September 13

• Upcoming Dates
• Bullying Prevention Dress Up Days!
• PTO Membership Drive/Competition Details
• Bring Your Parent to School Day
• Parent Pick Up Reminders about Parking/Traffic
• Ice Cream Details
• Link to Become a Level 1 Chaperone
• Link to Breakfast & Lunch Menu

• Sept. 14-18 Bullying Prevention Kick-off Week
• Sept. 16 2.5 Hour Early Release (12:50 release time at Opequon)- Wear GOLD!
• Sept. 17 Community-wide Event at War Memorial Park 5-7 PM
• Sept. 25 Kindergarten Field Trip (no more $$ can be submitted)
• Sept. 26 National PTO Appreciation Day
• Sept. 29 1st Grade Bring Your Parent to School Day 9:15-10:30 RSVP required
• Sept. 30 2nd Grade Bring Your Parent to School Day 9:15-10:30 RSVP required

This week we'll be focusing on ways to prevent bullying and how to be a good friend. Throughout the week, students are invited to dress up as a way to bring attention to each theme of the day. We've partnered with Eagle School so that families can plan knowing TOGETHER, we Reach Individual Success Everyday (RISE).

Monday: Rise Up Together - twin day

Tuesday: Rise Up, Don't Hide - camouflage day

Wednesday: Rise Above the Rest- dress fancy day or wear GOLD!

Thursday: Rise From the Inside Out- inside out day

Friday: Rise with Blue Monarch Pride- school colors (blue, white)

Opequon is hosting a Membership Drive- a competition amongst homerooms to see who can have the highest number of PTO members! The 1st place class from each grade will receive a PIZZA PARTY! Competition runs from the start of school until September 25th, meaning that previous memberships will count if the submission included $5.00. *At least 50% of parents per class must be members in order to win.

Current Leaders:

Pre-K: Foor (3)

Kindergarten: Sinclair (3)

First Grade: Fontanilla (5)

Second Grade: Nelson (3)

Members can support the school through one or more of the following ways:

• donating time or materials
• attending meetings
• volunteering in classrooms or for school events
• joining a school committee for school improvement

We had a great turnout at our first PTO meeting last Thursday! Minutes and a video of the meeting can be found on our Opequon PTO Facebook Page. Our next meeting will be Oct. 1 where we'll iron out the details of our upcoming Fall Event!

Future meetings will be held the first Thursday of every month.

• Nov. 5
• Dec. 3
• Jan. 7
• Feb. 4
• Mar. 4
• Apr. 8 (due to Spring Break Mar. 27-Apr.4)
• May 6

This is one of our MOST FAVORITE events to host! It's that time of year!

Opequon Elementary would like to invite one guardian of each student to come to school with them. Due to limited space, no siblings can attend this event. You will observe your child’s 30-minute phonics lesson in the classroom. Then, you will go to the cafeteria for a brief overview of UFLI, Title 1 info, and important dates to remember for this school year. A flyer went home with your child last week to RSVP.

1ST & 2ND PLEASE RSVP BY SEPT. 18

KINDERGARTEN PLEASE RSVP BY OCT. 30

If you are dropping off your student in the morning between 8:20-8:40 or picking up between 3:20-3:45 please use the Duke Street entrance (around the back of the building) and park. The front spaces that say "Office & Visitor" are for our school staff who provide services throughout the day or parents with appointments later in the day. Any student being dropped off or picked up should park in a parking spot (not the grass or along the side of the exit/entrance). We appreciate your help as we continue to keep students and families safe as well as move traffic along swiftly.

*Students arriving after 8:40 will be considered late and must be signed in at the front office.

Students have the opportunity to purchase ice cream on Fridays as an incentive for a variety of reasons. Each classroom has expectations in order for students to be able to have ice cream. Each item is $1.00. Students MUST turn in their money on Friday mornings. It cannot be turned in later in the day as we work to ensure enough inventory early in the day. Families have the opportunity to send in $20 at a time to ensure their student has the ability to get ice cream each Friday (pending class expectations). It is recommended that money be placed in an envelope or plastic baggie with the student's name on it.

In the event your family would like to sponsor a classroom for a week, you are welcome to do so, some ideas might be:

• birthday week
• great weather
• thought they could use a little encouragement
• everyone needs a treat once in awhile
• etc.

Most classrooms have 20-25 students. Each classroom has 2 adults (they like treats too). :)

There is always a dairy-free option!

This School/Parent Compact outlines how the parents, school staff, and students of Opequon Elementary will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the state’s high academic standards. Please review our Parent Involvement Policy, which is included in our handbook.

As each grade level makes plans for their Fall field trips, parents have the opportunity to chaperone. In order to be considered for a trip, parents must be Board Approved prior to the trip. Please follow the steps in the link below.

395 East Road

Martinsburg, WV 25404

304-267-3550

Karen Weigle, Principal

Kelly Comer, Assistant Principal