WILLOW GROVE WEEKLY UPDATE
GRIZZLY STRONG!
GRIZZLY STRONG NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 19th!
FIRST ECO ART LESSON COMING THIS WEEK!
Our first Eco Art lesson by Parachute Studio is coming this week! So exciting! Teachers will receive the link for this digital lesson and add it to their Canvas site. PreK - 1st and 2nd - 5th students will have separate lessons. A BIG "Thank You" to our PTA and Educational Foundation for supporting our first Art Teacher ever this year!
https://www.learningliftoff.com/10-reasons-arts-in-education-important-kids/
SAFETY REMINDER
For safety reasons, please use the crosswalks when crossing streets and in our school's parking lot. Thank you for your help!
Willow Grove Elementary School's website
https://www.powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/ES/WGES/Home
NEWS FROM OUR COUNSELOR, MRS. MACDOUGALL
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
No Place for Hate: Throughout the school year our school will be providing school wide lessons in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League - No Place for Hate. These lessons will educate our student community, enhancing their understanding of diversity, bias, social justice and inclusion.
Start with Hello Week: (September 21-25) During Start with Hello Week students engaged in counseling lessons and activities designed to promote their understanding about peer isolation and give them actionable strategies to ensure no one is being left out.
September Parenting Series Virtual Learning Tips: Click HERE to catch up!
Feeling Anxious ~ Watch the October Parenting Series
With the uncertainty about the return to school and COVID affecting all aspects of our lives anxiety may be at an all-time high for you and your children. Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, fear, worried thoughts, and/or physical changes. Typically, children experiencing anxiety will complain of physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches. Anxiety can also make children angry and oppositional as they vie for control. Watch the October Parenting series HERE to learn more!
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING:
In the classroom kiddos have been learning about...
-Their School Counselor, my role, and how to access support
-How to notice isolated peers, build connections, and ensure an inclusive school community
-How to be a Whole-Body Listener, have expected behavior, and regulate their emotions
At Home Book Resources:
-For Parents: How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear? - By: Jayneen Sanders
-K-2nd: A Little Spot of Anxiety - By: Diane Alber
-3rd-5th: Ruby Finds a Worry - By: Tom Percival
NEWS FROM PTA
Volunteers Needed!!
Please consider signing up to help us on picture day and for the fall harvest drive by parade, volunteers are needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please join our new Volunteers Shutterfly page at https://willowgroveelementarypta.shutterfly.com to see all the opportunities. If you have any questions please contact our VP of Volunteers Chasmine Grismer at wgvpvolunteers@gmail.com.
Fall Harvest Drive By Parade
CALLING ALL GRIZZLIES!! Please join us over the rainbow for our first ever Fall Harvest Drive By Parade, on October 29th from 5:30pm-7:00pm. PTA invites you to follow the yellow brick road as you drive through the land of OZ. Drive through the land that is over the rainbow and see some exciting characters along the way. We will have a spider toss game at the wicked witch area and Dorothy and friends will be passing out Candy goodie bags. Our Grizzlies and their families will be able to enjoy this all from the comfort of their own car. If you would like to dress up or decorate your car, you are more than welcome to. We ask all grizzly families to please stay in your car while they enjoy the land over the rainbow.
LAST Chance Grizzly Gear:
Last chance to order Grizzly Gear this year!! Need a Grizzly Strong Shirt or how about a grizzly hat for spirit days? Or do you need our winter grizzly gear for the cold months to come? Well, you are in luck! Our Grizzly Store is still open. Our store will close for the year on October 23rd so make sure you don’t miss out and place your order today. Go to www.willowgrovepta.org. All orders that are placed from October 5th-October 23rd will be delivered on November 13th.
If you placed a Grizzly Order by October 2nd, your orders will be available on October 23rd. An email will be sent to you for pick up details.
PICTURE DAY
Picture day is rapidly approaching on Monday, October 26th and Tuesday, October 27th.
Check in Tables:
Check in tables will be located outside of the MPR. VLA/homeschool students and Volunteers check in table will be located outside by the front office. On campus will be by the amphitheater entrance.
VLA Students:
VLA students have time slots they will be able to sign up for on the sign up genius. Click on the link, look for your teachers name to sign up. Monday is slotted for AM sessions and Tuesday is slotted for PM sessions. We WILL NOT take walk ups. You will need to sign up in order to get your picture taken. Once you are signed up, come on the day and time you have selected. You will be coming to the front office to have your student screened. Once screened your student will be escorted to their assigned camera. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAAA92AABFC1-picture
On Campus Students:
Classes that are on campus will come together as a class on their assigned time slot. Each class is assigned a camera that the class will be shown upon arrival. Once the class gets to the MPR, you will check into the camera section with your volunteer. Your volunteer will escort you into the MPR to your camera.
Homeschool Students:
Homeschool students are included in picture day. They will have a time slot they can sign up for on the sign up genius link. We WILL NOT take walk ups. You will need to sign up in order to get your picture taken. Once you are signed up, come on the day and time you have selected. You will be coming to the front office to have your student screened. Once screened your student will be escorted to their assigned camera. Click on the link to sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAAA92AABFC1-picture
Mask Protocol:
Everyone MUST wear a mask. Your student’s mask can not be removed until the student is sitting down in the seat to take their picture. Once the student is sitting, the student will be able to remove their mask and take their picture. If you do not not feel comfortable with your student taking their mask off, the student is more than welcome to take the picture with the mask on. If this is the case the student will need to come with a note stating so, so the volunteers and photographer know.
Social Distancing:
We will be practicing social distancing while waiting in line for the pictures. There will be markers for the students to stand on to maintain this. Our volunteers will also be there to help remind the students.
Volunteer/Lifetouch/Cleaning Protocol:
ALL volunteers will be screened before entering the campus. Lifetouch photographers are pre-screened at their place of work before coming to campus and will be screened again before coming onto our campus. We will have the doors opened for air flow and ALL seats will be cleaned/sanitized after every use.
Volunteer Pictures:
Volunteers will have time slots to sign up for on both days. This year it is important to sign up so that way we can control traffic. All volunteers will need to get their picture taken for their badges. Click the link to sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAAA92AABFC1-picture
Make up Picture Day:
Make up picture day will be 11/5/2020
BOO!
This Halloween we challenge all grizzlies to create the spookiest, funniest, most original and best family group costumes. Submit your photos to wggrizzliesyearbook@gmail.com by November 1st for consideration in the 2020-2021 Grizzly yearbook. Winners will receive prominent placement in the yearbook. If you are feeling extra festive, send us a picture of your pumpkin carvings too. Trick or Treat!
Grizzlies Got Talent
Do you have a Grizzly that wants to show off their talent? Willow Grove PTA is excited to announce our first ever Grizzlies Got Talent Show. The grizzlies that would like to participate will need to submit their applications by November 1st. For all the details, dates and application please see attachment.
Online Book Fair
Need a great new book to read for the fall break? Gifts for the holiday or a book to read to sign up for book talk? Well, you are in luck!! Willow Grove is having our first ever online Book Fair, from November 2-15. You will be able to browse and shop all in the comfort of your own home. All orders get delivered right to your home. It's a simple click, browse, buy and sit back and wait for your goods. The website opens November 2nd, link to come November 1st.
Book Talk
Our first virtual Book Talk was sent out to teachers and also posted on PTA's website on October 13th! Thank you to Jade Miller for kicking off our virtual Book Talks and for doing such a great job sharing her book with us!
Is your student interested in being our featured grizzly on a Morning Book Talk show with Mrs. Huff? Then, they will need to complete a form for a chance to be a featured Grizzly during our Book Talk session. Students will be selected by a lottery system and notified prior to their scheduled Book Talk so they have time to read and write a review and provide their opinion about the approved book of their choice. It is now easier than ever to sign up for book talk, go to our website, www.willowgrovepta.org and click on the book talk tab.
Once selected you will get an email for your Grizzly with the questions and also information on how to record and send in the video. You will be able to select if you would like your Grizzly featured on Grizzly TV (Audio and visual) or Grizzly Radio (Audio only). We will be hosting a book talk once a month, below is the schedule for the book talk. Look at the attachment for the form.
Below you will see the Month, Grade, Due date to PTA, and Date Presenting for each Book Talk.
November
5th grade
Due: Tuesday, 10/27/2020
Present: November 10th
December
3rd grade
Due: Tuesday, 11/17/2020
Present: December 8th
January
2nd grade
Due: Tuesday, 12/15/2020
Present: January 12th
February
4th grade
Due: Tuesday, 1/19/2021
Present: February 9th
March
1st grade
Due: Tuesday, 2/16/2021
Present: March 9th
April
Kindergarten
Due: Tuesday, 3/23/2021
Present: April 6th
May
Opened to All Grades
Due: Tuesday, 4/20/2021
Present: May 11th
June
Opened to All Grades
Due: Tuesday, 5/18/2021
Present: June 8th
Please consider becoming a PTA Member and help us build our rainbow!
Individual memberships are only $20 each.
Joining is now easier than ever: Go to www.willowgrovepta.org and click memberships to get started.
Why join the PTA when our kids are learning from home?
The purpose of the PTA is to create a community and connect children and families together. More than ever, this connection is vital to the emotional and mental health of our kids.
How can we connect kids when they aren't in school?
With your membership and donations, the PTA is ready to help our kids connect with each other through a variety of online and interactive virtual experiences including science, art, Grizzlies Got Talent and a Fall Harvest Drive-by Parade. Over the summer, the district repaved the playground blacktop. We will use your membership and donations towards repainting the blacktop, supporting teachers, replacing playground equipment (i.e. soccer nets) and making sure it's ready when the doors of Willow Grove open again. Membership is open to everyone! Each person in the family can become a PTA member—parents, grandparents, educators, students and friends. Becoming a member doesn’t require you to volunteer, though we always welcome your time and talent!
Don't forget to ask your employer to match your donation. See if your company is on the corporate matching list. If you see them on the list, contact your HR or Corporate Giving department and let them know you would like them to match! We are only as strong as we are united.
NEWS FROM WILLOW GROVE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
BACK TO SCHOOL AUCTION WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!
Thank you to all of our supportive Grizzly families for making the Back to School Auction a huge success. We raised almost $18,000!! This money will support all the WGEF funded programs. During these unusual times, every dollar counts. Thank you again - we couldn’t do it without you!
DID YOU KNOW THE FOUNDATION FUNDS iXL and BrainPop?
Did your Grizzlies login and use IXL or BrainPop during virtual learning? These EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS and others MUST GO ON... This school year looks different than in years past and we need the digital educational programs NOW MORE THAN EVER ...You can support these efforts by donating $375 per enrolled child online today:
HOME OF THE GRIZZLIES!
Email: ahuff@powayusd.com
Website: https://www.powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/ES/WGES/Home
Location: 14727 Via Azul, San Diego, CA, 92127
Phone: 1-858-674-6300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillowGroveElementary
Twitter: @WGGrizzlies