The Avery Pulse

• September 19th - Picture Day!
  
• September 20th - Fall Festival Prep Party @ 7pm (620 Fairview Ave)
• September 21st - Avery Parents for Equity Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Avery Library
• September 22nd - Fall Party @ 1:45pm (more information below)
• September 23rd - Progressive Dinner (more information below)
• September 25th - Late Start
• October 6th - Fall Festival 6pm-9pm @ Avery (more information soon)
• October 9th - Late Start
• October 14th - Lawn Clean Up @ Avery 9am-12pm (all are welcome - bring tools!)
• October 19th - No School for Students (Teacher PD)
• October 20th - No School
• October 23rd - Late Start
• November 1st - No School (Teacher PD)
• November 13th - Late Start
• November 14th & 16th - Parent Teacher Conferences (more information soon)
• November 13th-16th - Scholastic Book Fair (more information soon)
• November 20th - Picture Retake Day
• November 22nd-24th - No School - Thanksgiving Break
• November 27th - Late Start
• December 11th - Late Start
• December 21st - Winter Parties @ 1:45pm
• December 22nd-January 3rd - No School - Winter Break

Add our calendar to your device!

https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=4130&PageType=20&DomainID=89&ModuleInstanceID=6914

Come join Avery Parents for Equity at our first meeting of the school year as we work together to build an inclusive and welcoming community for all Avery students and families.

We hope you'll join us on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Avery Library. Child care will be available for elementary-age students.

During the group's first six years, we focused our efforts on racial equity. We now are expanding the scope of the group to consider additional aspects of inclusion such as the inclusion of LGBTQ+ children and families, lower-income families, and families whose students have IEPs, IHPs, or 504 plans, among others.

You'll have a chance to meet other Avery parents, share your input on a new mission statement for the group, and help generate ideas for this year's programming. All are welcome!

Questions? Contact Julia Maki and Libby Dowdall at averyequity@gmail.com.

Venmo: @pto-avery

PayPal: pto.averyelementary@gmail.com

Cash / Checks: PTO Mailbox in Front Hall

Please indicate that your donation is for the Fund-a-Teacher campaign

In February 2023, our parents came together at the annual Trivia Night and raised over $30,000 to help support two initiatives at Avery. One, was updating our library and the second was installing water bottle refilling stations around the building. We are so grateful for the continued partnership of our parents in supporting our school and our students! Without your contributions, we would not be able to make these necessary additions to our school.

Below you will find an update on both projects. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Hannah Peterson Ed.D.

Building Principal

Library Project Update

The library project is a multi-year comprehensive project that will address various upgrades to our space. A committee of parents as well as district personnel have been collaborating together over the span of five months to set a vision for the space.

This vision includes:

• Updated tables and chairs
• Makerspace
• Relocation and replacement of circulation desk
• Updated shelving
• New flooring
• New paint
• ...and more!

We are working with various vendors to determine color scheme, furniture options, and overall bidding packages.

Water Bottle Refilling Station Update

Currently, Avery has one water bottle refilling station in the building for over 300 students. This station is located in the cafeteria which can be a challenge for all of our students to access on a consistent basis throughout the day.

With the support of PTO, we are in the midst of installing an additional four stations around the building. This will include a water bottle refilling station in each hallway. The district has put this project out for bid which includes installation. We will be sure to take pictures of the completed projects!

Fall Festival is sending **VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION** home with your children this Friday. Look for an envelope containing RAFFLE TICKETS and info on purchasing GAME TICKETS. This year’s Raffle prizes are amazing! New this year: You get to choose which prize drawing to enter your ticket in.

This event is run by parent volunteers. Here’s how you can help:

• SIgn up to volunteer for the Fall Festival:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094CABAE2BABFC1-44058675-fall

• Sign up to bring baked goods for the Snack Attack:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094CABAE2BABFC1-44073719-snack

AVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Picture Day Is: Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Wagner Portrait Group will be photographing students for portrait packages & school records.

ONLY ONLINE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

(Please do not bring checks, cash, or order forms to school as they will no longer be accepted.)

https://bit.ly/45Pl6X1

www.WagnerPortraitGroup.com

Online Pre-Order Password: 9H8Z8T6S

Can’t order online or have other questions? We are happy to help! 314-567-5900

Thank you for your help to prepare for a great picture day! We appreciate you!

If your 2nd-5th grader is interested in participating in the FIRST LEGO League at Avery, please register here. We will fill teams in the order registrations are received.

For 2nd/3rd graders we have three teams: Monday 4:30-5:30, Wednesday 3:00-4:00 and Thursday 3:00-4:00

For 4th/5th graders we have one team: Thursday 3:00-4:30

If your child is interested in participating but cannot make any of those times, please register and note that on the registration. If enough families are interested we may be able to form additional teams. Questions? Reach out to christine.novalis@gmail.com

Avery Fall Festival is Friday, October 6th, from 6 pm - 9 pm. You won’t want to miss this old-fashioned carnival with games, a bounce house, food, and fun, plus you’ll be supporting the Avery PTO! Follow the Fall Festival Facebook page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/AveryFallFestival

Ticket Prep Party: Wednesday, Sept 20, at 7 pm at 620 Fairview Ave. (Amanda Vader’s house). Help prep raffle and game tickets at this fun volunteer event. Please bring your stapler.

Donate needed items from our Amazon wish list. Ship to “Amy Tappmeyer/Whisler Gift Registry Address”:

https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/28B9675TGLLSJ/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Upcycle: We are collecting your used toys as prizes for Fall Festival games. Drop them off at 425 FairLAWN in the bin.

We would appreciate:

• Small toys, craft kits, cars, dolls etc

• Books - appropriate for grade school kids

• Stuffed animals -small/medium size in good shape

Please do not send: toy weapons, mardi gras beads, things that go in hair/mouth, toys that are broken /missing parts, bubbles

In continuation of our efforts to support the academic and personal well-being of each student, district culture and climate surveys will be administered to students in grades 3-12, families, and staff. Surveys will solicit participants' perspectives about learning strategies, culture and climate, and experiences in the classroom and/or school.

The surveys will allow for students, families and staff to offer feedback specifically about school safety, their sense of belonging, teacher-student relationships, cultural awareness and diversity and inclusion. For comparison purposes, the same surveys from 2022-2023 will be used this year.

The survey window for students and families will be October 2-13, 2023 and March 25-April 5, 2024.

To learn more, including survey previews, aggregate data from last year, and how you can exclude your child from participating in the surveys if you choose to, click here.

Welcome Back to School! It is awesome to see ALL Avery All-Stars with us again! Exciting topics are being discussed all over Avery! What a successful first week learning our new routines and focusing on goals for the year.

You might be wondering:

How does school counseling work in elementary school?

What is SEL or Social Emotional Learning that I keep hearing about?

Let me help answer these…

At Avery our school counseling program focuses around “Avery’s 3 Big Ideas”

1. The Avery Way – our school motto for a positive school climate.

2. The Zones of Regulation- our way of discussing our emotions, how to regulate them, how they affect others, and how we ask for help with our emotions.

3. The 7 Habits of Happy Kids – 7 Social Emotional practices and life skills in order to solve problems, set and reach goals, and interact effectively with others. This year our entire school will put extra emphasis on Habit #2 Begin with the end in mind. This habit focuses on setting a goal and following a plan of action to accomplish this goal. Our goal will be to use the conflict resolution strategies we have learned last year through our focus on Habit #4. This habit focuses on how to be a win-win friend and solving conflict in a win-win way through I messages, possible solutions, and compromises.

These 3 Big Ideas guide the way we address social concerns and learning that is not strictly about academics.

Social Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning is a way to describe any type of learning that is fostering/developing relationships, civility, interacting, creating empathy and having genuine relationships with others in our building. Social Emotional Learning sometimes looks like play, or expressing feelings around a conflict. We do activities as a school that support students’ ability to feel connected and heard in their school and community. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) does not take away from academics. SEL helps create learners that are connected and confident. As a result, focus on academics is stronger because the student is invested in their class and knows they are cared for.

I visit classrooms every month and love getting to know our students.

If I can help your family with a question or concern please reach out to me:

Anna Wallace, MA, LPC

Counselor, Avery Elementary

Counselor Coordinator K-8, Webster Groves School District

wallace.anna@wgmail.org

Introducing ParentSquare

We are excited to announce that we adopted a new form of school-to-home communication at Webster Groves School District called ParentSquare.

This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with us. It provides a safe way for parents, teachers, school leaders and the district to:

• Send and receive school and class information

• Share pictures and files

• See calendar items

• Sign up to volunteer

• Schedule parent-teacher conferences

• and much more, all in one centralized place!
  
  

Signup is not required to receive communication from the district, school or teachers.

Learn more about ParentSquare here

Arrival from 7:40-7:50 AM

• Bompart Avenue

• Carpool drop-off only in front of school – parents to remain in vehicles with staff members assisting students

• Families walking students to school will say goodbye at the external doors

• No parking during arrival

• Staff members will supervise at the curb

• Marshall Avenue

• This entrance will be utilized for bus arrival

• Atalanta Avenue

• We strongly encourage families to travel only from Bompart towards Glen to alleviate congestion and increase safety

• No parking on sidewalks

• Staff members will supervise at the curb

Dismissal 2:50pm-3:00pm

• Bompart Avenue

• Kindergarten and Fifth grades will dismiss out front

• Atalanta Avenue

• First and Fourth grades will dismiss along the side

• Blacktop

• Second and Third grades will dismiss on the back blacktop

• Back Parking Lot

• Staff parking only

• No entrance or exit from 2:20-2:50

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

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

Location: 909 North Bompart Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Twitter: @avery_allstars