Wildcat Weekly
Back-to-School 2018 Edition
Welcome Back to School!
Teachers have been hard at work prepping their rooms, understanding new initiatives, and bonding as a team. We are all truly excited to welcome everyone back. If you are on Twitter, you know that we tackled a beautification project that spreads positivity throughout the building. I can't wait for the students to see all of the special messages.
Sneak-a-Peek is August 23rd [2-3 PM]
4-Day Rotating Schedule
We are going into our second year of a rotating schedule. A sample 4-Day rotating schedule is listed below. Teachers will start to communicate specific schedule information next week after the Parent Portal is open. As a reminder:
- All four Specials will be 50 minutes long. Each class will be assigned a Special on one of the four days in the cycle [see sample pictured below]. A few benefits to this type of schedule are that each class has a Special each day, all Specials are the same length, and we will not skip a day in the rotation for designated holidays or school closures.
Confused? Don't worry! We will provide reminders and your student will learn it fast.
Back-to-School Gateway & Online Paperwork
Hopefully, you have had a chance to read the various emails from our central administration regarding the start of the 2018-19 school year. These include:
- Back to School Website - this is the gateway where you access the required digital paperwork to start the year (e.g., health information, bus information, verify contact information, etc.)
- Activity fees - if your child will participate in afterschool sports, band, strings, or chorus
- National School Lunch
- Immunization requirements and this handy "cheat sheet" - As the email indicates, our nurses contacted families with children who had missing documentation. If you are newly enrolled, a nurse will reach out next week IF updated immunizations are needed.
If you are new to WCASD or you having difficulty with access, please call Kelly (484-266-1802). Thank you for your patience and for completing the required forms in advance of the year. It helps us significantly to have it done.
Friday, Aug 17, 2018, 09:00 PM
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Save the Date!
- Wednesday, August 22nd - Kindergarten Open House for Parents (7 PM - 8 PM)
- Thursday, August 23rd - Sneak-a-Peek (2 PM - 3 PM); PTO Social for New Families at Sammy's Place (3 PM - 4 PM)
- Monday, August 27th [DAY 1] - First Day ALL students [K-5]
- Tuesday, August 28th [DAY 2] - Grades 1 & 2 Open House (7 PM - 8 PM)
- Wednesday, August 29th [DAY 3] - Grades 3, 4, & 5 Open House (7 PM - 8 PM)
- Thursday, August 30th [DAY 4]
- Friday, August 31st - No School
- Monday, September 3rd - No School
Raptor Visitor Management System
Transportation FAQs
Volunteer Clearances!
First 20 Days of School
Research on the importance of the first twenty days of school has some common themes. At the elementary level, in particular, the way in which a teacher and the larger school community develops its daily routines and builds the sense of safety and trust is critical to student success. The teachers and staff at WTE do an incredible job of teaching routines in the classrooms, in the halls, and at lunch/recess. We give a variety of assessments over the course of the early days to get a firm understanding of each student’s areas of strength and need in order to plan our differentiated instruction.
Overview of the Daily Time Allotments [K- 5th]
*Teachers will share how it is divided in their opening communications.*
English, Language Arts (ELA) - 120 minutes
Mathematics - 75 minutes
Science & Social Studies - 45 minutes
Specials [Art, Music, Library, & P.E.] - 50 minutes
Recess - 30 minutes
Lunch - 30 minutes
Our best advice to parents, especially if you have a K or 1st Grader, is to be positive and reassure your child that the faculty and staff at WTE will be there to help you punch in a lunch number, find a classroom, or anything else! This does build resiliency in your children.