Stinger Stories

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear West Side Families,

It has been a busy week of learning and field trip adventures at West Side! Next week, Marietta City Schools will be on Fall Break. I hope your family is able to take this time to rest and recharge before moving into the busy month of October. These childhood years are fleeting. Soak up some extra days at home with your precious children.

When we return from Fall Break, there are several important and special events for our school community - mark your calendars for these events you do not want to miss!

10/9 - Fall Picture Day
10/12-10/17 - Conference Week
10/17 - Marietta Homecoming!
10/22 - West Side Fall Festival

We will have several school-wide assembly program including SOAR Bus Safety programs (9/30-10/1), a Hispanic Heritage Month program (9/30) and Blooper, the Braves mascot, visiting West Side (10/23).

Our West Side staff looks forward to welcoming all students back to school on Monday, September 28th. As always, if there is anything I can do to better serve or support your child please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for entrusting the West Side staff with your child's elementary school years. There's no place like West Side!

Warm regards,

Christina

Christina Wagoner, Ed.D.

Principal

HAPPENINGS IN THE HIVE

Fall Gifted Testing

Fall Gifted Testing will begin the week of October 23, 2026. Students are referred for gifted testing based on academic achievement. Parents can make a direct parent referral for their child to complete gifted testing. Direct parent referrals are due to our gifted lead teacher, Mrs. Sarah Smith, by September 30th. The parent referral form can be accessed that the link here.

Fall Picture Day, 10/9

Fall Conference Week, 10/12-10/17

To promote strong home-school communication, Marietta City Schools designates one week during the year for parent-teacher conferences. Fall conferences will be held during the week of October 12-16, 2026. During conference week, all students will be dismissed at 1:10 PM. Please read the conference week reminders below!

Parent-2-Parent, 10/14

Hard work & Honey in the Hive

Welcome Back, 5th Grade!

Our 5th grade students, staff, and chaperones had a wonderful two-night trip to Camp Blue Ridge in Tococca, GA. Full hearts, memories made, and tired eyes!

FROM THE WEST SIDE PTA

THANK YOU FROM THE PTA!

Wow! Thank you so much for your support! Thanks to your generosity, we have EXCEEDED our Direct Donation goal!

West Side Elementary School PTA 2026-2027 Executive Board

Co-Presidents: Sarah Allen and Meghan Daniel

Co-Vice Presidents: Whitney Curtis and Mandi Nyman

Treasurer: Grayson Brooks

Secretary: Rachael Brunelle

Parliamentarian: Amanda Hall

Legacy Project Update

We are well on our way to breaking ground on the new West Side Kitchen Garden this fall! Be on the lookout for more exciting updates in the months to come! If you have not yet had the chance to support this project, you can make your Direct Donation in our Givebacks store! This year, individuals who donate $500 or more will be recognized on the West Side Kitchen Garden donor plaque.

MAKE YOUR DIRECT DONATION HERE

GrandPals Day, Thank you!

Thank you to all our Grandpals for joining us at Grandpal’s Day last Friday! We had a great time seeing everyone’s special friends and we hope your Stinger enjoyed spending time with their loved ones! Special thank you to Courtney Conway and Lauren Hardy and their Grandpals Day Committee for making this event so memorable!

Winter Spirit Wear Pre-Order

Winter spirit wear is back online in our Givebacks store! Pre-orders will be open until Wednesday, September 30th, so be sure to place your order now! These items are pre-sale only and will not be available to purchase after the pre-sale window closes. Hoodies and crewnecks will be delivered to your child’s classroom the week of October 19th.

Waffle House Spirit Night, 10/7

Mark your calendars for Waffle House Spirit Night on Wednesday, October 7th from 5 to 8:30 p.m. where 20% of all proceeds will be donated to West Side!

Fall Festival, 10/22

Save the date for West Side’s biggest annual fundraiser–the West Side Fall Festival–set for Thursday, October 22nd from 5 to 7 p.m.. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon!

PTA Reflections, 10/23

Share your talents this year in the PTA Reflections competition! Entries are due by 10/23. Find out more below!

CORPORATE SPONSORS

If you or someone you know has a business in our community and you are interested in supporting the West Side Elementary PTA as a Corporate Sponsor, we would love the chance to talk with you! This year, Corporate Sponsors who donate $2,500 or more will also be recognized on the West Side Kitchen Garden sponsor plaque. For more information about becoming a Corporate Sponsor, please email us at westsideelementarystinger@gmail.com Your generosity will benefit generations of children in our community!

We are so grateful for our 2026-2027 Corporate Sponsors who have already come on board: Due West Orthodontics, Planted Garden Co., Pinnacle Leasing and Management, Marietta Dental Associates, Suncatcher of Atlanta, Talmond Films, Brasfield and Gorrie, Pizza Law Offices, Narwhal Capital Management, W. Brooks Construction and Smith, Tumlin, McCurley and Patrick P.C.

SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS

If you have an item that you would like to donate to the West Side Silent Auction, please email auction.westside@gmail.com

AROUND MARIETTA

Conference Week ASP

During Conference Week, October 12-16, school will be dismissed at 1:15 PM. During this week, the After School Program (ASP) will be available to support your family's needs, however, it requires separate registration, even if your student is already enrolled in traditional ASP. The fee for the week is $75, regardless of the number of days your student attends.

To secure your spot, please register your student as soon as possible. Registration is now open and can be completed at the following link: ASP for Conference Week Registration.

We look forward to having your student attend ASP during Conference Week!