Eagle News - Aug. 31, 2026
First week of School
Dear Washington Elementary Families,
Welcome to a New School Year!
Our halls came alive with students, parents, and staff returning to the school day routine. The familiar hum of energy filled every corridor as old friends greeted each other with warm hugs, teachers welcomed new faces at their classroom doors, and parents exchanged encouraging words before saying their goodbyes. What a great way to start the new school year.
Parents, when your child walks through the door at the end of the school day, one of the most powerful tools you have to support their learning and well-being is a simple conversation. Asking specific questions about their day does much more than help you stay informed—it sends a clear message that their experiences, thoughts, and feelings matter. When children regularly reflect on what they learned, who they interacted with, or how they solved a challenge, it strengthens their sense of belonging and helps connect their classroom life with home.
Even short, daily check-ins make a lasting difference. To help start those meaningful conversations, we will be sharing a quick, one-question poll in our newsletter each week over the next 10 weeks. We encourage you to ask your child the question of the week and share your answer in our poll so we can continue building a supportive, connected school community together.
Thank you for your partnership in making this a wonderful school year! Go Eagles!
With excitement and gratitude,
Alfredo Belanger – Principal
Antonio Ramos – Assistant Principal
📧 abelanger@woodburnsd.org | aramos@woodburnsd.org
Save the date: Back-to-School Night — Thursday, September 3rd, 2026
You’ll also have the chance to meet our specialists in Music, Art, Counseling, and PE, as well as say hello to our Afterschool Program team and SMART Reader's Coordinator. We look forward to welcoming your family and starting a wonderful school year together!
Student, staff, and community safety is a District priority. Your involvement is instrumental in helping us keep our schools safe. Thank you for your partnership as we strive to make our schools a safe place for all. Thank you for looking out for each other. If you have information that you would like to share, you can contact your school directly using the information above, or you can use the SafeOregon tip-line. SafeOregon gives kids, parents, schools, and their communities a way to report safety threats or potential acts of violence. Tips can be submitted in a variety of ways:
- Contact your school directly
- Web Portal - www.safeoregon.com/report-a-tip/
- Download the mobile app in your app store
- Call or text - 1-844-472-3367
Please remember, if you see or hear something, say something.
The Student-Parent Handbook is available online. It provides important information about school schedules, attendance, meals, transportation, health and safety, student rights, behavior expectations, district policies, and family resources.
Families and schools are important partners in student success. By reviewing the handbook and working together, we can create a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for every student.
If you would prefer a printed copy, please call the school office to request one.
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to reminder our families to sign up for Flash Alert and receive the latest weather updates in our District!
If you would like automatic Woodburn School District notifications, you can register to receive email or cell text messages by clicking on this FlashAlert link.
You can also learn more about FlashAlert here on our website.
Remember: The new Flash Alert iOS and Android apps are now available! Please make sure you do the following to continue receiving Flash Alert Notices:
- Delete the existing Flash Alert app from your mobile device
- Go to your Android or Apple app Store and install the new app
- Follow registration instructions
We open our doors at 7:20 AM for all students. Please plan to arrive between 7:20–7:50 AM. During the first few days, arrival and dismissal may take a little longer as new families learn the routine—thank you for your patience!
Morning Drop-Off
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Drop-off is in the west parking lot by the gym entrance.
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Please stay inside your vehicle and say your goodbyes from there.
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Do not exit your car in the drop-off line—our staff will be on hand to assist students safely.
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Have your child ready to exit with their backpack and belongings in hand to keep the line moving smoothly.
Afternoon Pick-Up
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Dismissal is at 2:20 PM.
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Families must use the car line beginning at the gym doors.
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Please remain in your car—our staff will radio for your child, and we will bring them to you at a designated pick-up spot.
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Important: For safety, every student must be individually checked out before being released to a parent or guardian.
Students who walk to school may arrive from either the east or west side. Please remind your child to always use the sidewalk and stay alert for cars as they make their way to school. Staff members will be stationed outside to supervise and assist students during arrival.
At dismissal, walkers exit the school as a group and head east or west along Lincoln Street based on their home address. Kindergarten students must be accompanied by an adult and are not permitted to walk home alone.
Please help us prepare your child for their first day of riding the bus! Take time to practice with them:
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Memorizing their bus number
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Learning their phone number
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Learning their home address
During the first few weeks of school, all bus riders will wear name tags that include their bus number and stop. Kindergarten students will wear neon name tags all year with their bus number and stop information to help them get home safely.
Please be aware that morning and afternoon buses may run late during the first week or two as students and drivers adjust to new routines. To support a smooth start, school staff will ride the buses during the first two weeks.
Important for Kindergarten Families:
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In the afternoons, kindergarten students riding the bus home must be met by an adult at the bus stop, unless accompanied by an older sibling.
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If no adult is present, your child will be returned to the school, and we will contact you to pick them up.
Thank you for partnering with us to ensure a safe and smooth start to the school year!
Want to get involved? Help supervise lunch, read to students, chaperone a field trip and more. To get signed up, click on the QR code or click on the button below to go to the webpage.
All children need healthy meals to help them learn. The Woodburn School District Nutrition Services offers students delicious, healthy, nutrient-rich meals every school day for both Breakfast and Lunch at no charge to students.
Click the link to MenuLogic for Washington's upcoming breakfast and lunch menu. You can also print out the menu for the month.
- Monday, 8/31 - First day of school for all 1st-5th
- Monday, 8/31 - Staggered start for kinder begins (group 1)
- Tuesday, 9/1 - Staggered start for kinder continues (group 2)
- Wednesday, 9/2 - All Kinder students
- Thursday, 9/3 - Back to school night/Open house
- Monday, 9/7 - Labor Day - School is closed
Want to keep up to date? Check out out WSD Event Calendar
To make communication easier, our Smore newsletters has included an in-browser translation feature. Instead of sending two editions, English and Spanish, families can simply select their preferred language directly in the browser to view the newsletter in real time. We hope this makes staying connected even more convenient for everyone! If you have any question about anything on the newsletter please give our office a call.
Washington Elementary School
Home of the Eagles
Email: Abelanger@woodburnsd.org & Aramos@woodburnsd.org
Website: http://washington.woodburnsd.org/
Location: Washington Elementary School, East Lincoln Street, Woodburn, OR, USA
Phone: (971) 983-3050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodburnWashingtonElementary