The Monthly Mustang
The Official Newsletter for Wedgwood School Families
NOVEMBER 2022
Winter Wonderland
Wedgwood is partnering with Burlington Stores and collecting gently used coats to be donated to charity! Please consider bringing your donations to this event.
Refeshments will be sold. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
If you are interested in attending, please respond via this Google Form.
In addition, our Wedgwood PTO is asking for donated decorations, lights, ornaments, or trees for this event. If your family would like to donate, please send them in to school with your child. If the donation is large, please email Mrs. Lauren Moffitt at wojo4444@aol.com for pick up!
WTPS Parents As Partners Night
Wedgwood School is proud to host our district's Parents as Partners Elementary Parent Involvement Night on Tuesday, November 29. Elementary families from all Washington Township Public Schools are invited to attend this free event, which features opportunities to explore a variety of topics designed to support parent involvement in our students' academic social, behavioral, and emotional growth.
Complimentary childcare is provided for all children ages 3+. The evening begins with a complimentary buffet style dinner for all families from 5:15-6:00 p.m. Following dinner, parents can attend three sessions, selecting topics of their choice. Please see the graphic below for more information. Families are asked to register for the event, using the link below.
Wedgwood Awarded $5,000 AdoptAClassroom Grant Courtesy of Burlington Stores
Burlington Stores, through its partnership with the national non-profit organization, AdoptAClassroom.org, recently announced the donation of $5,000 towards the purchase of school supplies to Wedgwood School. The donation was made in celebration of Burlington's new store opening on Route 42, in Turnersville. Wedgwood Principal Charles Zimmerman was joined by Director of Elementary Education Gretchen Gerber and Elementary Supervisor Alisa Palazzi at the grand opening ribbon cutting on November 4, when the donation was announced.
In the weeks prior to the grand opening, a representative from AdoptAClassroom.org contacted school administrators and helped secure the donation for Wedgwood, which will provide new supplies for each teacher’s classroom. Teachers will use the funds on a variety of new classroom items, including supplies and materials used to support and enhance daily learning activities. Following the grand opening, Mr. Zimmerman and Mrs. Palazzi toured Wedgwood classrooms with the super-sized check and surprised staff and students with the news.
Burlington is committed to supporting education through its partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org. Each time Burlington opens a new store, it celebrates by adopting and funding a local school in their store community.
The $5,000 will be divided among Wedgwood's grade-level classrooms, self-contained classrooms, and related arts classrooms, allowing each to have funding to be used to order supplies and materials for students through AdoptAClassroom.org’s online vendor market-place. This donation also will allow for more funding flexibility for learning environments outside of the identified classrooms, allowing every Wedgwood classroom and all of our students to benefit in the end.
Be sure to check out the video below for a recap of the Burlington grand opening event.
TikTok Parent Guide
As our children grow older, the pervasive world of social media can become a confusing and scary landscape for us as parents. While social media apps can be used in powerful ways to bring us together, they also present challenges for adults who seek to take an active role in apps that are designed for children 13 years and older.
In an effort to support our Wedgwood Families with a deeper understanding of the popular app TikTok, we are sharing a TikTok Parent Guide with a variety of resources aimed at education adults so that kids can make safe and positive decisions online.
Is It Conflict, or Is It Bullying?
Gizmo D. Robot Visits Wedgwood School
Wedgwood Solves Over 5 Million First In Math Problems
Wedgwood Elementary School students in grades K through 5 have solved over 5,000,000 math problems using the First in Math online program. Since the start of the school year, Wedgwood also celebrated 48 students who have attained the title of Grand Champion. To become a Grand Champion, a student must solve 30,000 math problems.
First in Math was designed with focus, coherence and rigor as its cornerstones. Self-paced activities target mastery of procedural skills and fluencies that are essential for internalizing and demonstrating conceptual understanding in mathematics. Students earn stickers for every three problems solved correctly.
Attendance Matters at Wedgwood
Regular attendance at school is critical for every student’s success. Parents are required to call the school and report student absences or tardiness. When a child is absent and the Attendance Office has not been notified, every attempt is made to notify parents by 11:00 a.m. Parents may call (856) 227-8112 at any time to leave a message at the attendance office, explaining the reason for the absence. In accordance with District Policy 5200 - Attendance, a student’s absence can be excused by administration when a note is provided upon return from an absence for one of the following reasons:
- Student illness
- Death in the family
- Excused religious observances, pursuant to N.J.S.A 18A:36-14 through 16
- Out of School Suspension
- Required attendance in court
- Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments
- Theatrical productions when student holds a Theatrical permit
Documentation should be submitted on the student’s first day back to school. All other absences are unexcused. Students with ten (10) or more unexcused absences are considered truant, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:38-27. Truancy may result in the involvement of additional agencies to help return the student to regular school attendance. Please make every effort to maintain high attendance rates for your child.
Early Dismissal/Sign Out Procedures
You are encouraged to schedule appointments for your child outside the scheduled school day. However, whenever it is necessary for you to pick up your child at school, please plan to do so prior to dismissal. Parents are not permitted to meet their child as the students are exiting the school building, walking to their assigned bus or waiting at the bus loop. If an emergency exists and you must pick up your child at dismissal, please phone the school ahead of time to make these arrangements.
In order to ensure the safety of all students, we must insist that the following procedures be followed whenever you pick your child up from school during school hours:
- The parent/guardian must submit a Wedgwood Change to Dismissal Form to make any changes to a student’s regular dismissal procedure. This form is always available on our school’s website. Please send the completed form in with your child on the morning the dismissal change is to occur. Calling in dismissal changes to the main office should only be done in emergency situations.
- A parent/guardian must report to the Wedgwood Vestibule and sign out the student. If an adult other than the custodial parent/guardian is to pick up the student, the parent/guardian must authorize the student’s release in writing or by a phone call ahead of time. The authorized person must show Identification. No student will be released to a minor or an unauthorized adult. All authorized persons must be listed in the emergency contact information in PowerSchool.
- Please know that students who spend less than four hours in school (not including lunch) due to arriving tardy or leaving early will be marked absent for the day.
- Parents may not pick up their children from a classroom, a hallway, the bus loop, or any other part of the building or school grounds.
Changes to Breakfast and Lunch Program for 2022-2023
This year features changes made to our lunch and breakfast program. The federal government has discontinued Universal Free Meals for this school year. Therefore, families will need to plan accordingly for their children to be able to purchase breakfast or lunch at school.
Meal prices for 2022-2023 are as follows:
- Lunch - $3.50
- Breakfast - $2.50
To view the monthly lunch menu, to apply for free/reduced lunch, and/or to place money in your child’s account to purchase breakfast and/or lunch, please visit the WT Food Services website at: https://www.wtps.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=31979
You will find the information you need on that website! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our district's Food Services Department directly at 856-582-4010.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please review the following information regarding Wedgwood School's arrival and dismissal procedures.
Walking Students
- Walking students are to arrive at the school not earlier than 9:20 AM
- The dismissal of walkers begins at 3:45 p.m.
- Students walking home will exit down the walkers' path at the back of the school, toward Dorado Avenue.
Students Dropped Off
- All traffic must enter the Wedgwood parking lot through the entrance designated in the diagram above.
- Cars are to move all of the way forward in the drop off line before releasing students for arrival.
- Students who are dropped off to school will enter the building via the door by the playground.
- Students are to be dropped off to school no earlier than 9:15 a.m.
- Parents/Guardians who are dropping students off must do so by allowing them to exit the vehicle along the sidewalk on the side of the building. Please do not park your car and drop off your child from the parking lot. Once your child has exited the vehicle, please continue on the drop-off loop as detailed in the illustration above.
Students Picked Up
- Students who will be picked up by a parent will exit the school from the door by the playground. Wedgwood staff will supervise all students until a parent comes and personally escorts the child to the vehicle.
- The dismissal of walkers will begin at 3:45 p.m. This includes those who will be picked up by a parent/guardian.
- All parents/guardians who wish to pick up their students at dismissal or who require alternative arrangements for pickup must notify the main office in writing. All written notification should be directed to your child's classroom teacher as well as our main office secretary, Mrs. Crosby, so that your child's needs can be met. She can be reached at bcrosby@wtps.org. Students are not permitted to verbally tell Wedgwood staff that they require alternative arrangements for pickup; all requests must be made in writing by the student's parent/guardian. If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus.
- Students who are scheduled to be picked up and do not have a parent/guardian present at the time of dismissal will be brought to the main office. As per district policy, we will attempt to contact the parent(s) and/or emergency contacts on file. If no contact can be made within 30 minutes following school dismissal, the main office will coordinate efforts with the Washington Township Police Department to make contact with the student's parent/guardian.
- Parents/guardians are responsible for reviewing the school calendar and complying with all school dismissal times and procedures.
Regular Dismissal
- Students will board the buses in the loading area at the front of the school. Wedgwood Staff will escort Kindergarten and First Grade students to their buses to help build dismissal routines for our youngest learners.
- If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus. Students are not permitted to ride any other bus but the one that is assigned to them.
District Device Tech Support
All Washington Township Public Schools students are issued a tablet or laptop device by the district! Please contact our Technology Department at studenthelp@wtps.org if you need to pick up your child's device or require tech support. Be sure to submit a description of your request, along with your child's name and Student ID/PIN number (if available).
PTO Reminders
PTO MEMBERSHIP
Please join the PTO and help make this school year amazing for our students and staff. PTO membership is only $10.00 for the year per family. Please include your Mustang's Name(s), Grade(s) and Teacher(s) with payment. Payment can be sent to school with your child, via Venmo at @wedgwood-pto, or mailed to the school at 236 Hurffville Rd., Sewell, NJ 08080.
DESIGNER BAG BINGO - SAVE THE DATE
Our Wedgwood PTO Designer Bag Bingo and Basket Auction will return on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Be sure to save the date for this fun event!
SUPPORT WEDGWOOD WITH EVERY AMAZON.COM ORDER
Each time you shop with Amazon.com, It's super-easy to help raise funds for our Wedgwood PTO! Follow these simple steps to set it up:
- Go to smile.amazon.com.
- Click on the three horizontal bars in the top left corner to open your Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu and click Your Amazon Smile.
- Under "Pick Your Own Charitable Organization, select Wedgewood School Parent Teacher Organization (and yes, it is misspelled).
- Be sure to bookmark smile.amazon.com in your browser. Note: Amazon Smiles will not work through your phone or tablet app. Amazon will donate to our PTO with every purchase made through the Amazon Smiles page.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow our Wedgwood PTO on Facebook and Instagram. Also, sign-up for your grade level PTO reminds. Email wedgwoodpto@yahoo.com with any questions.
Important Dates
- December 13 - Early Dismissal for Staff Inservice - 2:10 p.m. Dismissal
- December 13 - Wedgwood PTO Winter Wonderland - 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- December 13 - WT Board Of Education Work Session - 7:00 p.m.
- December 20 - WT Board Of Education Regular Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
- December 23 - Early Dismissal for Winter Break - 2:10 p.m. Dismissal
- December 26-January 2 - School Closed for Winter Break
- January 3 - Students Return To School
Wedgwood Elementary School
Email: czimmerman@wtps.org
Website: wtps.org/wedgwood
Location: 236 Hurffville Road, Sewell, NJ 08080
Phone: (856) 227-8110
Facebook: facebook.com/wedgwoodwtps
Twitter: @wedgwoodwtps