Skip to main content

Hawks Herald Issue 6

Posted Date: 09/13/26 (03:45 PM)


Hawks Herald

Issue Six

September 14, 2026
Windy Ridge School

Principal's Message

Windy Ridge Families-
Progress report grades will be sent home this week.  I also want to remind everyone that you can access all progress reports and report cards inside of Skyward under the "portfolio" tab.  
I also wanted to share that while the district has been experiencing declining enrollment, Windy Ridge has seen an increase.  We are anticipating additional teachers for 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. The timeline for their arrival is 9/25.  Over the next week, the leadership team will be working on creating a roster for the new teachers. While changes to routines and classes is not easy for students, please know that in the long run, the smaller class sizes will benefit everyone.  Our teachers are providing input on class make up to ensure we set up our new teachers for success.  As soon as we have the projected moves, we will notify families.  


As usual, there is a lot going on at the Ridge this week, please take a look through our entire newsletter.

Leadership Team Contacts

A table lists school staff roles, first and last names, and email addresses.
 

Kindergarten Color Days Begin On Monday

A colorful flyer announces Windy Ridge Kindergarten Color Days for September 2026, featuring a schedule of colors to wear.
A Windy Ridge Kindergarten flyer for Color Days announces 'Wear Red on Monday, 9/14,' featuring a red t-shirt, crayons, stars, and an eagle mascot.
 

Progress Reports

A digital flyer announcing Quarter 1 Progress Reports for Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks, available on Thursday, September 17th.
 

SAC

SAC Meeting

Our first SAC meeting was held on Tuesday, and we had a terrific turnout.  We will be posting the minutes on the calendar page within Parent Square this week. 
 

Rainy Day Dismissal

On the off chance that there is severe weather in the area at dismissal, we will follow this procedure:
  • Families will receive a Parent Square notice of a "Delayed Dismissal".
  • During Delayed dismissals, we are not permitted to let the students leave, unless they are accompanied by an approved family/friend member as indicated in skyward.
  • If you choose to come to the school, we will process all families through the cafeteria.
  • You will first check in with someone that will arrange for your child to pack up and walk down.
  • From that station, you will need to have your ID verified to ensure that you have permission to pick up any and all students that you are requesting.
  • After your ID is verified, you will wait in the main hallway for your student(s) to arrive and you can leave through the main doors.
  • We will not be able to release any students to an adult that does not have ID. This is a safety concern.
  • You must be approved in Skyward to pick up any student that you are not personally responsible for. Please make sure that you complete the form that will go home on the first day. Any contacts that you added in the past will remain in the system.
 

Student Services

Schedule Adjustments

Elementary School Families- Windy Ridge has seen an increase in enrollment, which we are excited about. For this reason, we will be hiring additional teachers at certain grade levels. As this occurs, we will be sending out our procedures for balancing classrooms. We know that transitions can be difficult, but we are very confident in our grade-level teams ability to collaborate and support each other. While each teacher has their own personal style, the curriculum is identical.

Kelso's Choice

We are excited to share that each elementary class will be participating in Kelso’s Choice starting in October! The conflict-management curriculum helps children learn to differentiate between problems they can handle on their own and those requiring adult intervention. The goal is to help our students develop and sustain the belief that they are capable of resolving their own small problems and gain lifelong conflict-resolution skills. Knowing how to deal with conflict in a positive manner will help reduce stress and conflicts at school and at home. Many students will remember Kelso the green frog and his poster wheel of choices. Please help us welcome Kelso back to Windy Ridge! Additional information will be sent home as we launch the school-wide program.

Community Connect Available

OCPS has connected with Community Connect to provide families with free or reduced cost resources. Here is the link:

Discipline

Hawk Bucks Are Here! We are excited to launch our Hawk Bucks program to celebrate and incentivize positive behavior across all grade levels. Students can earn Hawk Bucks throughout the week for demonstrating great character, responsibility, and school spirit, which they can trade in for fun prizes at our mobile Hawk Store. Encouraging great choices starts at home—ask your child how they’re working to earn their Hawk Bucks this week!

Behavior Reminders

At our school, we believe that learning happens both inside the classroom and through the daily choices we make. When a student needs a redirect, we view it as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow.
To keep families connected to this process, we utilize Behavior Reminders that are sent home when a situation warrants extra reflection. These reminders are not meant as a permanent setback; instead, they are a tool designed to invite families into a collaborative effort with our school staff.
When a Behavior Reminder comes home, we encourage families to:
  • Review it together: Use it as a gentle framework to discuss what happened and how to make a better choice next time.
  • Focus on growth: Reframe the moment as a learning experience rather than just a consequence.
  • Set daily intentions: Use the opportunity to remind your student each morning of the great choices they are capable of making.
We request that these reminders are signed by a parent/guardian and sent back to school.

By working together, we can ensure our Silverhawks are supported both at home and at school as they learn to navigate challenges and soar to new heights! 
 

Arts

A flyer announcing the Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks Winter Orchestra and Band Concerts on December 14 and 15, decorated with musical notes and winter graphics.
A flyer announces winter music concerts for the Silverhawks, featuring orchestra and band performances on December 14th and 15th.
A flyer announcing the Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks Winter Concerts in Spanish for December 14th and 15th.
 

Athletics

A sports graphic featuring two youth soccer MVPs named Raul and Javier, representing Windy Ridge vs Ocoee with blue and black background designs.
A promotional sports graphic features two soccer players in blue uniforms, labeled as Offense MVP Sara and Defense MVP Brielle.

⚽ Silverhawk Soccer Update! ⚽

Our Silverhawks took on Ocoee this week! Both teams fought hard on the field, but came up short this time.

⚽ Boys: Ocoee 2 – Silverhawks 0
⚽ Girls: Ocoee 6 – Silverhawks 0

📅 Next Game: Monday at Chain of Lakes
⏰ 5:30 PM

Come out and support our boys and girls soccer teams as they get back on the field! Bring your Silverhawk spirit and cheer them on! 

LET’S GO, SILVERHAWKS! 
A schedule flyer for the Windy Ridge Silver Hawks soccer games lists dates, times, and locations from August 31 to September 23.
A blue flyer for Windy Ridge Middle School sports tryouts featuring soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track.

Westly's Mile Run Club

Poster announcing Windy Ridge K-8 School's Westly's Mile Run Club, a partnership between American Heart Association and Healthy West Orange.
Join Westly's Mile Runner's Club for the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge.
Form to Join Westly's Mile
A graphic celebrating the "1st Day of Westly's Mile Run Club" featuring photos of children participating in running activities on an outdoor track.
Soccer and basketball
 

Media Center

A collage of six photos showing students broadcasting 'Hawk Action News', exploring a book fair, and engaged in reading.
It was another exciting week in the library! Almost all of our elementary classes visited the Media Center for the first time this school year and had the opportunity to check out books! 📖

Every Dog Man book in our library is currently checked out! Our Sunshine State Young Readers Award books for both Elementary and Middle School are also all checked out! 🌟📚 I love seeing our Silverhawks so excited about reading!

📊 We are now up to 2,422 physical books circulated this school year—and that doesn’t even include all of the eBooks and audiobooks our students are checking out and reading through Sora!

🎥🎙️ Our Hawk Action News crews are becoming more knowledgeable and confident with the equipment each week, and they are doing a fantastic job producing our school news!

🏆📚 Next week, I’ll also be kicking off Battle of the Books for interested students! I can’t wait to see our readers get started!

Happy Reading, Silverhawks!
 

Cafeteria

Poster advertising 'Birthday Bites' from OCPS Food & Nutrition Services for class birthday celebrations.
A brightly colored sign announces 'ICE CREAM FOR SALE!' with festive stars and bursts.
In news from the cafeteria, you can celebrate your student's special day with Birthday Bites. Birthday Bites are a healthy way to celebrate your child's birthday with the entire class. You can scan the QR code or order at: https://www.ocps.net/261122_3

This is a reminder that all orders must be submitted one week in advance.

This is a reminder that the cafeteria sells ice cream for $1 on Tuesdays and Fridays.
 

News from Our PTA

A promotional flyer announcing Windy Ridge K8 PTA's STEM Night on Friday, September 18th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Save-the-date for an engaging and interactive evening of STEM programming created by the Orlando Science Center! PTA invites you and your families to this free event, which will take place in the Windy Ridge Cafeteria on Friday 9/18 from 5pm-7pm. You can expect:
🧪 Hands-on science stations
💥 The Science Center’s signature Kaboom Show
💡 Fun give-aways and a STEM-based activity provided by WonderWorks 

We look forward to seeing you there!
 

New Club at Windy Ridge

A poster for the Windy Ridge Astronomy Club featuring a silhouette of a person looking through a telescope against a starry sky and a large moon.
Mark your calendars, this club does not start until December, but a brand new club in partnership with UCF is coming to Windy Ridge- Astronomy Club! For more information, you can email Dr. Strawser at: corydon.strawser@ocps.net. 
 

Upcoming Clubs

Poster announcing Drama Club for grades 3-5, with an interest meeting on Sept 8 and auditions on Sept 15 in Room 532.
Poster announcing the "Silverhawks Chorus" with a cartoon Silverhawk mascot holding a microphone.
Important for Drama Club Interest Meeting- Students must have arranged a ride home, be a front walker, or be extended day to attend the interest meeting.
Poster for 'Girls Who Code Club' featuring laptops and confetti, announcing a club for learning robotics, AI, and website creation.
Poster for the 'Battle of the Books Club' featuring an silverhawks and stacks of books.
Windy Ridge will be starting many clubs in the month of September. Additional clubs will be advertised soon. Below is the contact emails for club sponsors:

For more information about:
  • Drama Club contact Mrs. Lowe at: Abigail.Herrygers@ocps.net
  • Silverhawk Chorus contact Mrs. Barazarte at: Geraldine.MorilloBarazarte@ocps.net
  • FCA contact- Ariana.Santiago@ocps.net
  • Girls Who Code contact Dr. Strawser at: Corydon.Strawser@ocps.net
  • Battle of the Books contact Ms. Scurry at: Jessica.Scurry@ocps.net
 

Look Ahead

  • September 14th- Soccer Game at Chain of Lakes 5:00pm, Kindergarten Color Days Begin
  • September 15th- FAST STAR Reading Kindergarten, Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
  • September 16th- Soccer Game at Lakeview Middle School 5:00pm
  • September 17th- FAST STAR Math Kindergarten, Progress Reports Q1 Distributed 
  • September 18th- PTA STEM Night
  • September 23rd- Soccer Game at Water Spring 5:00pm 
  • September 24th- Resiliency Day- Middle School will be on a modified bell schedule
  • October 7th- Volleyball Tryouts Start for Middle School Students 
  • October 12th- Teacher Workday/Student Holiday 
A vibrant poster celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring Latin American flags, a colorful map, and informational text in English and Spanish.
Two school children happily fist bump outdoors, promoting Orange County Public Schools Start With Hello Week from Sept. 21-25.
A graphic promoting Celebrate Freedom Week, featuring a patriotic seal and historical text.
 

Testing News

Progress Monitoring 1- This Week

Our last two days of testing will occur this week with our Kindergarten students. 

Tuesday, September 15: ELA Kindergarten
Thursday, September 17: Math Kindergarten

These tests are very important to establish where your child stands with regard to the standards they will learn this year.
Poster announcing FAST and STAR test dates for Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks, with a silverhawk graphic.
 

Parent Academy

A promotional flyer for the Parent Academy of Orange County Public Schools Fall College and Career Fair on September 27th, 2026.
 

Silverhawk Birthdays

A blue and white flyer celebrating September birthdays for Windy Ridge K-8, featuring a hawk mascot.
 

Soaring Hawks

Coming Soon

Look here for your student doing amazing things.