The Wonderful World of Woodbury

Welcome back! WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE! I am so excited to see our students and staff with the return to our little school this week. You can often find me most days by the gate near parent drop off on 2nd Street. Please don't hesitate to say hello! This will begin my 8th year as the proud principal of Woodbury Elementary School. This year our theme is "Woodbury is Our Happy Place" Happy can take on many meanings. Happy is where we feel safe, encouraged, loved...where we feel like we belong and are seen as an individuals as well as someone who is contributing to the good of the group and success of others. We all continue to make wonderful memories through learning and growing together. Our focus is on how we can best support our students, families and each other. At Woodbury we believe that academic and social emotional growth is rooted in a strong foundation of character and core values. We also believe that every path for each student is individual to each child. Mistakes are proof we are trying!

As we get our first days together started, I ask that you please take the time to look over our back to school reminders by clicking the green button below. This will help us a great deal with first day procedures as our students and staff get back in the swing of things, with safety as a priority and hopefully answer some questions. You can also find additional information at the bottom of the newsletter. Please pay special attention to our parent drop off procedures. We do utilize 2nd street and the city sidewalk for drop off. Please pull all the way up. Students should exit the vehicle quickly and there is no parking on 2nd Street. Your cooperation allows us to keep our students safe. A map can be found below with arrows for flow of traffic. Please do not drop your student off across the street. If you would like to join your child on the playground, please park on an adjacent block and walk with your student(s) to the playground.

Last of all, we know many of our students (and parents) sometimes get those "First Day Jitters". As students adjust to their morning routine and a new school, sometimes saying goodbye can be hard to do. Reassuring your child that they will see you later and saying goodbye at the door or on the playground will help build their independence and allow them to learn to cope with emotions about separation. We always have lots of caring adults on hand to help your child navigate the building and start their day. This also helps teachers begin the routines of their day more smoothly with their students. We promise that those tears will turn into smiles within moments.

We are looking forward to a wonderful school year ahead!

Best,

Mrs. Kern

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 14th with an EARLY DISMISSAL at 1:10 p.m.

Please help us welcome our new staff!

Kindergarten: Jesenia Lootens

Paraprofessional: Breanne Sambs

Social Worker: Rebecca McCartney & TBD

Assistant Secretary: TBD

PLT PE: Matt Chalfin

Evening Custodian: TBD

Our district follows a security protocol for guests and volunteers entering the buildings. This system requires identification from visitors (i.e. state ID, driver’s license, etc.), and all visitors will be photographed. A quick background check will be performed by searching US sex offender databases (with the option to expand this to criminal databases.). The system also links with our student database to provide an extra layer of protection for students with no contact orders.

District-wide, all enrolled students should be able to view assigned teachers. If you are unable to view it in TeacherEase, please contact our school secretaries at 815-786-6316.

The following schedule is listed below for the first days of kindergarten. Please refer to the schedule to determine which day(s) and time your child will attend. On the first day, students attend for one hour with their parent/guardian(s). We ask that siblings not attend as this is a special time for you and your child to get to know the teacher and their new classroom. We are looking forward to welcoming the many new faces and families to our little school!

PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECTION: DISMISSAL FOR ALL STUDENTS IS AT 2:50 P.M.

As a reminder, On Tuesday, August 13th, we will have a supply drop off from 2:00-3:00 p.m. This is an opportunity to drop off supplies ahead of the first day of school in order to alleviate all supplies coming in on one day. This gives us more time on the first day to celebrate being back and enjoy the time getting to know one another. If you are unable to attend, please don't fret! If you would like to drop off supplies to our office during school hours that is just fine too! There just may not be a teacher to see as they will be in trainings and meetings throughout the day.

For Supply Drop-off:

• Please have your student's belongings in a plastic bag(s)
• Label all bags with your student(s) first and last name and teacher's name
• Students may enter the building to find their classroom and drop off their supplies to their teacher!
• When you are done, find Mrs. Kern on the playground for a cool summer treat.
• Chalk will be available for students to CHALK the WALK!

Chalk the Walk!:

Chalk will be available on our sidewalks for students to draw inspirational pictures or write positive notes and words of encouragement for students to see as they navigate our sidewalks on the first day of school. We only ask that students stick to the sidewalks and not chalk our blacktop as we utilize visuals for morning arrival each day.

Our first book fair will take place August 19th-23rd. Please watch for more information in your child's backpack and in our school update.

Kindergarten Families:

• For families of Kindergarteners, last spring, we hosted our kindergarten orientation. The first week of school, we had a student/parent meet and greet on the first day of school. Therefore, we will not be hosting a curriculum night for our Kindergarten Students.

First-Grade Families:

• Mrs. Rogowski & Mrs. Mrs. Sam are excited to host families in their rooms from 5:30-6:00 p.m.

Second-Grade Families:*

• Mrs. Cryer & Ms. Bols are looking forward to meeting with second-grade families. from 6:00-6:30 p.m.

Third-Grade Families:

• Mrs. Davis & Mrs. Kathe cannot wait to host third-grade families from 6:30-7:00 p.m.

The following core values are embedded in our Woodbury Way recognition and are goals for our students and staff. These are great skills to discuss with your students as we will be emphasizing them throughout each month.

Looking to join our wonderful parent organization? You can find out more information by checking out their Facebook page. Our PPA has been a wonderful to support to us in making our school a great place to be!

Please feel free to follow our Woodbury Facebook page! This is a place where we share celebrations, community information and school reminders for various events. Please note that all important information and announcements will go home to you in our newsletter, classroom newsletters or in your student's backpack. The page is not intended to be your primary source for communication, but instead an extra one. Please avoid sending messages or posting school related questions as the page is only monitored intermittently. Instead, always contact our school office for school related questions or to communicate about your student. We appreciate it!

Free/Reduced Meals for the 2024-2025 School Year

Dear Sandwich School District 430 Parents and Guardians,

Families who wish to apply for free or reduced meals for the 2024-2025 school year can use this link to apply: https://www.freereducedlunch.com/sandwich430.

Only one application needs to be completed per household. If you recently received notification that you have already been approved for free or reduced meals for the 2024-2025 school year you do not need to complete an application.

Breakfast Price for 2024-2025

K-12 Schools $1.85

Lunch Prices for 2024-2025

K-8 Schools $3.60

Sandwich High School $3.75

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jody Kruswicki, Administrative Assistant, 815-786-2187 or jkruswicki@sandwich430.org

Thank You,

Tom Sodaro, Superintendent

Sandwich CUSD 430

720 S. Wells St.

Sandwich, IL. 60548

Email: jkern@sandwich430.org
Website: https://ww.sandwich430.org/
Location: 322 E 3rd St, Sandwich, Illinois, USA
Phone: 815-786-6316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwwoodburyschool/
Twitter: @Woodbury430