The WES Parent Wildcat Weekly
Home of the Wildcats!
Week of March 1-5, 2021
Hello from Principal Holmes!
Dear Wildcat Parents,
It is amazing to see ALL of our wildcats hard at work. Our staff, teachers, parents, and our students have all come together to make learning possible for our wildcats! Thank you for everything you are doing to be a part of this historical era of learning in education.
Congratulations to our Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Ali Knighting, a special education teacher. Mrs. Knighting always goes above and beyond to help and work with any and all students. She works with the Office of Student Support Services and leads Wilderness’s special education team. Mrs. Knighting is completely student-centered. When you walk into her classroom, you will find a calm setting where students’ individual needs are being met. Mrs. Knighting has a gift to be able to connect with students on all levels and bring out their best. Congratulations again to Mrs. Knighting!
Our Read-a-Thon has been very successful. Our learners are reading! I hope they are finding a love for reading and discovering some great books along the way. On March 10th, we are going to have our Read-a-Thon celebration at 12:00. During that time, I will be getting my hair dyed by Mrs. Smith, our assistant principal, and we want the top reader to help her! Along with the celebration, we are predicting to meet our goal of 50, 000 minutes logged so we will celebrate with an ice cream party. This will be all curbside and more detailed information will be coming.
Where in Wilderness is Mrs. Holmes? Beginning this week, students and staff will be on the lookout for me throughout the building. In an effort to identify various locations throughout our building for our students, especially our virtual students, I will be popping into virtual meets from different locations. Where in Wilderness is Mrs. Holmes? So be on the lookout for me!
Thank you for all you do to support our wildcat learners. It is through your support and dedication that we can continue to navigate this unique year to ensure our wildcat learners are successful. We appreciate you!
With wildcat pride and spirit,
Dianne Holmes
Principal
A Message from our Superintendent Dr. Baker
With March upon us, we are just two weeks from completing the 3rd academic quarter prior to Spring Break. We experienced a good transition back to our pre-k-12 hybrid learning mode. The past few weeks have been impacted by frequent and abundant wintry weather conditions. Hopefully, the next week will be free from additional disruptions!
On Tuesday afternoon, we shared a media release detailing our school division’s being designated as one of the Top Employers in America by Forbes Magazine. If you have not had an opportunity to read the release, it is linked here.
Below are some announcements and reminders as we look to the week ahead.
Announcements & Reminders
We are back in full hybrid in-person learning again. Our entire staff has been so glad to see our students and families back in our schools and buildings this week!
We apologize for any confusion on Tuesday related to the decision to move from an in-person delay to a delayed virtual learning day (synchronous). The road conditions that morning were very unexpected and did not improve quickly enough for us to move forward with safe in-person learning. We are continuing to review our inclement weather codes that are used to communicate the status of school and 12-month employees; specifically, to better align them to our new ability to support both synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
Our COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily and can be viewed in the Return to Learn section on each school’s website or by clicking this link: SCPS COVID-19 Dashboard. Also, on our webpage is a link to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Dashboard. This site provides data and statistics regarding COVID-19 positivity rates and cases per 100,000 by locality, region, and state.
FY2022 Budget Information & upcoming critical dates:
This past Tuesday, the School Board Chair Ms. Dawn Shelley, and Vice-Chair Dr. Lorita Daniels presented the approved school board budget request to the County Board of Supervisors. To access the presentation, you can click on this link.
Please see the detailed calendar of additional dates critical to the process here: FY 2022 Approved Critical Budget Dates.
School Board meetings can be viewed online at https://www.regionalwebtv.com/spotsysb. Meetings are live-streamed. Recordings of each meeting may be accessed at the same link. Additionally, meetings may be viewed on cable channels: Comcast Channel 17, Cox Channel 18, and Verizon Channel 36.
Currently, our school counselors are scheduling our middle and high school students for the 2021-2020 school year. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions or need support with scheduling. The latest Family Connection webinar is available for viewing and focuses on Academic and Career Planning for middle and high school students. Be sure to check it out at https://amsva.wistia.com/projects/7ofldfzadl.
Expanded Summer School draft plans are underway. This year’s plans include a focus on skill development and social-emotional learning through a project-based approach. Additionally, we have expanded our support to students with disabilities as well. We hope to have the plan completed within the next couple of weeks.
This year’s Race for Education will be virtual. This family-friendly 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk raises funds to enhance the quality and impact of student learning experiences in Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS) through the Spotsylvania Education Foundation (SEF). Participants will complete their 5K or 1 Mile during April 16-18. All participants will be eligible for prizes and one elementary, one middle, and one high school will each receive $300 for the most school participation. For complete details or to register for the race go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Fredericksburg/SpotsyRaceForEducation.
Looking for a way to support our families in need? We’re excited to announce our new partnership with @purposity! To support our mission, just download the Purposity app and follow Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Your donations will help fill the shelves of our Treasure House, which directly supports our students in need. To get started, download the Purposity app in the App Store or Google Play and be sure to follow us.
Have a great week!
Dr. S. Scott Baker
What's happening at WES the next two weeks?
The Read-A-Thon Continues!
- All students registered to participate in the Read-a-Thon will receive a FREE BOOK!
- All students that log reading minutes will be entered into a drawing to be the PRINCIPAL for the day. We will draw one name per grade level!
- The top 3 readers per class will be invited to have LUNCH with the Principal and Assistant Principal!
- The top reader for each grade level will receive a FREE one-year MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION!
- The top reader for the school will pick the color of dye and help dye Mrs. Holmes' hair!
As of Friday, Feb. 26, here are the leaders with the most minutes logged:
Top 5 Classes:
Mrs. Moreyra - 5,633 minutes
Ms. Knutsson - 2,553 minutes
Mrs. Eckhart - 1,400 minutes
Mrs. Smith - 1,350 minutes
Mrs. Winderl - 1,168 minutes
Top 5 Students:
Erin, Mrs. Moreyra's class - 1,740 minutes
Addison, Mrs. Moreyra - 1,045 minutes
Collin, Mrs. Yawberg - 1,010 minutes
Ethan, Mrs. Moreyra's class - 898 minutes
Madison, Mrs. Moreyra's class - 665 minutes
From the Social Worker
Crystal Burton, MSW
Supervisee in Clinical Social Work
School Social Worker
Wilderness Elementary School
540-786-9817 x8667
From Nurse Stevens
General Reminders:
Please Do NOT send your child to school if:
- they have Covid-like symptoms: (fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, fatigue, malaise, sore throat, congestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache).
- You or a family member is being tested for Covid.
- If you are on the fence and need more info about a possible exposure or how to handle a situation, please call/text Mrs. Stevens or Mrs. Holmes. It is always good to err on the side of caution.
Text Message Principal Holmes at 540-846-6075 or E-mail: dholmes@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Post Oak Middle School rising 6th grade students
Hello Rising 6th Grade Students and Families,
Post Oak Middle School is looking forward to meeting all of our new Patriots and we are proud to introduce our new VIRTUAL ORIENTATION. Click HERE to view our virtual orientation flyer which will allow you to take a building tour, watch videos about sixth grade life, and join some virtual question and answer sessions!
We look forward to meeting our new Patriots!
SCPS Food Distribution Information - It's FREE
- Hybrid students can receive FREE breakfast and lunch each day!
- SCPS will distribute FREE breakfast and lunch grab and go meal bags to all children age 18 years and under as well as to any enrolled student who participates in SCPS support services programs, such as REACH.
- Food distribution will take place on Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the sites noted below and 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the 5 sites noted below.
- Food may be picked up at any location regardless of where your child attends school.
- Each Wednesday bag contains: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, a snack, and a dinner meal kit. One bag will be provided for each child.
- It is not necessary for the student to accompany a parent/guardian in order for them to receive grab-and-go meals.
- Free meals are being provided to all children - there is no income restriction.
- Meals may be picked up at any school site.
- For more information Click Here!
Contact Us!
Daniella Smith, Assistant Principal
Tori Elliott, School Counselor
Crystal Burton, School Social Worker
Email: dholmes@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Website: https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/Domain/23
Location: 11600 Catharpin Road, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA, USA
Phone: 540-786-9817
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildernessWildcats
Twitter: @WESwildcats98