Wallace Elementary School
Quarterly Newsletter, Marking Period 3
We Are Wallace
Inside this Issue
- A Message From Wallace
- Wildcats at Work
- Acts of Kindness
- Work Hard, Play Hard
- The Wildcat Challenge
A Message From Wallace
We hope that you are your loved ones are safe, healthy, and have found some routine amidst all of these unprecedented changes. It is hard to believe that over four weeks have gone by since the hallways and classrooms of Wallace were filled with learning and laughter.
During this third marking period, we were all tasked with the unimaginable as we made the tremendous shift from learning at school to learning at home. Yet, our collective efforts are a cause for true celebration. Together we embarked on the journey of remote learning and have demonstrated that schools are not buildings, they are people.
Teachers, we admire and celebrate the work you have done to connect with students, families, and with the larger community in the spirit of rigor, relevance, and relationships, the core tenets of our District. Your morning meetings, live Zoom instruction, recorded lessons, emails, phone calls, and messages are evidence of your consistent dedication and creative approaches to engage students and deepen relationships. We are grateful, teachers, for the positive remote learning environments you've created and the instruction and guidance you've provided.
Parents and families, we also extend our gratitude to you. The act of balancing work, family, and school isn’t easy for anyone. We know it can be challenging to learn new platforms and we admire the new role you have taken on. We celebrate your continuous efforts in creating space and time in your work and home life to support your children’s learning. We also want to say thank you for supporting our teachers as they rose to the challenge of remote learning for the first time, while also managing their homes and many supporting their own children with their learning. We are in this together, one big Wallace family, and we thank you for all you are doing.
We are Wallace.
Wildcats at Work
Kindergarten students have really taken to online learning! Whether it is learning ELA in the morning or Math in the afternoon, our kindergartners are excited and eager to learn. We miss being with them in person, but seeing their smiling faces twice a day makes it all better! We have even celebrated birthdays and special events virtually. Kindergarten, keep being Rockstars!
First graders have shown their tremendous adaptability in the last six weeks. They are using zoom, epic, seesaw, and dojo daily to complete their work. We are proud of how they are pushing through and showing up everyday with a smile on their face. Currently our first graders are working on bar graphs, adverbs, long vowel sounds, and hitting reading milestones!
Second grade students have embraced their new schedules and are eager to learn. They are excited to see their friends and teachers during Zoom meetings and look to meet each academic challenge with the commitment and enthusiasm we all know and love.
Third grade students are finding that technology has become second nature. They are able to work independently when necessary but have become accustomed to interacting with their teachers through thoughtful questions and a desire to gain a stronger understanding of expectations. We are so proud of their growth.
Our fourth grade students are true examples of 21st century learning. They work well together during their Zoom meetings and small group instruction. They are utilizing technology to express their thoughts, ideas, and personality. They are even using these platforms to show their passions and creativity. Fourth grade has shown true resilience in the face of high demands and a changing educational landscape.
Fifth graders have demonstrated that remote learning doesn't stand a chance against their independence as scholars. We are in awe of the confidence and creativity our scholars have demonstrated in their work and collaborative discussions. Video platforms such as Zoom and Flipgrid have engaged and empowered the voices of our fifth graders!
We couldn't be more proud of our Wallace Wildcats!
Acts of Kindness
Our community has been filled with peace, love, and kindness by our Wallace Wildcats. Our students have demonstrated that we can spread kindness at school and at home. Here are just a few examples from the past six weeks. We are so proud of all our Wildcats!
- Dylan and Sofia Kwok, and their family, were able to distribute over 10,000 surgical masks and boxes of cookies to Hoboken first responders, essential workers, and local hospitals.
- Emanuel Gonzalez showed kindness during a Zoom Morning Meeting. When Mrs. Jervis needed to attend to her own children, Emanuel stepped up and assisted a peer's guardian troubleshoot a technology issue.
- Nicholas Santiago has consistently showed kindness to his younger brother, Jax, in his willingness to pitch in and help him with his home activities. Jackson has learned so much from his big brother!
- Christian Lopez arranged an afternoon tea party for his family and helped to make delicious apple banana bread.
- Stella and Evan Jervis showed kindness when they made sandwiches for the Hoboken homeless shelter.
- Leilani Baez demonstrated kindness by not only completing her assigned work, but helping her family with food prep and taking care of the dog. Leilani has been a balancing element in the family, sharing her happiness and joy even when in the midst of a different and stressful routine.
- Erik Jacobson made 70 meat and cheese sandwiches and delivered them to the lunchtime ministry.
- Reed Parks showed kindness by helping his younger brother with his homework.
- The DeCock Family, Leo, Vincent, and Maren, baked and delivered tasty treats to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.
As we continue on our remote learning journey, please continue to submit pictures or videos with small write up of your Wildcat's kind acts to Mrs. Marcal, AMarcal@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Remember, no act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted!
Work Hard, Play Hard
The video below captures this essence of this idea and shows how Wallace works hard, yet plays hard too!
The Wildcat Challenge
To conclude this quarterly newsletter we would like to share our ongoing Wildcat Challenge with you. Let's continue celebrating all of the amazing work we have done, and will do, as a family. Share your Wallace Pride with the community by;
- Building a Wallace Wildcat Den by creating a fort in your home
- Illustrating a "W" for Wallace
- Creating a video of you and your family's best Wallace ROAR as loud and as proud as possible
Don't forget to capture the these celebratory moments so that we can share them with others!