Washington Warriors

It is incredible to think that we are already a quarter into the 2023-2024 school year. There have been many exciting developments at Washington School so far this year. We have been showcasing all the remarkable achievements of our students and teachers on the Washington School Facebook page. If you haven't already, please follow and like the page to ensure you don't miss anything.

Our district website has also been updated, and we now have an app that you can download to stay updated on all the events at Washington School and throughout the district.

Lindsey Pickham

• November 1st, 2nd, & 3rd ~ Boys Basketball Tryouts
• (Physicals need to be done prior to try-outs)
• November 2nd ~ Awards Assembly
• (4th grade 9 AM) (5th grade 10 AM).
• November 6th ~ Mobile Dentist
• November 10th ~ Veterans Day Assembly
• (Wear Red, White, & Blue)
• November 16th ~ Picture Retakes
• November 22nd - 26th ~ Thanksgiving Break
• December 14th ~ Field Trip
• December 21st - January 8th ~ Winter Break

The 4th-grade awards assembly will begin at 9:00 AM. Parents and families are welcome.

The 5th-grade awards assembly will begin at 10:00 AM. Parents and families are welcome.

If you signed up to bring something, please ensure it reaches the school by this Friday, October 27th. (Some participants who signed up still haven't submitted their items). We managed to raise approximately $200 in monetary donations, which will be utilized to purchase additional items and cover postage. The Elks have generously offered to cover the remaining shipping costs! Each class has been assigned specific roles, including decorating bags, creating cards, packing items, managing inventory, etc. Our plan is to have everything mailed out by November 3, with the hope that it will arrive around Veteran's Day. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this initiative possible!

The Junior High is putting on a Veterans Day Assembly on Friday, November 10th. Washington students will be attending that assembly at the Junior high.

Recently, we've experienced several issues in the lunchroom, including food-throwing, interference with other students' trays, and disrespect towards staff when asked to quiet down. Please take the time to discuss these lunchroom expectations with your child:

• Raise your hand for assistance.
• Wait for your table to be called to dispose of your tray.
• Return directly to your table after dumping your tray and sit in your assigned seat.
• Absolutely no throwing of food.
• Do not touch other students' food.
• Use polite manners when interacting with both students and staff.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a respectful and peaceful lunchroom environment.

Each quarter, students have the chance to earn exciting incentives as a reward for their outstanding behavior! These incentives often include grade-specific or school-wide celebrations. In the past, we've organized events such as breakfast and bingo, glow dances, and field trips to the park. To participate in the incentive, students receive a 'Golden Ticket' which allows for three 'strikes.' As long as students don't accumulate three strikes by the end of the quarter, they are eligible to join the incentive event.

A strike or punch is issued on the Golden Ticket if a student receives an office referral, a bus referral, or displays physical aggression towards others. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Washington Staff will be selling suckers starting in early November. Suckers will be available for purchase before school for $1.00. The proceeds will go to funding prizes and other incentives for students.

With Halloween coming up this Tuesday, I wanted to send home school-wide expectations regarding students wearing costumes to school. Students will NOT be allowed to wear costumes to school. We encourage students to wear Orange and Black on Halloween.

The weather is getting colder. Please make sure your student is dressed for the colder temperatures. If your student is in need of a coat, hat, or gloves, please reach out to your child's teacher or the office. We have donations that can be provided to students in need.

The Pontiac District 429 PTO is sponsoring a field trip for all Washington students. On December 14th, Washington School students will have the opportunity to travel to the Peoria Rivermen Hockey Game. The bus will leave at 9:00 AM and will return at 2:15 PM. Students will be provided a school sack lunch or students can bring a lunch from home. More information will be sent home soon.

Parents who are interested in chaperoning will need to contact me, Lindsey Pickham (pickhamlin@pontiac429.org) via email. There is a process that parents will need to complete in order to be allowed to chaperone. This will include a background check. We will only be allowing 5 parent chaperones.

1. Set reasonable limits for screen time.

2. Know what accounts your child has, and monitor who they are talking to.

3. Talk about what is not okay to be said on social media.