Welcome back Panther families, we are so excited to be launching into a school year where we get to see our kids all day every day! Our team is hard at work preparing for your children this week and will be ready to meet with each family for a Welcome Back Conference next Tuesday or Wednesday. Please read on to learn about grade-level configurations, schedules, bussing, meals, safety protocols, attendance, technology and more.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call (503) 844-1380, or email us: lentzj@hsd.k12.or.us. We also keep our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) up to date with key dates/information.

Here to serve,

Jamie Lentz

Principal, Patterson Elementary

• September 7-8 - Welcome Back Conferences (phone or Google Meet)
• September 9 - first day of school, all students
• September 9 - Kinder Connection, kindergarten parents 7:45-8:15 (see below)

Here are our 2021-2022 Class Configurations:

• Kindergarten - Mrs. McCoy, Mrs. Thompson
• First Grade - Mrs. Gurske, Mrs. Volk
• Second Grade - Mrs. Giard, Ms. Portinga
• Third Grade - Miss Delplanche, Mrs. Henningsen
• Fourth Grade - Mrs. Crackel, Mrs. Merritt
• Fourth/Fifth Grade - Mrs. Godsey
• Fifth Grade - Mrs. Brock, Mr. Wear
• Sixth Grade - Mr. Kreisher, Mrs. McClain

Postcards are being mailed home this week and should be arriving in mailboxes starting Wednesday. These will be a scratch-off revealing the teacher picture and name. We are excited to see familiar faces and new ones too!

**We respectfully ask that you refrain from commenting about teachers on social media. As a close community these posts can both help and hurt at times.

We also have a 4/5 blended classroom this school year, due to larger numbers of students in fourth and fifth grade. Mrs. Godsey will be teaching this class and will have several of her fourth graders again similar to the looping scenario above. All students in this class will receive grade level standards instruction and this class will have a smaller number of students. The fifth graders in this blended class will have the added benefit of a very small class size for math instruction.

Conferences are scheduled for 20 minutes and will be Google Meet or phone. Our team will assume phone unless you email or call to set up a Google Meet. We will have day and evening times available on Tuesday and day times available on Wednesday.

Conferences are scheduled for 20 minutes and kindergarten families have the option of in-person, Google Meet or phone. Our team will assume in-person unless you email or call to set up a Google Meet or phone meeting. We will have day and evening times available on Tuesday and day times available on Wednesday.

If you come in person, you can expect to spend 20 minutes meeting with the teacher outside the classroom. After your conference is complete, you will have an opportunity to go into the classroom and complete an activity with your child.

Students riding the bus will arrive prior to breakfast at 7:20 and will be seated in our cafeteria and/or gym. They can choose to eat free breakfast and wait for the bell at 7:35, then walk to class.

Students being dropped off for breakfast, may be dropped off in the drive through and walk in to eat breakfast in the cafeteria and/or gym. They will remain seated and wait for the bell at 7:35, then walk to class.

Students being dropped off but do not need breakfast, may be dropped off in the drive through beginning at 7:30. We will be using the same color-coded arrival procedure as the spring. Students will get out of cars in the drive through and follow the colored dots to their corresponding entrance and walk to class.

• Green pod - kindergarten and 1st grade
• Yellow pod - 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade
• Blue pod - 4th and 4/5th grade
• Orange pod - 6th grade

First bell rings at 7:35

Tardy bell rings at 7:45

Students are released at 2:05 (M/T/TR/F)

Students are released early at 1:35 on Wednesdays

Parent pick-up is through our drive-through. We will include detailed maps in next week's Parent Blast.

You can look up bussing information using the myBus website linked below.

We will be using colored zip-ties on backpacks that correspond to your child's bus color (route) or to indicate that they are being picked up. Please leave these on your child's backpack.

Due to capacity restrictions and cleaning schedules, there will be no bus passes this school year.

Due to frequent changes in supply, our menu is subject to change. You can view the weekly planned menu here: https://family.titank12.com/menu/ERRCAH?lang=English

Google classrooms will be set up for each classroom and students will continue to have assignments to complete in this platform. It is important for students to learn these technology skills, however Google Classroom will not be our primary source of teaching in the building.

For K - 2 families, please unpackage individual items (scissors, pencils, gluesticks, etc.) and mark them with your child's name in sharpie if you can. You can drop these off in a large bag marked with your child's name on September 7th or 8th from 8:00 -3:00 outside our main doors.

For 3 - 6 families, please unpackage individual items, mark with your child's name and send them to school on the first day.

Thank you!

Anything beyond this list will be covered by our building funds. If you are not able to purchase these items we will provide them and if you email Mrs. Lentz prior to the first day of school, these items will be ready for your child the first day of school.

Online Verification opened for all schools and grades on August 6