Hello Wildcat families,

We've had a busy few weeks with lots of activities going on at school! The Book Character Wellness Walk on 10/31 was a great time, and we were happy to see so many families join us to get in some great movement on an exciting day.

The WVE 20th Birthday celebration was a huge success, and our Food Services Department did a wonderful job preparing and serving food. Our AMAZING parent volunteers helped guide students through the outdoor cafeteria line, helped clean tables between service times, monitored students, and helped to get everyone's signature on our commemorative banner. Look for your child's name the next time you're in the cafeteria!

The Operation School Bell uniform fitting was last week, and 50 lucky students were able to get new uniforms and shoes. We have another fitting in March, so 50 more students will be drawn to go try on and take home some uniforms. We love our community partners!

The Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile continues to have lots of visitors each time they are on campus, so we will continue them coming to our parking lot a few times a month. I'll add the specific dates and grade level priority to our Dojo calendar.

Special Education classes went to a special Sensory-Friendly day at the Arizona State Fair, and had an amazing time exploring the different parts of the fair! 1st Grade went to Tolmachoff Farms and learned all about growing & harvesting vegetables! Most of our grade levels are planning a field trip this year, and paying for the busses is one of the big expenses that our PTO-sponsored Dollar Dress Down Days fund.

This week we also have lots going on. Wednesday is the Holiday Hustle Turkey Trot, where students may win a frozen turkey! Friday is a Dollar Dress Down Day, PTO meeting at 8:15 in the library, then our beloved Aja Calhoun Thanksgiving Dinner starting at 5pm. This year, we sold over 580 tickets by the sales deadline! Tickets will be sent home with students Thursday or Friday (so they don't get lost). Check those backpacks!

At the Thanksgiving Dinner, we'll have some gift baskets for raffle, bake sale items, and the ever-popular PTO snack cart. Cash is best for those, as Zelle gets temperamental when the cafeteria is so crowded. Our 3rd grade has some wonderful songs they've been practicing, and the Santa Maria Ballet Folklorico will be performing that evening. It will be another great event at Western Valley!

Have a great afternoon,

Jennifer Quirk

At WVE, we guide learners to reflect, communicate, and grow, to strengthen ourselves and our community.

WVE engages learners in a growth mindset to reach their potential while being accountable to their role within the community.

WVE is a place where everyone believes students can learn and grow as individuals. Effort is valued, teaching is intentional, progress is shared, and ideas are welcomed.

Please note that payment must be received by the Friday before, or the order is not considered complete and will not be put on the marquee!

As we head into cooler mornings and days, and kids are wearing sweatshirts, please remind your child that they may wear the hood up while outside, but not in the classrooms. Logo-free is best, but if it can't be helped, please be sure your child's sweatshirt is appropriate for elementary school. We'll have them turn it inside out if not.

Also, we're starting to find many sweatshirts and jackets on the playgrounds when the kids get hot. PLEASE put your child's name on the tag of their sweatshirts or jackets so we can return them to your student if they forget them outside.

Don't forget, our PTO has some uniform sweatshirts available for sale!

Water refill stations are all around campus when they run out. Sending your child with a water bottle ensures they are never without a quick drink of water! We do not have disposable cups for water, and the drinking fountains are mostly in classrooms, so their own water bottle is best!

And don't forget to write their name on their water bottle!

We had some parent volunteers last year for making copies, Book Fair, field trips, and in the cafeteria to help students open packaging and keeping tables clean. It was a HUGE help! We would like to extend the invitation again this year. If you are interested in volunteering at school,

please fill out this form.

https://forms.gle/dwDkf4kz3My2vBV19

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Our students will all receive free lunch this year (no lunch applications needed), but we do need families to please complete the income eligibility form as well- this helps to pay for our Reading Intervention services, after school tutoring and clubs, summer school, Instructional Assistants, and so much more!

https://linqconnect.com/public/income-form/new?identifier=TARLF2

Our arrival and dismissal procedure will be similar this school year. For the safety of your children, please only use the parking lot and 63rd Ave to park and walk WITH YOUR CHILD to the crosswalk. Children may not be dropped off in the parking lot or along 63rd Ave to walk by themselves. It is simply not safe for them.

As a reminder, the drop-off area is along the fire lane curb, and the parking lot is ONLY for families who want to park and walk up their student. Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the parking lot. This creates an unsafe situation for children, which of course, no one wants. We will have signs up as reminders, but please be safe, and drop off children only in the designated areas.

**For the parent pick-up area, we will have grade levels wait under the shade structure (as best as will safely fit). A change this year is with older siblings meeting younger kids. They will NOT meet them in the classroom this year. Instead, upper grade siblings will meet their younger siblings outside, and will wait with them under the shade structure. This allows students to exit more quickly, and to meet up with the parent or guardian who is picking them up.

Use your Dashboard card for a faster Parent Pick Up! Ask your teacher or the front office for one.

Kids get breakfast in the classroom starting at 7:55, and we are into the start of instruction by 8:10 every day, so arrival any later than that means students are missing important learning time. And it adds up!

Students may now wear a WVE Spirit Shirt on Thursdays with uniform pants.

Order your Spirit Shirt now! You can pay cash or Zelle to jreeser@fesd.org

Dollar Dress Down Day (formerly known as Buck-a-Jeans Day) = Hosted once a month as a PTO fundraiser, students may pay $1 and wear a non-uniform outfit. You can purchase the Annual Pass for this for $10, and you don't have to dig around for $1 each of these days.

Spirit Shirt Thursday (new this year) = Every Thursday, students may wear a WVE Spirit Shirt and uniform bottoms. This free event is to drum up our Wildcat spirit, and to be a fun way to show our school pride!

Free Dress Down Days (these are for special occasions) = Fall Picture Day, a pass earned by a grown-up when they attend a PTO meeting, Curriculum Night, or other school event that we advertise parents coming to campus.

All students who ride the bus have been issued a bus ID, and those IDs have been zip tied to their backpacks to prevent loss. They will scan on and off the bus each time. The first bus ID is free, broken or lost replacements will cost $5.

If your child will need to take medication at school, please bring it (in the prescription bottle/box) to the Health Office. Children may not bring medication to school themselves. This includes even cough drops. When in doubt, DO NOT send medicine to school with your child!

Also, if your child has a Chronic Illness, and may miss school often due to an illness or condition, ask the office or Mrs Reyes about a Chronic Health Form.

Learn a new skill, or continue to grow in a field you've worked in before! Keep the same work schedule as your kids!

Check out some other openings around the district here- https://fowler.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

Our office is open 7:30am-4pm Mon-Fri.

Our administration & office staff are happy to help!

*11/20 Holiday Hustle Turkey Race

*11/20 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*11/22 Dollar Dress Down Day & PTO Meeting @ 8:15

*11/22 Aja Calhoun Thanksgiving Dinner 5-7pm

*11/25-11/29 Thanksgiving Break, No School

*12/4 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*12/5 PTO Family Movie Night! 5pm

*12/6 November Student of the Month Breakfast @ 8:30am

*12/18 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*12/23-1/3 Winter Break, No School

*2/21 WVE Carnival!