Dear WHES Families,

We have completed most of our CMAS testing for the 22-23 school year! All of our students did an amazing job whether it was our 3rd-5th graders working hard on each test and showing what they know to our Kindergarten-2nd graders supporting by walking quietly through the hallway and encouraging the older students. Thank you for supporting your students during this time and encouraging each of our students to try their best! We have just a few makeups left to conclude next week.

We are still collecting shoes for our PTA Shoe Drive fundraiser! Shoes can be dropped off anytime in the main lobby of WHES through Friday, 4/28. We will do one more show drop off event at morning arrival on April 26th! Bring your shoes and a volunteer will take them from you at your car or on the sidewalk! Ask your family members, friends, neighbors if they might have shoes to donate, too! We will pick up, if needed, reach out to the office to arrange this!

We have many upcoming end of year events - Talent Show, Book Fair, Assessment Day, Field Day, promotion celebrations, and more! Please stay tuned to family emails and the Highlights for all of the details! Please continue reading below for more information. Also, like/follow our school Facebook page - Woodmen Hills Elementary School (https://fb.me/WHESTornadoes) for more updates and the sharing of good things happening at WHES!

We are starting plans for the 23-24 school year, too! Please read more information below about the option or order school supply kits online with delivery directly to WHES this summer and/or to submit a classroom placement input form for next year.

Please be sure to continue to check the Family Handbook for complete details of all day-to-day systems and procedures. Read the information below carefully and don't hesitate to call our school office with any questions or needs at 719.495.5500.

Have a great weekend,

Bethany Stegman & Amanda Bower

WHES Administration

April is National Poetry Month! Mrs. Wood is excited to bring poetry into the library to encourage reading, writing, and art. Students will write their own poems, publish them, and illustrate their poems for an opportunity to hang them in the library. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Wood at lwood@d49.org.

WHES will host the Spring Scholastic Buy One, Get One Free Book Fair May 1st - 4th in the Library! This is a great chance to shop for some new books for summer reading!

Each class will have one, scheduled time to visit the Book Fair during these 4 days.

In addition to their class shopping time, students may also come to the Book Fair individually or in small groups with a provided pass from teachers throughout the day.

The Book Fair will also be open from 3:50-4:30pm each day so families can shop after school! **Please note - the Book Fair is closed during school dismissal and reopens after students have connected with parents to do so.

Follow the URL below to view information on our Book Fair, including how to sign up for E-Wallet. E-Wallet is a convenient way to add to your child’s Book Fair account so they can shop.

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/woodmenhillselementarysch1

Here is a short video about our Book Fair!

https://players.brightcove.net/1543299976/Eyj59PHsg_default/index.html?videoId=6008488759001

If you have completed the volunteer application process and have some time available, we'd love your help at the Book Fair! Click the link below to sign up to volunteer!

We welcome your input and help in guiding our decision of teacher assignment for your child for 23-24 by completing this learning style inventory. While this form is NOT treated as a request for inclusion or exclusion from a specific teacher’s class, we appreciate and acknowledge your input as we make classroom placement decisions for next year. Each staff member has his/her strengths which helps meet the many and varied needs of our students. Your input will be taken into advisement so as to best meet your child’s needs and learning style. We take student placement very seriously. The classroom teachers, counselor, special education teachers, specialists, and administrators are involved in the process. We appreciate your continued support and trust in the professional decisions we make at WHES.

Rationale and Guidelines Used for Student Placement Decisions:
Individual:
1. Match an individual student’s needs to teacher strengths and/or teaching style.
2. Match an individual student’s needs to group and other children in the class.

Group:
1. Provide a heterogeneous classroom group – i.e. a wide range of learning abilities
2. Equal or near equal boy/girl ratio.
3. Consideration of student affective needs.
4. Consideration of student work habits.

The form below needs to be completed no later than May 12th to be taken into consideration for placement for the 23-24 school year.

WHES has an up and running WATCHD.O.G. Dads program and we are always welcoming Dads in to volunteer! The Dads of Great Students WATCH D.O.G.S.® program is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement, organizations designed and developed by educators, experts and parent & guardian volunteers over more than two decades. Our program helps provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Meanwhile, we provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying and provide a greater sense of campus safety allowing students and teachers to focus on learning and instruction.

If Dads or guardians want to volunteer, please email WHES Principal Bethany Stegman at bstegman@d49.org!

As we get set to begin a new year, the WHES Family Handbook and Information Guide is a great place to find all information in regards to WHES operations, procedures, policies, etc. All information included is linked and serves as a reference guide for families. Please continue to check this information frequently and as questions arise.

You can view it by following the link here.

Woodmen Hills Elementary School offers breakfast and hot, school lunch each day. You can view more information from D49 Nutrition Services linked here. You can send lunch money in with your child or add money to their account by visiting D49 Nutrition Services. For assistance with meal fees, you can complete the Meal Assistance Application by visiting this link.

Lunch Prices:

• Elementary:
  • Breakfast $2.50
  • Lunch $4.00
• Secondary:
  • Breakfast $2.75
  • Lunch $4.35
• Adult (without milk):
• Breakfast $3.00
• Lunch $ 4.75

Federal regulations play a direct role in setting the price of school meals and D49 is required to match government meal reimbursement rates by charging for meals. Updating our rates this year is a difficult, but necessary adjustment to continue providing meals in our challenging economy.

PTA provides a partnership between families and schools. We are fortunate to have a strong PTA who supports all students and classrooms, while also providing various activities and platforms for families to connect and engage at Woodmen Hills Elementary School.

Stay connected - follow our Facebook page!

You can follow WHES PTA on Facebook for up-to-date reminders and information. Follow the link here: https://www.facebook.com/woodmenhillspta.

PTA spirit wear - Tornado gear!

WHES PTA has launched new Tornado spirit wear this year! You can view the complete collection by following the link to the shop here.

PTA Calendar - events all year long!

See the 22-23 PTA calendar of events below. More information will be sent in our Highlights as dates and events get closer.