Wildcat News
January 15, 2021
A Message from the Principal
FWE families,
Time sure continues to move forward quickly. Can't believe we are already finding ourselves in the middle of this first month of 2021. The challenges of this pandemic are not yet behind us, but there are definitely glimmers of the hope on the horizon. We already have some staff members that have been issued the first dose of the vaccine and are hopeful that more will qualify soon.
This Monday we will be celebrating and remembering the incredible impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This week our students spent time reflecting on his life, his messages of love and how he was a model for powerful, non-violent advocacy of peace and justice for all. As a Frank Wagner staff we are committed to elevating student voices, to appreciating the individual strengths and qualities of each human being, and teaching students how to use their academic skills to make meaningful changes in the world around them. Dr. King was killed before he saw his dreams for love, peace and equity become reality. In a world that desperately needs to come together as one, let us be the generation that moves this work of loving one another, all humans, forward in meaningful and powerful ways.
Here are some quotes from Dr. King:
“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
May you find ways, today and always, to keep his dream alive.
In partnership,
Kristin Cortes
Principal
Upcoming Events
- January 18th - Martin Luther King Day, No School
- January 27th - Raffle winners will be announced.
- January 29th - End of 2nd Quarter/Semester Break, No School
ROAR Awards
Elijah M. - Vye
Adrian P. - MacMillan/Phillips
Mila D. - Phillips/MacMillan
Martha GDD - Rummel
Christian B. - Franz/Martinez
Lilyana S. - Maxson
Nicholas S. - Smith
Omar P. - Ducharme
Alejandro A. - Miller
Maggie H. - Pratt/Ramirez
Andrea S. - Ramirez/Pratt
Valerie H.- Pope
Writing Celebration
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date!
It is very important that all families make sure all of their contact information is up-to-date with the school office. In the event of school delays and cancelations, or other emergencies, we need to be able to contact all of our families. When there are urgent messages to share with families, they are sent out via email and phone call. Messages are also posted on the district website, Facebook and Twitter.
If you would like to opt-in to also receive text messages, please send a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number, 67587. You can opt out of these messages any time by simply replying to oue of our messages with "Stop".
From our School Conselor, Mrs. Simeoni
Five Things You Can Do for Your Kids in the New Year
1. Let kids struggle Self-esteem is not a gift that we can give our kids, it is a neurochemical
response we rob them of when we don’t let them struggle. Our highest-level thinking skills are
developed when we push ourselves to think outside of the box. Resist the urge to immediately
intervene when they are having trouble. Instead try 2. Using the “Four Ss” as a framework to
teach resilience
Is your strategy working?
Do you have someone you can ask for help?
What strength do you have that you can draw on?
Can you break this down into smaller parts?
3. Scaffold for independence Provide just enough support your child needs, gradually
removing those supports as our children become more independent.
4. Give them responsibilities A great household rule is, “with privileges come responsibilities
and with responsibilities come privileges.” The best way for them to learn that is to begin to
take on responsibility early on. This year, think about age-appropriate chores and
responsibilities that your kids can do and teach them how to do them
5. Play together So often, video games become a source of tension between parents and kids.
Learning about the games they play online not only brings us closer to our kids, but also we can
make sure they are using the internet responsibly.
Looking forward...
In order to take care of ourselves and our family, we need to let some things go and take time
to care for ourselves. The good news is that it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Oxbow Farms
In the meantime, they still plan to use that time for distributing veggie worksheets, activity kits, and ingredients for the 4th/5th virtual cooking lessons. Oxbow has compiled a TON of resources here, including recipes, growing instructions & activities. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PB_GTGDoO0ThCvj1gPgdHGffwER4N2LS?usp=sharing
Oxbow still welcomes you to join for a low key 1 hour Family Garden Visit:
Family garden visits: One hour time slots on Wednesday Afternoons are available for gardening, games, and learning in the Outdoor Classroom! To schedule a visit, follow this link: www.tinyurl.com/FWEGardenVisit or contact Sra. Lovelace for help signing up (en Español): (805) 727-3233. You can also email us at FWOutdoorClassroom@gmail.com or connect with an Oxbow Farmer on Wednesday.
Family Resources
"We at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University recognize that in these unprecedented times you are working hard to support your child’s literacy learning at home as best you can. We want to help. To that end, we have created free offerings for families. We hope these will bring more joy into home literacy learning. We will be adding to these regularly; check this page for updates and additions!"
Family Videos
"In these family videos—each less than ten minutes— we draw on a combination of research, classroom experience, and educator knowledge to help parents and caregivers support young people, pre-k to grade 9, with their reading and writing. Some of these videos show you games that to play at home while others help you support phonics, avid reading, creative writing, study skills, research, vocabulary, or abstract thinking. We’ll add to this collection periodically. We’ve tried to make these accessible and joyful, and to support you in ways that will make a difference for your youngsters."
https://readingandwritingproject.org/resources/supports-for-familes
Kindle Raffle
Some ways to engage in learning that will earn you entries to the drawing:
Attend daily Zoom meetings
Be active in Canvas and complete assignments, tasks, watching videos, etc.
Demonstrate evidence of work completion during that calendar day
Attend small group supports
Communicate with teacher about their work / questions / etc.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday, January 27th.
We would like to thank The Monroe Masons Organization for donating the Kindle.
Supporting the i-Ready Diagnostic Testing at Home
Supporting the i-Ready Diagnostic Testing at Home
Over the next few weeks, students in grade 1st - 5th will be taking the i-Ready diagnostic test to measure progress from the beginning of the year until now. We will need your support during this process to ensure that students' results are accurate and show what they know and are able to do. Students will take their i-Ready diagnostic at home while their teacher or staff member actively monitor their progress.
Here are the most important things you can do to support your student on the i-Ready diagnostic:
During the diagnostic:
Provide a place for students to take the diagnostic away from distractions.
Do not help your student. (We want to see how much they know and can do)
Encourage students to do their best, show work on paper, and know that this diagnostic will help teachers know how to support them.
In this document, you will find more information about i-Ready and how you can support your student at home. We will also be adding supporting materials on the Monroe School District website's Distance Learning Support page at: https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/covid-19/support-for-families
Thank you for your support during this process. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher.
School Pictures Have Arrived
If you didn't get a chance to pick up your school picture orders before winter break, please stop by and grab them!
Inclement Weather Procedures Reminder
Now that winter is upon us, we wanted to remind you of our inclement weather procedures. Even though it is an unusual school year, we will be following our typical inclement weather procedures just as any other school year. This means that if road conditions are deemed unsafe, we will be delaying or canceling school for that day, including distance learning. Canceled school days may need to be made up at the end of the school year.
While the majority of our students are currently in a distance learning model, we have many staff and students reporting to our buildings every day. Buses are running daily, transporting our preschool, kindergarten and other small groups of students to and from school; many of our teachers continue to work onsite in order to utilize district technology & internet; and many more employees report to work daily in order to provide necessary services to students. Our top priority is always the safety of staff and students when making decisions related to inclement weather and upholding our typical procedures will allow us to keep staff and students safe in the event of unsafe road conditions.
We recognize that canceled school days may disrupt family schedules and that the school year may have to be extended. The decision to close schools in the event of inclement weather is not an easy one and many factors are taken into consideration when making such a decision. It is important to understand that the road conditions of our entire district are taken into account when a delay or closure decision is made. The roads in one part of our district may be clear while other areas are struggling with snow and/or ice and we are unable to close some schools in the district while leaving other schools open.
How the decision to delay or close schools is made:
To help make the best possible decision, weather forecasts are consistently monitored and district staff drive our bus routes to evaluate road and parking lot conditions. We make every effort to make decisions regarding closings or delays in the evening, understanding that parents need time to make arrangements for the following day. However, if the forecast is uncertain and still developing, we wait to get the latest forecast and assess actual road conditions early in the morning. Morning decisions will be announced by 5 a.m. Additionally, if a delayed opening has been announced the night before, and the forecast or conditions worsen overnight, we may need to update the status in the morning and announce that all schools will be closed for the day.
Depending on the winter weather conditions, one of the following four options is decided:
- Schools start on time (no messages will be shared)
- Schools start on time with limited bus service
- Schools start two hours late (no a.m. preschool, no out-of-district transportation) - a delay would only be utilized if/when students and staff return to full days of in-person learning
- Schools are closed (When schools are closed, all after school activities and evening facility use are also canceled.)
If schools are delayed or closed, information will be shared through the following communication channels:
- Email and robocall: An email and automated phone call will go out to all staff and families. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Family Access to ensure you receive these notifications. Families who have 'unsubscribed' from district emails and/or automated calls will not receive these notifications.
- Text message: A text message will be sent only to those families who have opted-in to receive texts from the district. Learn how to opt-in here.
- District website: A message will be posted to the front page of our district website.
- Social media: Messages will be posted to the district Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
- School schedule hotline: 360-804-2950
We will not send or post messages if schedules are normal. No news means that schools are open.
Snow bus routes are posted on the district website, here.
If you have questions, please contact the district administration office at 360-804-2500.
Thermometers
Does your family need a thermometer? Please contact the office at (360)804-3200 and we will try to provide you with one.
Frank Wagner Elementary received digital thermometers provided by a generous combined donation from:
Rotary Club of Monroe / Darian Caldwell Rotary President
Pharm A Save Pharmacy /Sue Graafstra
and The Monroe Public Schools Foundation / Katy Woods MPSF President
On behalf of our Frank Wagner Elementary Staff and families, THANK YOU so much to everyone making this donation possible!!!!
Learning Schedules
Please contact your teacher or the office with any questions.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken daily at the end of each day. Teachers will have the ability to adjust attendance for any work that gets submitted during evening hours.
Students will be considered present if they:
Attend daily Zoom meetings, OR...
Were active in Canvas on an assignment, task, video, etc., OR...
Demonstrate evidence of work completion during that calendar day, OR...
Attend office hours or other small group supports, OR...
Communicate with teacher about their work / questions / etc., OR...
Provide some other evidence that they have engaged in some way during that day
If you know your child will be absent, please call our 24 hour attendance hotline at
(360) 804-3201 to excuse them.
Monroe School District is currently hiring for Substitute Paraeducators
Due to our immediate need for Paraeducator Subs we are temporarily waiving our regular educational requirement of 72 college level credits or passed ParaProTest. Job requirements are; A sincere interest in helping children of all ages succeed in a safe and healthy school environment. If you are interested in applying to be a Substitute Paraeducator please apply online at https://monroejobs.hrmplus.net/
Applicants will be screened and interviews will take place via Zoom. Please note that the waiver of the educational requirements ONLY applies to the Substitute Paraeducator job position and not to any contracted Paraeducator jobs.
Questions?! Reach out to Annadea Olsen at olsena@monroe.wednet.edu
Frank Wagner Elementary is seeking bilingual applicants for the following positions:
- Library Specialist
- Preschool Para-educator
- 2nd Grade Para-educator
- Health Room Para-educator
From Nurse Pamela's Desk
Parents/guardians of our in-person students: Please refer to the chart to determine if your child is well enough to attend school in person. Help us keep our Wildcat community healthy!
Please contact the school nurse at (360) 804-3206 with any questions.
Pamela Hyvonen, BSN, RN
School Nurse, Frank Wagner Elementary
(360) 804-3206 (M-F mornings)
School Nurse, Park Place Middle
(360) 804-4320 (M-F afternoons)
Local Resources for COVID Testing
DRIVE-THRU TESTING AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT
REGISTRATION AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS
Websites have been set up where people will be asked screening questions and sign up for an appointment. If there are multiple people who will be coming in the same vehicle to be tested, each of them should register.
MSD Self Declaration Checklist Attestation Form
Pre date attestation forms in advance. Attestation forms need to be filled out daily
Please do:
- Enter your child's temperature in the temperature box.
- Date and include your child's full name (First and Last).
- Answer questions accurately. This is a legally binding document that we are required to keep for up to 7 years.
Technical Difficulties?
TRANSLATE THIS NEWSLETTER / TRADUCIR ESTE BOLETÍN DE NOTICIAS
1. When you receive the school newsletter in your email inbox, open the email and click on the title in the newsletter to open it in Smore.
2. Once in Smore, scroll to the very bottom of the newsletter. Above the red word ‘Report’ you will see the word ‘Translate’. Click ‘Translate’.
3. Next, select your preferred language in the drop-down menu and the newsletter will automatically translate to the language you chose.
TRADUCIR ESTE BOLETÍN DE NOTICIAS
Nuestro boletín se puede traducir a cualquier idioma en tres sencillos pasos:
1. Cuando reciba el boletín de la escuela en su bandeja de entrada de correo electrónico, abra el correo electrónico y haga clic en el título del boletín para abrirlo en Smore.
2. Una vez en Smore, desplácese hasta el final del boletín. Sobre la palabra roja "Informe" verá la palabra "Traducir". Haga clic en "Traducir".
3. A continuación, seleccione su idioma preferido en el menú desplegable y el boletín se traducirá automáticamente al idioma que elija.
Contact Us.
Frank Wagner Elementary
Main Line (360)804-3200
Attendance Line (360)804-3201
Office Manager: Col Wolf
Office Assistant: Karina Blanquet
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Monroe School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Title IX Coordinator
Joanne Dickinson
14692 - 179th Avenue S.E., Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 804.2539
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
David Paratore
14692 - 179th Avenue S.E., Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 804.2603
Compliance Coordinator for 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW
Joanne Dickinson
14692 - 179th Avenue S.E., Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 804.2532
The Monroe School District will also take steps to assure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all education programs, services and activities. For information regarding translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact:
Kimberly Whitworth
14692 - 179th Avenue S.E., Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 804.2558