February 2021
Newsletter
A Note From the Principal
Hello Wabash Community!
Can you believe that our 1st semester is already complete? Time flies when you are having fun learning and growing! Winter has been mild thus far, but please keep sending your children in warm coats, gloves and hats for going outside for recess. If you need assistance with acquiring a winter coat, gloves, and/or a stocking cap, please contact Mrs. VanRonzelen at kristinavanronzelen@wsdr4.org. We are happy to assist with the winter coats! We want all students to be warm, safe, and comfortable!
We are conducting a School Climate Survey. We want to hear about your experience with your student’s education. We invite you to participate in completing the School Climate Survey. This survey includes questions about your student’s learning, school safety, and interpersonal relationships, as well as your attitudes about the institutional environment and your personal involvement in school. Your responses will be very helpful in improving student relationships, learning conditions, and the overall school environment. Link to Climate Survey
I wanted to also remind you that Wabash continues to implement the Choose Love Program to support the development of our students' social and emotional developmental needs. The Choose Love Program places added focus on four key life lessons/skills: Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion in Action. With the launch into the 3nd quarter of school, we will have transitioned into our focus on Forgiveness. Forgiveness, while not always easy, can be a path towards peace, compromise, and love.
This link below will take you to the Choose Love Home Program, which has a free parent tool kit. You have to create an account to access the Home Program Resources and Parent Toolkit. On my end, I have an account. I have found that I get a monthly newsletter emailed my way, but beyond that I am not bombarded with spam or junk mail as a result of having a Choose Love account. https://www.jesselewischooselove.org/choose-love-home/
Our Valentine's Day Parties will be held on Friday, February 12th.
- Students may share Valentine's Day cards with their classmates only.
- Students should not use the envelopes, just use the Valentine cards. This prevents the licking and closing of the envelopes. Sealed Valentines will not be shared.
- All Valentine cards should be at school on or before the morning of Feb. 8th, so that the cards can sit for 72 hours before the kids share them with other students on Feb. 12th.
- Students will sanitize their hands before passing out their Valentines.
- Valentine's Day cards should not have any edible treats attached. If edible treats are attached, the cards can not be passed out.
Just a reminder, in the morning, please do not release your car riders from the vehicles until the staff are positioned on the front sidewalk. Please do not release students before staff are stationed and ready to go. Thank you for your help with this! Safety first!
Also, with COVID infections and close contacts, there are different scenarios that can play out. Here is a document provided by the district to help provide some clarity. What to do if...
If you desire to see district level and building level COVID Data, it is posted on our WSD website right here.
Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts!
Mr. Schulte
Dates have been set for the Wentzville School District’s kindergarten screening process. This event is for all children who will turn five BEFORE August 1, 2021. Parents are asked to register online using the Quick Registration and Screening form. If your child has not been screened at the Parents as Teachers office or his/her preschool this year, appointments are required and can be made when you register online. Screening appointments are available in the morning and evening and are filled on a first come, first served basis. Please note that due to social distancing and space limitations, it may be difficult to accommodate siblings at the screen appointment. Please be sure to check your address with the District’s Boundary Locator tool to determine which school your child will attend prior to registering your child for kindergarten.
All screening appointments will take place at the Parents as Teachers Office at One Campus Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385.
Screening dates are as follows:
· Thursday, January 14, 2021
· Thursday, January 21, 2021
· Wednesday, January 27, 2021
· Thursday, February 4, 2021
· Tuesday, February 9, 2021
· Thursday, February 11, 2021
· Wednesday, February 17, 2021
· Thursday, February 18, 2021
· Tuesday, February 23, 2021
· Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Your information will be sent to your child’s elementary school. The school will contact you to complete your child's kindergarten registration. To access a list of necessary materials and documents for registration, please see our Kindergarten Registration Procedures page. For additional information about kindergarten registration and screening, or to check if your child has a current screening on file, please contact the Parents as Teachers office at 636-327-3863, ext. 22281.
If you do not have a Missouri birth certificate, you may obtain one at a cost of $15 from the St. Charles County Community Health/Environment-Vital Statistics Office, 1650 Boone’s Lick, St. Charles, MO 63301, or by calling (636) 949-7558 for more information.
How to help your child be an UPSTANDER.
What is an upstander? Up·stand·er, noun
A person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied (Dictionary.com).
Research shows that 1 in 3 children are involved in bullying someway, whether the perpetrator, the victim, or both. Many students who are not involved in the bullying witness it on a regular basis. Watching bullying happen and feeling powerless is common, and also known as being a bystander. We have the power to teach our children how not only to be kind, but also to be an upstander to reduce bullying! How can we do this?
Model leadership and empathy- As parents, we are the one of the biggest influences for our children. Make sure to engage in showing your own kind behaviors, show empathy when engaging with others, and advocate appropriately when something is wrong or feels off. Your child will see you do this!
Talk to your child about bullying- Help your child understand that it is not tolerable or acceptable to bully or be bullied themselves. This is NOT a ‘normal’ part of childhood. Help them understand what bullying is, and that it can happen in person or through media/technology. Make this a normal topic in your daily conversations with your child.
Teach your children what to do if they experience bullying in any way- It is never a child's job to fix bullying, or put themselves in harm's way. What we can do is encourage them to speak up and say things like “STOP, that is bullying,” and to get themselves or the victim to an adult to report the bullying. Make sure they know that if they are being bullied or see someone else being bullied it is SAFE and IMPORTANT to tell a trusted adult.
As school counselors, we are here to help work through any situation. Encourage your child to talk to their school counselor if they need anything!
George Anagnos - School Support Interventionist (SSI)
Wait Time….
Pick up your toys, please... What would you like for dinner? Get your shoes on, we’re already late for school. We all have a general expectation of timely compliance from our kids when we ask them to do something. However, sometimes kids seem to not understand what we’re asking. They lag behind in being timely in their responses to our requests. This can lead to frustration, confusion and can really test your patience. The temptation is there to answer for them, to continue to repeat your question or to begin throwing options out for them to choose.
These moments could be an opportunity for parents and guardians to employ a simple strategy known as “wait time”. Wait time is literally what it sounds like... a little extra time given for a child (or anybody) to process what you’re asking and respond with an action or answer.
How might you give it a try? Well, research shows that many young children can require up to 5 full seconds to hear and process a question you’ve asked them. When you make a request to your child, try simply waiting a few extra seconds before offering choices or responses to the child. After you ask which vegetable they want with dinner, for example, that “one-one thousand, two-one thousand…” can seem like an eternity. But allowing a little extra time for them to make an honest attempt at a response allows the child the opportunity to think for themselves. Answering for themselves can build self-esteem and self-confidence. It can also show them that you value their response. These feelings and skills can lead your child to become a person who is more willing to speak up for themselves, offer opinions and express themselves more honestly.
Contact Information:
636-887-3884 ext 50245
Public Library Partnership - Every Wentzville School District student will be provided a virtual SCCCL library card, which will allow students access to nearly all of the library’s online resources, including databases, e-books, and e-media.
The digital access provided through the partnership will be activated at the beginning of February. All students will be enrolled in this virtual library card program automatically. We are very excited for this partnership!
Online Resources - You can access many online reading resources right from our library homepage. Check it out! We have something for all of our Wabash readers!
REMINDER: Remember to check your child's temperature each morning prior to coming to school.
Please monitor your children at home, before coming to school. If your child has any one or more of the following symptoms, please keep your child at home.
-Fever 100.0 or above
-new onset cough
-difficulty breathing
-headache
-loss of taste or smell
-sore throat
-diarrhea
-nausea/vomiting
-fatigue
-runny nose/congestion
If any of these scenarios occur during a weekend, you can email the nurse at: sherrynutt@wsdr4.org
Covid-19
If any person in the household is getting tested or has covid-19 please stay home and alert your school nurse.
If you have been in contact with anyone that has tested positive for covid-19, please stay home and alert your school nurse.
If your child is exhibiting any symptoms of covid-19 please keep them home until symptom free.
Below you will find links to the Reading Connections Newsletter
PK and KINDERGARTEN BUS PARENTS
Cell Phone Rules at Wabash
Our school rules around cell phones and electronic devices are as follows:
1. Phones/devices stay turned off during school day.
2. Phones/devices remain in backpack during school.
3. Students may not carry phones/devices on them.
4. Teacher may give permission for it to be out, but all other rules apply when permission is not granted.
Students who fail to follow these guidelines will be sent to the office. Phones/devices will be kept in one of our Administrators' offices for the remainder of the school day.
Please review these guidelines with your child/children.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES UPDATES
As a school of 900 students, managing the dismissal of students is a detailed process. At the end of each day, our staff is responsible to make sure our students get to the correct assigned locations, including: buses, walkers/bike riders, car riders, daycare van riders, and Chautauqua. Last minute changes create situations where students are not where they need to be. This results in lost time and added stress for students, parents, and staff.
Please keep the following in mind:
1.) We need to know in advance, by 3:00 pm, if your child’s transportation is changing. This will provide adequate time to notify your child’s teacher and to make sure everyone is on the same page prior to the beginning of the dismissal process.
2.) Students will not be dismissed between 3:15 pm and 3:35 pm in order to maintain a secure and orderly environment for the dismissal of our 900 students. We understand doctor appointments and emergencies come up from time to time. Please try and limit early dismissals for these reasons if possible.
BIRTHDAY TREAT UPDATE
For the upcoming school year, Wabash will be using the following guidelines for student birthday treats.
We are no longer allowing students to bring in any food items or non-food items. This includes goodie bags with non-food items such as candy/gum, trinkets, pencils, stickers etc. Please know that any food, drink, goodie bags, etc. not from our café will not be served or delivered to the classroom.
Our café does provide food and non-food items as an alternative. Click here for the WSD approved Healthy Birthday Treat form for ordering birthday goodies. Birthday items are for your child’s classroom only and sharing around the school (classrooms, friends, teachers, staff, etc.) is not permitted. Orders need to be submitted at least five days prior to the date needed. Payments are check only. Please keep in mind when making purchases that you get enough items for all the students in your child’s classroom.
Our goal is to continue to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for all.
Wabash Elementary
Email: jillmitchell@wsdr4.org
Website: www.wentzville.k12.mo.us
Location: 100 Golden Gate Parkway, Wentzville, MO, United States
Phone: 636-887-3884
Twitter: @WabashStation