The Avery Pulse
April 30th, 2023
Upcoming Dates
- May 5th - 1/2 Day Early Dismissal @ 11:45am
- May 5th - Future All Star Day (information below)
- May 8th-May 12th - Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 8th - Late Start (LAST ONE OF THE YEAR!)
- May 9th & May 12th - Scholastic BOGO Book Fair
- May 12th - Field Day (information coming soon!)
- May 17th - Avery Night at the Ballpark (information below)
- May 24th - Class Placement Information sent to families for 1st-5th
- May 25th - Fly Up Day!
- May 25th - Blacktop Ball from 5pm-7pm (information below)
- May 26th - 5th Grade Celebration @ 9am (more information coming soon)
- May 26th - Last Day of School | Early Dismissal @ 11:45am
Climate and Culture Data
In March, students in grades 3-5 completed Panorama surveys in their classrooms. At Avery, Mrs. Wallace, Dr. Winkler and Dr. Peterson met to examine individual and school-wide data.
Celebrations of our data are:
96% of our students in grades 3-5 responded favorably to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. This is a 5% increase from our fall surveys.
93% of our students in grades 3-5 responded favorably to a sense of belonging. This is a 2% increase from our fall surveys.
If an individual expressed a concern on the surveys, we have and will continue to partner with the family and classroom teachers to develop action steps to support the student. We will continue to work on incorporating this data into our systems of support.
Hixson Heroes
The Hixson PTO has created a new fundraiser, dedicated to reducing Hixson student activity fees. This will directly impact our current fifth grade class as a portion of these proceeds will be used to reduce the cost of Camp Wyman in the fall!
By purchasing one Hixson Hero Coupon Book for $20, you will receive coupons and discounts valued over $115! Our coupons are local or locally-owned businesses and include: WG Vanilla Bean, Hoffman Brothers, le macaron, La Calle, Amy's Cake Pop Shop, distance teaming, Story Seven, and Pet Supplies Plus.
Be sure to get your coupon books now—Quantities are limited!
Girls on the Run Snack Sale - Monday, May 1!
The Girls on the Run are raising funds to buy hygiene supplies for Nurse Palmer. They will be holding a snack sale right after school on Monday, May 1 in front of Avery. All items will be $1 or 2/$1. Please bring a few dollars (cash only) and help us help Nurse Palmer and fellow Avery students!
The Webster Groves Freestyle Pass - YEAR THREE!
The Freestyle Pool Pass is BACK for 2023, after seeing 56% growth in usage last summer. The Freestyle Pass removes barriers to the community swimming pool by providing free daily swim passes for individuals and families that require financial assistance. Thanks to the generosity of this community, 944 pool passes were used last summer!
Freestyle Passes depend on private donations, with fundraising taking place every other year. This is a fundraising year, and we are hoping to expand the Freestyle Pass program to include a limited number of scholarships providing free water safety and swim classes to those who have a financial barrier to participating. Our fundraising goal is $8,500 for pool passes, with funds raised above and beyond that to be dedicated to “Gordon Grants,” swim instruction scholarships named for Benny Gordon, Jr.
Community healing requires truth and reconciliation. For many years, our municipality denied the use of the community swimming pool to African Americans; additionally, for decades after the pool was integrated, policy maintained that non-residents could only use the pool with a resident "sponsor." That policy was rooted in exclusion, and while it was thankfully revised in 2021, we hope to demonstrate accountability for past wrongs by working to expand inclusion to water safety and swim instruction opportunities.
Benny Gordon was the lead activist who worked to integrate the Webster pool in the 1950s, but he did so not knowing how to swim. He said, "My children and my grandchildren will enjoy the fruits of what we fought for." By removing financial barriers to swim instruction, Gordon Grants can facilitate greater enjoyment of swim recreation FOR ALL, across race and income.
Commitment to the Freestyle Pass has been exceptional; please help keep it going! Checks can be made payable to WRHM and mailed or brought to 111 East Waymire, Webster Groves, 63119. Checks must include “Freestyle Pass Fund” in the memo line. You may also donate online at http://bit.ly/wgfreestyle. Questions? Message freestyleswimpass@gmail.com.
Founded in 2021, the Freestyle Pass program is a joint effort of the Webster Groves School District, the City of Webster Groves, the Alliance for Interracial Dignity, and Webster Rock Hill Ministries.
Avery Equity Group -- May Meeting
Come be a part of expanding the scope and vision of the Avery Parents for Racial Equity group. After six years, the group is ready to build upon our work by fostering a welcoming and inclusive community for all Avery families, including families of color, LGBTQ+ children and families, lower-income families, and families whose students have IEPs, IHPs, or 504 plans, and others.
Join us on Monday, May 8, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
https://wustl.zoom.us/j/97893385507?pwd=VFhHL1d3cWwwbURSTm1QbkRmN2FyZz09
We will finalize a new name for the group, check in on the addition of an equity position to the PTO executive committee, and discuss ideas for next year's direction and programming. All are welcome!
Questions? Contact Julia Maki and Libby Dowdall at averyequity@gmail.com.
Repeated Information Below
Welcome to Our New 2nd Grade Teacher!
Please join us in welcoming our new 2nd grade teacher, Claire Long (soon to be Pinero). Claire will be joining us next school year. Read below to learn more about Claire!
Hello Avery Families!
My name is Claire Long, soon to be Mrs. Claire Pinero, and I am the new 2nd Grade teacher at Avery Elementary School. I cannot express my excitement for getting to be a part of this Avery community! I am bringing to Avery with me a Bachelor's in Special Education & Elementary Education from Saint Louis University, a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, & 3 years of experience as a Special Education Resource Teacher for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade in Columbia, Illinois.
A little bit about myself... I am getting married on July 1st of this year to my wonderful fiance, Emilio Pinero. We also have a 1-year-old boxer puppy named Hazel. In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and friends, being outside, exercising, and traveling!
I cannot wait to get to know you all and I am very grateful to join this amazing Avery community!
Late Start Information
Please click the link for additional details related to late starts.
Beginning this school year, the Webster Groves School District has added late start days to the school calendar.
Late start days will allow for additional time for our teachers to use data and collaboratively plan to continue to address the needs of all of our students.
The schedule for late starts is below:
Late Start Supervision Program - 7:40am-8:50am
School Day Arrival Begins - 8:50am
School Begins - 9:05am
Families who need help with student supervision on late start days can participate in a program available at each building. If you already signed up for this supervision, you should have received a confirmation email from Avery on Sunday, August 14th at 9:45am.
If you are in need of supervision for your child(ren) and have not received a confirmation email that they are in our late start supervision program, please click here and complete the form.
Members of the Avery staff will manage the Late Start Supervision Program, including instructional aides and substitute teachers. Families who participate in the morning Adventure Club Program will automatically be enrolled in the Late Start Supervision Program.
For additional information on the late start program, please check out our district website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/domain/4244
Avery PTO - We've Got Some Shoes to Fill!
Avery Elementary PTO relies on volunteer leaders to support programming and initiatives throughout the year. For the 2023-2024 school year we have a number of Executive Board and Committee Chair roles to fill. Take a look at the role descriptions and reach out to pto.averyelementary@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions!
PTO is amending our bylaws!
PTO is amending our bylaws to include a new board position - the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion! This new position will ensure equity is considered in communications, programming, fundraising, distribution of funds, and all other activities of the PTO. We're very excited to be adding this position. Additional changes to the bylaws include grammatical and language updates. We will be voting to approve the bylaws at our next meeting on Monday, May 15th so please take a look and let us know if you have any questions. The PTO board can be reached by emailing pto.averyelementary@gmail.com or calling Ingrid at 312-399-1343.
https://mo02202299.schoolwires.net/cms/lib/MO02202299/Centricity/Domain/103/2023ByLawsAmended.pdf
Keeping Kids Safe Online
Thank you for joining us for last week's PTO meeting! We had great conversation and learned a lot about digital safety! Here is a link to Mr. Brown's presentation.
The Scholastic BOGO book fair is back!
The Scholastic BOGO book fair is back! From May 10th-11th, the book fair will be in the gym vestibule from 7:40-3:30 and all books are buy one, get one free. We really need your help to make the event a success, so please use the link below to sign up!
Please join us for the 5th grade art show!
Please join us for the 5th grade art show!
The 5th grade art show will be taking place at Hixson on May 4th from 5 - 7 pm. Please come anytime between 5-7 pm. Each 5th grader in the district designed and created a work of art for the show! Family and friends please come and check out the exciting works of art created by the 5th grade students from Avery, Bristol, Edgar Road, Hudson and Clark. We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you,
Jessica Neusitz
Art Teacher
Jr. Statesmen softball camp
Join the Statesmen coaches and guest instructors this summer for a four day camp covering all of the basics of fundamental fastpitch softball. Campers will learn drills and play the same games the Statesmen use in practice while receiving plenty of small group and age appropriate instruction.
Adventure Club registration for 2023-24 school year
The enrollment window for Adventure Club for next school year is currently open. If you wish to enroll your child(ren) in before or after school care, please navigate to the Adventure Club website, click on the link titled “2023-24 Adventure Club Waitlist”, and follow the prompts to be placed on the waitlist. The waitlist form will still be accessible after April 14. Families will be notified after April 24 on the status of their enrollment.
Get tickets for Avery Socials and Parties for the coming months now!
One Book One School
We hope you are enjoying the book Wishtree with your students. There have been so many strong connections and conversations here at school.
Please remember to submit pictures of your family reading the book together!
Here are some resources:
Check in with Mrs. Wallace
Our building wide universals for social emotional learning and personal success continue to be: The Avery Way, The Zones of Regulation, and the 7 Habits. Please contact me if you have any questions about these universals or the counseling program at Avery.
Students will also continue our building wide focus on the 7 Habits of Happy Kids by learning about Habit #6… Synergize this month.
Habit #6 Synergize states: I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different from me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems. I know that “two heads are better than one”. I am a better person when I left other people into my life and work.
Life Skills introduced with this habit are:
1. Deciding how to utilize everyone’s strengths to get a task completed.
2. Celebrating differences amongst a group of people.
3. Resolving conflict.
Parenting Help… What are Thinking Traps?
Thinking traps are way of thinking that increase anxiety, worry, and stress. They often involve jumping to conclusions, guiding that things will go badly in the future and making connections that might not really make sense.
Here are 4 common Thinking Traps that are often connected to anxiety:
1. Fortune Telling- predicting something bad will happen in the future.
2. Catastrophizing- Making little problems or worries seem like big problems.
3. Overgeneralization-assuming that because we were worried or nervous in one situation, we will feel like that again.
4. All or nothing thinking- seeing things as “all good” or “all bad”.
Kindergarten classes have been synergizing with classmates by staying connected and moving a hula hoop around their circle to show that even though they are all different they can work together well.
1st graders finished learning "The Black Belt Secret". Grinner and Black Belt finished their steps to becoming a winner and Grinner learned he has the power to be a mentor and help others learn about it too. Ask your first grader about Grinner the Winner !
Second graders are coming home on Friday and Monday with a special little spot of kindness. It is a little circle sticker because when kindness is received "it sticks" to you. Spreading kindness and accepting differences is a large part of Habit # 6 Synergize. Ask your 2nd grader about it!
District Survey Opportunity
Helping students do their best in school requires a team effort. Parents, families, students, staff, and schools all play important roles in this process. To help all of us learn how to make your child’s school experience as positive and beneficial as possible, please give us your honest, thoughtful responses to the questions below. Your responses will be completely anonymous. If a question does not apply to you or you do not want to respond, then you may skip to the next question. If you have multiple children in our school, please complete one survey for each child.
Take the anonymous survey here.
Avery Elementary
Website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Avery
Location: 909 North Bompart Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: 314.963.6425
Facebook: facebook.com/averyallstarswg
Twitter: @avery_allstars