Weirton Elementary School
March 2022-2023
MARCH FAMILY NEWSLETTER
Important Updates, Reminders, & Messages
Happy March! We cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by! We are reaching the end of the third nine weeks. If you have concerns about your child’s progress or skills in the current grade, please reach out to their teacher to see what more we can all do as your child’s learning support team!
Read the entire newsletter. Lots of updates and information included as you scroll down the newsletter.
PreK Registration 2023-2024:
PreK Registration is open. Refer to flyer below. Paperwork will be mailed home. Paperwork drop-off is scheduled for Friday, April 14 (more details to come).
Kindergarten Registration 2023-2024:
Kindergarten packets will be sent home to all current PreK students at WES on March 2. Packet drop-off is scheduled for Friday, March 24 (more details to come). A copy of the Kindergarten Registration packet is attached below.
March Lunch Menus:
Refer to March lunch/breakfast menu attachments below.
March Dates:
Monday, February 27 - March 3: Read Across America Week
- Spring Book Fair week (little gym)
Wednesday, March 1:
- No PreK
Thursday, March 2:
- Dr. Seuss Day. Dress-up as your favorite Dr. Seuss book character or wear red and white.
- Dr. Seuss's Birthday PTA will distribute gift bags to all students.
- PTA Meeting at 6:00pm cafeteria
Friday, March 3:
- March 3 is our time to celebrate public schools. Wear red and black to show your WEIR RIDER PRIDE! Wear red/black or WES, WMS, or WHS gear.
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go!...When you read!" PTA Event. 4:00pm-7:00pm (refer to flyer below for more details) Family Book Fair Night
- "Tournament of Books" during March Madness and Read Across America will begin Monday, March 6. Sample the 16 books in the tournament at the PTA event on Friday.
Monday, March 6:
- "Tournament of Books" begins (refer to flyer and video link below)
Wednesday, March 8
- Individual Spring pictures - optional (refer to digital picture order form link below). Hard copies of the picture order forms will be sent home as well.
Friday, March 10:
- International "Social Emotional Learning Day" refer to video below. Our theme this year is Uplifting Hearts, Connecting Minds. Wear red or hearts.
Monday, March13:
- Science Assembly (PreK-4)
Wednesday to Tuesday, March 8-14:
- Shamrock Coin Challenge week (PTA fundraiser - more details to come)
Friday, March 17:
- Shamrock Coin Challenge prize distributed.
- Wear Green
- Students will participate in tasting fruit of all colors of the rainbow.
Monday, March 20:
- Spring Equinox: Wear Bright Colors
Tuesday, March 21:
- End of 3rd 9 weeks grading period
Wednesday, March 22:
- Family Game Night K-2 from 4:00-5:00, Grades 3 & 4 from 5:30-6:30. Must RSVP in advance. More details to come. (Refer to flyer below.)
Friday, March 24:
- No Preschool
- Kindergarten Registration Packet drop-off at Weirton Elementary School. (9:00-2:00 and 3:30-5:30). Call Ms. Kristin at 304-748-8370 if you have any questions. Kindergarten packets can be mailed upon request or picked up in the tote outside the school. All current PreK students at WES will receive a packet on Thursday, March 2 in their bookbag. A Kindergarten packet is attached below as well. (Refer to flyer below)
Tuesday, March 28:
- 3rd. 9-week report cards distributed grades K-4
Friday, March 31:
- 1st Annual PTA school-wide Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Break April 3-7
Spring Individual Pictures - March 8
Below is the link for the digital picture form. Picture forms will also be sent home.
SMART529 ESSAY Participants
If your child submitted an essay on-line but didn't receive a certificate, please contact Ms. Stephanie in the main office. Thank you for participating in the SMART529 Essay Contest.
SEL Day on Friday, March 10, 2023
Our theme this year is Uplifting Hearts, Connecting Minds
Learning Ally's Great Reading Games: Weirton Elementary School 1st place!
PreK Registration Link 2023-2024
Next Year's Kindergarten and Second Grade Students:
Dear Parents of Next Year's Kindergarten and Second Grade Students:
Any Hancock County student entering Preschool, Kindergarten, and Second grade (2023-2024 school year) are required to provide proof of a health examination or physical and proof of a dental examination by a licensed dentist.
All students must complete the West Virginia State Requirements for school entry. Please make an appointment with your child's doctor and dentist as soon as possible. Once the exams are complete, provide copies of the exam records to Mrs. DeCaria or fax it to Weirton Elementary School at 304-748-8383. Oral Health Exams and Physical Exams completed between March 2023 and the first day of school will be accepted.
Attached are blank copies of the WV Oral Health Assessment Form and West Virginia DHHR Health Exam or Physical Form which you make take to the appointments. (Choose the Physical Form for your child's age - all ages are attached.) Please call Nurse DeCaria if you would like a hard copy of the Physical or Dental form sent home with your child.
Please contact the Weirton Elementary School Nurse, Mrs. DeCaria, with any questions.
Sincerely,
Denise Miller
Principal
March Menus
February Jump Rope for Heart
The Kids Heart Challenge
Hello students and families!
Thank you so much for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart!
Thank you,
WES Physical Education Department
Jessica Naughton
Dylan Cassiadoro
Giovanni Lenhart
PreK March News
March 1st- No PK due to teacher meetings.
Progress reports will be going out in early March.
PK will be celebrating Dr. Seuss week March 6-10. Flyers will be going home with the theme for each day.
Please join us for our March Family Involvement activity! This month's focus is on early numeracy. Each individual teacher will be contacting families to let them know the date and time of their class's event. It will be the week of March 13-17.
March 24th- No PK due to teacher meetings.
Kindergarten March News
Dr Seuss week was fun filled with many engaging activities. There have been guest readers and a lot of rhyming. We enjoyed eating the apples we got through the health and wellness grant. We tasted all the different kinds, graphed our favorites and learned how apples grow.
Kindergarteners are engaging in hands on subtraction lessons that are great for active, visual and auditory learners. They are learning multiple strategies for solving a multitude of math equations. Counting to 100 by 1s, 5s and 10s are a daily routine that they're proudly mastering. They are becoming pros at reading the calendar, saying the days of the week and months of the year.
We have recently learned to read and spell words with diagraphs. It's been amazing to see how much they've learned. We are mastering writing sentences and using the lines to correctly write the letters.
First Grade March News
March is going to be MARVELOUS in First Grade. The first graders at WES have been very busy learning throughout the month of February, but excited for what March will bring.
In English Language Arts, the firsties have been learning all about the powerful force of wind and feelings in their Wit and Wisdom Module 3. All first grade classes have been learning shades of meaning, adding new vocabulary words to the their word banks, and diving deep into different grammar components. In Fundations, the students have been learning about closed syllables. Did you know a closed syllable has one vowel (short) and is followed by one or more consonants? First graders also began learning the keywords and sound for several of the vowel teams. Firsties are continuously reviewing the alphabet, digraphs, welded sounds during daily instruction but have enjoyed adding the r-controlled and vowel teams to the daily phonics review. The true highlight of February has been when Ms. Paull comes in to celebrate their weekly AR accomplishments. First Graders are continuing to read their leveled AR books and so many of them have moved their badges along the AR trail. Firsties are doing FANTASTIC with AR and we are so proud of each one of them! Keep SHINING Bright! We’re so proud of you!
In Math, the first graders are working hard on topics such as place value, comparing numbers, and time. They have continued on their Reflex Math journey and truly enjoy filling their green lights. First Graders are increasing their overall addition and subtraction fact fluency and their automaticity with math facts is continuing to flourish! Keep Rocking those Reflex Facts!
Second Grade March News
2nd Graders are doing many exciting things during the month of March here at WES!!!
In our Fundations class we are working on Double Vowel Teams! This is when two vowels work together to create one sound.
For example, /oi/ -oi and -oy coin and boy and Long o -oa, -oe, -ow boat, toe, and snow
In Wit and Wisdom our 2nd graders are wrapping up Module 2 – “The American West” and getting ready to begin Module 3. In this Module we will be learning about “The Civil Rights Movement” and discussing people in history such as Martin Luther King jr. and Ruby Bridges.
We are Marvelous at Math and are learning to count coins with amounts up to, and over a dollar.
This month the 2nd graders will also learn to tell time on analog clocks.
Each 2nd grader is working on publishing our very own class book! We are becoming Authors and Illustrators. 😊
We also plan to have a Publishing party when these are all complete!
2nd grade is AMAZING!!!
Third Grade March News
In 3rd grade Wit and Wisdom, some classes are finishing their Module 1 End of Writing for The Sea. Other classes have started Module 2. In this second module, Outer Space, we will study how people have learned about space through history. Our first story is an informational text about Galileo Galilei. In this story, we are learning about his discoveries and important work he did with space. Students first identify the text’s sequential structure and notice cause-and-effect relationships. Students then examine ways to elaborate in an explanatory essay.
In Fundations, we are starting Unit 9. In Unit 9, we will review the r-controlled syllable. This syllable contains a single vowel followed by an r (ar,er,ir,ur). The vowel is neither long nor short; it is controlled by r. This syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words.
In 3rd grade math we are learning Fractions. Chapter 8 at a glance: Equal Parts of a whole, fractions of a whole, fractions on a number line, related fractions and whole numbers, fractions of a group, and problem-solving using fractions. We are always constantly working on our multiplication and division facts so we can become fluent mathematicians.
We are continuing to practice for the GSA by taking practice test called IMA's. So far, we have practiced taking reading (informational), writing (informational using compare and contrast), and many math sections that include Fractions, area and perimeter, and rounding. Keep in mind, this is the first-year 3rd grade is taking the GSA, so practicing will help to prepare us for the challenge ahead.
Keep our learning strong 3rd grade and we will succeed!
Fourth Grade March News
In fourth grade all of our classes are working very hard to be leaders in the school by earning our lunchroom and hallway expectations points and carring our trophies with pride everywhere we go! We are also SUPER excited to be leading the GO Bananas Attendance incentive with 4 bananas on our tree (the most)!
In Reading Language Arts, we are continuing to work within Module 2 of Wit &Wisdom. We are currently looking at poetry and how the setting changes the outlook on all aspects of a reader and the story or poem itself. We have been looking at different mountain ranges and what would be needed to survive in the harsh conditions. This is all leading up to our novel for this module. Hatchet will be our focus and how our main character learns to survive in a harsh environment. Our students are going to begin developing their own "Survival" story, by using graphic organizers and story boards to help develop their own unique stories.
Each classroom is still working hard on earning their individual AR goals and most of our students are doing fantastic with writing their first names in cursive.
In Math, we are continuing to practice our multiplication/division facts and are working with fractions. We can decompose fractions, find equivalent fractions, and order fractions. We are also learning how to add and subtract fractions with mixed numbers with like denominators. Next up is decimals and fractions!
We also have fun in fourth grade! One afternoon we got to taste test 4 different types of apples and rate them within our rooms! We had a fantastic afternoon celebrating Valentine's Day and took some time to reflect and talk about Black History and the projects they did in third grade with new friends this year. We are really looking forward to St Patrick's Day in which we will take a closer look at Ireland and plan a trip where we spend our money according to a prepared budget and still visit different places virtually and bring home "souvenirs".
WES SCHOOL COUNSELORS
March News from WES Counselors
Let’s MARCH Into Spring
Let’s march into Spring with goal setting and courage.
Children who set goals are more likely to focus on achieving what they want.
· They learn how to plan, prioritize and achieve the results they want.
· They learn the importance of persistence… and develop their ability to persist.
· Whether they achieve the goal or not, they learn to take 100% responsibility for what they do.
· Goal setting and achievement creates confidence, raises self-esteem and a sense of pride.
· Keep goal setting for children short, sweet and simple.
· Make sure their goals are goals that THEY want to achieve.
· Motivation starts goals. Support and persistence achieve them. Make a list of how it can be achieved and possible barriers.
· Write goals down.
A few examples…
- Money – save a set amount by a specified date and then know what to do with it.
- Health – record and increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat over a given time period. What about a realistic exercise target?
- Chores – produce and use a chores checklist to complete them.
- Self- Esteem – Try something new, possibly a new activity such as riding a bike or a sport.
- Limits – setting limits on technology use.
- School – to achieve AR Goals and Grades.
Books About Courage, Perseverance and Goal Setting
· After The Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again. By Dan Santat
AR Quiz No. 191873 EN Fiction
IL: LG - BL: 2.6 - AR Pts: 0.5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUKt1a6I3yw
· I am Courage A Book of Resilience. By Susan Verde
AR Quiz No. 509354 EN Fiction
IL: LG - BL: 2.4 - AR Pts: 0.5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF35l1J1Ay4
· Stephen Curry: The Boy Who Never Gave Up. By Anthony Curcio
AR Quiz No. 514370 EN Nonfiction
IL: MG - BL: 7.0 - AR Pts: 2.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQChDyRhT_8
· Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of His Dream. By Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan
AR Quiz No. 45330 EN Fiction
IL: LG - BL: 3.6 - AR Pts: 0.5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFa2ELyMfo
Dreams Do Come True: All you need is you! By Mike Dooley
WES School Counselors
Ms. Mary Ann Petrelle: Grades PreK & K
Mrs. Stacy Cullinan: Grades 1 & 2
Mrs. Sarah Aspenleiter: Grades 3 & 4
WES Health Center offers Social Emotional/Behavioral Therapy
http://www.changeinc.org/health/weirton-elementary-health-center/
(304) 797-5299
Ms. Turani's Music Class
Quaver Super Bowl Activity
Congratulations for completing the Quaver Music Bingo Activity during the Super Bowl.
Mrs. Greco's ART CLASS
PTA NEWS for March
WES PTA News
Thank you, WES PTA, for planning a fabulous Book Fair!
Monday, February 27 - March 3: Read Across America Week
- Spring Book Fair week
Thursday, March 2:
- March PTA Meeting 6:00pm cafeteria
Friday, March 3:
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go....When You Read" PTA Event (4:00-7:00pm). Refer to flyer for more details.
Celebrate Public Schools Week 2023!
WES News Crew
W.E.S. 4th Grade News Crew
Our news crew team is responsible for filming the news, helping write the scripts, and making edits when necessary.
Landon Manypenny
Lilly Burge
Laila Bailie
Ave Fair
Kristopher Wasmer
Karter Fowler
A special thank you, to all the 4th grade students producing the WES News each day.
GOING BANANAS for ATTENDANCE
Ms. Stephanie, Attendance Secretary (304-748-8370)
Attendance Reminders:
Going Bananas for Attendance:
Going Bananas for Attendance video:
Go Bananas for Attendance: https://youtu.be/bYiR6YPKCao
Please remember to call the office or email Ms. Stephanie for any missed days.
304-748-8370
or
There has been a change in the attendance policy regarding Parent Note Days.
The number of days a parent can call or send a note to report their child sick has gone to ten (10) per school year to five (5).
Any absence after the five (5) parent notes/calls will have to be excused with a doctor's note.
LEARNING ALLY
Learning Ally
Weirton Elementary School is increasing our reading activity from Jan 9 - Feb 24 and competing to win Learning Ally’s national Great Reading Games to gain recognition and prizes for our school! Reading is power!
I’m so excited to share a resource with you that our school has purchased to support your child at school and at home. I want to ensure that your child is a happy, confident learner in my classroom and has access to all of the material we are reading for class assignments and for enjoyment.
Our school now has a membership to Learning Ally, a national nonprofit that provides access to human-read audiobooks through a reading app. They have novels from our assigned reading lists and those popular novels that other students are reading, as well as textbooks. By reading what other students are reading, we will be able to give your child the confidence they need to be an active learner in our classroom.
When students read with Learning Ally, it takes away the effort of decoding so your child can mentally focus on the meaning of what they are reading, this is often called ear reading, and it’s a powerful way to stay on top of reading assignments and help students enjoy books. Don’t worry, learning to read is still really important and we are working on those skills as well.
One of the best things about Learning Ally is all the books have human voices. It’s like you have an extra voice helping your child with homework, and I have an extra reader to share more books with students in my classroom. Human voice helps to model what reading should sound like; it pronounces words correctly and helps to build your child’s vocabulary, comprehension and fluency in reading.
I’ll be adding books to your child’s Learning Ally bookshelf, and they’ll use the app at school. You can download the free app on your personal computer, phone or tablet and log in with your child’s credentials to add the books they want to read. I hope you take advantage of this wonderful resource we are providing to your child.
Readers are Learners. Readers are Leaders.
Grades K-2 AR Information
AR Information for Grades K-2 (watch the video link below)
https://renaissance.widen.net/s/dtq9lnvlg5/arprimarystudentviewprogress
AR Trail
We can't wait to watch our K-2 grade students earn their AR badges!
Grades 3rd and 4th AR Information
Notes from Nurse DeCaria
Please make sure your contact number is up to date on the emergency card. You will also need to list an emergency. If your child gets sick at school, we will need to be able to get a hold of you and arrange for your child to be picked up.
Mr. Arneault (PreK & K) Mrs. Martich (3rd & 4th) Mrs. Carinci-Bell (1st & 2nd) Ms. Miller (Head Principal)
WES Title Services
Meet our WES Title Teachers:
Mrs. Orwasky
Ms. Paull
Mrs. Donna Carnes
Mrs. Davidson
WES Related Arts
WES HEALTH CENTER
WEIRTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HEALTH CENTER
Our licensed healthcare staff is on site in a safe, child-friendly environment. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child.
We provide the following services:
Well check exams, sick visits, injury treatment, immunizations, allergy shots, ADHD evaluation and treatment, sports physicals, behavioral health, dental care, chronic health care maintenance - like being on site to assist with Diabetes, Seizures, and Asthma. Just think of us as a doctor's office inside the school.
Please contact the WES Health Center at 304-797-5299 if you have any questions or medical needs.
WES SPEECH THERAPISTS
WES Speech Therapists
If you questions regarding speech screenings or speech services, please contact one of our speech therapists.
Mrs. Lockerbie (Kindergarten)
Mrs. Gianvito (First Grade)
Mrs. Hinzman (PreK & 4th)
Mrs. Burdette (2nd & 3rd)
Mrs. Edie (Special Education Classes)
Special Education Staff
Bank at School
Our Partners in Education, First Choice America, will be setting up a program called "Bank at School". Families were able to sign-up at Open House. Students will be able to do banking at school during breakfast once a week on Tuesdays. More details to come.
Bus Safety
Please remind your child about good behaviors on the bus.
- Students are to stay seated the whole time.
- Students are not to walk in the aisles or jump seat to seat.
- Students are to refrain from touching each other.
- Students are not to yell or argue.
- Bottom to bottom, Back-to-Back, Bookbag on lap.
Students are to refrain from creating any type of safety issues for anybody on the bus.
Contact Mrs. Carinci-Bell if you have any bus concerns or questions.
November Lunch and Breakfast Menus 2022
STUDENT PUBLICATION RELEASE
During participation in activities related to the education programs at WES/Hancock County, students and student products may be photographed for the purpose of showcasing student work and participation. They may be published in order to positively recognize students and share learning experiences. These materials may be posted online, television, and print media outlets including names and photographs. Please contact the school IN WRITING within 10 calendar days of receiving this statement if you DO NOT want your child’s picture or name to ever appear online, in the newspaper, or TV.