Dear West Elementary Families,

On behalf of the West Elementary Family, welcome to the BEST SCHOOL YEAR! Our school staff is getting excited to welcome you soon. As principal of West Elementary, I value our community immensely. I am enormously proud of the community we belong to…there is no better district in Oklahoma than Bixby Public Schools. In particular, the teachers and staff at West Elementary are dedicated, creative, kind, nurturing, and loving. In my biased opinion, we have the BEST staff on the planet. I say this time and time again but we also have the best parents and kids, too. THANK YOU for welcoming one another with open arms. It is each and every one of YOU who makes this district and school so unique.

As an administrator, I value the partnership between parents and the school. We appreciate your support and help. We would not be nearly as successful without EACH OF YOU. It is a team effort! Throughout the year, we will provide monthly newsletters and frequent social media communications, and we invite you to volunteer or visit! Our doors are always open to you! If you have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to call the office or email me at lmcnamara@bixbyps.org. I urge you to contact us, join the PTO, and connect. We are better together!

For those of you who do not know me (YET)....my name is Libby McNamara and I have had the honor of being the site principal for West Elementary since we opened our doors in August of 2020. I am a Tulsa native, a graduate of Bishop Kelley High School and Oklahoma State University. I have a large family in the Tulsa area, enjoy weekends at the lake, attend classes at Orange Theory, ride my peloton, be with friends, and my crazy dog,  Murray. Before joining the Spartan family, I was at Jenks East Elementary after some time teaching at St. Catherine’s School. I’m a conflicted sports fan and split my time cheering for the University of Notre Dame or Oklahoma State University! My passions are reading and literacy education, continuing to build this fantastic community, and making your child's school experience wonderful. I say it often, but we aim to make these elementary years the most magical time of their lives. They are only little once, and we want to cherish that! As a staff, it is our most incredible privilege to be a part of your lives.

I am joined by Mrs. Angela Timmons, who is our full-time Assistant Principal. Mrs. Timmons also spent some time in Jenks at Jenks West Elementary before joining the Spartan family in 2020. Mrs. Timmons is a proud mom of two adult children and has married Andrew for 26 years. She will be planning a wedding for her daughter, Bailey, this fall.  Mrs. Timmons loves the lake, her animals, being with friends, reading, and spending time with family on vacation. Mrs. Timmons is passionate about math, science, and technology, as well as helping your child build relationships among staff and friends. 

In the coming days, it is essential to remember that we have many new students and parents joining the West Elementary Family, your patience is appreciated--especially in the car line and on the first few days of school. By Labor Day, we will all have this down and the kinks will be mostly worked out. As we move throughout the year, I implore you always to assume the positive intent of other families, students, staff members, and one another. We are all navigating life together, and your kindness is appreciated. 

We are here to help make this elementary school experience the best for you and your child. If there is anything that we can do to help you, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office or myself. It truly is a great day to be a Spartan! 

More information will be coming soon, with specific details regarding meeting the teacher, transportation procedures, what to expect on the first day, and more. Save this information and review it as you can. We can't wait to see you soon.

Here’s to a joy-filled year ahead!

Libby

Can I walk my child to class?

• Yes!! 

  • Week 1: Parents can escort their child to class if they arrive before the tardy bell (7:50). You will need your transportation tag to avoid checking in at the office. 

  • Week 2 and After: Parents can escort their child to class if they arrive before the tardy bell (7:50). Parents will need to use the lobby guard system in the front office. This requires a government-issued ID. 

  • Please remember that the goal is for our students to become independent! We welcome ALL parents into the building but need to get busy learning. We appreciate you helping us stay on our routine/schedule. 

Who is my child's teacher?

• Classroom assignments will be emailed to families at noon on Wednesday, August 14th, to the email address listed in PowerSchool.

• No changes will be made to class placements.  

• If you don’t receive an email, check your spam folder, check to make sure you have completed your enrollment, or check to make sure you entered your email address correctly. 

I can’t make Meet the Teacher!

• On Wednesday, August 14th, at noon, you will receive an email from your classroom teacher. 

• If you need to make alternate arrangements, please email the teacher. However, please remember that teachers are in meetings, so our flexibility will be minimal. 

School Hours and Bell Schedule:

Students may not be dropped off before 7:30 am. School starts at 7:50 am

PK Students dismiss at 1:55 every day. K-3 Students dismiss at 2:55 M-TH and 1:55 on most Friday's.

• Bell Schedule

Transportation Numbers

These are VERY important. Every child will have one on their backpack. Every family will have parent tags. Do NOT lose these. You will also use it as a “fast pass” during celebrations at school. You will receive these at Meet the Teacher. 

Car Line Information

Arrival and dismissal are two of the busiest times at any elementary school. Please be patient with staff, other families, and your child. We all want to get where we are going safely! More extensive information can be found on our website. 

DROP OFF (AM)

• Follow staff member instructions…we want you to pull ALL THE WAY forward. We can unload A LOT of cars this way!

• Students do NOT need to wait for adults to open the car door. We are there to assist, but if they can open the door, they should do so

• Students should try to exit the car from the DRIVER side.

PICK UP (PM)

• If you are picking up a car rider, you MUST have a transportation tag hanging in your window. Students will NOT be released to anyone without that tag

• Please contact the office if you need to change transportation during the day. No changes can be accommodated after 2:00 p.m. 

Buses

• PK Students are not allowed to ride the bus. 

• Students are not allowed to ride buses home with friends. 

• All things transportation can be found HERE.

Cafeteria Updates

• Each grade level has 20 minutes for lunch every day. 

• Please work with your child to memorize his/her student ID number. 2nd—and 3rd-grade students need to have that memorized as soon as possible, and 1st-grade students need to aim for Fall Break. 

• Everyone is learning, and at the beginning of the year, it takes a little time to get through the line. If you’re concerned about your child having enough time to eat, you can pack a lunch from home.

• At this time, we do not have the room to accommodate parents or guests eating with their children. You are welcome to drop off lunch for your child in the office or check your child out for lunch if you need to!

Communication

• The best way to get in touch with your teacher about your child is by email. Teachers will respond within 24 hours. 

• If you have transportation changes, it is IMPERATIVE you call the office. Do NOT depend on classroom teachers to see that during the school day. 

• Check out:

  • The BPS App

  • Our West Elementary Facebook Page

  • The West Elementary PTO Facebook Page

Volunteering

• We have many opportunities for parents to volunteer at school. 

• To do so, volunteers must be BEST trained.

• More information can be found HERE.