In this Issue
- Principal's Message
- Upcoming Events & Family Calendar
- Walker Classroom Teachers
- Before School, After School, & Traffic
- Volunteering
- Kindergarten Soft Start
- Walker School Expectations
- Resources & Links (Supply Lists, Meal Menus, Free & Reduced apps, Clean Air info)
- Support our WolfPack program to help students and families
Important Dates
- 9/26 First day of school 1-5: dismissal 12:30
- 8/26 Kindergarten Orientation
- 8/27 First full day of school 1-5 Dismissal 8:20-2:50
- 8/29-30 Photo Week
9/2 No classes: Labor Day
9/3-5 Photo Week continued
- 9/3-6 First Week of Kinder 8:20-12:30
- 9/5 PTO Welcome Breakfast 8:30-9:30
- 9/5 PTO Meeting 5:30 – 7:00 Library
- 9/9 Site Council 3:00 – 4:00 Library
- 9/12 Open House/Community Dinner 5:30 –7
- 9/18 Walk-a-Thon
- 9/27 Coffee with the Principal & PTO 8:30-9:30
Before School & Drop-off 7:45 - 8:15
Families are welcome to drop off their children in the morning beginning at 7:45. Please do not bring students earlier than 7:45, as we do not have supervision. Students will enter through the courtyard gate and make a choice to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, read in the library, or play on the playground. If your child is eating breakfast, please remind them to eat before they play. Please note that classrooms will not be open until 8:15, and teachers are unavailable prior to this time, as they use this uninterrupted time to plan and prepare rich and engaging instruction for our students!
After School & Pick-up 2:50
For students’ safety, we ask that all families share their pick-up plan with their child’s teacher. Please communicate that plan to your child.
Families who are entering the building for pick-up must enter through the front office doors. Families who arrive earlier than 2:48 can wait for their child in our Cafe or Family Room. When the 2:48 bell rings, families can enter the hallways to pick up their child at the classroom door. If families of 3rd - 5th grade students are not picking students up from the classrooms, they can pick up students outside. Kinder - 2nd grade students must be picked up at their classroom door by a grown-up or an older sibling.
If families are staying to play on the playground, they must actively supervise their children and follow all school rules. All students must be supervised or picked up by 3:00. Students still at school after 3:00 will need to come to the office to call home.
To ensure safety, please do not open exterior doors to allow others in the building. All visitors must enter through the main office.
Traffic & Parking Lot
Safety is a top priority for us at Walker. For the safety of our students, staff, and families, please be diligent about following ALL rules of the road:
● The speed limit on Walker and on Holmes is 20 mph. Please ALWAYS follow the speed limit.
● The bus loop is for buses only; please do not enter this loop.
● The drop-off loop in the parking lot is for drop-off only.
● We will not have a pick-up loop, as we have a big parking lot and side streets!
● Please do not park in the drop-off loop, as it slows down the flow of traffic.
● Only park in designated parking spots. If the lot is full, please park on the side streets.
● Please walk your small child through the parking lot to ensure their safety.
● Utilize the cross walks, be mindful around cars, and remind your child to do the same.
Volunteer at Walker!
We are absolutely thrilled to welcome our families back on our campus! We love the community school feel of families volunteering in our classrooms and walking children to classes in the morning. We are overjoyed to see you so soon! As you know, the first few weeks of school are crucial for establishing a strong classroom and school culture. We kindly ask that family volunteers give us a few weeks with your children to build responsibility and independence before volunteering in classrooms. Please connect with your child’s teacher about times to volunteer after the first few weeks of school have begun. In the meantime, please talk to Cheryl about filling out a volunteer form prior to volunteering. You can find the application link here.
Kindergarten "Soft Start"
We are so happy to welcome new kinders to our Wolf Pack! The beginning of kindergarten is a very exciting and important time in your child’s education and we want to do everything we can to support our youngest learners! In order to ensure that our class groupings are most beneficial for learning, we have a separate process for incoming kindergarten students and families.
The first week of school for our 1st -5th grade students is August 26th - 30th. For our kindergarten families, our wonderful Kinder Teachers, Ms. Shenandoah and Ms. Jules, will hold individual meet and greet visits at Walker School during this time. The first day of Kindergarten is September 3rd from 8:30 - 12:30. The next week we will have full days for our Kindergarten students.
We will also have a Kindergarten Family and Student Orientation on Monday, August 26th here at Walker School. Please plan for your kinder and their grown-up to attend one of the orientation sessions on 8/26, either from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Walker School
Mission Statement: The Walker Community values diversity, empathy, and perseverance. We honor the entire learning process from mistakes to academic mastery. We teach our students to advocate for themselves and others. We nurture kindness, creativity, and wonder.
Email: jme.strowbridge@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: www.ashland.k12.or.us/walker
Location: 364 Walker Avenue, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 5414821516
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Walker-Elementary-School-178914108167/?ref=bookmarks