From Inside the Tiger’s Den
September 15, 2023
Message from the Principal
Good afternoon, Templeton Families!
We are so excited to have all of our students back this week and are really enjoying getting to know our kindergartners! At the start of the school year there is nothing more important than creating a positive school environment! A successful routine around attendance goes a long way toward helping us do that. We want all of our students here at school as often as possible. It’s what’s best for them and it’s what’s best for our culture here at Templeton. For more information about attendance, please click here.
It’s a real pleasure to be with all of you for another year as your principal! This is a wonderful community and I can’t think of a more skilled or positive group of adults to serve it!
Our students are going to learn a lot this year and we’re very excited to be adding 3 new teachers to our already dynamic team!
I want to welcome Andrew Hinkle to our staff as our second full-time PE teacher. He will be teaching Wellness, Health, Activity & Movement or WHAM. Andrew is a positive and dynamic educator with a lot of classroom experience. He consistently creates positive relationships with kids and adults. We’re very lucky to have him join the staff here at Templeton!
I also want to welcome back Emily Garcia! She will be returning to kindergarten after teaching 2nd grade last year. Mrs. Garcia is extremely caring and talented. She has so many positive skills and will be a phenomenal addition to our kindergarten team! I can’t say enough about the warm and caring environment she creates for our students. Emily Garcia is now on maternity leave, and Katie Rossitto is her long-term sub. She is thrilled to be teaching Kindergarten and support our families. Katie is such an incredible educator and person we literally couldn't be luckier!
I would also like to introduce Sarah Keane as the newest member of our 3rd grade team. Mrs. Keane (pronounced Cane) worked at Templeton last year as our permanent guest teacher. She is a familiar face with our students and someone who is highly regarded by everyone who knows her. We are extremely lucky that she’ll have her own classroom this year.
I have immense confidence in the people here at Templeton and know we’re going to do great things! If there’s anything you need from the school, please reach out to us.
It’s always a great day to be a Templeton Tiger!
Sincerely,
Rory Moore
Principal
Templeton Elementary School
Templeton School Attendance Letter
Dear Templeton Families,
As we start the 2023-24 school year, we want to remind all our families about the value and importance of regular and timely school attendance. If your child(ren) is sick, we want you to take care of their needs, but we also want your child(ren) in school as often as possible.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. You can support your child by helping them understand how important school is right now, regardless of age. Consistent attendance helps children do well in high school, college, and at work.
DID YOU KNOW?
Starting in kindergarten, too many absences (excused and unexcused) can cause children to fall behind in school.
Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) increases the chance that your child(ren) will not read or master math at the same level as their peers.
By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
By being at school, your child(ren) learns valuable social skills and has the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with other students and school staff.
By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
We miss your child(ren) when they’re gone and value their contributions. If your child(ren) is going to be absent, please contact Mrs. Garcia at 503–431–4848 or email templetonoffice@ttsd.k12.or.us
OUR PROMISE TO YOU
We know there are many reasons why students are absent from school. Our staff at Templeton is prepared to help if you face challenges getting your child(ren) to school regularly or on time. Please contact our office or our counselor, Emily McLaughlin , at any time if you need support. You can reach her at (503) 431-4859 or emclaughlin@ttsd.k12.or.us
SCHOOL POLICIES AND STATE LAWS
It is important that you understand our school policies and procedures, as well as Oregon State Law. State law for mandatory attendance calls for children ages 7-18 to attend a public school, private school, or a district-approved home school program. If a child under the age of 7 is enrolled in public school their attendance is also mandatory.
A student/parent is in violation of state law when they have 8 unexcused absences in any four week period the school is in session and when excused absences exceed 5 days in a 3 month period and/or exceed 10 days in a 6 month period. If a student is sick or has an illness that prevents them from coming to school, we will of course honor their needs, but a note from a doctor is required.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Set a regular bedtime and morning routine for your child(ren).
Help your child prepare for school the night before by making sure they’ve prepared their materials for school and get a good night’s sleep.
Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
Talk to your child(ren) about the importance of attendance.
Encourage meaningful after school activities, including sports, clubs and volunteering to support our community.
We want Templeton to be a safe and positive place for everyone. We want our students here so we can maximize their potential and help them build for the future. Please reach out to us if you feel like there’s anything we can do to support you.
Sincerely,
Rory Moore
Principal
Templeton Elementary School
Our New Head Secretary
It's Templeton's pleasure to announce Stacy Ford as Templeton's new head secretary!
Stacy comes from a family of educators and has over 20 years of experience managing an office and serving as an executive assistant at Northwest Evaluation Association.
Stacy grew up in Hawaii and has also lived in the bay area as well as Portland. When you meet Stacy you'll get to know someone who is friendly, confident, and has a great sense of humor.
We've thrilled to have Stacy here to support our families!
Templeton Art Literacy needs your help!
Our parent run Art Literary program needs parent volunteers for our 2023-2024 school year! We need 1-2 awesome volunteers for EACH class to help students learn about artists and create art! You can help bring Art Literacy to Templeton students! We will do 5 projects this year. You do not need teaching experience or an art background. Art Literacy Coordinators will provide all training (online) and step by step instructions & materials for each project.
Please consider helping us reach every classroom with art by volunteering!
For more info or to sign up in a specific classroom please e-mail Becca Johnson at artlit@templeton-pso.org
TSO Highlights!!
Welcome back Templeton families! We are so excited to partner together with everyone to help make the fun activities we love at Templeton happen!
We are still in need of a 5th Grade parent/guardian to coordinate the Yearbook Club. Please contact president@templeton-pso.org if you'd like to volunteer. If we do not find volunteers we won't be able to have a club to make the yearbooks this year.
Our school is also in need of an OBOB coordinator for our school to register this year. If you are interested in helping facilitate OBOB at our school please contact Tracey Naegle at president@templeton-pso.org and our librarian Amanda Woodruff at awoodruff@ttsd.k12.or.us for more information.
We need a Safe Routes to School Coordinator. It really is simple to coordinate. Please email Tracey Naegle at president@templeton-pso.org for more information.
The fall festival and book fair are right around the corner and will need all the help we can get! We are excited to have Amy Allen coordinate our event again this year. She is looking for a co-coordinator and committee help. Please contact Amy at fallfestival@templeton-pso.org if you are interested in volunteering!
We hope you join us at our next TSO meeting held virtually Tuesday the 26th at 7 pm. You can use this google meets link to join us. https://meet.google.com/ymq-bgru-qwf
Snacks
Please view the snack standards guidelines when considering purchasing snacks for your students. This is a guideline sent out last year with suggestions pertaining to classroom parties or celebrations, but with the number of snacks that we are all purchasing on a daily basis, it is a good reminder for us all.
Volunteer Information
Any community member or parent volunteer must fill out a Volunteer application, which includes a background check and completion of a confidentiality and volunteer expectation statement. More information on how to complete the training can be found on https://www.ttsdschools.org/domain/55 .
You may login into www.helpcounter.net/ttsd. if you have volunteered before make any changes.
After completing the application, make sure to watch the short video below.
Templeton Volunteer Training Video
*Volunteers will sign in on the laptop, and receive a volunteer badge, located at the front office.
*Visitors will sign in on the laptop, and place a name on a sticker.
*Volunteers will be recognized when they reach 25 hours with a volunteer pin. After you have reached 100 hours you will be recognized with a Templeton volunteer pin.
