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Words of Windom August 25

Words of Windom August 25
Words of WindomAugust 25

Notes From The Office Notes From The Office

Dear Windom Families,


Welcome to our 1st edition of the Words of Windom for the 2025 - 2026 School Year! We will be utilizing this platform as a comprehensive information hub for all things Windom Elementary! You can expect this communication to come out on the 1st Friday of each month. Each monthly edition will recap the amazing things happening at Windom from the previous month as well as inform and remind families of upcoming events and important information. Staying connected with families is a priority for us here at Windom and we are hopeful that you will find this platform user friendly and helpful.


We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer filled with time to relax, recharge, and make special memories together. As September approaches, our staff has been busy preparing to make the 2025–2026 school year our best yet! The first day of student attendance will be Wednesday, September 3, 2025.


Please take a look through our 1st edition of the Words of Windom for the 2025-2026 school year for lots of important information pertaining to the start of the year.


Enjoy the rest of your summer—read, play, explore, and make the most of these last warm days. We can’t wait to welcome you back and start another amazing year together at Windom!


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Windom Welcome Back Night Windom Welcome Back Night

Wednesday, August 27th

We’re excited to invite you to our Windom Welcome Back Night! This building-wide event replaces our traditional Open House and offers a fun and welcoming way to start the year. Families and students will have the opportunity to:

  • Meet their teacher

  • Drop off school supplies

  • Enjoy a night filled with fun, games, and community


Plus, don’t miss out on our raffle prizes—including a signed Buffalo Bills cleat and a family zoo membership!
Please see more information in the graphic below:

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Arrival/Dismissal Procedures Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

No Elementary Parking Lot Access for Pick-Up Before 2:45 p.m.

For the safety of all students and staff, our school parking lots will remain closed to vehicles arriving for dismissal pick-up until 2:45 p.m.


Keeping the lots clear during the school day allows emergency vehicles to access our buildings quickly if needed and helps us maintain a safe, and orderly environment for everyone.


If vehicles begin lining up on surrounding roads before 2:45, the Orchard Park Police Department will assist with traffic management.


We appreciate your cooperation and support in keeping our school campuses safe and accessible.

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Traffic Patterns

  • At both arrival and dismissal, cars should enter the Windom parking lot from the Brompton Ave. side of Sheldon. Making a left into the parking lot.

  • Do not enter from the Abbott Rd. side as this entry is designated for our buses

  • Busses will unload and load in our front loop, please do not park or cut through the bus loop.

  • See the maps below for traffic patterns at arrival and dismissal. Pick up and drop off are the same procedures, new for the 25-26 school year.

  • Stay in your car. Staff will do our best to assist students getting out of and into cars.

  • Have your children ready to exit/enter the vehicle on the curb side of the car.

  • Be mindful of our neighbors and do not block driveways.

  • Be sure to follow staff directions, posted speed limits, and use turn signals entering and exiting school traffic.

  • At dismissal, yield to OP school buses.

  • At dismissal, when in the student loading zone, stay as far to the right as possible to allow for fully loaded vehicles to exit.

  • You may be asked to pull forward and to the side if there is delay in dismissing your child or if you need to buckle your child in.

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Class Placement & Teacher Assignments Class Placement & Teacher Assignments

We know how exciting it is to find out who your child’s teacher and classmates will be! Class placements are created with great care by a team of educators, including your child’s previous teacher. We consider many factors—student health and allergies, academics, social dynamics, and family input—to create balanced, supportive learning environments.


Teacher assignments can be view on the Parent Portal starting Thursday August 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM.

Transportation Information Transportation Information

Bus routes will be available before the first day of school and can be viewed on the Parent Portal. For questions about transportation or alternate site requests, please contact our Transportation Department at 716-209-6237.

A Message From Our School Nurse A Message From Our School Nurse

Please ensure your child’s health examination records, immunization documentation, and any necessary medication forms are on file with our school nurse.


Mrs. Johnson will be available during Welcome Back Night to collect:

  • Medications & orders

  • Emergency Care Plans (ECPs)

  • Physical forms

If your child requires any of the above, feel free to drop them off at the nurse’s table that evening.


Mrs. Sarah Johnson can be reached at 716-209-6322.

School Supplies School Supplies

Supply lists are listed below. If your family needs assistance with supplies, please stop by our supply table at our Windom Welcome Back Night on August 27th.


We are once again partnering with School Tool Box, making it easy to purchase your child’s school supplies in just a few clicks. Link to order is attached – It’s quick, simple, and ships directly to your home!


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Distraction Free Policy Distraction Free Policy

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Universal Free Lunch for 2025-2026 School Year Universal Free Lunch for 2025-2026 School Year

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Orchard Park SEPTSA Orchard Park SEPTSA

The Orchard Park Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association (SEPTSA) would like to share their upcoming meeting schedule. If you are a parent who is interested in learning more please click this link for more information: opseptsa.org.


The final meeting of the school year will be held on June 12, 2025. All meetings are at 6:30 pm at District Office, 2240 Southwestern Blvd, or can be joined virtually. Below is a list of the 25-26 meeting schedule:


9/17/2025

10/22/2025

11/19/2025

12/17/2025

1/21/2026

2/25/2026

3/18/2026

4/22/2026

5/20/2026

6/17/2026

Attendance Initiative Attendance Initiative

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District Wide Safe Snack List District Wide Safe Snack List

In accordance with the District's Wellness Policy 5661 that was adopted in August, which states:


Parents will be encouraged to send in healthy treats from approved district safe snack lists for classroom celebrations. District safe snack lists will be reviewed and maintained annually, inclusive of the safety of students and staff with food allergies and dietary restrictions such as diabetes and food intolerances. For the purpose of inclusive classroom events and celebrations, the district will encourage decisions which “exclude the food, not the child”.


The District has created a list of allergy safe snacks for families to reference when sending in special treats for their child. Please see the attachment below for more information on the safe snack list.

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OPCSD Safe Snack List (1).pdf
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Upcoming Events Upcoming Events

🎒 September 🎒

  • September 3rd - 1st Day of School!!!
  • September 9th - Board of Education Meeting 7:00 PM, OPMS
  • September 18th - Early Release 11:30 AM
  • September 27th - Homecoming Parade 10:00 AM, OPMS
  • September 27th - Homecoming Carnival 10:30 AM, OPHS Baker Road Lot

District Calendar District Calendar

September Calendar
This will take you directly to the District Calendar for the current month.

Windom PTO Windom PTO

Meeting Minutes

Please click below for the meeting minutes from the 2024 - 2025 school year meetings.

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June 2025 Meeting Minutes.docx
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April 2025 Meeting Minutes.docx
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March 2025 Meeting Minutes.docx
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January 2025 Meeting Minutes.docx
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November 2024 Meeting Minutes.docx
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October 2024 Meeting Minutes.docx
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Online Clothing Store

Looking for new Windom apparel??? Please see the link below to purchase all of your Windom gear!

Windom Apparel

Upcoming Events

Please see the list below for this years PTO meeting dates. All PTO meetings will start at 7:00 PM in the Windom Library:


October 2

October 17

November 6

December 4

January 8

February 5

March 5

April 16

May 7

June 4

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Helpful Links Helpful Links

Windom Virtual Backpack
September Lunch Calendar
Free & Reduced Lunch Form

It is essential that anyone who feels they may be eligible for free and reduced meals to fill out the 2025-2026 Free and Reduced lunch application that is available above. Procedures are in place to protect the privacy of students participating in the free and reduced program. Receiving Free and Reduced meals does not solely benefit the student receiving the meal, it also benefits the district community; depending on the amount of need within our district, we will receive/be eligible for additional funding. Completed applications should be sent to J. Schwarz at 4040 Baker Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127.


If you need an application printed and sent to you, please call Jody Schwarz at (716) 209-6244.

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My School Bucks
Parent Portal
Theresa Glowacki
tglowacki@opschools.org
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