Williams-Cone School Newsletter
March 8, 2024 Volume 13
Williams-Cone School is a safe and kind school community that inspires every student to succeed.
-Compassionate, Curious, Confident Learners-
Hello WCS Community!
Battle of the Books-WCS Takes First Place!
We are very proud to announce that students from Ms. Carroll's fifth grade class won first place in the 6th annual MSAD #75/Maine Student Book Award (MSBA) Battle of the Books (BOB)! BOB was held at MAMS on February 29th with students in grades four through eight from around the district competing. The competition involved teammates reading some of the books on the 2023-34 MSBA list of books prior to the competition followed by the teammates collaborating in a Kahoot competition and answering questions about MSBA books on the BOB list. A special highlight of the day was an appearance by MSBA author, Sasha Kaufman who wrote the book, "Sardines." We are very proud of all the WCS fourth and fifth grade students who competed in this year's competition. Congratulations to all!
Smores!
Over 140 kindergarten through grade five students participated in a bonus recess and smores treat on the WCS playground on Friday, March 1st. This special activity was the reward for the Winter Break 1 Principal's Reading Challenge. Students had the opportunity to roast marshmallows around Mrs. Rineer's portable fire pit under the supervision and direction of WCS staff and FOWC volunteers. A great time was had by all!
Family Reading Night
Our community was treated to a spectacular Family Reading Night on March 1st thanks to the extraordinary creativity and efforts of FOWC. The evening, which featured a camping theme, included several community readers including Miss Mariah, Children's Librarian from the Topsham Public Library, Officer Sampson from the Topsham Police Department, Ed Caron from the Topsham Transfer Station and Mrs. Rineer, WCS Principal. In addition to the guest readers, students and families had multiple opportunities to engage in a variety of interactive reading related game and art activities as well several creative reading areas including a quiet reading area and several tents set up for reading. There were also many books available to students and families that were free for the taking. Overall it was a fabulous evening that helped to foster the love of reading at home and at school! Thank-you FOWC!
3rd Grade Community Visitors
Third Grade has been studying local government in social studies! As part of the unit, the third grade team, Mr. Anagnostis and Ms. King invited several guest speakers to help students learn about how local government works. Students heard from members of the Topsham Select Board (Pictured Below-Mr. Ryan Holmes and Mrs. Ann Callahan), a Maine State Representative (Pictured Above Ms. Rebecca Jauch), Topsham's Town Manager, as well as members of the Fire and Police Departments. Thank you to all of the community members who helped enrich this unit for third grade!
Cupcakes for a Cause
WCS 5th grade students recently partnered with Woodside Elementary School (WES) 5th grade students to raise money for their upcoming field trips and end of year activities. Wild Oats restaurant in Brunswick generously donated 200 cupcakes decorated in each school's mascot. Students sold the cupcakes and Wild Oats donated 100% of the proceeds to the 5th grade classes. WCS and WES will split the proceeds from the sale as well as the generous donations that community members gave to the students that day. Many thanks to Wild Oats for their generosity as well as to the community members who supported this super fundraiser!
Kid's Academy-Lego Club
Fourth grade students recently had an opportunity to stay after school and participate in a Lego Club. The club, led by Heather Rogers, gave students an opportunity to engage in making a wide variety of Lego creations. Students had lots of fun creating and connecting with one another!
Kid's Academy-Creative Crafts
Second grade students recently had an opportunity to stay after school and create tissue paper containers. Students made colorful vases and lanterns using tissue paper and glue under the direction of Jennifer Cass. They used the craft style called decoupage-the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts. Students had a great time creating beautiful objects and interacting with one another.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
We are quickly approaching Parent/Teacher Conferences. They are scheduled for March 11th through March 14th and will be held in person unless a parent/caregiver requests a zoom conference. The focus of the second trimester parent/teacher conferences will be the following:
- Continuing to strengthen and enhance home and school partnerships
- Review student progress and performance.
- Set goals for the the third trimester.
- Talk to your child-Ask if there is anything that he/she would like for you to discuss with the teacher.
- Be prepared-Write down things that you would like to discuss/questions that you would like to ask at the conference.
- Be specific. Describe your child’s strengths and areas of need.
- Arrive promptly to your zoom session or a few minutes early.
- Exchange information. Feel free to share with the teacher situations in the home that may affect your child’s school work (Ex. a new baby in the family, new babysitter, etc.).
- Discuss the whole child. Your child’s social and emotional development is as important as his/her academic success.
- Leave with a plan. The conference should end with a clear statement of what you will do and what the teacher will do.
- Thank-you in advance for your support and attendance. Strong, positive and supportive parent/caregiver partnerships are essential to a student's overall school success.
Food Drive Results
A Few Remarks from Mrs. Rineer
It's been a great couple of weeks since returning from Winter Break 2 as highlighted throughout this newsletter. Thank-you WCS community for your incredible support that makes the many learning opportunities and events possible for our children. The staff and I never take your support and generosity for granted and we are sincerely grateful for it.
March in Maine can be a challenging time of the year due to the unpredictable weather patterns, mud season and other variables, but one things for sure, our school is committed to quality teaching, learning and growth for every student. Please review the "Important Dates" section of this newsletter as there are several important things taking place throughout this month including an early release day on Thursday, 3/14, No School on Friday, 3/15, parent/teacher conferences, an all-district 5th grade band concert, 2nd trimester report cards, as well as variety show auditions, Gelato Fiasco Fundraiser, etc. Also, on Thursday, March 14th, I will be giving a presentation to the MSAD #75 School Board about our school's success in winning the gold award for the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games. Everyone is invited to attend as our school's success was due in large part to the community support and involvement. The board meeting will take place at 6:30 P.M. in the Forum at Mount Ararat High School. Parent/Caregiver/Community support at the board meeting will be very appreciated!
Students who completed the Winter Break 2 Principal's Reading Challenge will be engaging in a very special reward when we return to school this Monday, March 11th. Mrs. Martin, WCS Phys. Ed. teacher will be leading the students in a cosmic bowling experience in the gym. It is sure to be lots of fun and we ask that students wear white or bright shirts if possible due to the lighting. Many thanks to Mrs. Martin for providing this opportunity and to parents/caregivers for supporting the Winter Break 2 Principal's Reading Challenge. We will have one last Principal's Reading Challenge for this school year during the upcoming Spring Break in April.
As always, if you have any need(s) for your student(s) and/or family, please do not hesitate to reach out. Our school team is here to help. And don't forget to turn your clocks ahead this Saturday night!!
Your Principal,
Randa
Mrs. Randa C. Rineer, WCS Principal
(207)725-4391
3/8 Trimester 2 Ends
3/11-3/14 Parent/Teacher Conferences
3/12 Variety Show Help Session, 3:30 P.M.
3/10 Spring Forward-Set clocks one hour ahead!😀
3/12 FOWC Meeting, 5:30 P.M., LC
3/13 All District 5th Grade Band Concert, 7:00 P.M., MAMS/Orion
3/14 Early Dismissal, 10:45 PreK, 12:10 K-5-Lunch & Breakfast will be offered**
3/14 MSAD #75 School Board Meeting, 6:30 P.M., MTA Forum-WinterKids Winter Games Presentation
3/15 No School, Teacher Compensation Day
3/19 & 3/21 Variety Show Auditions, Grades 2-5
3/19 First Day of Spring
3/19 5th Grade Gelato Fiasco Celebrity Scoops Night, 3:30-8:00 P.M., Brunswick
3/22 Trimester 2 Report Cards Published
3/26 5th Grade Fundraising Meeting, 6:00 P.M., at MAMS
4/8 Solar Eclipse, Activities TBA
4/10 Playground Committee Meeting, 5:30 P.M., Location TBD
4/12 In-Service Day, No School for Students
4/15-4/19 Spring Break
5/2 2024-25 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Information Night, 6:00 P.M., LC
5/6 5th Grade Field Trip to Camp Kiev
5/8 Arts Night at WCS, 5:00-7:00 P.M., Details TBA
5/17 5th Grade Field Trip to the New England Livestock Expo
5/27 Memorial Day, No School for Students & Staff
5/30 5th Grade Bike Trip
M.S.A.D. No. 75 - Kindergarten Registration
MARCH 4-29, 2024 For school year 2024-2025
Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell, Topsham
For children turning five years old on or before October 15, 2024
For online registration visit http://www.link75.org.
You will be required to upload your child's (1) *proof of residency; (2) birth certificate; (3) proof of immunizations; and (4) custody documentation if applicable.
Note: If your child is currently enrolled in MSAD 75 Pre-K at Williams-Cone or Bowdoin Central Schools, you do not need to complete online registration again. Please contact your child’s school to inquire about any additional Kindergarten registration materials.
To download registration forms or for more information, visit http://www.link75.org.
*If you are not able to add proof of residency, please call Amanda Hersey at 207-729-9961 ext. 1014
M.S.A.D. No. 75 Public PreK Application
March 4-29, 2024 For school year 2024-2025
Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell, Topsham
For children turning four years old on or before October 15, 2024
Call Williams-Cone School at 725-4391 to make an appointment.
There is a multi-step process from application to enrollment.
For more information, visit http://www.link75.org.
*If you are not able to add proof of residency, please call Amanda Hersey at 207-729-9961 ext. 1014
Gratitude!
From WCS Staff
*Parent/Grandparent help and support with the Winter Break 1 Smores/Bonus Recess Reading Challenge Reward. They was fabulous!
*The marvelous Family Reading Night-Thank-you FOWC! Thank-you to Megan Robertson and Anna Siegel for their leadership!
*Guest Readers at the Family Reading Night-Miss Mariah, Ed Caron, & Officer Sampson
*4th & 5th Grade Team, Mrs. Bellina & Mrs. Hartley- Support for the Battle of the Books!
*The creative Kids Academies provided so generously by FOWC volunteers with leadership from Heather Rogers & Jennifer Cass.
*Community support for the 5th grade Wild Oats fundraiser. Thank-you Wild Oats for the generous cupcake donation!
*5th Grade Fundraising Team-Outstanding work on behalf of our students!
*The Hatke family-book donations-thank-you!!!
*Town of Topsham employees & officials-supporting grade 3 and the social studies curriculum.
*Support for the food drive-thank-you community! Thank-you to the Robertson family for organizing and delivering the many pounds of food, etc.
From FOWC
*We so appreciate the quick answer to our call for volunteers last week to assist Mrs. Rineer with the Winter Break 1 Reading Challenge S’mores Reward. Thank you Melissa, April, Kelsey, Diane, Heather, James, Anna, Brian A, and Christie.
*Huge thanks to our Family Reading Night volunteers - Anna, Jenn, Melissa, Heather, Sarah N, Christie, Haley, and Megan, for the extra hands during clean-up, our youth helpers, Guest Readers - Officer Samson, Mrs. Rineer, Mr. Caron, Ms. Mariah and last but certainly not least thank you to Mrs. Bellina, Mrs. Hartley, Ms. Pam and Mr. Randy for all of their help!!
*Congratulations to our 5th Grade Fundraising team for a successful Cupcakes for a Cause! Much love to Megan for her leadership and our volunteers staffing the event and helping with posters Anne, Jen D, April, Brooke, Terry, Danielle T, Danielle H and our students Cameron, Abby, Amara, Truman, Grayson, Leroy, Jace, Juliana, Charlotte, and Thomas. We are especially grateful to Wild Oats Bakery for their wonderful staff, for donating the cupcakes, and for continuing to support us through the years.
*Shoutout to the MSAD 75 Food Services and our WCS Cafe Staff. March’s breakfast and lunch menus have a creative theme and we appreciate their creativity in getting our students to try new things.
*Thank you to the Hatke Family for their large book contribution to our Free Little Library. So many new titles! Make sure to check it out.
*We are so grateful for your support of our Food Drive for W.I.N.G. We were able to donate 9 boxes FULL of goods this week (288 lbs!). Thank you to the Robertson family for the organization to delivery making this event possible.
*Brooke B has done a fantastic job coordinating the 5th Grade Celebrity Scoops event and we are grateful for this partnership with Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick. Thank you to the teachers and staff willing to support this event as our scoopers.
*As spring Kids Academy after-school clubs continue this month we want to give a hearty shoutout to all of our volunteers this year for organizing activities and volunteering to support them - thank you Jenn, Heather, Kate, Megan, Matt S, Anna, Joe, Jessie, Becky, Sarah N, Jerod, Amanda, Marci, Rae, Paige, Amber, Melissa A, Haley, Shana, Tailani, and Melissa O.
It’s March already! Spring is just around the corner. We had a wonderful time at our first-ever Family Reading Night at WCS and we hope you did too. Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 12th - come join us! With 3 meetings left for the school year, we will be busy planning our last 2 fundraising events and the annual Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. Volunteers are always needed!
Upcoming FOWC Events:
FOWC Meeting - 3/12/24 from 5:30-7:30 PM in the Learning Commons
5th Grade Celebrity Scoops Night - 3/19/24 from 3:30-8:00 PM at Gelato Fiasco, Brunswick
5th Grade Fundraising Meeting - 3/26/24 from 6:00-7:00 PM at MAMS
Playground Committee Meeting - 4/10/24 at 5:30 PM, location TBD
*Can’t make meetings but want to stay in the loop about events and volunteer needs, fill out this form so we can add you to our email list: https://forms.gle/gPsyziAYkqqWtnp49
Celebrity Scoops!
Visit Gelato Fiasco, on Tuesday, March 19th, in Brunswick, and simply mention the WCS fundraiser at checkout!
3:30 - 5:00 pm - Mrs. Bretschneider & Mrs. Martin
5:00 - 6:30 pm - Mr. Anagnostis & Mrs. San Pedro
6:30 - 8:00 pm - Mr. Myrick & Ms. Carroll
Can’t make it during these times, or want to beat the rush? Go anytime (11a - 11p) on 3/19/24 and mention the WCS fundraiser and your sweet treat counts too!
Gelato dishes, coffee, tea, waffle cones, Create-a-Pint, freezer pints, and Mystery Pints are eligible (limit 4 pints). Gifts, cookies, tax, gift cards, coffee beans, The Fiasco, and online orders are not.
5th Grade Fundraising
Thank you SO much for making time for our annual Cupcakes for a Cause Fundraiser at Wild Oats! We have Gelato coming up and possibly one more fundraising event to reach our goals. We would love to add more volunteers to our team to finish the year strong and support the planning of the end-of-year events. Please join us for the next fundraising Meeting on Tuesday, March 26th at 6 pm at MAMS (please note the location change). Please contact Jonathan Robertson (jrobertson06@gmail.com) or Kevin Thompson (redbrushdesign@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining our fundraising team.
Kid's Academy
Kids Academy is looking for volunteers! Have a skill, craft, sport, or physical activity you enjoy? We welcome all ideas! Please email Heather Rogers - heather.rogers3@gmail.com
Hannaford Helps
By shopping at any Hannaford Supermarket locations between March 17th and June 1st, 2024 you can help earn money for our school! When you purchase any 4 participating products during your trip the Hannaford Helps Schools program will donate 3 School Dollars. You can turn in your school dollars to the Main Office at WCS or scan the QR code on your slip to select the school of your choice.
This year the top 200 schools that earn the most will receive a $1,000 bonus! You can learn more at hannaford.com/helpsschools
Playground Committee
We are hibernating for the winter! Join us for our spring Playground Committee Meeting on 4/10/24 at 5:30 PM.
Boxtops
A reminder - You can help us raise money by participating in the Box Tops Program. You use the Box Tops App and scan your receipts to see if you purchased any qualifying products and apply that to the school account.
Download the App here: https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/get-the-app
Clynk
Another way you can support FOWC is by filling a bag with empty bottles and cans. Thank you so much for filling those Clynk bags that recently went home. Those bottles and cans help our cause. You can pick up extra bags in the bin outside the WCS entrance.
It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Grab a bag
2. Fill it up with returnables
3. Drop it off at any Clynk location (buildings next to Hannaford stores)
Yearbooks are on sale! Get them before our deadline ends! Order forms and information will be coming home again in March!
Cost: $22.00 (with tax) All checks should be payable to FOWC or Friends of Williams-Cone
You can order online! Visit: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1015059372991326
!! 5th Grade Families !! FOWC purchases a softcover yearbook for every 5th grader as part of the Farewell Celebration. Please only order a yearbook if you wish to have a hardcover version.
Email us with any questions - WCSYearbook@yahoo.com
(207)725-4391