A Note From Our Principal
Welcome to a new school year! For those of you not familiar with me, my name is Tamára McAllister and I am the principal of Walter Douglas
Elementary. I am so very proud to be a Bulldog! Thanks to our wonderful staff, students and community we were designated an A+ school by
the Arizona Educational Foundation in 2017 and I know this is going to be another outstanding year.
I had the opportunity to meet many of you during our Parent Orientation nights. What a wonderful turnout! Our staff was excited to see the
number of parents that attended and we thank you for your show of support. We at Walter Douglas know educating your child is a team effort
and that we can’t do it without you! Let’s work together to make this a successful year for your child.
Parental Involvement: As we begin the new school year, it is important to make you aware of school goals and what you can do to help assist
your child in being successful. Please work with your child to;
* Read at least 20 minutes each night (make sure to include non-fiction text too!)
* Practice and master grade level math facts
* Complete homework
* Be on time to school and prevent absences (School begins at 7:55 a.m. & Dismisses at 2:10 p.m.)
* Take pride in our school and respect others
* Utilize our Parent Portal to monitor student grades and academic progress (Grades 3-6)
College and Career Readiness Standards: We will continue our focus on the state adopted College and Career Readiness standards. There
will be an emphasis on reading non-fiction text and writing, writing, writing! Please know that your child will be expected to read and write at
complex levels and may need extra support at home to accomplish our rigorous academic goals.
Staffing: I wanted to let you know of two new teachers who recently joined our Bulldog team: Mr. Abelardo Miranda Salinas; 5th grade teacher
and Ms. Charlie Anthony, resource teacher. Additionally, Ms. Claire Dunham moved from 3rd/5th grade and is teaching 6th grade and Mrs.
Jamie Provencio moved from 2nd grade to 1st grade.
PTO: It is our hope to continue our tradition of a strong Parent Teacher Organization! With this in mind, I personally invite you to join the Walter
Douglas PTO. Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 4th at 2:30 in the Library. Our meetings will last approximately one
hour. Childcare and Spanish translations will be provided. Hope to see you there!
Drop Off and Pick Up of Students: We know that finding a parking space at Walter Douglas can sometimes be a challenge! As we start the
new school year, we ask that you please be considerate of the red and yellow zones located in various areas around the school. It is not okay
to park your car in a red or yellow zone during morning drop off or afternoon pick-up. You may pull into these areas and stay in your vehicle
with it running while you wait for your child. It is possible you will be asked to move your car if you are parked in a red or yellow zone. Thank
you for your patience and consideration in this matter. Also, please remember that if there is a change to your child’s normal dismissal
procedure, we must have a note or a phone call from you. This ensures that your child is going home the way that you want them to.
PAWS: We will be continuing our positive behavior program this year. Students are expected to follow the P.A.W.S. model when they are in
school, on the bus and in our community. P.A.W.S stands for: Promptly Prepare, Act Respectfully, Work Hard and Stay Safe.
Like us on Facebook: This is a great way to keep up to date on school events and help celebrate all the great things we have going on here
at WD!
Finally, please know that I have an open door policy. If you ever have a question or concerns, feel free to come by and see me. I
look forward to working with you and your child this year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tamára McAllister
Principal