Wildcat Weekly
July 18th Edition
Read. Run. Relax. Repeat!
For my 5th grader, we found some ideas on the Sail into Summer website and the April event hosted at the school. While we have not gotten to everything on our calendar, we have managed to stay the course to avoid in hopes of avoiding the summer slide! Good luck to you in doing the same.
Plan of Attack
Puzzle Mania
Patchwork Quilt
Postcards
Survey Says!
For those interested in the process, the information is first reviewed at the district level by Dr. Scanlon and his leadership team along with the data from other schools. Then each principal reviews key details with his/her director during our annual review. At the building level, I go through every item to gauge progress, identify trends (positive and/or negative) and areas in need of focus for myself, individual teachers/staff, or the building in general. The following are responses to a few parent comments in the survey:
- PTO Involvement & Meeting Minutes - If you cannot make it to the meetings, the secretary does post minutes on our school website (PTO Tab). You can also find the bylaws, links to various sign-up geniuses, and committee information. I will work with the PTO to consider ways to enhance communication. We are also working on helping newcomers understand what the various committees do in order to increase participation.
- WTE Lacks Diversity - Based on 2018 data, over 20% of our student population is non-white. In fact, as a percentage of total population, WTE has the highest percentage of African-American students across the ten buildings.
- Communication - Our overall data indicates this is a strength. But, it is clear that things such as a lack of consistency across a grade level or a dramatic change from one teacher to the next is an issue. This is definitely something internally we discuss and work to decrease. In fact, after sharing Seesaw parent survey results with K-2 teachers in the Spring, they have plans to both align their communication efforts and establish some protocols to try and improve in this area.
- Class Size - We follow the established district guidelines. Therefore, we cannot make an independent decision to open another section to reduce the overall size of a class.
- Homework - Although the district did revise our policy two years ago, it was not changed to a "no homework" policy. While some parents want more and some want less, it is clear that we can continue to work on a few things, including consistency across a grade level and enhanced communication of purpose/feedback. Several WTE teachers are working this summer on professional learning in this area for the entire staff.
Save the Date!
- Back to School Portal Opens: Late July/Early August - This is the time to verify all of your demographic information, medical information, acknowledge the records policy, FERPA, etc.
- Class Placement & Bus Notification: Mid-August via Parent Portal (bus information will not be mailed this year)
- Kindergarten & 1st Grade Open House for 2019-2020: Wednesday, Aug. 21 @ 7 PM
- 2nd & 3rd Grade Open House for 2019-2020: Tuesday, Aug. 27 @ 7 PM
- 4th & 5th Grade Open House for 2019-2020: Wednesday, Aug. 28 @ 7 PM
- Sneak-a-Peek: Thursday, August 22nd (2-3 PM)
- First Day of School: Monday, August 26th
- Labor Day Weekend: School is closed Friday, August 30th & Monday, September 2nd