Weirton Elementary School
August 2023
W.E.S. Families - December Newsletter
WES Families:
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family doing well!
Hello December! Cold weather is upon us. Just a reminder to make sure your child brings a coat with them each day to school. Gloves and hats are also great to have. We go outside for recess, so please dress your child appropriately for the weather. If your child needs a coat, gloves, or hat, don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Kristin Bowman-Cross at kristin.bowmancross@k12.wv.us.
The month of December will go by so fast! While we have a few fun activities scheduled this month, we still have a lot of teaching and learning to do. Please have your child at school daily unless they are sick. We are hoping for a healthy December for all. Thanks for helping with this!
We wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.
Here's what is in the Family December newsletter:
- W.E.S. December Calendar
- December Lunch and Breakfast Menus
- PTA Information (refer to the PTA section below)
- December activities
Tuesday, January 16: no school. Parent/Teacher conferences. Teachers will be scheduling conferences after the holiday break.
Friday, December 1:
Wake Up with WES News:
Friday, December 1: Aislyn and Laura
Lunch for Friday, December 1:
Pepperoni Pizza
Spicy Pinto Beans
Candied Carrots
Diced Pears
Milk
New information and updates will be posted in the Family November Newsletter.
Read the entire newsletter. Lots of updates and information are included as you scroll down the newsletter.
W.E.S. December Calendar Dates
Mark Your Calendar
Friday, December 1:
- Spirit Day. Red and black.
Monday, December 4:
- Distribute Progress Reports, 2nd 9-weeks, grades 1-4
Tuesday, December 5:
- Holiday Cheer: wear red & green
- Banking at breakfast
Wednesday, December 6:
Thursday, December 7:
- PTA Meeting/training 6:00 pm at WES Cafeteria
- Holiday Cheer: Festive Hat Day
Friday, December 8:
- Spirit Day. Red and black.
Monday, December 11:
Tuesday, December 12:
- Holiday Cheer: Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
- WES 4th grade Nutcracker Village (5:00-6:00 pm)
- Banking at breakfast
Wednesday, December 13:
Thursday, December 14:
- Holiday Cheer: Wear red and white (Candy Cane Day)
- LAMP training at WES at 5:00 pm.
Friday, December 15:
- Spirit Day. Red and black.
- Family Resource Network is sponsoring a "Toy Swap" 4:00-6:00 pm at 1300 Potomac Avenue Upper Level, Weirton, WV (refer to the flyer below)
Monday, December 18:
- Winter Concert (Attendance Incentive)
Tuesday, December 19:
- Holiday Cheer: Flannel Day!
- PTA Holiday party for grades K-4
- PreK Breakfast with Santa 9:00-10:00 am at WES
- Kindergarten: Winter Celebrations Alphabet Program (5:00-7:00 pm)
- Banking at breakfast
Wednesday, December 20:
- 2-hour Early Dismissal
- PTA Holiday party for grades K-4
- No Preschool
Thursday, December 21 through January 1
No school. Happy Holidays
Tuesday, January 16: no school. Parent/Teacher conferences. Teachers will be scheduling conferences after the holiday break.
December Lunch Menu
Community in Schools
Community in Schools, Mrs. Kristin Bowman-Cross
With winter temperatures changing daily...
If your child needs a warm coat, please have them stop by my office. WES does not want to see anyone being cold in the freezing temperatures. Or email me at kristin.bowmancross@k12.wv.us.
PreK News
We hope everyone enjoyed and had a productive Parent/ Teacher Meeting with their child's PreK teacher in early November. In addition to presenting aspects of Heggerty & Fundations (language/ alphabet/ phonics/ pre-Wit & Wisdom Curriculum), Touch Math, and Al's Pal's (social emotional skill practice), Preschool is now a month or so in on their Creative Curriculum Studies.
Ms. Amanda's class is doing the 'Roads' study.
Ms. Suzy's class is starting on the 'Water' study.
Ms. Kayla is having her class participate in the 'Trees' study.
Ms. Jenn's class is working together on the 'Buildings' study.
Check with your child's teacher about how to carry over the Creative Curriculum studies to home and community.
Ms. Shawn's class continues to work on learning, communication, and social interactions, then building on those skills for each student depending on their current skills and needs.
The STARS assessments will continue; those results will be available to parents after the new year/ next 9 weeks.
Ms. Karly is our PreK Speech Therapist and has been working very hard on getting communication devices with the LAMP program for students who need them and whose parents have responded to her information regarding LAMP. Through Able-Net, PRC and/or school funding; Ms. Karly has now successfully procured 5 devices for 5 of our preschool students with communication needs! Those 5 devices are now being used in the school and home setting by 5 students whose parents reached out, indicating they wanted a device for their child who qualified. The next LAMP training is scheduled for December 14 at WES at 5:00 pm.
December is always a fun and activity-filled month in Preschool!
Watch for the RSVP for our PreK Holiday Breakfast scheduled for Tuesday, December 19, at 9:00 in the school cafeteria—more information to come about this event.
Kindergarten News
All the kindergarteners celebrated Friendsgiving by enjoying a turkey feast complete with all the trimmings together in our hallway. It was a great way to commemorate our friendships this school year. November was a busy month of learning about the meaning of Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving.
Knowing all of the alphabet letter sounds is reason for celebration! Repetitive practice and daily reviews help embed the sounds associated with the letters of the alphabet. We will soon commemorate this milestone by wearing ugly alphabet holiday vests and parading around the school.
Our Wit and Wisdom Module 2 curriculum takes us through both informational and fictional texts. We are exploring a farm setting, populated by fascinating, furry, sneaky, mooing, strong, sometimes obstreperous characters with entertaining adventures. Students have been focusing on folk tales to expand their understanding of the universal elements of classic stories, reading versions of Three Little Pigs, The Little Red Hen, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. All of this study drives toward a solid understanding of narrative structure.
Nursery rhymes have been a favorite part of our daily Heggerty lessons. We are hearing rhyming words, breaking words into syllables, and comparing the beginning or ending sounds in words. The students are making the connection between hearing the sounds, writing the letters that represent the sounds and reading words made up of the sounds. Seeing their light bulbs shine bright is amazing!
December kicks off our 61st day of kindergarten. The kids count by 1s, 5s and 10s daily. They are understanding ten frames and counting on to add. Students are realizing that adding and subtraction are related. When they see ten frames, they can figure out that we need 2 more to make 10 and 10 minus 2 is 8. They are getting quick at finding the difference. Writing numbers has been fun and it’s exciting to exceed the previous day’s number.
We have a lot to look forward to in December!
First Grade News
Weir so grateful for a fantastic November in first grade! A delightful December is right around the corner, and we can't wait to continue learning new things while spreading joy and cheer as we move into the rest of the holiday season.
Many of our first graders will be learning about economics, such as needs and wants/goods and services, the seasonal changes that come with winter, and states of matter (physical and chemical changes).
In Wit & Wisdom, we will continue to focus on our essential question, "What can we discover about animals’ unique features?"
In math, we will work on addition and subtraction relationships, problem-solving, related facts, and equal vs. not equal. In Fundations, we will introduce the rest of our welded/glued sounds (ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk). With the fall and winter breaks, please ensure your first graders are reading to or with you every day & continuing to practice their trick words from Fundations! The first-grade team wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!
Second Grade News
Hello December!
2nd Graders are ready for December! We are wrapping up Module 1 in Wit and Wisdom and will begin Module 2: The American West soon. Students are reading every day and building their reading fluency. We are working down the AR trail to meet our reading goals.
In Fundations, we are on Unit 7 and learning about y as a vowel, open syllable type, and -y, -ly, and -ty suffixes. We will learn about contractions and the digraph ck the week before the holiday break.
Math Chapter 4 is learning to add 2-digit numbers to 100. We are excited to continue building our knowledge of math concepts.
We hope all have a wonderful Holiday season!
Third Grade News
Our amazing 3rd graders have been working hard despite our months being short because of the holidays. Continuing reading, writing, and math over holiday breaks is essential. Also, our 3rd graders will finish their reading challenge with Read Works this month.
Here is a list of skills 3rd graders will learn during the month of December.
Wit and Wisdom- We are getting close to the end of Module One. Students prepare for their final writing with Socratic Seminars, where they learn to agree and disagree respectfully, have in-depth discussions, and find evidence to prove their answers. Students will use a writing planner to gather and organize evidence to support two paragraphs that explain why people explore the sea. They will identify two reasons for exploring the sea and select evidence to support a topic sentence, including facts, definitions, and details. This will include writing a rough draft, peer-review, revising and editing, and writing their final draft.
Fundations- In Unit 6, students will review the open-syllable and learn about open-syllable exceptions. They will also review that y often works as a vowel in open syllables. Students will learn the soft and hard sounds of c and g. Finally, students will learn open syllable exceptions in unstressed or unaccented syllables. This schwa occurs with an “a” at the beginning or end of a word and ”i” in the middle syllable.
Math- Chapter 2- In Chapter 2, students will learn how to interpret and analyze data. This chapter includes how to organize data, use and make picture graphs, bar graphs, solve problems using data, and use and make line plots.
It is important to continue working on their AR goal and beyond. Reflex, Freckle, and Prodigy are great resources to work on multiplication, division, fractions, and grammar.
Fourth Grade News
In fourth grade, we are finishing up Hatchet and preparing for Module 3 in Wit & Wisdom. We are excited to start this module, learn about the Revolutionary War, and read about George Washington and the Red Coats! We are working on our writing, learning all about the parts of a paragraph, and ensuring they are organized! We have developed survival stories using exploded moments and strategies we learned during Module 2.
In Go Math, we are working on multiplication and expanded form. We are starting to work with basic fractions and learning new vocabulary to help when pulling apart word problems using all four operations.
Nutcracker Village will be on display soon here at WES!! Our students have worked hard on their own Nutcrackers, and we can't wait for you to see how awesome they are!! This month is going to be filled with lots of fun and learning so keep watching DOJO!
Related Arts News
Hello from the Physical Education Teachers
December is upon us.
In the month of December, your students will be finishing up with their basketball skills. After finishing up the basketball unit, students will play volleyball and learn how to serve and set the volleyball.
When the students are in the little gym, students get to climb across our rock wall. Students are improving their upper and lower body strength and core muscles while climbing the rock wall.
As always, our goal in the Weirton Elementary Phys. Ed department is to promote lifelong physical activity.
Mrs. Naughton, Mr. Cassiadoro, and Mr. Weltner
WES School Counselors
Ms. Mary Ann Petrelle: Grades PreK & K
Mrs. Stacy Cullinan: Grades 1 & 2
Mrs. Sarah Aspenleiter: Grades 3 & 4
WES Health Center offers Social Emotional/Behavioral Therapy
http://www.changeinc.org/health/weirton-elementary-health-center/
(304) 797-5299
From our Counselors:
Enjoying the Holiday Festivities through the Stress with Laughter.
As we approach the holidays, many of us look forward to spending time with family and friends and sharing in the joys of the season. However, for some, the holiday season brings up sad or anxious feelings. At this time of year, more than any other, we think about loved ones we have lost, how to finance the gifts and experiences we want to give our family, how to “make the rounds” to all the places people expect us to be, how to survive hours in the car with small children, and the list goes on. We tend to want to fill our Christmas Calendars with obligations and events that we feel will “make” the holiday. The holidays also trigger our feelings of grief for those who have passed away or cannot be with us.
Holiday stress affects children just as much as adults. Children learn what they see. If they see the adults in their lives stressed out, they will be, too. During the holiday season, children may begin exhibiting behaviors that indicate stress:
· Tears for a minor reason or for no reason at all.
· Nervous behaviors – nail biting and hair twirling.
· Physical complaints – headaches and stomach aches
· Regression to younger behaviors – bedwetting, temper tantrums.
· Withdrawal from school, friends, and family.
· An obvious change in regular behavior.
What we can do!
· Set expectations
· Say NO to things that will cause stress or that you don’t want to do.
· Teach the importance of family and family traditions
· Teach the value of giving.
· Take care of yourself and your family
MOST IMPORTANTLY Laugh – Laughter relieves stress and changes everyone’s mood from bad to good. Lighten the mood with funny movies, sledding, or cozy chats over cups of hot chocolate. Don’t forget the marshmallows!
Find ways to cope with your own holiday anxiety. The less holiday stress you feel, the more relaxed your children will be. Plan ahead and remain flexible. Don’t overbook your time or take on responsibilities you have no desire to fulfill. Sit quietly and think about what the holidays mean to you, then decide based on your true values.
Always remember your presence is more important than presents. Remember, simply driving around looking at Christmas Lights is a great activity. Sit around and enjoy the lights of your own tree. Remember that everyone’s holiday looks different and that is OK!!! Please enjoy this holiday season in whatever way works for you and your family.
WES PTA News
WES PTA
PTA Meeting Thursday, December 7 at 6:00 pm to plan/vote for student Holiday activities set for December 19 and 20.
WV PTA will conduct an in-person PTA training immediately following the PTA meeting on Thursday, December 7 @ 6:00 pm in the Weirton Elementary School Cafeteria.
PTA training is required annually for officers and is also open to members who have an interest or desire to become PTA leaders in your local PTA.
PTA training focuses on all the PTA requirements needed to remain compliant, how to conduct PTA business, fundraising, guidelines, officer roles, and so much more!
The PTA's mission is "to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children". As volunteers, we focus on providing an engaging experience for our children that will last a lifetime.
We hope to see you there!
PTA Vice President Nominations are needed for VP #3. If you are interested in nominating or being a VP for the WES PTA, please email Stephanie at
President: Stephanie Baumgardner
Vice President: Arrissa Cochran
Vice President: Brittney Holloway
Secretary: Maria Rhoads
Treasurer: Lindy Dunlap
Contact: weirtonelementarypta@yahoo.com
The electronic Link to sign-up for PTA Membership is below "Givebacks."
https://weirtonpta.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true
Thursday, December 7 PTA Meeting at 6:00 p.m. at WES cafeteria.
Notes from Nurse DeCaria
Don't hesitate to contact Mrs. DeCaria for any medical concerns.
Attendance Reminders:
Going Bananas for Attendance:
WES students earned the school-wide hat day. Students are now working to earn a school-wide pajama day. When WES earns 4 weeks of school-wide attendance at or above 93% all students will earn a pajama day.
A Winter Concert is an incentive for attendance in December. Refer to the flyer above.
Going Bananas for Attendance video:
Go Bananas for Attendance: https://youtu.be/bYiR6YPKCao
Please remember to call the office or email Ms. Stephanie for any missed days.
304-748-8370
or
W.E.S. Information
We consolidated the up-to-date information you will need into 4 easy locations. DOJO (school announcements/stories posted daily), electronic monthly family newsletters, W.E.S. website, and W.E.S. official Facebook page. Below are the links to our W.E.S. Website and W.E.S. Facebook page.
W.E.S. Family Handbook 23-24
School Calendar 2023-2024
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
CAR RIDER TRANSPORTATION
Arrival
Car rider door is located at the pre-k/kindergarten entrance.
Car rider door opens promptly at 7:50am. Tardy Bell 8:15am.
Cars should not line up before 7:00 and cars should not park in the drop-off area.
Students must remain in cars until a staff member opens the car door.
Cars that arrive after 8:15 must park car in a parking spot in front of the school. Guardian must walk child in the building to the main office to receive a tardy slip.
Parents/Guardians must remain in their vehicles at all times during drop off and pick up.
Please work with your child to learn to buckle/unbuckle themselves in their seatbelts/booster seats/car seats as this will help traffic to flow smoothly.
Dismissal
Car/Bus Dismissal is at 3:00.
All car riders must have a red car rider tag on their book bags. Bus riders must have a yellow car rider tag on their book bags.
Please do not line up before 2:55 as the area in front of the dismissal door is a fire lane.
iDismiss is utilized for car rider dismissal.
Each student is assigned an iDismiss number.
iDismiss number must be displayed in the front widow of the car.
Cars without the iDismiss numbers displayed or readily available will be asked to park until all cars and buses are dismissed.
Parents/Guardians must enter the front office and present identification before the child can be dismissed.
Replacement copies of iDismiss numbers may be obtained by presenting identification in the main office (ask for Ms. Stephanie).
Bus Safety
Please remind your child about good behaviors on the bus.
- Students are to stay seated the whole time.
- Students are not to walk in the aisles or jump seat to seat.
- Students are to refrain from touching each other.
- Students are not to yell or argue.
- Bottom to bottom, Back-to-Back, Bookbag on lap.
Students are to refrain from creating any type of safety issues for anybody on the bus.
Contact Mrs. Carinci-Bell if you have any bus concerns or questions.
Mrs. Martich (3rd & 4th) Mrs. Carinci-Bell (1st & 2nd) Ms. Miller (Head Principal) PreK & K Principal TBA
WES Title Services
Meet our WES Title Teachers:
Mrs. Orwasky
Ms. Paull
Mrs. Donna Carnes
Mrs. Davidson
WES Related Arts
WES HEALTH CENTER
WEIRTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HEALTH CENTER
Our licensed healthcare staff is on site in a safe, child-friendly environment. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child.
We provide the following services:
Well check exams, sick visits, injury treatment, immunizations, allergy shots, ADHD evaluation and treatment, sports physicals, behavioral health, dental care, chronic health care maintenance - like being on site to assist with Diabetes, Seizures, and Asthma. Just think of us as a doctor's office inside the school.
Please contact the WES Health Center at 304-797-5299 if you have any questions or medical needs.
WES SPEECH THERAPISTS
WES Speech Therapists
If you questions regarding speech screenings or speech services, please contact one of our speech therapists.
Mrs. Lockerbie (Kindergarten)
Mrs. Gianvito (First Grade)
Mrs. Hinzman (PreK & 4th)
Mrs. Burdette (2nd & 3rd)
Mrs. Edie (Special Education Classes)
Special Education Staff
Bank at School
Our Partners in Education, First Choice America, will be setting up a program called "Bank at School". Families were able to sign-up at Open House. Students will be able to do banking at school during breakfast once a week on Tuesdays. More details to come.