Middleton Update

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. We are excited to welcome you and your child back to Middleton!

There is so much to look forward to this year, including meeting new teachers and seeing old friends, and, of course, a lot of wonderful learning. Many thanks goes out to our custodial and district facilities team for preparing our building and grounds, as well as our staff who took part in summer learning opportunities.

I'd like to also welcome our new staff:

• Kim Abdill, 1st Grade Teacher
• Gracie Hutchins, 2nd Grade Teacher
• Stacey Dolezal, Instructional Coach
• Tyleur Kotzian-Upshaw, Learning Specialist
• Debbie Nelson, Learning Specialist
• Sydney Jordan, General Education Instructional Assistant
  
  

This weekly newsletter includes information you need to stay up to date on what is happening in our school. It's a great way to stay connected to all of the important events at Middleton. We are looking forward to welcoming students back very soon and are excited for a fantastic school year!

August 25| Families will receive email notification of child's assigned class

August 28| Teacher Meet and Greet at 4:00-6:00 PM

August 30, 31, September 1| Kindergarten Orientation

• Kinder students attend one of the three days (please see below for items to bring)

September 5-6 | Kindergarten Ramp Up

September 7 | No School for Kindergarten

September 8 | Kinder Students Attend with Assigned Teacher

September 13 | Early Release at 1:15 PM

September 20 | Early Release at 1:15 PM

September 21 | Back to School Night, 6:00-7:30 PM

September 27 | Early Release at 1:15 PM

October 6 | Fun Run

The first day of school for grades 1st - 5th is Wednesday, August 30. Kindergarteners will follow a different beginning of the year schedule. More information about the Kindergarten schedule can be found later in the newsletter. The school day begins at 7:55 AM with the doors opening at 7:30 AM for general arrival. Students eating breakfast at school may arrive as early as 7:30 AM. The regular school day ends at 2:15 PM. On Wednesdays school dismisses at 1:15 PM with the exception of August 30 and September 6 when school will release at 2:15 PM.

As a part of our annual safety and security review, our district elementary team has been thoughtfully considering how to make our elementary arrival and dismissal times as safe as possible. One major safety concern for our buildings is the entry of parents into the building for drop off in the mornings. Allowing parents to enter the building without background checks or scheduled volunteer times, creates a large breach in our building security measures. As such, we are going to continue to keep our arrival (and dismissal) procedures the same as last year. Parents will be allowed to drop off their students at the main entrance doors in the morning and all teachers will walk students out of the building at the end of the day. This will still provide parents with the opportunity to check in with teachers at pick up if needed, and will also help us to very closely monitor who is in our buildings at all times. For more details regarding drop off and pick up locations please see the slide deck linked here.

Volunteers and parent helpers will still be welcome in our schools during pre-scheduled volunteer times with our PAC or our classroom teachers. Additionally, parents are encouraged to attend our Teacher Meet and Greet Night on August 28 from 4:00-6:00 PM to visit classrooms and see the building. We will also host an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday, September 21 from 6:00-7:30 pm, and in-person conferences in late October and early May. It is important to us that we balance both student safety and parent involvement in our school community, and we believe this plan will allow us to do both. Additional information about volunteering can be found below.

The Sherwood School Board has adopted a Revised 23-24 District Calendar. Revisions include starting the school year one day earlier than previously posted. The first day of school for grades 1-5, 6, and 9 is now August 30th. Meet and Greet Night will be on August 28th. This is your chance to visit the school and see the classrooms. You can view the updated Sherwood School District calendar here: https://sherwood.k12.or.us/calendar/

On August 28, Middleton will be hosting a Supply Night for grades K-5 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Families are invited to attend anytime within the window to visit their student's classroom, meet the teacher, and drop off school supplies. Kindergarteners will not yet have an assigned teacher and can visit all three of the Kinder classrooms. Check the Middleton School Supply List to make sure you have everything you need for the start of school. If you ordered a Supply Kit thought EPI, the materials will be delivered to your students' classroom for Supply Night. Kinder Supply Kits will be located in the Kindergarten Pod for families to pick up since those students will not yet be assigned to specific classes. Please note that PreK students will bring their supplies with them to their orientation days and will not attend Supply Night. Please contact our front office or call the SHARE Center at 503-825-5087 if you need assistance with supplies.

If your home address is more than one mile radius from our school you may be eligible for transportation. To view transportation maps, routes, and pick-up/drop-off times please visit the transportation web page linked here.

Class lists are finalized! Be on the lookout for an email from your child's teacher this Friday, August 25.

• Free Meals Application- Meal pricing returns this year. Information about lunch and breakfast prices and menus can be found on our Nutrition Department web page linked here. You can also make payments in person via the drop box outside located in the Middleton lobby. If you would like to apply for our free lunch program please complete the application linked here.

Volunteering- There are many opportunities to volunteer at Middleton. All volunteers will need to a) complete a background check and b) submit a proof of vaccination or receive approval for a vaccination exception. A new background check must be completed for each school year.

• Background checks are completed online: Background Check Forms. Background checks may take up to 10 days to process.
• The state of Oregon no longer requires COVID vaccinations for PK-12 school volunteers.

PAC- Our parent volunteer group is a very important part of our school. We are in need of several volunteers to support upcoming events. If you are interested, reach out to middletonpacboard@gmail.com to learn more about how to get involved.

The Sherwood School District is excited to continue to offer Pre-Kindergarten in the Fall of 2023. We have spots still available at Middleton. Our inclusive Pre-Kindergarten programs have the goal of offering high-quality early learning education that promotes social-emotional learning and academic skills students need to be successful in school and beyond. Our current programs are inclusive, providing rich early learning opportunities for typically developing children and children with developmental delays and disabilities. This will be a tuition-based program, with financial assistance available for families who qualify.

Please visit our District PreK Program webpage for specific details. If you are interested in having your child attend please complete the interest form linked here and we will follow up soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Gillett, our district Early Learning Coordinator for assistance: agillett@sherwood.k12.or.us 503-825-5087.

“Kindergarten Orientation Days” August 30, August 31, and September 1 Your child will be invited to one of the three orientation days. They will spend this day doing fun activities with all Kindergarten teachers in a small group setting.

Students’ assigned day for Kindergarten Orientation is determined by the first letter of their last name:

• Student Last Name A – G: Wednesday, August 30 (7:55 am – 2:15pm)

• Student Last Name H – M: Thursday, August 31 (7:55 am – 2:15pm)

• Student Last Name N – Z: Friday, September 1 (7:55 am – 2:15pm)

Families will drop their students off at the main entrance and staff will be present to take students to the classrooms.

• 7:55 am - Kindergarten drop off

• 8:00 am - Parents meet under the Middleton covered play area for a Welcome and Q & A with staff.

“Ramp-Up Days” September 5-7

• Tuesday, September 5 & Wednesday, September 6 - all children attend the full school day (7:55am - 2:15pm). During these two days, students will spend time in each kindergarten classroom with a variety of students and staff.

• Thursday, September 7 - No school for kindergarten students - teachers thoughtfully create balanced classes and prepare classrooms. Kindergarten class lists will be emailed by noon.

• Friday, September 8 – Kindergarten students begin in assigned classes (7:55 am - 2:15 pm).

Additional Important Information

• Please send a healthy, nut-free snack, with your child each day.

• Cold lunch is strongly recommended for the first days of school; however, hot lunch may be purchased. Lunch money should be sent with your child in a sealed envelope or zip-lock bag with your child's first and last name clearly marked on the front. If you are interested in seeing prices, lunch menus or applying for free meals, please see the section below.

• School supplies will be brought to school during our Middleton Meet and Greet Night on August 28th from 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM. A list of supplies for kindergarten can be found linked here.

Middleton Front Office: 503-825-5300

Helpful Links for Incoming Kindergarten Families

• Middleton Elementary homepage
• Enrollment Information
• Champions (after school child care)
• School Lunch Menus
• SHARE Center | (503) 825-5087
• Sherwood Community Information
• Sherwood School District Calendar

Website: https://me.sherwood.k12.or.us/
Location: 23505 Southwest Old Highway 99W, Sherwood, OR, USA
Phone: 503-825-5300