Sunday Message from Mr. Burns
October 1, 2023
Full Week of School
Message from Mr. Burns
We had a great turnout at our movie night on Friday! Thank you to our PTA for oragnizing and planning such a great event.
As students are now into the flow of the school year and friendships are developing, please be mindful of how your child is interacting with their peers via social media apps/texting. We want to make sure our students feel safe inside and outside the school. Recently, we have worked with some students and families regarding negative experiences that were occurring through social media/texting outside the school day. Please continue to engage conversations with your child regarding their experiences through these online platforms. We want to ensure we are keeping our children safe in-person and digitally.
-Mr. Burns
National PTA School of Excellence
P.R.I.D.E at Wims
We kicked off our PRIDE assemblies with all grade-levels this past Thursday. At the end of each making period, we will celebrate students with a PRIDE assembly. Each assembly will focus on one or two of the PRIDE tenants.
For students who are receiving an award, parents/guardians will be invited to attend the assembly. A letter will be sent home a few days prior regarding the assembly time and what your child is being recognized for at the assembly.
P: Positive
R- Responsible
I- Inclusive
D- Determined
E- Empathy
Required Chaperone and Volunteer Training
Per MCPS Regulation IRB-RA, (available on the MCPS website using this
link: Volunteers in Schools chaperones and volunteers must complete the
"Preventing, Recognizing, and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect" online
training module available on the MCPS website using this link Child Abuse
and Neglect before attending a field trip.
■ Chaperones and volunteers who may need accommodations/access
to complete the online training should seek support from school-based
staff. See Volunteer. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) #8 for details
(Attachment B).
■ Chaperones and volunteers who have completed this online training
module will have a 100% course grade. They must share a copy of
the course grade with the field trip sponsor prior to the field trip to
confirm the completion of this course.
■ The Volunteer Child Abuse and Neglect (VCAN) training is required
every three years. Any volunteer who completed the training in the
2020-2021 school year or prior, will need to renew their training
certification in 2023-2024.
Completed 2020-2021 renew in 2023-2024
Completed 2021-2022 renew in 2024-2025
Completed 2022-2023 renew in 2025-2026
MCPS Covid- 19 Information
Possible Symptoms of COVID-19 at School or Work
Students with possible symptoms of COVID-19 at school will no longer be routinely tested in health rooms. Health room staff may distribute home test kits at their discretion. Staff or students with mild symptoms may be asked to mask for the rest of the school day. Individuals with fever or more severe symptoms who will be leaving school or work will be asked to wear a mask until they leave the building.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Students or Staff
If a student or MCPS staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, they should follow isolation and masking precautions as recommended by the CDC, which currently includes at least 5 days of home isolation. They should follow local procedures for reporting a school or work absence and specify that the absence is due to COVID-19. Staff and students no longer need to self-report cases online to MCPS.
Possible Exposure to COVID-19
Quarantine is no longer recommended for individuals with close contact exposure to COVID-19 if they have no symptoms and can follow other CDC recommendations for exposed persons. Staff and students’ families will be notified if they are at increased risk of COVID-19 due to an outbreak in their classroom or school. This notification will include any temporary measures required to prevent further local spread of infection, like masking, testing, or modification of activities.
Student Meals
Purchasing Student Meals Information click here.
MySchoolBucks is an optional service for parents to view recent purchases and make prepayments to your child's cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch and a la carte meals via the Internet with a credit/debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families. By creating a secure online account, parents can manage their child's account.
Payments to student accounts through My School Bucks is an option and not a requirement. Checks can be made payable to the school cafeteria and submitted to the cafeteria manager. The check funds will be placed on student accounts for immediate use and the checks will be deposited in the bank the same day.
Send refund and balance transfer requests via email to DFNSHelpDesk@mcpsmd.org
We will return to using FARMS forms and require students to either scan a card with a barcode on it or enter their pin number to access their lunch account. Rather than a unique pin number, students will use their student ID number. The student ID number is also the students log in to access their Chromebook.
Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS) Eligibility Data and Application Process: The FARMS application has been updated. Interested families must reapply each school year. Online applications are the preferred application method and schools should strongly encourage families to apply online at www.MySchoolApps.com. Families can apply now.
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION
The school must be notified any day your child will be absent. You may call the school office at 240-406-1670 or email the classroom teacher and the Attendance secretary Mrs. Norton; christine_e_norton@mcpsmd.org
When reporting the absence please include the following:
Child’s first and last name
Grade Level
Teacher’s name
The reason for the absence
If we do not receive a call from a parent, the absence or tardiness will be considered unexcused. A written explanation of each absence is required from the parent/guardian within three days of the student’s return to school (email is acceptable).
Notes for the Health Room
How Do I Activate My ParentVue Account?
Wilson Wims Facebook Page
Community Fliers
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From the PTA Board
THANK YOU to our Wims community, the PTA, and all the volunteers for making our first Spirit Night at Carmen’s and our first event of the school year, Movie Night, a “glowing” success! The PTA recognizes and thanks our Chair, Chennell (KoKo) Mallicott, for her extraordinary efforts in elevating Movie Night to a new level. If you attended, you likely saw how much work (and how much fun) goes into putting on these amazing events for our students. Please consider helping us at our next event and giving back to our school community.
We are very much in need of 5th grade parents to help plan the events that directly support the 5th grade students in their promotion, such as Bingo Night and Spirit Nights! Bingo Night is a fan favorite and Wims and you will have the full support and guidance of the PTA Board. Please contact the PTA President, Ashley Zuraf, at president@wwespta.org to get involved - you will have a great time!
THE FUN RUN IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! We hope all our Wildcats will register for the Fun Run and reach out to family and friends to ask for their support through a donation. Proceeds from the Fun Run fund our PTA events throughout the school year and this support is critical for us to offer events like STEAM Expo, the Spelling Bee, Movie Night, Bingo Night, Grandparents Day & more! We have some exciting rewards planned for the classrooms and grade levels who raise the most funds through Fun Run, as well as a fantastic school-wide celebration event if we meet our goal of $25,000. You don’t want to miss out on that!
Congratulations to Amanda Anazco, who has accepted the role of PTA Delegate II for the 2023-24 school year. Amanda will join Jay Guan, our Delegate I, and the rest of the PTA Executive Board in her new role. Welcome, Amanda!
Finally, thanks to the hard work of our Vice President, Danielle Ibarra, we have some exciting news to share regarding after-school programming. Read on for more information.
Have a wonderful Wildcat week!
~ PTA Executive Board and Officers
Wildcat Fun Run
First PTA Meeting
Afterschool Programming
Community Corner
Join Montgomery Parks and the Skate Park Design Builder in-person or online to let them know what you would like to see at the future Ovid Hazen Wells Skate Park.
Date: Saturday, October 14
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Hallie Wells Middle School Cafeteria (11701 Little Seneca Pkwy)
Registration is optional but encouraged. Please fill out the form to register to attend the meeting and to receive future updates.
CONNECT WITH US
We want to hear from you! If you have any questions regarding the PTA or our supported activities, please reach out to us at pta@wwespta.org and you are also welcome to contact Ashley Zuraf at president@wwespta.org.
Please “like us” on Facebook for the most updated information on our upcoming events and volunteer opportunities: https://www.facebook.com/wilsonwimspta