What an excellent start to the school year! Thank you for choosing Whitmore! We have lots of things planned for the year, so ensure you connect to this monthly newsletter and ClassDojo to stay updated.

Mark your calendar with these upcoming events.

Upcoming Events:

* August 10 - First PTA Meeting @ 5:00pm

* August 11 - First Fire Drill Practice

* August 14 - Preschoolers - First Day of School with Ms. Sammy

* August 22 - Open House – 6:00pm - Principal Welcome, Code of Conduct, and Title I presentation

* August 23 - No School - Professional Learning Day for staff

* August 28 - Whitmore T-shirt Design Contest

* September 4 - No School - Labor Day

Connect with Whitmore:

via Whitmore Webpage

via Facebook @whitmorewildcatsTUSD

via Instagram @whitmorewildcats

via ClassDojo - Please let teachers know if you are not connected so they can assist you.

After School Care:

KIDCO is on-site for after school care. At this time, KIDCO is full. KIDCO operates from dismissal until 6:00pm. Please be advised that KIDCO is separate from TUSD and has its own holiday schedule which sometime differs from the school. Please reach out to them for more information.

If your child is enrolled in KIDCO, please use the staff parking lot to pick up your child. There is a sandwich board sign by the door with a doorbell to alert KIDCO staff.

The Lighthouse YMCA is another option for after school care. The YMCA program began on the first day of school and ends on the last day of school. The YMCA will pick up your child from school and take them to the Lighthouse City YMCA. Full time and part time plans are available. Programming is also offered for No School Days as well as School Breaks. Check out the YMCA website for more information about the program, including monthly fees and how to register!

Whitmore will begin CATS CLUB mid-September. We will notify you once we receive more details of the grant. This will provide our students tutoring, enrichment, and sports programs both before and after school.

Reporting Attendance:

This year, TUSD/Whitmore streamlined our attendance reporting procedures. Parents/guardians can now log into ParentVUE to enter a student's absence.

* Open ParentVUE and sign in

* Select the student you are reporting

* Select "Attendance" from the menu on the left

* Click "Report Absence"

* Select the start date

* Select an end date

* Select a reason for the absence

* Enter a note (required)

* You can click on "Add Doctor's Note or document." This is not required.

** Select your file to upload

** Once accepted, the note will be visible in the student's documents tab

** Click "Save"

* Once the Attendance Office has reviewed and accepted the parent-submitted attendance, you will receive an automated email

* Absences will be updated by the end of the business day. This includes any absences that are called in.

* Please submit your student's absence as early as possible to expedite processing.

Alternatively, to report an absence or late arrival to school, call 520-232-8002, and our attendance clerk, Ms. Austin, will assist you. If it goes to voicemail, please leave a message with the following information:

* Student's full name

* Student's teacher

* Your name and relation to the student

* Reason for the absence/tardy

School Hours:

7:45am - Students may enter campus; Breakfast begins in the cafeteria

8:10am - First bell - Students line up and teachers lead to class

8:15am - Tardy bell rings; Class begins

8:30am - All gates are locked except the one closest to the office off of the bus bay/Glenn St.

2:15pm - Gates are opened. Kindergarten dismisses with their siblings (through August) to assist in clearing the parking lot. Park in a parking space and walk to the teacher near the front office steps.

2:25pm - Whitmore dismisses

Bus Riders:

All students who ride the bus must have and wear an ID to get on the bus at home and at school. Bus riding students were provided a temporary ID to use until we get the official school IDs. Please ensure your child keeps their ID with their backpack and school items so they have it available daily. This is their ticket to ride!

Jennifer Figueroa, Principal

Whitmore Elementary School

Meet Ms. Sawyer! She is our school counselor. She will be implementing the Character Strong curriculum and heading our PBIS throughout the school. Through positive behavior, students earn points to redeem for rewards. This is our PBIS plan! Students have a menu of items to choose from weekly.

Ms. Sawyer also provides student check-ins and small group support. If you think your child would benefit from these services, please contact her through Dojo or by calling 520-232-8046.

Parent Drop-off and Pick-up:

Enter the parking lot from Glenn (this is an entrance only). There are two lanes. The right lane is a valet and keeps moving as students exit their vehicle curbside. All students must exit the vehicle curbside to use the valet lane. If that is not possible, please park and an adult will cross in the cross walk. Do not park in the right lane. You must use a space to park.

The left lane is not a drop-off or pick-up lane. It is used to park into a parking space. Please do not let your child exit the car in this lane. The adult (usually Mrs. Fig or Mrs. Madrid) will assist in merging traffic. Do not merge yourself. Continue forward until the monitor guides you. Driver speed should be at a minimum speed to ensure student, family, and staff safety.

Our mission is to encourage, motivate, and support all students, families, and the community to meet each child’s needs – socially, emotionally, and academically so they develop into a mature, responsible, and respectful citizen.

Our vision - Safe Environment, Take Academic Risks, Get Involved with School Enrichment Programs (the school community), and Take Pride in Education by Respecting, Acknowledging, and Including students of all different backgrounds and differences.

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Address: 5330 East Glenn Street, Tucson, AZ

Email

Office: 520-232-8000

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