What an amazing start to the 23-24 school year! We are so excited to have students back in the building. The hallways have been filled with laughter, joy, and excitement. I've been looking forward to August 30 all summer and it did not disappoint! This week our students reviewed expectations, connected with old friends, and began developing relationships with new classmates. Thanks to the Sherwood voters, our district passed a Local Option Levy last spring allowing us to retain four Middleton teachers and three Instructional Assistants. These positions would have otherwise been cut for the 23-24 school year. I can't begin to express our gratitude for your committment to education in Sherwood. We really do have the best students and families at Middleton. It's going to be an awesome year!

With appreciation,

Mili

On Thursday, September 21, we will host Back To School Night from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. We will begin with a presentation from the principal in the cafeteria. Following this, each classroom will offer two, 25 minute sessions. This is a time for parents to visit the classroom and learn about the curriculum that will be covered in their child's class this year.

• Principal's Presentation: 6:00 - 6:30 pm

• Session #1: 6:35 - 7:00 pm

• Session #2: 7:05 - 7:30 pm

The Middleton Fun Run will take place on Friday, October 6 and includes our PreK-5th grade students. This is our largest fundraiser of the year and we appreciate your support! We've moved the Fun Run to the main parking lot so it's accessible for all of our students to participate. Families are invited to attend and cheer for their student or even run alongside them. We will have several check in tables at the main entrance parking lot. Parents should visit one of the tables to sign in and receive a visitor sticker. More information will be sent home soon in your student's Friday Folder. We are looking forward to this fun event!

As a part of our annual safety and security review, our district elementary team has been thoughtfully considering how to make our elementary arrival and dismissal times as safe as possible. One major safety concern for our buildings is the entry of parents into the building for drop off in the mornings. Allowing parents to enter the building without background checks or scheduled volunteer times, creates a large breach in our building security measures. As such, we are going to continue to keep our arrival (and dismissal) procedures the same as last year. Parents will be allowed to drop off their students at the main entrance doors in the morning and all teachers will walk students out of the building at the end of the day. This will still provide parents with the opportunity to check in with teachers at pick up if needed, and will also help us to very closely monitor who is in our buildings at all times. For more details regarding drop off and pick up locations please see the slide deck linked here.

Volunteers and parent helpers will still be welcome in our schools during pre-scheduled volunteer times with our PAC or our classroom teachers. Additionally, parents are encouraged to attend our Teacher Meet and Greet Night on August 28 from 4:00-6:00 PM to visit classrooms and see the building. We will also host an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday, September 21 from 6:00-7:30 pm, and in-person conferences in late October and early May. It is important to us that we balance both student safety and parent involvement in our school community, and we believe this plan will allow us to do both. Additional information about volunteering can be found below.

If you drop off/pick up by car, please be sure to pull all the way forward in the car line. In addition, be sure to keep crosswalks and intersections clear and comply with crossing guard requests. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe.

School meals can be purchased through ParentVue. Information about breakfast and lunch prices and menus can be found on the Nutrition Department webpage.

Families may be eligible for the Free and Reduced Meals program: Apply for Free or Reduced Meals Program.

Funds can be added to your child's school account online by credit/debit card or ACH transfer, or in-person at your child's school. For online payment, parents/guardians can now add funds to their child's account using ParentVUE, please click here for more information.

For information or assistance with Nutrition Services, please contact the Nutrition Services Department at 503-825-5009.

The Sherwood School District is excited to continue to offer Pre-Kindergarten in the Fall of 2023. We have spots still available at Middleton. Our inclusive Pre-Kindergarten programs have the goal of offering high-quality early learning education that promotes social-emotional learning and academic skills students need to be successful in school and beyond. Our current programs are inclusive, providing rich early learning opportunities for typically developing children and children with developmental delays and disabilities. This will be a tuition-based program, with financial assistance available for families who qualify.

Please visit our District PreK Program webpage for specific details. If you are interested in having your child attend please complete the interest form linked here and we will follow up soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Gillett, our district Early Learning Coordinator for assistance: agillett@sherwood.k12.or.us 503-825-5087.