Principal's Message

Communications

 Welcome back to Willow Grove!  

Welcome Letter from Mrs. Huff

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 August 2022

Dear Willow Grove Students and Parents,

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!! I am really looking forward to seeing all our new and returning Grizzlies. Willow Grove is a very special place to learn! Our school is built on 5 Roots that are aligned with PUSD’s Strategic Vision and Goals. They are:

• Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships
• Cultural Proficiency
• College, Career, and Life Skills Readiness
• Professional Learning Community, and
• State of the Art Technology

We are working hard to ensure your child will enjoy a successful, exciting learning experience at Willow Grove. Our goal is to create a positive school climate and culture that maximizes instructional time for student learning, while developing strong physical, social, and emotional characteristics in a safe environment. Our office and custodial staff have been very busy getting ready for a great year. Teachers have been in and out all summer, creating a warm learning environment to greet your child on the first day of school! We are incredibly excited about the upcoming school year!

To ensure a smooth start to the year, it is important to share important dates and clarify rules and expectations to ensure student safety and maximized learning. Please review the important information presented in this letter so the school year begins smoothly.

Dates to Remember:

August 10	New Family Tour of Willow Grove by PTA *Gather at flagpole in front of school 10:00 – 11:00 AM
August 15	Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Teacher Greeting to their classes via Connect Ed.  4:00 PM
August 16	Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten “Meet & Greet” in classrooms 1:15 – 1:30 PM (gates open at 1:00); PTA hosted Ice Cream Social for TK and K students at the park by the school- 1:30 PM
August 16	First through Fifth Grade Teacher Greeting to their classes via Connect Ed. 4:00 PM
August 17	First Day of School beginning at 8:45 AM  (Grizzly will be there to meet everyone!!) Parents/Guardians may walk their child to the playground or their classroom.  This is only for the first day of school.  After the first day, parents/guardians will drop off and pick up their child(ren) at the gate outside of school.   Welcome Back Coffee & Donuts at 8:50 AM in front of the school!  Parents are invited to join representatives from our PTA and Educational Foundation as well as Amy Huff, Principal, at 8:50 AM on the first day.  We will enjoy refreshments together and celebrate the beginning of the school year!
August 18	Back To School Night 5:30-6:00    Third – Fifth Classrooms Open 6:05-6:35    PTA Association Meeting in MPR 6:40-7:10    Transitional Kindergarten – Second Classrooms Open
September 2	Friday Flag in Amphitheater at 8:55 a.m.
September 5	Labor Day Holiday- No School
September 6	Picture Day for Preschool, TK, Kindergarten, Volunteers, PTA, Foundation
September 8	Room Parent & Room Photographer Meeting- 11:45-1:25 in MPR
September 8	Picture Day for Fourth, Fifth, Volunteers
September 9	Picture Day for First, Second, Third, Volunteers
September 15	“Shop & Dine” all day/evening; sponsored by our Educational Foundation
September 19	District Professional Growth Day- No School for Students
September 22	“Supporting Thrivers and Building Resilience in the Classroom” for Staff with Dr. Michele Borba; Sponsored by PTA; Early Dismissal for Students at 12:15 PM
September 22	“Raising Thrivers, Building Resilience” Parent Education Night with Dr. Michele Borba; Sponsored by PTA; Book Signing 5:00-5:50; Parent Presentation 6:00-7:30 in MPR
September 26	Full Day Kindergarten begins
September 29	Running Club begins (Every Thursday)
October 6	Make-Up Picture Day for Students
October 7	Friday Flag in Amphitheater at 8:55 a.m.
October 7	Coffee & Donuts for Parents after Friday Flag hosted by PTA & Foundation
October 11	First Book Talk for the Year during Morning Announcements
October 14	Family Fun & Movie Night sponsored by PTA Family Fun: 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Movie: starts at 7:00 p.m.
October 21	“Play it Safe: Stranger Awareness & Safety” assemblies for Preschool - 5th grades
Oct 24-28	Character Counts! Red Ribbon Week sponsored by PTA
October 31	Fall Harvest Parade at 8:55 a.m. on playground track
November 1	“Workstations that Create a Mathematical Mindset” for Staff by Kim Sutton, Mathematics Presenter for Creative Mathematics; Sponsored by our Educational Foundation; Early Dismissal for Students at 12:15 PM
November 4	Trimester 1 Ends
November 11	Veteran’s Day Holiday- No School
November 14	Educational Foundation Golf Tournament and Dinner
Nov 15-18	Parent-Teacher Conferences for 1st Trimester Progress Reports November 15-17 Early Dismissal each day at 12:15 PM November 18 - Full Day Conferences (no school for students)
Nov 21-25	Thanksgiving Holidays- No School

Summer Office Hours
The office is open August 8th through August 15th from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
The office will be closed August 16th.
Beginning August 17th, the office hours will be 8:15 AM – 3:45 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Thursdays, office hours will be 8:15 AM – 1:45 PM.

Enrollment
All enrollment is online. Please go to the PUSD website to access the enrollment information and application.

School Hours
~Transitional Kindergarten: 8:45 AM – 12:45 PM
~Kindergarten: 8:45 AM - 1:15 PM through September 23rd (Kindergarten Introduction Days); First full day of kindergarten will be September 26, 2022 with dismissal at 3:05 PM.
~Grades 1 – 5: M, T, W, F – 8:45 AM – 3:05 PM, Thursdays 8:45 AM – 1:25 PM

Classroom Assignments
Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten

• August 15th- Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Teachers send Teacher Greeting to their classes via Connect Ed. at 4:00 PM
• August 16th- Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten “Meet & Greet” in classrooms from 1:15-1:30 PM. Ice Cream Social for TK and K students at the park by the school at 1:30 PM by PTA. Grades 1st – 5th
• August 16th- First through Fifth Grade Teachers send Teacher Greeting to their classes via Connect Ed. at 4:00 PM

Arrival and Before School Supervision
Students will enter school through the front double gates or the side gate with the ramp leading up to it.

Morning Playground supervision begins at 8:25 a.m. Your child should not arrive before 8:25 a.m., as there is no adult supervision on either playground until that time.

Students in grades 1-5 should enter the school through the front double gates or the side gate with the ramp leading up to it, put their backpack by their classroom, and walk to the large playground. Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students should enter the school through the Kindergarten playground gate, put their backpack by their classroom, and play until the bell rings to line up. At 8:40 a.m., students will line up at their designated classroom number spot or area and proceed to their classroom with their teacher.

School begins promptly at 8:45 a.m. Students are expected to be in their seats ready to learn by that time. After the 8:45 a.m. bell, students will need to come to the front office for a late slip before going to class.

Dismissal
At dismissal time, teachers will walk their students through the following gates where parents will meet their children:
· 1st graders will be released from the front gate.
· 2nd graders will be released from the main entrance of the school.
· 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will be released from the large playground gate.
· TK and Kindergarten teachers will communicate with parents where their children will be released.

We ask parents to wait by the large cement area away from the gates, as there is greater space and visibility there. Please do not meet your children inside the school or by the classroom.

Parking Lot Drop Off & Pick Up
Parents driving students to and from school should follow the procedures of state law. Below are additional procedures to follow:

1. Enter the parking lot to drop off your child by making a right hand turn off of Via Azul in the turn lane only, and exit left or right onto Via Inez.
2. Please drive all the way forward in the drop off/pick up zone.
3. Do not let your child out of the car until you have stopped at the edge of the curb.
4. Cars in the traffic circle should never be left unattended at any time.
5. Do not enter the bus drop off circle to drop off your child.
6. Do not block the entrance of the bus circle at any time.
7. If you need to enter the school campus for any reason, please park your car in a designated space in the lot or on the street.
8. Double parking in the school parking lot is not permitted. This includes sitting in your car and waiting for your child anywhere other than a parking spot or the designated drive through line.
9. Always use the crosswalk to enter the school campus.
10. Students should enter and exit their car on the curbside to avoid the flow of traffic in the parking lot.
11. Please abide by the directions and requests of our wonderful staff. They are working hard to ensure the safety of our children.

Pedestrians should cooperate with our Student Safety Patrol, located by the crosswalk of Via Inez and Via Fiesta, and demonstrate good citizenship and safety practices for our students.

Only students in grades 3, 4, and 5 may ride a bicycle to school. Children must wear a helmet, provide a lock for the bicycle, and follow safety rules/laws. Bikes must be walked once on school grounds. No rollerblades, scooters of any kind, or skateboards are allowed on campus.

Volunteers
PUSD Board Policy 4.415 prohibits volunteers on campus unless they have completed a background check, provided the Office with a negative TB Skin Test, and any other health requirements required by the California Department of Public Health. All visitors and cleared volunteers must report to the office, sign-in, and wear a visitor's pass. The PTA keeps track of volunteer hours and reports them to the Palomar Council.

Gates and School Safety
During school hours from 8:45 a.m. to 3:05 p.m., all school visitors and volunteers must enter and exit through the school office. You must check in at the school office, obtain and wear a visitor’s sticker or badge where it is visible to others, and check out at the school office when you leave the school. All gates to our school will remain closed during school hours for the safety of our students and staff. Only enter and exit through the school office during school hours.

We cannot take chances with student safety. Please remind your child that NO student may leave the school grounds during the school day without being checked out of the front office.

School Breakfast and Lunch at No Cost
All students are eligible for breakfast and lunch at no cost.

Breakfast is available from 8:20 - 8:40 a.m. If students come for breakfast anytime between 8:20 and 8:25, they will need to enter the school through the office hallway. At 8:25, that door is locked, and students will enter through the front gates. Only students accessing breakfast may come on campus from 8:20-8:25. During this 5 minutes, there is only supervision in the breakfast area, not on the playground.

Students have twenty minutes to play and twenty minutes to eat their lunch each day.

Willow Grove PTA and Educational Foundation
Our PTA and Educational Foundation are two very important organizations in our school. They support many activities, programs, and specialized teachers that directly impact student learning and contribute to our positive school environment. I urge you to join me in becoming a member of our PTA and supporting our Educational Foundation. Your participation in these two organizations will help families find the most appropriate way to lend their support to our school that fits their lifestyle. Many parents want to help in classrooms or with special events. Others want to contribute financially to enhance programs for our children. Look for additional information from our PTA and Educational Foundation on our website, their websites, and in the first day packet of information that your child will bring home. In advance, thank you so much for your support of these outstanding organizations!

Extended Student Services (ESS)
Willow Grove offers an Extended Student Services Program located on campus. ESS is a before and after school childcare program that extends the learning day for students. For information, contact Marcy Newman at mnewman@powayusd.com .

Preschool
For preschool enrollment, please call the District at 858-521-2800, ext. 2847.

Attendance
It is important that you keep us informed about your child when they are not in school. When your child is absent, please call or e-mail the school to inform us of the reason for the absence each day they are not in attendance. In addition, if they will be tardy more than 30 minutes, please call. If your child will be absent from school due to anything other than illness for 3 days or more, contact the school for a study contract.
*Our attendance hotline number is 858-674-6300. Press option #2 to report a student’s absence. You can also excuse your child’s absence by emailing wgesattendance@powayusd.com.

Medication
Students who are required to take medication during school hours must be assisted by school personnel. No medication may be given at school without a Medication Authorization form completed by the physician detailing instructions for administration. This form may be picked up from the school office. For safety reasons, an adult must bring the medication to the school office in the original container that the medication is dispensed. Children may never have medication in their possession at school. This includes aspirin, inhalers, cough drops, etc.

I would appreciate you also reviewing this important information with your child. Please enjoy the rest of summer. Our staff looks forward to working with you and your wonderful child this year!

With Grizzly Pride,

Amy Huff
Proud Principal of Willow Grove