Cultivating A Community

Dear WED Community,

Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held in-person on Thursday, December 8, 2022. Please look out for information from your child's teacher or principal regarding scheduling your conference.

Research shows that students whose parents and families are actively involved in their education are more successful academically and are more likely to graduate from high school. Parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity to share academic progress and growth based on classroom observations, testing data, assessments, and class assignments. Furthermore, parent-teacher conferences provide parents and families important information regarding their child's progress and helps to communicate to parents the areas that their child is accelerating in and gives them specific ideas of how to improve upon their child's performance in school. Other benefits include building positive relationships with the teacher and school as well as creating open lines of communication that support students academic and social-emotional growth.

The following are some goals of parent-teacher conferences:

1. Share how and what the student is learning.
2. Share assessment information.
3. Share information regarding the student's transition to a new school, grade, or level.
4. Strengthen relationships with the teacher and school.
5. Share resources that families can use to support learning at home.

The following are some questions that parents may ask their child's teacher during the conference:

1. Is my child's progress developmentally appropriate?
2. What do you see as his or her strengths?
3. How could he or she improve?
4. Can I see examples of my child's work?
   
5. Can I see rubrics used to assess my child's work?
6. How will my child be challenged and supported?

If you are unable to attend your child's parent-teacher conference, please contact your child's teacher to schedule a phone conversation or to schedule a meeting after December 8th. We hope to see you on Thursday, December 8th!

Sincerely,

Patrick McGee, Ed.D

Superintendent

Last week, WHS held student assemblies recognizing students and staff at the high school and Career Center. One celebration included, Your Impact, My Jersey, in which WHS football players presented their jersey to a staff member of their choosing who has had a positive impact on them during their high school career. Congratulations to the team and, most importantly, the teachers and staff who received a jersey. WHS continues to build strong teacher-student relationships!

Academic Teaming is a daily instructional process where students collaborate, peer coach, and peer teach while engaged in rigorous, standards-based tasks that utilize discourse and worthy questions, all of which are a part of our District Strategic Plan.

This year, the WED has added seven Innovation Specialists who are currently working with teachers across the district in their classrooms on Academic Teaming, with the ultimate goal of improving teaching and learning. Please click on the YouTube link below to learn more about Academic Teaming in the WED.

Open House

On Thursday November 17th, the WACTC hosted their annual Open House. Nearly 300 people attended the event along with numerous college representatives and industry partners who were available to meet with current and future students and their families. Additionally, there were several WACTC alumni who came with their children who are choosing a program, which was great to see. Currently, the WACTC has received over 200 new applications and anticipate that number to increase by at least 50% before the application window closes on January 24th, 2023. If you know a rising 9th grader who is interested in joining the WACTC please visit their website to apply.

Biotechnology Students

The WACTC’s Biotechnology students recently participated in URI’s Pharmacy Exploration Day. Students toured the College of Pharmacy building, learned about the role of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, and participated in hands-on activities in their labs and hospital room simulations. After their tour, multiple students expressed interest in learning more about URI, or listed URI at the top of their considered future college options. The partnership with URI will continue this spring as the Biotechnology program launches an industry project with a URI Professor from their Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences on ethnobotany.

• Monday, December 5th - Woonsocket After School Coalition (WASC) and WED Meeting (1pm @ McFee Admin. Building)
• Thursday, December 8th - Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Thursday, December 8th - Superintendent Coffee Hour (6pm @ Hamlet Middle School)