There are a lot of new things at Washington Elementary this school year. The school has a new Principal and Assistant Principal, many new students, and new ways to engage with Wildcat parents and families.
Principal Coree Terjeson said the best new thing is being able to welcome parents back into the school building after a long pandemic-fueled absence. She noted that many of their parents hadn’t even seen the inside of the building until the school’s Open House. “We are very happy that parents are able to volunteer in classrooms, attend school events, and get involved again in our Wildcat community,” Terjeson said.
The Washington Parent Club is back in swing, with their next meeting, a Parents’ Night Out, happening October 5th at Sisters Café. In addition to typical modes of communication, updates about Parent Club are posted on the school’s website, Facebook page, and reader board. Terjeson said the club will be planning some at-school fundraisers this year and would love to have family support coordinating. The Parent Club is also implementing a new program called the Classroom Parent Program to help with special events throughout the school year. If parents are interested, they should contact their child’s teacher.
Washington Elementary students will also enjoy returning to a full slate of assemblies where character traits and academic growth will be celebrated. The TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) program also plans an active year, including a return to family dinners and other activities for tribal students and families. The goal of TAPP is to decrease chronic absenteeism in the American Indian/Alaska Native population. Still, the program benefits all Washington students by promoting and encouraging school-wide good attendance.
If parents want to volunteer at Washington, they are required to complete a Volunteer Application and Criminal History Check and be vaccinated against COVID-19. The forms are available online on the Pendleton School District website: https://pendleton.k12.or.us/human-resources/ or from the school’s secretaries.
Principal Terjeson said having parents involved at their child’s school is very important. “Parents are their child’s first teachers, and their connection to the school really contributes to student success.”
