Collier Elementary PreK - 6th

August is here and we are excited to get Back To School!! We are looking forward to partnering with you all for an amazing school year!

Back to School is always a wonderful time to build relationships, meet new friends, and get back to learning. At Collier we focus on ensuring your child's success by supporting students in becoming Problem Solvers, Collaborators, and to use their Creativity. Our teachers create engaging learning environments for each student every day.

We love partnering with you, our community, to build a strong school for everyone. We look forward to seeing volunteers, spending time with you at our many events, and growing with you together.

This year we will celebrate 50 years of Collier Elementary. We are proud that Collier has been here to serve this community and are looking forward to the next 50 years!

Please feel free to reach out to me with anything that you may need.

• Aug. 1st The First Day of School!! Welcome Back Celebration on Playground 8:10am
• Aug. 6th Kona Ice PTA Fundraiser, 2:00 - 4:00pm Collier Bus Bay
• Aug. 13th Open House and Title 1 Meeting 6:00pm Collier Cafeteria
• Aug. 21st No School or Cougar Club TUSD Staff Professional Learning Day
• Aug. 23rd Collier 50th Year Open House! 5:00 - 8:00pm, Current & Former Families and Staff invited
• Aug. 27th Site Council & Family Engagement Team Meeting 3:30pm Collier Library
• Aug. 27th Collier PTA Meeting on Zoom 6:00pm, link will be sent out to members via email
• Sep. 2nd No School Labor Day

Hello Collier Families!

My name is Julie and I am the PTA President this year. I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to all new and returning families. I hope you are all excited for the school year because the PTA has several new events we think the students will love! Our goal is to provide a warm, welcoming environment for both students and families. We would love to encourage everyone to consider joining the PTA so your thoughts, ideas and suggestions can be heard. It's also a great opportunity to connect with others and build new friendships. Please feel free to reach out to me and the PTA Board Members if you would like to know more, using our PTA Email!

Thank you,

Julie Widick

Welcome back!!!!!! For those who may not know me, my name is Wendy Joy, and I am the OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts) teaching artist at Collier. I teach arts integrated lessons to every student in the school and serve as the school’s artistic director. My professional background is in dance and movement, but students will also work with visual art, music, and theatre in my classes. Our OMA lessons will cover every tested curricular area, focusing more heavily on math during the fall semester and science in the spring. Language arts and social studies will be woven into lessons throughout the entire year.

As an OMA Gold school, several grades at Collier receive additional arts instruction:

- First grade will work twice a week with a musical theatre team of professional artists.

- Third grade will receive recorder lessons once a week, beginning in the second quarter.

- Fourth grade will receive violin instruction twice a week.

- Fifth and Sixth grade will receive band and orchestra four days a week.

I look forward to a great year of creativity with your students – don’t forget to ask them what they learned in OMA each week!

~ms. wendy

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our parking lot safe! Please make sure that you drive slowly and keep an eye out for others walking.

Here is how Parent Drop off and Pick up Work: (Note: If your child is late to school or you need to pick them up during the day you must sign them out in the office.)

Preschool Families: You must park and sign your child in and out from our Cougar Cubs Program each day in the Community School Room.

Parent Drop Off: 7:45am - 8:10am

Please drop students off by butterfly garden or in the dirt lot by the bus bay. Students will then walk through the bus bay gate onto the Collier playground.

Parent Pick Up: 2:25pm (2:00pm for Preschool)

Students are dismissed from the blue and yellow shade structure by the flagpole. Parents, please stay in your car and pull all the way forward in line. Staff will dismiss your child to you at the shade structure. Please hug the curb so that others have room to turn around in the end of the parking lot. Do not park in the circle. If you would like to get out and meet your child, please park in the parking lot and walk to the flagpole. Normally students in grades Kindergarten - 2nd grade will dismiss a little early to help with traffic in the parking lot.

Hello Collier families from the Health Office!

We are excited to have the same team caring for your students this year at Collier including

Maryluna Girardot, Health Assistant

Kristi Smith, RN

Abby Hildenbrand, RN.

A few reminders from the health office:

• All medications your student may need while at school must be checked in and given by the health office staff.
• TUSD's sick policy mandates that students must be vomit/diarrhea free as well as fever free (less than 100) for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications before returning to school.
• We will be having our vision/hearing screening as well as a Dental Sealant program within the first two months of school. More info about those programs coming soon!
• As always, please reach out to our health office with any questions at (520) 584-4817.
• If you are a new Collier family, please make sure you provide the health office or main office with a copy of your student’s updated immunization record.

We're looking forward to another great year Collier!

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome back to school! I hope you had a wonderful summer break and are ready for an exciting year ahead. As your school counselor, I'm here to support you in any way I can. Whether you need academic guidance, someone to talk to, or help navigating challenges, please don't hesitate to reach out. Let's make this year great together!

Warm regards,

Ashley Williams

School Counselor