Hello Panda Families!

This is such an exciting time of the year as we head into Spring Break next week, look forward to spring events, and begin planning for the 2023-2024 school year.

New Assistant Principal

I am thrilled to share that we will be welcoming Mr. Philip Ellis to Penny Road following Spring Break as our next assistant principal!  Though new to the AP role, Mr. Ellis has WCPSS elementary experience as a teacher and a principal intern.  His passion for connecting with students, supporting teachers, and collaborating with families paired with his positivity and approachability will be such an asset to our school community.  You can learn a little bit more about him by reading his welcome letter.

Preparing for 2023-2024

Speaking of bringing great staff to Panda Road, I believe that retaining and recruiting amazing staff members is one of the most significant ways that I can support Penny Road.  We have been a little short-staffed throughout this school year, so I'm working to fill in the gaps to make sure that we start strong in 23-24.  We are fortunate to currently have many candidates interested in joining the Panda Family, but I need your help!  If you have a child, friend, or neighbor that will be starting kindergarten next year and haven't completed enrollment, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.  Our staffing is based upon the number of students who will be in attendance the first month of school, so having accurate numbers is critical.  Similarly, if you are planning to leave WCPSS next year (moving away or deciding to pursue homeschool, charter, or private options), please let us know as soon as your plans are confirmed.  You can email Mrs. Pierce, our data manager, at ltpierce@wcpss.net with any enrollment questions or updates.

Other Announcements:

Spring Break is next week!  Students will be in school through Thursday of this week (March 30) and then return to school on Monday, April 10.  I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable break!

TGA will be starting a new session of golf and tennis after school in April.  You can find information about registration here.  The school does not run or sponsor these activities, but they are held on campus to be convenient for families.

Parents, we are asking for your help in ensuring that your child is not bringing Pokemon cards (or any other trading cards) to school.  In addition to the distraction aspect, there can be trades occurring, regret following, and instructional time lost to resolving conflicts surrounding trading cards.  Thank you!

I will send this out again later, but want to make families aware there is an optional input form for parents to provide information about class placements for next school year.  To ensure that no requests get lost or overlooked, please use the form instead of sending individual emails.  The deadline for providing input is July 7.  This input about your child helps to create a successful classroom environment for everyone, but please note that I do not accept any requests for a specific teacher.