Waterville Primary Friday Flyer!
Sharing Great News with our AWesome Families!
Events for the Weeks of: February 9th-February 23rd
Congratulations to our Newly Inducted Student Council Representatives!
Our newest building leaders were officially sworn into office today by Waterville Mayor, Mr. Tim Pedro. The 4th Grade class all gathered in the Community Room for their Induction Ceremony this morning and we are very thankful for all of the family and community members who also joined us in this celebration! Along with Mayor Pedro, several City Council Members were also in attendance, including Mrs. Mary Duncan (Waterville Vice Mayor), Mr. Tony Garver, and Mr. John Rozic. We are truly appreciative of all of the community support today! These 4th Graders are ready to put in their time and effort to benefit our school and community! Congratulations to Violet Cannon, Cora Komisarek, Wylie Montanaro, Sydney Kimerer, Brynn Beakas, Luke Siddens, Charlotte Rutz, Katherine Schank, Max Buehrer, and Dahlia Trobaugh!
Dates to Remember
Monday, February 12th-Friday, February 16th: School Wide Right to Read Week! Theme: "A Solar Eclipse of the Heart!"
Monday, February 12th: Board of Education Meeting 6pm @ Central Administration Office
Monday, February 12th: WPA Meeting 7pm in Waterville Primary Media Center
Wednesday, February 14th: Valentine's Day Classroom Parties
Thursday, February 15th: Family Literacy Night at Waterville Primary 6pm-8pm (registration below)
Monday, February 19th: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, February 20th: Two-Hour Delayed Start for Students (Teacher Professional Development)
Tuesday, February 20th - February 23rd, IOWA Testing - Second Grade Students
Wednesday, February 28th: Spring Picture Day (information below)
Monday, March 25th- Monday, April 1st: Spring Break, No School
Tuesday, April 2nd: Return to School
Monday, April 8th: NO SCHOOL (Solar Eclipse)
Right to Read Week: A Solar Eclipse of the Heart!
We will be celebrating Valentine's Day and the upcoming Solar Eclipse with Right to Read Week, starting February 12th and continuing until Friday, February 16th! It will be a "Solar Eclipse of the Heart" here at Waterville Primary! We have special themes planned each day (shown above) that incorporate literacy and also information about the solar eclipse that will occur on April 8th.
Family Literacy Night: "A Solar Eclipse of the Heart!"
Let's Blast off to Waterville Primary's "Solar Eclipse of the Heart"!
On Thursday, February 15th, 2024, from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Waterville Primary will be hosting our 6th annual Family Literacy Event: A Solar Eclipse of the Heart! Families will celebrate literacy and learn about outer space and solar eclipses as we rotate and participate in different stations (organized by grade level). Throughout the evening, families can also enjoy a read-aloud, have the option to purchase books from the Scholastic Book Fair, and attend an interactive StarLab presentation on the Solar Eclipse and Space! We really hope that you and your family can join us for cosmic literacy exploration!
Please RSVP here to join us for A Solar Eclipse of the Heart!
Kindergarten Enrollment Opens March 1
We are getting ready to welcome the Class of 2037! Children five years old by September 30 are eligible to begin kindergarten in the 2024-25 school year. Kindergarten Enrollment opens Friday, March 1. Watch for more details to come in future communications or visit www.AnthonyWayneSchools.org/Kindergarten.
Spring Picture Day Wednesday, February 28th!
Spring Picture Day is Wednesday, February 28th! Watch for a paper order form to come home soon, or visit: https://schools.lifetouch.com/for-your-families/ for more information or to preorder if you so desire!
Happy School Counseling Week to our AMAZING Mrs. Cowell!
Welcome to Winter Read!
Sign your student up HERE to participate in Winter Read through the Toledo Lucas County Library!
Just read two books between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29.
If you simply provide your name and email above, you will be signed up. Then, we will email you on Feb. 26 to ask how many books you have read, and we will enter you into the grand prize drawing.
You can stop by any location to get your sign-up prize (cozy hats for kids and grown-ups!) or to get help registering.
Happy cozy reading!
Technology Safety Tips For Parents
As our children become more engrossed in the rapidly emerging digital world, parents can often find themselves at a crossroads on how to safely model, engage, and monitor numerous digital platforms. We as adults know the interaction and collaboration that social media platforms offer. However, many parents are unaware that many games and online activities their kids play also offer unmonitored digital chatrooms and media sharing aspects.
Modeling safe and appropriate technology usage is critical to keep children safe at home. Parents should always monitor any online experience connected to the World Wide Web. Here are a few reminders that parents can share with their children to ensure a safe online experience.
1. Children should never divulge their name, address, or location to anyone they meet online.
2. Establish safe boundaries regarding appropriate language usage and know when to exit an environment, should they experience inappropriate language or behavior.
3. Numerous apps such as Bark, offer parents the ability to monitor their children's online footprint and activities.
4. Even apps or host sites designed for children can still contain inappropriate content and material. It's always best to encourage younger children to seek permissions first, before watching specific digital creators, channels, or hosts.
The digital world is our children's future! Families can play a major role in modeling safe and appropriate usage. If you would like to learn more about digital safety for kids, please reach out to Mr. Beakas, or our Technology Director, Mr. Hamady for additional helpful tips.
News from Food Service
Ways to pay for meals in the cafeteria
1) Check made out to AWFS: you can write one check for all your students, regardless of what building they are in. Simply designate how to split the money in the NOTE section.
2) Cash
3) Online via www.payschoolscentral.com
How to Keep Track of Your Student's Meal Account - PaySchools Central
Check account balances, add money, see detailed reports of what your student is buying, set up recurring payments so you don't forget to add money, set up reminder emails when your student's account goes low, and pay your school fees. It's all in one place.
All of this is done through: www.payschoolscentral.com
* You will need your most commonly used email address and your students 6-digit ID number to create an account.
If you need help setting up the account please call PSC - 1-877-393-6628.
Thank you!
Lunch Menu
District Employment Opportunities
We have several full and part-time positions available to qualified candidates interested in serving in our schools. Need even more flexibility? Substitute employment is a great way to work on your own terms. Learn more at www.AnthonyWayneSchools.org/HumanResources.
Contact Information Updates
It is important that we have accurate contact information for parents/guardians and emergency contacts. If email addresses or phone numbers change during the school year, please update your child’s FinalForms account. This will help ensure we can reach you.
Waterville Parents' Association Updates
We are looking forward to our upcoming Solar Eclipse of the Heart reading and literacy week. The school and the WPA have lots of fun activities planned for your students throughout the week, including a Scholastic Book Fair with activities and Waterville Primary staff read alouds and the school’s Literacy Night with so many exciting opportunities for students to interact with STEAM and literacy-based stations!
For next week, we are looking for your help in two forms: 1) volunteers to help with the Book Fair (set-up & tear down are the biggest needs but help during the shopping times is also appreciated); and 2) donations of some of the snacks and drinks for Literacy Night.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4FAFAE2EA3FD0-47747994-book
For the snack and drink donations, we have provided links or information for what we have researched as the best prices, but feel free to obtain from wherever is easiest for you! Donations can be brought to the school office anytime prior to Thursday, February 15.
More information about the Scholastic Book Fair will be coming home in a flyer early this week but here are the dates to go ahead and mark on your schedule:
Monday, February 12 from 3:40 – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, February 13 from 3:40 – 7 p.m.
Thursday, February 15 during Literacy Night (6-8 p.m.)
Thank you!
WPA Meeting
Please join us for the Waterville Parents Association February Meeting!
It will be held on this coming Monday, February 12th at 7pm in the Media Center (Library).
Childcare will be available.
Virtual attendance will be available at this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86864791288?pwd=Y00rN2NENmhTMHF5MkJ2Ti91OHN0QT09
Meeting ID: 868 6479 1288
Passcode: 393003
The remaining WPA meetings have been scheduled for the year as follows:
- 3/11/24
- 4/15/24
- 5/13/24
News from our School Counselor, Mrs. Cowell
National School Counselors Week!
February 5th - 9th this year is National School Counseling Week, which is sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA)! The purpose of this week is to focus on the unique roles that School Counselors play in schools throughout the country. I am especially thankful during this week to be Waterville Primary’s School Counselor - I honestly can’t imagine a more rewarding and enjoyable job!
To celebrate this week, please consider learning more about the role of school counselors in elementary schools and Waterville Primary’s School Counseling Program! Thank you so much for allowing me to work with your children and your families. I love the opportunity I have each day to help all of our students experience enjoyable and successful school days!
Welcome to the Grit Wall, Amelia!
This week, we are excited to celebrate the hard work and commitment of Amelia Mass, one of our 3rd Grade students, by adding her to our Grit Wall! Amelia is being recognized for her dedication to dance, which she has practiced in some way since she was 3 years old. This year, for the first time, she is dancing competitively through Perrysburg Dance Academy. She's been practicing 5 hours each week since joining this team. Her perseverance is truly impressive and we can't wait to watch her continue to move forward with the Competitive Dance Team!
Great Wall of Grit!
The importance of helping a child learn to commit to something long term, persevering when faced with obstacles, and the willingness to keep trying- even when a task or goal is challenging, is our continued focus at Waterville Primary. Grit and growth mindset is not an “edu-fad” but dispositions we will encourage and intentionally teach all of our students, through different classroom activities, assignments, literature, role models, real world examples, and conversations about the topic.
We really need your help again this year with continuing to provide examples of our very own students and ways that they have shown commitment to an activity or goal. You all did a great job recognizing our gritty students and staff last school year and we need to continue to recognize some new students as the school year begins.
Our “Waterville’s Great Wall of Grit” bulletin board remains hanging in the hallway across from the kitchen. This display showcases our gritty students and staff that have been nominated by other individuals as examples of strivers-students who have an enduring passion and take action to achieve a goal. We will continue to spotlight our students and staff who have both determination and direction.
At the end of this Friday Flyer you will find a nomination form to complete if you would like to nominate a student or staff member here at Waterville Primary that you feel exemplifies Grit. Please turn them into the school office once completed and make sure to check out the “Great Wall of Grit” next time you are here in the school.
Reporting Absences, Notification of Appointments, Vacation Notification
Waterville Primary Attendance and Transportation Information
Waterville Families,
We are enjoying an AWesome start to the 2023-24 school year, and hope you are as well! Please read these brief updates regarding attendance and transportation, and reach out to Amy Shiffert for clarification or concerns.
REPORTING ABSENCES
All absences can be reported by emailing WAattendance@anthonywayneschools.org and copying your student's teacher.
You do not need to call AND email. In the event that you're unable to email, a phone call to 419-878-2436 can be made at any time and left with one of the secretaries, or as a voicemail for Amy Shiffert.
REPORTING TRANSPORTATION/DISMISSAL CHANGES
All end-of-day transportation changes should be reported at the start of the day by sending a note with your student or by emailing ashiffert@anthonywayneschools.org and copying your student's teacher.
We understand that last-minute changes may happen later in the day due to unforeseen circumstances, but ask that you communicate in advance whenever possible! If you have an unforeseen transportation change later in the day, please call the office at 419-878-2436 to ensure the message is received and delivered.
Waterville Primary - Where Generals STEAM ahead!
Did you know that Waterville Primary is one of very few STEAM-designated elementary schools in Ohio?! We are always looking to increase opportunities for lessons centered around STEAM. We are always interested in developing professional growth opportunities with community leaders, employers, and resources to enhance student learning.
Ohio's Total Solar Eclipse - What to Know!!
People within a 124-mile-wide band in the state of Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. This will be an exciting celestial event and we want Ohioans and our visitors to enjoy the day safely.
Areas in Ohio that are outside the path of totality will experience a partial eclipse. A total solar eclipse is a rare and spectacular event. On average, one happens somewhere on the Earth only once every 1.5 years. Only 21 total solar eclipses have crossed the lower 48 states in the entire existence of the United States. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon casts its shadow on the Earth as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon appears to totally obscure the Sun.
Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. Be sure you're familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing by reviewing these safety guidelines.
To learn more about this experience, please visit the Ohio EMA for additional tips and resources.
https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/ohio-total-solar-eclipse
Second Grade Lego Club Update:
Students in our Lego Club this past week participated in our Valentine's Day design challenge. As you can see, they generated some pretty thoughtful ideas. During the remaining programming experience, students will begin using our Lego Spike kits. If you haven't seen them, Lego Spike kits offer a tremendous learning platform. Students can design and build in the traditional platform but utilize coding and motion to make their designs come to life.
Over the past three years, Waterville Primary has been able to secure more than 25 Lego Spike kits through grant funding, adding to our rich STEAM experiences for kids.
Waterville Primary Receives 3d Printer Donation
Last week, Waterville residents, Earl and Reva Phipps generously donated a 3D Printer to our Makerspace Lab. Mr. Phipps, a retired engineer by trade, and Reva, a retired educator, feel strongly about supporting student success and exposure to new forms of technology. Thank you again Earl and Reva for supporting the Anthony Wayne School system!
Generals Print Shop Materials Arrive!
This past December, fourth-grade students helped raise over $1,400 through our Generals Gift Shop experience. This money was used to fund additional purchases of Flashforge printers and filament for our students here at Waterville Primary. Thank you to all the families that supported this student-led project and the Waterville Parents Association for making this project possible.
STEAM & Math Instruction - A Vital Relationship
One of the best ways you can help support your child in their exploration of STEAM-related projects and career fields is to help them understand basic math fluency. The Waterville staff works incredibly hard to implement a multi-sensory approach to teaching math that is coupled with real-world applications or problem-based activities. Practicing basic math fluency at home is every bit as important as a child's nightly reading practice.
Tangible math manipulatives are a great way to engage learners in a variety of forms. Base ten blocks, arrays, abacus', and even fluency cards, all help present information to students using a variety of approaches. Our goal is to make math fun, engaging, and most importantly, real-world-centered. If you have any questions about ways to make math more engaging on the home front, please reach out to Mr. Beakas for additional tips and strategies.
Career and Professional STEAM Partnerships
Our team is always looking to extend learning standards into the professional workforce. Ensuring our students are college and career-ready is fueled by our connections and collaborations with local businesses and professionals in STEAM-related fields. If you work in a field where STEAM principles are a critical part of your team's success, we would love to hear from you and how our students can learn more!
Our Commitment...
As a STEAM-designated school, our staff is committed to putting the newest technology trends in the hands of our students. Coding and programming are also a part of modern literacy and it's important to help students understand how it can be positively used to shape their world. All STEAM lessons foster critical thinking skills and characteristics featured by our Portrait of General competencies. In addition, all students use a universal design process to help align our project-based learning with our district's core values and the steps necessary for successful problem-based navigation. Our mission is to allow students to explore STEAM-related areas while building healthy peer relationships through collaboration and teamwork.
Follow Waterville Primary on Twitter!
Waterville Primary will be continuing our presence on Twitter with the handle @AWLSWA. This medium is used for both sharing daily activities and any potential alerts for our building. If you do not have a Twitter account you can still get updates via a Fast Follow feature that sends tweets to phones via SMS text messages. Here is all it takes to sign up to receive SMS text messages from the Waterville Twitter account when a tweet is posted:
On the phone to receive the messages, simply create a new text message to phone number 40404. Next, the message to be sent should read: follow @awlswa
That’s all there is to it! Any student or parent that follows this procedure will receive any Waterville school Twitter messages to their phone as an SMS text message.
To turn off text messages, you would send a message to 40404 that reads: off @awlswa
Flyer Central:
Flyer Central is the space on our website where you will find events, activities and camps held by various organizations in our area.
https://www.anthonywayneschools.org/flyercentral
AWLS Programs & Activities
· AWHS Majorette Tryouts (Rising 8th-12th)
Community Events
· Whitehouse Library February Calendar
· Community Movie Day
· Inclusion Resource Fair
· Lucas County Board of DD Calendar of Events
· YMCA Wellness Programs for Youth & Adults
Lessons
· ProMedica Safe Sitter Program (Grades 6-8)
· BGSU Saturday Art Program
· Youth Ballroom and Latin Dance Classes (Ages 5+)
· RiverFront Studios: Art & Music Lessons
Athletic Clubs and Activities
· Boys Spring Lacrosse Season – Anthony Wayne Youth Lacrosse
· Girls Spring Lacrosse Season – Anthony Wayne Youth Lacrosse
· Aventus Climbing Clubs (14+)
Local Offers
· BGSU Falcon Future Kids Club
Community Support
· Apply for Free Home Repairs
· AWLS Community Resource Guide
· AWLS Surrogate Parents Needed