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CONNECT | LEARN | GROW | LEAD
Welcome to West
WE ARE WEST - AUGUST 2023
The mission of West Elementary is to CONNECT, LEARN, GROW & LEAD to provide a high quality education for each student's future readiness.
West Principal Rachel Tabuya (left) and Assistant Principal Natalie Ward
A Message from Principal Rachel Tabuya
West Families,
We are so excited to welcome you and your student(s) back into the building this school year. Our teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare, clean, organize, and make our classrooms welcoming.
Our mission as a school is to “connect, learn, grow, and lead to provide a high quality education for each student’s future readiness.” We desire for every child to feel valued and that they belong to a community that will encourage and give them the tools they need to reach their full potential.
You will notice a few new faces and many familiar faces this school year. With retirements and promotions, we have a new office staff. Ms. Ward and I are not new to West, but have moved into the new roles of principal and assistant principal. We also have a new nurse and administrative assistants. We were fortunate to be able to hire highly-skilled individuals in each position with several years of experience and are already working well as a team to continually make improvements to our processes.
As we begin this school year, we want you to know that we value your input and feedback on how we are doing in our mission to provide a high quality education experience. Feel free to reach out via email or phone to ask questions, make suggestions, or set up an in-person meeting.
We have incredible educators and staff here at West Elementary and are so thankful for the students and families we serve each day. Thank you for trusting us with your precious children. We are looking forward to a fantastic year of growth and learning!
The best is yet to come!
Mrs. Tabuya and Ms. Ward
Meet Our Staff
Office Staff
Cara Melvin (left) and Sheryl Stratton (right) are our front office staff. Mrs. Stratton joined us last year in the fall and is happy to be back for the new school year. We are excited to have Mrs. Melvin join us this year from Hubble Elementary in Marshfield.
Counselor
Melinda Rice is beginning her 26th year in education and her 10th year as the Ozark West Elementary counselor.
Nurse
Katie Conner is an Ozark graduate who is joining us from Springfield Schools with several years of nursing experience.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up Information
Thank you for helping us keep students safe!
- Please communicate directly to your teacher about your child's plan for transportation. Changes in transportation need to be communicated through a hand-written note sent in your child's red folder at the beginning of the day. The office is very busy, especially in the afternoon. We will not make any changes to pick-ups after 2:30 p.m. unless it is an absolute emergency.
- When dropping off students in the morning, you may use the lot (in the front of the building) that is most convenient for your commute. Please just remember to pull all the way forward before your student exits the vehicle.
- In the afternoon, parents of kindergarten and first grade will use the Fremont Road entrance. Parents of second through fourth grade will use the CC Highway entrance. We will place siblings together (oldest will sit with the youngest on their assigned side).
- Please do not leave cars unattended in the drop-off or pick-up lane during drop-off and pick-up times.
- For security purposes, the back door of West Elementary will be designated for Tiger Care use and staff parking. No additional cars will be allowed to enter or park in the parking lot. Tiger Care pickups cannot begin until buses have exited the lot which is typically around 4:00 p.m.
- For the first two days, you may park your car in the parking lot and walk your child to class. After the second day of school, we ask that you have your child walk in and to their class on their own.
Bus Information
Parents of bus riders — picking up students on the first day can be tricky, and there is a good chance buses will be running late in the morning as well as after school. Thank you for your patience!
Attendance Notes
We take instructional time very seriously. We want your children to receive the best education possible so we make every effort to utilize every minute of our day from start (8:40) to finish (3:55). As much as possible, plan ahead for doctor/dentist appointments, vacations, and additional student appointments.