The Monthly Mustang
The Official Newsletter for Wedgwood School Families
APRIL 2023
Mustangs Participate in District Art Show
Wedgwood School will hold our building's Art Show and Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, May 31, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. All Wedgwood students will have artwork featured, with a yummy ice cream social sponsored by our Wedgwood PTO. We hope to see you there!
Wedgwood Students Shine At Instrumental Music Concert
Third Graders Learn How To Be "Phillies Phit"
Wedgwood's third graders first-hand what it means to be “Phillies Fit” when representatives from the Philadelphia Phillies youth baseball and softball development group brought the “Phillies Phitness” program to the school on Tuesday, April 25.
The Phillies Phitness program, presented by GIANT, is designed to educate children about steps they can take now to ensure a healthy future. Students learn the importance of being active through both exercises and activities they do every day, as well as the importance of smart food choices and good sleep.
After discussing what it means to be “Phillies Fit” – including being strong, agile, and athletic – the Phillies’ reps led students through a series of exercises before organizing relay races that reinforced the importance of teamwork.
Building Teams By Showing Fifth Graders How To Believe and Achieve
Forty-four select fifth-grade students from Wedgwood and Hurffville Schools attended the TEAM Believe and Achieve Project on Friday, April 28, in the Hurffville gymnasium.
Students took part in physical education-based team-building and cooperative activities in an effort to make connections with peers with whom they will attend Chestnut Ridge Middle School in the fall.
This character-building program was piloted by Mrs. Jenna Wehrle (Wedgwood) and Mrs. Melissa McNally (Hurffville) in an effort to bring back a more modern version of the former “Fitness Achievement Day.”
Kids Heart Challenge Money Raised
Wedgwood's students raised nearly $13,000 during our participation in the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge! Our entire school community is proud of the generosity of those who helped friends born with special hearts. While promoting the Kids Heart Challenge, students were offered incentives to encourage their participation.
On April 26, the top two fundraising students in each class and any student who raised over $300 were invited to the gymnasium to shoot Mr. Zimmerman with silly string! Classrooms from each grade level that had the highest percentage of students register online for the Kids Heart Challenge were in attendance for the shenanigans!
Cole The Deaf Dog Teaches How Disability Is A Superpower
All Wedgwood students were treated to a very special superhero on Friday, April 21...Cole the Deaf Dog!
Cole is a deaf pitbull pup, but he’s helping the world hear with their hearts. His message is simple and profound: a disability is not an inability, it's a superpower. Passed up by countless families at the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter because he was deemed “broken,” Cole started impacting lives with his message when he was adopted by his handler, Chris Hannah, a public school music teacher in Vineland. Mr. Hannah and Cole, a certified therapy dog, now travel around spreading a message of advocacy, acceptance, and inclusion.
Cole teaches children that it’s okay to be different, and that those differences can serve as a superpower. Cole even sports a superhero costume, complete with cape, at many of his visits. We were all touched by Cole's important message of acceptance and inclusion!
Attendance Matters at Wedgwood
Regular attendance at school is critical for every student’s success. Parents are required to call the school and report student absences or tardiness. When a child is absent and the Attendance Office has not been notified, every attempt is made to notify parents by 11:00 a.m. Parents may call (856) 227-8112 at any time to leave a message at the attendance office, explaining the reason for the absence. In accordance with District Policy 5200 - Attendance, a student’s absence can be excused by administration when a note is provided upon return from an absence for one of the following reasons:
- Student illness
- Death in the family
- Excused religious observances, pursuant to N.J.S.A 18A:36-14 through 16
- Out of School Suspension
- Required attendance in court
- Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments
- Theatrical productions when student holds a Theatrical permit
Documentation should be submitted on the student’s first day back to school. All other absences are unexcused. Students with ten (10) or more unexcused absences are considered truant, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:38-27. Truancy may result in the involvement of additional agencies to help return the student to regular school attendance. Please make every effort to maintain high attendance rates for your child.
Early Dismissal/Sign Out Procedures
You are encouraged to schedule appointments for your child outside the scheduled school day. However, whenever it is necessary for you to pick up your child at school, please plan to do so prior to dismissal. Parents are not permitted to meet their child as the students are exiting the school building, walking to their assigned bus or waiting at the bus loop. If an emergency exists and you must pick up your child at dismissal, please phone the school ahead of time to make these arrangements.
In order to ensure the safety of all students, we must insist that the following procedures be followed whenever you pick your child up from school during school hours:
- The parent/guardian must submit a Wedgwood Change to Dismissal Form to make any changes to a student’s regular dismissal procedure. This form is always available on our school’s website. Please send the completed form in with your child on the morning the dismissal change is to occur. Calling in dismissal changes to the main office should only be done in emergency situations.
- A parent/guardian must report to the Wedgwood Vestibule and sign out the student. If an adult other than the custodial parent/guardian is to pick up the student, the parent/guardian must authorize the student’s release in writing or by a phone call ahead of time. The authorized person must show Identification. No student will be released to a minor or an unauthorized adult. All authorized persons must be listed in the emergency contact information in PowerSchool.
- Please know that students who spend less than four hours in school (not including lunch) due to arriving tardy or leaving early will be marked absent for the day.
- Parents may not pick up their children from a classroom, a hallway, the bus loop, or any other part of the building or school grounds.
Changes to Breakfast and Lunch Program for 2022-2023
This year features changes made to our lunch and breakfast program. The federal government has discontinued Universal Free Meals for this school year. Therefore, families will need to plan accordingly for their children to be able to purchase breakfast or lunch at school.
Meal prices for 2022-2023 are as follows:
- Lunch - $3.50
- Breakfast - $2.50
To view the monthly lunch menu, to apply for free/reduced lunch, and/or to place money in your child’s account to purchase breakfast and/or lunch, please visit the WT Food Services website at: https://www.wtps.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=31979
You will find the information you need on that website! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our district's Food Services Department directly at 856-582-4010.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please review the following information regarding Wedgwood School's arrival and dismissal procedures.
Walking Students
- Walking students are to arrive at the school not earlier than 9:20 AM
- The dismissal of walkers begins at 3:45 p.m.
- Students walking home will exit down the walkers' path at the back of the school, toward Dorado Avenue.
Students Dropped Off
- All traffic must enter the Wedgwood parking lot through the entrance designated in the diagram above.
- Cars are to move all of the way forward in the drop off line before releasing students for arrival.
- Students who are dropped off to school will enter the building via the door by the playground.
- Students are to be dropped off to school no earlier than 9:15 a.m.
- Parents/Guardians who are dropping students off must do so by allowing them to exit the vehicle along the sidewalk on the side of the building. Please do not park your car and drop off your child from the parking lot. Once your child has exited the vehicle, please continue on the drop-off loop as detailed in the illustration above.
Students Picked Up
- Students who will be picked up by a parent will exit the school from the door by the playground. Wedgwood staff will supervise all students until a parent comes and personally escorts the child to the vehicle.
- The dismissal of walkers will begin at 3:45 p.m. This includes those who will be picked up by a parent/guardian.
- All parents/guardians who wish to pick up their students at dismissal or who require alternative arrangements for pickup must notify the main office in writing. All written notification should be directed to your child's classroom teacher as well as our main office secretary, Mrs. Crosby, so that your child's needs can be met. She can be reached at bcrosby@wtps.org. Students are not permitted to verbally tell Wedgwood staff that they require alternative arrangements for pickup; all requests must be made in writing by the student's parent/guardian. If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus.
- Students who are scheduled to be picked up and do not have a parent/guardian present at the time of dismissal will be brought to the main office. As per district policy, we will attempt to contact the parent(s) and/or emergency contacts on file. If no contact can be made within 30 minutes following school dismissal, the main office will coordinate efforts with the Washington Township Police Department to make contact with the student's parent/guardian.
- Parents/guardians are responsible for reviewing the school calendar and complying with all school dismissal times and procedures.
Regular Dismissal
- Students will board the buses in the loading area at the front of the school. Wedgwood Staff will escort Kindergarten and First Grade students to their buses to help build dismissal routines for our youngest learners.
- If a teacher does not receive a note about the change in the child’s regular dismissal, the child will be sent home on his/her assigned bus. Students are not permitted to ride any other bus but the one that is assigned to them.
District Device Tech Support
All Washington Township Public Schools students are issued a tablet or laptop device by the district! Please contact our Technology Department at studenthelp@wtps.org if you need to pick up your child's device or require tech support. Be sure to submit a description of your request, along with your child's name and Student ID/PIN number (if available).
PTO Reminders
PTO MEMBERSHIP
Please join the PTO and help make this school year amazing for our students and staff. PTO membership is only $10.00 for the year per family. Please include your Mustang's Name(s), Grade(s) and Teacher(s) with payment. Payment can be sent to school with your child, via Venmo at @wedgwood-pto, or mailed to the school at 236 Hurffville Rd., Sewell, NJ 08080.
WEDGWOOD PTO EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS
The Wedgwood PTO is preparing for elections for our 2023-2024 Executive Board. Please email wedgwoodpto@yahoo.com if you're interested in running for office!
STAY CONNECTED
Follow our Wedgwood PTO on Facebook and Instagram. Also, sign-up for your grade level PTO reminds. Email wedgwoodpto@yahoo.com with any questions.
Important Dates
- May 9 - Franklin Institute Field Trip - Grades 3-5
- May 9 - Wedgwood PTO Meeting - Wedgwood Library - 7:00 p.m.
- May 9 - Washington Township Board of Ed. Work Session - 7:00 p.m.
- May 10 - Wedgwood Drama Club Performance - "We Are Monsters" - 7:00 p.m.
- May 15-19 - NJSLA Testing - Grade 3
- May 15 - Grade 5 Kickball Kraze Tournament - Total Turf - 6:00 p.m.
- May 16 - Washington Township Board of Ed. Regular Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
- May 22 - D.A.R.E. Graduation - RBPAC @ WTHS - 6:00 p.m.
- May 23 - Wedgwood Field Day
- May 25 - EARLY DISMISSAL - Staff Inservice - 2:10 Dismissal
- May 26-29 - SCHOOL CLOSED - Memorial Day Weekend
- May 31 - Wedgwood Art Show & Ice Cream Social - 6:00 p.m.
- June 2 - Safety Patrol Picnic
- June 6 - Wedgwood Fifth Grade Pool Party
- June 7-12 - EARLY DISMISSAL WITH NO LUNCHES - 1:30 Dismissal
- June 12 - Fifth Grade Stepping Up Ceremony
- June 12 - Last Day of School for Students
Wedgwood Elementary School
Email: czimmerman@wtps.org
Website: wtps.org/wedgwood
Location: 236 Hurffville Road, Sewell, NJ 08080
Phone: (856) 227-8110
Facebook: facebook.com/wedgwoodwtps
Twitter: @wedgwoodwtps