Yates Elementary School

🎉 Celebrating Excellence at Yates Elementary! 🎉
We are proud to recognize two incredible members of our Yates family for their dedication to our students and school community!

2026 Teacher of the Year – Amy Ray
Amy Ray is an outstanding Special Education teacher who has made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many of our Wildcats. Through her compassion, expertise, and commitment to students, she helps ensure every child has the support they need to succeed. In addition to her work in the classroom, Amy serves as the Team Lead for our Special Education department, where she supports and guides colleagues while always keeping students at the center of her work. We are so grateful for the impact she makes every single day!

2026 Support Staff of the Year – Paige Fields
Paige Fields is our phenomenal bookkeeper, but her role at Yates goes far beyond numbers and spreadsheets. Paige is a constant, positive presence throughout our school—always willing to lend a hand, solve a problem, or support students and staff in any way needed. Her dedication, positivity, and willingness to help make Yates a better place for everyone.

Both Amy and Paige bring heart, positivity, and a deep commitment to our Wildcats, and we are truly honored to have them as part of the Yates Elementary family.

Please join us in congratulating Amy Ray and Paige Fields for this well-deserved recognition!
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🌺💚💛 This week we had the joy of welcoming our littlest Wildcats to Yates — our adorable preschool students! 🐾✨

Each session got their very own luau party to kick off their Yates journey, complete with colorful leis 🌸 and big smiles. It was the sweetest thing to see their excited faces as they were officially welcomed into our school family. 💕

We are so excited to watch them learn, grow, and shine this year! 🌟

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✊🖐🏿✌🏼 Today Yates Elementary celebrated National Rock Paper Scissors Day as one big school family! 💚💛

From classrooms to hallways, there were lots of challenges — but even more smiles, laughs, and memories made. 🎉 Congratulations to our top winner, Laura Ellis, with a very close runner-up, Allie Kiser! 👏🏾

What a fun and magical way to make this Wednesday unforgettable! 🌟🐾
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💚💛 We are SO proud of our incredible Preschool Team! 💛💚
They continue to be the very best in the business — pouring love, patience, and dedication into our youngest Wildcats each and every day. 🐾
Please join us in congratulating this amazing team — we are so thankful for all you do!

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📚💚💛 Our intermediate Wildcats hit the library today for a Genre Scavenger Hunt — and they crushed it! Students explored different genres, searched for titles, and had fun discovering just how many adventures are waiting for them on our shelves.
While we love technology 💻, we also treasure the importance of students holding an actual book in their hands — turning pages, getting lost in a story, and building a lifelong love of reading. 🌟
Here’s to a year full of great books and even greater readers!
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💚💛 Our 4th grade Wildcats were hard at work today — learning classroom expectations while staying engaged in art with Ms. Thomas! 🖌️🎨 As they drew, they also discussed important art vocabulary like diagonal, details, background, and more.
Art gives our students the chance to think, create, and express themselves in powerful ways. As Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” 🌟
We are so proud of our Wildcats as they learn, create, and grow each day! 💚💛
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💚💛 Our Wildcats are off to an AMAZING start! 💛💚

Today our primary students were busy stretching their brains ✏️➕ — writing sentences, working with 10 frames, and practicing important math routines. The best part? They were learning how to talk about math with their classmates! 🗣️🔢
We love seeing our students grow as thinkers, writers, and problem-solvers. The future is bright for our Wildcats! 💚💛

🌺💚💛 What an AMAZING first day at Yates! 💛💚🌺

This morning, every single Wildcat was greeted with a colorful lei 🌸 and a big “Welcome Home!” Our halls were filled with smiles, laughter, and that special first-day energy we all love.

As Stitch says, “This is my family. I found it, all on my own.” 💕 At Yates, our family is strong, connected, and ready for an incredible year together.

We are so blessed to serve the most amazing students and families, and we KNOW it’s going to be an awesome year! 💚💛✨

🌟💚💛 Tomorrow is the BIG day, Wildcats! 💛💚🌟

We are SO excited to welcome our Wildcats HOME for the first day of the 2025–2026 school year! The halls are ready, the smiles are waiting, and our hearts are full!

As Lilo & Stitch taught us, “ʻOhana means family — and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” 💕 At Yates, , and we can’t wait to start this school year together.

See you bright and early, Wildcats — there is truly ! Let’s make this the best year yet! 🦩🌴🌸

🎉🥈 We did it, Yates Family! 🥈🎉
We are beyond excited to share that Yates Elementary has been awarded the Best of Lexington – Silver Recognition for Best Elementary School in Lexington! 💚💛

A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted and continues to support our amazing school. Your love, encouragement, and belief in our Wildcats mean the world to us.

What an incredible way to kick off the 2025–2026 school year — with gratitude in our hearts and excitement for all that’s ahead!

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Who says mandatory training can’t be FUN?! 🎉Today we officially kicked off our and themed school year — and what a day it was! 🌸🌺🌴

We welcomed home our newest Yates team members (minus a few who were attending district meetings or not feeling well) and spent the day in Kagan structures, learning, reviewing, and laughing together. 💬✨

It was a day filled with reminders, encouragement, and the energy we need to launch an amazing 2025–2026 school year!

T-minus 2 days until our Wildcats are back where they belong! 💚💛
Let’s go, Yates Family — we’re ready for you!