PRINCIPAL UPDATE

Homeroom teacher assignments were emailed out today. If you did not receive your student's homeroom teacher assignment, please email Susan Mura (smura@op97.org).

On the first day of school, our staff will be outside early to greet students, but below you will find a map that outlines where each grade level lines up.

Please note that Ms. Chinn's kindergarten and Mr. Sakellaris' third grade do not line up with the rest of their grade level.

GENERAL EDUCATION BUS: Students who live on the north side of 290 are eligible for bus transportation. Here is a link to the approximate times of the bus schedule. The bus will drop students off right in front of the school. The first few days we will have staff helping students get off the bus and to their line up spot.

SPECIAL EDUCATION BUS: Students who qualify for transportation through their IEP will receive a call from Lakeview regarding their individual bus pick-up time. It takes a couple of days for the bus company to work out the exact timing of routes. Staff will greet all our special education buses and escort students inside or to their class line.

NOTE: If a student riding the bus needs breakfast, the breakfast will be open for them.

School starts next Wed 8/23 and the PTO will be at school right after drop off with donuts and coffee to start the school year off on a great note! Please plan to stick around and join us in two different locations: on the blacktop and in near the main entrance!

We are very fortunate at Irving to have a full time nurse, Nurse Jamie. She will be at Irving Monday and Tuesday form 3-5pm for families who need to drop off medications or medical supplies. If you have questions about medications being given at school and/or would like to schedule a different time, please send her an email jpeterson@op97.org.

Cell phones & mobile devices (including apple watches) are not to be used during school hours. This includes calling parents/guardians due to illness, requesting items to be dropped off, etc.

• Students can ask a teacher to use the classroom phone or the phone in the main office if needed.

• Parents can call the main office to relay any urgent messages.

Cell phones and mobile devices (including apple watches) are to be turned off upon entering the school building and not used until the dismissal bell rings. Our School Board Policy 7:190 - Student Behavior, Prohibited Student Conduct, #5, addresses cell phones during the school day. Also, Board Policy AP5 - Administrative Procedures - Electronic Devices provides guidance.

More Information regarding practices and procedures at Irving can be found here.

The district uses the email notification system BrightArrow to communicate with families via email and phone calls. We encourage you to add 855-994-4242 to the contacts on your phone. This is the number that will appear on your caller ID when either the schools or district make calls using BrightArrow.

The district also sends periodic text notifications from the short code phone numbers 79041 and 87569. You may opt-in to text messages from your school at any time by sending YES to these numbers. You must have your phone number on file with your child's school to receive text messages. Once you opt-in, BrightArrow will send you a confirmation that your phone number is opted-in.

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2023-24 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3DZ7dda to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips. We appreciate your support of this important initiative!

Please refer to the School Supply Lists when purchasing back to school supplies. When it states headphones or headsets, all our K-5th grade students will have iPads so the headphones need to be compatible with an iPad (and not earbuds). They should be the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

NOTE: If families ordered school supply kits through the PTO to be delivered to school, these will be at the students classroom on the first day of school.

In the beginning of the school year, homeroom teachers will share information regarding a individualized classroom daily schedules. In the meantime, we wanted to share some building wide schedule information.

ARRIVAL & BREAKFAST

School starts at 8am each morning with reminder bells to line up ringing at 7:55 and 7:57. We have staff supervision outside starting at 7:45 each morning.

Students are welcome to join us for breakfast starting at 7:15. They enter through lunchroom doors, which are on the south west corner of the school.

DISMISSAL

Students are dismissed each day at 3pm, except on Wednesdays when dismissal is at 2:30pm.

LUNCH

Students have 55 minutes for lunch and lunch recess. Please see the lunch schedule by grade level below.

District 97's breakfast/lunch menus and free and reduced lunch application for the 2023-24 school year are now available on the district website and school websites. Families should receive an email regarding school meals from the district today (Friday August 18th).

As a reminder, we have created a central location for important back-to-school updates and documents: https://www.op97.org/back-to-school.

District 97 has updated the Student-Family Handbook for 2023-24. It contains important information regarding school policies, procedures, guidelines, student rights and responsibilities, and notifications required by state and federal law.

The purpose of this handbook is to outline for students, families and staff the expectations for building an educational community where everyone feels safe, included and able to learn. Having shared expectations, procedures and policies helps us respect all members of the school community in which we learn and work every day. Please take the time to read through the handbook and review it with your child.

The district is currently accepting fee payments for the 2023-24 school year. Full payment is due by September 30, 2023. You can access the fee information by visiting https://www.op97.org/business-office/fees.

Friday, August 18th

Teacher Assignments Emailed to Families

Tuesday, August 22nd

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Meet & Greet, 8am

Wednesday, August 23rd

First Day of School

Wednesday, August 30th

Curriculum Night

Monday, September 4th

No School (Labor Day)

Thursday, September 21st

Picture Day

Monday, September 25th

No School (District Closed)

D97 Calendar

Technology help: helpdesk@op97.org

School Supply Lists

Student-Family Handbook for 2023-24

Bullying Report Form

Background Checks

School fees

Lunch Accounts

Irving PTO Website

Internet for all

Early Childhood Screenings

Student-Family Handbook

Food allergy management program

2023-24 Free and Reduced Meal Application (English/Spanish)

Breakfast & lunch menus

Irving's cell phone & Mobile Device Expectations

Ms. Tague's website

PTO RELATED

• Join Washington Irving Parents on Facebook
• Irving PTO Website (Get your spirit wear!)
• Washington Irving School Website
• Donate to the PTO every time you shop on Amazon by adding us to your “Amazon Smile”