancaster school community who has a life-threatening latex allergy. Families, please be sure your child does not bring latex balloons or gloves onto school grounds. We want to ensure everyone’s safety. Thank you for understanding.
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We are in the process of updating all our court orders, parenting plans and legal documentation for Lancaster students. If you have any of this paperwork to share with us, please drop it off in the main office or email the paperwork to Laura Livie at laura.livie@sau57.org. Thank you!
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This has been a VERY long update, and I thank you for reading to the end! Through all the excitement and back-to-school jitters, we will keep you updated and informed on things that will hopefully make the school year progress smoothly. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions at laura.livie@sau57.org. Take care!
Laura Livie, Principal