The Gray Wolf Gazette
March 10, 2024
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.
Principal's Corner
Happy Sunday Givens Families,
I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Last week was a busy one at Givens, but we enjoyed it because we had the opportunity to spend some time updating you all on the progress of your child(ren). We hope you were able to gain some valuable insight into your child's success and learned more ways we can continue to partner to help your child grow. Thank you for spending time with us.
We also enjoyed kicking off the week with Pack Meetings. We expanded on the book we heard in Harambee, Maya's Big Ideas, and talked about ideas we had to continue to make Givens a great place to learn for all. Some of the ideas included:
-Getting a School Social and Emotional Pet
-Opening a Lemonade Stand in the Cafeteria
-Doing a Gardening Project in the courtyard where all grade levels will be in charge of one box.
I am excited to see how some of the ideas shared may come to life!
This week we are gearing up for our rescheduled Concert and Art Show on Tuesday. Mrs. Brinker is feeling better and the students are excited to put on a show! We hope you can join us. Finally, as we complete the last week before Spring Break please remember that we are working on our attendance goals, both individually and collectively. I know it is tempting to start Spring Break Early, but please make sure your child, when they are well, is at school on time each day!
Please take a minute to review the updates below. We look forward to seeing you this week!
Thank you for your continued partnership.
On this journey together,
Ms. Malissa Beecham
WGSD Summer School Opportunites
Summer School Registration March 1st-March 15th
Summer school registration for the district began on March 1st, and ends March 15th. Here is a description of the programs available. Families with students who are invited to Celebrate Reading received an email earlier this week as well as a invitation during Parent Teacher Conferences.. If you have any questions, contact information is included in the link.
Winter Formal Professional Pictures
An anonymous contributor donated the gift of professional photography through TSDitto Professional Photography to capture moments of our first Winter Formal. Below, you can access the photos that were taken and purchase any you may want. The Passcode to Access them is: Berry.
Rescheduled Concert This Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Upcoming Dates
3/11 Late Start Day
3/15 No School
3/18-3/22 No School-Spring Break
3/25: Welcome Back and Late Start
Chess Club Penny Wars!! Last Day is March 13th.
April 8th: Solar Eclipse Viewing Info
On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will be making its way across North America. With such a monumental event occurring during the school day, the schools will be conducting a viewing of the event for students, faculty and staff members who wish to participate. Safety is our top priority, and we would like both you and your student to be aware of the precautionary steps we are putting in place.
Homemade or ordinary sunglasses are not sufficient ways to view an eclipse, as the reflectivity and polarization are not high enough for viewing in a safe manner. To ensure that each participant is safe, the district will be supplying those who wish to participate with a pair of glasses specifically designed for eclipse viewing. These glasses conform to the transmission requirements set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and glasses must be kept on at all times during viewing. Students should never look at the sun without special eye protection, and removing glasses even temporarily may have serious effects on your eyes.
Because of these safety concerns, a parent or guardian who does not want their student to participate must complete the opt-out section below and return it to the student’s teacher. For more information relating to overall safety viewing during an eclipse, visit https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse2024/safety/
We will be sharing more information with you about what this will look like. If you would
like to opt out of the experience and viewing of the eclipse, please complete the attached form or contact your child’s classroom teacher for a printed copy of the form. Solar eclipse opt-out form”
Givens Trivia Night Class Baskets
5th grade basket-- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/0m1E1nL?ref_=wl_share
4th grade basket -- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/aV1LSX9?ref_=wl_share
3rd grade basket-- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/0zpzWRl?ref_=wl_share
2nd grade basket -- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/0NRn5HR?ref_=wl_share
1st grade basket -- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/bhKkA2M?ref_=wl_share
KDG basket -- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/9f7tKus?ref_=wl_share
Yearbooks for Sale
NEW CLUB Opportunities!!
Join the GOTR team at Givens! Our coaching team will inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Girls and coaches will run, walk, skip, dance or move forward at whatever pace they like to encourage girls to reach their goals as a team! The spring 2024 season starts the week of March 4th and culminates in a celebratory 5K at Forest Park on May 11th. Go to GOTR Givens 2024.pdf learn more today!
Please contact Jessica Johnson (GOTR Coach & Kindergarten teacher) (johnson.jessica@wgmail.org) for more information.
News From PTO
Upcoming Dates (could we include in the top list please)
February 5th - PTO Meeting at 6:30 in the Givens Elementary Library
School Spirit Wear Store:
The Givens Elementary school spirit wear store is open for 2024 through local vendor, Zoey's Attic! Be on the lookout for new spring designs in the coming weeks. In the meantime, grab your favorite designs now before they're gone! Choose free delivery from Zoey's Attic or have your items shipped right to your door. Givens Teachers & Staff - Don't forget your staff discount code!
https://zaspirit.com/givensspirit/shop/home
Givens PTO Trivia Night & Silent Auction Update - Details & Sponsorship Opportunities:
Trivia night is coming on April 13th. Ticket sales for Trivia Night tables will begin on March 1st - Mark your calendar to be sure to snag your spots!
In the meantime, we are offering opportunities for one Event Sponsor and Round Sponsorships. Please see below for details:
Event Sponsor - $250: Event Sponsors will enjoy branding for their business on all event media leading up to and during Trivia Night, a listing & overview in the event printed media, and on the PTO website. Event Sponsors will also be spotlighted with an overview at the beginning of the evening, as well as mentions and additional spotlights through the eight rounds.
Round Sponsors - $75: Round Sponsors will be able to support one or more of the eight rounds of the evening's trivia questions. Round sponsors will be spotlighted at the beginning of the round and listed as a round sponsor in the event's printed media and on the PTO website. Round sponsorship is a great opportunity for local business or family members looking to support our school and PTO efforts.
Are you looking for a way to help support at school? The following activities and efforts would love your support.
- Chess Club Supervision: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-ASmCrfL4dSFY44wq170mE0MGRpnXRuRJ7_ZQGYC9FU/edit?usp=sharing
-Please note that volunteers for Chess Club must complete the Raptor security process through the district prior to volunteering.
- Teacher/Staff Birthday Month Treats: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C44AEAD22A5F94-givens
- Room Parents: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u6hwuW3iWmLp7bc_seaCOoaC4vMW3fRL6rzE-V0N5qg/edit?usp=sharing
Important Links For the Year
School Breakfast and Lunch for the 2023-2024 School Year
All students will have the option to bring their lunch from home or purchase a lunch from school each day. Breakfast is also an option for all students. Please take a minute to visit the links included below to learn more about our lunch program, options for purchase, and our menus.
Click Here For:
Directions on Completing the Application for Free or Reduced Lunch
News from the District
Interested in Learning More about Proposed Legislation that could Impact Public Education
District families who would be interested in learning more about legislation being proposed that would impact public education, including our district, we’re providing you with two opportunities to do so.
First, we are hosting three in-person meetings on the following Fridays from 8-9 a.m. at our district service center (3232 S. Brentwood Blvd): March 8, April 5, and May 10. Participants will learn about bills that have been proposed and/or are working their way through the legislative process. If you plan to attend, please make sure to bring a drivers license or MO ID so that you can be checked in through our visitor management system.
Next, we’re going to be sending out a regular email which will allow you to get updates on education-related bills being presented and discussed in Jefferson City. In order to not overwhelm our readers, it’s our intent for this communication to be no more than 1-2 pages in length. For this reason, we will limit the number of bills included in the weekly update.
In addition to the weekly communication, we will also provide readers with special legislative “alerts” so that one can be informed when significant action has been taken with a bill. In order to receive these updates, you must sign up here. Only those who join will receive the weekly updates and alerts.
Varsity Tutors Access for Webster Groves School District
The Webster Groves School District is excited to announce that we are partnering with a product funded by DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) called Varsity Tutors. Varsity Tutors is making the “Varsity Tutors for Schools” platform available to Missouri schools for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years at no cost. Varsity Tutors is excited to share this opportunity, aimed at positively impacting all Missouri K-12 students. Through Varsity Tutors students will have access to on demand help from experts 24/7 with chatting with experts, live classes, as well as individualized support. In addition, Varsity Tutors platform access includes free SAT and ACT prep classes, on-demand video lessons, and adaptive practice problems.
Learn more about the resources available and the company on the Varsity Tutors website here.
Learn where to find the Varsity Tutors application from a student’s Clever dashboard – Click here
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