As the 2026-2027 school year approaches, the West Plains R-7 School District has released its calendar of back-to-school events and specific orientation guidelines.
Back-to-School and Open House Events
The season kicks off with the annual Bridges Back-to-School Bash on Saturday. See the related story on this page for details.
Building open houses and orientations are scheduled across the district in the days leading up to the first day of classes:
• Monday (5-7 p.m.): South Fork Elementary (SFES) and West Plains Elementary School (WPES) open houses for preschool through first grade.
• Tuesday (5-7 p.m.): South Fork Elementary open house for grades two through six, and West Plains Elementary open house for grades two through four.
• Tuesday: West Plains Middle School Fifth Grade Orientation, featuring staggered times by last name.
- Students with last names A–K attend at 5 p.m., with doors opening at 4:45 p.m.
-Students with last names L–Z attend at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:45 p.m.
Families should enter through the front entrance, pick up registration packets and attend the general meeting in the FEMA gym before touring the building and visiting classrooms.
• Aug. 19 (8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.): WPHS Zizzer Day for incoming ninth graders.
• August 20 (5-7 p.m.): Open houses for WPMS (grades six through eight), WPHS (grades nine through 12) and Zizzer Pride Academy.
