Communication Template

Good afternoon White River Families,

With conferences around the corner, I am excited to see our schools come alive with families and educators coming together to build partnerships that support our students. We’ve had a strong start to the year, with staff working hard to connect with students and understand their unique academic and social strengths. Now, we’re looking forward to meaningful conversations with you about your child’s progress and ways we can collaborate to help them thrive.

Conferences are also an ideal time to set goals with your student and their teachers. Goal-setting is a powerful tool, paving the way for both academic success and personal growth. Clear goals provide direction and purpose, helping students focus on what they want to achieve and stay motivated throughout their studies. Celebrating each step toward their goals can foster resilience and pride in their progress. I encourage you to partner with our educators this year to help your child set and reach meaningful goals.

Lastly, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you. The support we receive from families in White River is truly remarkable, and it makes all the difference in our shared mission. Please know that your role doesn’t end with conferences; your insights, questions, and feedback are invaluable as we move forward together in this educational journey.

In partnership,

Dr. Scott Harrison

Parent teacher conferences are next week! Be on the look out for information from your school.

• November 5- Early Release Grades K-5
• November 6- Early Release All Grades
• November 7- Early Release Grades K-8

There is no preschool on Early Release Days.

Please take a few minutes to read about our process for determining school delays and closures and how you can stay connected to these updates.

How are decisions made to delay or cancel school?

On days when snow and/or ice are predicted, we have a team that begins driving the roads throughout our District before 4:30 am to assess road conditions and possible hazards. We also check multiple forecasts to see what the weather will do in the near future knowing that conditions can change quickly between 5:00-8:00 am. We have a large District in terms of geographic area and the conditions in one area of the District are often different than another area so this factors into our decision-making process. Our primary concern when making decisions is always the safety of our buses and bus riders as well as the student & parent drivers and staff commuters. Our goal is to make a final decision by 5:30 a.m. so that parents, students, and staff have time to navigate the impact of these decisions.

What roads are you talking about when you say you are “assessing road conditions”?

We do not drive every side road when making the decision to cancel or delay school. We focus on the main roads and our bus routes. Many of you live in neighborhoods or areas where there is no plowing and very little traffic. We don’t factor those into our assessment. If the main roads and bus routes are safe then we will be holding school.

How are school buses affected when it is snowing or icy?

When road conditions on side streets are poor, we will run buses on “limited transportation routes for inclement weather”. Limited transportation routes are very different with new stops and different pick-up times. If your student rides a school bus make sure to take a look at limited transportation route schedules on the Transportation Tab of our website. If you have questions, please call our transportation department at (360) 829-3361.

How are parents & staff notified when school is delayed or canceled?

Information is sent by telephone and email using our automated messenger system and posted to the WRSD Facebook and Flash Alert. To receive these messages, we encourage parents to:

● Log into Family Access and make sure all contact information is up to date

● Sign up for Flash Alert to get emergency alerts

● Follow us on Facebook

● Check email and make sure your phone is on when severe weather is in the forecast

What options will the district consider when weather conditions are severe?

Two-Hour Late Starts allow everyone additional time to get to school and for temperatures to climb above freezing. It also gives us time to work on grounds and facilities (i.e., de-icing, clearing sidewalks, etc.). Visibility often improves later in the morning, as well. There is no a.m. preschool and no out-of-district transportation when schools are operating on a two-hour delay.

Canceling School is necessary when the weather forecast and current conditions at 5:30 a.m. indicate that a late start won’t give us the time we need to run our buses and open our schools safely. School closure is usually caused by snow and ice, but it is also possible for other reasons (i.e., wind, power outages, etc.). If we cancel school, we will make up the day later in the year.

Closing School after it Starts. We never want to send kids home early once they are at school and we will try hard to avoid this difficult scenario. This decision would only be made in extreme circumstances and staff would remain on site with students who can’t be picked up until later in the day. In the past this has happened when we experience extended power outages and severe flooding that threatens to close roads and prohibit us from getting kids home.

Do we consider the safety of our teenage drivers?

Yes and please know that we strongly consider our student drivers when making these decisions. There are days when we will have school even when the roads aren’t perfect. There are patches of snow and ice that can make conditions challenging for even the most experienced driver. Let’s work together to help our kids stay safe and have thoughtful decisions about whether or not you allow your teenager to drive during inclement weather.

Check out Elink! The Transportation department has a new tool for families to access individual student transportation information. Families will input their address and student grade level to determine bus route number, bus stop location and bus stop times. The WRSD Transportation website includes log in information and other details.

Thursday, November 21, 2024 7:00 pm

Friday, November 22, 2024 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 23, 2024, 2:00 & 7:00 pm

White River High School Theatre

All tickets are $10 and are to be purchased at the door

Cash or Check only

Tons of Winter Activities to enjoy and variety of items to purchase!

December 14, 2024

10:00 am- 12:00 pm

White River High School Commons

Free Entry

For more information, please email: wrcte@whiteriver.wednet.edu

November 7, 2024

7:00 pm

White River High School Theater

White River is excited to continue offering this series of FREE parent workshops for families within the boundaries of the White River School District with children ages of 2–5. At this time, we offer 4/5-year-old and 2/3-year-old parent workshops. FREE dinner and childcare included.

Early learning educators from the White River Early Learning Center facilitate workshops and teach parents how to incorporate activities that teach children needed skills through everyday play. Each child between the ages of 2–5 leaves with a kit that includes age-appropriate games, puzzles, and supplies.

Fall READY! for Kindergarten parent workshop:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 5:00--7:00 pm

White River Early Learning Center

27515 120th St.

Buckley. WA 98321

Register online: Ready for Kindergarten! Parent Workshop Registration Form

November 13, 5:30 pm, DDC Boardroom- School Board Regular Meeting

November 19, 7:00 pm, Glacier Middle School Gym, GMS Beginning Band Concert

November 20, 5:00 pm, White River Early Learning Center, Ready for K!

November 21 & 22, 7:00 pm, White River High School Theater- A Christmas Carol Musical

November 23,2:00 pm & 7:00 pm, White River High School Theater- A Christmas Carol Musical

November 28-29, No School- Thanksgiving Break

November 30, 4:00 pm, Elk Ridge Choir at Buckley Tree Lighting

December 7, Enumclaw Main St- Santa Parade

December 11, 5:30 pm, DDC Boardroom- School Board Regular Meeting

December 11, 7:00 pm, Glacier Middle School Auditorium- GMS Choir Concert

December 12, 5:00 pm. Early Learning Center- Polar Express Night

December 12, 7:00 pm, White River High School Theater, WRHS Band Concert

December 14, 10:00 am, White River High School Commons, CTE Winterfest

December 14, 5:00 pm- White River High School Commons, WRHS Evening of Jazz Fundraiser

December 23-January 3, No School- Winter Break