Whitewood Elementary

We are back in school for the 2025 -2026 school year. We hope you had a great summer break! Some important information:

• School begins at 8:00AM
• Dismissal is at 3:00PM
• School breakfast begins in the gym at 7:30AM
• Please call the office if your child will be absent
• Sign up for Remind to stay up to date on what is going on in your child's classroom
• The after school program will run from 3:00PM to 6:00PM this year

Please keep your child home from school if:

• They have a fever of 100.0*F or greater
• Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine
• It is recommended that your child stay home with vomiting/diarrhea if it occurs two or more times in 12 hours
• Please notify the school if your child has any known allergies or medical conditions

If you are new to our school please bring your child's birth certificate and immunization records to the office.

Our teachers use Remind as a form of communication with parents. It is a great way to get in contact with teachers for any questions relating your child in the classroom. Please call the school with questions about how to get the Remind App.

We’re excited to share that all of our teaching staff have returned for the new school year. Having a consistent team means your children will benefit from familiar faces, strong relationships, and continued momentum in their learning. Please welcome Marissa Boyd and Dixie Herweh to our team as paraprofessionals. Saige Heath is joining our after-school program.

Parents, we need your help! Please take a few minutes to complete a free/reduced lunch application. Even if you don’t qualify, every application helps our school receive important funding for programs that support all students.

https://www.meade.k12.sd.us/page/freereduced-meals

What do I know about my child's teacher?

The federal education law put in place by the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that all parents in a Title I school be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals instructing their child. You may also request information on the level of achievement and academic growth of the student, if applicable and available, on each of the State academic assessments. If you are interested in this information, you may send your request to the building principal who will provide a timely response.

More school information can be found in our student handbook:
https://meadeschooldistrictsd.sites.thrillshare.com/o/msd/page/school-handbooks-supplies

PreK - 2nd grade parents: please bring a side dish to share (chips, salad, etc)

3rd - 5th grade parents: please bring a dessert to share

The kindergarten, first and second grades will be visiting Reptile Gardens near Rapid City on Tuesday, September 9th. Please have your child wear tennis shoes and dress for the weather. A permission slip will be coming home with your child in the coming days.

The third, fourth and fifth grades will also be visiting Reptile Gardens on Thursday, September 11th. Please have your child wear tennis shoes and dress for the weather. A permission slip will be coming home with your child in the coming days.

Each month we will highlight one of our amazing staff. We start this year with Mr. Bruce, our custodian. Mr. Bruce keeps our building clean and tidy for our students and staff. We appreciate all he does for our school. To get to know him a little better, we asked him four questions:

Favorite Food? Shrimp Scampi

What is your favorite thing about your job at Whitewood Elementary? Keeping the building clean and seeing all the students.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Australia, I have been there and would go back!

What would be your super power? Playing video games all day.

Student Council will be presenting their speeches on Friday, September 5th at 8:30-9:00 and 9:00-9:30. Once members are chosen, dress up days for Homecoming Week will be announced!

The next PTO meeting will be September 8th at 3:10 in the staff lounge. We hope to see you there!!! If your child is a student at Whitewood Elementary they will have free access to the after school program during the meeting.

The Whitewood Library hosts story hour every Wednesday at 10:00AM.

Brit Porterfield, Principal

Email: lexi.ridley@k12.sd.us

Website: https://www.meade.k12.sd.us/whitewood-elementary/
Location: 603 Garfield Street, Whitewood, SD, USA
Phone: 605-269-2264