Lumberjack Log
Marching Into March 2024: Newsletter from Ms. Kolarik
Note from Ms. Kolarik
I know the recent weather has me thinking of both spring and winter...sometimes in the same 24 hours....but we do have spring break coming up and I wish each of you a lovely spring break with your children at the end of this month. I hope you have an opportunity to read a lot, get outside, and make those memories that last a lifetime whether it's a stay-cation or just typical routines. Spring also brings us to the time of year where we begin thinking about class placement for the next year. Please know that your child's placement is a team decision with many factors taken into consideration and as such, we do not honor specific teacher requests. If you feel your child has specific needs to be considered, there will be an opportunity to share those needs in April.
Also looking ahead, I am excited about our family night in the form of our "Family Fun Fest Fundraiser" on Friday, May 3 from 4:45-7 PM. We have great teams filled with parents and staff working behind the scenes so it is a great experience for families. The $10 wrist bands will allow all children to play the outdoor carnival games. Food, raffle basket and cake walk tickets will all be available inside for additional cost. We are also looking into a bounce house for an additional charge. We will be asking each grade level to contribute towards creating one themed basket and individuals to consider purchasing and donating an item or two for the cake walk--more details to be sent home soon and raffle basket information further on in this newsletter.
Finally, we all understand the crucial role wellness plays in a child's development, health, well-being, and learning potential. Lately, I've noticed a growing number of students arriving at school in the morning with sugary beverages. Please do not to send your child to school with such drinks. Water should be the only student beverage (outside of school milk) in classrooms.
Please take time to frequently visit our website and information in this newsletter, review the information that comes home in your child's folder, and communicate with your child's teacher to stay informed. As always, thank you for sharing your child with us.
Yours in Partnership,
Julie Kolarik, Principal
Spring Testing Details: Grades 3, 4, 5
Please note the details which follow and apply to your child(ren). We encourage all families to schedule events and appointments around the scheduled testing dates. We have minimal make-up days restricted to a specific window scheduled for students who are ill or absent for unavoidable reasons.
We encourage all students to get a good night’s sleep the nights before each test and to eat a good breakfast. If you have questions or concerns regarding any of the tests mentioned below, please feel free to contact your child's teacher.
2023 Testing Dates
- Third Grade: March 19-21 and April 3 and 4 (English Language Arts and Math Assessments)
- Fourth Grade: March 19-21, April 9 and 10, April 16 and 17 (English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies Assessments)
- Fifth Grade: March 19-21 and April 9 and 10 (English Language Arts and Math Assessments)
Forward Exam: How to Help Your Child
We encourage all students to get a good night’s sleep the nights before each test and to eat a good breakfast. Also, students may perform better and with less anxiety if they are familiar with the format of the test and with the types of questions they will be required to answer. Though teachers will be going through the format prior to testing, you are welcome to review with your child too by clicking here.
Snow Days in March? April?
Yes! A snow day in March and April has happened before. We have already had two "traditional" snow days and have room in the schedule for a third. So, if we have one more snow day it is a "traditional" snow day, NOT a remote learning day. IF we have a fourth snow day, it will be a remote learning day. Learning materials were sent home in packets last month. The completed materials should be returned to teachers when students come back to school. The schedule for your child's live lesson has also been sent home and can be found here as well. Though we strongly encourage families to participate fully in the day’s online lessons and follow the schedule, we understand there are some families that are unable to. It is okay and in those instances, we ask you to communicate with your child’s classroom teacher.
After School Pick Up
Our school day ends at 3:30 and though our pick up line is typically done in 10-15 minutes, we do have a significant number of people starting to form a line sometimes as early as 2:15. Law enforcement will be issuing citations if cars are parked along the yellow curbing on Two Mile Ave and are blocking traffic. An alternative would be to wait on 7th St until pickup or drop off begins to keep the flow on Two Mile moving. The city is looking into other ideas.
Volunteers at Woodside
Whether you are able to volunteer during the school day or support us in other ways (fundraisers/OPLAC donations, sending positive messages to our staff, are part of our PTA, or just spread kindness and gratitude about our school and district, just to name a few!)--your support matters. WRPS and Woodside Elementary extend a sincere thank you to each of our parents who are able to volunteer their time and effort for our school. We value our volunteers and want to ensure they are successful. A successful volunteer must follow school expectations and be a support to our students as we all work towards our mission, “We build strong connections and ensure growth-academically, socially, and emotionally-for all our students.”
Together, we are creating something special at Woodside and WRPS! Thank you for being awesome!
K-12 Late Start Mondays for 24-25 School Year
Teaching and learning has evolved over time; from traditional chalkboard lectures to interactive digital classrooms, our landscape has undergone significant transformation. So to has our approach to teaching and learning. We want our students to have the social, emotional, and behavioral skills necessary to be a productive and positive part of our society. We want our students to not only absorb information but to think critically, collaborate, and problem solve in our ever changing technological world. Add to this the recent legislative changes (Act 20), it is so important for our professional staff to have time to engage in professional development, stay on top of effective instructional practices and technology--let alone time to do the planning necessary to integrate each of those aspects successfully into a school day.
We've been fortunate to start the late start process at Woodside (along with several other WRPS schools) and are excited for it to have evolved and become district wide for the 24-25 school year. This allows our educators the time and space to collaborate, reflect on their teaching practices, participate in training sessions, and many other topics related to addressing the evolving needs of our students. This investment in late start Monday's will ultimately better support your child's growth and development and help us achieve our vision for our students; Woodside will be a premier elementary school, where 100% of staff and students are thoughtfully engaged in academic, emotional, and social learning opportunities that provide growth for all. As a result our students are prepared for their secondary education and are active, positive, thoughtful members of our community.
Please click here to see Superintendent Broeren's letter that was sent out via Skylert in February for more details. Woodside and all of WRPS, appreciate your understanding and support as we strive to provide the best possible learning environment for all of our students.
News from Nurse Mandy!
Happy March!
March is national nutrition month. Nutrition is especially important for growing bodies and minds. Research has shown that students are able to learn better when they’re well nourished. Eating healthy meals and snacks has been linked to better grades, improved memory and faster information processing. “Eat the rainbow” is a popular term that many nutritionists use to help people to incorporate more fruits and veggies in their diet. In fact, it was so popular in the field of nutrition it was adopted by a certain candy brand as part of their slogan. Eating different colors of fruits and vegetables ensures that a wide range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals are being consumed. Such as eating red fruits and vegetables will provide lots of vitamin A, C, and manganese; which reduces risks of cancer, heart disease and improves eye, skin and hair health. Green foods will provide vitamin B, K folate, potassium and antioxidants. They promote eye health, lung health, liver function, cell production and lower blood pressure. Did you know blue fruits and vegetables can improve memory and prevent aging? The old wives tale could be true, an apple a day could keep the doctor away.
I hope everyone is staying healthy during this rough cold and flu season. Did you know hte average student usually gets between 5-7 colds/viruses per year? Most don’t require treatment or intervention. Encouraging rest and increased water intake can help students overcome colds and viruses quicker. Cough drops are available in the nurse’s office, and students are able to get some as long as Skyward medical permission is granted. Please check your student’s Skyward to ensure we are able to help as much as possible. If you have any questions on logging into Skyward, please contact the school for help. Please review your student’s immunizations to make sure they are compliant for next school year. If your child should not receive immunizations for any reason, a waiver will need to be filled out by a parent or guardian and returned to the school, it is at the bottom of the immunization record form. The updated student immunization record form is available here: Student Immunization Record.
Required Immunizations for School
*****5 months through 15 months:
2 DTP/DTaP/DT, 2 Polio, 2 Hep B, 2 Hib, 2 PCV
*****16 months through 23 months:
3 DTP/DTaP/DT, 2 Polio, 1 MMR, 2 Hep B, 3 Hib, 3 PCV
*****2 years through 4 years:
4 DTP/DTaP/DT, 3 Polio, 1 MMR, 1 Var, 3 Hep B, 3 Hib, 3 PCV
*****Kindergarten through grade 6:
4 DTP/DTaP/DT, 4 Polio, 2 MMR, 2 Var, 3 Hep B
*****Grade 7 through grade 12:
4 DTP/DTaP/DT, 1 Tdap 4 Polio, 2 MMR, 2 Var, 3 Hep B
Be "In the Know!"
- March; Youth Art Month. March is Youth Art Month! We are excited to have our Elementary Art Show at McMillan Library this year! The show will be up during the entire month of March. It is a month of promoting art and art education in the United States. We can recognize art education as a viable factor in the total education curriculum that develops citizens of a global society. Art helps our children develop divergent and critical thinking capabilities.
Ways to help celebrate?
- Ask your child how their art class was in school.
- Visit a local or state art museum
- Do an art activity as a family
- Play a drawing game...like pictionary!
- March; Summer Academy Registration dates in: March 1 to March 31.
Summer Academy 2024 will start June 10 and end June 28.
4K - 5th Grade at Woodside Elementary School.
Registration books will be sent home soon; Information on online registration can be found here - Friday, March 1: No School for students; professional development for teachers
- Monday, March 4; Third Trimester Starts
- Wednesday, March 13 - Butter Braid Pick-up 4:15 - 5:30pm in Front Parking Lot AND
- Woodside Pride Day; Wear your Woodside apparel OR our school colors; Red and Black OR WRPS apparel
- Friday, March 17 - Popcorn Friday
- Monday, March 18: March PTO Meeting Today--Virtual, 7PM--Please join us!
- Tuesday, March 19; Forward Exam Testing Begins (see dates in this newsletter)
- Monday, March 25-Friday, March 29: Spring Break-No School