Apollo Newsletter: August 2026

Posted Date: 08/10/26 (02:15 PM)

Apollo School building with a blue sky and clouds in the background.

August 2026

Apollo Families,

Welcome back for the 2026-2027 school year! We are excited to see all our students and families and begin another school year together.

Within this message, you will find important dates, reminders, and links to many useful resources to help prepare you for the upcoming school year.

If you have questions about the upcoming school year or need assistance with registration, please contact us by phone at 847-827-6231 or via email at Apollo411@emsd63.org. Our main office is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 AM - 3:00 PM.

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation. We look forward to seeing you soon and to sharing a great school year together!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Russell, Principal

Ariana Coakley, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates and Events

Picture showing a calendar with one of the dates circled in red

August 22: Apollo's Back to School Party at Dee Park (1-3 PM)

August 24: Open House (5:00-6:00 pm- doors open at 4:50 PM)

August 25: First Day of School (7:55-2:25)

September 7: No School- Labor Day

September 8: PTO Meeting for all families (6:00 pm)

Start of the School Year

Open House and Supply Drop Off

Join us August 24th from 5:00-6:00 PM for Apollo's Open House and Supply Drop Off.

Please see below for the schedule of events:

4:50- Doors open

5:00- Principal Welcome (Gym)

5:20-6:00- Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop-Off (Classrooms)

We hope to see you there!

First Day of School!

August 25th is the first day of school! The school day starts at 7:55 AM and ends at 2:25 PM. Click here to access the entire D63 Calendar.

On the first day of school, only students and staff will be allowed to enter the school building. Any families or guests must enter through the main office at Door 12.

Student ARRIVAL is daily from 7:40-7:55 AM.

Parent Drop-Off Procedures:

All cars enter the drop-off on Harrison Street (alongside the First Steps Preschool).
Follow the flow of cars at a safe speed. Please refrain from speeding or passing cars.
Parents must stay in the car. Staff will help students exit their car and enter the building.
If needed, parents may park in a parking spot toward the back of the lot and walk their child to Door 10.
Staff will wave you forward to exit onto Dee Road.

Door 10 will close promptly at 7:55 AM. Any students who arrive after 7:55 are required to sign in at Door 12 with a parent/guardian and will be marked tardy.

Student DISMISSAL is daily at 2:25 PM.

Bus Riders will have a bus tag on their backpack with their bus number and assigned seat. Staff will help students find their bus and seat.
Parent Pickup is at Door 10 near the parking lot. Please stay in your car, and pull up through the drive-up line. Staff will ask you to confirm who you are picking up and bring the children to your car. All students will wait in the grass with their siblings.
Walkers will exit the building at Door 10. All walkers must have a permission slip on file to walk home without an adult. Email apollo411@emsd63.org for a copy of the form.

If you need to change how your child will get home, you must call the main office or email apollo411@emsd63.org no later than 12:00 PM.

Diagram showing arrival and dismissal routes for Apollo Elementary School.

Important Information

Teacher Assignments

Please log onto parent portal August 18th to view your child's homeroom teacher assignment. Registration must be completed to see your teacher's name!

If you forgot your username or password, call our office number for support, 847-827-6231.

School Supplies

Click here to view a list of the supplies that families will need to purchase for each student. All other materials will be provided. Students will need to bring supplies to Open House or on the first day of school.
This year, Chromebooks will stay at school and will not be sent home. If you require a device to go home with you for the year, please email district411@emsd63.org or call the District office at 847-299-1900 for accommodations.
Students may not bring toys, including squishies (such as NeeDohs), to school. Please leave all of these items at home.
All cell phones must be powered off and in a backpack throughout the school day. Watches with phone features must be on "school mode". Watches with phone features turned on are not allowed to be worn.

Bus Transportation

If you signed up for bus transportation when you registered your student(s), your bus stop and pick up / drop off times will be posted in the Parent Portal. Learn more about bus transportation.

Breakfast and Lunch Information

Breakfast is served daily from 7:40-8:00 a.m. Students may purchase a breakfast, but may not bring breakfast from home to eat. Click here for the menu.
Students will have lunch and recess from 11:05 AM - 12:05PM.
Students may bring a lunch from home or buy a school lunch. Click here for the menu.

For more information about the food service program in District 63, click here.

Image of a red heart with a green checkmark

Health Forms

Please note that the school office must have your student’s required health forms on file before the first day of school. Learn more about health requirements.

Contact our school nurse, Julia Robbin, with any questions at jrobbin@emsd63.org. The nurse's office reopens on August 13th.

Image of a playground with a tree in the background

Recess

Students have a 30 minute recess daily. Recess is held outdoors, weather permitting. Please send your child with layers in the colder months. Please label your child's sweatshirts, coats, hat, gloves, and lunch box with their first and last name!

Click here to view the guidelines that are used to determine whether recess will be held indoors or outdoors. Students are not permitted to bring toys from home to recess.

PTO News

Back to School Party

Join us Saturday, August 22nd from 1:00-3:00 PM at Dee Park (9229 W Emerson Street) for a back to school gathering. There will be popsicles, a water balloon toss, and bubbles and chalk. Please email apolloschooolpto@gmail.com with any questions.