Walden Weekly
School News You Can Use
Hello Walden Families!
We had a great week at Walden School! This week, our students participated in our Great Shakeout Drill, which is when we learn about what to do if an earthquake ever happened. Next week, we will be participating in our law enforcement drill with students. In our kindergarten through third grade classrooms, students listen to a story called, "I'm Not Scared, I'm Prepared." In our 4th and 5th grade classrooms, students watch a screencast and participate in a few scenarios discussions. It's important that our students feel informed and prepared at all times. Our teachers understand how to lead these discussions with sensitivity, since we want our students to feel empowered. Be in touch with questions anytime and have a great weekend!
-Stephanie Strenger
Halloween Information
1:20 - 205 - Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 3rd Grade Class Parties
2:10 - 2:35 - All School Outdoor Parade
2:40 - 3:25 - 2nd Grade, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade Class Parties
Here is additional information:
All students should bring (or partially wear) their costumes to school on Halloween morning. The costumes should not require a full bathroom change since we are not able to hold a large number of children in the bathrooms at once this year.
Please avoid small group costumes. While it is typically innocent and always fun, when a group of kids collaborate to create a costume, someone ultimately gets left out and there are hurt feelings that could have been avoided.
Help us keep everyone safe by not allowing your child to bring rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, or gym shoes with rollers attached.
No toy weapons, candy cigarettes/cigars, and/or anything with bloody guts and gore.
Our parking lot will fill up quickly. Please simply use the city streets (not our bus circle, which is a fire lane) if there are no spots available, or walk if possible.
You are welcome to position yourself anywhere around the perimeter of the building for the parade, but we ask you to leave a pathway for the kids to walk wherever you end up standing and that you leave the premises as soon as the parade is over.
All families should leave the premises directly after the parade. Only the pre-determined party volunteers will be allowed in the classrooms. Party volunteers should sign in at the front office and will be allowed in the classrooms 15-20 minutes before the party begins. Please remember our sign in procedures require you to provide a driver's license or a state ID and it will take some time to sign in all party volunteers. Please plan accordingly.
The parade will be cancelled in inclement weather. We will email on the morning of if this becomes a reality.
Snack Reminder
Destination Imagination Information
DPS109 SEL Parent/Guardian Workshop on Monday 10/25 at 7pm with Doug Bolton
DPS 109 is excited to announce that, in partnership with PPS 109 (our parent and educator partnership supporting the district community) we will be hosting a series of parent/guardian/community workshops this school year.
We will be kicking off this series next Monday, October 25th, with a one-hour Zoom webinar hosted by Dr. Doug Bolton entitled “Parenting Through COVID: Understanding & Coping With The Stress.” In this talk, Dr. Bolton will share some of the lessons we are learning from COVID about how to use stressful times to build resilience in our children that will help them now and in the future. Before COVID, there was a childhood mental health crisis. As challenging and painful as COVID has been on all of us, the disruption of this pandemic has pushed us all to find resilience during a time of remarkable stress.
The webinar begins at 7 p.m. No sign-up is required ahead of time, and the session will be recorded and distributed in the next 109 News for anyone that cannot attend.
Click the link below to join the webinar:
Oct. 25 Dr. Doug Bolton Zoom Link
Passcode: 968130
Pet Supply Drive - What a success!
Indoor Lunch Plan (2nd Posting)
As we prepare for the cold weather, we have revised our lunch procedures to accommodate all students as they eat inside of the building.
Here is what you need to know:
- The tents will be removed at the end of the month and all students will eat indoors beginning on November 1.
- The lunch and recess schedule will remain exactly the same for all Walden students:
- K, 1, 3 - 11:25-12:20
- 2, 4, 5, - 12:25-1:20
- Students will either be assigned to a seat in the multipurpose room or in the classroom with 6 feet of distance between all students.
Students will still be assigned a seat and table.
- Students who have been eating in the MPR will remain there.
- Students who have been eating in the tents will transition to eating in their classrooms.
- These assignments may change as we reevaluate, however, this is the schedule beginning on Nov. 1. We will communicate with you if your child's lunch placement changes.
- All classrooms will remain split with students eating and having recess at different times to allow for greater physical distancing.
PTO Special lunches (Marla's Lunches) will still be available.
There will no longer be a need for towels at school. We will be sending those home in early November.
Now that we have students eating in classrooms, peanut/nut products will no longer be allowed at school.
We anticipate a smooth transition in a few weeks since this schedule and eating plan is familiar to most of our students and teachers.
Thank you for your support!
Parent Teacher Conferences (2nd Posting)
Looking To Opt Out Of A Week of SHIELD Testing?
Click here to access the form.
We share the same form each week. If you'd like to opt your child out each week, the form will need to be filled out on a week-by-week basis.
Forms are due by Tuesday at 3pm.
Upcoming Dates
Nov. 11 - No School (Veterans Day)
Nov. 22 - Parent Teacher Conferences (Evening Only)
Nov. 23 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences (Daytime Only)
Nov. 24-26 - Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 20-31 - Winter Break