Panther News 6/3/26

Holy moly ya'll, another year has just flown by!!!

I cannot believe that the school year is over. As one school year ends, another will begin and we say goodbye to some beloved teachers. While we will be welcoming some new staff to Parkmead, we will always remember those of you who get to start a new journey in life, retirement!

Mrs. Trisha Nelson is currently teaching TK and while she has only done it for a few years, she seemed to have loved every minute of it. Your passion for reading, writing and creative arts has transferred to the TK classrooms as you appear to just be a natural.. Paint on your hands, glitter in in your hair, who cares as long as you're having fun? The kids love you Mrs. Nelson and we will all miss you. Thank you for everything that you have done for Parkmead in TK, Kinder and 3rd grade.

Mrs. Renee Weyand has been at Parkmead longer than most and truly loves this school and community. She loves it so much that she had her wedding reception here (after she married Mr. D) and invited all of her students. She has a passion for teaching kids how to read and her love shines through her teaching. Thank you for everything you've done for Parkmead Ms. Weyand and please know you will be missed.

Thank you both for the many years you have dedicated to Parkmead families, students and staff. You will always be a Panther!

Whether you are all traveling, hanging local, or spending your summer at the pool deck, remember to read! Summer reading keeps young minds active and growing! Just 20 minutes of reading each day can help students maintain their reading skills, expand their vocabulary, and prevent the "summer slide." Most importantly, reading helps children discover new interests, use their imaginations, and develop a lifelong love of learning. Every book is an adventure that helps prepare students for success in the next school year. 📚☀️

Thanks for another amazing year Panhters. Have a wonderful summer everyone and we'll see you in August!

Stay positive Panthers and don't forget to smile!

Mr. Burstein

Reminder to pick up your student's medications from the office before THURSDAY, JUNE 4. Please see Miss Shelly if you need to make arrangements to transfer them over to Keyspot or Dianne Adair for the summer.

All medications MUST be picked up!!

All Lost & Found will be donated after school on Thursday, June 4. Please collect your things!

Students may take home a turkey & cheese or a sun butter & strawberry sandwich, served with fresh fruits, baby carrots, and a choice of milk. Please submit one order form per student by Friday, May 29th.

Thank you to everyone who jumped in and helped make Field Day such an incredible success! It truly takes a village to pull off a day this big, and we are so grateful for the time, energy, flexibility, and enthusiasm our amazing volunteers brought to Parkmead.

Whether you were a setup helper, water runner, station leader, lunch volunteer, yard duty helper, or a part of the skills competition team, we truly couldn’t have done it without your support. Watching so many families come together to create a fun, memorable day for our kids is exactly what makes Parkmead such a special community.

We also want to give a very special shout-out to Allison deYoung and Jimmy Karas for absolutely saving the day by quickly stepping in to replace the melted popsicles with a whole new batch! Your quick thinking saved one of the students’ favorite Field Day traditions.

Thank you again for helping create such a joyful experience for our Parkmead community. We could not do it without all of you!

Mrs. Palmer (Parkmead PE teacher) and Tiphanie Karas

Thank you especially to Tiphanie Karas and Victoria Palmer for planning and pulling off a phenomenal day. We also want to give a very special shout-out to Allison deYoung and Jimmy Karas for absolutely saving the day by quickly stepping in to replace the melted popsicles with a whole new batch! Your quick thinking saved one of the students’ favorite Field Day traditions.

 

Find information about PERC online: https://linktr.ee/parkmeadperc

 

As the school year comes to a close, we want to thank you for being part of a community that truly values education. Together, we reached our $1.6 million goal and made an incredible impact across our schools:

We also celebrated some amazing community-wide successes this year — over $220,000 raised through Read-a-Thon, $161,000 from Turn Up the Heat, $39,000 from Taste & Toast, and $58,000 from FORE! Education.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our community and the dedication of our incredible WCEF volunteers, who give so much of their time, energy, and heart to this organization. If you’ve ever considered getting involved, we would love to welcome new volunteers to help support our schools and students. Please reach out at contact@wcefk12.org. 

And if you haven’t had a chance to give yet, it’s not too late to make an impact. Please donate at wcefk12.org/donate.

Wishing all of our families, staff, and supporters a wonderful and relaxing summer. Thank you again for being part of such a special community.

With gratitude,

Lacie Brown & Inna Raspudic

2025–26 Co-Presidents, WCEF TK–12

Shop at Ace Hardware’s downtown Walnut Creek location during the month of June, and ask to round up your bill at checkout - that money will be donated to WCEF! Finish that home project you’ve been wanting to do; stock up on light bulbs, batteries, and other home essentials; and check out new paint colors - all while supporting our schools and students! Thank you Ace Hardware for your support!