The Wellwood Globe
Wellwood International Elementary | December 2018
From the Principal's Desk
Greetings and Happy Holidays! It was wonderful to see so many parents and guardians during American Education Week! We are very appreciative that the PTA provided refreshments every morning for visiting family members. This year, Grandparents’ Day was postponed due to inclement weather. We will be rescheduling this special day in the new year. Please be on the lookout for a new date in January. Now that conferences have been held and report cards distributed, this is a great time to set goals and focus efforts for this second marking period.
May the spirit of the season bring peace and happiness to all our Wellwood families! We are so fortunate to be a part of a community that celebrates and values many different cultures and customs.
Yours truly,
Mrs. O’Neill, Principal
Important Dates to Remember
December 17-21 Spirit Week
December 18 5th Grade Winter Concert 7:00 p.m.
December 19 First Grade Field Trip
December 21 Winter Break begins at end of school day
January 2 School Reopens
January 21 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday – Schools and Offices Closed
January 25 Second Marking Period Ends – Schools Close 3 Hours Early for All Students
5th Grade Winter Concert
The fifth graders at Wellwood have been busy singing and playing their instruments, and the time to showcase their hard work is coming soon. The Winter Concert for the fifth grade vocal and instrumental music program will be held at Wellwood International on Tuesday, December 18th. Two performances will be given that day: one for the students during school at 2:00 p.m., and one for families in the evening at 7:00 p.m. (Families who cannot make it to the evening concert are welcome to attend the earlier concert.)
Arrival Time for Performers: For the evening performance, STUDENTS WHO ARE INVOLVED SHOULD ARRIVE WITH THEIR INSTRUMENTS AND VOICES IN THE CAFETERIA AT 6:30 p.m. to warm up and prepare for the concert. Parents and families of the performers should then proceed to the gymnasium to be seated for the show.
Concert Attire: To present a unified and professional appearance, all student performers should wear a white top (no prints, please), black pants, and dress shoes. Any questions regarding concert attire should be directed to Mrs. Few or Ms. Marcussen before the day of the performance. To protect the privacy of the students, all video recording and photography during the performances are prohibited.
Student Participation: Student participation in both performances is an essential part of the musical experience at Wellwood. The evening performance allows them to demonstrate what they have been learning in music classes for you, their families, and it also gives them the important experience of performing with the excitement of having an audience. Performing can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and it also provides a strong incentive for the students to do their very best work. Student participation in performances is required, so please contact either of the music teachers by phone or email if your child cannot make it to the performances. Absences will be excused only with notice from a parent or guardian, and ALL fifth graders are expected to participate in the concert.
We look forward to seeing you at the performance, and we are very excited to showcase your wonderfully talented children!
Sincerely,
Ms. Marcussen, vocal/general music
Mrs. Few, instrumental music
Spirit Week is December 17-21, 2018!
Counselor's Corner
As part of our School Counseling Program, your child’s class will be participating in a counseling core curriculum lesson on personal safety and decision-making. The lessons are based on Baltimore County Public Schools’ Personal Safety Program K-5: Making Healthy Decisions curriculum. This program includes age appropriate information on body safety and neglect and abuse prevention strategies and highlights the importance of telling a trusted adult about uncomfortable situations. Our goal is to help children be better able to handle the issues of personal safety should they arise.
Keeping your child safe is a priority to all of us at Wellwood International School. It is our hope that these lessons will help to reinforce the information and strategies that you have already given your children, and that your family can discuss together the important information presented in these lessons. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the program. Questions? I can be reached via phone at 410-887-1212 or via email at ldelis@bcps.org.
Library News
Thank you to everyone who supported our Scholastic Book Fair! It was very successful and enjoyable. Our school library earned 50% of the revenue from the Book Fair and these funds will go towards ordering new books for our students.
A special thanks to our wonderful parent/grandparent volunteers: Joyce Anthony, Tamiya Baskerville, David Carroll, Kenya Day, Gabrielle Eckert, and Essence Gilbert. With your help, our students were able to enjoy shopping the Book Fair, checking out library books, and engaging in Library class lessons all within their Library class time. WOW! I greatly appreciated your help.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Garde
Library Media Specialist
Homework Helpers
Does your child love math? Do they need a little extra math help? Would they like to be on TV? Do they like to win prizes? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, we are here for you! Math Homework Helpers is a LIVE call in show for Baltimore County Public School students. On this show, two experienced math teachers help students with their math homework or any math problems.
Give it a try, and have your child “Tune In” and “Call In” to Math Homework Helpers every Wednesday, from 4:30-5:30 on BCPS-TV, Comcast Channel 73 or Verizon FiOS Channel 34.
After each call, your student will win a really cool prize which will be mailed to his/her school. The phone number to call on Wednesday is: 410-494-1459. We hope your child will join the fun!
Hearing and Vision Screening
Baltimore County Department of Health technicians will be at Wellwood International School on January 14-18, 22, 2019 to provide state-required hearing and vision screening. All students new to Baltimore County, in 1st grade, and in 4th grade will be screened. Kindergarten students not screened last school year will also be screened. If you do not want your child screened, please contact our school nurse, Ms. Seidler, at 410-602-0642 or cseidler@bcps.org. If your child is in a grade that is not scheduled for screening, is currently not under medical care and you have concerns about your child’s hearing and vision, you may contact Ms. Seidler to request that your child be added to the screening list.
Fifth Grade Pen Pal Program
We are excited to announce that all fifth graders will be participating in the 5th Grade Pen Pal Program this year.
By January, fifth graders will start writing to and receiving letters from their Pen Pal at a partner school. Students will write letters to their Pen Pal over the course of the school year. We encourage you to ask your child about their pen pal next month, and what they’re learning!
The Pen Pal program is in its fourth year, and we’ve had great success with it - both parents and children are forming friendships that last! Students love receiving letters from other children their age, learning about their likes/dislikes, finding commonalities and sharing their excitement about going to a new middle school. Teachers instruct fifth graders on how to write a letter, including what kinds of questions to ask and which information to share.
Classroom Visits
Classroom visits and conferences by parents and other authorized individuals are encouraged. Such visits should be arranged through the principal’s office or with the classroom teacher prior to coming to the school. If a parent wishes to visit a classroom during the instructional day, they must contact Mrs. O’Neill, Principal, or Mr. Paradis, Assistant Principal, to schedule a mutually agreed upon time to observe their child’s classroom. An administrator may accompany the parent during the classroom visit. Please be mindful that visits cannot interfere with the instructional program. The principal reserves the right to limit or schedule the visit in such a way to diminish or avoid disruption to the normal operation of the school.
Wellwood PTA
PTA Board Meeting December 17 at 5:30 p.m. *this is an executive meeting only**
Next PTA Meeting: January 22, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW LEADERS!
We are an active PTA with monthly meetings designed to keep you informed. Our meetings occur on the third Monday of every month at 5:30 P.M. in the library.
Members of our current board will be stepping down at the end of the school year. We are looking for new leaders and new members who would be interested in stepping up to help lead our PTA. Please contact us if you are interested, or to learn more.
Come meet and mingle with other parents! Membership forms will be available. It's never too late to join the PTA!
Current Board:
President: Shannon Johnson
Treasurer: Amie Liely
Secretary: Kia Stanfield
Social Media: Tracy Daniel
Inclement Weather Policy
The weather has turned colder, so it is important to remind all families to listen to the news each morning to learn whether school is opening on time. Most television news programs run information along the bottom of the television screen throughout the broadcast. You may call 410-887-5555 for information or check the BCPS website (www.bcps.org). You can also follow BCPS on Twitter @BaltCoPS or go to the BCPS page on Facebook. Or down load the free app “BCPS Now” to be informed of the latest operating status of schools in Baltimore County. It is important that we keep the school phone lines open for communication, so please do not call school. This is also a good time to review procedures with your child in case schools close early.
All Schools-Closed for the Entire Day
In the event of bad weather and very hazardous road conditions throughout the county, all schools may be closed for the entire day. Every effort will be made to have such an announcement given over the radio and television, Twitter, Facebook and the BCPS phone app by 5:30 am. (If on an inclement morning no announcement is made over local stations or social media, it is to be assumed that schools will be open as usual.)
All Schools-Late Opening
When weather conditions are such that it appears extremely hazardous to operate schools at the regular early morning hours but that traveling conditions will improve later in the morning, the opening of schools may be delayed one or two hours. In addition to delaying bus schedules, it may be necessary to temporarily alter certain bus routes. If school opens later than usual, please make sure that your child does not arrive before the announced opening time.
Two-Hour Delayed Opening
STUDENT ARRIVAL: Students in Grades KG thru 5 should arrive at school two hours later than normal. Buses will run their regular routes two hours later than normal.
WELLWOOD INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL TIME WHEN ONE HOUR LATE – 10:05 AM
WELLWOOD INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL TIME WHEN TWO HOURS LATE – 11:05 AM
Schools-Early Closings
When inclement weather develops throughout the county while pupils are in school, it may be advisable to close all schools early. In this event parents will be notified by radio and television announcements, Twitter, Facebook or the BCPS phone app. Wellwood will send an email and phone call using School Messenger. In the event that only Wellwood International is closed due to some unforeseen condition that warrants an early closing, we will refer to the Student Emergency Information form to contact parents via School Messenger phone call and/or e-mail. Please make sure you have provided us with the most updated information using BCPS One. Be sure your child knows what to do and where to go if schools close early or opens late.
One-Hour Early Closing
Students in Grades KG thru 5 will be dismissed one hour earlier than normal. Lunches will be served to students as usual.
Two-Hour Early Closing
Students in Grades KG thru 5 will be dismissed two hours earlier than normal. WELLWOOD INTERNATIONAL DISMISSAL TIME WHEN LEAVING TWO HOURS EARLY – 1:55 PM. Lunches will be served to students as usual.
Three- Hour Early Closing
Students in Grades KG thru 5 and all-day kindergarten programs will be dismissed three hours earlier than normal.Lunches will be served to students one hour earlier than normal.
Boxtops!
Makerspace and Green School Upcycling
Makerspace
Wellwood is collecting plates, cups, fabric and aluminum foil for our Makerspace. These items are used to create and complete different projects for all students at Wellwood.
Green School
Wellwood’s Green School committee is collecting empty/used ink cartridges and coke product codes.
We are also collecting used or damaged sneakers or tennis shoes. These will be recycled through a shoe recycling program.
Volunteering at Wellwood
Are you interested in volunteering or chaperoning field trips?
All volunteers/ field trip chaperones must complete the volunteer application and participate in an orientation/training session annually. Please click on the link below to access information about volunteering at Wellwood International.
Each year, all volunteers must complete the volunteer application and participate in an orientation/training session. In order to complete the training please complete the following steps:
1. Visit the BCPS website: https://www.bcps.org/
2. Click on the tab labeled “Community”
3. Select “Volunteer with BCPS”
4. Please follow the volunteer instructions.
Once you have completed the training, please print out the “Certificate of Completion” and “Volunteer Application” and bring it to Wellwood. If you are not able to complete the volunteer training at home, please contact Mrs. Delis at 410-887-1212 to set up an alternative time.
Important Links
Wellwood International Elementary School Mission
Wellwood International Elementary School Vision
About Us
Assistant Principal Mr. Paradis
Other Important Numbers:
Office:410-887-1212
School FAX: 410-887-1213
Guidance: 410-887-1212
Nurse:410-602-0642
Email: joneill@bcps.org
Website: http://wellwoodes.bcps.org/
Location: Wellwood International School, Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD, USA
Phone: 410-887-1212
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellwoodIntenationalPTA/
Twitter: @WellwoodIntlES