The Monthly Mustang
The Official Newsletter for Wedgwood School Families
September 2018
Wedgwood Earns Certification As Future Ready School
Wedgwood School has been certified as a New Jersey Future Ready School! Following a rigorous application process, our school was granted Bronze Level Certification--the first year level award--recognizing our school's efforts in the areas of using technology integration as a way to enhance students' learning activities.
The evaluation of our status as a Future Ready School took numerous factors into consideration, including our commitment to providing meaningful and authentic educational experience for our students, our students’ access to technology through our use of iPads in Grades 1-2 and our 1:1 laptop initiative in Grades 3-5, our ongoing efforts to provide continual professional development to our staff, and our integration of concepts like digital citizenship and responsible use of technology throughout our various grade levels.
Future Ready Schools - New Jersey is a certification program designed to support the organization of schools' and districts' efforts through the national Future Ready Framework. The initiative assists teachers in changing their instructional and educational practices, while preparing their students for success in the digital age. The certification program was created to support schools with resources needed to implement digital learning and to promote the skills, abilities and capacities essential for student success in college, career and citizenship. The program is a coalition of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).
Wedgwood School's staff is excited to be recognized by Future Ready Schools - New Jersey, and is excited to use the certification process as an opportunity to continue to improve as a community of learners!
Week of Respect and School Violence Awareness/Red Ribbon Week Activities
Wedgwood will join schools throughout the State of New Jersey in recognizing the importance of character education and positive climate by celebrating our Week of Respect from October 1-5, 2018. This five-day observance will feature a series of interactive classroom lessons centered on themes of community, respect, and positive decision making. In addition, students are encouraged to show support for each of the five days' themes by dressing as described below:
Monday, October 1
Students will participate in kick-off activities for the Week of Respect, including a schoolwide read-along of the book One, by Kathryn Otoshi. All students are encouraged to wear blue Wedgwood gear!
Tuesday, October 2
Students will participate in TWP Tuesday lessons in their classrooms. Students are encouraged to wear their TWP Tuesday or any red shirt!
Wednesday, October 3
Students will participate in a read along of the book Two, by Kathryn Otoshi, as read by Mr. Zimmerman.
Thursday, October 4
Wedgwood School will kick off our participation in No Place For Hate with a series of activities throughout the day. Students are encouraged to wear yellow and black!
Friday, October 5
Students will take part in a schoolwide unity activity demonstrating the importance of being respectful and inclusive of others.
Later in the month, Wedgwood will also participate in School Violence Awareness Week. During this week, our school will focus on age-appropriate discussions about how to prevent school violence and live a healthy lifestyle by being drug-free. Students are encouraged to join the conversation by participating in each of the day's activities:
Monday, October 15
Red Ribbon Day – Wear your Red Ribbon for Drug Awareness and to Stay Drug Free! Red ribbons will be distributed to all students.
Tuesday, October 16
Wear Sweats Day – Wear your Sweats to show "It’s No Sweat to Stay Drug and Violence Free!"
Wednesday, October 17
Team Jersey – Wear your Favorite Team Jersey to Show that we are a Team, working together to be Drug and Violence Free!
Thursday, October 18
Wedgwood Spirit Wear – Wear your Spirit Wear to show our "Spirit" for being Drug and Violence Free.
Friday, October 19
Hat Day – Wear your Hat to show "Hats Off" to Being Drug and Violence Free.
Wedgwood Hosts Speaker Chris Hollyfield
Book Swap Tables
Parent-Teacher Conferences: October 24-26
Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for a full day on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, and beginning at 2:15 p.m. on October 25 and 26. (Students will be dismissed at 2:05 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.) These conferences are scheduled to provide opportunities to discuss students’ progress in school. The direct contact between home and school is mutually beneficial for analyzing and understanding your child’s academic, social, and emotional growth.
To simplify conference planning, Wedgwood School is pleased to offer online scheduling so parents can pick days and times that best fit their needs. The online scheduling link can be found here: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Wedgwood_Elementary_School. Simply follow the link and reserve your times with your child's teacher. Fifth grade parents should schedule a conference time with the student's homeroom teacher. Conferences on that grade level are blocked for the teams of Mrs. Ehret/Mrs. McGough and Mrs. Bonfiglio/Mrs. Evans. At all grade levels, intervention teachers (Read 180, BSI, etc.) will push in to conferences with your child's classroom teacher whenever possible.
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.
Mr. Zimmerman's Monthly Picks
"You Don't Want A Unicorn"
"Henry and the Yeti"
"Strictly No Elephants"
"Stick Dog"
by Tom Watson
"The Wild West: An Interactive History Adventure"
(Part of the "You Choose: History" series)
"Bob"
Wedgwood PTO Update
Pat's Select Restaurant Night Fundraiser
Grab the family and come out on Tuesday, October 16, to support our first PTO Restaurant Fundraiser Night this school year! Visit Pat's Select on Ganttown Road in Sewell between 10:00am-8:30pm. Whether you dine in, take out, or get delivery, just mention Wedgwood and a percentage will go towards the PTO!! Click here for more info!
Picture Day
Bring your smile to school! Picture Day is Thursday, October 11! (Make Up Day is Wednesday, November 14)
Save The Date!
Our Annual Halloween Halloween Candy Bar Bingo is scheduled for Friday, October 19. Flyers will be sent home soon!
PTO Membership
The annual PTO Membership fee is only $5.00 per family! We are inviting all our Wedgwood Families and Staff to become members of the Wedgwood PTO. The tax-deductible donations are used to support the many functions the PTO provide during the year such as: assignment books, folders for all students, staff appreciation, fifth grade event(s), classroom technology, field day, assemblies and many other events. This year ONE classroom per grade with 100% membership participation will receive a pizza party to be used for a designated holiday class party. Membership forms are due by October 25, 2018. An electronic copy of our membership form can be downloaded here.
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.
Keep in touch with the Wedgwood PTO Sign up for important updates from Wedgwood PTO Get information for Wedgwood PTO right on your phone—not on handouts. On your iPhone or Android phone, open your web browser and go to the following link: rmd.at/wedg
Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. You’ll be prompted to download the mobile app. Or follow the instructions found here.
We are looking forward to seeing and getting to know you at school, meetings, events, and fundraisers!
Sincerely.
Danielle J Moore, President
Renee Watson, Vice President
Christina DeLuca, Treasurer
Elizabeth Schmidt, Secretary
Be sure to "Like" Wedgwood PTO's Facebook Page!
Get Connected with Wedgwood On Social Media
If you're on Facebook, go to https://www.facebook.com/wedgwoodwtps/ and "Like" the page.
If you're on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/wedgwoodwtps and follow us.
Follow Wedgwood on Remind
Dates At A Glance: October 2018
October 2 - TWP Tuesday Bullying Prevention Lessons
October 11 - Picture Day
October 12 - PTO Meeting - 9:30 a.m.
October 16 - Chris Hollyfield Family Event - Wedgwood All Purpose Room - 7:00 p.m.
October 16 - Restaurant Night Fundraiser - Pat's Select, Ganttown Road - 10:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
October 17 - Early Dismissal Schedule - Staff In-Service
October 24 - School Closed - Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 25 & 26 - Early Dismissal Schedule - Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 30 - TWP Tuesday Bullying Prevention Lessons
October 31 - Halloween Parade
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