Get back-to-school ready
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
School starts this week.
Why it matters: There's still a couple days to get your ducks in a row if you haven't crossed all your t's and dotted all your i's.
Zoom in: For Huntsville, Wednesday, Aug. 5 is the official first day of school for grades 1-12, with kindergarten starting on a staggered schedule Aug. 5-6, and Pre-K Aug. 10-13.
- Madison County starts Aug. 5, too, and Madison County Aug. 6.
- Here's the full calendar for Huntsville, Madison and Madison County.
Driving the news: Here are the supply lists for Huntsville and Madison County.
- For Madison, start at the district site and select the school from the drop-down.
- Families should log in to Powerschool to view bus information and complete online registration as soon as possible to keep their contact info up to date, per Craig Williams, Huntsville City Schools chief communications officer.
The latest: Last year, city schools implemented a new device policy, and this year, Huntsville has an updated dress code, approved at the Board of Education's meeting last week.
- Updates include that all tops must completely cover students' torsos, undergarments must be covered at all times, yoga pants and leggings are permitted, and hoods have been added to the list of head coverings not allowed during school.
- House slippers, or slides may not be worn during P.E., and students who participate in sports or other extracurriculars can wear uniforms on game days with principal's permission.
Zoom out: Huntsville Police Department is again launching its Zero in the Zone initiative, a month-long campaign focused on school zone safety.
- From Aug. 5-31, additional personnel will be manning school zones around arrival and dismissal times. Last year there were 249 stops and 234 citations from the initiative, per HPD.
💠Derek's thought bubble: Our eldest starts kindergarten this week, at Farley Elementary.
- We've been checking items off our first back-to-school to-do list, including meeting her teacher on Friday.
- She's excited (if a little shy), we're excited. But boy, how time flies.