March 2024
Newsletter
MARCH 2024
A Note From the Principal:
Hello Wabash Community!
Here comes March! Spring is right around the corner! Warmer weather and sunshine will be here soon enough. In the meantime, please remember to send your child with coats, gloves and hats for outside recess. We do continue to go outside for recess during the colder months. If you need assistance with acquiring a winter coat, please contact Mrs. Pousson at extension 50241.
Our Spring Break is coming in March. Our school will be closed March 25 - April 2. School will resume on April 3. Our 3rd quarter report cards will be emailed out on April 5.
Some reminders:
1) If you plan to be a visitor at school for lunch or another school activity, please be sure to bring your photo ID with you. Please also give yourself time to be properly checked in with your photo ID.
2) In the morning at car riders, please do not release the children from their vehicles until the morning staff are on the front sidewalk. We like to have our staff on the sidewalk BEFORE students are getting out of cars. Safety first!
3) If you have a transportation change for your child(ren), please communicate with our main office so we are aware of the change. Our office will ensure that the transportation change is given to the teacher.
4) Mrs. Naumann is currently out of the office until the middle of May. In the meantime, Mrs. Dianna Haley will be here as an Assistant Principal. Mrs. Polman, Mrs. Haley, and myself are always happy to help as needed. :)
Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts!
Mr. Schulte
Kindergarten Registration 2024-2025
All children who will turn five before Aug. 1, 2024, are eligible to attend kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year. View registration event dates, starting as early as Jan. 11, and get more information here.
Wabash will be celebrating Literacy Week or Read Across America Week Feb. 26 - Mar. 1. Be a Healthy Reader and dress up with us for the following dress up days. We will also celebrate with guest read-alouds, BOOKS Bingo, and a whole school reading challenge.
We will have our second book fair the week of Apr. 29 and will be open during the Wabash Art Show. Thank you for supporting reading and literacy with your Wabash Duck(s)!
LOOKING AHEAD.....
Attention 3rd-5th grade parents. MAP testing will begin at the end of April and go until the end of May. We will share the exact dates as we get them. If possible, please try to schedule any appointments (dentists, doctor, etc.) so they don’t interfere with the testing window. We appreciate your help in making sure your child is here and ready to do their best!
Attention & Connection
Kids love attention of all kinds. In an ideal world, this attention is gained in a healthy manner through time with family and friends, recognition through sports or academics, and through various other ways. However, we don’t live in an ideal world. When a child feels like they are lacking the attention they desire, they often resort to a “by any means necessary” approach to get the attention they want.
Why might kids want this attention? Kids very much seek to form and find relationships and connections with others. A recent study performed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) found that almost all behavior boils down to a child’s need to belong. When a child doesn’t find that belonging through “traditional” or healthy routes, they can resort to misbehaving.
If you are experiencing less than desirable or unexpected behavior from your child, which seems to be driven by the need for attention, try asking yourself a few simple questions:
How do you, yourself feel when the child exhibits the behavior(s)? If you find yourself feeling, let’s say, “annoyed,” it’s a good indicator that your child is seeking an unfulfilled connection with you in particular through constant demands. You can try to set aside some extra time with your child to read with them, assemble a puzzle or prepare a meal together.
As presented in a recent report on NBC News, when you catch yourself describing a child’s behavior as, “...just looking for attention,” try replacing the word “attention” with “relationship” or “connection.” This might give you a softer, more open insight as to what they are seeking and help you address the behavior more effectively. For example, “Erica is yelling to me from the living room non-stop while I’m making dinner. That’s her just looking for attention connection.”
Realize that, even though it is sometimes frustrating or challenging, the child has chosen you to seek out for attention/connection. Ask yourself honestly,“Why me...?” You might discover yourself to be a preferred adult or the safest person with whom the child might explore a connection. Perhaps siblings or other adults, etc. aren’t offering quite the relationship they’re looking for at that moment.
Identifying the motivation of a behavior--- in this case, attention/ connection behavior--- plays a major role in creating a positive response that can eventually eliminate the undesired behaviors and contribute to the overall health of your child.
What Doesn't the Book Say?
Learning to infer or “read between the lines” is a strategy that your child can use to understand what they read. For younger children, you may collect items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste and pajamas. Ask your child to study the “clues” to infer what the task is. For older children, you can read lines of a book such as “Becky’s hair was matted to her face. Her shoes went squish as she walked down the hallway. She resembled a drowned rat. She was not having a good morning.” Your child should infer Becky was not prepared for the wet walk to school.
Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? As parents, you can do a lot to help your children learn healthy eating habits and maintain a healthy weight. Involving them in meal preparation and cooking can motivate them to try new foods – and is a good way to spend time together as a family!
Hopefully we are nearing the end of cold and flu season! And although Spring brings warmer weather, it also brings allergies. It is important to stay healthy and distinguish allergies from a more serious illness and controlling allergies to keep asthma at bay. I have listed several symptoms, triggers and treatment tips below:
Symptoms include / Common Triggers include:
- Itchy skin / Pollen
- Watery eyes / Grass
- Runny nose / Mold
- Cough / Pet dander
- Congestion / Dust Mites
- Post-nasal drainage / Cockroaches
- Sneezing
Treatment tips:
- Avoid allergens and keep house clean and free of pests
- Wash hands often, cover mouth when sneezing or coughing
- Wash hands and face when coming in from playing outdoors
- Use over the counter antihistamines and decongestants as directed by your doctor
- Keep air filters changed and use air purifiers
- Allergy testing and treatment by a doctor
- Take all medications for asthma already prescribed by your doctor to keep asthma under control
Meet Your 2024 Board of Education Candidates
Four candidates will be on the ballot for two open seats in the April 2, 2024, election. The open seats are currently held by Shannon Stolle and Jason Goodson, and each open seat is for a three-year term.
Late Start Supervision
The WSD will once again be providing supervision for K-6 students who need to be dropped off at the regular start time on scheduled Late Start Days in the 2023-2024 school year. This is separate from our Before Care Program through Chautauqua, so if you are registered for Chautauqua, please DO NOT register for Late Start Supervision.
Information on how to register and pay for Late Start Supervision can be found HERE!
Future Late Start Dates:
March 11, 2024
April 15, 2024
Wabash Elementary
Email: jillmitchell@wsdr4.org
Website: www.wentzville.k12.mo.us
Location: 100 Golden Gate Parkway, Wentzville, MO, United States
Phone: 636-887-3884
X (formerly Twitter): @WabashStation