The Avery Pulse
October 10th, 2021
Upcoming Dates
- October 11th - Vision Screening
- October 11th - Avery Parents for Racial Equity Meeting 7pm-8pm
- October 15th - 1/2 Day | Professional Development | Dismissal @ 11:45am
- October 27th - Picture Retake Day
- October 29th - Halloween Parties & Parade (information below)
Halloween Information Below
Room Parents Needed
If you are interested in volunteering to support your child's classroom, please select your child's grade level link for additional information!
Avery Elementary Classroom Party Guidelines
Due to Covid Guidelines, the Webster Groves School District is not allowing families into the building for classroom parties.
Please coordinate with the classroom teacher and room parent on various activities students may participate in during their party time.
If making a donation of items/activities for parties, please send in only non-food items.
Classroom teachers will determine time of party.
Feel free to contact your child's teacher or a room parent with any questions or concerns.
Avery Elementary Halloween Costume Guidelines
Please don’t let your child wear their costume to school. We will dress for the parade here at school.
Please send your child’s costume in a bag with their name on the outside of the bag and/or label the costume.
Please plan a costume that does not require make-up.
Toy weapons and super scary/gory costumes should be left at home. (we want to make sure the day is fun for all including our littlest All-Stars!)
Costume masks should be left at home
If you plan to attend the Halloween parade, it will begin at 2:10 p.m. Please see the parade protocol with a map and directions. After the parade, classes will return to classrooms.
Feel free to contact your child's teacher or a room parent with any questions or concerns.
Avery Elementary Parade Protocol
Parade will take place outside school and around the grounds.
The parade will start at 2:10pm
Families are encouraged to keep social distance and spread out around the parade route.
Families can gather on:
The blacktop, Front of school, Along Atalanta, or Along Marshall
Families will not be allowed inside school.
Classes will parade around the front of school, down Atalanta, around the blacktop, down Marshall, and back to the front of the building.
Classes will make one loop of the parade route before returning to their classrooms.
Please remain on the parade route until all classes have finished
Staff will be stationed around school to aide in supervision
Masks will be worn by Avery students, faculty, and guests
Please click here for a map with additional details.
Vision Screening Monday, 10/11th for K, 1, 3, and 5th grades.
WGSD will be using the Spot Vision Screener.
More info can be found here:
Yard Signs
Attention kindergarten and new Avery families:
We hope that you enjoyed your Welcome to Avery yard sign and that you are already feeling settled and embraced by our community.
If you have not already, please return your yard sign to the front steps of Avery so that future families can enjoy them.
Thanks!
WGHS Seeking Military Veterans to Speak to Students Fri., Nov. 12
Webster Groves High School is seeking military veterans to participate in a special Veterans Day program Fri., Nov. 12 at the school. The social studies department is putting together panels of veterans who can speak about their experiences to classes throughout the day. Participants can stay for the whole day or part of it. The day will begin with breakfast in the cafeteria, an opening program honoring veterans, then classroom presentations.
If you're interested in participating, please call or email Terry Verstraete, 314-963-6400, ext. 11282 or verstraete.terry@wgmail.org . Masks will be required in the high school building.
Counselor Corner
Habits #1 and #2 of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Happy Kids
Throughout September all of Avery has focused on Habit #1- Be Proactive.
*We practice a hand motion with every habit to help us remember what that habit is all about. Ask your all –star to show off those hand motions.
Be Proactive reminds us that we are in charge of ourselves…see below:
I have a “can do” attitude. I chose my actions, attitudes and moods I don’t blame others. I do the right thing without being asked, even if nobody is looking.
During the month of October all of Avery will focus on Habit #2- Begin with the End in Mind.
This habit reminds us that every goal needs a plan of action steps to follow to reach an end goal.
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
(Definitions of Habits #1 and #2 taken from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Happy Kids)
Information below is repeated from the previous Pulse.
Avery Parents for Racial Equity
After covid disrupted so much last year, a main focus of ours this fall will be building connections within our parent community to create a more inclusive and equitable school. Please join as we explore race and education, and build deeper relations. Our next two meetings will be in the Avery Library on the following dates:
Monday, Oct. 11 7-8 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 9 7-8 pm
Visit our page on the Avery website, or contact Elisa Tomich at averyequity@gmail.com with any questions.
Read, Right, and Run!
For Students Interested in signing up for the Read, Right, and Run Marathon.
https://www.gostlouis.org/youth/#rrrm
Questions?
Please let Tim Velten or Jon Bonham know.
Enrichment for All (EFA)
Enrichment for All: What is it?
Has your child been talking about computers a little more lately? Have they shown you the computer they created at school? Hopefully your answer is yes to either question.
The Webster Groves School District is very excited to now offer opportunities for exploration through computer science through Enrichment for All.
This is a K-5 opportunity for all students to be challenged in the areas of computer science, coding, and STEM. Students will learn about the parts of a computer, how computers help us, online safety, knowledge of coding, and new computer science vocabulary words.
K/1st EFA is taught by Mrs.Tracy Smith, 2nd/3rd grade EFA is taught by Mrs. Christine Collins, and 4th/5th grade EFA is taught by Mrs.Julie Dame. We are so excited and can’t wait to see where the students’ learning goes.
Street Fair Celebrating Learning in Action
The Chelsea Center presents
a Street Fair Celebrating Learning in Action
October 7th, 6-8pm
between the gates of Selma Ave
in front of Webster Groves High School
Come celebrate with us all the ways students learn by doing at WGHS! See students showcase their learning from the Chelsea Center & Makerspace to the practical arts, fine arts, industrial technology & vocational skills programs. Enjoy performances from our Drama department, Chamber Choir & Jazz Band. Watch students from our THRIVE entrepreneurship incubator pitch their business ideas at the Steve McAlevey Pitch Night. Also peruse the array of student clubs & activities available at WGHS. Dinner will be provided (first come, first served). All community members are invited to attend.
Dogs At Dismissal/Arrival
Thank you for helping ensure the safety and security of all our Avery All-Stars!
Changes in Dismissal Routine
When being picked up early, students will remain in the classroom until parents arrive to sign them out.
Road Work Ahead
Please see the attachment for additional details.
Canvas Information
To stay connected with the learning in our classrooms, please create a Canvas Observer Account which is our district's learning management system. You will find attached three documents.
- Canvas Informational Letter
- Creating an Observer Account, Logging into Canvas, and Setting Notifications
- Student Accessing Canvas
If you have any questions please contact Tim Brown, Director of Student Assessment, Data and Learning Technologies at brown.tim@wgmail.org
Online Community Bulletin Board
Webster Groves School District Equity Policy
Here is a slideshow teachers are showing to students in grades K-4.
Here is a video teachers are showing to students in 5th grade.
To learn more about the district equity policy, please click here.
A Note from Nurse Vanessa Palmer, RN BSN
We appreciate the WHOLE Avery Elementary community coming together to help keep our school a safe and healthy learning environment. A few ways that parents and caregivers can help:
Please keep your student home if they are having any signs or symptoms of illness. Please see the attached Student Symptom Decision Tree for more guidance and to know when it’s safe for your student to return back to school.
If your student or anyone else in your household has a pending COVID-19 test or is planning to get tested, please keep all WGSD students home until your family has received a negative test result.
If your student has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please keep your student home and email the School Nurse to determine a return date for your student.
We do not accept home tests.
Allergy symptoms needs to be under control (asymptomatic). This allows for proper mask wearing at school and keeps everyone safe as allergy symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms are very similar. If allergy symptoms are symptomatic, we ask that you please work with your student’s Pediatrician on a better allergy management plan for home.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Vanessa Palmer RN BSN
Avery Elementary School Nurse
palmer.vanessa@wgmail.org
School 314-963-6425
Nurse 314-918-4202
Fax 314-963-6490
Quarantine Expectations
Want to make a submission to The Avery Pulse?
To qualify for direct distribution to students and families, the
information must be:
- district-sponsored information
- something from a group affiliated* with the district.
- curriculum-related, as determined by the principal, including programs, events, contests and other activities.
*Affiliated is defined as a group recognized by the Board of Education and working
group created soley to work with district staff, students and parents
to raise fund for district activities (PTOs, booster clubs, the
Foundation)
Regarding signs, only signs for school or district groups (sponsored
or affiliated) can be placed on school grounds.
You can read the board policy here
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=448&revid=6VcjbAkBf4Ls3Fs6CyIxFA==&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ==&secid=1QSfUuz8WRJ5slsh0xnyVwukQ==&PG=6&IRP=0
If you are a non-profit organization that doesn't qualify for direct distribution to students and families, you can contact Cathy Vespereny (vespereny.cathy@wgmail.org) who is our Director of Communication and she will ensure that your flyer is posted on the community electronic bulletin.
If your information fits the above criteria, you can make a submission to theaverypulse@gmail.com
Submissions are due on Thursdays at 5pm.
Avery Elementary
Location: 909 North Bompart Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Twitter: @avery_allstars