Our first official gathering of the school year will be the WSD Family Meet and Greet on Saturday, August 28 from 9-11:00am. This event will be held on campus and is for all students, parents, teachers and staff. The main purpose of the Meet and Greet is for families to gain a sense of their school, become familiar with the building and campus, visit classrooms, and for students to meet their teachers and classmates.

The Meet and Greet will be open house style. Because parking is limited, we encourage families to stagger their arrival times. Classroom directories will be available at the event, as will a light buffet brunch.

Our long-awaited Opening Day will occur Monday, August 30. Doors will open for all students at 8:00am. Students will gather in a designated and supervised area until 8:15am. Middle School begins promptly at 8:20am, and Lower School at 8:30am. Dismissal will begin at 3:05pm for Middle School students and 3:15pm for Lower School students. All students remaining after 3:30pm will be taken to Extended Day until parents arrive.

It is the expectation that all children will arrive and depart through the traditional carpool line beginning the first day of school. We will have extra faculty support during these first days to assist in helping students in their transition from cars to classrooms and classrooms to cars. Carpool and busing procedures will undergo any needed adjustments during this first week. We ask for your assistance and patience as we refine this process.

Our teachers are looking forward to meeting your children and having an opportunity to visit and gain initial insights about their abilities and interests. The main purpose of the assessment appointments is to create well-balanced classrooms. Following the assessments, teachers will meet by grade level and create individual class lists. These lists will be emailed to families the week of August 21.

If your child is unable to make an appointment during the scheduled assessment dates of August 12, 13 and 16, placement will be based on information received in student records. Rest assured that teachers will do their best to place all students well. Students who are unavailable for testing during these days will be assessed during the first week of school. 

Please fill out the survey by indicating a date, and a morning or afternoon time slot. A representative will contact you regarding an appointment time. Deadline for completing the survey is Friday the 6th 3pm.

Assessments will be conducted at Park City Community Church, 4501 Highway 224, in Park City.

Please note: If your child has an IEP, please bring a copy to the assessment appointment. In addition to meeting with the grade level teacher, you and your student will also set an appointment with Amy Trombetti, our Special Education Director, to discuss the IEP.

We are excited to finalize the bus transportation for your student. The Parent Bus Info Letter attached will provide you with additional details. Thank you to those of you who responded to the ONLINE SURVEY. As an update, here is a breakdown of interest expressed for the 3 bus routes:

• Bus #1 Park Meadows / Old Town / Prospector / Ranch Place / Silver Springs / Canyons / Old Ranch / Willow Creek (almost full: 48 interested – 2 available)
• Bus #2 Trailside / Mnt Ranch / SilverCreek / Blackhawk / Jeremy / Pinebrook (33 interested– 17 available)
• Bus #3 SLC / Murray (28 interested – 22 available)

Buses can hold a maximum of 50 students. If a bus route is full we will be able to add another bus only if we get sufficient interest to fill that bus. We will hold spots on a first come, first served basis, as space may be limited.

If you intend to make use of Serv-A-Bus transportation, please fill out the linked Commitment Form below and mail with a $50 refundable deposit no later than AUGUST 9th. This information will be used to determine final costs, bus routes and stops.

You will receive by email the Bus Transportation Permission Form, Parental Transportation Contract & Medical Release Form.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Nicky Lecher 203.948.0338 or nlecher@comcast.net.

Parent Bus Info Letter (PDF)
Commitment Form (PDF)

from Mary Kimball

The Big Bazoohley
This summer, I invited students in grades 3, 4 and 5 to read The Big Bazoohley, by Peter Carey. For all students who are participating, remember that there will be a follow-up activity in mid-August for all who complete the book. If you have not yet finished—or begun, for that matter—this great summer read, you still have time to participate! Look for information on the activity to come by email to all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. The complete summer reading list can be found at our Amazon aStore.

Something for Parents
Parents looking for a great summer book will find Blessings of a Skinned Knee, by Wendy Mogel, a refreshing look at parenting in today’s overscheduled, overindulged, and increasingly complex world. This is a book I have read multiple times. I have found it to be a wonderful parenting guide and resource. I hope you enjoy it as well.

A good preview of Blessings can be found in an article published in the New York Times in 2006, entitled “So the Torah is a Parenting Guide?”

Many families have inquired about Specialist classes in our Lower School. Below is a guide by grade level of the Specialist classes that are part of the student curriculum:

Kindergarten
Strings, taught by Devon Colby
PE, taught by Shannon Danver

First Grade
Strings, taught by Devon Colby
Art, taught by Shannon Danver
Science, taught by Cara Robins
PE, taught by Shannon Danver

Second Grade
Strings, taught by Devon Colby
Art, taught by Shannon Kitchens
Science, taught by Cara Robins
PE, taught by Shannon Danver

Third Grade
Strings, taught by Devon Colby
Art, taught by Shannon Kitchens
Science, taught by Cara Robins
PE, taught by Shannon Danver

Fourth Grade
Chorus, taught by Devon Colby
Art, taught by Shannon Kitchens
Science, taught by Mary Kimball
PE, taught by Shannon Danver
Outdoor, taught by Shannon Kitchens

Fifth Grade
Chorus, taught by Devon Colby
Art, taught by Nathan Florence
Science, taught by Valerie Dyal
PE, taught by Shannon Danver
Outdoor, taught by Shannon Kitchens

After School programs and activities are being finalized. The following is a list of initial offerings for students to choose from.

Beginning in September
Young Riders Mountain Biking.
-Tuesdays for grades 5/6
-Thursdays for grades 7/8

Beginning in October
Lango (Spanish)
-Days TBD, for grades K/1 and 2/3
Karate
-Monday and Wednesday
Yoga
-Tuesday and Friday
Scrabble Club
-Monday, grades 4, 5, & 6
Beginning Flute
-Days TBD, for ages 7-12.

Additional programs may be added later according to student interest levels. Detailed program descriptions, sign-ups and registration information will be available at the Family Meet and Greet on Saturday, August 28.