Gator Playbook

We have lots of exciting events coming up, and we hope you’ll mark your calendars and join us:

• Thursday, August 20: Title I Annual Meeting at 5:30 p.m. & Open House at 6:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 25: School Advisory Council at 4:30 p.m. & PTA Meeting at 5:30 p.m.
• Friday, September 11: Back to School Dance (rescheduled from the original date)

We look forward to seeing our families at these upcoming events and continuing to build a strong school community together!

A very special thank you to our amazing PTA for purchasing West Riverside polo shirts for all of our staff! Our team is thrilled to show their school spirit, and we are so grateful for the PTA’s continued generosity and support. We truly appreciate everything you do to make West Riverside an even more wonderful place for our students and staff!

Here’s to another fantastic week ahead!

Great attendance leads to great academic success. The opposite is also true. If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills. Research shows that:

• Children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade.
  

• Missing 10% -- or about 2 days each month -- over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
  

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

Florida State statutes require all students of compulsory age to attend school regularly. Parents of these students are held responsible for ensuring their child's attendance.

Absences that are not considered excused include but are not limited to:

• Vacations

• Personal transportation issues

• Tiredness

• Illness of parent or other family member

Students returning from an absence shall be required to present a written excuse from their parents or legal guardian stating the cause of the absence. The following causes are acceptable excuses for being absent:

• Illness or injury of the student

• Participation in therapy services

• Serious illness or death in the student's family

• Inclement weather

• Official religious holiday

• Insurmountable conditions as determined by the school principal

• District bus failure

• School-related activity as determined by the principal

Parents are expected to provide a note to their child’s school within two days of their return. This note should include:

• Date of absence(s),

• Full name of the student

• Reason for the absence

• Daytime telephone number of parent/guardian

These notes can be submitted in writing, via email, or through other documented and verifiable means.

Students who miss 5 days within a calendar month or 10 days in a 90-day period are considered truant by the Duval County Public School District. These students and their parents/guardians may face consequences which can include referral to the State Attorney's Office.

Retrieved from: Attendance Services | Duval County Public Schools

Thank you for your patience and support during dismissal this week. We understand that weather conditions can change quickly, and we are reviewing our procedures to ensure the safety of our students and families.
Moving forward, if severe weather, including lightning, is present during dismissal, students will remain safely inside the building until the lightning has passed.
If you need to check out your child during a weather-related delay, you may come into the lobby of the building. You will need to present a valid photo ID in order to retrieve your child.
When severe weather impacts dismissal, families will receive a real-time notification letting you know that students are being held inside until it is safe to resume dismissal. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these situations.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe. We appreciate your flexibility and continued partnership as we work to make dismissal as safe and efficient as possible.

Don't forget to download the PikMyKid dismissal app. Students are dismissed via this app daily. Parents/guardians must have a DCPS Parent Account in order to use PikMyKid. If you need assistance in creating a DCPS Parent Account, please contact Mrs. Mann-Harvey in the main office.

Bus Registration is Open!

If your child will be riding the school bus during the 2026–2027 school year, now is the time to register! All students, including returning riders, must register for transportation each school year through your Parent FOCUS Account.

Registering early helps ensure your child's transportation is ready for the first day of school.

Register here:

https://dcps.duvalschools.org/page/bus-registration

Registration for the 2026–2027 DCPS Extended Day Program opens Monday, July 13 at 8:00 a.m.

If your child will need before or after school care, we encourage you to register as soon as registration opens. Programs fill quickly, and space is limited.

https://dcps.duvalschools.org/page/extended-day

We are enrolling! We have open seats in third, fourth, and fifth grade! For more information, contact the school at 904-381-3900, or the DCPS Enrollment Office at 904-390-2082.

Keep our school safe! To report suspicious or dangerous activity, go to getfortifyfl.com.

Principal: Amber McCormick

Email: stillsona@duvalschools.org

Assistant Principal: Kiana McAlister

Email: mcalisterk@duvalschools.org
Website: https://www.duvalschools.org/o/wres
Location: 2801 Hershel Street, Jacksonville, FL 32205
Phone: 904-381-3900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRESJacksonville