WPES Family Newsletter

Welcome to the 2026 - 2027 school year! On behalf of the West faculty and staff, we are looking forward to an amazing school year and would like to thank you for your ongoing support. We are excited to partner with you in supporting your child’s growth and success as we value strong relationships and continued collaboration throughout the year ahead! Our August Family Newsletter highlights important information and upcoming events for the start of school.

The mission of the Pottsgrove School District is to provide high quality experiences that educate, engage, and empower students to achieve their fullest potential.

We are excited to kick off the 2026 - 2027 school year at West Pottsgrove Elementary School. Our custodial and facilities teams have been hard at work preparing the building and our staff members are currently working their magic to create wonderful classroom environments for our students to start off the year on Thursday, August 27th. All class assignment letters were mailed home. If you have not received your letter, please contact the main office at 610-323-6510. Please note the many upcoming events, important dates, and information included in our back-to-school newsletter.

Classroom assignment letters have been mailed out. If you did not receive one, please contact the office at 610-323-6510.

Bus information will also be mailed home and will be available through the parent portal. Please review bus numbers and times with your child upon their arrival. Please verify bus stop locations on your mailings. If there are any errors or questions, please contact our new transportation provider, First Student at 484-363-4006.

Kindergarten Orientation will take take place on Wednesday, August 19th with the program beginning for all kindergarten students in the West Pottsgrove Elementary School. Please enter the building through the main office entrance, door #1. Parents/guardians will attend an informational session while students visit their classrooms, complete a craft activity, and participate in a brief school bus ride. At the conclusion of the informational session, parents/guardians will join students in their kindergarten classrooms to meet their child's teacher.

Please note: Kindergarten orientation will be held from 9:30 am to 11:00am.

The doors of West Pottsgrove Elementary School will be open to students and families on Tuesday, August 18th from 2:00 - 4:00pm and Thursday, August 20th from 4:00 - 6:00pm. Students and families are invited to participate in a self-guided tour of the building and pick up student bus tags prior to the start of the school year pending availability.

Please note that the self-guided tour session is not a back-to-school night program and teachers may not be present during this time. The West Pottsgrove Elementary School Back to School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9th at 6:30 pm.

We are excited to announce the following changes and additions to the West Family.

• Julia Sherner is our new kindergarten teacher replacing Emma Ferguson who accepted another position.
• Stacey Oldham is our new kindergarten teacher replacing Chris Reisner who retired.
• Avamarie Isaac has changed roles and is our new autistic support teacher.
• Kelly Sarro is our new first grade teacher replacing Avamarie Isaac.

• Ashley Viscuso is our new autistic support teacher.
• Beth Taylor is our new second grade teacher replacing Marissa Kulik.
• Aleksandra Gniedziejko is our new speech therapist.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to our new staff members.

Dear Pottsgrove Families,

The start of the 2026–2027 school year is just around the corner, and we can't wait to welcome our students back!

The First Day Packet is available for families to review and update their student's information for the upcoming school year.

Pottsgrove will utilize the same PowerSchool First Day Packet system as last year. The packet is not available through the Parent Portal. Instead, you should have received a separate email titled "Pottsgrove Annual First Day Packet SnapCode" from noreplyregistration@powerschool.com.

All families must complete the First Day Packet, even if no information has changed. This helps us ensure we have the most accurate contact, emergency, health and demographic information for every student.

What You Need to Do

• Check your inbox (and spam/junk folder) for the email from noreplyregistration@powerschool.com.
• Use the unique student code provided in the email.
• Review and update your student's information.
• Submit the completed packet.

Student Schedules

Student schedules and class assignments will not be released online until the First Day Packet has been completed. Beginning August 17, schedules will be available only for students whose First Day Packet has been submitted.

Need Access to a Computer?

Computers will be available for families at each school building and the District Office Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Questions?

If you have questions about the First Day Packet, please email pgsdparentportal@pgsd.org.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this important process. We look forward to a great school year!

Arrival Procedures

Buses

Bus cards are in the process of being mailed home. Please review bus numbers and times with your child upon their arrival. Please verify bus stop locations on your mailings. If there are any errors or questions, please contact our transportation provider, First Student 484 - 363 - 4006.

During the first few days of school, please expect delays in pick-up and drop-off. Please have your student to the bus stop at least 5 minutes before arrival time in the morning and expect some delays at dismissal.

Buses begin arriving at the school by 8:30 AM and will unload at the doors by the gymnasium in the parking lot facing Grosstown Road. Cars should not use this parking lot during arrival or dismissal at any time. Students will exit the bus and enter directly into the school building.

Walkers and Parent Drop-Off

Students may arrive at school beginning at 8:30 AM. Students should not come earlier as they will not be permitted into the building and there will not be staff available to supervise them. Please enter the parking lot slowly and proceed with extreme caution. All car riders and walkers should enter the building through the main lobby by the office, door #1. Students arriving after 9:00 AM are considered tardy and must check in at the office prior to going to their classroom. Please be mindful of the flow of traffic while dropping off. If you plan to walk your child to the door, please park your vehicle in the lot. Please do not block traffic in our car lane. Parents/guardians are not permitted to walk their children to their classrooms.

Cars will form a single line in the morning with the first car pulling up to the main entrance area. If possible, children should exit the car on the passenger side onto the sidewalk. Once your child is safely on the sidewalk, you may cautiously pull around other cars and exit via Jay Street. Your assistance is appreciated in keeping the line moving in a safe, orderly, and timely fashion.

Dismissal Procedures

Students are dismissed in the afternoon through three different methods - buses/vans, walkers, and car riders. Please review the bus card distributed from First Student for bus stop and time information. Please be sure to notify the West Pottsgrove Elementary School main office if your child will be a car rider or walker to ensure students are dismissed to the correct locations.

Buses/Vans

Bus dismissal begins at West Pottsgrove Elementary at approximately 3:45 PM. Elementary buses pick up at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School first and then report to West. Please expect delays during the first few days of school. If there are any errors in bus assignments or if you have any bus-specific questions, please contact our transportation provider, First Student 484-363-4006.

Walkers

Walkers will be dismissed from the gymnasium, and from door #1, beginning at 3:25 PM. Parents/guardians picking up will wait outside of the main office entrance and are not permitted to enter the building during dismissal. Students will be dismissed to parent/guardians by designated staff at the main office door. Please be sure whoever is picking up a student at walker dismissal has identification with them.

Car Riders

Car Riders will be dismissed from the cafeteria entrance, Door 2, beginning at 3:30 PM. A staff member will dismiss students and those picking up for car dismissal are asked to remain in their vehicle. As in the AM, if you are getting out of the car to pick up a student in the building, you must park and access the main office area. Do not park along the curb as this holds up the line.

Following these procedures will assist us in maintaining a safe and orderly environment for children and adults of the West Pottsgrove Family. Thank you.

Dear Families,

As we prepare for the start of the school year, we have been working closely with our local police department to review and improve our car rider (AM arrival and PM dismissal) procedures. These changes are for car riders only and are designed to enhance the safety, efficiency, and overall flow of traffic during these busy times, especially on Grosstown Rd.

As we implement these updated procedures, we kindly ask for your patience, understanding, and cooperation. We recognize that new routines may take some time for everyone to become familiar with and we appreciate your flexibility as we work through this transition together.

Safety is always our top priority and we are grateful for your partnership as we make these adjustments. Thank you in advance for your patience and for helping us make arrival and dismissal as safe and smooth as possible for everyone.

Please see below and the attached map for our new procedures for AM and PM car riders only:

• Car riders will enter the WPES campus using the Jay St. entrance. The regular Grosstown Rd entrance will not be accessible.
• Please loop around the parking lot following the highlighted route and pick up your child by the cafeteria doors. WPES staff will be on site to assist you.
• Once you have picked up your child, please exit the campus via Jay St. Please see the attached map which outlines the route in red.

Once again, thank you for your support.

The West Pottsgrove Elementary PTA is an outstanding group of parent volunteers who do a tremendous amount to support our students, staff, and families.

Please join us for our September PTA Meeting on September 9th at 6:00 PM. PTA Membership is now open for the 2026-2027 school year. Please see click here to join and membership is $12 per person. Join the West Pottsgrove Elementary School PTA Facebook Group for highlights and important information. The PTA can be reached via email at wpgpta@pgsd.org

Pottsgrove School District accepts electronic excuse notes. To excuse your student via email, please send a note along with the date, student’s first and last name, student’s grade, and reason of absence to WPAbsent@pgsd.org within 5 school days of the absence. Please note that emails sent to teacher email addresses will not be accepted as an excuse note.

Each month throughout the school year, we will be highlighting a character trait for focused conversation and celebration. Our monthly character trait for September will be Respect. At West Pottsgrove Elementary School, we will be defining respect as meaning you think good things about who a person is or how he/she acts. We accept somebody for who they are, even when they're different from you or you don't agree with them. We treat them with kindness, we listen to their thoughts and feelings, and we value their opinions. You can have respect for others and you can have respect for yourself. Please talk with your child about respect and how they can demonstrate that characteristic in a school setting.

We will continue to use the Class Dojo app to support school and family communications. Your child's teacher will send you information on how to connect.

For the 2026 -2027 school year, we are delighted to announce that all students at our school will receive free school breakfast and lunches. We have been granted the opportunity to provide nutritious and delicious lunches to every student without any cost to families.

Pottsgrove School District’s food service provider, The Nutrition Group, is dedicated to offering a diverse and balanced menu, catering to various dietary needs and preferences. If your child has specific dietary requirements, allergies, or special considerations, please contact the school nurse. Students are also welcome to bring a packed lunch from home if that is their preference.

Please note: breakfast will be served on the first day of school.

We are excited to continue our partnership between the YMCA to offer the Before and After Care Enrichment Program to students at Lower Pottsgrove, Ringing Rocks, and West Pottsgrove Elementary Schools.

Program Overview:

The Before and After Care Enrichment Program is designed to support working families by providing a safe and enriching environment for children outside of regular school hours. This program aims to balance learning and fun, fostering social skills and building upon the curriculum taught in the classroom.

*The YMCA accepts ELRC funding as well as offers Financial Assistance if families need additional assistance for enrollment.

Program Hours:

The Before and After School Enrichment Program operates from 6:30 AM to the start of the school day, and from the end of the school day until 6:00 PM. This includes scheduled half days.

Registration and Contact Information:

Pottsgrove families can now register for the waitlist for the YMCA Before and After School Enrichment Program for the 2026 - 2027 school year. Once there is sufficient interest, the program will begin, and you will be contacted by the YMCA. To register, please contact the YMCA Connection Center at 215-220-9199. Please provide which Pottsgrove building your child will be attending and what program you need (before care only, before and after care, or after care only).

If you are interested in learning more about the Before and After Care Enrichment Program, please visit the Before and After School Care webpage.

26 - 27 Student Calendar

August 18 - Self guided tour, 2:00 - 4:00pm

August 19 - Kindergarten orientation, 9:30 - 11:00am

August 20 - Self guided tour, 4:00 - 6:00pm

August 26 - Chalk the Walk PTA event, 6:30pm

August 27 - First day of school

September 4 - No School

September 7 - No school, Labor Day

September 9 - PTA meeting, 6:00pm

September 9 - Back to School Night, 6:30-8:00pm