WFES Newsletter
April 6th, 2021
Wildfire Elementary School Firebirds
Email: wfesfirebirds@pvlearners.net
Website: https://www.pvschools.net/wfes
Location: 3997 East Lockwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone: (602) 449-4300
Facebook: facebook.com/WFESFirebirds
Twitter: @WFESFirebirds
AZMERIT Testing Information
WFES AZMERIT Testing Schedule
3rd Grade
- Thursday, April 8th: Writing
- Friday, April 9th: Writing Make-Up Day
- Tuesday, April 20th: Reading 1 & 2
- Thursday, April 22nd: Math 1 & 2
4th Grade
- Tuesday, April 13th: Writing
- Tuesday, April 20th: Reading 1 & 2
- Thursday, April 22nd: Math 1 & 2
5th Grade
- Thursday, April 15th: Writing
- Tuesday, April 20th: Reading 1 & 2
- Thursday, April 22nd: Math 1 & 2
- Tuesday, April 27th: Science 1 & 2
6th Grade
- Friday, April 16th: Writing
- Tuesday, April 20th: Reading 1
- Wednesday, April 21st: Reading 2
- Thursday, April 22nd: Math 1
- Friday, April 23rd: Math 2
- Thursday, April 29th
- Friday, April 30th
Testing Supplies/Needed Materials
- Wired headphones/earbuds
- snack/water bottle
- school-issued Chromebook/computer
Remember, that once a student starts a test they must finish the test in the same testing session. We know that some things are unavoidable but we ask that parents/guardians make all efforts to not have students be absent or have appointments scheduled on testing days.
Please make sure that your student(s) get a good night's rest and healthy breakfast so they are ready for their testing days.
AZMERIT for PV Connect Students
Testing Dates
Students will need at least 3 Wednesday testing sessions as a student is only allowed to complete a maximum of 2 tests per day. Once a student has started a testing session, they will have until the end of the school day to complete the test. Students will be given a break in between testing sessions. Please note that the writing assessment must be completed by April 14th.
Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 - 9:15 AM: Writing
and/orWednesday, April 14th, 2021 - 9:15 AM: Writing Make-Up, ELA 1&2
and/orWednesday, April 21st, 2021 - 9:15 AM: ELA 1&2, Math 1&2
and/orWednesday, April 28th, 2021 - 9:15 AM: ELA 1&2, Math 1&2
Time Frame
Suggested testing times from AZ Department of Education are 45-90 minutes for Writing, Reading has 2 sessions 45-75 minutes each, and Math has 2 sessions 60-85 minutes each.
COVID Mitigations
All of our COVID mitigations will be in place during testing. All students must wear a cloth facemask while on school property at all times (except while actively eating or drinking). Your child will have their own individual table and be spread out 6 ft. or more apart in the library. There will be one or two proctors in the library during testing.
Supplies Needed
Students will need to bring their school-issued Chromebook (fully charged), plug-in earphones to take the test and a book to read for when they are done testing and waiting to be picked up. Individual new pencils and scratch paper will be provided. Students will also need a filled water bottle and a lunch/snack to eat between testing sessions.
Drop-off and Pick-up
Students will be dropped off in our front lobby at 9:00 am (testing begins at 9:15). When your child is done with their testing, they will walk back to our office/lobby and our office will call you to let you know they are done. If you have two children testing on the same day and one is done earlier, they can read quietly to wait for their brother/sister. Please make sure we have your correct phone number to contact you when your child is done testing.
Asynchronous Learning during grade level AZM2 Testing
While your child's class is testing during their scheduled testing time, your student on PVConnect will have asynchronous learning on those testing days.
Update on Mask Requirements in K-12 Schools
In light of Governor Ducey's executive order relaxing COVID-19 restrictions, the Arizona Department of Health Services issued a statement confirming that AZDHS Emergency Measure 2020-04 is still in effect, requiring masks in all K-12 schools. Masking is one of the top mitigation strategies for safe in-person learning as recommended by the CDC.
Masks must be worn on school campuses, on school buses, and during school-associated activities by all students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors.
- Arizona Department of Education
Class Placement for the 2021-2022 School Year
We are currently working on creating our class rosters for the 2021-2022 school year. Information provided by parents will help our placement teams create class rosters. Please know our placement teams strive and work hard to create balanced classes that give all students an environment where they can thrive and class rosters are created prior to being assigned to a specific teacher. Parent input is just one of many factors used to determine a student's class placement. We respectfully request that parents do not specify a certain teacher or request to not have a certain teacher, as those requests cannot be honored.
We also ask that parents do not contact the teachers directly with placement requests.
Community Education Summer Programs
Hero Squad Drive for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Our fundraising drive will take place April 26th - 30th this year and due to COVID-19 guidelines and in the interest of the health and safety of everyone, the drive will be completely virtual. The Student Government will be sharing more information about the drive in the next few weeks so stay tuned and thank you all for your support of our school's mission to help fight blood cancers.
Congratulations to former WFES Principal Dr. Troy Bales!!!
Congratulations to former Wildfire Principal Dr. Troy Bales for being selected as the next Superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District! Dr. Bales was the first Principal of Wildfire Elementary School when it opened in 2006. Many current Wildfire staff members were hired by Dr. Bales to open WFES and we are very excited to have him leading PVUSD.
Below is the announcement to PV families on the selection of Dr. Bales as the next Superintendent:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The Governing Board had the opportunity to interview three extraordinary finalists for the position of PVSchools Superintendent. Following robust discussion that included feedback from the community forum and stakeholder interviews, the PVSchools Governing Board unanimously selected Troy Bales, Ed.D., to serve as Superintendent beginning July 1, 2021, and is expected to vote to approve his contract at the April 8th Governing Board meeting.
Dr. Bales has served as assistant superintendent of human resources for PVSchools since 2016. From 1999 to 2016, Dr. Bales held positions within PVSchools as principal at the elementary and high school levels. Before joining PVSchools, he was the executive director of human resources at Glendale Elementary School District.
He is a member of the American Association of School Administrators, the Arizona School Administrators Association, the Association of School Curriculum and Development, the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, the Arizona Association of School Personnel Administrators, and the Board of Directors - Vice President of Teen Lifeline.
Dr. Bales earned an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from North Iowa Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Arts degree in Education Administration and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Social Emotional Learning? Parents, This Is for You!
Parents, are you wondering what all the talk is about SEL and social-emotional skills? Now that we have an SEL Specialist at our school, you might be wondering what does she do!
You are already doing a lot to support your child with these skills, so keep reading to make additional connections about what it is, why it’s important, and what resources you can turn to if you’re interested in doing more.
Why do children need social-emotional skills?
Social-emotional skills are essential for connecting with others! They help us manage our emotions, build healthy relationships, and feel empathy. Some examples of social-emotional skills in action are: recognizing when a friend is sad and asking if they’re ok, asking for assistance when he/she needs help, listening and paying attention, having an argument with a friend, and knowing how to navigate that situation, having big feelings and knowing how to self-regulate.
With social-emotional skills, children can make lasting friendships with others, maintain meaningful relationships, and handle difficult social situations. They can manage times of high stress, and during times of anger and keep from having unhelpful behaviors they may regret later.
Social-emotional skills help children have positive life experiences. When these skills are taught and supported, children are more likely to have academic successes and have a good attitude toward school as well as his/her self. They are less likely to experience emotional distress and use drugs or alcohol.
Where and when are SEL skills used?
Social-emotional skills are needed and used from early childhood through adulthood. There is never a time they aren’t needed. We use these skills many times a day with sibling and parent-child relationships, friendships, social and academic situations at school, our jobs, and anything we do in our communities. We need them for interaction with others and even when communicating by phone or email.
Confidence, the ability to identify his/her feelings, as well as having assertiveness skills, such as refusing peer pressure and reporting if someone is bullying him/her is another outcome of having good SEL skills.
Additionally, I am here to help children manage their stress and feelings. But I am also here to help you, as a parent. Please feel free to reach out to me at mwarda@pvschools.net or fill out this form if you want to refer yourself or your child.
- Meryl Warda
Join Our Team!
Multiple positions are available.
To learn more and to apply, please visit the following links:
https://jobs.pvschools.net/2020-21-para-educator-personal-care-wildfire-es/job/14919788 https://jobs.pvschools.net/2020-21-para-educator-personal-care-wildfire-es/job/14242199 https://jobs.pvschools.net/2020-21-para-educator-personal-care-wildfire-es/job/14887983
We look forward to having you join our team!
The owls are back!
Welcome to the Neighborhood
Health Office Information
News from the Nurse
It has been very exciting to see students back in school and I love seeing how much your children have grown and how much older some of them look! Thank you for continuing to informally screen for signs of illness before sending your children to school. When all of this started, I could not imagine how the students would be able to keep their masks on all day but they continue to do a great job and I am very proud of them!
Just a few parent reminders:
ABSENCES
Please be sure to call absences into the absence line (602) 449-4301. Notifying your child’s teacher is not enough - all absences must be reported to the front office. When leaving a message on the absence line, please be sure to state the reason for the absence and if your child is ill, please share details. Simply stating “my child is not feeling well” is not enough. Knowing the details may save us from having to call you back and it also helps us to track and identify any illness trends.
COVID TEST RESULTS
Any positive results must be reported to the nurse; once again, notifying your child’s teacher is not enough. You can certainly share the results with the teacher but I must be notified as well. This allows me to determine when your child may return to school and it also allows us to determine if we need to send any students home who may have had close contact with your child.
If I send your child home due to illness and you bring your child for testing, negative results must be reported to me as well. Again, feel free to share with your teacher but you must inform me.
You may call or you may email me, whichever is more convenient for you.
VACCINES
Two school-required vaccines are due once your child turns 11 years old. These vaccines are the Tdap and meningococcal vaccines. Please keep this on your “radar” and plan to have your child vaccinated. Also please be sure to provide me evidence of your child has received the vaccines.
If your 6th-grade child has already turned 11 years olds and if he/she has not yet received these vaccines, please note that your child will not be able to start middle school or receive a class schedule until evidence of having the vaccines is received.
As always, please don’t ever hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or health concerns.
Kindergarten Enrollment for 2021 - 2022 School Year
Upcoming School Spirit Days
PTO Information
Are you the future PTO President?
Smile.Amazon.Com
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Wildfire Elementary every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at Smile.Amazon.Com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones.
How to turn on AmazonSmile in the mobile app:
- Join AmazonSmile. If you are not already an AmazonSmile member, sign up on your web browser. Simply select Wildfire Elementary PTO to start generating donations, at no cost to you.
- Get the app. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. You can find it in the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.
- Turn on AmazonSmile. Open the app and find ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.
On your first visit to smile.amazon.com, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Select Wildfire Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization. Every time you shop on Amazon simply start at smile.amazon.com and the school earns 0.5% of every purchase. It's that easy to make a difference! Ask your friends, family and co-workers to participate too! As always, Thank you for your support!
Coke Rewards
Box Top$ for Education
Click here to see how it works and how to contribute.
Fry's Community Rewards
Important Dates
- April 7th: Early Release Day
- April 7th: UPC Meeting
- April 8th: AzMERIT Testing - 3rd Grade Writing
- April 8th: Governing Board Meeting
- April 9th: School Spirit Day - Mystical Magical Friday
- April 9th: 2nd Grade Wax Museum
- April 13th: AzMERIT Testing - 4th Grade Writing
- April 14th: School Council Meeting - 8:00 AM
- April 14th: Early Release Day
- April 14th: 6th Grade Over the Line Tournament
- April 15th: AzMERIT Testing - 5th Grade Writing
- April 15th: School Spirit Day - Purple Up!
- April 16th: AzMERIT Testing - 6th Grade Writing
- April 16th: PTO Gathering - 7:00 PM at Aviano Clubhouse
- April 20th: AzMERIT Testing - 3rd - 6th Grade ELA
- April 21st: Early Release Day
- April 21st: AzMERIT Testing - 6th Grade ELA
- April 22nd: AzMERIT Testing 3rd - 6th Grade Math
- April 22nd: Governing Board Meeting - 7:00 PM
- April 23rd: AzMERIT Testing - 6th Grade Math
- April 23rd: School Spirit Day - Firebird Friday
- April 26th - 30th: Hero Squad Fundraising Campaign for LLS
- April 27th: State Science Assessment - 5th Grade
- April 28th: Early Release Day
- April 28th: Welcome Sky Crossing Family Night Out at Cafe Zupas
- April 30th: School Spirit Day - Poem in your Pocket