The Gray Wolf Gazette
January 22nd, 2023
Our Mission and Vision
Mission(Why we exist): Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary is a collaborative community committed to ensuring equity and high levels of learning for all.
Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary is a community of belonging that empowers all children to connect, discover, and thrive as leaders equipped to make a positive impact on our world.
Weekly Update
Hello Givens Families,
I hope your week ended well and you are having a great weekend! Please take a minute to review the items below:
Notes from our Title I Meeting:
Please take a minute to review the notes from our Title I Meeting that was held during our PTO Meeting. If you have further questions, please reach out to me. We will have our end-of-the-year Title I meeting on March 6th at 6:30. You can find the notes linked below.
Upcoming Trimester 2 Day of Play and Parties
We will be celebrating the end of trimester 2 with our Day of Play and Parties. Similar to our Trimester 1 celebrations, we will take the day to play, check in on our goals, celebrate our progress, and make new goals for the upcoming trimester.
We will also spend time celebrating our classroom community with a party from 1:30-2:30. All families are invited to celebrate with your child's classroom. If you are a room parent or would like to volunteer to help organize the party for your child's classroom, please check with the classroom teacher.
During this week, we will be having a Spirit Week with a Kindness Theme. Our Student Council is planning it and we will get the flyer out by this Friday. There will be opportunities for students to do/share kind words and actions with their peers and students can choose how they do this.
Around this time of the year, families ask if students are allowed to do Valentine's Cards. This is not a requirement, but if your family decides this is the act of kindness they would like to do, there will be a day for this to occur (as soon as the student council finalizes the days, I will share them).
Did you know that we use letter days at Givens(A- E )? We do this to make sure each classroom gets its curriculum time within our specials rotation. I will share the letter days in the Gazette each week. Some classroom teachers share their rotation days so you know when your students are going to Library(Book Return) and PE(Remember tennis shoes).
Monday -D
Tuesday- E
Wednesday-A
Thursday-B
Friday- C
Upcoming Dates
January 23rd: Late Start (School Starts at 9:05)
January 30th: Pack Meeting
February 1st: 100th Day of School Celebration for KDG
February 4th: KDG Informational (10:00-10:30 am) & All Elem. School Open House 10:00-12:00
February 6th: Harambee
February 13: Late Start
February 16th: Trimester 2 Parties and Day of Play
February 13th-16th: Kindness Week
February 17th: No School /Records and PD Day for Staff
February 20th: No School/President's Day
February 28th & March 2nd: Spring Conferences
Monitoring Our Goals
During the next few weeks, Givens Students (and students at all Webster Elementary Schools) will be participating in District-Wide Assessments. These are online and one on one tests/screeners that will assess your child's progress on grade level and individual academic goals.
At Givens, we will use this information, as well as the academic insight our teachers have gained during classroom lessons, activities, and assignments to continue to make instructional decisions in the classroom and within the school. We will also use this information to help students monitor their progress and set challenge goals that will support them on their journey toward reaching their fullest potential.
Students in Grades K-5 will participate in NWEA Testing. This is an online assessment that monitors students' academic achievement and growth on grade-level content.
Learn More Here:
Students will also participate in Reading Screeners that assess the reading skills and strategies that we work to help students grow. They will do this one-on-one with their classroom teachers or reading specialist.
As we begin this process, we ask that you continue to encourage your child to give their best efforts each day and during these assessments. As always, we also encourage you to make sure your child is here each day and on time.
Classroom teachers will communicate information to you so you are aware of your child's progress. This would be a great time to celebrate your child's growth and have conversations about action steps they can take to keep it up.
Kindergarten Registration and Orientation
Kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year begins Monday, January 23. Students must be five years old before Aug. 1, 2023, to enter kindergarten for the school year. Learn about the registration process here.
In addition, we will be hosting kindergarten orientation Saturday, February 4 at 10 a.m.
At Kindergarten Orientation, families will have the opportunity to meet staff, hear about our kindergarten program, and tour the school. PTO members will also be present to share how you can get involved! *Kindergarten Orientation replaces Kindergarten Information Night.
Would you like to help??
We will be offering an Open House Opportunity on Saturday, February 4th from 10:00-12:00. We will be welcoming new kindergarten families from 10-10:30, and the rest of the time will be a community open house. This will give prospective families the opportunity to learn more about the educational opportunities that are being offered to our students each day.
In order to truly showcase the best of our school, I am asking you to join us by signing up for an hour time slot on Saturday, February 4th. You would sign up to be present in the cafeteria to welcome new to Givens Families, and share some of your favorite experiences as a member of our school community. If you are interested in helping that morning, please sign up here
Yearbooks on Sale Now
2022-2023 Givens Elementary Yearbooks are now available for purchase online here: Yearbook Market
**PLEASE NOTE: The PTO will be purchasing yearbooks as a courtesy for all 5th graders, so 5th-grade families will not need to purchase one. The 5th-grade yearbooks will be distributed to all 5th-grade students at school when they arrive.
Girls on the Run @ Givens
Join the GOTR team at Givens! Our coaching team will inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum, which creatively integrates running. Girls and coaches will run, walk, skip, dance or move forward at whatever pace they like to encourage girls to reach their goals as a team! The spring 2023 season starts the week of March 6th and culminates in a celebratory 5K at Forest Park on May 13th. Go to GOTR info and Registration 23.pdf to learn more today!
Please contact Jessica Johnson (GOTR Coach & Kindergarten teacher) (johnson.jessica@wgmail.org) for more information.
BRRR, it's cold outside...
As the weather gets cold, please take a look at how we make decisions on outdoor recess:
If the Wind Chill or Feel Like Temperature is
-32 degrees and above, recess will be held outside without time limit or restrictions
20 degrees and above, recess is held outside with a 20-minute time limit(this is our current recess time)
15- 20 degrees: limit our recess to 10 minutes outdoors. Recess will not be shortened, students will just spend half their time outside and half inside.
Under 15 degrees: recess will be held indoors.
Please make sure students are prepared for participation in recess if it will occur. If students don't have a coat to wear outside, they may be asked to stay in. If your family needs support in providing winter wear, please reach out to Ms. Showalter, our School Social Worker (showalter.melissa@wgmail.org). Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
The PTO would like to thank everyone who attended the meeting on Monday, January 9th! Missed the meeting? No worries, you can get all caught up by viewing the minutes from that meeting here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b0_bHB-NrwSlR6yuIaS49pAFv-fbrqP8lJzw68N7eGI/edit?usp=sharing
Givens Elementary PTO's annual Trivia Night Fundraiser is right around the corner - April 29th - and we are looking for round sponsors, event sponsors, and items to be donated to the auction. Parents and caregivers, if you have a contact or connection to a business/organization that might be interested in partnering with us, please reach out to Sarah Paradoski at sarahparadoski@gmail.com! You can also reach out to Sarah Paradoski if you are interested in helping contact local businesses and previous donors about fundraising opportunities. For either of these options, just be sure to let us know before soliciting to see if they are on our list or have been asked to donate already so we make sure we don't double ask - and if we have already sent them a request but you have a connection, we would love to have you follow up to let them know!
Please use the donation letter and return form provided below when soliciting donations. These forms can also be found in the front office upon request.
Donation Letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pOf5R_FwfV9lIBRHY9lMgwl0fz6pOf0p/view?usp=sharing
Donation Return Form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1axRy61Ov7DqdjnQlQ8kBCarRpt61I5Ic/view?usp=sharing
Equity Corner 1/20
What is apartheid?
A policy that governed relations between South Africa’s white minority and nonwhite majority from 1948-the 1990s, sanctioning racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against nonwhites. (Apartheid | South Africa, Definition, Facts, Beginning, & End | Britannica)
Recommended read (for grown-ups): Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Historical Highlight: Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was the first South African president and the first black head of state in the country. He was anti-apartheid and his revolutionary activity ultimately led to his imprisonment from 1964-1990. Upon the end of apartheid in 1990, Mandela was released from prison and continued his revolutionary work, working towards a democratic government. In 1994, he was elected as the first president of South Africa. He is a beloved leader who is highly regarded for his social justice and anti-racist work.
2022-2023 Givens School Buzz Book
**All editing will be closed down at the end of March. At this time, we will download a PDF and share it electronically with all families. Until then, you will always be able to access this from our Gray Wolf Gazette.
News From Around the District
It's not too late to signup for free and reduced lunch. You can do so here and return it to
Webster Groves High School
100 Selma Avenue
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Attention: Food Service Office
Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary School
Email: beechamjudge.malissa@wgmail.org
Website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/domain/142
Location: 701 North Rock Hill Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314-963-6460
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GivensElem