"Knightly" News

Dear Washington Street Elementary Families,

Welcome back! What a wonderful first week we had! From finding lockers and learning new routines to meeting new friends and settling into classrooms, our school was filled with excitement, smiles, and so many special moments. It has been a joy welcoming our students back!

Washington Street Elementary is such a special place, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful students, families, and staff who make WSE a great school. We are looking forward to an amazing year filled with learning, growth, friendships, and plenty of fun along the way!

Each week, you will receive the Washington Street Elementary Weekly Newsletter with important updates, upcoming events, reminders, and other helpful information. Please be sure to check your email at the end of each week so you can stay connected with all that is happening at WSE.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are so excited for the year ahead and grateful to have you as part of our WSE family!

Warmly,
Mrs. Knight

• 21: No School
• 28: No School

September

• 4: No School
• 7: Labor Day, No School
• 9: 1st Delayed Start
• 11: Mileage Club Kick-off!
• 14: PTO & Annual Title I Meeting, WSE Media Center - 3:00 pm
• 18: Homecoming Parade - 5:45 pm
• 24: Fall Fest
• 29: Picture Day

⏰ Timing

• Doors open at 8:20 a.m.
  Students must remain in vehicles until that time.

🚗 Drop-Off Zone (In Front of the Building)

• Pull all the way forward to the stop sign to help keep traffic off Garfield Street.

• Students must exit on the curbside only — never on the traffic side.

• Parents should stay in their vehicles when using the drop-off zone.

🅿️ Parking Option

• If you need to visit the office or prefer to walk your child, please park by the playground and use the sidewalk to walk them to the overhang area.

• You may help your child out of the car if parked in the playground lot.

🛑 Safety Reminders

• Drive slowly and remain alert at all times.

• Staff members will be present to help students get safely to their classrooms.

🚗 Traffic Flow & Entry

• All vehicles must enter the pick-up area from Garfield Street.

• Washington Street will be EXIT ONLY during dismissal/pick-up times.

• Please drive slowly and stay alert for the safety of all students and staff.

📍 Pick-Up Locations by Grade

• Grades 2–5 will be picked up in front of the building near the main entrance:

  • 5th Grade – Farthest west

  • 4th Grade – Middle

  • 2nd & 3rd Grades – Under the overhang

• Y5s, K & 1st Grade students will be picked up on the east side of the building in the designated drive-thru lane (morning drop-off parking).

• If you are picking up multiple children, you will pick up all children at the location of your youngest child. Staff will help group siblings together during the first week.

🚙 Lane Guidelines

• 2nd–5th Grade Parents – Use the OUTSIDE lane only.

• Y5s, K & 1st Grade Parents – May use the INSIDE lane to access the turning lane.

• Do not enter this lane until after passing the Otsego Middle School parking lot.

• Only one lane of traffic is allowed before the OMS lot to keep the road clear for emergencies.

We believe this process prioritizes student safety and allows staff to verify who each student is leaving with each day. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work together to ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for everyone.

If your child is absent and the absence is unexcused, you will receive an automated phone call reminding you to report the absence. Please remember to report your child’s absence, before 9am, by calling our attendance line at (269) 694-7880.

Summer’s long and sunny days are coming to a close, and school has started! Here are some tips to help make the transition back to school easier:

• Reset Your Family Schedule - We love the opportunity to be more relaxed with bedtimes and wake-up times in the summer. However, it is important to get back to a healthy sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime and wake-up time that allows for enough sleep.

• Discuss Routines - Children thrive when they can explore their decision-making skills. They also have great ideas! Have a conversation with your child about what they think their daily routine should look like on a school day. What will be the first thing they do when they wake up? What will they be in charge of? Now that they are moving on to the next grade, are there any new responsibilities they’d like to tackle? What should be the after-school routine? When should they set time aside for homework/reading?

• Create a Checklist - Now that you’ve talked through a routine, make it into a checklist! A checklist for the school day can help keep children on track as they move through their mornings and afternoons. Add responsibilities like making the bed, brushing your teeth, etc.

• Plan Something to Look Forward to - The back-to-school transition can be challenging. Plan a fun activity on the weekend or after school to look forward to. Simple activities such as going to the park, going for a walk, and making a fun craft are a good way to wind down after a long day/week.

• Talk About It - Ask questions about their school day, but keep it positive. When you keep it positive, they will have more of a positive attitude about school. What was the best thing about your day? What was a fun activity you did?

A BIG thank you to the OPS Foundation for generously providing t-shirts for all of our incoming kindergarteners! What a fun way to welcome our newest Bulldogs to the OPS family! 🐾

🍂 Save the date! Join us for WSE’s Fall Festival on Thursday, Sept. 24th — FREE hayrides, games, dinner & more! 🧡

Good news! Once again, breakfast and lunch will be FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS for the 2026-27 school year! However, it is still vital that you fill out the Educational Benefits Form on our website (formerly the Free & Reduced Meal Application) because it is tied to more than school lunches.

If you qualify, you could receive discounts on internet service, school Chromebook insurance fees, testing fees, Summer EBT and more! It also determines a portion of federal funding for our district. It's a quick form to fill out - you only complete one per family.

To complete the Educational Benefits Form or add money to your child’s account, go to: www.otsegops.org/departments/food-service.

Calling all runners! Elementary Cross Country is open to students in 3rd–5th grade! Practices will be held Mondays and Wednesdays after school, with pickup in the bus loop at 4:45 p.m.

Come build endurance, make new friends, and have some fun along the way. We’d love to see our Bulldogs lace up their running shoes and join the team!

We're excited to offer a fun and energetic volleyball program for girls in grades 3–6. Whether your child is new to the game or already has some experience, Spikers Volleyball focuses on building skills, teamwork, and a love for the game.

Planning to cheer on our Otsego Bulldogs this year? 🐾 OPS Home Event Passes/Punch Cards are now available and can be used for regular-season home athletic events! 💙💛

Get your Wolverine Conference Student ONLY Pass today, good for all Otsego HOME games and all Wolverine Conference AWAY games (regular season). The purchase window is now open and closes on September 18th. You will need your student ID number as a passcode to buy tickets.

Young 5s

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

Attendance Line: (269)694-7880

WSE BASE: (269)694-7835

Email: jknight@otsegops.org
Website: http://wse.otsegops.org/
Location: 538 Washington Street, Otsego, MI, United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wseparents/?rf=371830666323356