Panther Update - 10.25.26

Greetings Panther Families,

This is a message from your proud principal, Mrs. Kinard, and the school leaders at Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary. We strongly encourage you to access the digital version of this announcement, available on our school website and social media. It contains additional important information that you and your students need to know.

Panther Families, we have an exciting week ahead at Koontz Elementary! This week, October 26–30, is Red Ribbon Week, and we are encouraging all of our Panthers to celebrate the importance of making healthy, safe, and positive choices!

Each day will feature a fun dress-up theme to remind our students that the choices they make today help shape their future. We hope every Panther will join in the fun while continuing to show their PAWS and make great choices! Here's what you need to know this week:

Red Ribbon Week – October 26–30 Let's celebrate healthy choices all week long!

• ❤️ Monday – RED-y to Make Good Choices!
• Wear RED to kick off Red Ribbon Week and show that you're ready to make healthy choices!
• 🎩 Tuesday – Hats Off to Healthy Choices!
• Wear your favorite hat as we celebrate making smart and healthy decisions!
• 🏈 Wednesday – Team Up for Healthy Choices!
• Wear your favorite team's jersey, shirt, or colors! Together, we can encourage one another to make positive choices.
• 🌙 Thursday – Follow Your Dreams, Make Healthy Choices!
• Wear your favorite school-appropriate pajamas!
• Important: No bedroom slippers or slipper-style shoes. All students must wear regular footwear to school.
• 🎃 Friday – BOO to Bad Choices!
• Wear orange and black, a Halloween shirt, or a school-appropriate costume as we wrap up Red Ribbon Week! Important: No costume masks, please.

Thank you, families, for helping your Panther participate in our spirit days! While dressing up is fun, the most important message of Red Ribbon Week is that healthy choices, kindness, and responsibility matter every day!

Report Cards – Wednesday, October 28

First-quarter report cards will be sent home on Wednesday, October 28.

Please take a few minutes to review your child's report card together. Celebrate their hard work, growth, and accomplishments, and talk about areas where they can continue to improve.

Remember, a report card is more than just grades. It is an opportunity to recognize progress, set goals, and encourage our Panthers to keep learning and growing! If you have questions or concerns about your child's academic progress, please reach out to your child's teacher. We are here to work together to support every Panther's success!

PAWS Up! Healthy Choices Start With Us!

Red Ribbon Week is a perfect opportunity to remind our Panthers that making good choices is something we practice every day at Koontz!

Let's continue to Show Our PAWS:

• P – Practice Respect ❤️

• A – Always Do Your Best ⭐

• W – Work Together 🤝

• S – Show Responsibility 🐾

Every Panther. Every Day. Show Your PAWS! 💙🐾

Ask Your Panther...

This week, take a few minutes to talk with your child about making healthy choices. Try asking:

• 🐾 What is one healthy choice you made today?

• 🐾 How can you help a friend make a good choice?

• 🐾 What does it mean to be a positive role model?

Thank you, Panther Families, for your continued partnership and support. Let's make Red Ribbon Week a fun and meaningful celebration while keeping our focus on learning, growing, and making positive choices! Let's have an AMAZING week, Panthers! MAKE TODAY MATTER! 💙🐾

Mrs. Kinard
Proud Principal, Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary

Koontz families, mark your calendars! Fall Picture Day is Monday, November 2. We’re sharing an early heads-up so you have time to pick out that special outfit and get your Panther camera-ready!

Bring those bright smiles—we can’t wait to capture them! ✨

What a wonderful time celebrating our Koontz community! A HUGE Panther THANK YOU to all of our students, families, and staff who came out to support our Fall Festival! It was great to see our Panther families coming together, enjoying time with one another, and making special memories!

We also want to extend a special THANK YOU to everyone who participated in and supported our Book Fair! 📚❤️ Your support helps us encourage a love of reading and reminds our students that books can open the door to endless possibilities!

We are so grateful for the continued support, involvement, and school spirit of our Panther families. Events like these remind us that Koontz is more than just a school—we are a FAMILY!

Thank you for showing up, supporting our school, and helping make Koontz a special place for our students!

Stronger Together! Panther Pride Every Day! 💙🐾

Hello, Panther Families! 💚💛

Our Panthers are continuing to show up, learn, and grow! For the week of October 19–23, 2026, our whole-school attendance rate was 92.72%! 🎉

Every school day is an opportunity for learning, building friendships, and achieving success! We appreciate our families for making attendance a priority and helping our Panthers arrive at school on time and ready to learn..

🍁 Let's keep working together to improve our attendance, one day at a time!

🐾 Be Present. Be Kind. Do Your Best. Make a Difference!

💚💛 Every Day Counts! Go Panthers! 🐾

Every child deserves to feel safe, respected, and ready to learn. Please remind your child to follow our PAWS expectations, keep their hands and feet to themselves, use kind words, and ask an adult for help when problems arise.

We do not tolerate bullying or fighting. RSS defines bullying as repeated, unwanted, aggressive behavior involving a real or perceived imbalance of power. Students who do not follow behavior expectations will receive appropriate consequences based on the RSS Student Code of Conduct.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep Koontz safe and positive for every Panther!