The Monthly Mustang
The Official Newsletter for Wedgwood School Families
March 2019
WEDGWOOD LEGO MAKERSPACE TAKES SHAPE
TRANSFORMING THIS AVERAGE HALLWAY...
...INTO A VIBRANT PLACE TO LEARN AND CREATE!
LEGO WALLBOARDS READY TO BE HUNG
It's All In The Details
Off The Wall
A Work In Progress
Wedgwood Welcomes Back American Idol Contestant Payton Taylor
Taylor attended Wedgwood Elementary from 2004-2008. She spent three years of middle school at Chestnut Ridge Middle School, before moving with her family to Nashville to pursue her dream of a professional music career. On Friday, March 22, Taylor stopped in to visit with her favorite Wedgwood teacher, Maryann Garten, who she commended for “pulling out the best in me and always encouraging me to be myself.” Garten’s fourth-grade students greeted her with homemade posters and peppered her with questions. She then performed several of her songs during a school-wide assembly, including her original song, “Rhinestone,” which earned her the American Idol golden ticket.
After declining the opportunity to compete in the 2018 American Idol competition, when she and her sister, Taryn, were both invited into the competition, Payton returned to the competition solo in 2019, punching the golden ticket handed to her for a second time by judges Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
Taylor traced her growth in music, from elementary chorus to singing at church and in musical theater to becoming a singer-songwriter. She also shared frustrations and words of encouragement for students who now sit where she once was.
“One of my biggest regrets is not joining strings when I was your age,” Taylor said. “All I want to do now is play the violin, and it is so much harder to learn when you are older. I encourage you to try it, and if you really love it, stick with it. Practice and work at it. Music was the biggest thing that made me happy. Whatever your passion, give it time and let it grow. Listen to your gut and your heart. These things will let you know what you are supposed to do.”
Returning to Mrs. Garten's Class
Class of 2008
Wedgwood's Idol
First-Annual Health And Wellness Fair Brings Families and Community Partners Together
Many thanks to the community partners that made our Health & Wellness Fair such a wonderful event:
- American Heart Association - CPR, Heart Rate activities, finding and taking pulses
- Dr. Calandra - Dental Health
- Furever As Friends – two therapy dogs and a cat attended
- Gloucester County Department of Health
- Go Noodle Classroom
- Jefferson Health - Blood Pressure Screenings and Sugar Board; the Benefits of Chocolate; Debunking Nutritional Myths
- Mosaic Family Success Center
- Next Generation Yoga - Family Yoga Class
- ShopRite – Dietitian/Nutrition
- Theresa Dieterich (Wedgwood's cafeteria cook) - TWP Lunch and Breakfast Program Overview
- Total Turf Experience
- Virtua Health - Concussions and Treatment of Sports Related Injuries
- Washington Township Fire Department and EMT - Fire Safety
- Wehrle's Activity World – Hosted by gym teacher Jenna Wehrle, including popular Fortnite dances
Wedgwood's Online Databases
Book Swap Tables
Wedgwood PTO Update
PTO ELECTIONS
The PTO elections will be held this May. If you are interested in being an officer on the PTO or would like more info about any of the positions, please contact: WedgwoodPTO@Yahoo.com.
IMPORTANT NEWS
The PTO is in search Chairpersons for the following events. Many of these events are coming soon. If you're interested, we would like for you to shadow the current chairperson before the event.
- Book Fair (March)
- Halloween Candy Bar Bingo (Oct)
- 1st grade Holiday Breakfast (Dec)
- 1st grade Mother's Day tea (May)
- Track Meet (June)
- Field Day (June)
- 3rd grade Luau Party (June)
- 5th Grade Yearbook signing/Breakfast
*** These events are only successful with your involvement and generosity of your time.
If you have any questions or interested, please contact:
WedgwoodPTO@Yahoo.com
SAVE THE DATE - FOURTH GRADE FAMILIES
Someone Special Dance
(father/daughter Mother/son)
Friday, April 12th
6-8pm
$5.00 per couple
Wedgwood All Purpose Room
Snacks and refreshments will be served.
More info:
YEARBOOK ORDERS
DEADLINE EXTENDED TILL APRIL 6th
We will only have a limited number of extra yearbooks in May!
ORDER ONLINE NOW!
Click or copy/paste the link below!
www.ybpay.lifetouch.com
1504319 is the code
SPRING PICTURES
Thursday, April 18th
(no makeups)
GERTRUDE HAWK FUNDRAISER
Due: April 4th
HAVIN' A PARTY? Support The PTO!
Having a party? Are you renting from Dayna's Party Rentals? Mention Wedgwood PTO and we will receive a percentage!
Dayna's Party Rentals
731 E Black Horse Pike,
Blackwood, NJ 08012
(856) 270-2497
GET CONNECTED
We hope you will share your thoughts and ideas to makes this a wonderful year at Wedgwood! You can always reach us at WedgwoodPTO@yahoo.com or find us on Facebook.
Remind
Would you like be connect to REMIND? http://rmd.me/b?rid=264049
Need help? Contact: WedgwoodPTO@yahoo.com
Sincerely.
Danielle J Moore, President
Renee Watson, Vice President
Christina DeLuca, Treasurer
Elizabeth Schmidt, Secretary
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures For Students
Please carefully review the following procedures for students who walk or are driven to and from Wedgwood.
Walking Students
- Walking students are to arrive at the school not earlier than 9:20 AM, which is five minutes prior to the start of our school day.
- Walking students, are dismissed at 3:40 PM, five minutes earlier than the other students. This includes those who will be picked up by a parent/guardian.
- Students walking home will exit down the walkers' path at the back of the school, toward Dorado Avenue.
Students Dropped Off
- All traffic must enter the Wedgwood parking lot through the entrance designated in the diagram above.
- Students who are dropped off to school will enter the building via the door by the playground.
- Students are to be dropped off to school no earlier than 9:20 AM, which is five minutes prior to the start of our school day.
- Parents/Guardians who are dropping students off must do so by allowing them to exit the vehicle along the sidewalk on the side of the building. Please do not park your car and drop off your child from the parking lot. Once your child has exited the vehicle, please continue on the drop-off loop as detailed in the illustration above.
Students Picked Up
- Students who will be picked up by a parent will exit the school from the door by the playground. Wedgwood staff will supervise all students until a parent comes and personally escorts the child to the vehicle.
- All parents/guardians who wish to pick up their students at dismissal or who require alternative arrangements for pickup must notify the main office in writing. All written notification should be directed to your child's classroom teacher as well as our main office secretary, Mrs. Mastripolito, so that your child's needs can be met. She can be reached at mmastripolito@wtps.org. Students are not permitted to verbally tell Wedgwood staff that they require alternative arrangements for pickup; all requests must be made in writing by the student's parent/guardian. If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus.
- Students who are scheduled to be picked up and do not have a parent/guardian present at the time of dismissal will be brought to the main office. As per district policy, we will attempt to contact the parent(s) and/or emergency contacts on file. If no contact can be made within 30 minutes following school dismissal, the main office will coordinate efforts with the Washington Township Police Department to make contact with the student's parent/guardian.
- Parents/guardians are responsible for reviewing the school calendar and complying with all school dismissal times and procedures.
Regular Dismissal
- Students will board the busses in the loading area at the front of the school. Parents who are picking students up must send a note to their child’s teacher that morning.
- Parents must personally sign their child out at either the nurse’s or main office.
- If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus. Students are not permitted to ride any other bus but the one that is assigned to them.
Follow Wedgwood School on Remind
Get Connected with Wedgwood On Social Media
Click below to visit our Wedgwood School Facebook and Twitter pages.
Dates At A Glance: April 2019
April 1 - District SEPAG Meeting - Eileen Abbott Central Administration Building - 6:30 p.m.
April 2 - TWP Tuesday
April 2 - Autism Awareness Day
April 3 - WTBOE Special Meeting (Capital Projects) - Eileen Abbott Central Administration Building - 5:30 p.m. (more info)
April 3 - District Art Show - Washington Township High School - 7:00-9:00 p.m.
April 4 - Marking Period 3 Ends
April 5 - Alex's Lemonade Stand - Room 6
April 8 - Wedgwood Songfest
April 11 - Early Dismissal (Elementary Parent Conferences) - 2:05 p.m.
April 12 - Early Dismissal (Elementary Parent Conferences) - 2:05 p.m.
April 12 - Wedgwood PTO Grade 4 Someone Special Dance - 6:00-8:00 p.m.
April 15 - Marking Period 3 Report Cards Issued
April 15 - WTBOE Work Session - Eileen Abbott Central Administration Meeting - 7:30 p.m.
April 16 - TWP Tuesday
April 17 - Family Night - No Homework!
April 18 - Spring Picture Day
April 19-April 26 - School Closed: Spring Break
April 30 - WTBOE Special Meeting (Public Hearing on Budget) - Eileen Abbott Central Administration Building - 7:00 p.m. (more info)
Wedgwood Elementary School
Email: czimmerman@wtps.org
Website: wtps.org/wedgwood
Location: 236 Hurffville Road, Sewell, NJ 08080
Phone: (856) 227-8110
Facebook: facebook.com/wedgwoodwtps
Twitter: @wedgwoodwtps