The Falcon News

Hello, Farwell Falcon Families!

As we welcome November, we are reminded of the importance of family, gratitude, and community. This is a wonderful time of year to appreciate the people around us and the many things we have to be thankful for. At Farwell, we are especially thankful for our amazing students, supportive families, and dedicated staff who make our school such a special place!

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Veterans

We are excited to welcome our veterans into Farwell for our upcoming Veterans Day Assembly! This special, student-led assembly will give our Falcons an opportunity to recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served our country.

We look forward to celebrating our veterans, thanking them for their service and sacrifices, and showing our students the importance of gratitude and respect. This is always a meaningful day for our Farwell community!

🏫 Attendance Matters — Every Day Counts!

Every school day is an opportunity for our Falcons to learn, grow, and connect with their teachers and classmates. Consistent attendance plays an important role in student success, and we appreciate your partnership in making sure your child is at school and ready to learn each day.

If your child is unable to attend school, please remember to call the Farwell office at (509) 465-6584 to report their absence. Keeping us informed helps us ensure all students are accounted for and safe.

🧥 Lost & Found — Let's Keep Our Falcons Warm!

With colder weather arriving, we are seeing our Lost & Found fill up with coats, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, and gloves!

We want all our Falcons to stay warm and comfortable as temperatures drop. Please encourage your child to check the Lost & Found for any missing items. Families are also welcome to stop by and take a look.

A helpful tip: Writing your child's name inside their coats and other winter gear makes it much easier for us to return lost items!

❤️💙 Thank You, Falcon Families!

November is a great reminder of how fortunate we are to be part of such a caring school community. Thank you for your continued support, for helping your children arrive at school ready to learn, and for making Farwell a place where every Falcon can soar!

Wishing all our families a wonderful start to November filled with gratitude, kindness, and time together.

Go Falcons! ❤️💙

Josh Van Cleef
Principal, Farwell Elementary

Come SOAR with Us! 🦅

*** ALL CALENDAR EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ***

The office at Farwell will be open from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, starting August 26th through the end of the school year. Please note that on our non school days, the office will be closed.

In-district new students can enroll online anytime through the buttons below. For potential non-resident students, please note that non-resident applications for 2026-27 will be available on June 1st.

We’re thrilled to share that all students at Farwell will receive FREE breakfast and lunch during the 2026–2027 school year! No forms, no fuss—just nutritious, delicious meals to help our kids stay energized, focused, and ready to learn.

Let’s make it a great year, full of full bellies and bright smiles! 🍎🥪🥛

Although school meals are free, students who bring a cold lunch and want milk must have funds in their meal accounts. Milk costs $0.65, and it's essential that students have money in their accounts if they wish to purchase it.

Dear Farwell Families,

At Farwell Elementary, we're committed to helping every Falcon SOAR — and that starts with strong systems of support for all students. Attached is a message from me, Principal Josh Van Cleef, sharing how our team uses the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to ensure every child receives the instruction, intervention, and enrichment they need to grow and thrive.

Whether your student needs a boost, a challenge, or just the right fit — MTSS is our framework to make that happen. We're excited about the year ahead and can’t wait to partner with you to support your child’s success.

Let’s make it a great year, together. Go Falcons!

Thank you
Josh Van Cleef
Principal, Farwell Elementary

November 2026

Strong Smells & Fragrances

We have some students and staff that are sensitive to strong scents/fragrances. Heavy fragrances may trigger respiratory distress or migraines in some individuals. We encourage our staff and students to please refrain from wearing strong scents/fragrances at school so we can maintain a healthy and safe learning environment. Many thanks!

Cold Weather & Keeping Kids Warm and Dry

As we head into this colder weather, wearing appropriate clothing for the weather is important to keep kids warm and dry. Please contact the school social worker if your child needs help with getting some warm winter clothing. I would encourage all parents to put a backup set of clothes in their child's backpack - that way your child can change into their own clothes if they slip in a puddle or have an accident. We do try to keep extra clothes in the health room - if you have gently used, clean sweatpants we accept donations.

Thank you,

Allison Cowart BSN, RN
Mead School District Nurse
E-mail: allison.cowart@mead354.org

Phone/Text: (509) 688-9130

Hi Families!

October flew by and now that we are moving into November, I will be working to ensure that families have support over the colder months and holidays.

Farewell staff and families have a tradition of helping where help is needed. I send out info to all families at the beginning of the year to learn who may need help. The info is treated very confidentially. From that info, I work to match families with organizations and groups to secure resources.

There are opportunities to help if you are so inclined. Classroom teachers will be gathering food for Thanksgiving for Farwell families and there will be a Tree of Sharing in the office at Farwell for Christmas. Conversely, if you are in need of help, please contact me. If I don't have the resources you need, I will work to find some way to assist you.

I am including a few resources that may be helpful to you or someone you know as we head into the colder months and the holidays:

Thanksgiving help: Second harvest has Tom's Turkey Drive again this year. If your family could use help with a Thanksgiving meal, sign up opens at 9am on November 4th- https://2-harvest.org/toms-turkey-drive-sign-up/

Energy Assistance- SNAP has energy assistance appointments available on the third Tuesday of each month. The next appointment is November 17th at 8am. If you need help with heating or utility costs, you can find information on how to apply here- https://www.snapwa.org/energy-assistance/

Christmas Bureau- The Spokane Christmas Bureau can help with grocery vouchers and holiday gifts for children. Families with children do not need to pre-register and can attend in person during the event dates. More information here- https://www.christmasbureauspokane.org/receive-assistance

Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns.

Take care,

Danett

Danett L. Margaris, LICSW

School Social Worker

Farwell Elementary

Mead School District

(509)465-6525

We’re excited to share that our new Farwell Elementary apparel store, TSA – Talons School Apparel – is now open year-round! You can order spirit wear anytime using the link below. You can also find the store link on the Farwell Elementary website. Show your school spirit and Go Falcons!

Dear Mead School District Families,

Did you know that you must register your student to ride the bus each year? We've got the 2026-27 bus registration information below so you can check off one task for the next school year before summer break begins.

It also helps Transportation Services plan their routes, drivers, and service for next year, so thank you in advance!

2026-27 Bus Registration Form - Registration form is required to be completed for each student within a household.

Please note that the Transportation Department will be in contact with route and stop location information in late August.

Transportation Resources

• Transportation Homepage
• Transportation FAQ

Questions? Please contact Transportation Services
Phone: 509-465-6107
Email: transportation@mead354.org

Mead needs YOU behind the wheel! We're on the lookout for dependable, caring, and community-minded individuals ready to roll with us.

✨ Perks include:

• Making a lasting impact on students’ lives

• Competitive pay & benefits

• Weekends, holidays & summers OFF

• No cubicle, just a front-row seat to the best view in town—our community!

If you or someone you know is ready to steer into a new opportunity, click the link below and apply today!
Let’s keep Farwell rolling strong!

FARWELL PTO is a great group of parent volunteers that help support our Farwell Community! The support of your student makes you a member of PTO. Join in and help support our school and the amazing things they are doing for our Farwell community!

Want to know more? Check out the link here: https://www.facebook.com/Farwell.Elementary.PTO

Email PTO if you would like: farwellpto@mead354.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Email: josh.vancleef@mead354.org

Address: 13005 N Crestline

Spokane, WA

99208

Phone Number: 1(509)465 - 6500