What's Howlin'

Hello WestPark Families,

Welcome to the start of an incredible new school year! I hope you all had a restful, fun-filled summer and are as excited as we are to kick off the year ahead. Our halls have been far too quiet, and we cannot wait to fill them again with the energy, laughter, and curiosity of our amazing students.

This year, our school community is rallying around an inspiring new theme: Leading the Pack, Lighting the Way. To us, this means setting a positive example, lifting each other up, and boldly stepping into the future as trailblazers and innovators.

This theme perfectly aligns with our core mission:

At WestPark we strive for continuous improvement to develop the skills necessary for all students to excel in a global society.

Whether it is through mastering new academic concepts, embracing new challenges, or learning to collaborate with others, we are dedicated to helping every single student light their own path to success.

To help bring our theme and mission to life, we are proud to continue our journey as a Leader in Me school. Based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this school-wide model helps students discover their unique strengths and teaches them essential life skills like goal-setting, time management, teamwork, and effective communication.

We firmly believe that every child has the potential to be a leader. Throughout the year, you will see your children taking ownership of their learning and finding their own voice. By practicing these habits daily, our students truly will be Leading the Pack and Lighting the Way for others. We encourage you to ask them about the 7 Habits at home—you might be surprised by how quickly they start teaching you how to "Synergize" or "Begin with the End in Mind!"

A strong partnership between home and school is the foundation of a successful year. We are so grateful for your continued support, involvement, and dedication to our school community. Together, we are going to make this a phenomenal year of growth, leadership, and achievement.

Please keep an eye out for upcoming calendar dates, including our Meet the Teacher night and first PTA meeting.

Welcome back, Wolf Pack! Let’s make it a great year.

Educationally yours,

Dr. Carino

WestPark Principal

Families want to learn more about Leader In Me! This month we are focusing on paradigms. Our paradigms are our beliefs. At WestPark we anchor into the 5 Core Paradigms that are part of the Leader In Me Framework. Learn more by reading below.

Parking Lot Safety: A Community Effort

With the excitement of a new school year comes a very busy parking lot! To ensure the safety of all our students, staff, and families during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup, please keep these essential safety tips in mind:

• Patience is Key: Expect a few delays, especially during the first couple of weeks. Please slow down and remain patient as everyone gets used to the routine.

• Stay in Your Vehicle in the Dropoff/Pickup Lane: The curbside lane is for immediate loading and unloading only. If your child needs help unbuckling or you need to exit your vehicle, please park in a designated parking space instead.

• Use the Crosswalks: Please never allow children to dart across lanes of traffic. Always use the marked crosswalks, and follow the directions of our staff and crossing guards.

• Ditch the Distractions: Keep your eyes on the road and off your phone. A split second of distraction can lead to a major accident.

• Pull All the Way Forward: When in the drop-off loop, please pull up as far as possible before letting your child out. This keeps traffic moving and prevents backups onto the main road.

Thank you for partnership in keeping WestPark a safe, welcoming place from the moment our students arrive until the moment they head home!

To ensure the safety and security of all our students, WestPark School will operate as a closed campus starting on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 6th. This means that once the school day begins at 7:30 AM, parents and visitors will not be permitted beyond the front office.

We kindly ask all parents to say their goodbyes to students at the front office. Our dedicated staff is ready to help make this a smooth transition for everyone!

• First-grade and New Students will be greeted by our Special Area staff, who will happily guide them to the playground.

We know that the first day of Kindergarten can be an emotional one! Kindergarten parents are warmly invited to join us for our special "Boo Hoo/Woo Hoo Breakfast" in room K-1 immediately after drop-off. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families and celebrate this new milestone.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all our WestPark students.

We're thrilled to introduce the newest members of our Wolf Pack! Each brings a unique set of skills and a passion for supporting our students. We know you'll enjoy getting to know them as they become an integral part of our community. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new staff! We would also like to share some staffing updates. Due to the failure of our override last year, we had to reduce our staff by four teaching positions.

New Staff:

5th Grade ELA/ Social Studies: Mrs. Shamblin

7th Grade ELA: Miss. Harris

Paraprofessional: Ms. Jackie

Paraprofessional: Ms. Lacey

Staff Changes:

1st Grade: Mrs. Carmen

Behavior Intervention Specialist: Ms. Barahona

Site Substitute: Ms. Peralta

We want to share an update about our Specials schedule for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, with the override not passing we had to reduce staffing positions by losing a Special Area teaching position. Mr. Walker will not be being return this school year. He had an opportunity to move back to New York to be closer to his family. Due to those two factors, we have eliminated Music from our Specials rotation. In place of Music, our students will continue to dive into all things digital in Technology with Mr. G!

Thank you for your flexibility and support as we work to provide a well-rounded experience for our students. We can't wait to see them thrive in their new rotations!

To maximize instructional time, schoolwide announcements will begin at 7:55 AM this year. Your students will have to sign into the office and receive a tardy pass if they are not in the office by 8:00 AM.

Morning:

First Bell rings at 7:30 AM- students are welcome to go out to recess or have breakfast in the cafeteria

Line Up Bell/ Teachers meet their students at 7:50 AM

Announcements Begin at 7:55 AM

Official Start Bell rings at 8:00 AM

Dismissal:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday @ 2:45 PM

Wednesday @ 12:00 PM

In response to recent legislation (Arizona House Bill 2164) and in alignment with National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requirements, outside food may no longer be brought to campus for classroom celebrations, birthdays, rewards, or other school-sponsored events.

What is NOT changing?

Students may continue to bring their own lunch and snacks from home for their personal daily consumption. This change applies only to food brought to school for sharing during celebrations, classroom parties, and similar events.

Why is this changing?

This requirement is the result of Arizona House Bill 2164 and supports:

• Compliance with state and federal nutrition guidelines

• Consistency across Arizona public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program

• Student health and wellness

• Increased safety for students with food allergies and dietary restrictions
  
  

Celebrating Students Still Matters

We understand how important birthdays, achievements, and classroom milestones are to our students and families. While food-based celebrations are no longer permitted, our schools remain committed to recognizing and celebrating students in meaningful ways.

We understand this may be a change for some families and appreciate your partnership and support as we implement this state requirement.

If you have questions, please contact the BESD Child Nutrition Department at (623) 925-3401.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environment for all students.

As we prepare to welcome our students back for the upcoming school year, we want to share an important update regarding campus safety and student transportation.

Because student safety is our highest priority, Buckeye Elementary School District strongly discourages students from using e-bikes, e-scooters, or other motorized vehicles to travel to and from school. With the growing popularity of these devices, we have updated our district practices to help ensure a safe environment on all campuses.

Please take a moment to review the new Electronic Bikes and E-Scooters section in the 2026–2027

Parent/Student Handbook as you plan your child's commute to school.

Students are not permitted to bring or store power-driven or electronic modes of transportation on campus, including but not limited to e-bikes, e-scooters, or other motorized vehicles.

These devices are not permitted on school property at any time, even if they are powered off. For safety reasons, the district also strongly discourages students from using these devices to travel to and from school.

Thank you for your partnership and cooperation in helping keep our school community safe. If you have any questions, please contact your school's office.

Our Parent-Student Handbook is your essential resource for navigating a successful and enriching school year. Inside, you'll find everything you need to know about our school's policies, procedures, academic expectations, extracurricular opportunities, and much more.

We've designed this handbook to be a comprehensive guide, helping you understand daily routines, communication channels, and how we work together to support your child's growth and learning. We encourage all families to take some time to review it.

Click the cover to the right to view the handbook on our district Website.

ParentVUE is an easy-to-use web portal designed to keep you in the loop with everything happening at school. As a parent or guardian, you can access real-time information about your child’s progress, including:

● Attendance Records & Letters: Track your child’s attendance and view any attendance-related letters that may be sent home.

● Report Cards: Get quick access to your child’s academic performance.

● Emergency Contacts & School Info: Stay updated with contact info and emergency details.

● Grade Book: Keep tabs on grades and progress throughout the year.

With just one login, you can easily manage information for all of your children across the entire Buckeye Elementary School District. Annual Enrollment Verification Each year, ParentVUE helps you verify your child’s enrollment information online, making the back-to-school process quicker and simpler.

To access ParentVUE, you'll need a username and password. These are created using a special Activation Key. If you don’t have your Activation Key yet, contact your child’s school office, and they’ll help you set it up.

For any questions or if you need assistance with ParentVUE, don’t hesitate to reach out to your our school office or email westpark@besd33.org

Access ParentVUE Here: ParentVUE Login or type in https://buckeye.apscc.org/PXP2_Login.aspX

We're excited to announce that our district will continue to be using ClassDojo as our primary communication platform for parent-teacher interactions! This user-friendly app and website will help us create a vibrant school community by making it easier than ever to connect with your child's teacher and stay updated on classroom activities.

With ClassDojo, you can expect:

• Direct Messaging: Easily send and receive private messages with your child's teacher.

• Classroom Stories: See photos and videos of what's happening in the classroom, giving you a wonderful window into your child's day.

• School-Wide Updates: Receive important announcements and reminders from the school administration.

• Automatic Translation: Messages can be automatically translated into over 35 languages, ensuring clear communication for all families.

Look for an invitation from your child's teacher soon to join their class on ClassDojo. We believe this tool will greatly enhance our partnership and help ensure a successful year for every student!

House Bill 2482 requires school districts to have policies that limit the use of wireless communication devices (including personal and school-provided devices) by students during the school day. Students may not use wireless communication devices during the school day. Wireless communication devices must be turned off and in a classroom cell phone/wireless communication locker for 5th-8th grade all day or in a backpack and turned off for K-4th grade students. All families are asked to sing off on our cell phone policy as acknowledgement. This will be sent home to families during back to school timeframe.

We’ve been hard at work keeping our community spaces beautiful, functional, and safe. We are thrilled to share that our latest maintenance projects are officially complete: brand-new premium turf and a top-of-the-line playground safety surface on our primary playground!

These upgrades aren't just a facelift—the new engineered surfacing provides superior cushioning to prevent injuries, while the fresh turf offers a durable, all-weather space for everyone to enjoy.

Monday, August 3rd: Meet the Teacher Night @ 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

Wednesday, August 5th: First Day of School!

Monday, September 7th: Labor Day- No School

Monday, September 21st: Staff Professional Development Day- No School

Monday, October 12th- Friday, October 16th: Fall Break- No School

Email: westpark@besd33.org
Website: westpark.besd33.org
Location: 2700 South 257th Drive, Buckeye, AZ, USA
Phone: (623) 435-3282