WAVERLEY ELEMENTARY
ACCELERATING TO NEW HEIGHTS
SURF THE WAVE- MAY EDITION
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
* May 19 (Wednesday)- 2-Hour Early Dismissal for Students: Elementary only
* May 31 (Monday)- Schools and Offices Closed
* June 17 (Thursday)- Last Day of School: 2-Hour Early Dismissal for Students
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Waverley Elementary School Receives 2021 Best of Frederick Award
Waverley Elementary School has been selected for the 2021 Best of Frederick Award in the Elementary School category by the Frederick Award Program.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2021 Frederick Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Frederick Award Program and data provided by third parties.
We are very proud to be recognized for this honor and are so proud of the students, staff, and families who have worked so diligently to make this school so successful. Together, we are overcoming obstacles and living our vision. We are truly, “Accelerating to New Heights!”
WAVERLEY REMINDERS
Attendance: Attendance Counts at Waverley (even virtually) and Every Minute Matters! Our students need to login in every day at their designated times to ensure they are learning and are set up for success! Please remember, if your child is signed up for hybrid (in school), make sure they attend in person unless ill. Bring them later instead of “allowing” a virtual day. IF your child is out sick please send or bring in a doctor’s note so that our secretary can update your student’s file. Please note our new attendance email account: WAVES.attendance@fcps.org
Communication is important to us so let us know if you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns. Teachers can be reached using the TalkingPoints App, via email, or feel free to call the front office for assistance at (240)-236-3900.
Please know that it is important that we have the most up to date information on file at Waverley. This includes new addresses and phone numbers. Also know that we will work with you to ensure consistent attendance at Waverley for your student. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Debbie Wivell at (240)-236-3977 or Alex Metral (240)-236-3907. For address or phone number updates, please contact the front office at (240)-236-3900.
Enroll your Pre-K or Kindergarten Student for the 2021-2022 School Year!
You need to provide the following information to your child’s school.
The required enrollment documentation may be easily uploaded as part of the online enrollment process. Parents who are not able to upload the required enrollment documentation may return those items via US mail to your student’s enrollment building.
- Immunization and health records, provide BOTH of the following:
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene form 896 Immunization Certificate or other proof of immunizations (view the complete immunization schedule here), and
- Documentation of a recent physical exam, recorded on the Maryland Schools Record of Physical Examination. If your child's last physical exam was more than 9 months prior to the start of school, you may wait to submit the form until this year's exam is completed.
- Proof of date of birth (provide one of these: Birth certificate, physician's certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal or church certificate, parent's affidavit, or passport/visa)
- Proof of residency (provide one of these: current property tax bill, current rental bill, current utility bill for water, gas, or electric)
- Parent photo identification
The required enrollment documentation outlined above may be easily uploaded as part of the online enrollment process. Parents who are not able to upload the required enrollment documentation may return those items via US mail to your student’s enrollment building.
Often a parent/guardian and child do not own or rent the home in which they live. If this is your case, then the person who actually owns or rents the home must provide the same proof of residency as listed above (current property tax bill, current rental bill, current utility bill) and must complete and have notarized the FCPS Parent Residence Affidavit Multi-Family form.
If you are unable to access the online enrollment portal, please feel free to come to Waverley between 9am-1pm or 3pm-4pm for assistance.
Also, Sonia Rivera will be present at the May 4th Health and Wellness Expo completing enrollments from 3pm-6pm if you would like to come then.
*Changes in transportation*
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
In order to keep our students and family members safe we ask that you please follow the guidance below for arrival and dismissal. This is especially important now with the construction of the new building and the added traffic during arrival and dismissal.
Walkers: Please remind your children to use only sidewalks and crosswalks during arrival and dismissal. Please do not walk in front of the construction fence, but rather, in front of school and cross at the crosswalk.
Car Riders: If you have signed up to drop off and pick up your child by car, you must do so in the car rider line. Do not go through the parking lot or leave your vehicle at Rock Creek School. If you are driving to school and you want to walk your child to the door, then park in the temporary staff lot across the street.
Attendance Matters!!
Waverley Staff are so proud of our students and families who continue to work hard to establish school and home routines, and keep students engaged in school. We know it’s not easy and again we are here to help you! You can reach out to Debbie Wivell, Pupil Personnel Worker at 240-236-3977 or Alex Metral, Community Liaison at 240-236-3907 for help.
Did you know??
If a student misses just 2 days a month they are considered chronically absent, even if the absence is due to appointments or illness. These 2 missed days a month adds up to missing a month of school over the course of the year. These absences cause students to fall behind their peers and research has shown these missed days leads to problems with reading by 3rd grade.
We are interested in your input as Waverley develops as a Community School!
What is a Community School?
In community schools, as in all schools, teachers teach and students learn—but with a focus on the whole child: an integrated focus. Much like a smart phone, this integrated approach encompasses many new features: before and after school programs beyond the traditional extracurricular and athletic programs; learning opportunities for family and community members; and health and wellness support. Partnerships with community organizations and businesses broaden the educational and experiential scope of learning making the school a hub of community activity. (National Education Association Toolkit).
We have planned two virtual sessions with our parents to join us in discussing Waverley, our strengths, and areas where we can develop. Your input is important, join us on one or both of the following:
Thursday, May 6th from 11:30am-12:15pm meet.google.com/fbx-nktu-qjs
Tuesday, May 11th from 5:00pm-5:45pm meet.google.com/yds-uuuw-rsn
Children's Mental Health Awareness is May 3rd-7th
Facts about Children's Mental Health
- Mental health impacts: How we feel about ourselves How we relate to others How we handle new, stressful, and challenging situations
- One of every five children experience a mental emotional or behavioral health problem before age 18.
- Up to 70% of school-aged children with a diagnosable mental illness do not receive treatment. Early intervention is the best way to prevent long-term or severe conditions into adulthood.
- Mental health is something everyone has, regardless of age, gender, race, culture, income, or education.
- Mental health awareness helps all children have opportunities to be successful in school, at home, in the community, and in their future adult lives.
- Please reach out to School Counselor, Kandi Macauley, Community Liaison, Alex Metral, or Pupil Personnel Worker, Debbie Wivell if you need more information on available resources or support.
Internet Safety
Children are spending much more time now on the internet so keeping your kids safe has become increasingly important. Here are a few tips that can help you get started with talking to your kids about internet safety.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/5-internet-safety-tips-for-kids
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/5-consejos-para-la-seguridad-de-los-ninos-en-internet
MEDIA MESSAGES
In kindergarten and first grade students focused on taking care of their library books. In the upcoming weeks we will focus on living things, taking a look first at spiders. Students in grades 2-5 are going to be learning about fractured fairy tales. They will explore classic fairytales and recreate their own versions. This all aligns with their language arts curriculum standards. Students in K-5 are checking out books from the media center. I encourage both students and parents to please look for any missing or overdue library books still at home and return them as soon as possible.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ART?
The month of April our Kindergarten and First grade experimented with tissue paper by creating a cherry blossom branch and also decorating an elephant named Elmer with many different colors. Second Grade made symmetrical aliens from construction paper and drew cactus/cacti to show texture. Third grade have been working on focal point in two projects and designed an Earth Day poster after learning about Earth Day with our Media Specialist Mrs. Horak. Fourth grade is currently making a 4-sided Japanese lantern while fifth graders are learning about Spanish artist Salvador Dali and one of his famous paintings of elephants.
P.E. PARTICULARS
This past month in PE all students continued to work on their overall Physical Conditioning and becoming their “Own Personal Trainer”. Also, they have enjoyed doing the Super-Hero Workouts with the latest one being Captain America and Captain Marvel. Finishing the year we will be doing a unit on Nutrition and Spring/Summer Sports and Games. Remember get off the couch and exercise.
MUSIC NEWS
Music finished a composing unit in early April in Grades 3 - 5. We hope the students enjoyed the xylophone they could play in their Schoology Music page. Grades K - 2 finished their unit on playing percussion instruments, using simple objects they could find at home or in their school supplies. Right now Grades 3 - 4 are learning about music instruments used in the orchestra and other groups. Grade 5 is learning about various styles of music - Classical, Jazz, Folk, & Rock. Grades K - 2 are learning to listen for different sections in a piece of music. They should be singing and moving during every Music lesson. Fun for the whole family! :-)
School Lunches and Blessings in a Backpack
In addition to the schedule listed below, please feel free to come by and pick up school meals from 7am-1pm EVERY Monday- Friday! Just Ring the doorbell and let them know you're here to pick up your school lunch!
WHO:
All children age 18 years old and younger are eligible. We also provide meals for adults 19 years old and older who are enrolled in a program at FCPS for people with disabilities.
WHEN:
Meals are provided from 11am-1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using the following schedule.
- Mondays – “To-go” breakfasts and lunches will be provided for Monday and Tuesday
- Tuesdays – Kitchens are closed
- Wednesdays – “To-go” breakfasts and lunches will be provided for Wednesday and Thursday
- Thursdays – Kitchens are closed
- Fridays – “To-go” breakfasts and lunches will be provided for Friday, Saturday and Sunday
We are so grateful for our cafeteria staff who works so hard each day to support Waverley children and families!!
Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack and books from our pink book cart are available for any child 18 and under in front of Waverley on Fridays from 11am-1pm. Come pick up a bag of blessings for the weekend!
HEALTH CLINIC NEWS
Important COVID-19 information
COVID-19 or COVID-like-illness (CLI) symptoms to look for:
If your child has ONE of the following symptoms:
· Cough
· Shortness of breath
· Difficulty breathing
· New loss of taste or smell
OR If your child has TWO of the following symptoms:
· Fever of 100.4 or higher
· Chills or shaking chills
· Muscle aches
· Sore throat
· Headache
· Nausea or vomiting
· Diarrhea
· Fatigue
· Congestion or runny nose
You should not send your child to school. If your child displays these symptoms at school, you will be asked to pick them up. For your child to return to school one of the following criteria must be met:
1. Documentation of a negative COVID-19 PCR test results (NOT RAPID TEST)
2. Documentation from a healthcare provider stating that your child’s symptoms are related to an alternate diagnosis, pre-existing condition.
3. It has been 10 days since symptoms first appeared, all symptoms have improved AND no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
If you child is sent home for an acute illness that is not considered a CLI, your child needs to be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child has a fever, they need to be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
How does COVID-19 impact your child?
· COVID-19 appears to behave differently in children and adolescent than other common respiratory viruses, like influenza. Although children and adolescent play a major role in spreading or amplifying influenza outbreaks, however to date, this does not appear to be the case with COVID-19.
· There is a lot of evidence that indicates that children and adolescents can become infected and are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from COVID-19 infection.
· At the present time, it appears that children younger than 10 years are less likely to become infected and less likely to spread infection to others.
Want to learn more? The information used above can be found on the American Academy of Pediatrics or the CDC website. If you have ANY questions or concerns about the above information, please do not hesitate to contact the health room at 240-236-3923.
NOW ACCEPTING CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR YMCA!
Parents: Earn your degree!!
Frederick Community College (FCC) is accepting applications for its Parents Lead program that provides financial assistance to parents who want to earn a degree.
Parents accepted into the program receive scholarships that can be used for childcare expenses while they attend FCC classes, or for other costs associated with raising a child.
The next cohort will begin this fall. Space in the Parents Lead program is limited. To get started, parents need to complete a brief online application, which can be found by clicking here. For best consideration, parents should complete the application by July 1, 2021.
For more information about the Parents Lead program, click here.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES
Frederick organizations combined forces and created the "Frederick County GIS Food Distribution Public WebApp" to help community members easily find food distribution sites. An individual just needs to search his/her address, and a list of food distribution sites will appear also indicating hours of distribution and whether any paperwork is required.
Frederick County GIS Food Distribution Public WebApp:
https://fcgmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d666d90246c1495392d777191934707e
Free Rides on TransIT
"TransIT Services of Frederick County will be providing free rides on all services including TransIT-plus and Connector and shuttle service until further notice in response to COVID-19. "
THE JUDY CENTER AT WAVERLEY
TOT Time- Virtual Toddler Playgroup
- Have you seen our TOT Time playgroups on Fridays at 10am come see all the fun we are having. Join us for the funny! https://meet.google.com/prt-yzgu-rvy
Judy Center Weekly Playgroups
- Judy Center continues our weekly playgroups Wednesdays at 11:30 in Spanish and Thursdays at 11 am in English. Links below:
- Judy Center Grupo de Juego en Español! Miercoles, 11:30am https://meet.google.com/rnw-puvp-hyd
- Judy Center English Playgroup! Thursdays, 11am https://meet.google.com/qqi-wqjc-asg
Maryland Public Television TOT Time
- Maryland Public Television Tot time Tuesday May 4th at 10 am.
MPT Family Engagement 4 & younger
Stem Night for MPT
- Maryland Public Television Family Stem night May 11th 6:15 pm: https://meet.google.com/uen-gfxj-dio
Materials Distribution
- May 26th Material distribution for playgroups 10 am- 12 pm at Waverley.
Waverley Elementary School
Email: WAVES.attendance@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/waves/
Location: 201 Waverley Drive, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 236-3900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WaverleyPTA
Twitter: @FCPSWaverley