WF Weekly Newsletter- 5.18-5.22

Huge shout out to our Home and School for supporting our school through so many amazing assemblies and field trips! This week, we welcomed the R.A.P. Group who helped our students celebrate our diverse student population through dance and crowd engagement. Check out he pictures below!

We also were able to get our swings installed this week! It was great to see students so excited to use our new equipment. Huge shout out to our Playground Committee for their hard work this year. We have some very exciting updates coming to our playgrounds this summer as well!

May 2026 Student Calendar

Full Year Calendar

Band Schedule

Strings Schedule

NF refers to a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. The term “NF” includes neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and all forms of schwannomatosis (SWN), including NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), formerly called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2).

May is NF Awareness Month, a time for members of the NF community to harness their power, drive awareness, educate those around them, and raise money to support research that will lead to effective treatments. Help spread the word that there is no one way to define NF, just like there is no one way to define a person living with NF. Together, we can Make NF Visible for patients with visible signs of NF who struggle to be seen as more than just their NF, and for patients whose NF is invisible who struggle to make others understand.

Families can learn more about NF by visiting the Children's Tumor Foundation Website.

The theme for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in 2026 is "Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together". This theme focuses on leveraging collective strength, fostering connection, telling stories, and building bridges to honor the diverse cultures and contributions of AANHPI communities.

Children’s Books

Asian Americans-

20 Children’s and Young Adult Books Written by Asian Authors

29 Children’s Books about Asian American History and Culture

Chinese American Literature K-12

Local Events Celebrating AANPI Heritage Month

Japan American Society of Philadelphia

• Children’s Day- Sunday, May 3rd 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

• Japanese Tea Ceremony Demonstration-May 16th 12:00-1:00 PM

Explore Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Philadelphia 2026

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Since its proclamation on April 20, 2006 by President George W. Bush, the month of May serves as a time to celebrate the contributions, experiences, and stories of resilience of Jewish Americans throughout our history. May was chosen as the month of Jewish American Heritage Month because of the successful 350th Anniversary Celebration of Jews in America marking the Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam.

Jewish American Artists and Athletes

• 5 Influential Jewish Artists You Should Know About

• 13 Jewish Children's Authors that Shaped Your Upbringing

• 8 Jewish Athletes to Follow this Year

• 10 Jewish Sports Icons

Local Events

The Weitzman National Museum of Jewish History located at 101 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, PA 19106 will be hosting many events during the month of May. A complete list of events and activities

National Foster Care Month is a time to raise awareness about the needs of children and youth in foster care, show appreciation for dedicated foster families and child welfare professionals, and inspire others to consider becoming foster caregivers.

History of Foster Care in the United States

29 Surprising Foster Care Fact

Pennsylvania Foster Care Facts

Books for Children

Story Time: Books for Children in Foster Care

Children’s Books: Foster Care-

This year, Shavuot begins at sundown on Thursday, May 21 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, May 23. In Jewish tradition, it holds dual significance: religiously, it commemorates the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, when the Israelites are understood to have entered a covenant with God; agriculturally, it was originally a harvest festival marking the first fruits of the wheat harvest in ancient Israel. Because of this dual meaning, it is both a historical-spiritual observance and a celebration of renewal and gratitude for sustenance.

A central religious practice during Shavuot is the public reading of the Ten Commandments in synagogue, symbolizing the moment of revelation. Many communities also read the Book of Ruth, which takes place during harvest season and highlights themes of loyalty, conversion, and kindness—values strongly associated with the holiday. Another key tradition is Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an all-night or late-night Torah study session that reflects spiritual preparation to “receive” the Torah anew each year.

Customs vary widely, but many Jewish communities eat dairy foods such as cheesecake, blintzes, and cheese-filled pastries, with explanations ranging from symbolic interpretations of purity and the “land flowing with milk and honey” to practical historical dietary practices after receiving new kosher laws. Homes and synagogues are often decorated with greenery and flowers, recalling Mount Sinai’s legendary bloom at the moment of revelation. Some also include memorial prayers (Yizkor) for deceased relatives, adding a reflective dimension to the celebration.

As a way to highlight our awesome students, each week, one of our Specialist teachers will identify a student going above and beyond in their class for our Student Spotlight. This week, our very own Ms. Pimble wanted to highlight one of her students!

Ms. Pimble says: Ilyana Bouakkaz is an outstanding 6th grader who is such a generous, kind, and empathetic classmate. Ilyana is always willing and eager to help out her classmates and is a role model in positivity and empathy. She is a leader in chorus and is always willing to stay late to help, in addition to being a talented and dedicated singer. Ilyana is a kind, loving student who truly gives her all into what she loves and she is a joy to know. Ilyana, you are a superstar!

Due to Election Day we will not have school on Tuesday, May 19th.

Friday, May 29th (Rain Date: Tuesday, June 2nd)

Olympic Day is fast approaching as May 29th is just around the corner. As usual, a variety of volunteers are needed to make the day an enjoyable one for our students. Remember that all parents, grandparents, etc. are welcome to join their child on Olympic Day whether as a Visitor, Volunteer, or Chaperone. Each level of participation comes with specific logistics and responsibilities. Please review each role below to identify your level of participation.

1. VISITOR- those just coming to watch

2. VOLUNTEERS- those signing up to run an event, set up for the day, or help a teacher

3. CHAPERONES- helping a teacher to run a team and being directly responsible for students

VISITORS

-will check in at our tent located by the flagpole in front of the school. Please arrive no earlier than 8:55 as you will not be allowed into the building until then. You must exit the building by 2:30. You will not be able to take home your child early; your child will go home the same way as a regular school day.

VOLUNTEERS and CHAPERONES

- You will check in at our tent located by the flagpole in front of the school. Those selected to help on Olympic Day will be required to be “RAPTORed” by our system. This badge will be waiting for you at the sign-in tent on the day of the event. You will complete the RAPTOR information at the end of the form.

-You may enter the building once you are given your RAPTOR BADGE. Please do not arrive at WF before 8:20. You will have access to the building at 8:20-2:50. We urge you to allow your child to go home the same way as a regular school day. However, there is an opportunity to sign them out at 2:50.

ALL VISITORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND CHAPERONES SHOULD COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

KINDERGARTEN PARENTS DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE FORM: THEY MAY CONTACT THEIR CHILD’S KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TO HELP WITH THEIR SEPARATE HALF DAY EVENT.

OLYMPIC DAY VISITOR/VOLUNTEER/CHAPERONE FORM

Families, come on out to run, walk, or just play for the playground! All funds will be put directly back into improvements to our school's playground!

Registration Link

School Nutrition Services wants to hear from you! We are always looking to enhance our menus and add new items that students request. Please fill out this survey and help us get to know you and what foods you would like to see in the cafeteria.

Elementary Cafeteria Food Survey

Completing this survey is voluntary. If you are interested in providing feedback, please complete the survey by Friday, May 22.

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated and help the School Nutrition staff expand the food choices that are offered in our cafeteria.

Please send in any tabs that you may have collected for the Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia !

Tabs can be brought to Mrs. Paillard!

Keep collecting those tabs over the summer as well!

Click the banner to check out our new one-stop site for all Walton Farm Home & School news, events, and opportunities!

We are now on Instagram! Follow us at @waltonfarmhsa for information on upcoming events and fundraisers!

If you would like to contribute photos of 6th graders from any of our 6th grade events this year to possibly be included in our Yearbook or End of Year Video you can click here for a shared folder where you can upload your photos.

If you have any questions or tech issues, reach out to Rebecca Emmett- rjc5003@yahoo.com.

We are in need of a volunteer who can help with the yearbook club with the intent to run it in the future. The person will be shadowing for the remainder of this year and next year, and taking over to run it starting 2027-2028 school year. They will then guide 6th graders to create the yearbook on alternating Monday mornings 7:30-8:20, manage photos and oversee the final design. The yearbook software is easy to learn- no experience necessary! Starting now gives you plenty of time to learn how everything works!

Please e-mail waltonfarmeyearbook2020@gmail.com if you are interested.

Our school is ALWAYS looking for volunteers to help in different capacities during the school day. Your time volunteering can be as much or little as you would like - any amount of time is appreciated. We have plenty of opportunities to get involved and help out! We would love to have you - the more the merrier!!! The students always get excited to see familiar faces helping at school :) Information,

instructions, and help will be provided so no experience is necessary.

Volunteer Sign-up Link

1. Go to: Walton Farm PT Board Website

2. Click on “Student Directory,” and you’ll be prompted to create a free account (or you can log in with your Google or Facebook account)

3. Choose the “My Student” tab and then click the “Add a Student” button

4. Include the information you want to share and click “Save”

5. Your information will be confirmed before it posts and once confirmed, you will receive access to use the directory.

Email Walton Farm H&S

Title I is a federal program designed to help students and their schools reach high academic standards. The purpose of this survey is to gather information on how well the school communicates with parents and families. There are 20 brief questions and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback will be used to improve parent and family engagement activities at the school. Suggestions on how we can better help students at school and at home are welcome.

Title I Parent Survey

If you need help completing this survey, please reach out to our main office.

Thank you, in advance, for taking a few minutes of your time to answer these questions as we value your opinion and contributions.

Kim Spence will be out from Tuesday, May 5 through Tuesday, May 26 (returning on May 26).

Kat Wreath will be the health suite point of contact (wreathks@npenn.org). However, you can continue to include both nurses on communication to ensure continuity and that nothing slips through the cracks!

Starting March 2026, Parents and Guardians can submit an excuse for an absence that has already been accepted by the Attendance Staff at their child(ren)’s school through their Parent Portal account.

For more information regarding the Absence Request processing section of the Parent Portal, please review this document:IC/Attendance Requests - Parent Portal

Parents and Guardians can upload documents to Absence Requests if a document was not initially uploaded with the request. If a document has already been uploaded with the request, Parents and Guardians may not upload more. If an updated excuse is available, please contact the Attendance Staff at the school.

• Click on the request for which you want to upload a document. The Request Details screen displays.

• Use the Upload Document field to upload the appropriate document. Only one document may be uploaded per request.

• When finished, press Save to save the uploaded document to the request and return to the View Current Requests screen.

• The Attendance Staff will be able to view the document attached to the Absence Request.

Bus passes should only be issued for extenuating circumstances such as: home emergencies, a parent that is away and student is staying temporarily with another district family, parents/guardians who cannot be at the bus stop to meet their student and have made prior arrangements for the student to ride home with another student. Bus passes for extenuating circumstances may be granted at the discretion of the Building Principal. Bus passes should not be used for after school parties, boy/girl scout meetings, sleepovers, play dates, etc. Issuing bus passes may result in the overloading of the school bus. We ask for your understanding in this matter and wish you a successful and happy school year.

Kindergarten Registration for next year’s Kindergarten class began on February 1st!

• For families who have a current North Penn student, you may complete the 26-27 Kindergarten registration on your existing Infinite Campus Parent Portal (click on the link for more detailed directions) by selecting "More," then "Online Registration," and finally "Register student(s) who have never been enrolled in this district."

• For new families, the links to the register for next year are found on the North Penn district website.

Families should take time to review and update the Emergency Contact information on Infinite Campus.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal Stepper

Using your Infinite Campus parent app, select “More” then “Absence Request.” Select the checkbox next to the student's name to be included in the Absence Request (multiple students can be selected for a request). Click the dropdown menu under “Excuse” to select the appropriate excuse. (Please note: if you know your child will be out of school ahead of time, you can preschedule the absence using the app.) Here is a short tutorial on Infinite Campus Absence Requests.

A "Safe at Home" call will be attempted for students who are marked absent by the teacher.

Each building in the NPSD has a Cultural Proficiency, Equity, and Inclusion (CPEI) Task Force, formed with the mission of ensuring that each school fosters an inclusive, welcoming, and equitable environment for all families by celebrating the diversity of its community. These groups of parents, teachers, and building administrators meet monthly at each school to implement building specific projects and objectives, and to discuss the progress of ongoing cultural proficiency and equity efforts.

Our next CPEI Task Force Meeting is on Monday, May 18th at 3:15. Email Principal Mina if you are interested in joining Walton Farm's Task Force!

NP Elementary Handbook/Code of Conduct 2026-2026

Code of Conduct

Student Responsibilities

Walton Farm Family Chromebook Resources

HERE you can find all of our School Nutrition Services updates for the 2025-26 school year.

School Meal Applications

• Families must apply for free and reduced meals every year. Information on how to apply can be found HERE on our website. Paper copies of free and reduced applications can also be found in all school’s main offices.

• Last year’s qualification expires on Monday, October 13, 2025. If a household does not renew their application by this date, students will be charged paid meal pricing until a new application is processed.

Menus can be found HERE.

Parents/guardians may add money to and monitor their child's lunch account via School Cafe.

Breakfast is FREE for ALL students!

NPSD District-Wide Event Newsletter

Do you know of any community events that we can share with our Walton Farm community? If so, feel free to email Stacy Kless at klesssl@npenn.org and we can include them in our weekly newsletter!

• Elementary Handbook

• Elementary Curriculum Guide

• Publicity Refusal Information 2025-26