IB Primary Years Programme Update
April 2019 - What's Happening in the PYP at Wade King?
Wade King Elementary School
Email: hana.anderson@bellinghamschools.org
Website: wadeking.bellinghamschools.org
Location: 2155 Yew Street Road, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 647-6840
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WadeKingElementary/
Twitter: @wadekingelem
We Appreciate the Wade King PTA
At Wade King, we are incredibly fortunate to have a PTA that supports our school’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program in many, many ways. Each year, with the support of our families, Wade King PTA raises approximately $25,000. Almost half of that goes directly to our staff to enhance the six units of inquiry that each grade level engages in throughout the year. PTA’s support allows our students to take field trips beyond what our building budget would allow. It also enables teachers to purchase books and hands-on materials to support learning engagements with our units. This allowed our kindergarten teachers to purchase microscopes so their students could observe plants and animals up close, it allowed first grade teachers to purchase materials for a cooking day so that our students could see how liquids and solids change as they are mixed and heated. It allowed fourth graders to have special poetry notebooks and canvases to display their poems on during their inquiry into poetry. The list goes on!
PTA uses the additional funds they raise to support our annual school-wide inquiry into a country, moving from continent to continent each year. This year, PTA is supporting our inquiry into Japan. In November, PTA sponsored a Family Movie Night so we could watch a Japanese anime movie, My Neighbor Totoro, together. In February, they sponsored our Family Game Night that gave us a chance to play Japanese Jeopardy, along with our traditional game of Bingo. We were able to sample traditional Japanese foods, miso soup and mochi, while we played. A few weeks ago, PTA sponsored a Family Inquiry Night that allowed us to learn about the Japanese art form of Shibori. PTA is also funding an opportunity for all classrooms at Wade King to make their own Shibori cloth later this month. In addition to family nights, our PTA supported origami making, brought in storyteller, Linda Tiffany, to share Japanese stories during lunches in March, and is bringing in a cultural presenter to teach classes even more about Japan. Our school-wide inquiry into Japan ends with our culminating World Tour Family Event on Friday, May 31st. This evening of fun will include time to make origami, learn about bonsai trees, play Japanese games, and visit with other Wade King families. New this year, the Japanese dinner that is provided will be free for everyone. We are so fortunate to have a PTA that is so invested in enriching our student’s learning!
Our PTA is currently engaged in conversation about ways they can support elementary schools in Bellingham that are not able to raise the same funds that they are. They want every child in Bellingham to benefit from the same amazing experiences our students do.
Thank You Wade King PTA! We really appreciate you!
Field Trip - 2nd Grade Goes to the Bellingham School District Central Kitchen
Family Art Inquiry Night - Japanese Shibori Art
PTA Supports the Learner Profile Attributes Too
A special thank you to Kathi and Gabrielle Phillips for making the Talent Show possible!