Walnut Heights Elementary Gets Ready for Common Release Time

New Walnut Heights Elementary School principal Kathleen Scott, Ed. D., knows how to adjust on the fly. The former principal at Parkmead Elementary School is getting familiar with her new school and addressing some recent districtwide changes.

At the Walnut Creek School District’s most recent governing board meeting on Aug. 15, the board members unanimously approved the reduction of first-grade class sizes from 25 students to one teacher to 20-to-1 for the upcoming school year. Scott, who already has two new first-grade teachers in Tara Robinson and Nicki Sanderson, will now look to add a third first-grade teacher before school begins on Aug. 23 to comply with the new requirement.

In addition, this year at Walnut Heights, all students in first through fifth grade will be dismissed at the same time — 2:20 p.m. To be prepared for the large number of students waiting to be picked up after school, Scott will have an assembly on the first day of school with teachers, students and parent volunteer drivers to test the plan and familiarize the students with the new system.

Walnut Heights’ parking lot is divided into three lanes. The lane closest to the school will be designated for carpool drivers, who will be required to have a placard on their car. A carpool will be defined as a driver who is picking up kids from two or more families, not based on how many kids they are picking up.

These placards will be available for purchase on Aug. 22 at Welcome Back Day from 9 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the multi-use room. 

For further information about changes to Walnut Creek district schools, see this link.