Romona Review: Back-to-School

Dear Romona Families,

The countdown is officially on! The 2026–2027 school year is right around the corner, and we can’t wait to team up with you for an unforgettable year filled with big smiles, new discoveries, and tons of growth.

This is your first Friday email of the year. Every week, we will share all the must-know news, upcoming events, and updates from both the school and the Romona PTA. Please visit the PTA website today to get involved!

We have a few new staff members joining our Romona team this year, including our new Assistant Principal, Joe Sloan. Check out our Staff Directory to learn a little more about Joe and the rest of our Mustangs!

Soak up these final summer days, sleep in a little extra, and get those backpacks ready. We’ll be waiting for you with high fives and warm smiles on Wednesday, August 19!

See you soon,

Cindy

Grades K-4 8:30-3:15 (2:15 dismissal on Friday)

LEEP: AM 8:45-11:05, PM 12:10-2:30

Please refer to this District 39 Calendars for information about days when we have no school. Please visit our Romona website for the online calendar which you can subscribe to if interested.

Kindergarten students will be having a meet & greet in the classroom with their teacher on this day. These events are intended to offer our young Mustangs a time to meet their teacher with their special adults. Please click here for the timing of the meet & greets.

LEEP will begin the following week. The meet & greet will be on August 25th and the first day for our preschoolers will be on Tuesday, August 26th. Please click here to see the LEEP calendar.

Our team has been working hard all summer getting ready for the start of school. Huge thanks to our custodial & maintenance teams, our office staff, and our technology team. Romona School is almost ready for our Mustangs!

Keeping our Mustangs safe during arrival & dismissal takes all of us working together! Please follow our guidelines and traffic patterns to make sure that everyone stays safe.

K-4 Arrival

All students can come in through the front door and will be supervised in the auditorium from 8:20-8:30. All students will go to their classrooms at 8:30 for our 8:35 start time. Please help us get all of our students into the building by 8:30 everyday!

Dismissal

Kindergarten:

• Kindergartners will meet their parents outside of the kindergarten doors.
• Bus riders will gather in the auditorium.

Grades 1-4:

• All Mustangs will exit out of the front doors at the end of the day. Please let your Mustang know where they should meet you (ie. in the car line or near the stop sign).
• Bus riders will gather in the auditorium.

You may have noticed the improvements the Village of Wilmette is making along Romona Road and directly in front of our school. While most of the project will be completed before school starts, the median won't get its fresh sod until later in the year. We appreciate your help reminding our Mustangs to stick to the paved walkways and stay off the dirt and mud!

Monday, August 17th

• New Family Orientation (5:30)

Wednesday, August 19th

• First Day of School
• 11:55 Dismissal for grades 1-4
• Meet & Greet for Kindergarten
• PTA Coffee

Thursday, August 20th

• First full day of school K-4 (8:30-3:15)

Friday, August 21st

• Early Dismissal (2:15)

Monday, August 24th

• LEEP Meet & Greet

Tuesday, August 25th

• First Day of School for LEEP

Thursday, September 3rd

• Picture Day
• Curriculum Night

Monday, September 7th

• No School: Labor Day

• Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP): Health Form
• Kindergarten: Health Form, Vision Form & Dental Form
  
• 2nd Grade: Dental Form
• New Students: Transfer records and/or Health Form & Vision Form if newly attending an Illinois school
• All Students: Medication Authorization Forms and/or Action Plans if applicable

Tuesday, August 18 | 3–5 PM

Join us as we brighten the sidewalks with cheerful messages and colorful art to welcome our Mustangs back to school! The Romona PTA will provide the chalk & you bring the creativity. All students and families are welcome!

Come say hello on the first day of school, after drop-off! The PTA Executive Board will be outside the Kindergarten main doors with coffee, conversation, and information about ways to get involved this year. We’d love to meet you!

District 39 believes inclusion plays a vital role in student growth. We are committed to providing a safe and equitable learning environment that fosters a mindset of empathy, respect, and belonging for all District 39 students and staff.

By respecting each person’s unique identity, perspective, and learning style, we create a stronger community. We honor differences including races and cultures, genders and sexualities, abilities and aspirations, identities and affiliations, socioeconomics and worldviews. Embracing diversity prepares our students to thrive in an increasingly complex global community.

If your Mustang is riding the bus, please make sure to attach their bus tag to their backpack. We also ask that you watch this video to review the expectations with your Mustang before the start of the year. We want our buses to be a place where all students are respectful, safe, and kind! Thank you!