Alston Ridge Families:

I hope that you are well, and safe. As we proceed into the second half of our school year, we have so much to celebrate.

• Black History Month continues in our school as our students learn from announcements, gallery walks, learning activities and books about the significant ways that Black Americans have shaped our nation’s history and our present
• National School Counseling Week this week recognizes the ways that school counselors help students succeed and achieve. Out two exceptional school counselors: Mrs. Jodie Damrauer and Mrs. Lori Matthews lead our school’s commitment to the social and emotional development and safety of every child, every day. Alston Ridge’s vision for a community that welcomes, nurtures, challenges, and supports all children to grow and learn is a product of their excellence.
• The Science Fair culminates in the amazing products and experiments that will be on display this week through the Science Fair site and virtual celebration on Tuesday. Thanks to our PTA for sustaining this annual tradition of inquiry and enrichment. We look forward to seeing many of our scientists on Tuesday evening for awards presentations: ARES Science Fair 2022
• Groundbreaking began last week on our new front-field playground! A collaboration between our school’s PTA and the WCPSS Facilities, Design and Construction, the play space is a part of our families investment in expanding outdoor enrichment for across our school’s campus and will continue with courtyard improvements and outdoor learning spaces this year!

Bus Transportation

Thank you to all our families who rely on our school district’s buses for your patience and understanding through recent bus route cancellations. The WCPSS Transportation department works hard to guarantee a safe ride to and from school daily for our district’s students; however, persistent driver shortages and ongoing health-related interruptions have caused interruptions to services. We continue to advocate for consistency for our families and will communicate as soon as we are notified of any bus changes. To stay up-to-date, check with WCPSS Transportation’s “Live Updates” (usually updated by mid-day with any afternoon bus changes), add the Here Comes The Bus app, follow our school on Twitter and confirm that you are able to receive TXT messages from the school’s School Messenger alert/notification system.

Virtual Academy 2022-2023

We are preparing for the return to in-person learning for all our Alston Ridge students for 2022-2023. At this time, the WCPSS Board of Education will not establish a district-wide online school option; and state law prevents public schools from forming independent virtual learning programs. All current Virtual Academy families with students in grades K-4 should report their Track Preference to be returned to a track assignment (families who elected Virtual Academy do not have a current track assignment according to the district’s learning agreement and must be newly assigned to a track for the new year).

Track Change Request Period 2022-2023

Families who are assigned to a current in-person track who would like to request a Track Change for the 2022-2023 school year may submit their request during the month of February. Track changes and the school's ability to provide choice are limited by state class size laws, fluctuations in enrollment, and space available. Requests may be made in-person at the main office, or online: Track Change Request (current In-Person families). Requests will not be considered on a first-come, first served basis and reasons for track change requests are not a factor. Virtual Academy families should provide their Track Preference for reassignment to in-person learning for the new school year: Track Preference (current VA families).

Please let us know if we can be of any assistance in the days and weeks ahead. We are grateful for our community’s support for the health and safety of our school, the dedication to our students’ learning, and for the support for our faculty and administration. If you have a question or need anything, call 919-544-2474, or e-mail your child’s teacher or one of the members of our administration: Assistant Principals, Mrs. Melissa Oliver (moliver2@wcpss.net) and Mrs. Purvi Shah (pshah@wcpss.net) or your school’s principal, me, Mr. Niko Schutte (nschutte@wcpss.net).