Cheetah Prints

Dear Thurston Families,

Happy March! As we inch our way toward spring (and maybe a little sunshine!), our school is buzzing with excitement. We’re wrapping up the second trimester, looking ahead to spring break at the end of the month, and enjoying all the growth we’ve seen in our students so far.

A huge thank-you to our classified staff as we celebrate Classified Appreciation Week during the first week of March. We are grateful every day for the work they do to keep our school running smoothly!

We also had our first round of music performances in February, and our 1st and 2nd graders set the bar high! This month, we look forward to cheering on our 3rd and 5th graders as they take the stage.

Here’s to a month of learning, budding energy, and maybe even a few signs of spring!

Warmly,

Ms. Mitchell

🗓️ March at a Glance

March 2–6 – Classified Appreciation Week (PTG hosted lunch on Thursday)

March 2 – Read-A-Thon Begins 📚
March 3 – Cheetah Gear Orders Open 🐆
March 5 – PTG Meeting, 6:00 PM
March 6 – Popcorn Day 🍿

March 12 – 3rd and 5th Grade Music Performances 🎶

March 12 - Spring Picture Day!
March 13 – Early Release Day

March 19 - Read-A-Thon prizes distributed

March 20 – Cheetah Gear Orders Due 🐆
March 20 – No School (Grading Day)

March 23–27 – Spring Break 🌷

We hope you'll join us at Killer Burger on March 12th! You don't need to bring the flyer but please do mention TES when ordering. 15% of sales will go directly to our Thurston Parent Teacher Group!

A huge thank you to all of the amazing adults who took time out of your Friday to play with our students at recess! Your presence makes such a difference.

So many students shared that Heroes of the Hallway is their favorite day of the month — and it’s easy to see why! We are so grateful for your time, energy, and commitment to building positive connections with our students.

Big smiles, new skills, and lots of pedaling! 🚲✨ Our kindergarten and first grade students learned how to ride bikes at school through the Learn to Ride program. We are so grateful to Safe Routes to School for making this amazing opportunity possible!

🎶 First & Second Grade Music Performances 🎶

Our primary students recently put on two fantastic performances!

First grade celebrated Farm Life in the most adorable way — dressed as dalmatians in honor of the 101st day of school! They did an amazing job singing, performing, and sharing their hard work with families.

Second grade took us on a camping adventure with their Camping-themed performance. From campfire fun to outdoor-inspired songs, students truly shined on stage. We are so proud of their confidence and enthusiasm!

Congratulations to our February Cheetah of the Month recipients! We are proud of the example they set for others!

We are incredibly proud of all of our students who participated in this year’s OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books)! 📚✨ We had a total of 16 teams compete and more than 70 students! Their dedication, teamwork, and love of reading truly shined throughout the competition.

Our final two battles were between Reading Rekkers and Books on Fire. Congratulations to both teams for making it to the final TES battle — what an amazing accomplishment!

Team Reading Rekkers will represent Thurston Elementary at the regional OBOB battle on March 14th at Thurston High School. We encourage everyone to come cheer them on and show your TES pride as they continue this exciting journey!

Congratulations to our Reading Rekkers! 📚 We are so proud of your hard work and can’t wait to cheer you on as you compete in the regional OBOB battles!

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing librarian, Mrs. Moon, and our wonderful parent volunteer, Megan Defferding, for organizing the battles, keeping everything running smoothly, and coaching our students every step of the way. We appreciate all you do to support our readers!

Oliver, Lauren, Portia, Allyson and Hannah

Our second graders rang in Chinese New Year on February 17th with creativity and celebration! Students learned about the traditions and significance of the holiday and proudly showcased the beautiful paper dragons they designed and crafted. It was a joyful way to explore culture, history, and art all in one exciting day! 🐉🎉

Our kindness chain has grown longer and longer each day! Students have been recognizing one another for thoughtful, helpful, and caring actions, and it has been incredible to see the many ways our students show kindness.

Each link represents a kind act — from helping a friend, to including others at recess, to using encouraging words in class. The chain quickly stretched across our space and is now filled with hundreds of examples of students lifting one another up.

We are so proud of our students for creating a culture where kindness matters and where positive actions are noticed and celebrated.

Thank you to our families, students, and staff for your generosity during our Fill the Bottle, Fill the Love diaper drive. Because of your kindness, we were able to support Lane County Diaper Bank and help ensure local families have access to essential diaper support. Students donated more than $220 dollars, 172 diapers and 1 package of wipes. Our heart display was filled with love, and so was our community!

None of our families will be surprised to hear that everything is going around....and around. We want to make sure you're informed about what symptoms should keep kids home and for how long. Visit our "When to Keep Your Student Home" webpage for a list of symptoms and a handy downloadable guide.

Please remember to tuck an extra set of clothes into your child’s backpack. Accidents happen, puddles are irresistible, and messy moments are part of learning and play! Having a spare outfit on hand helps us keep your child comfortable and ready for the rest of their day. Thank you for helping us be prepared!

Please note that there is no student supervision before 8:00 a.m. at Thurston Elementary.

For your child’s safety, do not drop students off before 8:00 a.m.

Students who arrive early and wish to wait for breakfast must be accompanied by an adult until supervision begins.

If your student walks or bikes to school, please help them plan their departure so that they arrive between 8:00 and 8:35 a.m.

Thank you for your support in helping us keep all students safe!

Springfield Public Schools is participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2025-26 school year. This means that all enrolled students of Springfield Public Schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge each day of the 2025-26 school year!

⏰ School Hours & Arrival Information

• School Hours: 8:35 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. daily

• Classroom Doors Open: 8:25 a.m.

• Breakfast Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.

• Attendance Taken: 9:00 a.m.

Late Arrivals:
If your child arrives after 8:35 a.m., please have them check in at the office before going to class.

To help keep everyone safe and traffic flowing smoothly, please follow these guidelines:

• Pull Forward: Always pull all the way forward before letting your child exit the vehicle.

• Keep Moving: As cars ahead move forward, please follow.

• Quick Goodbyes: Have your child ready to exit or enter quickly and safely.

• Stay in Your Vehicle: Staff will assist with loading, unloading, and directing students.

• If You Need to Exit: Park in a designated parking spot first.

• Be Patient: The first weeks are busiest—expect extra time in the drop-off/pick-up line.

• No Passing: Cones will be in place to prevent passing in the loading zone.

• Stay Alert: Watch for students walking or biking to and from school.

• Parents are welcome to walk or bike with their children.

• Designated drop-off/pick-up sites are located near the front and back of the school.

Please say goodbye or hello to your child at these sites and do not enter campus past these locations during arrival and dismissal.

Teachers will work with families to establish a “transportation home routine” for each student.

Important reminders:

• If your student’s transportation routine changes, please communicate these changes in writing or by phone.

• Do not send transportation changes through Seesaw, as teachers may not see messages in time.

• Without a note or phone call, your child will go home using their regular form of transportation.

• Student safety is our top priority. Clear communication helps ensure children arrive home safely.

District policies:

• Students not assigned to a bus are not allowed to ride a bus.

• Students may only ride the bus and route assigned by the district.

We love having parents, families and other guests in the school. If you are interested in volunteering, please use this link to fill out the district volunteer application. Once you have been approved through the system (good for two years), you will be able to sign up for volunteer opportunities in the school.

Thurston Elementary has an organized Parent Teacher Group (PTG) and all are welcome to join – no dues!

Please join our Thurston Elementary School Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already! We will be posting announcements and events on this page; this is a great and easy way to stay connected.