Dear Families,
The Willow Walk brought us all together as a school family and we loved having so many of you cheer us on. Thank you for coming! The kids loved getting to see our mascot, Buddy the Bear, at our big event. He cheered all the students on as they came through the gym where the music was pumping. At the sight of Buddy, there was pure joy and excitement. The rain held out for us and we enjoyed the beautiful walk. Just after the walk, there were brief showers, so we all celebrated the perfect timing!
We're looking forward to seeing families at conferences next week. Please remember if you are coming in person you need to let your child's teacher know by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd. In addition, I like to pre-warn families that our system requires we maintain an on-time schedule. If you are late for your child's conference, the teacher still needs to stop the conference at the pre-scheduled end time.
Click here for more photos of the Willow Walk!
Kindly,
Jenny Smith, Principal
The koala class joined me to lead the way for the Willow Walk.
October At-A-Glance
- 5 - NO SCHOOL School Improvement Day - Fall Family/Educator Conference
- 6 - NO SCHOOL - Fall Family/Educator Conference
- 9 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
- 16-19 - Scholastic Book Fair (see PTO blog)
- 19 - Ice Cream Social (see PTO blog)
- 24 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
- 31 - Halloween PTO Party
District 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
NEW *Willow Grove PTO Updates*
In the latest edition of the PTO blog, Fall Conference meal and wish list sign up, Ice Cream Social save the date and call for volunteers, Scholastic book fair volunteer information, and more! Visit the PTO blog for additional details.
Click here for the Willow Grove PTO Blog to keep up on all the Willow Grove happenings!
REPEAT *Fall Family/Educator Conferences*
Fall conferences will open at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 9/26. They will close at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 10/4. You will receive an email from School Messenger with the link to Meet the Teacher that will allow you to access the scheduling platform. After scheduling the conference, you will receive a confirmation email from Meet the Teacher that contains the link you will use to access the virtual conference. If you wish to have the conference in person, you must notify the teacher by October 3rd. If the teacher does not receive notification, he/she will expect the conference to take place virtually.
The conference dates are Thursday, October 5th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, October 6th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
Staff Availability:
- Classroom teacher
- Related service providers (if applicable)
- PE teacher (Grade K)
- Library/Expo Lab teacher (Grade K)
If you are unable to schedule a conference with a specific teacher, please remember that conferences are not the only time to communicate with teachers. Please feel free to reach out at any time.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via email by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd.
REPEAT *Halloween Costumes*
It’s hard to believe it’s already time to talk about Halloween, but here we are! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I especially love watching your children in all of their excitement! It's important that you know the parameters about costumes as you are choosing the perfect one for our school celebration! There is also an opportunity for you to view our parade I’d like to share with you.
Costumes
As you are choosing or creating a costume for your child, please keep them school-appropriate. No blood or gore and no bare tummies in school. Children may not wear masks. Weapons, real or pretend, are never allowed on school grounds. No cigars or cigarette items. Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Halloween Festivities
9:15 AM - Parade - Parents may stand on the front sidewalk and grass area near the flagpole to view our parade! If there is rain, we will need to cancel the outdoor parade. We cannot allow parents in the school to view the indoor parade, for obvious security reasons. Let's cross our fingers for a beautiful fall day!
9:45-10:30 - Party (Kindergarten, Structured, and AM Blended/ECSE) - Only approved PTO parent volunteers may enter the building for the classroom parties. Approved volunteers may not swap with a different person or bring relatives/siblings. Our room parents put together a fun celebration in each classroom and we thank you so much!
2-2:45 - Party for PM Blended
Blended and ECSE Program - Blended will have 2 parties (one for AM and one for PM). Again, only PTO-approved volunteers may attend the party. Blended PM parents may bring their child in just for the parade if they'd like. Parents must provide transportation to and from the school parade. Students must leave after the parade and return when their typical program starts. If you choose to bring your child to the parade please notify your child’s teacher so they know to expect your child. You will drop them off in the office and pick them up there after the parade. Please bypass the line for scanning ID’s for the party and come right in to retrieve your child.
Important Notes for PTO-Approved Halloween Party Volunteers
Parents attending the parties may not bring additional family members, other children, etc. We need everyone to abide by this and will have to ask you to leave if you come with other attendees. For your sake and ours, please do not put us in this situation. We have many individuals entering our building for the party and cannot accommodate additional individuals. This includes "trading" with another individual for the approved volunteer.
Every PTO volunteer approved to come into our school MUST have their license or ID scanned through our security system to enter. You have to bring this with you or you will not be able to enter. There is always a very long line at this first party, so please anticipate this. We highly encourage PTO room party volunteers to swing by Willow sometime in the month of October before October 31st to have their license scanned, which will speed up the process. The more people who come in early to be scanned, the shorter the line! You may also come in the day of the Halloween party BEFORE THE PARADE to have your license scanned. We will clear out the office just before the parade starts, so please come early, as the lines are long for this first party.
REPEAT *SMART Watches*
Many SMART watches have similar capabilities to SMART phones (game, voice, and text capabilities). If a SMART watch becomes a distraction or is used for communication, it may be confiscated and stored in the office to remove the distraction from the learning environment. Essentially, we will treat the SMART watches like a cell phone. Confiscated equipment may be picked up in the office at the end of the day by the student(s). If a pattern of distraction occurs, parents may be asked to pick up the technology.
REPEAT *Picture Day Information*
We have a retake day on Friday, October 13th, for any student who misses photos or whose parents choose a retake.