Welcome, Thurston Cheetahs!

Dear Thurston Elementary Students, Parents and Families,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! Our goal is to create an environment where students feel safe, supported, challenged, and excited to come to school each day. We are committed to working together with you to ensure your child has a positive and enriching elementary school experience. We are excited for this school year and are looking forward to seeing all of our Cheetahs back in the building soon!

Warm Regards,

Amber Mitchell, Principal

At Thurston Elementary School, every student belongs. This means that every student regardless of their race, religion, language, gender, or any other factor - will be safe and accepted as a member of our school community. Through education, we celebrate the unique qualities of each student and are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, kindness, and respect for all backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities. Bias, discrimination, and hate are not acceptable in our school and we will stand against any words or actions that cause harm in our community.

Elementary early release is 12:30pm. For a full list of early release Fridays, please see the district calendar included in this mailing. Students will be served lunch just as they are on a regular school day.

LINK to SPS District Calendar (Elementary)

This year, a common school supply list has been created for all Springfield Elementary schools. For School Supply Lists please click this link.

Kindergarten runs from 8:35-2:50. Please note that the first week of kindergarten includes a staggered start. A staggered start means that half the class will attend kindergarten the first day of school and the other half the second day of school. No kindergarten students will attend school on Friday. All students will return Monday, September 8th. The staggered start helps greatly with the transition to school for our new kindergarteners.

📢 Kindergarten Start Dates

• Wednesday, September 3 – Kindergarten: Students with last names A–L attend

• Thursday, September 4 – Kindergarten: Students with last names M–Z attend

• Friday, September 5 – No school for Kindergarten students; Kindergarten class lists posted at 4:00 PM

• Monday, September 8 – First day of Kindergarten for all students 🎉

Thurston Elementary is proud to offer a Family Resource Center to support our students and families.

Our Family Resource Center Educational Assistant, Alicia Williams, is available to help connect families with a variety of resources, including:

• 🥪 Food assistance

• ✏️ School supplies

• 👕 Clothing

• 🤝 Community programs and services

If you have questions or need support, please contact Alicia Williams at 541-744-6411.

School Breakfast and Lunch:

• This year, ALL Springfield Public School students will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge.

• Students are still welcome to bring lunch from home.

• We encourage students to bring a water bottle that can be refilled throughout the day.

• Students will eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria.

• Breakfast and Lunch Menus

⏰ School Hours & Arrival Information

• School Hours: 8:35 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. daily

• Classroom Doors Open: 8:25 a.m.

• Breakfast Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.

• Attendance Taken: 9:00 a.m.

Late Arrivals:
If your child arrives after 8:35 a.m., please have them check in at the office before going to class.

To help keep everyone safe and traffic flowing smoothly, please follow these guidelines:

• Pull Forward: Always pull all the way forward before letting your child exit the vehicle.

• Keep Moving: As cars ahead move forward, please follow.

• Quick Goodbyes: Have your child ready to exit or enter quickly and safely.

• Stay in Your Vehicle: Staff will assist with loading, unloading, and directing students.

• If You Need to Exit: Park in a designated parking spot first.

• Be Patient: The first weeks are busiest—expect extra time in the drop-off/pick-up line.

• No Passing: Cones will be in place to prevent passing in the loading zone.

• Stay Alert: Watch for students walking or biking to and from school.

If your child will be riding the bus, the transportation department would like to know. Please register your students (all students new and returning) for the bus. Please check the district website for the 2025-2026 bus routes or call (541) 744-6373. Please take some time to review bus behavior and bus stops with your child.

Teachers will work with families to establish a “transportation home routine” for each student.

Important reminders:

• If your student’s transportation routine changes, please communicate these changes in writing or by phone.

• Do not send transportation changes through Seesaw, as teachers may not see messages in time.

• Without a note or phone call, your child will go home using their regular form of transportation.

• Student safety is our top priority. Clear communication helps ensure children arrive home safely.

District policies:

• Students not assigned to a bus are not allowed to ride a bus.

• Students may only ride the bus and route assigned by the district.

Springfield Public Schools is now a one to one device district. Our kindergarten and 1st grade students are issued iPads, our 2nd grade students are issued Chromebook Touches, and our 3rd - 5th grade students are issued Chromebooks. If your student does not already have a device checked out to them, we will issue them a device through our library during the first two weeks of school.

Oregon has passed an executive order banning cell phones and smart watches in schools. Learn more about the new legislation here. The policy applies to “any portable, electrically powered device that is capable of making and receiving calls and text messages and accessing the internet independently from the school’s network.” It does not include school issued devices.

If a student brings a cell phone or smart watch to school, it must be turned off and stored away for the entire school day. Should a student need to contact a parent, phones are available for use in the office.

Please note that the school and district are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal devices. If a student uses a device inappropriately or outside of the established rules, it may be confiscated.

Springfield Schools has adopted guidelines for healthy classroom snacks and parties to make certain that students receive healthy foods during the school day. We ask that families follow the guidelines for whole class snacks and other special occasions. While we will not monitor individual student snacks from home, we do hope that we can have your support by providing healthy snacks and lunches for your children at school. If you want more information visit the Nutrition Services page.

Thurston Elementary has an organized Parent Teacher Group (PTG) and all are welcome to join – no dues! Please look for more information at our Meet Your Teacher event August 28th. You can also check out the TES Parent Teacher Group page on Facebook.

Please join our Thurston Elementary School Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already! We will be posting announcements and events on this page; this is a great and easy way to stay connected.