This month our school has enjoyed diving into Women's History Month. We are also enjoying our month long celebration of reading, through Camp-Read-A-Lot! Students have been invited to pick a book and cozy up in the "campsite" in our Hall of Flags and enjoy old fashioned reading for pleasure.

We are excited to showcase student artwork, student performances, and academic progress during our Evening with the Arts this Thursday (March 17th) from 5:30-7:00. Come to our open house style showcase and enjoy a performance at 5:30 (mini-musical) and again at 6:30 (Jump Rope Club). In between the performances, check out your child's art in the hallways and listen to them showcase their academic progress in their classrooms by reviewing projects and/or data notebooks.

The 3rd Nine Weeks report cards will be coming home on Thursday, March 17th. Please review those with your child and invite them to reflect on their progress throughout this school year. If you have questions or would like to learn more about how you can support your student the last few weeks of school and leading into summer, reach out to your child's teachers.

We look forward to wrapping up the month of March and kicking off Spring Break on Friday, March 25th at our March Dojo Celebration through a WES Scavenger Hunt. Encourage your child to continue working toward 93% positive points the last few days of March.

Check out several options in this month's newsletter to offer feedback to our team:

• Family Perception of the Best Learning Environment for 2022-2023
• Team Together: WES Family Support Group
• JCS Online Registration
• Speak Up! Technology Survey (English, Spanish)

Please continue reading this month's edition of the Bear Cub Bulletin to learn more about family events and upcoming opportunities to connect with our school.

Email: monica.thompson@jessamine.kyschools.us

Phone: (859)858-3134

We are so proud to have Erica Wilson represent Wilmore as our Teacher of the Year. Erica is dedicated, compassionate, and the definition of flexible. She has a kids-first mindset. She thrives when she is challenged and seeks creative and innovative solutions. Erica builds positive and proactive relationships with students and families. She is a clear communicator and invites student voice and choice. She has high behavior and academic expectations. Ms. Wilson is an educator who just "gets it". She seeks opportunities to grow professionally and mentors her colleagues when she learns something new or finds a resource that will have a positive impact on student learning. Ms. Wilson is willing to ask the hard questions, but is also willing to collaborate with others to find a solution to support students. She is a goal-oriented teacher and driven by her love of students feeling seen and heard.

Ms. Wilson, we are blessed to have you on our team. Thanks for putting kids first and making them feel valued in your space!

We value your input and support as we navigate student placements for the upcoming school year. Our staff is in the process of creating a survey to gather your feedback about the best learning environment for your child for the upcoming school-year. The survey will gather details about your child's personality, learning styles, and the support level your child needs academically, socially, and/or emotionally. While specific requests for teachers/classrooms are not considered and should not be requested, there are a number of factors that parents can be instrumental in providing that assists in the placement process.

Class placement is a lengthy and complex task involving classroom teachers, special area teachers, support staff, and the school leadership team to place each child in a learning environment that supports them in their success.

It is the responsibility of the principal to make the final decision on classes and the placement of students. Rest assured, a great deal of thought, planning and time goes into forming new classes each year. Student, family, and school-staff feedback will all be taken into consideration. Similarly, there are many factors to consider in the placement of students, including; learner achievement/performance based on school assessments, social and emotional needs of students, behavior, gender balance between classes, friendship groups, and special needs.

We respectfully ask that you trust our school in making these important decisions.

The class placement committee looks forward to taking your feedback into consideration:

Family Perception of the Best Learning Environment for 2022-2023

• 3rd Nine Weeks Report Cards Sent Home on Thursday, March 17th.
• Spring Arts and Student Showcase:Evening with the Arts on Thursday, March 17th
• Spring Break: March 28th-April 1st
• SBDM Meeting in the Library on Wednesday, April 6th at 3:15
• April PTO Meeting on Wednesday, April 13th
• Class Placement Family Perception Surveys Due on Friday, April 15th
• Spring Fling hosted by the PTO on Friday, April 22nd
• Storybook Walk (Kindergarten Transition Night) and Entrepreneur Fair on Tuesday, April 26th 5:30-7:00
• JCS Online Registration is now open
• Consider taking the Team Together: Family Support Group Survey
• Complete the Speak Up! Family Survey so that our school can earn additional instructional technology. English Spanish

Don't forget to bring your ID inside school with you when you need to pick up a student. In the future, when volunteers and visitors are invited back into the building with students, we will require your ID then as well. We are using Raptor Technologies as part of our JCS safety protocols. This protocol is in place every day, so we will ask for your ID every time that you visit the school.

We are excited to invite some students to participate in our Jessamine County Elevate Summer Program for the summer of 2022! The program is designed to provide additional instruction in core subject areas. We wish we had space to invite all of our Wilmore Bear Cubs, but we have limited space due to hosting Rosenwald-Dunbar students at our school this summer as well! If your child received an invitation to Elevate, please return it if you'd like them to attend and we will be in touch with greater details over the next few weeks.

If you have any questions about Elevate, please feel free to contact our program coordinator, Katie Adams, at katie.adams@jessamine.kyschools.us.

Kindergarten Registration is open for the 2022-2023 school-year. Visit the JCS website for additional details and the link to complete online registration.

Mark your calendars for our second annual, Storybook Walk for incoming Kindergarten students and families. Incoming Kindergarten students will have an opportunity to meet Wilmore staff members, including 1st grade teachers, and explore our campus on Tuesday, April 26th from 6:00-7:00. We will share additional information in the upcoming weeks.

Based on our Class Dojo data and Office Discipline Referral data, our PBIS committee made the decision to celebrate Wilmore Wellness Wednesday each week. Our data indicated that Wednesdays are challenging for students, specifically striving for success and regulating their emotions when interacting with their peers. As a school we will begin our Wednesday mornings with a video reviewing social/emotional strategies and practices so that we can start the day with a positive mindset. Ask your child about different strategies they can use when they need a quiet place to re-set their mood/mindset and how they can manage stress.

We look forward to continuing our Second Step social/emotional curriculum on Wellness Wednesdays so our students feel empowered to advocate for themselves and communicate their emotions.

Wilmore is combining the Power Up! Reading Challenge with our month long Camp Read-A-Lot. Ask your Bear Cub about their camping experience in our Hall of Flags.

Check out the Power Up! Jessamine County Public Library Challenge that we are participating in as a school to encourage reading outside of school of the school day.

Here is the Reading Log that your student can use to track their out of school reading. They are challenged to read 500 minutes from now until March 22nd. Students must turn in their logs to school by March 22nd.

Students who read 300 minutes and track it on their log in 20 minute increments earn a FREE BOOK from JCPL! Additional minutes on their log equates additional prizes. Every 100 minutes of reading will earn your student a chance to win the grade prize of $50 Amazon Gift Card!

What is the Speak Up survey?

The purpose of the survey is to inform our technology plan, and Ed Tech initiatives across the district. We will use the data to help district leaders and teachers better understand the student perspective and situation with technology. The results of the survey will give up information and action steps to remove barriers for students and teachers inside the classroom. The goal is to leverage technology as a tool as it actually relates to students and their success.

This data is vital feedback to help us know the direction of technology. Especially, when it pertains to our technology plans.

MAJOR INCENTIVE FOR WILMORE ELEMENTARY: Schools that meets these three percentages, will be entered to win one of three 75" ClearTouch interactive boards.

How are our goals as it comes to participants of the survey for the Jessamine County Schools?

• 60% of Teachers taking the Survey

• 60% of Students taking the Survey

• 30% of Families Taking the survey

Please help Wilmore Elementary meet our goal of at least 30% family participation:

Families:

• English: https://speakup.tomorrow.org/S/T7M2/5

• Spanish: https://speakup.tomorrow.org/S/T7M2/11

Still needing support with navigating Dojo? Check out these resources for families:

Dojo Resources for Parents/Guardians

How Students Post on their Portfolio for Families to See

Check out your child's daily, weekly, and monthly positive point and re-direction points.