John Muir Elementary

John Muir
Elementary
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John Muir Elementary School/About/Information for New Students and Families

Information for New Students and Families

Welcome New Students and Families!

Welcome to the new school year, Lions!

We are so happy to have you as part of our wonderful community. Here are a few things to know to ensure you are ready for the upcoming school year.

The John Muir Calendar has basic school and district information about the upcoming school year. For reference, please find the 2023-24 information below.

Please note: the John Muir playground will be closed this year after school due to construction. We encourage families to use the new park located at 34th ave and S. Charlestown St. (across from the Dakotas Apartments) when it opens.

24-25 Start of Year Dates

  • The first day of school for 1st-5th graders is Wed, Sept 4. This is NOT an early dismissal day.
  • Kindergarten’s first day is Monday, Sept. 9.
    • Kindergarten families: Teachers will reach out August 27-29 to schedule Family Connection Conferences that will take place Sept 4-9, in person or on Teams. This is so your teacher can learn about your student and you can learn about what to expect this year.
  • All families are invited to Meet the Teacher Night on Tues, Sept 3rd from 3:45pm to 4:45pm. This is when you’ll find out who your child’s teacher is and have a chance to visit their classroom. Kids are welcome and must be supervised at all times.
  • Visit the School Calendar to keep up to date with events and happenings at the school. You can easily subscribe to the calendar on your phone or desktop calendar apps using the “Subscribe” link at the bottom of the page.

Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures

Read our drop off/pickup policies to help with traffic and safety.

John Muir Student and Staff Access July 1 – August 2025

Map showing John Muir Student and Staff sidewalk Access, effective July 1 - August 2025
Click to enlarge image

Drop-off

School starts at 7:55 a.m. Kids enter through the playground gates as early as 7:40am on 34th Ave S, Walden/Horton Street St, or Hinds. Late arrivals (after 7:55 a.m.) enter the front of the building on Horton.

For the first 2 weeks of school, families are allowed to walk their students to their classroom line on the playground (especially new families). After that time, we ask that caregivers say goodbye to their children at the gate. There will be plenty of staff on hand to help kids find their way to their lines.

Dismissal

School lets out at 2:25 p.m. Caregivers must come to the playground to retrieve their child. Early dismissal on Wednesdays (1:10 p.m. time for grades K-5). Contact your teacher and the front office to add an approved person to pick up your child.

Muir Policies and Procedures

If you have questions about what your child needs to do if they have a medical need (e.g., they take medications at school), support with signing up for an IEP or 504 plan, or anything else, contact the front office staff.

You do not need to buy school supplies as the Muir PTA purchases items requested by all teachers for all students. Most kids just need to bring a backpack with a water bottle to school each day. We ask that Kindergarten students bring a change of clothes, labeled in a plastic bag to the first day of school.  K students can also bring in a comforting photo from home.

School breakfast and lunch will be free for all students during the 2024-25 school year. Snacks are provided by teachers daily, so donations of those are much appreciated.

Don’t forget that you can always reference this website to remind yourself of things like our drop off/pickup policies and academics.

How to Stay Connected to Muir Staff and Families

Contact the front office with any questions:

Download the Talking Points app. It is through this app that the district, school and your child(ren)s teacher(s) communicate with you. Be sure to regularly do app updates to ensure you continue receiving these messages throughout the year.

Don’t miss important emails from the school.

Add our Principal, Assistant Principal, and admin staff to your email contacts so you receive our community update emails. 

Visit the Muir PTA website, where you can connect with other parents/guardians and learn about how to get involved in supporting the school and join the listserv to get regular updates. Questions? Email info@themuirpta.org.

Sign up to volunteer in the school: the school is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to support lunch duty, and recess duty (monitor games, and to support transitions from lunchroom to recess and from recess to the building). Mon-Fri from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (90 mins each day). Contact the front office for more details, or visit the SPS website to learn how to be a volunteer.