The Gray Wolf Gazette
March 26th, 2023
Our Mission and Vision
Mission(Why we exist): Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary is a collaborative community committed to ensuring equity and high levels of learning for all.
Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary is a community of belonging that empowers all children to connect, discover, and thrive as leaders equipped to make a positive impact on our world.
Weekly Update
I hope you and your family enjoyed a Spring Break full of fun, relaxing, and making memories together! Whether you spent time away from St. Louis, or time here(like me), my hope is that you did something that allowed you and your family to rest, recharge, and refuel as we gear up for a strong finish to the school year!
Can you believe we only have 9 more weeks of school? Wow, this year is going fast! Let's work together to make these weeks count! As we continue to work towards our mission each day, don't forget:
1. Attendance Matters: implement home routines that help limit tardies, absences, and early dismissals. Not only do we miss your children when they are not here, but they also miss out on valuable learning experiences that help them grow socially and academically.
2. Partnership is Key: continue to keep the lines of communication open with your child's classroom teacher or other service providers. Positive, respectful, and student-centered communication works to ensure your children see and know they have a team of people working together for their continued success.
3. Get involved: whether you join a PTO Meeting, help plan the end of trimester 3 parties, attend the upcoming Trivia Night, or volunteer for various activities that will occur during the last few weeks of school, we love to have you and your children love to see you!
4. Celebrate Success and Set and Monitor goals: with summer around the corner, help keep your children engaged by celebrating the progress they are making and working with them to set and monitor personal goals. Talk about these successes and goals as a family and continue to check-in. Have fun and celebrate milestones of progress as well.
I am looking forward to seeing you on Monday! Please take a minute to review the Updates Below!
Thank you,
Ms. Malissa Beecham
Updates Below:
-Upcoming Dates
-Disability Awareness Update(Volunteer Opportunity)
-MAP Test Info
-2023-2024 School Year Planning (Feedback Needed)
-Nurse Update
-Cardinal Tickets for the 2023-2024 School Year
-PTO Update
Upcoming Dates
March 27th: Late Start - 9:05 Start Time
March 28th: We will be taking club/afterschool activities photos during the day. If your child participates in one of these, please make sure they are ready to be photographed on this day.
April 3rd: Pack Meeting
PTO Meeting 6:30-7:30
April 10th: Late Start- 9:05 Start Time
April 17th: Harambee
April 24th-May 5th Givens MAP Testing Window Grades 3-5(See Info Below)
Did you know that we use letter days at Givens(A- E )? We do this to make sure each classroom gets its curriculum time within our specials rotation. I will share the letter days in the Gazette each week. Some classroom teachers share their rotation days so you know when your students are going to Library(Book Return) and PE(Remember tennis shoes).
Monday -A
Tuesday- B
Wednesday-C
Thursday-D
Friday-E
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
In 1987, President Reagan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase “public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developmental disabilities are defined as impairments in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas, and include:
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Cerebral palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Learning or intellectual disabilities
- Hearing loss
- Vision impairment
- Other developmental delays
Through a campaign, each March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) join forces to highlight the ways in which people with and without disabilities unite to form strong communities.
-National Disability Institute
This year, parents of our community will be working to bring an informative presentation and an activity to all of our students during our April 3rd Pack Meetings. We need a few more volunteers to be guest readers on April 3rd at 8 am. Sign up Below.
We would like to give a special thanks to JJ Gossarau and Madeline Harned, and Maria Lambing for leading the work around this. We are excited for you to partner with us as we raise awareness of the needs and potential of people with disabilities, and celebrate the strengths they bring to our school community.
MAP Testing at Givens
What is MAP?
MAP Stands for the Missouri Assessment Program. It s a series of Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science for students in grades 3rd-8th. These assessments are designed to see if students in Missouri are meeting the Show-Me Standards.
These assessments also provide valuable accountability information to schools and districts as we work to ensure our instruction helps prepare students for academic success. At Givens, we use this data to make important professional development decisions that help us meet the needs of our students. While we utilize multiple sources of data to determine our areas of success and opportunities for growth, the MAP test is one in which we gather standardized data to see how we are progressing towards the Missouri Learning Standards-the learning outcomes all students in Missouri are expected to meet.
Givens Testing Window:
Givens 3rd-5th Grade Students will start taking the MAP Test during the last week of April and the first week of May. Please see the testing schedule for each grade below:
Week 1
Tuesday 4/25
Wednesday 4/26
Thursday 4/27,
Week 2
Tuesday5/2,
Wednesday 5/3/
Thursday 5/4
While we will work to get most of our testing done in the morning, students are given the time they need to work so testing may move into the afternoons as well.
As we get ready for our assessment window, we ask for your support:
1. Limiting the number of absences, tardies, and early dismissals during this time. While there will be make-up sessions, students will not test in their classrooms, their most comfortable environment, for these sessions.
2. Ensure your child(ren) get a good night's rest so they are prepared for the day.
3. Ensure your child has a healthy breakfast (if you would like for them to eat a school breakfast the cafeteria opens at 7:30).
4. Ensure your child benefits from some outdoor physical activity after school.
5. Affirm your child's ability to do their best by reminding them that they have been working hard all year and this is just a time for them to show what they know. Join us in communicating a positive belief in all of our students.
If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me(Ms. Beecham) or our counselor(Ms. Harrison).
Resources for Parents:
Interested in seeing the types of questions your child will see? Click here
A Health Update from Nurse Jessie
Hello Givens Families,
A little Nugget from Johns Hopkins Public Health:
"And the award for best performance goes to all the parents and caregivers of young kids who weathered the gauntlet of this past flu, cold, COVID, and RSV season (with notable cameos by norovirus and shigella).
The good news is it’s almost a wrap — spring is just around the corner! Warmer weather and longer days mean we can leave the windows open and spend more time outside, reducing the potential for viruses to spread. "
As we move into Spring here are a few reminders:
1. With the help of your pediatrician, please make sure your child(ren)'s allergy needs are managed well.
2. As the days get longer and time spent on outdoor activities increase, please make sure that your child(ren) are utilizing appropriate protective gear(helmets, knee pads, etc).
3. While the days are getting longer, take advantage of the time to spend outside AND keep a consistent evening and bedtime routine. This helps children get the time to play outside as well as the necessary rest needed to be ready for a great day.
Jessi Gewinner BSN, RN
Givens Elementary School Nurse
Webster Groves School District
314-918-4269
Pollinator Paradise Prairie Burn Success (Thank you)
We would like to share a thank you to Mrs. Eliceiri for coordinating this. She shared a thank you to the various groups and individuals who helped her make this happen:
Thanks so much to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation with Erin Shank and the City of Rock Hill Missouri - Government Fire Department for their time and expertise! It was a great learning moment for those of us in attendance, including the 5th-grade classes, to see the magic of fire as it applies to prairie maintenance! And thanks to Lisa Picker and Nicole Miller-Struttmann for helping coordinate things and to Dennis Eliceiri for spearheading the pre-burn trash pickup, and to Givens Elementary and Givens Elementary School PTO for their continued support of this area! It takes a village and I’m grateful for this village!
Planning for Next School Year
It is that time of year when our staff begins planning for next year. Our teachers devote a great deal of time assembling classes and follow a very thorough process to ensure a balanced environment.
Our process includes balancing the learning environment with a variety of student abilities and learning styles, matching student needs with teacher strengths, and creating a positive learning community where students can work and play together. Many staff members are involved in this process, including grade-level teams, specialists, interventionists, our counselor, social worker, and our administrator.
As we create balanced classes, we would like to offer families the opportunity to share information about their child’s learning or social needs that might inform our decisions for placement next year. Please fill out the attached form by Friday, April 21st, 2023. Any information received after this date, may not be considered. Please understand that class placement is a very complex procedure in which many variables are considered, by multiple staff members, to achieve well-balanced classrooms. For this reason, we cannot accept any requests for specific teachers.
We thank you for your partnership and for being a valuable team member. We appreciate your trust in our staff as we create our future learning communities for the 2023-2024 school year.
Summer School Registration is Open
Looking to keep your child's learning on track this summer? WGSD offers a wide range of engaging and educational experiences. With programs for all students and skill levels, our summer learning opportunities are the perfect way to explore new interests, gain new skills, and have fun while learning.
How do I register? Registration for all summer programs begins Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. here. Please make sure you have your login information for SIS to ensure a streamlined registration experience.
The PTO would like to thank all who attended the meeting on Monday, March 6th. The minutes from that meeting can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VsXspuu2Jtfc1TK2DrDgo4sebze2ajajm2osnkHnNm4/edit?usp=sharing
Whether you will attend the event or can't make it, you can help us make the event a big success and raise more funds to impact Givens. Current needs and ways you can help include:
Sponsor the Event or a Round, or connect us with individuals or businesses who would be interested in sponsoring!
Round Sponsorship - $75 Donation: Business featured during the Trivia Night event and highlighted in our auction program, PTO communications, and social media.
Event Sponsorship - $250 Donation: Business featured in all communications sent about the event both online and in print, along with being featured in our event
program and highlighted throughout the evening.
Donate bottles of wine or spirits - During the event we would like to have "wine pull" and "cocktail grab bag" stations, which were very fun and successful last year. Your donation of bottles of wine or spirits (of an at least $15 value per bottle) can make a big impact (and are a perfect way to "regift" bottles that aren't your favorite!)
Donate other new items, services, or certificates for the Silent Auction
Solicit a business for Silent Auction items - If you have a connection to a business and would like to ask for a Silent Auction item, we can provide the request letters and donation forms.
Please contact Sarah Paradoski at sarahparadoski@gmail.com or text/call at (646) 701-3012 if you are able to help out with any of the above for the next steps. Thank you in advance to everyone for your part in supporting the students and staff of our school!
Equity Corner 3/17
March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month
Did you know that the Special School District of St. Louis County has workshops and webinars that are available to everyone? Check out their website for their monthly calendar. Family & Community Engagement (FACE) / Family Workshops (ssdmo.org)
Historical Highlight: Muhammed Ali (1942-2016) was best known for his boxing and activism, but many do not know that he was also dyslexic (“Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called a reading disability, dyslexia is a result of individual differences in areas of the brain that process language.” Dyslexia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic ). Because of this diagnosis, he and his wife, Lonnie, created a series of books dedicated to motivating students to read. Muhammad Ali Presents Go the Distance: Classroom Books | Scholastic
Recommended read (for grown-ups): The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain by Brock L. Eide and Fernette F. Eide
2022-2023 Givens School Buzz Book
**All editing will be closed down at the end of March. At this time, we will download a PDF and share it electronically with all families. Until then, you will always be able to access this from our Gray Wolf Gazette.
News From Around the District
It's not too late to signup for free and reduced lunch. You can do so here and return it to
Webster Groves High School
100 Selma Avenue
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Attention: Food Service Office
Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary School
Email: beechamjudge.malissa@wgmail.org
Website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/domain/142
Location: 701 North Rock Hill Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314-963-6460
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GivensElem