Weekly Parent Update

Posted Date: 11/30/25 (09:00 AM)

Sandy Grade School

Weekly Parent Update

November 30, 2025

Hello Bobcat Families!

We hope this Weekly Parent Update finds you and your family doing well. We missed our Bobcats and are excited to get back into the swing of things. We hope you had a wonderful holiday and week off.

Here is the latest news and information for the week ahead:

Go Pios!

Thank you for supporting Sandy High Football by dressing in their school colors! I love it when the community comes together!

Incoming Phone Calls

You may have noticed a new greeting when calling Sandy Grade. This is our new automated greeting and is different than our voicemail. Please follow the prompts to be routed to the correct person you are trying to reach. Thank you!

Lost and Found

We have lots of coats and jackets in our lost and found! Please come check for your students lost items next time you are at the school.

Jackets not claimed by 12/19 (Winter Break) will be donated!

November and December Virtue

This month’s virtue is Responsible. Staff members are on the lookout for students who are being responsible with their Chromebooks as well as being responsible to other students, classmates and staff members. We will announce our virtue winners before Winter Break!

Better Together

Cultivating Kindness and Success Together

At Sandy Grade, our focus is on building a supportive foundation for lifelong success, which we frame around the three 'A's: Academics, Attitude, and Attendance.

This year, we've placed a special emphasis on Attitude, recognizing that working together and supporting each other is at the heart of a thriving community. We believe that cultivating positive habits now will empower our children throughout their lives, and we cherish the opportunity to partner with you in this effort.

What this looks like every day:

Showing up: Making sure our students are at school, ready to engage and learn.
Healthy Communication: Encouraging students to navigate challenges with grace using tools like Kelso's Choices (a great topic to ask your child about!).
Emotional Growth: Learning to manage emotions respectfully while working through daily tasks and interactions.

A Heartfelt Thank You:

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the parents and families who make consistent daily attendance a top priority. That daily presence is a gift! The more consistently students are in the classroom, the faster they build confidence in problem-solving, develop strong communication skills, and learn to apply their tools to real-life situations.

We also want to acknowledge and thank our entire community and local businesses. Your support helps us weave a powerful culture of kindness and mutual respect throughout Sandy Grade.

Staff Kindness Campaign:

To show our deep appreciation for the dedication and tireless efforts of our amazing staff, I will be "spoiling" them with special treats in the staff lounge over the next few weeks!

If you or your child would like to participate in this campaign of kindness, we invite you to write a brief note of gratitude to any staff member—a teacher, custodian, lunch staff, Educational Assistant, secretary, or anyone who makes a difference in your child's day.

Feel free to drop these notes off at the front office at any time! We know a kind word goes a long way.

Title 1

Title 1 funding is based on the percentage of their student enrollment that qualifies as being low-income. Low-income students are the children that are on free or reduced lunch. Parents have the option to complete an application for free or reduced lunch at any time throughout the school year; however, they have to complete the paperwork on an annual basis. To qualify, the family must meet income requirements based on the number of members in the family.

Historically speaking, Title 1 federal funding began in 1965 when the Elementary and Secondary Act was passed. Since then, Title 1 has played a major role in funding education. Title 1 was created to allow all students an equal opportunity to receive the highest quality education possible. It was designed to remove factors such as low income and poverty. Through Title 1, school districts can hire teachers to lower student-teacher ratio, provide tutoring for struggling students, create school computer labs, fund parent involvement activities, purchase instructional materials, host professional development for teachers, create pre-kindergarten classes, and hire teacher assistants.

In essence, the more students Sandy Grade has that qualify and receive free or reduced lunches helps Sandy Grade with Title I funding. This funding goes to supporting reading and math groups, curriculum, books and yearly family events! For families who are already participating in the SNAP Benefits Program through the State of Oregon, you will automatically qualify for our free and reduced lunches. Student and family confidentiality is of utmost importance to us. Any information that you provide is used solely for the purpose of this application and will never be shared.