WFES Newsletter
December 20th, 2019
Winter Break!
Spelling Bee
Buddy Bench Plastic Lid Collection Drive
Here is what we need: Your plastic caps!!!
CAPS TO COLLECT FOR BUDDY BENCH!!
ACCEPTABLE CAPS:
Medicine bottle caps, drink bottle caps, milk jug caps, flip-top caps (ketchup, mustard) detergent caps, spout caps (mustard), hair spray caps, spray paint caps, toothpaste tube caps, ointment tube caps, deodorant caps,
Go-Go applesauce caps, baby food caps, Stonyfield yogurt pack twist-off caps
caps w/ RECYCLE NUMBERS of (2) ( 4) (5)
ACCEPTABLE LIDS:
Cottage cheese container lids, cool whip container lids, mayonnaise jar lids, coffee can lids, yogurt lids, cream cheese container lids, peanut butter jar lids, butter container lids, ice cream bucket lids under 8", Pringles lids, Prescription bottle lids
Kindergarten Round-Up!
Come meet the best kindergarten staff in the entire Paradise Valley Unified School District. See the classrooms and learn why Wildfire Elementary School is the best place for your future kindergarten student to begin their education journey!
Monday, Feb 3, 2020, 05:00 PM
Wildfire Elementary School, East Lockwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ, USA
WFES Staff Member of the Month!
The December teacher of the month is Ms. Cortney Field. Ms. Field is a fantastic kindergarten teacher who has the highest standards for her students. She works incredibly hard in her lessons and is always willing to help her colleagues out with whatever they need. She is such a gift to Wildfire Elementary School and we are so thankful for all she does.
Tax Credit Donations
Tax credit eligible fees paid and contributions made to a public school from January 1 through April 15 of the calendar year may be used as a tax credit on the prior year's tax return. For example, qualifying contributions made to a public school between January 1, 2019 and April 15, 2019 may be used as a tax credit on either your 2018 or 2019 Arizona income tax return. (Pub 707 AZDOR). For additional information, call (602) 449-2049.
Arizona tax law allows taxpayers a credit for contributions made or fees paid to a public school for support of extracurricular activities or character education (as defined in ARS 15-719). If married, taxpayers file separate returns: Each spouse may claim one-half of the credit that would have been allowed on a joint return.
Fox 10 Morning Show Is Coming to Wildfire
Math Resources For Help At Home
Math Family Resource Website: https://sites.google.com/pvlearners.net/family-resources/home
Homework Helper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8GkYGS888IicU5JVzFLRnhIcWlqY1lvOThXZXdQRl9taXJF/view
Math Night - January 9th
STEAM Program Supplies
Baggies (all sizes) - Balloons (all sizes) - Balls (bouncy, ping pong) - Batteries (all sizes) - Bowls/plates/cups (paper) - Bottle Caps - Bubble Wrap - Buttons - Cardboard Tubes (all kinds) - Clay - Clothes Pins - Coffee Filters - Coffee Stirrers - Corks - Cotton Balls - Cupcake Liners - Dental Floss - Egg Cartons - Felt - Foil - Marbles - Marshmallows - Paper Towels - Pipe Cleaners - Plastic Wrap - Playdough - Popsicle Sticks - Q-Tips - Rubber Bands - Sand Paper - Sponges (new only) - Straws - Tape (all types) - Toothpicks - Twine/String - Velcro - Wax Paper - Yarn
Amazon Smile
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way to support our school.
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases. Click on the picture above to learn how to donate.BOX TOP$ for Education
Box Top$ for Education is now digital! No more cutting and collecting box tops.
Click here to see how it works and how to contribute.
Fry's Community Rewards
If you are a Fry's VIP member you can link your card to Wildfire PTO and effortlessly earn money for our school simply by doing your normal shopping. You just have to signup once and the school will reap the benefits all year!
Winter News From the Nurse
It is hard to believe that we have made it to our holiday break and 2020 is just around the corner! As many of you will be heading out to cold weather climates, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone of some sledding, ice skating, and skiing safety tips:
It is safer to sled feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first;
Sled on slopes that are not too steep and are free of obstructions like trees or fences;
Skate only on approved surfaces;
Skate in one direction with the crowd;
Never skate alone;
Do not chew gum or eat candy;
Wear a helmet;
Stay away from crowded areas; and
Remember to set a reasonable time limit on outdoor play and have children come inside periodically to warm up - dressing in layers is best.
Nosebleeds:
If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds it may be from the dry air. Try using a cold air humidifier in your child’s room at night. Saline nose drops or petroleum jelly may help as well. If severe, consult your pediatrician.
Illness:
As we are seeing more cases of ill students, I want to remind everyone of District policy with regards to when students may return to school:
Students may not return to school until they have been fever-free, without the use of fever reducing medicine, for a minimum of 24 hours (fever is defined as any temperature 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher). Students must also remain at home until they have been vomit–free or diarrhea-free for 24 hours. If a student has been diagnosed with a contagious illness and has been prescribed an antibiotic, then student may not return to school until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic has been taken.
If you are ever in doubt as to whether your child is well enough to be at school, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Vaccines:
Please be your child gets the two vaccines that are required once he/she turns 11 years old. The Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) and Meningococcal vaccines are now due at age 11 regardless of grade level. Updated vaccine records can be faxed or scanned to me if more convenient.
It is not too late to get the flu vaccine and your decision to get the vaccine or to not get it goes well beyond you; it also affects the many lives you touch. Influenza is a contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs) that can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and the worsening of other chronic health conditions. Flu symptoms may include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. The best way to protect your family from new influenza strains is to get vaccinated each year. For more info about the flu vaccine, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm
Try to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest to help boost your immunity to fight the effects of colds and flu. Wash hands frequently, do the elbow cough, and disinfect hot spots at home and work. The top five most virus-contaminated areas in the home are:
1. Telephones (have you cleaned your cell phone lately?);
2. Appliances such as the refrigerator and microwave handles;
3. Faucets;
4. Light switch and door handles; and
5. TV remotes.
Vision Screenings:
Notes were sent home for those students who did not pass our vision screening. If you received a referral letter, please let me know if your child was seen by the eye doctor and the results of the exam. Because vision can affect learning, it is important that students who need glasses wear them while in school. In addition, students with vision problems may develop headaches. If you need assistance in finding an eye doctor or financial assistance for glasses, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Clothing Donations:
If your child has outgrown shorts, long pants, or sweatpants that you would like to donate, please consider sending them to school. Extra clothing comes in handy when students fall in the mud, spill food on themselves during lunch, or have an “accident.”
THANK YOU AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Nurse Royce
School Information
School Hours Reminder
School Hours
Kindergarten - 6th Grade: 8:45 AM - 3:15 PM
PreK: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Students are allowed on school grounds at 8:15 AM. There is no supervision prior to that time. Student's in 1st through 6th-grade report to the main playground area and Kindergarten students to the Kindergarten playground.
Student are not permitted in the building prior to 8:45 AM, unless permission has been given by the school administration or classroom teacher.
Students arriving after 8:45 AM must be checked in by a parent in the front school office.
Dismissal time for 2nd - 6th grade is 3:15 PM and Kindergarten and 1st grade is 3:10 PM. We ask that parents make every effort to pick their student up on time.
Morning Student Drop-Off Update
Attendance Matters!
How is daily attendance calculated?
- Daily attendance of students is determined by the number of minutes a student is present at school during the day. To learn more about how daily attendance is calculated click here.
- Daily attendance rates of students is one of the measures used in determining Wildfire's school letter grade.
- Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence. In the state of Arizona, any student missing more than 18 days of school is considered truant, regardless of if the absence is excused or unexcused.
- When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Attendance Information
Please report any student absence to our attendance line: (602) 449-4301. A message can be left on the attendance line 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Please make every effort to have your student(s) to school on time and limit unnecessary absences.
On the Calendar
Important Upcoming Dates
- End of the 1st Semester/2nd Quarter: December 20th
- Winter Break: December 23rd - January 3rd, 2020
- Classes Resume: January 6th, 2020
- STUGO Meeting: January 7th at 3:20
- PTO Meeting: January 13th, at 6:30 PM
- Early Release Day: January 14th
- 2nd Quarter Awards Ceremony (Grades 4-6): January 14th
- Yearbook Club Meeting: January 14th at 7:45 AM
- Elementary #33 Community Meeting: January 14th at 6:00 PM
- Fox 10 Morning Showcase at WFES: January 15th at 8:00 AM
- 6th Grade Tour/Assembly at EXMS: January 16th at 10:00 AM
- 4th Grade Parent Meeting for Grand Canyon Field Trip: January 16th at 6:30 PM
- Class and Activity Picture Day: January 16th
- District Spelling Bee: January 17th
- MLK Day - NO SCHOOL: January 20th
- Pre-K Universe (at Fireside Elementary): January 21st
- STUGO Meeting: January 21st at 3:20 PM
- Parent Teacher Conferences: January 27th - January 31st
- Kindergarten Round-Up: February 3rd
Wildfire Elementary School Firebirds
Email: wfes@pvschools.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