WBS Dolphin News
October 2016
October Highlights
- Oct 4: PTA Meeting (5:30 - 6:00)
- Oct 4: Parent Palooza (Grades 3 - 5 ONLY) 6:00 - 6:45
- Oct 5: Fall Bike to School Day
- Oct 6: Parent Palooza (Grades K - 2 ONLY) 5:30 - 6:15 (Weather Permitting)
- Oct 19: Unity Day: Together against bullying — united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Wear ORANGE and make it end!
- Oct 26: School Improvement Team Meeting 2:45
- Oct. 28: WBS School Spirit Day
- Oct 28: Half Day Students (Noon Dismissal)
- Oct 28: Fall Festival
- Oct 29: End of Grading Period
From Principal Norvell's Desk
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year down here in Mighty WBS Dolphin Country! As I sit here and ponder, it’s really hard to believe, in fact it sounds a little bit like Science Fiction, that we are in the year 2016, however, I’m sure someone wrote or thought that same thing about 1983, or 1816 for that matter, and thirty or a hundred years from now, people will continue to be befuddled and bewildered by the rapid movement of time, and the perpetual nature of this life. Our babies grow up before we can blink, Kindergartners move on to graduate the 5th grade in a heartbeat, and our children are college and real life bound in a flash. The fact is that none of us are as young as we used to be. It’s like the Steve Miller Band sang about forty years ago... “time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping…into the future.” So what to do with the time we have…what will our future hold?
Well at WBS this year we SURF every single day! We Show responsibility, Use safety, Respect ourselves and others, and we Focus and work hard. We SURF in the classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground, library, and all points in between. The common language and behavioral expectations are being taught, modeled, and reiterated in morning meetings; our student body seems to be thriving, and we hope this positive momentum continues throughout the year and beyond.
Speaking of positive momentum and in case you haven’t heard, the Secretary of Education announced last Wednesday that Wrightsville Beach Elementary is a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. This is a highly significant recognition from the Federal Department of Education that allows us to join the ranks of only 8 other schools in this state and 279 public schools nationwide. It’s an award for all of us. So…Congratulations! Thanks for trusting us with the most important people in your life, and if you need anything…never hesitate to call or to come see me.
Sincerely,
Jackson Norvell
Principal
Assessments, Assessments, Assessments
We have been busy gathering information about our students through the use of Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs). These measures/assessments are used by teachers to learn more about what students know and how they need to teach them. None of these assessments are used for grades. Instead, they are used to help the teacher teach each student at their level of learning.
All students in grades K-3 are assessed using Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and Text Reading Comprehension (TRC). These assessments are mandated by NC Law. The assessments measure basic literacy skills and are used to determine risk in reading achievement. Our 4th and 5th-grade students are given a battery of reading assessments using a program called Aimsweb Plus. All students in grades K-5 are also assessed on math skills using Aimsweb Plus.
Teachers will analyze each child’s results and use this information to determine flexible groups for instruction, as well as, which students may need extra help in the form of interventions or even enrichment.
If you would like more specific information, please contact our Instructional Coach, Mrs. Harkcom, at elizabeth.harkcom@nhcs.net and/or your child’s teacher.
2016 - 2017 Young Author's Writing Project
"Step Outside: Writing About the Natural World"
(All entries are due to Mrs. Medlicott no later than November 7, 2016)
To encourage students to read and write, the North Carolina Reading Association sponsors the NC Young Authors Project. It is a celebration of literacy for all ages and students are encouraged to write in any genre. (To download a copy of the guidelines and entry form, please click on the NCRA website.)
The theme for the 2016-2017 Young Authors' Project is "Step Outside: Writing About the Natural World". Young Authors are encouraged to write about their personal experiences with the natural world or investigate a natural world topic. Students may write prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction. Four entries will be selected to progress to the New Hanover County level competition. Winning entries from the county level progress to the state-wide competition.
State winning projects are published in a book which is provided to each winner at a reception in Raleigh in January. For more information contact Mrs. Medlicott in the library.
Wrightsville Beach Elementary School
Website: www.nhcs.net/wbeach/
Location: 220 Coral Drive, Wrightsville Beach, NC
Phone: (910) 256-3171
Facebook: facebook.com/WBeachSchool/
Twitter: @WBeachSchool