Wheeler Flash
September 2017
Message From the Principal
Dear Wheeler Families,
We are off to a great start at Wheeler School this year with several exciting teaching and learning experiences to come! We kicked off the school year with a whole school guest performance from Ilze Luneau. In addition to being extremely skilled at performing basketball tricks and having performed around the world, she sent a very positive message to our students. These included setting goals, interacting with those goals, working hard to achieve those goals and never giving up. She also talked about how she wasn't just "naturally talented" but that she had to work at being good at basketball tricks. Lastly, she emphasized the importance of kindness and respect for yourself and others. It was an inspiring performance for both teachers and students!
Her message also helped reinforce a whole school focus we have for this year at Wheeler which is using "effective feedback" as a teaching and learning tool. Many Wheeler Teachers engaged in reading various articles and books on effective feedback over the summer in preparation for the development of this goal/focus prior to the start of the school year.
What we learned was feedback is not only what teachers give students but rather, the transfer of information from teacher to student back to teacher. According to John Hattie, who has done extensive research in the area of feedback, the most powerful feedback is that given from student to teacher.
To implement the most effective feedback, students will closely and frequently interact with their learning targets or goals in order to measure where they are and where they need to move next to achieve their goal. Teachers will confer with students individually and in small groups throughout this process to assess their effort toward and understanding of the learning target and have students determine the next steps they need to take to meet the goal. In addition, students will confer with one another and provide feedback to their peers which is quite powerful too .
This kind of feedback allows teachers to see learning through the eyes of the students. It facilitates the planning for next steps for teaching and learning for students to achieve set goals/learning targets. It also promotes students taking charge and ownership of their own learning! While it is only mid October, we have already seen evidence of positive results through student work and increased engagement!!! Here is a link for information and as always, please feel free to call or email me with questions or comments.
https://visible-learning.org/2013/10/john-hattie-article-about-feedback-in-schools/
Other exciting news:
Makerspace is now up and running for students in K-5 every Wednesday. Recently, I sent out information about Makerspace being a time where students can explore, inquire, innovate and create! One recent discovery Mr. Smith noticed was that students typically gather together for group activities based on friendships and gender. With Makerspace, he has noticed students gathering together based on interest and curiosity and not necessarily friendships and gender! Keep an eye out for a picture of this below!
Did you know we have approximately 26 different languages spoken at Wheeler??!! In an effort to celebrate and showcase our differences at Wheeler School, Ms. Cornielle (Special Support Teacher) and Mrs. Reed (Art Teacher) have teamed up to lead the creation of a school wide mural where every student at will place their personal touch on this mural. We will also be looking organize the delivery of "good morning" on the announcements in each of those 26 languages throughout this school year!
Lastly, as I walk through school and outside at recess, I continue to be very impressed and extremely proud of the vast majority of our students who show kindness, respect for themselves, for others, use good manners, and strive to be the best leaders of the PACK they can possibly be. It is never ending work, both at home and in school together, to positively shape the bright and capable students of Wheeler School.
Our teachers begin the year by teaching several social/behavioral lessons that foster conversations among our students around respect, kindness, appropriate social problem solving, empathy, and self-advocating. Students have been earning tickets for desired behaviors relating to PACK (Our school motto- Participate, Achieve, Cooperate, and know that I CAN!) Students can exchange their tickets earned to sign up for weekly fun activities on Fridays as well as exchanging for items on the prize cart. We will also resume our PACK raffle beginning this month where students can place tickets in an envelope outside of my door and I will draw one student from grade K-2 and one from grades 3-5 to win a prize of their choice from a selection outside of my office.
Again, I am very excited about the start of another great school year! I am very proud of the kindness, effort, and good citizenship I see from our students each and every day. We are extremely fortunate to have a strong Wheeler home/school connection that works together to make sure we raise good citizens. Thank you for your on-going support and collaboration!
Thank you and Sincerely,
Mr. B.
Principal, Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School
PTO CORNER!!
Thank you very much Wheeler PTO for:
- Organizing the pie fund raiser where 368 pies were sold for a profit of $2539.94!
- Staff appreciation day gift bags!
- $3500 dollars toward Wheeler in and out of school learning experiences/fieldtrips as well as whole school guest performances such as our most recent visit from Ilze Luneau!
Leaders of the PACK September 2017
Leaders of the PACK
Leaders of the PACK
Leaders of the PACK
One Leader of the Pack who missed the picture on that day!!!
Participating in PACK activities!
Making SLIME!!!!
COOKIE DECORATING!
Acorn Art!
Makerspace!!
Tunnel Tag!
Duct Tape Holders!
Ilze Luneau visits Wheeler School!!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
- 10/18/17 Early Dismissal 1:30 PM Teacher PLC
- 10/26/17 Walk to School 8:30 - 8:50 AM
- 10/28/17 Monster Dash 9:00-10:00 at MSP
- 10/20/17 Spooky Hallway 6:30 - 8:00 PM
- 11/1/17 Early Dismissal 1:30 PM Teacher PLC
Please note that link to Wheeler's School Events Calendar previously located on the district website is no longer available. However, the second link below will take you directly to it.
Link to Wheeler Website
https://sites.google.com/a/plainvilleschools.org/wheeler/
Link to Wheeler Calendar on the Wheeler Website