Hawks Herald Issue 12

Posted Date: 10/25/26 (08:39 PM)

Hawks Herald

Issue Twelve

October 26, 2026

Principal's Message

Windy Ridge Families,

This is a wonderful time of the year with so much going on at the school, and I can assure you, for all of the fun activities we have going on, the learning never stops. Ms. Lemieux and I have been completing teacher observations and have seen first hand the hard work that the students are doing from kindergarten through 8th grade. Our teachers are passionate about their content and it shows.

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

⚾ Hitting It Out of the Park for National Principals Month!

October is National Principals Month, and our Windy Ridge K-8 faculty and staff wanted to show Mr. Kempinger just how much we appreciate him!

At our last faculty meeting, everyone surprised Mr. Kempinger by dressing in baseball attire and presenting him with a special sign, signed baseballs, and other thoughtful gifts! ⚾

Mr. Kempinger truly goes above and beyond for our Silverhawks! From inflatables to dunk tanks and everything in between, he is always willing to jump in, have fun, and create memorable experiences for our students and staff!

Thank you, Mr. Kempinger, for your dedication, leadership, school spirit, and everything you do to make Windy Ridge K-8 such a special place! We appreciate you more than you know!

⚾ You truly knock it out of the park! Go Silverhawks!

A group of adults gathers in a brightly decorated room, with two speakers standing at the front near a screen that reads "Thank You" and displays a list of names.

Leadership Team Contacts

A school staff directory table with columns for Role, First name, Last name, and Email address.

Week at a Glance

A colorful school event calendar for Red Ribbon Week and Spirit Week, outlining daily dress-up themes from October 26th to 30th.

Look Ahead

November 2nd- Fun Run Field Trip KG & 1st to Chick-fil-a, Volleyball Game Away at Carver MS 5:30pm
November 3rd- 1st Grade Field Trip Solar Bears Game, Fun Run Field Trip 5th Grade and Middle School to Chick-fil-a
November 4th- Fun Run Field Trip 2nd, 3rd, 4th to Chick-fil-a, Volleyball Game at Gotha vs. Gotha 5:00pm
November 5th- Book Fair Previews Begin
November 6th- Book Fair Previews Continue, PTA Movie Night 4:30pm-6:30pm

Q2 Parent Consent Form

We are providing you with one form for Quarter 2 to consolidate and streamline parental consent forms. This will benefit you so you will not be inundated with multiple requests.

Please fill out this form to indicate whether you approve of your student attending, participating in, and experincing any activities planned for Q2.

📝 Quarter 2 Parent Consent Form: https://tinyurl.com/WRK8Q2

Mr. Kempinger Kiss the Pig Event

A colorful flyer announces a school fundraiser featuring Mr. Kempinger kissing a pig on Thursday, October 29th.

Elementary Book Character Parade

SAC

Our November SAC meeting will be held on November 10th in the Media Center.

Teach In Information

A promotional poster for the Windy Ridge Teach In on Thursday, November 19th, featuring options to share a career or read a book to students.

Teach In Presenter ADDitions

Teach In- QR Code Added

Please scan the QR code or complete this Google Form if you would like to present at Teach In. This is a reminder you must also be ADDitions approved. Please email Mr. Ly if you have any questions about being a Teach In presenter. We are excited to have you on campus sharing your careers or reading stories to our Silverhawks.

Upcoming Competition Opportunities

A promotional flyer for the ChessKid-OCPS District Competition detailing event dates, rules, and participation steps.

A colorful flyer announces the Windy Ridge K-8 Spelling Bee for grades 3-8, detailing dates and rules.

Student Services

A promotional flyer for Orange County Public Schools announces the 2027-28 application window opening October 15, featuring a smiling student and a timeline of important dates.

Windy Ridge Middle School Academy Application Clarification

We wanted to share some important information and clarify the application process for the Windy Ridge K-8 Middle School Academy for the 2027–2028 school year.

🏫 Who Can Apply?

Windy Ridge Middle School Academy is not a traditional magnet program or scholastic academy. Applications are limited to:

Current Windy Ridge K-8 fifth-grade students.

Middle school-aged students who are zoned for Windy Ridge Elementary.

📝 How to Apply

Although our academy is not listed on the OCPS Magnet Programs information page, our application and lottery process is managed through the OCPS Magnet Programs Office.

Families must complete the Magnet Schools & Programs Application to apply for our middle school academy.

🔗 Application Link: https://schoolchoicemagnet.ocps.net/

Helpful Tips When Applying:

✅ Select the Magnet School Application.

✅ Have your child's OCPS student number ready.

✅ Enter your child's name exactly as it appears in Skyward.

✅ When selecting a school, scroll all the way to the bottom of the school list to find Windy Ridge K-8

📅 Application Deadline: December 18, 2026

⚠️ Experiencing Issues with the Application?

We know several families have encountered red error messages while completing the application for various reasons. If you receive an error message, have difficulty finding Windy Ridge K-8 on the school list, or need assistance with the application process, please reach out to us. We are happy to help!

We hope this clears up any confusion and helps make the application process easier for our families. Thank you for your patience as we work to assist everyone through this process!

A graphic announces Report Card 1 available via Skyward Family Access on Thursday, October 22nd.

Report Card 1 is Now Available!

Report Card 1 was sent home with students on Thursday, October 22nd!

Parents and guardians can also view their student's grades online through Skyward Family Access.

We encourage all families to take a few moments to review their student's academic progress and celebrate their hard work during the first quarter!

Discipline

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 schedule flyer for Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks Volleyball, featuring game dates and times.

🏐💙 LET'S GO, SILVERHAWKS! VOLLEYBALL SEASON IS HERE! 💙🏐

Our Windy Ridge K-8 Girls' and Boys' Volleyball Teams are kicking off their season this week! 🎉

Come out and cheer on our Silverhawks as they take on Robinswood Middle School in their first game of the season!

📅 Wednesday, October 28th

📍 Home Game at Chain of Lakes Middle School

⏰ 5:00 PM – Girls Play First, Followed by Boys

Let's pack the stands, show our Silverhawk pride, and support BOTH teams as they start their season strong! 💙🏐

📣 Check out the graphic for the full 2026 volleyball schedule!

Show Your Silverhawk Pride!

We currently have our Volleyball spirit wear shop available!
🏆 Silverhawk Athletics Gear – Show your school spirit and support our Silverhawk athletes!
30% of every purchase goes directly toward supporting Windy Ridge Athletics!

Silverhawk Athletic Gear: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/QP7ZdSG5j7

A promotional flyer for Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks athletic gear, featuring apparel and a QR code.

Westly's Mile Run Club

Join Westly's Mile Runner's Club for the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge.

Form to Join Westly's Mile

A promotional flyer for the Orlando Area Rowing Society featuring four rowers on the water and text inviting new athletes with no experience necessary.

A promotional flyer for a youth volleyball season, featuring a photo of children playing volleyball outdoors.

From the Clinic

A colorful cartoon illustration of two smiling plastic grocery bags, branded with Walmart and Publix, surrounded by a pile of plastic bags.

🛍️ A Special Request from Nurse Jones! 🛍️

You know that cabinet under your sink that's overflowing with plastic grocery bags? Well, Nurse Jones would love to help you reclaim that space!

Our school clinic is in need of clean plastic grocery bags to help with student accidents, wardrobe emergencies, and other unexpected situations throughout the school day.

🛍️ Have extra bags? Please consider donating them!

📍 Donations can be dropped off at the front office.

Thank you, Silverhawk families, for helping Nurse Jones keep our clinic stocked and ready to care for our students!

Making Healthy Choices: Vape-Free Awareness at Windy Ridge K-8!

This week on campus, our middle school Silverhawks participated in an important vaping prevention and awareness initiative!

Through their PE classes, students learned about the dangers of vaping, its harmful effects on their health, and the importance of making healthy, informed decisions.

During lunch, students also had the opportunity to sign a pledge to be vape-free!

One of the highlights was a visit from the famous inflatable lungs that have been making their way around OCPS secondary schools! This eye-catching display helped bring awareness to the importance of protecting our lungs and making healthy choices.

We are proud of our Silverhawks for learning, asking questions, and taking steps toward a healthy, vape-free future!

A speaker presents to an audience of students in a school auditorium with large inflatable organ models.

Four women stand smiling in front of a stage with a large inflatable lung model, holding signs that say "Vaping Clouds Your Future, Choose Clear Skies."

Students and teachers gather around a long table in a school room, working together on a large banner.

Students gather around a long pink banner to write messages and draw, working together in a school setting.

Media Center

📚🎉 September AR Incentives – Introducing the Prize Wheel!

I am trying something new this year with our monthly AR incentives—a PRIZE WHEEL! 🎉

Here is how our monthly AR incentives will work:

⭐ Top 10 AR Students: These students will automatically receive a Chick-fil-A kids meal card (Donated by the Chick-fil-a on Kirkman and Conroy Rd.) AND a spin on the prize wheel!

30 Additional Lucky Students: Students who earned at least 2 AR points during the month were entered into a random drawing, and 30 students were selected to spin the prize wheel!

September's 40 lucky students have been selected!

A colorful poster announcing the September AR Prize Wheel Winners, featuring a list of names and a prize wheel graphic.

A collage of students in a school library, proudly holding awards, books, and smiling near a colorful READ sign and bookshelves.

A collage of nine photos features diverse students posing with prizes and reward wheels in a school library.

A speaker stands on a stage in a school auditorium, presenting a storybook projected on a large screen to an attentive audience of children.

A speaker draws characters on an easel while presenting to an audience of children in a room.

📚✨ This Week in the Media Center! ✨📚

It was another exciting week of reading, creativity, and special visitors at the Windy Ridge K-8 Media Center!

SSYRA Jr. Book #2: This week, our students enjoyed reading our second SSYRA Jr. book, Vampire Jam Sandwich! We had so much fun diving into this spooky and silly story!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Our students turned in their amazing pumpkin creations for our annual pumpkin contest! We can't wait to share their creativity with everyone. Winners will be announced soon!

✍️ Our First Author Visit of the Year: We had an AMAZING visit from Brandon James Scott, author of The Skeleton and the Cat! Our students loved meeting him and learning about his work as an author and illustrator. He even left us an original drawing, which is now proudly displayed in our Media Center! What a special keepsake for our Silverhawks! 🐈‍⬛

📖 Calling All Book Lovers! Several amazing authors will be at Barnes & Noble on October 27th! If your family loves books, this could be a wonderful opportunity to meet more talented authors!

A promotional flyer for an Orlando young readers author panel featuring Jerry Craft, Stuart Gibbs, Karina Yan Glaser, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, and James Ponti.

A colorful poster for the Windy Ridge K-8 Literati Book Fair, featuring woodland animals reading books in a forest setting.

A colorful poster for the Windy Ridge K-8 Literati book fair, featuring cute animal illustrations in a forest setting with event details in Portuguese and Spanish.

🍂 Fall into a good book! 📖

Our Fall Book Fair will be November 9-13. Students will go with their classes to preview the book fair and make wishlists. Students who wish to purchase items from the fair will be able to do so during school hours, during designated times. Items may also be purchased online through the Literati Online Shop (QR code above).

✨ Special Hours ✨

Want to shop with your child? Windy Ridge families can shop the book fair during Movie Night on November 6 from 4:30pm-6:30pm. (More to come on Movie Night soon!)

We need volunteers to help make this book fair run smoothly! You must be ADDitions approved. If you are able to help, please sign up here:

News from Our PTA

Promotional poster for Orlando Magic Spirit Night featuring a basketball game against the Boston Celtics at Kia Center on Sunday, November 1st at 3:30 PM.

Join us for Windy Ridge Spirit Night as the Orlando Magic take on the Boston Celtics on Sunday, November 1st at 3:30pm at the Kia Center! Purchase your tickets directly through this link to take advantage of an exclusive discount. The first 25 kids with a ticket through this link will be able to join the high-five line for the Boston Celtics as they run out of the tunnel before the game! This is always a fun event - we look forward to seeing you there!

LINK TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Upcoming Clubs

A poster for Windy Ridge Astronomy Club featuring the silhouette of a person looking through a telescope against a starry sky and a large moon.

For more information about Astronomy Club, please email Dr. Strawser at: corydon.strawser@ocps.net.

Testing News

More testing news will be shared soon.

Silverhawk Birthdays & Appreciation Days

A festive blue and white flyer celebrating October birthdays with balloons, confetti, and a flying hawk mascot.

A colorful flyer celebrates October School Staff Appreciation Days at Windy Ridge K-8, featuring appreciation days for principals, custodians, coaches, and occupational therapy staff.

Upcoming Spirit Days

A promotional flyer for Windy Ridge K-8 Pinktober Wednesdays features event dates, a blue silverhawk graphic, and a pink t-shirt.

A colorful flyer for Windy Ridge K-8 Silverhawks' Red Ribbon Week Spirit Week, listing daily themes from Monday, October 26 to Friday, October 30.

Socktober Information

A colorful, purple-toned poster promoting a Socktober sock collection drive for local shelters.

Soaring Hawks

A graphic with the text "Silverhawk Shoutouts" features two photos of school staff and students in a brightly lit classroom and hallway.

A graphic with the text 'Silverhawk Shoutouts' features two photos of teachers and students inside a school classroom decorated with international flags.

🌟 Quarter 1 Silverhawk Shoutouts Are on Their Way! 🌟

Our Quarter 1 Silverhawk Shoutouts have officially started being delivered! 🎉 Ms. Santiago and Mrs. Baker (4th Grade) were the first to receive their special shoutouts, with many more still to come!

💙 A HUGE thank you to our amazing Silverhawk community for taking the time to recognize and celebrate our wonderful faculty and staff! Your kind words and appreciation mean so much and help spread positivity throughout our school.

Partners in Education

A woman stands behind a display table in a library setting, surrounded by books and informational items.

🎨🧢 A Creative Treat for Our Silverhawk Faculty Meeting!

A HUGE thank you to YFC United for bringing some creativity and fun to our latest faculty meeting!

Our teachers and staff had a wonderful time designing their own hats and coloring personalized bags! 🛍️🎨 It was a great opportunity to relax, get creative, and enjoy some time together.

We truly appreciate YFC United for taking the time to bring these fun activities to our Silverhawk family and making our faculty meeting extra special!

💙 Thank you, YFC United, for spreading creativity and smiles!

🌐 Learn more about YFC United: https://yfcunited.org/

Silverhawk Spirit In Action

A group of children and adults pose together outdoors near a garden bed and a fence on a sunny day.

🌱🌼 Growing Together, Silverhawks! 🌿🌻

Mrs. Rodriguez’s 1st grade class and our Middle School SGA students are teaming up to bring new life to the gardens behind our main school building! 🌷🪴

This wonderful collaboration is a great example of teamwork, leadership, and our Silverhawks working together to make our campus beautiful!

The project is coming along nicely, and we can't wait to watch everything grow and bloom! 🌸🌱