Dear Families,

I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful summer! Please start now by getting your child(ren) in a routine and going to bed early so that they are fresh and ready for our 7:25am start time! School begins on Wednesday, August 5th, and we’re kicking things off with Meet the Teacher on Tuesday, August 4th. This special event is a great opportunity for students and families to meet their teacher(s), explore the classroom, and drop off school supplies. Then, mark your calendars for Parent Information Night on August 13th, where we’ll share important details about curriculum and classroom expectations.

Please take a moment to read through this newsletter for key updates, and know that more information will be shared as the first day of school approaches. All communications will be sent through Parent Square, so be sure to stay connected!

I’m so excited to begin this new school year with all of you, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon. Don't forget — Kinder Camp is on July 23rd! If you haven’t registered yet, please register with the link below.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Hillig
Principal

Painted Sky will be welcoming a cross-categorical program next year. We would like to invite all students who will be enrolled in these classes to attend our Cross Cat Camp on July 23rd from 12:00pm - 1pm.

During this time you will get to meet your teachers, see the classrooms, play in the motor lab, meet our PTO, and have time to tour the school.

Over the past three years, Mrs. Epstein, Painted Sky's Social Worker, has made a tremendous impact on our students, staff, and families. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication, compassion, and the support she has provided to our school community.

Mrs. Epstein's position was funded through a three-year grant that concluded in May. We were hopeful that the grant would be renewed, allowing us to continue offering these valuable services. Unfortunately, the grant was not renewed, and as a result, we were unable to fund a school social worker or counselor position for the upcoming school year.

If your child has been working with Mrs. Epstein, we encourage you to begin preparing them for this transition by letting them know that she will no longer be on campus. At this time, we will not have a staff member available to provide the counseling services she offered.

If your child would benefit from continued counseling or social-emotional support, we encourage you to connect with your pediatrician or your health insurance provider to explore available community resources. Ensuring continuity of care can help your child continue to receive the support they need to thrive.

Any social emotional needs that arise in the school setting will be addressed by the teachers directly and/or our behavior intervention monitor, Mrs. Davis. 

Hey Thunderbirds! 
Yes, we know you’re busy living your best summer life … but we’re popping in real quick with something important!

The Painted Sky PTO is looking for awesome parents and guardians to join our

Want to make a difference, support our students and staff, and help create all the fun stuff? This is your sign.

💜 Make an impact
💛 Build community
💜 Help plan amazing events
💛 Be part of the magic behind the scenes

📅 Interest forms are due Sunday, July 12!

🔗 Submit your interest using the link below.
Help Us Make the Magic Happen — Click Here to Join!
Questions? Email us at paintedskypto@gmail.com

Okay, back to your pool floats, iced coffees, and avoiding the “back to school” aisle at Target. 😎

It is time to register for Kinder Camp! Please click the link below to ensure we are ready for you and your child! 

Kinder Camp is going to be a fun-filled morning full of play, learning, and new friendships. Below you’ll find all the important information to help you and your child have a smooth and successful day.

📅 Important Dates

• Kinder Camp: July 23, 2026

🧃 What Your Child Should Bring to Kinder Camp

• A snack for mid-morning

• A water bottle - Reusable

• A backpack - with all supplies listed above for Kindergarten

• They should be wearing play clothes and closed-toe shoes

• And most importantly... a BIG smile! 😊

🎒 Personal Supplies for the First Day of School (label with your child’s name):

• (1) Standard-sized backpack

• (1) Reusable water bottle

🐦 Kinder Camp Schedule (For Students):

• Recess to start the day

• Morning announcements

• Practice bathroom procedures

• Snack time in the cafeteria (practice lunch routines)

• Special activities in all 3 Kindergarten classrooms

• Dismissal practice

• And of course… LOTS of fun!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parent Schedule:

• Sign in: Between 7:55–8:05 AM

• Walk your child to the Kindergarten playground

• 8:05 AM: Head to the Principal’s Breakfast in the library

• Leave school around 9:00 AM

• Return at 11:15 AM for pickup and dismissal practice

☕ What to Expect at the Principal’s Breakfast:

While your child plays, I’ll walk you through our drop-off and dismissal procedures, introduce our PTO, discuss the expectations of kindergarten, and answer any questions you might have.

The PTO is excited to continue our Kindergarten T-shirt tradition for our newest Thunderbirds!

To help keep costs low, the PTO has placed a bulk order for shirts. Families may purchase a Kindergarten T-shirt for $5.00 by completing the order form below prior to Kindergarten Orientation.

Students who have pre-ordered their shirts will be able to pick them up during Kindergarten Orientation. A limited number of extra shirts will also be available for purchase at the event while supplies last.

The $5.00 contribution helps the PTO continue providing valuable support for students, classrooms, and staff throughout the school year.

We want every child to participate in this special tradition. If your family needs assistance with the cost, please contact the school office for a discount code to receive a shirt at no charge.

We can't wait to welcome our newest Thunderbirds to Painted Sky Elementary and have a few special surprises planned for Kindergarten Orientation!

Parents will receive a welcome letter from your child's teacher on July 31st around 3pm. The Painted Sky staff has dedicated many hours thoughtfully and carefully creating class lists with each child’s academic, social, and emotional needs in mind. This process involves collaboration among teachers, specialists, and administrators to ensure balanced and supportive classroom communities that will help every student thrive. Because of the time, care, and complexity involved, we are unable to accommodate individual placement requests. We appreciate your trust in our professional judgment and your continued support as we work together to provide the best learning environment for all students.

The school year will begin on Wednesday, August 5th at 7:25am. Please note that our campus doesn’t open until 7:00am. School will be releasing at 12:25pm (12:20 for Kinder and 1st).  On Thursday, August 6th and Friday August 7th, school will be released at 2:25pm (2:20 for Kinder and 1st). If you need before or after school childcare, please contact AlphaBest.

For the first three days of school only, parents will be allowed to walk their children to the playground. Starting Monday, all students will need to be dropped off at the gate. It’s important that children begin developing routines early and work toward becoming independent and responsible. This helps build confidence and supports their long-term success at school.

If you have not yet completed the health form for the upcoming school year, please complete one of the attached forms as soon as possible. The form should be emailed to Laura Feltes at lfeltes@amphi.com. Thank you!

We invite you to come visit your child’s classroom and meet the teacher (or teachers). We will be hosting the Meet the Teacher event on August 4th. Please bring all of their supplies to this event so that they are not carrying items with them on the first day of school. The PTO will also be here so that you can find ways to become involved in our amazing school!

PreK - 2nd grade: 8:30am - 9:30am

Grades 3rd - 5th: 9:30am - 10:30am

Please make sure to stop by the social sponsored by our PTO and information booths set up around the courtyard.

We will also have afterschool club information at this event.

In order to ensure that our youngest students (and parents) are ready for kindergarten, we will be hosting our information meeting on AUGUST 4th. This is before the MEET THE TEACHER time starts. All kindergarten parents will meet in the MPR at 8:00am to hear a presentation from the teachers. The presentation will last about 20 minutes, once it is done, you will be able to go see your child's classroom and drop off your supplies if you have not done so already. During the teacher presentation students can be dropped off on the playground where we will have adult supervision or they may attend the presentation with you.

Please join us on August 13th for our Parent Information Night. Parents only please. We will have three sessions in the MPR with a presentation from Mrs. Hillig (Principal). All three sessions will contain the same information, so please only attend one session.

Teachers will each have a presentation in their classroom to share with you the expectations of your classroom and discuss the curriculum. Parent teacher conferences will be held at a later time, this is when we will have the opportunity to discuss your child's specific academic levels.

Times:

Any Grade:

4:30 - 4:55 MPR Presentation

1st - 3rd grade:

5:00 – 5:30 Classroom Meeting

5:35 – 5:55 MPR Presentation (Repeated any grade can attend)

4th – 5th grade:

5:00 – 5:20 MPR Presentation (Repeated any grade can attend)

5:30 – 6:00 Classroom Presentation

We are currently only have 6 spots available for our pre-school program for the upcoming school year. There is no better way to prepare our little ones for kindergarten! Students in Image get to enjoy specials such as art, music, PE, and library! If you have young children at home, or know of families in our area looking at pre-school programs, please encourage them to go to our website and complete an interest form. Click HERE or more information. Children must be at least 3 years old & potty trained.

We are making changes to the parking lot in front of the office building. The first row will be reservied for staff parking only. We will be adding parking spots for the pre-school parents as they need to walk their child into the classroom to sign them in and out. If you are choosing to park when dropping off your child, you will most likely need to do so at the parking lot by the field. The front row near the bus loading/unloading zone is also for staff members only.

Gates open at 7:00am. All students will go to the playground or cafeteria.

We encourage all parents to use the driving loop for morning for student drop-off. We will have staff, OVPD, and parent volunteers to assist us to ensure this runs as quickly as possible. 

1. Please pull forward as much as possible.
2. Have your child ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the curb. If you must get out of the vehicle to assist your child, please park in the lot by the field and walk them to the entrance.
3. Please follow all traffic signs in the parking lot and remember to be kind and courteous.
4. We will have 10 drop-off spots on the curb. Please have your child exit the vehicle, on the curbside, as soon as you get to the curb.  Do not wait until you get to spot 1-3 as this will only slow down the line for all families. 

If you choose to use the parking lot for morning:

1. Please park in the north parking lot and walk your child to the gate where they enter the campus.
2. Please follow all traffic signs in the parking lot and remember to be kind and courteous.

If you choose to use the bus for morning:

1. We will have staff there to welcome and assist students if needed.

If your child rides a bike to school, they will place their bike in the racks at the front of the school and enter through the main gate.

School ends at 2:25pm except on Wednesday we end at 12:25pm.

Dismissal time at Painted Sky Elementary is a busy part of our day, and we appreciate your help in keeping it safe and smooth for everyone—students, staff, and families. To help streamline this process, we encourage families to use the school bus when possible. If you choose to pick up your child, you have 2 choices, the driving loop or the walk-up gate. Please follow the procedures outlined below.

Preschool Dismissal – 11:45 AM Daily

● Preschool students must be signed out by a parent/guardian.

Dismissal Schedule & Procedures for Driving Loop

Kindergarten & 1st Grade (Only - no older siblings)

● Dismissal Time: 2:20 PM (Wednesdays at 12:20 PM)

● Driving loop opens at 2:00 PM (Wednesday at 12:00 PM)

● You’ll receive a purple pick-up sign.

2nd–5th Grade & K–1 Students with Older Siblings

● Dismissal Time: 2:25 PM (Wednesdays at 12:25 PM)

● Driving loop access begins at 2:20 PM (Wednesday at 12:20), or once all K–1 cars have exited

● You’ll receive a gold pick-up sign.

Important Reminders

● Students may only enter vehicles from the curbside—no exceptions.

● Follow staff directions during dismissal for everyone’s safety.

● If you have to get out of your car to assist your child with their seatbelt, please park and use the walk-up gate. 

● Display your dismissal sign in the front windshield on the passenger’s side, so it is clearly visible. Staff will radio ahead so that your child is one of the pick up spots on the curb. 

Dismissal Schedule & Procedures for Walk-Up Gate

You may park in the far north parking lot and walk up to the front gate (between the office and cafeteria) to pick up your child. Please bring this dismissal sign. We will have a cart where you must place your sign prior to the gates opening. A staff member will come out and get the signs and release the children through the gate carrying the sign back to the parent. 

Dismissal Sign Instructions - On the back of this card, in BOLD, LARGE, CLEAR BLACK PRINT – your child(ren)’s full name and grade.

Dismissal Schedule & Procedures for Bus -

We will have staff there to ensure they get on the appropriate bus.

Dismissal Schedule & Procedures for Walking or Biking -

Teachers will dismiss students through the main gate to walk or ride their bikes home.

AMPHI School district uses an app called My Ride K-12. Please click this link for more information. This link will have all the information that you need in regards to your child's transportation needs. The 2026-2027 information has been uploaded to this program.

My Ride K-12 is a one-of-a-kind mobile app integrated with our transportation software that allows both you and your student to access estimated times of arrival or departure for your bus. This helps ensure that you and your student are on time for pick-ups and drop-offs while making the bus route more efficient. Sign up for push notifications to be automatically notified about changes in your student’s bus arrival, and to prevent you from having to frequently check the My Ride K-12 app for ETAs.

My Ride K-12 is now available for you to download on your Apple or Android mobile device. Simply search the app store for “My Ride K-12” to download and register yourself on the app. Please ensure that you change your password upon initially logging in, as this will help ensure secure login and user management moving forward.

The School Site Council is made up of parents/guardians, community members, and school staff who work together as an advisory group to the principal. This group plays an important role in supporting our school by:

• Providing input on school-wide decisions

• Helping communicate important information to our school community

• Monitoring Tax Credit accounts

• Ensuring transparency through public meeting notices and agendas

Site Council is a standing committee created by our Governing Board and follows all legal requirements for public meetings.

💬 Interested in joining?
We’re looking for parents and community members who want to get involved and make a difference! Please join us at our first meeting will be on September 3rd at 2:30pm in the conference room.

Parents can add money to your student meal account through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, If you don’t have access to the Portal yet, please contact the front office of your school. If you do have an account click: Parent Portal.

Please complete a Free/Reduced Lunch Form. This is all done on-line and is completely confidential. Click HERE for access to this form.

In order for your child to purchase breakfast or lunch on the first day of school, please make sure that there is money on the account. You can also find all of the menus on this website. Click here

At Painted Sky, we love to show our pride and future goals!

• Wednesdays are College Shirt Days – students and staff are encouraged to wear a shirt from their favorite college or university to promote college and career awareness.

• Fridays are Spirit Shirt Days – wear your Painted Sky gear or school colors to show your school spirit!

Let’s make every week one to celebrate learning, community, and pride! 💙

Amphitheater Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion/religious beliefs, gender, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, creed, citizenship status, marital status, political beliefs/affiliation, disability, home language, family, social or cultural background in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding the District’s non-discrimination policies are handled at 701 W. Wetmore Road, Tucson, Arizona 85705 by the Equity & Safety Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator, (520) 696-5164, TitleIXCoordinator@amphi.com, or the Executive Director of Student Services, (520) 696-5230, studentservices@amphi.com.

Email: shillig@amphi.com
Website: https://www.amphi.com/36094_1

Location: 12620 N. Woodburne Avenue | Oro Valley, AZ 85755

Phone: (520) 696-3800