What's New at Walnut?
August/September, 2018
Principal's Message
Speaking of communication, I recently read an article by Colleen Temple titled, "35 Questions to Ask After School." When my two children were in elementary school, one loved to tell me a myriad of details about her day. The other would generally shrug and say, "nothing," when asked what happened at school that day. I had to be more creative to get any information! I appreciated Ms. Temple's suggestions and certainly would have benefited from them 15 years ago. If you're looking to have a more meaningful interaction with your child about school, you might want to chat with your child casually using some of these questions:
- What are two good things that happened today?
- What was the most interesting thing that you learned in school today?
- Did you make a new friend today? What do you like about him/her?
- What was your favorite thing to do at recess?
- Is there anything you need help with?
- I need a laugh. Tell me something funny that happened today.
- What would you change about school?
- Who did you help today? Who was kind to you today?
- What story are you reading in class? What is it about?
- Who did you sit by at lunch? Did you notice kids eating any foods you haven't tried?
It's important that your child knows you're interested in their school day, the good as well as any concerns. Keeping the lines of communication open will pay large dividends as your child grows older and knows they can always talk to you. Your guidance in navigating various situations is crucial. The Walnut staff and I look forward to partnering with you this year in supporting the academic and social-emotional success of your child. --Warmly, Mrs. Wall
Back to School Night
Scholastic Book Fair
Character Building at Walnut
Mrs. Wall Needs You!
- Safety Committee--Walnut is forming a brand new Safety Committee this year. It will be made up of parents, school staff, and any interested community members. No one is on the committee yet--we are starting from scratch! We will review our current policies, consider recommendations from the recent safety audit of all CVUSD schools, and brainstorm new ideas. We will meet approximately 3 times over the course of the school year.
- District Advisory Council--Each school in CVUSD sends one parent to a monthly District Advisory Council (DAC) meeting with district leadership. Parents hear about what is happening at various school sites and within the district as a whole. The district advisory committee meets the second Tuesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. The DAC representative is also a member of Walnut's School Site Council. WALNUT NEEDS A REPRESENTATIVE ASAP!
- School Site Council--School Site Council (SSC) is an important decision-making body at Walnut. It is made up of parents, teachers, other school staff members, and community members. The SSC works with Mrs. Wall to create goals for the year, make budget decisions, and monitor progress being made. SSC consists of approximately 12 people, and it meets on the first Thursday of each month at 3:00 p.m. Children are welcome to come along and work on homework or read.
PTA News
PTA Updates
- Join the PTA for $10. This doesn't obligate you to anything, but membership fees get us started with our fundraising for the year.
- Helping with a one-time event like Monster Mash, the Holiday Boutique, the Fun Run, Book Fair, or the End of the Year Bash.
- Serving on a committee to plan and execute one of the events above
- Attending PTA events
- Attending PTA meetings and getting more involved on a regular basis
- Volunteering on campus
- It's easy to reach us at walnutwildcatspta@gmail.com
Mark Your Calendar
September 3--Labor Day, NO SCHOOL
September 4--Book Fair opens
September 4--PE starts today
September 5--Back to School Night, 6:00 p.m. See above
September 6--Introductory Assembly for Band & Strings, grades 3-5
September 6--School Site Council, Room 21, 3:00 p.m. Open to the public
September 10--Board Holiday, NO SCHOOL
September 11--Fall Fundraiser Kickoff Assemblies
September 12--Music classes start for all grade levels
September 13--Picture Day
September 17--Computer Lab opens for all grade levels
September 18--Dance begins for TK
September 19--Board Holiday, NO SCHOOL
September 25--Visit from author Madeline Sherak
Walnut Elementary School
Email: awall@conejousd.org
Website: conejousd.org/walnut
Location: 581 Dena Drive, Newbury Park, CA, USA
Phone: (805) 498-3608
Facebook: facebook.com/WalnutBEAT
Twitter: @WalnutAWall