The Avery Pulse

January 8th, 2023

Upcoming Dates

  • Jan. 9th - Late Start
  • Jan. 16th - No School (MLK Day)
  • Jan. 18th - Spirit Day (details below)
  • Jan. 23rd - Late Start
  • Feb. 4th - Open House (Information Below)
  • Feb. 13th - Late Start
  • Feb. 14th - Valentine's Day Parties @ 1:45pm (Information Below)
  • Feb. 17th - No School (PD for Staff)
  • Feb. 20th - No School (Presidents' Day)
  • Feb. 25th - Trivia Night
  • Feb. 27th - Late Start
  • Feb. 27th & March 1st - Parent Teacher Conferences (More Information Soon)
  • March 17th - No School
  • March 20th - March 24th - No School
  • March 27th - School Resumes

Late Start Tomorrow - January 9th!

Please click the link for additional details related to late starts.


Beginning this school year, the Webster Groves School District has added late start days to the school calendar.


Late start days will allow for additional time for our teachers to use data and collaboratively plan to continue to address the needs of all of our students.


The schedule for late starts is below:

Late Start Supervision Program - 7:40am-8:50am

School Day Arrival Begins - 8:50am

School Begins - 9:05am


Families who need help with student supervision on late start days can participate in a program available at each building. If you already signed up for this supervision, you should have received a confirmation email from Avery on Sunday, August 14th at 9:45am.


If you are in need of supervision for your child(ren) and have not received a confirmation email that they are in our late start supervision program, please click here and complete the form.


Members of the Avery staff will manage the Late Start Supervision Program, including instructional aides and substitute teachers. Families who participate in the morning Adventure Club Program will automatically be enrolled in the Late Start Supervision Program.


For additional information on the late start program, please check out our district website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/domain/4244

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A Note from Mrs. Wallace… Avery’s School Counselor

Implementing the 7 Habits at Home… By: Mrs. Wallace

How do New Year’s Resolutions and Habit #2-Begin with the End in Mind overlap?

It’s January. Happy New Year. A question everyone will hear throughout the first month of the New Year is: What is your new year’s resolution? It can be exciting to have a resolution, try to create a new habit, or outline a specific goal for yourself. Unfortunately, most resolutions are not goals that actually get accomplished. On average only 9-12% of people keep their resolution for the entire year and accomplish the goal they outlined in January. (According to www.discoverhappyhabits.com).

Could people be more successful in keeping their new year’s resolution if we just tweaked the question from “What is your new year’s resolution?” to “What is your action plan for the new year?”


Habit #2 teaches us to Begin with the End in Mind. This habit is about deciding upon an end goal then creating the action plan that will get you there. Too often we don’t plan for actual behavior change and we just give up on the end goal. We don’t have an action plan. So, this year instead of making an aimless resolution we can learn from our Avery All- Stars about Habit #2- Begin with the end in mind and ask the question: “What is your action plan for the new year? “ Best wishes on creating a plan so you can reach your end goal this year.

Current 5th Grade Families


Click here to see important dates for the transition to Hixson!

Trivia Night! Feb. 25th, 2023

Tickets for the 2023 Avery All-Star Jam Trivia Night, Music Bingo and Auction will go on sale on January 18, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.


The link to purchase the tickets is http://www.silentauctionpro.com/onlineticketpurchase.php?groupId=919


Tables are $200 for 8 players. Premium tables, which provide an appetizer, a specialty drink, and a table at the front of the room, are $300 for 8 players. Get your tables together, space is limited and tickets will sell fast!


Students will participate in a spirit-day on 1/18 to show support for the upcoming Trivia Night! Details in the flyer below.

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Join us at the next PTO meeting for a special presentation on kids' mental health

Join us at the next PTO meeting for a special presentation on kids' mental health

Come meet the Avery counselor, Mrs. Wallace! She'll be talking about the counseling programming at the school as well as common concerns for elementary-age children, such as dealing with anxiety and helping parents respond to kids' feelings. We'll also be talking about Trivia Night and some other fun upcoming activities. Don't miss it!


Monday, January 23rd

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Avery Library or on Zoom

Join us for the next Mom's Night Out!

Join us for the next Mom's Night Out!

It's cold outside! Join us for a warm and cozy evening with other Avery moms!


This event is hosted by Saneta Thurman. Desserts and drinks will be available. It is sure to be a night of laughter and camaraderie, whether you're reconnecting with old friends or making new ones. Must purchase ticket to attend

Time: 7-11 PM

Date: Friday, January 20, 2023

Location: 708 Summit Avenue

Go to https://mom-night-jan-2023.cheddarup.com for tickets.

Valentine Parties

Please read the below information regarding Valentine Party protocol. Please note, with our shift in not allowing birthday treats, we are also not allowing food to be consumed by students during the party. Food is welcome at the party, but needs to be packaged in a way that can be sent home with students. Should you have any questions, let us know.


Valentine Parties will take place on Tuesday, February 14th.


  • Classroom parties will take place at 1:45 pm.


  • Classroom parties will END at 2:30pm.


  • If making a donation of items/activities for parties, please send in only non-food items. There will not be any food consumed during classroom parties-but snacks are welcome to go home with students.


  • If you are planning on attending the classroom party, please sign in at the front table located by the main entrance.


Feel free to contact your child's teacher or a room parent with any questions or concerns.

Repeated Information Below

Casting call for the Avery Play!

When: January 9, 7:30pm

Where: Givens Elementary Auditorium

Who: Anyone (adults) interested in being part of the Avery Play

What is the Avery Play? The Avery Play is a 70+ year tradition where the parents of Avery write, direct and perform a play for the entire Avery community. This year's show will be on April 14 and 15. Questions? Contact amandavader2@gmail.com

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Webster Groves Basketball Development League

We are excited to announce that this coming winter the Webster Groves School District will sponsor a developmental basketball program for elementary school students in grades 3rd-5th.


This program will be designed to help teach students the fundamentals of playing basketball. Practices will be held on Tuesday nights at WGSD Elementary School Gyms and games will be played on Sundays in the late morning and early afternoon in the gyms at Webster Groves High School.


Teams will be put together by elementary school attendance and grade level. If a particular school or grade level does not have enough players then we will combine them with another one. To be eligible to participate in this league, students must either attend a WGSD elementary school or live within the WGSD boundaries.

Thrive Jr. (Entrepreneurship Club) Registration

We are excited to announce that we are starting a Thrive Jr. Entrepreneurship Club, powered by VentureLab. Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a business. It is a skillset and a way of thinking. It involves identifying needs, brainstorming creative solutions, taking calculated risks, learning from failure, and persevering despite setbacks.


In the Idea to Pitch Program, students grow their entrepreneurial mindsets and skills as they apply their passions and strengths to identify opportunities to creatively solve problems, develop their solution into a business, and pitch the idea. The program culminates in a pitch event where students present their ideas to our community.


Who: 4th and 5th grade students (25 max. total students)

When: January 9, 2023-February 13, 2023

Wednesday afternoons 3:00 pm-4:00 pm


Sign Up Here!


Questions? Please contact Rochelle Spencer at spencer.rochelle@wgmail.org

Dogs At Arrival and Dismissal

We kindly ask that all dogs stay along the perimeter of Avery during arrival and dismissal. Dogs can often be a distraction to our students. Thank you!

A Note from the Nurses

As the seasons change and we resume our usual activities, infectious disease experts believe that we are already seeing the reemergence of respiratory illnesses at increased rates, including flu.


Here are some tips and resources to help you learn about actions you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs, including practicing good hand hygiene and staying home when you are sick.

Thank you for helping us keep our students, staff and community safe and healthy!

Equity in Action Committee Community Recognition

Equity in Action Committee Community Recognition

The Webster Groves School District's Equity in Action Committee values and encourages peer-to-peer recognition for equity work. In 2021, the EIA launched a Community Recognition initiative, which provides an opportunity for members of the community to recognize individuals (i.e. students, teachers, parents, friends, community members, etc.), schools, businesses, and organizations who make significant contributions towards creating and cultivating a culture of dignity that values all human beings within the WGSD. To learn more about this opportunity and to make a recognition, please go to Community Recognition. The deadlines are November 29, 2022, January 30, 2023, and April 24, 2023.

Want to make a submission to The Avery Pulse?

Board policy KI governs what our schools can distribute to students.


To qualify for direct distribution to students and families, the
information must be:

  • district-sponsored information
  • something from a group affiliated* with the district.
  • curriculum-related, as determined by the principal, including programs, events, contests and other activities.


*Affiliated is defined as a group recognized by the Board of Education and working

collaboratively with the district, such as a business partner OR is a
group created soley to work with district staff, students and parents
to raise fund for district activities (PTOs, booster clubs, the
Foundation)

Regarding signs, only signs for school or district groups (sponsored
or affiliated) can be placed on school grounds.

You can read the board policy here
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=448&revid=6VcjbAkBf4Ls3Fs6CyIxFA==&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ==&secid=1QSfUuz8WRJ5slsh0xnyVwukQ==&PG=6&IRP=0


If you are a non-profit organization that doesn't qualify for direct distribution to students and families, you can contact Derek Duncan (duncan.derek@wgmail.org) who is our Director of Communication and he will ensure that your flyer is posted on the community electronic bulletin.


If your information fits the above criteria, you can make a submission to theaverypulse@gmail.com


Submissions are due on Thursdays at 5pm