The Monthly Mustang
The Official Newsletter for Wedgwood School Families
January 2022
Wedgwood School Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
If you and your family are planning to devote time to community service activities on January 17, we would love to see it and celebrate it! If you're posting photos on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram of our Mustangs helping others on January 17, be sure to use the hashtag #wwdayofservice! Or you can simply email photos to Mr. Zimmerman at czimmerman@wtps.org. Submitted and hashtagged photos will be shared through Wedgwood's webpage and social media channels. We can't wait to see our Mustangs making an impact on their community!
Wedgwood PTO Designer Bag Bingo Returns on January 22
This year's Designer Bag Bingo & Basket Auction takes place on Saturday, January 22, at St. Charles Borromeo Church, on Stagecoach Road. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Tickets can be purchased with a check payable to Wedgwood PTO or via Venmo @Wedgwood-PTO. Information must accompany all payments.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and bingo starts at 7:00 p.m. It's a 21 and over event, and you get to bring your own snacks and beverages. For more information, email wedgwoodpto@yahoo.com. It’s a great time, for a great cause!
Wedgwood Recognized as State Leader in First In Math
Wedgwood School had great reason to celebrate following the announcement that our students had finished 2021 in the top spot among more than 200 First in Math in the State of New Jersey! In addition, Wedgwood finished in fourth place nationally. With about 5,000 schools participating in the First In Math program, this outstanding accomplishment is a real source of Wedgwood Pride!
Wedgwood was joined by the other five Washington Township elementary schools in the Top 10 of New Jersey First In Math schools, with Hurffville (2nd), Whitman (3rd), Bells (4th), Birches (5th), Thomas Jefferson (7th), demonstrating our district's emphasis on problem solving skills.
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 each problem solved correctly.
“Congratulations to each and every one of you – students, parents, teachers and staff,” said 24 Game and First In Math Inventor Robert Sun in making the announcement. “You should be very proud of your hard work and dedication to seeking excellence in mathematics.”
You can see Robert Sun's announcement here.
Cold Weather Attire
At Wedgwood School, we believe that structured play time is crucial to the academic success of our students! Now that the winter months are upon us, it is important that students come to school prepared for outdoor recess. Before heading outside, we ask our students to put on their warm coats, mittens or gloves, hats and scarves. Students should bring these items to school every day through the winter months. In addition, please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the season, in pants rather than shorts and in sneakers rather than sandals. Our outdoor play lasts no longer than 20 minutes at a time, and recess will be indoors on days of extreme cold. Feel free to contact your child’s teacher or our main office with any questions about recess.
NJ Start Strong Test Results
- Parents should have received two separate emails per student: one for ELA and one for Math.
- Parents do not have to log in to Pearson to see their child's scores. Your child's Individual Score Reports (ISRs) can be accessed using the hyperlink titled Digital Document, which can be found at the very bottom of that email.
- If parents want to create a Pearson login, the code that is needed to set up the account can be found on the Digital Document. The Pearson parent portal provides the ISR (which is available by clicking the "Digital Download") and a short video explaining the ISR.
Please note that the ISRs for Math and ELA were sent in separate emails. If you have any questions about your fourth or fifth grade child's NJ Start Strong Individual Score Reports, please feel free to contact our main office.
Picture Day Retakes
Panda Express Dine & Donate on January 19 Sponsored by Wedgwood PTO
- Go to pandaexpress.com or use the app. Enter 329656 in the promo code box.
- Order in-person and show the flyer below either on paper or using your smartphone.
Panda Express is located at Ardmore Ave. & E. Black Horse Pike, Sicklerville, NJ 08081.
Signing Students In Late/Out Early
Please be sure to follow these important guidelines when signing student in to school late or out of school early:
- All students being signed in/out of school must be accompanied by an authorized adult.
- After being buzzed into the building, the parent/guardian will remain in the vestibule, asked to present ID, and will sign out the student out without entering the main lobby.
- 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.
Thank you for working to make every effort to have our students arrive and leave Wedgwood on time!
28th Annual Helping Hands Hoagie Sale Begins February 7
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please review the following information regarding Wedgwood School's arrival and dismissal procedures. For the safety of all, it is critical that both students and families practice physical distancing during arrival and dismissal at Wedgwood.
Walking Students
- Walking students are to arrive at the school not earlier than 9:20 AM
- The dismissal of walkers will be staggered in the afternoon. Students whose last name begins with letters A-L will be dismissed at 3:40 p.m. Students whose last name begins with M-Z will be dismissed at 3:45 p.m. This includes those who will be picked up by a parent/guardian.
- 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 be staggered in the afternoon. Students whose last name begins with letters A-L will be dismissed at 3:40 p.m. Students whose last name begins with M-Z will be dismissed 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. Parents who are picking students up must their child’s teacher and the main office prior to the start of that school day.
- Parents must personally sign their child out of school.
- 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.
Tech Support
Families in need of tech support with their district-issued laptop or iPad are asked to submit their request, including the child's name, PIN/ID number (if available) and a description of the issue to studenthelp@wtps.org.
PTO Reminders
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.
Important Dates
- January 17 - SCHOOL CLOSED - DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
- January 18 - WTPS Board of Education Work Session - 7:00 p.m.
- January 19 - Wedgwood PTO Dine & Donate - Panda Express
- January 20 - School Picture Retakes
- January 21 - EARLY DISMISSAL - STAFF IN-SERVICE
- January 25 - WTPS Board of Education Regular Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
- January 28 - Marking Period 2 Ends
- February 1 - Wedgwood PTO Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
- February 10 - Marking Period 2 Report Cards Issued
- February 15 - WTPS Board of Education Work Session - 7:00 p.m.
- February 18 - EARLY DISMISSAL - STAFF IN-SERVICE
- February 21 - SCHOOL CLOSED - PRESIDENTS DAY
- February 22 - WTPS Board of Education Regular Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
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