Dear Eagle Family,

As we come to an end of our summer, may I be the first person to welcome you to school!

The beginning of the school year is always bitter/sweet. As a parent myself, I understand the emotions that come with sending my children back to school. I was always sad to be apart, yet excited to see what new milestones my children would accomplish during the academic year. It always helped to know that my children were loved and supported in all areas in the school that they attended.

The staff at Watonga Elementary is excited and happy to get to know your children! We want nothing but the best for all of our students, and we will work hard to make sure this happens!

Please know that you can always reach out to me for anything. If you have questions, concerns, or celebrations, please stop by, call, or send me an email.

As always, thank you for sharing your children!

Eagle Love,

Ashley Riley

We will have a teacher meet and greet on Tuesday night, August 6th, from 5:00-7:00. This is a great time for students to shake off the jitters and meet their new teacher and see their friends! Please use this night to drop off supplies, so that students do not have to carry it all in on the first day of school. You can also use this opportunity to tour the building and visit our new STEAM Lab. Please be sure to stop in our new cafeteria and grab a hotdog and chips! While you are in there, check out our new cafeteria tables that arrived this summer!

This is the #1 question of the school year! I will be sending emails to grade level class parents with teacher lists attached by Monday, August 5th. If you do not receive an email, we will still be posting the lists in the gym on Open House night.

We will notify you of any bus route changes on Open House Night. If you are new to the district and/or unsure of bus stops, please stop by the office and ask.

For the 2024-2025 school year, we are going to start using the Cafeteria Loop as our designated Drop off/Pick up location. Things have changed, so please use this map to help you understand.

1) The flow of traffic now all runs the same clockwise direction around the entire school. This includes PRE-K and Kindergarten.

3) There will NOT be a double line going into the Cafeteria Loop. All traffic will stay single- line file.

4) 8th Street is now open for parents and guests who need to park and walk into the office during morning drop off.

5) The front of the school is not to be used to drop off your children. You must go through the designated car rider drop off line.

6) We ask that all parents stay in their vehicles during pick up, because all students will be in the cafeteria and will be called outside as their parents arrive to pick them up.

7) Parents will be given two Car Tags to hang from the visor of their vehicle. If there is no tag, the car will need to continue through the line, to the front of the school and walk in and show ID to check out the child. Make sure your information is up to date on who can pick up your children.

8) If your child is a walker, they will be released out the front of the school to cross through the crosswalk. Do not park on 8th Street or anywhere near that causes congestion and makes our school unsafe for students to be walking home. As a parent, you should also be using a crosswalk to teach your child street safety.

9)Please do not walk up to the cafeteria and ask for your child. All staff will be assisting students and making sure that students are getting to their designated cars as quickly and safely as possible. You walking up makes our job harder.

10) Be patient! The first few weeks of school will have a learning curve for all of us. If we see a way that we can improve our system, we may ask to modify this plan. Remember, all decisions we make is in the best interest of our students.

11) IF YOU ARE LATE 8:05 or after: You must walk your child in to the front of the school and check them into the office after 8:05 or when there is not an adult standing outside the cafeteria. Please do not ask staff to let them in the cafeteria doors. Never leave your child unattended outside the cafeteria doors if the adults are now inside.

12) Again, we know this is going to be a learning process and make take a little longer during first few weeks.

13) On the first day of school, parents will not be allowed to walk their child into the school. We have many staff who will be helping with students. Please be considerate of our rules.

14) Pre-K and Kindergarten will be dismissed at 3:05. The teachers will help parents understand the pick up routine. Once you pick up your PRE-K or Kinder student, you will need to join the other line if you have older students to pick up. Do not stay parked on the South Side of the school.

15) Notice the DO NOT BLOCK area at the West parking lot entry. Our buses will need to be able to enter and exit that area safely.

I think this covers most of it! If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask your child's teacher or contact the front office.

ADDRESS:

900 North Leach, Watonga, OK 73772

(580) 623-5248

Fax (580) 681-8517

ashley.riley@watonga.k12.ok.us

WEBSITE: www.watongapublicschools.com