| Ridgewood Elementary
January 2026 |
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Dear Ridgewood Families,
I hope everyone had a restful time during winter break. It was wonderful to see our students back in the building this past Monday, and hard to believe we are almost halfway through the school year. Students began taking winter math and reading benchmark assessments this week. Please help your child do their best during the school day by ensuring they follow home routines, get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and attend school each day.
It comes with great excitement and confidence in knowing that our staff is focused on supporting all students to learn and grow. Your child’s success and preparing them for a joyful future where they can thrive is extremely important to us. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments & adapting goals for the coming months as we enter the 2nd semester. Teachers look forward to sharing information and partnering with you during Conference Week of February 9th -13th.
Please look for more information about Conference Week from your child’s teacher. You are also invited to our upcoming Coffee with the Principal Session next Thursday, January 15, 2026, at Ridgewood from 9:00-9:30 AM. Mrs. Tabolsky, our school counselor, and Mrs. Moreno, our family liaison, will join us to share information about their roles and our school. You will also learn more about how we serve students through our MTSS academic & Social Emotional systems and how students are engaged in daily learning at Ridgewood. We hope you can make it!
Thank you for your continued collaboration with us. Just as you often recognize the hard work of our staff and the excellence of our students, we fully acknowledge the support of our families and outstanding community we get to serve. Your partnership truly makes a difference. Sincerely,
Ms. Julie McBride
Principal | |
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Jan 5 - Welcome back to School Jan 9 - PTA Popcorn Friday Jan 12 - KSD Community Budget Meeting
6:00pm at Kent- Meridian High School Jan 15 - Coffee with the Principal 9:00-9:30am Jan 16 - MLK Assembly 2:30 – 3:00 Jan 19 - NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day Jan 23 - NO SCHOOL
Jan 24 - KSD Community Budget Meeting
10:00am via Zoom Jan 26 - Conference sign-ups sent out
Jan 30 - PTA Bingo Night 5:00pm Feb 6 - PTA Popcorn Friday
Feb 9 - Feb 13 – PTA Scholastic Book Fair Feb 9 - Feb 13 – Elementary Conferences
Feb 9 - 12:40 Dismissal
Feb 10 - 12:40 Dismissal
Feb 11 - 1:40 Dismissal
Feb 12 - 12:40 Dismissal
Feb 13 - 12:40 Dismissal Feb 16 - Feb 20 - No School – Presidents’ Break |
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Ridgewood PTA
A hearty thank you to all the Ridgewood PTA members for everything you do for our school! We appreciate all your hard work.
For information on important PTA events and fundraisers visit https://www.rwpta.org School Board Recognition Month
Thank you to the Kent School District Board of Directors for your service to our district: Meghin Margel, Teresa Gregory, Andy Song, Laura Wiliams, and Donald Cook. |
Is your child missing anything? Please be sure to check the lost and found bins when you are in the building for conferences. Any items not claimed will be cleared immediately after conferences. |
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No early dismissal after 3:25pm
Please avoid picking children up 5-15 minutes before the end of the school day. Lesson closure, homework assignments, and special announcements are often reserved for the end of the day. Please try to schedule all appointments during non-school days or before and after school. |
Reflections Art Contest Winners |
Congratulations to the winners of the PTA Reflections Art Contest. Best wishes to the winners as they move on to the district level! |
- Visual Arts K-2: Sofia Jones, Tate Deeba
- Visual Arts 3-5: Anna Jones, Alexa Flynn
- Literature K-2: Mary Bruffett
- Literature 3-5: Quentin Harpster, Maddie Merril
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Schedule Changes on Late Arrival Days |
Inclement weather can cause school delays. When school starts two hours late due to weather or other delays: |
- School begins promptly at 11:00am
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NO breakfast is served.
- Lunches are served and begin soon after school starts
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Why should I arrive for school on time? |
It is important that students arrive to school on time every day. It is the legal responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that students attend school on time each day. |
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If a student is late, important information about the day’s activities will be missed.
- A student that is late may miss schoolwork.
- A student that is late disrupts staff and other students.
- Arriving on time every day makes students feel good about themselves
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Our school day starts at 9:00am and students should be on the playground by 8:57am ready to line up and start their day. Please plan to arrive between 8:45 and 8:55. Thank you for helping our students have the best day possible. |
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Report an Absence or Tardy |
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SKYWARD: Choose “attendance” Choose “enter absence request” |
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Welcome back from our winter break! It is our practice at Ridgewood to review schoolwide expectations after an extended time out of school. Students will be reviewing expectations for common areas around the school (e.g. bathrooms, playground, personal space and hallways/transitions) and discussing what our expectations look like and sound like in these areas. To add on to this, students will be engaging in thoughtful discussions surrounding the topic of sportsmanship. There are opportunities everywhere to review what good sportsmanship looks like and sounds like. We encourage you to talk with your student(s) about sportsmanship at home, during outside sports/activities and things you may do with family and/or friends. We will be defining sportsmanship as ethical, appropriate, polite and fair behavior while participating in a game or athletic event. We look forward to recognizing our Ravens for showing good sportsmanship and kind behavior!
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| Better Sleep Starts with a Book
Establishing a bedtime reading routine can be a simple way to promote better sleep and support children’s learning. Research suggests that substituting screen time with reading in the evening is linked with improved sleep quality and fewer sleep problems in young children compared with children who spend more time with screens before bed.
Plus, daily reading supports language development: shared storybook reading close to bedtime has been shown to help children retain new vocabulary and strengthen comprehension — benefits that build over time as part of a consistent reading habit. |
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Community Budget Meetings |
As OneKSD, we are committed to our mission of successfully preparing all students for their futures while living our core values of equity, excellence, and community. At the same time, we are facing financial challenges that require careful planning and thoughtful decisions.
We face a projected $35 million budget shortfall for the 2026–27 school year. To maintain a five (5) percent unassigned ending fund balance, significant reductions will be necessary across schools, programs, and departments.
Learn more at Budget Updates and submit questions and feedback in advance to KSDBudget@kent.k12.wa.us. If you submit a question in advance, be sure to indicate which meeting you will attend.
The Kent School District community is invited to attend one of two Budget Update Meetings in January. The same information will be shared in both meetings. |
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| | Ridgewood Elementary
18030 162nd Place SE
Renton, WA 98058 |
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Kent School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For more information: https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/page/discrimination
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