Eagle News - Aug. 24, 2026

Welcome to a New School Year!

We hope your summer was filled with moments of rest, fun, and time with family. Whether you traveled, enjoyed the sunshine, or simply relaxed at home, we hope you made some wonderful memories together. As summer comes to a close, we are excited to welcome our Eagles back for another amazing year of learning and growth!

Your welcome-back letter should arrive in the mail within the next few days. It includes important information about arrival and dismissal, bus stop times, and more. Please review all of the information carefully and make sure it is accurate. Having correct contact, transportation, and dismissal information is essential for your child’s safety. If any changes are needed, please call the school office at 971-983-3050 as soon as possible.

This week, our teachers and staff are participating in Inservice Week—learning, collaborating, and preparing our classrooms for an amazing year of growth and learning. We are excited to welcome our Eagles back and partner with families to make this a successful and memorable school year. We can’t wait to see you soon!

Here's to a year of learning, growth, and unforgettable moments.-Go Eagles! 💙💛🦅

With excitement and gratitude,

Alfredo Belanger – Principal
Antonio Ramos – Assistant Principal
📧 abelanger@woodburnsd.org | aramos@woodburnsd.org

What an amazing start to our kindergarteners’ school journey! 🎉 We are so proud of their courage, curiosity, and big smiles throughout Kinder Jumpstart. A heartfelt thank-you to our incredible staff and families for helping make it such a success. 💛 We look forward to a fantastic year ahead! 🌟

Thank you to all the families who joined us for Kinder Orientation last week. We shared important information to help students have a successful start to the school year, and families received their child’s welcome letter.

Please check your child’s welcome letter for their assigned kindergarten start date. If you were unable to attend orientation, the letter has been mailed and should arrive in your mailbox soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our front office at 971-983-3050.

Bring the whole family to meet your child’s teacher, connect with our Specialists (Music, Art, Counselor, and PE), and say hello to our Afterschool Program team. Come learn about the year ahead and see the classroom!

We're excited to begin the 26-27 school year with you all.

• The first day of school for 1st-5th grade students is Monday, 8/31.
• The first day of school for kinder students is in your Welcome Back letter.

Each day our students bring unique talents, perspectives, and energy that enrich our classrooms and strengthen our schools. We genuinely look forward to seeing them each day, and they are missed when they are absent. When students attend school regularly, they build strong learning habits, stay connected with their teachers and classmates, and are better prepared to achieve their full potential.

Families are our partners in supporting student success. By working together to ensure each student regularly comes to school, ready to learn, we can help every student make the most of their educational opportunities. Below is information to provide consistency and clarity on attendance expectations and procedures:

Excused Absence/Tardy

Woodburn School District only recognizes the following reasons as valid excuses for an absence:

• Student illness and/or illness in the student’s family

• Emergency

• Absences approved in advance (ie., religious holidays, funerals)

• Medical and dental appointments

Woodburn School District will not recognize the following excuses for an absence from school:

• Unexcused Absence/Tardy

• Oversleeping and/or Missing the bus or car malfunction

• Shopping/haircut appointments

• Birthdays, family visiting, or other celebrations

The Student-Parent Handbook is available online. It provides important information about school schedules, attendance, meals, transportation, health and safety, student rights, behavior expectations, district policies, and family resources.

Families and schools are important partners in student success. By reviewing the handbook and working together, we can create a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for every student.

If you would prefer a printed copy, please call the school office to request one.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to reminder our families to sign up for Flash Alert and receive the latest weather updates in our District!

If you would like automatic Woodburn School District notifications, you can register to receive email or cell text messages by clicking on this FlashAlert link.

You can also learn more about FlashAlert here on our website.

Remember: The new Flash Alert iOS and Android apps are now available! Please make sure you do the following to continue receiving Flash Alert Notices:

1. Delete the existing Flash Alert app from your mobile device
2. Go to your Android or Apple app Store and install the new app
3. Follow registration instructions

FlashAlert iOS app on the Apple App Store

FlashAlert Android app on the Google Play Store

We open our doors at 7:20 AM for all students. Please plan to arrive between 7:20–7:50 AM. During the first few days, arrival and dismissal may take a little longer as new families learn the routine—thank you for your patience!

Morning Drop-Off

• Drop-off is in the west parking lot by the gym entrance.

• Please stay inside your vehicle and say your goodbyes from there.

• Do not exit your car in the drop-off line—our staff will be on hand to assist students safely.

• Have your child ready to exit with their backpack and belongings in hand to keep the line moving smoothly.

Afternoon Pick-Up

• Dismissal is at 2:20 PM.

• Families must use the car line beginning at the gym doors.

• Please remain in your car—our staff will radio for your child, and we will bring them to you at a designated pick-up spot.

• Important: For safety, every student must be individually checked out before being released to a parent or guardian.

Students who walk to school may arrive from either the east or west side. Please remind your child to always use the sidewalk and stay alert for cars as they make their way to school. Staff members will be stationed outside to supervise and assist students during arrival.

At dismissal, walkers exit the school as a group and head east or west along Lincoln Street based on their home address. Kindergarten students must be accompanied by an adult and are not permitted to walk home alone.

Please help us prepare your child for their first day of riding the bus! Take time to practice with them:

• Memorizing their bus number

• Learning their phone number

• Learning their home address

During the first few weeks of school, all bus riders will wear name tags that include their bus number and stop. Kindergarten students will wear neon name tags all year with their bus number and stop information to help them get home safely.

Please be aware that morning and afternoon buses may run late during the first week or two as students and drivers adjust to new routines. To support a smooth start, school staff will ride the buses during the first two weeks.

Important for Kindergarten Families:

• In the afternoons, kindergarten students riding the bus home must be met by an adult at the bus stop, unless accompanied by an older sibling.

• If no adult is present, your child will be returned to the school, and we will contact you to pick them up.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure a safe and smooth start to the school year!

Whether students walk, ride their bicycle, or drive to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are a few safety tips to share with your family.

Want to get involved? Help supervise lunch, read to students, chaperone a field trip and more. To get signed up, click on the QR code or click on the button below to go to the webpage.

WSD Volunteer Webpage

All children need healthy meals to help them learn. The Woodburn School District Nutrition Services offers students delicious, healthy, nutrient-rich meals every school day for both Breakfast and Lunch at no charge to students.

Click the link to MenuLogic for Washington's upcoming breakfast and lunch menu. You can also print out the menu for the month.

We are proud to provide all the school supplies your child will need this school year! The only items we ask families to send are a backpack and, if you’d like, a water bottle. Since many backpacks and bottles can look alike, we recommend labeling them with your child’s name.

If you need assistance with getting a backpack, please reach out to us at (971)-983-3050 or stop by our office and we’ll be happy to provide one for your child.

• Monday, 8/31 - First day of school for all 1st-5th
• Monday, 8/31 - Staggered start for kinder begins (group 1)
• Tuesday, 9/1 - Staggered start for kinder continues (group 2)
  
• Wednesday, 9/2 - All Kinder students
• Thursday, 9/3 - Back to school night/Open house
• Monday, 9/7 - Labor Day - School is closed

Want to keep up to date? Check out out WSD Event Calendar

To make communication easier, our Smore newsletters has included an in-browser translation feature. Instead of sending two editions, English and Spanish, families can simply select their preferred language directly in the browser to view the newsletter in real time. We hope this makes staying connected even more convenient for everyone! If you have any question about anything on the newsletter please give our office a call.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to us! You can reach administrators by email at Abelanger@woodburnsd.org or Aramos@woodburnsd.org or by phone at (971) 983-3050, or by clicking on the "Contact" button at the bottom of the newsletter. We'd love to hear from you!

Home of the Eagles

Email: Abelanger@woodburnsd.org & Aramos@woodburnsd.org

Website: http://washington.woodburnsd.org/

Location: Washington Elementary School, East Lincoln Street, Woodburn, OR, USA

Phone: (971) 983-3050

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodburnWashingtonElementary