Wasco Weekly

Hello Wasco Families,

If you are new to Wasco, I would like to extend a warm greeting to you! We are happy to have your family joining our community of learners! Our school expectations are: Be safe, Be kind, Work hard and Do the right thing. The staff and I use these expectations every day to shape our thoughts and actions as we work through our learning targets. We look forward to getting to know you and your family and help you transition into our Wolf pack!

Hopefully, this edition of the Wasco Weekly provides you with all the information you need to familiarize yourself with the events and procedures concerning the start up of the school year. If you find you have any questions, or if you would like to provide suggestions or feedback, our office is available to help you. Wasco School is here to help and make sure your family is well equipped for a successful start to the new school year. Our contact information is listed below for your reference.

Kind regards,

Principal Brennan

Contact Us:

Principal phone number: 331-228-6294

Email: stephanie.brennan@d303.org

Main office phone: 331-228-2900

August 4 and 5 Kindergarten Orientation

August 2 and 6 Playdates with the principal - See below information

August 9 Supply Drop Off - See chart below for times

August 11 First day of school! Drop off begins at 7:45am, school starts at 8:00am

I am looking forward to reuniting with the students as my passion is people and learning! As a former classroom teacher, I know helping children feel comfortable in their school environment increases their capacity for learning. I want to do all I can to support, so I am hosting some “playdates” to foster positive connections with students. At our playdates, students will have a chance to interact with me and their fellow Wasco Wolves. I also look forward to getting to know families as well. Children must have a family member present.

Playdates: Monday August 2 6:00-6:30 p.m. & Friday August 6 10:00-10:30

It is easier for many families to drop off school supplies before the first day of school. Wasco teachers are hosting a school-wide supply drop-off event on Monday, August 9, from 4:00-5:00 pm. We will be using the following schedule to manage the flow of traffic. During your scheduled time, please send your child to their classroom entrance door (map of grade level entrance doors). Your child will enter the school building and go to their classroom where the teacher will greet them and provide directions. We will have “red shirt” staff members in our hallways to guide the students.

During the drop-off time, you are welcome to socialize with fellow parents or staff members. Please do introduce yourself, if we haven’t met in person. I am looking forward to catching up on your family news! Also, our PTO will have a table set up\. Please drop by to pick up your edition of the PTO newsletter or learn more about the Welcome Back to School Night for Families.

PTO will have a table set up. Please drop by to pick up your edition of the PTO newsletter or learn more about the Welcome Back to School Night for Families.

Are you new to Wasco and unsure of the entrance door? Please contact our front office for help, or ask a Wasco staff member stationed at the front of the school wearing a red t-shirt!

4:00-4:10pm: Students with the last names A-I

4:20-4:30pm: Students with the last names J-R

4:40-4:50pm: Students with the last names S-Z

On this evening, we will utilize mask guidelines provided by the D303 Board of Education.

• Fully vaccinated individuals (those who are now past the two weeks following their second injection) are no longer required to wear masks while in District 303 buildings. Vaccinated individuals may continue to choose to wear masks at any time if they so choose.

• Masks should be worn inside by students and staff members who are not fully vaccinated. Under the current CDC/IDPH/ISBE guidelines masking is no longer mandated.

• Masks are not required while students and staff members are outside when physical distancing can be maintained.

• We would like to ensure our school environment accommodates all persons so that they can participate in learning. We appreciate your help in providing support to all families in our Wasco school community. The kids share this school and the school staff looks forward to our time with each and every one of them.
  

You can use this map to identify your child’s entrance and exit door. Upon arrival, students should enter the building through their designated door, where they will be greeted by a staff member. At the end of the day, students exit through the same door and proceed to a designated area sorted by their transportation home. Our students who ride the bus line up with a peer and staff bus monitor. Students who are picked up by car stand on the front sidewalk and wait for their ride to arrive. This is the same pattern we used last year. We appreciate it when you extend cooperation and consideration for others in our school community. The kids learn from all of us and we are a team working together to help children build lifelong skills and positive community habits.

School Hours are: 8:00am to 3:00pm

(student supervision starts at 7:45am, please do not drop off before that time)

Curriculum Night will be delivered virtually the Week of August 16. Grade level teams will share a common video with their families outlining classroom expectations and providing information about grade-level curriculum and instruction. Your understanding of our learning targets is important to us. Curriculum Night provides you with the first understanding of this year’s expected growth for your child. There will be more information coming soon from your classroom teacher.

Parents, when you sign into Home Access Center (HAC) on August 5th it will provide you with your child’s classroom teacher assignment and the bus schedule, if your child rides the bus. If you are unsure how to access HAC, please use the following link for directions.

Your child can bring their lunch to school or they can order lunch within their classroom everyday. The school lunch menu is available at the link below. Our school provides three different choices for lunch and offers ala cart items. If your child brings their lunch, they are also welcome to order an ala cart item. Please make sure your child has money in their Push Coin account if they want to order ala cart items.

Wasco Elementary has the BEST lunch staff! Our staff’s cheerful attitudes make lunchtime fun and relaxing for students. I really appreciate how they get to know students build connections within the school community. We are looking to add more lunchtime staff members. If you have an interest in learning and growing with us, please contact the front office.

The PTO will hold a special PTO Meeting on August 5th at 7pm via Zoom. The proposed 2021-2022 PTO Executive Board members are listed below.

Proposed 2021-2022 PTO Executive Board

Scott Von Essen - Co-President

Shannon Von Essen - Co-President

Alison Sweet - Vice President

Heidi Hastert - Treasurer

Misti Floyd - Secretary

Shannon Martin - Executive Fundraiser

Wasco Elementary would like to thank our outgoing board members for their commitment to our school. As a result of their leadership, Wasco students were supported with afterschool programs. Fundraising and volunteer efforts helped provide teachers with activities and supports for the students and the Wasco PTO was our greatest cheerleader! We are thankful for the ways they celebrated students and staff with treats and notes of inspiration.

Thank you!!

Emily Varsho, President

Carrie Selusnik, Vice President

Leslie Brennan, Treasurer

Michelle Peterson, Secretary

Inside Wasco, we are currently buzzing with activity. Teachers are setting up classrooms and leadership teams are meeting to discuss and arrange school activities. One of our first steps as a group is arranging the daily building schedule. Each of our teachers is required to include a set number of content area minutes- math, reading, etc. The whole building shares resources such as Specials teachers and Content Area Specialists. In order to coordinate services for each classroom, we write a Master Schedule. Nineteen classrooms with almost 500 students- our school runs like a clock and by the clock!

The image below is the start of a teacher’s daily schedule. As part of classroom communication, your teacher will share the finalized classroom schedule with you. The final version will list all content taught during the school week.

Email: heather.kudabeck@d303.org
Website: https://district.d303.org/
Location: 4N782 School Street, Wasco, IL, USA
Phone: 331-228-2900