Wasco Weekly
THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS ITS PACK
Hello Wasco Families,
We are looking forward to seeing you and your child at Kindergarten Orientation or at School Supply drop-off! The dates for these events are listed below and Kindergarten parents received the invitation for their child's visit yesterday. During both of these events, Wasco staff will be escorting students into the building while parents can mingle outside. Our PTO and the Boy Scouts will be stationed outside if you would like to pick up information from them while you wait.
Our school theme this year is Adventure Awaits! We are looking forward to the relationships we build as we explore learning topics together. There is no limit to the creativity, imagination, and learning progress we can make working as a team. If you have any questions, please contact us!
Note: Our Mitigation Guidelines are posted below as part of the Drop off procedures. If any changes occur, we will all receive an update from the school district Communication office. District 303 staff will be wearing masks indoors when in the presence of children, according to our current interim guidelines.
Kind regards,
Principal Brennan
Important Upcoming Dates
August 4 and 5 Kindergarten Orientation
August 2 and 6 Playdates with the principal - See below information
August 9 Grade 1-5 Supply Drop Off - See chart below for times
August 11 First day of school! Drop off begins at 7:45am, school starts at 8:00am
Playdate with the Principal
I am looking forward to reuniting with the students as my passion is people and learning! As a former classroom teacher, I know helping children feel comfortable in their school environment increases their capacity for learning. I want to do all I can to support, so I am hosting some “playdates” to foster positive connections with students. At our playdates, students will have a chance to interact with me and their fellow Wasco Wolves. I also look forward to getting to know families as well. Children must have a family member present.
Playdate : Friday August 6 10:00-10:30
It is easier for many families to drop off school supplies before the first day of school. Wasco teachers are hosting a school-wide supply drop-off event on Monday, August 9, from 4:00-5:00 pm. We will be using the following schedule to manage the flow of traffic. During your scheduled time, please send your child to their classroom entrance door. Your child will enter the school building and go to their classroom where the teacher will greet them and provide directions. We will have “red shirt” staff members in our hallways to guide the students.
During the drop-off time, you are welcome to socialize with fellow parents or staff members. Please do introduce yourself, if we haven’t met in person. I am looking forward to catching up on your family news! Also, our PTO and Scouts will have a table set up. Please drop by to pick up your edition of the PTO newsletter or learn more about the Welcome Back to School Night for Families and scouting opportunities.
Are you new to Wasco and unsure of the entrance door? Please contact our front office for help, or ask a Wasco staff member stationed at the front of the school wearing a red t-shirt!
4:00-4:10pm: Students with the last names A-I
4:20-4:30pm: Students with the last names J-R
4:40-4:50pm: Students with the last names S-Z
On this evening, we will utilize mask guidelines provided by the Governor. Masks will be worn indoors by all teachers, staff, and students in PreK-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
You can use the map link above to identify your child’s entrance and exit door. Upon arrival, students should enter the building through their designated door, where they will be greeted by a staff member. At the end of the day, students exit through the same door and proceed to a designated area sorted by their transportation home. Our students who ride the bus line up with a peer and staff bus monitor. Students who are picked up by car stand on the front sidewalk and wait for their ride to arrive. This is the same pattern we used last year. We appreciate it when you extend cooperation and consideration for others in our school community. The kids learn from all of us and we are a team working together to help children build lifelong skills and positive community habits.
School Hours are: 8:00am to 3:00pm
(student supervision starts at 7:45am, please do not drop off before that time)
Curriculum Night will be delivered virtually the Week of August 16. Grade level teams will share a common video with their families outlining classroom expectations and providing information about grade-level curriculum and instruction. Your understanding of our learning targets is important to us. Curriculum Night provides you with the first understanding of this year’s expected growth for your child. There will be more information coming soon from your classroom teacher.
Classroom Assignments & Bus Schedule
Parents, when you sign into Home Access Center (HAC) on August 5th it will provide you with your child’s classroom teacher assignment and the bus schedule, if your child rides the bus. If you are unsure how to access HAC, please use the following link for directions.
Your child can bring their lunch to school or they can order lunch within their classroom everyday. The school lunch menu is available at the link below. Our school provides three different choices for lunch and offers ala cart items. If your child brings their lunch, they are also welcome to order an ala cart item. Please make sure your child has money in their Push Coin account if they want to order ala cart items.
Wasco Elementary has the BEST lunch staff! Our staff’s cheerful attitudes make lunchtime fun and relaxing for students. I really appreciate how they get to know students build connections within the school community. We are looking to add more lunchtime staff members. If you have an interest in learning and growing with us, please contact the front office.
The PTO will hold a special PTO Meeting on August 5th at 7pm via Zoom. The proposed 2021-2022 PTO Executive Board members are listed below.
Proposed 2021-2022 PTO Executive Board
Scott Von Essen - Co-President
Shannon Von Essen - Co-President
Alison Sweet - Vice President
Heidi Hastert - Treasurer
Misti Floyd - Secretary
Shannon Martin - Executive Fundraiser
Wasco Elementary would like to thank our outgoing board members for their commitment to our school. As a result of their leadership, Wasco students were supported with afterschool programs. Fundraising and volunteer efforts helped provide teachers with activities and supports for the students and the Wasco PTO was our greatest cheerleader! We are thankful for the ways they celebrated students and staff with treats and notes of inspiration.
Thank you!!
Emily Varsho, President
Carrie Selusnik, Vice President
Leslie Brennan, Treasurer
Michelle Peterson, Secretary
Planning for the Start of School: Daily Schedules
Inside Wasco, we are currently buzzing with activity. Teachers are setting up classrooms and leadership teams are meeting to discuss and arrange school activities. One of our first steps as a group is arranging the daily building schedule. Each of our teachers is required to include a set number of content area minutes- math, reading, etc. The whole building shares resources such as Specials teachers and Content Area Specialists. In order to coordinate services for each classroom, we write a Master Schedule. Nineteen classrooms with almost 500 students- our school runs like a clock and by the clock!
The image below is the start of a teacher’s daily schedule. As part of classroom communication, your teacher will share the finalized classroom schedule with you. The final version will list all content taught during the school week.
