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West Elementary School

We Experience Success Together

October 14-30 2026 Newsletter

Posted Date: 10/13/26 (05:00 PM)
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West Elementary Newsletter

October 14th-30th

A light blue and a carved orange jack-o-lantern sit on a hay bale outdoors.

Bearcat Brunch

Thank You!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to all the families who joined us for our Bearcat Brunch! We were fortunate to have great weather, and we appreciate you taking the time to share this special day with us. Your continued support and involvement mean so much to our students and school community. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with your children and look forward to more opportunities to connect with our families throughout the school year.

Visitor Check-In

New Sign In Process

To help ensure the safety and security of everyone at West Elementary, all visitors are required to bring a valid photo ID when visiting the school. Our new visitor management system requires visitors to present their ID when checking in. Please remember to bring your ID with you each time you visit. The student check-in/check-out process is separate, it will take a photo and does not require an ID. 

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep West Elementary a safe place for our students and staff!

Fall Retake/Group Picture Day

Thursday, October 22

A school portrait order form displaying various package options, pricing, and add-ons in English and Spanish.
A bilingual flyer in English and Spanish announcing school picture day on Thursday, 10/22/26, with instructions and contact details.
A Strawbridge Studios order form for classroom group photos with instructions, pricing details, and online code FM503034.
A promotional flyer for West Elementary School class group pictures with a QR code and instructions to order online using code FM503034.

Red Ribbon Week

October 26th-30th

Dress Up Days

Monday, October 26- Wear Red
Tuesday, October 27- Favorite Decade
Wednesday, October 28- Athleisure Wear
Thursday, October 29- Favorite Team
Friday, October 30- Costume (West Fest 12:00-2:30)

West Elementary PTA Information

Sponsorship Sign

A promotional flyer for West Elementary banner sponsors, featuring gold and black text, paw print graphics, and pricing options for new orders and renewals.

Thank You for Your Support and Participation!


Thank you to all our families for your support and participation in our chocolate fundraiser! Your involvement is essential to making activities and rewards possible for our students, and we truly appreciate your ongoing support of our school. Students who sold the required two boxes of chocolate will have the chance to throw water balloons at me during Red Ribbon Week.

Thank you again for supporting our school and helping make this fundraiser a success. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to celebrating our students' hard work and achievements!

October/November Dates & Events

10/12-10/16 National School Lunch Week
10/19 Report Cards Go Home
10/22 Retake & Group Picture Day
10/26-10/30 Red Ribbon Week
10/30 West Fest (12:00 - 2:30)
11/9 Veterans Day Breakfast
11/11 School Closed
11/13 Progress Reports Go Home
11/17 3rd Grade Thanksgiving Lunch
11/18 4th & 5th Grade Thanksgiving Lunch
11/19 James and the Giant Peach Performance (CHS)
11/23-11/27 Thanksgiving Break
 
A Halloween-themed school lunch menu for October 2026, featuring daily breakfast and lunch options Monday through Friday.

AR Reading Incentives

 Important Starting Points:
  •  3rd Grade: Students must reach 10 AR points to receive their first prize.
  •  4th–5th Grade: Students must reach 20 AR points to receive their first prize.
After reaching their first milestone, students can continue working toward the next point levels and earning additional rewards! 
Please encourage your students to keep reading, taking their AR quizzes, and working toward their next milestone. Every point counts, and we want to celebrate their hard work and love of reading! 
A few reminders:
  •  Points must be earned through AR quizzes.
  •  Rewards are based on the point levels shown on the chart.
  •  Students can stop by the library when they reach a new milestone to receive their reward.
  •  Encourage students to keep reading after earning a prize and see how far they can go!

WES Yearbook Information

A colorful promotional flyer for 5th grade honor ads, priced at $45.00, with a deadline of January 15, 2027.
A promotional graphic announces yearbooks are on sale for $35.00, featuring graduation caps, a camera, and a yearbook illustration.
Yearbook Link
 

Alabama Literacy Act

What is the Alabama Literacy Act

To implement steps to improve the reading proficiency of public-school kindergarten to third grade students and ensure that those students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of the third grade by monitoring the progression of each student from one grade to another, in part, by his or her proficiency in reading.​
A flyer titled 'Family Literacy Resources' features QR codes for Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension, and Vocabulary, plus a YouTube Series logo.
An informational poster titled 'RECURSOS DE ALFABETIZACION FAMILIAR' with five QR codes for phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.
 

Family & Community | ARI Newsletter for Education

The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards. The goal of the ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students. Read more here
 

Travel Planning Guide

Our CCS family travel guide highlights important dismissal and holiday dates for our school. As you plan vacations, appointments, and other events for the upcoming year, please take note of the days when Cullman City Schools will be closed. We encourage families to schedule trips and appointments around these dates whenever possible, as this helps minimize missed instructional time.

Thank you for your continued support of West Elementary! We look forward to a great school year ahead!
 

Stay Connected to West Elementary

Parents, check out the calendar link above to keep up with all the important upcoming events on the WES Activities calendar.




 

A school calendar for Cullman City Schools, FY 2026-2027, displays monthly views from July 2026 to June 2027 with color-coded holidays and key dates.
 

Dr. Chad Shannon, West Elementary Principal

Phone: 256-734-4271
Twitter: @CShannonWES_P