Wolf Creek Weekly
Building Pathways To Success
From The Principal's Desk March 8, 2020
Welcome back to another great week!
Thanks for an exciting week of READING! Literacy is the key. Students celebrated Read Across America last week. Thanks to all of our grandparents and special guests that attended. We hope you enjoyed your read-aloud visits.
Thanks to our Special Education Department for a wonderful celebration during Exceptional Children's Week! Parents, thanks for your participation the various activities and trips. Our kids ROCK!
We are well on our way into March Madness. 3rd - 5th grade students will participate in the Georgia Milestones in April. Be reminded that schedules may look slightly different this month as well as homework. Check in with your child's teacher for information on how to help your child prepare at home.
Parents, you ROCK!! We have 277 Parent Climate Surveys completed! Thanks so much for your diligence and support.
We need your help: We have been experiencing a few issues with using the restrooms appropriately. Please remind students to notify an adult when they see something inappropriate in the restrooms. A few tips include:
1. Use of the toilets
2. Use the trash cans to dispose of all trash and tissue
3. No writing tools in the restrooms
4. No "hanging" out or horseplay in restrooms
As you know, we also support our PBIS initiative with our PACK principles! They tie in seamlessly with the 7 Habits. Every day students will recite the Wolf PACK Creed. See the parent and student handbook online and in the front of your child's agenda.
We are a Leader In Me school! This month's focus is Habit #6- Synergize...Together is Better. See more information on Habit #6 in this newsletter. Staff, students and stakeholders will be engaging in the principles of the 7 Habits of successful people this year. See the 7 Habits Tree picture below.
Also, as we study Synergizing this month; please remind students about horseplay and aggressive behavior in school and on school buses. Physical horseplay can often result in fighting. Let's discuss effective problem solving strategies with students. Hands off and tell an adult is our practice. Fighting will have consequences.
For more information see: http://www.theleaderinme.org/ . We are excited about teaching 21st century leadership and life skills to students, staff and stakeholders and creating a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.
We are a uniform school. Students looked great in their uniforms today. Let's keep it up! We are encouraging our 4th and 5th graders to LEAD the way. Our 5th graders are the "seniors" in the building and we want them to be positive role models for the student body.
Please check the school website often. We update the site regularly. The school calendar, handbooks, PTA and SGC information can be found there.
Check us out! https://www.youtube.com/c/WolfCreekESNewsandAnnouncements
We are looking forward to a great week!
Thanks for all you do! Let's Go Wolves!
In Partnership,
Principal Glass
WCES school website: https://www.fultonschools.org/wolfcreekes
No School:
March 13th Conference Day
March 16th SLC Release Day
March 24th Digital Learning Day (Presidential Primary Elections)
Coronavirus Updates:
Dr. Mike Looney, superintendent of Fulton County Schools (FCS), in collaboration with the Fulton County School Board (Board) is implementing proactive measures to minimize risk to students, employees, and families relating to the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. As a part of this effort, a cross-functional Executive Task Force (ETF) of senior district leaders was established to monitor and oversee FCS’s ongoing response to the coronavirus. The ETF will direct these proactive measures by providing guidance on school attendance, school cleaning, student enrollment, student travel and re-entry, employee travel and re-entry, employee attendance, and facility rental.
FCS remains in close communication with the Fulton County Board of Health and other public health officials to make informed operational decisions. FCS is committed to keeping our students, employees, and families safe and informed with the most current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
School Attendance: Students who provide written documentation from their healthcare provider advising them to refrain from attending school due to the coronavirus will be fully accommodated in accordance with Board Policy JBD. Families of these students should coordinate with their school’s administration for additional guidance. For all other students, normal school attendance policies remain in effect. Cleaning of School Facilities The district continues to utilize products confirmed by the manufacturer to kill human coronavirus and other viruses. FCS will continue to clean and disinfect schools and facilities in alignment with guidance from the CDC.
School leaders have been directed to provide adequate supply of soap and paper towels for student and employee use. If warranted, the district is prepared to deploy additional resources to ensure our schools remain safe.
Enrollment of New Students from High Risk Areas: Prior to enrolling, new families to Fulton from countries with travel advisories for the coronavirus, as identified by the CDC or the US Department of State, should telephone the school for instructions. School officials will work with district and community health officials to determine the appropriate registration and attendance plan for those students. Families arriving from high-risk areas should not visit school nor district facilities, but should interact with the district by telephone or email.
Student Travel: Any school-sponsored or district-sponsored travel to locations with travel advisories for the coronavirus, as identified by the CDC or the US Department of State, will be cancelled. To the best of its ability, the district will work with families to pursue refunds, if possible. Currently, planned school-sponsored or district-sponsored out-of-state travel which is nonrefundable for students and employees may be allowed if a trip is not to an area of concern as identified by FCS. District administration will review each trip on a case-by-case basis. If an employee or student is not comfortable traveling, those individuals will be excused from the event and every effort will be made to release the student or employee from any financial penalty for non-attendance. There will be no academic consequences for non-attendance on field trips.
Currently planned school-sponsored or district-sponsored out-of-state-travel will be reviewed by the ETF. Trips requiring air travel, events held in closed spaces, or events with 1,000 or more participants will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Until further notice, new requests for international field trips will not be approved. Until further notice, new requests for out-of-state field trips will not be approved. The district is proceeding with caution regarding in-state travel. All in-state travel will be reviewed by the ETF. Trips requiring air travel, events held in closed spaces, or events with 1,000 or more participants will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The district is proceeding with caution regarding in-county field trips. Events held in closed spaces or events with 1,000 or more participants will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Students who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms will not be permitted to participate in field trips.
Parents and guardians should verify that their phone numbers and email addresses are correct in Infinite Campus and ensure that notification permissions are set to receive messages.
Re-entry of Students: Traveling Parents and guardians should inform their schools by telephone or email if anyone in their household has traveled to areas from countries with travel advisories for the coronavirus, as identified by the CDC or the US Department of State. Upon notification, schools will work with district and community health officials to determine the appropriate action regarding re-entry of those children into the school.
Employee Travel: Until further notice, new out-of-state travel requests will not be approved, except in emergencies or mission critical employee situations as determined by the ETF and reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Employees who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms will not be permitted to participate in field trips. Re-entry of Employees Traveling Employees should inform their supervisor by telephone or email if anyone in their household has traveled to areas from countries with travel advisories for the coronavirus, as identified by the CDC or the US Department of State. Supervisors should notify the ETF. Upon notification, the district will work with community health officials to determine the appropriate action regarding re-entry to the workplace. Employee Attendance Employees not reporting to work due to coronavirus must provide written documentation from their healthcare provider. The district will continue to enforce Board Policy GBRI. Normal work attendance policies remain in effect.
Facility Rentals: School district facility rental agreements will continue to be honored at this time; however, lessees will be required to hire FCS custodial staff to ensure district protocols for sanitation and disinfection are followed to the level directed by the CDC. Additional costs associated with these procedures will be the responsibility of the lessee.
School and District Sponsored Events: Currently scheduled events occurring in closed spaces, or events with 1,000 or more participants will be reviewed by the ETF. All other events will be allowed to proceed as planned. Until further notice, new school and district sponsored events occurring in closed spaces, or events with 1,000 or more participants will be reviewed for approval on a case-by-case basis by the ETF. The district supports the event sponsor and school administrators’ authority to postpone or cancel events.
The district will continue to update information on the website. Please visit this webpage frequently for up to date information.
Field Trip Cancellations
Parents,
As you know, Field Trips have been a fabulous tradition here at Wolf Creek ES for several years! Many parents and staff members have spent hours preparing for this event/trip.
Based on recent events our district and school leaders have begun to reexamine all school and district sponsored field trips and events. The district is evaluating whether each trip has educational value and determining if our continued participation is worth the time, your money and the associated health risks due to recent concerns about the spread of illness/coronavirus.
As a result, the district and I have decided to cancel/postpone several upcoming field trips. I am working with the trip sponsor and venue/location to determine how we might recover costs and lost educational opportunities to our families and students. Each sponsor will communicate to their parents regarding specific cancellations where impacted.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. We are committed to keeping our families, employees and communities safe.
Thank you for your constant support and flexibility.
Digital Learning Days 2019-2020
REMINDER: FC BOE has recently approved several Digital Learning Days this year. Please mark your calendars. See the news release here:
At its work session last night, the Fulton County School Board approved making April 21, 2020, and May 19, 2020, "Digital Learning Days" for students while maintaining them as regular work days for employees. A Digital Learning Day is an opportunity for students to engage in off-site learning instead of attending school.
Since April 21 and May 19 are state-wide election days, there is high-volume participation of the public at polling stations located in our schools, and this increases the potential for security concerns. By utilizing digital learning activities, students will be able to maintain their focus on instruction even though they are not on campus. This also allows staff the opportunity to participate in high-quality professional development to deepen their knowledge and skills.
Here is a summary of the recent calendar adjustments:
- March 13, 2020 remains a teacher workday.
- March 24, 2020 (GA Presidential primary election) will be a teacher workday.
- April 21, 2020 (state-wide election) will be a student Digital Learning Day and a teacher professional development day.
- May 19, 2020 (state-wide election) will be a student Digital Learning Day and a teacher professional development day.
Thank you for your continued support and flexibility.
Georgia Milestones - Coming Soon
Parent Workshop March Madness with Problem Solving - March 3rd @ 6:00 PM
Georgia Milestones Dates
April 16th - April 24th - 3rd and 5th Grades
May 4th - May 8th 4th Grade ONLY
3rd - 5th grade parents - Check out the resources and more information regarding the April Georgia Milestones session.
https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Lexile-Framework.aspx
Mark Your Calendars!
Please see the school calendar on our school website here:
***Check with your child's teacher for more information regarding field trips. Volunteers and parents attending field trips should complete the Volunteer online process for Fulton County prior to the field trips.
Book Drive - Please consider donating a barely used or new book to the school.
WCES Literacy Corner
Did you know that increasing literacy is one of our BIG rocks at Wolf Creek? Lexile scores are important. Ask your child's teacher how you can help at home with increasing your child's score.
http://www.allstudentscanshine.com/2018/02/hands-on-learning-transform-your.html
Check out these fun and exciting games for kids at home!
https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/literacy-games-for-kids/
Happy reading!
Reading ROCKS!
Wolf Creek Elementary PTA News
It's election time!
We are looking for people who are interested in being part of the 20/21 PTA Board. All positions are open. Nominations will begin in March. If you have questions or would like to sit down and talk one on one please reach out via email at wolfcreekelementarypta@gmail.com .
Volunteers needed for all upcoming events! Please contact PTA!
Coming soon:
- March General Body Meeting - March 24, 2020, 6PM
- April General Body Meeting PTA Elections –TBD
- Teacher Appreciation Week - May 4-8, 2020
- May General Body Meeting + Elections - May 12, 2020, 6PM
Follow us: Instagram @wolfcreekpta and Facebook @wolfcreekelementarypta
and let the team know.
Thanks PTA!
Habit #6 Synergize
To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--you name it.
Check out this resource:
Alone we are smart, together we BRILLIANT! - Steven Anderson, Educator
Title 1 News - Woohooo!!
100% Parents Compacts submitted! This is AWESOME!!! Way to go parents! Thanks for your hard work and dedication, Ms. Sims!
Congratulations to Wolf Creek Elementary School and Parent Liaison, Nakia Sims for collecting 100% of their Compact signature pages.
We have great resources for parents to be used at home. Don't forget to visit the Parent Resource Room. See Ms. Sims for more information.
See more information regarding Title 1 at : http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/acd/supportserv/TitleI/Pages/default.aspx
Thanks for your support.
Safety First!
Thanks for your support! It is important that everyone adhere to sign in and out procedures, volunteer procedures and procedures for receiving a visitor badge daily. When buzzing into the school, be prepared for additional safety questions regrading your visit before entering the building.
***Please note: entry through the cafeteria during dismissal still requires parents to report to the front desk for sign in.
Thanks for working with us to ensure safety for the students. Remember to bring in your state ID or license when visiting the building. All visitors will be asked to sign at the front desk. Instruction begins at 7:40 each day. Parents are asked to say their goodbyes and exit timely so that we may begin the instructional day.
We still need your patience and support as we execute the morning drop off process. The cafeteria doors close at 7:35 AM each morning. Breakfast ends at that time. Students are tardy at 7:41 AM. Parents are asked to sign their children in and get a tardy pass prior to reporting to class. Parents who wish to walk their child to class must also sign in at the front desk.
Dismissal procedures - All parents entering the building for pick up should check out their child through the front desk. Be sure to stop at the front desk and allow the front desk personnel to manage the check out process. Students should be called to the front desk to meet their parents for check out. Students that require extra support will be escorted to the office by school personnel.
Please help us by using the car rider loop in the front of the building for all student drop-offs in the mornings. The car rider loop moves fast but it does require some wait time and patience. This is the safest area for student drop offs. We have assigned staff to support students as they get out of cars. The bus ramp in the back is reserved for buses only. If parents are using the parking lot near the bus ramp area for parking, they are asked to park their vehicles and escort their child into the building. Students should not be dropped off and allowed to run across the bus ramp to enter the building. We want students to be safe. We had a few cars moving fairly fast in this area. This is a safety concern. Remember, the doors open at 7:10 AM for student arrival. Thanks in advance for your support. If we have parents that can volunteer in the bus ramp area, please let us know. We could use the extra hands and eyes to ensure safety for the students.
Thanks for your support!
Our School Day Start/End Times
Thanks in advance for your support in ensuring that our students get to school each day on time and ready for instruction. Breakfast begins at 7:10 a.m. and ends at 7:35 a.m. daily so that we can ensure that students are in class on time to begin their instructional day. School instructional hours are from 7:40 a.m. —2:20 p.m. each day. Parents are asked to escort their children inside and sign them in if they are tardy. Help us protect the instructional day. Please limit early dismissal/check-outs. If needed, please do so before 2:00 PM. Remember keep your child’s pick up and emergency contacts updated and to sign in during each visit. ID is required for anyone visiting or checking your child our of school.
Wolf Creek Elementary School
Check out our school website for our school calendar and school updates.
A. Nicole Canty, Assistant Principal
Website: http://school.fultonschools.org/es/wolfcreek/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 4440 Derrick Road, Atlanta, GA 30349, United States
Phone: 470.254.2760
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfcreekwolves/
Twitter: @wolfcreekwolves