LOCUST SCHOOL NEWS

Locust October 2026 Newsletter

Fall is here, and the school year is officially underway! We’ve had a great start to the school year, and we hope everyone’s children have settled into their new school routines. Spirit Week was a lot of fun and ended with an exciting pep rally featuring visitors from the high school marching band and sports teams!

We hope everyone enjoyed Back-to-School Night. It was wonderful to see so many parents in the school admiring student work, meeting teachers, and connecting with old and new friends. The teachers shared informative presentations, particularly about our new literacy program. We are grateful for all the work they do each day!

A special thank-you to our class parents! We all appreciate your efforts in coordinating volunteers for crafts and field trips and communicating with families throughout the year.

Upcoming Events

Please join us on Friday, October 9, for the Fall Festival! The schoolyard will be set up with lots of fun games and fall-themed activities for the children. Families are invited to attend!

• First Grade: 9:00–9:30 AM
• Kindergarten: 9:45–10:15 AM

A huge thank-you to our Family Fun Committee for planning the Fall Festival!

Our first Locust PTA Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 9:30 AM in the multipurpose Room. We hope to see you there! A Zoom option will also be available for those who cannot attend in person.

There will also be an All Schools PTA Meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at 7:30 PM at the Garden City Middle School.

Unity Day is on October 21! Have your child wear orange to school to show that we stand together against bullying and are united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

On Friday, October 30, children are invited to wear costumes to school to celebrate Locust’s Storybook Character Parade! It will be a fun day for everyone. Parents are invited to watch the children parade outside the school at 9:45 AM.

The National PTA Reflections competition is underway! This year’s theme is “What My Culture Means to Me,” and the final deadline for entries is November 4.

Thank you to Kerry Lianos, our Reflections representative, for coordinating this program. Our Reflections submission box will be available next week in the front entrance of Locust.

Have your children drop off their submissions anytime this month so they can participate in this district-wide and national competition. Please remember to complete the Entry Form, which can be found along with submission requirements at: https://gardencitypta.org/reflections

The Beautification Committee, led by Catherine Griffing, will be decorating the outside of the school for the fall season on October 7 at 9:30 AM, with a rain date of October 8 at 11:00 AM.

If you would like to contribute, please consider donating $10-20 via Venmo to @catherine-griffing (6598) by Friday, October 2.

Thank you to everyone who supported our fall fundraiser and purchased Garden City Sportswear this season!

You can still purchase items through October 2 at: www.gardencitypta.org/sportswear 

Sportswear pickup will be on Saturday, November 14, from 9:00–11:00 AM at Garden City Middle School.

Lastly, thank you to all of our parent volunteers for their hard work organizing a successful Photo Day at Locust! Your children should receive their proofs in the next few weeks.

If you would like your child to have a photo retake, Photo Make-Up Day will be held on Friday, November 13.

Mary Alaina Burbage 

Locust PTA Director

locust@gardencitypta.org

www.gardencitypta.org