Principal's Weekly Update

Look at Wood Gormley go! We moved up from #4 to #3 in the state for the Best Elementary School, according to US News and World Report. There is no telling what a community like this can do when we all work together to support our kids! Thank you to everyone...Our Amazing Teachers and Staff, Our Amazing Students, Our Amazing Parents, and our Fabulous PTC!!!! PS.... We are still the #1 Elementary School in Santa Fe 😎

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/elementary-schools/new-mexico

All families are invited to join your student to eat our Harvest Lunch on this day.

Parents: $6.00, Non SFPS Siblings: $3.00

Exact Cash or Check accepted. No Credit Card Payments

TIMES:

KINDERGARTEN 10:30 - 11:00 AM

1ST GRADE AND 2ND GRADE 11:05 - 11:55 AM

3RD AND 4TH GRADE 12:00 - 12:45 PM

5TH AND 6TH GRADE 12:50 - 1:25 PM

Our first Family Literacy Engagement Night is next Wednesday, Nov. 20th from 5:45-6:45. Please join us to watch the animation of the book we read as part of our Social Emotional Learning day that morning, The boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Click the link below for more information. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15kT5PTNGHiRAUrh2_Lc0ML1tLeRQeF6p/view?usp=sharing

We are in need of parent volunteers to assist during the fair. Please contact Ms. Masse at mmasse@sfps.k12.nm.us if you are able to volunteer, or sign up for a time slot here (this is a new link if you tried last week and it didn't work): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DAEAC2FA4FDC61-53045042-parent

Student Council meeting is this Wednesday, November 20th after school.

In order for our school to stay healthy, please refrain from sending kids to school if they are sick or have been taking medication to keep fevers down. Students must be fever-free for 24 hours without taking medication to return to school. Please remind your students to wash their hands frequently and to cover their mouths when coughing. Thanks! Nurse Kathy and Christine

Every year WG hosts the Snowflake Drive to help WG families who are in need of assistance. If you know of WG families who are in need of assistance, please email Karen Lindeen, Principal, with your nominations. If you are in need of assistance, we encourage you to self-nominate. We keep this process very confidential. Once we gather this information, we will solicit wish lists for these families and open it up for our community to donate these items through the Snowflake Drive. (more info about that soon!) Thank you!

Support SFPS at this upcoming Winter Craft Fair! It's a good one!!

Dear Families -

Please submit any photos you may have taken, or will take, at any of the following school events/activities. Click on the links to submit your photos. Password - Panthers24-25

Thank you -

Dorinda Hopper-Komis

Yearbook Coordinator

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/qr7vrxp7j7be88u76ufs9fgs6kc6ccaky

Movie Night -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/c3deugcwwt64nwd8ef36d5a3cjx94xt5p

Fall Festival -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/fjesva659ggnj8ey36j64xe8sapmmfbxe

First Serve Tennis -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/pyv5cpg8tr967tpqs9fx9wdmntpedfkhh

Field Trips -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/sk7adfvm4eayvfc4qrwdqg4xg5j7aka3n

Girl's Basketball -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/vbmqj7tnxkcsy9dn6mmxfk73evanv6bbn

Boy's Basketball -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/ba5w3hnkxrghht8nga8ajfq7kx4krgms9

Halloween Parade -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/ue5udgj9k8675x8k4yx36g4r9pv68grvq

Panther Run 2025 -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/4sra9ef9ymv6j3jksn3vrnhpqs9n4vmrr

Swim Team 2025 -

https://books.yearbooks.me/ca/eqapy4j67ufavch943w8drwna43xucvmf

Click here for the WG Community Calendar!

Make sure to link to our NEW Facebook Page! https://www.facebook.com/WGPanthers

Interested in getting involved with our PTC? Click the link to find out more about our very involved and supportive parents and teachers! https://woodgormleyptc.com/

Sherlock went missing on Movie Night. If you have seen him, please contact Ms. Lindeen as we would like to help our neighbors find their sweet cat. They have had Sherlock for 13 years and their other cat misses him.

Remind is the platform we use to provide information to our parents. You can receive Remind updates as notifications on your phone and as email. In order to receive this information, please follow the following steps.

Please place a piece of paper with your children/s name/s on it for 3rd-6th grade pick up in order to support a speedier pick-up!

Attention parents of 3rd and 4th grade GIRLS BASKETBALL hopefuls! There is an opportunity for 3rd and 4th grade girls to participate with the SFIYBP basketball league! Since Wood Gormley does not have a team for younger players, the league has invited any interested 3rd and 4th grade girls to join a basketball team at another school, and several younger teams are in need of players. This is a great opportunity to learn the game and get on the court this year! If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out to Elissa Ulibarri at eksulibarri@yahoo.com

WG Families: Two new club opportunities...

✅CLASSROOMS AND CHIMERAS CLUB HAS EXPANDED!!!

1st-3rd grade on Mondays and 4th-6th grade on Wednesdays: ADVENTURERS WANTED!

Are you dreaming of far-away lands, daring adventures, and magical encounters? Look no further!

Live a life of adventure in: Classrooms & Chimeras, a school-appropriate Dungeons & Dragons experience!

Put your imagination, collaboration, and critical thinking to the test - sign up today: https://forms.gle/vyD1Bu6oiE44ihph8

Starting Monday, October 2nd.

✅CHESS CLUB

All grade levels: Join us for our Afterschool Chess Club, where young minds gather to learn, play, and grow together through the timeless game of chess!

This engaging program is for students of all skill levels, from complete beginners to experienced players. Tuesdays from 3:15-4:15 in Room 4, Ms. Felix’s room. Starts next Tuesday, October 1, through Dec. 17th. Contact Anna Aguilera to register, first come first serve, at anna.s.aguilera@gmail.com

A little about Chess Club:

- Interactive Learning: Participants will explore the fundamental rules of chess, strategies, and tactics through guided lessons and hands-on practice.

- Friendly Competitions: Students will have opportunities to challenge their peers in friendly matches and optional tournaments (some fees for the tournaments), fostering a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship.

- Body-Brain System Preparation: Participants will begin the sessions with simple yet powerful, transformative exercises from Brain Gym, preparing them for greater levels of concentration, focus, and relaxed learning.

Benefits of Playing Chess:

1. Academic Enhancement: Research shows that chess can improve mathematical and reading skills. The game nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical abilities, which contribute to academic success across subjects.

2. Social Skills Development: The club provides a supportive environment for students to make new friends and collaborate with peers. Players learn to respect others, to communicate effectively, and, when playing in tournament settings, to work as a team, fostering essential social skills.

3. Emotional Growth: Chess teaches patience and resilience. As students navigate wins and losses, they develop a sense of sportsmanship and the ability to manage emotions through practice, promoting emotional intelligence.

4. Mental Agility: The game enhances memory, concentration, and cognitive skills. Students will engage in strategic thinking, planning ahead, and considering multiple perspectives, which sharpen their mental acuity and decision-making skills.

5. Creativity and Imagination: Chess encourages imaginative thinking, as players invent unique strategies and scenarios. This creative exploration enhances their ability to think "outside the box."

6. Stress Relief: Engaging in an intellectual activity like chess can provide a calming outlet for students, helping to reduce anxiety and promote focus.

Whether your child is looking to challenge their intellect, make new friends, or simply have fun, our Afterschool Chess Club is the perfect place for all of it. Join us in unlocking the power of the mind, one move at a time!

The chess club instructor, Deollo Johnson, is an avid chess player, a certified Brain Gym/Educational Kinesiology Level 1 practitioner, and an experienced multi-disciplinary educator of children of all ages. He has taught movement/dance in the Wood-Gormley afterschool program.

For 5th and 6th Grade girls who tried out...

Practices:

Tuesday 3:30-530

Wednesday 5-7

Thursday 3:30-5:30

Friday (open gym) 4:30-5:30

First Serve New Mexico exists to strengthen the lives and enhance the character of Santa Fe's children through education, life skills, and tennis. First Serve club is an exciting program for grades 3-6th, which includes free tutoring and tennis lessons. Wood Gormley's club will offer one day of tutoring in the school library on Mondays from 3:15-5:00, beginning on September 9th. Tennis practice will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning on September 10th, at Bicentennial Park from 3:30-5:00 (transportation to the park is not included). If you have any questions, please contact Anne Chapman- achapman@sfps.k12.nm.us.

Yoga for children is a fun way to learn both calming down techniques and yoga poses. Sometimes we read a book together and express the poses it inspires. Other times our practice celebrates a season or holiday; or perhaps we practice partner yoga with another student.There's a short savasana at the end of class. Please send your student with a snack. To register, please email Susan Webster at swebster@sfps.k12.nm.us to register. First come first serve. Begins Tuesday September 10 (K-3rd graders)

4th-6th grade students....Yoga is becoming mindful of oneself through movements of the body and breath. We will practice some basic breathing techniques like belly breathing and learn the basic postures of yoga, and finally work up to short sequences using those poses in each class. Everything combined will help students feel calmer, more themselves, and restored at the end of the day. To register, please email Shilpa Banik at sbanik@sfps.k12.nm.us to register. First come first serve.

Begins Thursday the 5th (for 4th-6th graders).

Things are off to a great start in the library! Students began checking out books during this last week. Please help your student remember to bring their checked out books each week on their library day to be returned or renewed.

Students in kindergarten and first grade will start the year checking out one book at a time. First grade students will have the option to begin checking out two books as the year progresses. Students in 2nd-6th grades can check out up to four books at a time as needed.

Students and their families have access to several library resources through their Classlink page (district apps when students log on to chromebooks) and online.

• The library catalog is available at https://destiny.sfps.info/, or by clicking the Destiny Library System button on Classlink (choose Wood Gormley)
• A digital library of thousands of including e-books, e-audiobooks, and magazines in English and Spanish is available through Sora, using the app on Classlink or at https://soraapp.com/welcome (search for Santa Fe Public Schools as your school)
• Britannica School is available for student research needs at https://school.eb.com/, or by clicking the Britannica School button on Classlink. Please contact Ms. Masse for login info.

Please contact Ms. Masse at mmasse@sfps.k12.nm.us for assistance with library resources or with questions.

Please place a printed sign in your front windshield with your students' name on it. This makes it easier and more efficient to get your student to your car (and not having to ask who your student is).

Anyone who has driven to Wood Gormley knows that for all of its neighborhood charm, it is a challenging school to access for drop-off and pick-up because it is in a neighborhood with tight streets. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that parents/guardians and “people who pick up your student” understand how our drop-off and pick-up needs to go. We like to be good neighbors so please follow these protocols.

1. Slow down. Go 5 miles per hour. Do not pull into our crosswalks.

2. Turn off loud music in your vehicle prior to accessing our streets outside of our school.

3. Slow down. Speeding and road rage could lead to a student being injured. Being a few minutes late to work is always better than causing harm.

4. Respect our crossing guards. Do NOT cross until a guard indicates you that you can cross.

5. Review the route maps below for your student’s grade level. Adhere to them. If you have more than one student, follow the route of the youngest student. Older students can walk the sidewalk to the front of the school to enter. We can adjust as needed.

6. For grades 3-6, Drop-off and Pick-up will only be permitted at the designated cones/spots. Stay in your car and wait for your child to come to your car. Wait until asked to pull forward to exit. There is no “leap-frogging” other cars. Wait your turn.

7. If a staff member (in the yellow vest) asks you to slow down or to not park or to wait, please be courteous and compliant. We will not tolerate uncivil behavior.

8. We are doing our best to keep traffic moving, efficient, and most of all, SAFE.

9. Please remember that we encourage our families to bike to school. Cars MUST yield to our bikers to keep them safe. I would much rather you YIELD to a biker and be late to school than be on time.

It is a good idea to drive your route prior to the first day of school if you are unfamiliar with the streets. There are some confusing one ways going on over here!

Students may not be dropped off at school prior to 7:35 am. After 8:00 am, students must be walked to the building and a tardy pass filled out by a parent.

Arrival begins with the students who ride the bus and/or go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Teachers are assigned duty Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. until school starts at 8:00 a.m. Students should never be dropped off without staff present.

Good attendance is critical for a student to fully participate in and benefit from the academic program. This applies to tardiness as well. Remember, you are your child’s first teacher and role model, and it is up to you to ensure your student is on time and ready to learn each and every day. This is also an important life skill that it is never too early to impart.

The Attendance for Success Act outlines guidance for school attendance. Those guidelines can be viewed here. The SFPS Board Policy for attendance is here. Our overall attendance rate factors into the new school rating system starting this year by the PED.

As per Board Policy, “Excused absences are absences from school or a class that are short and long term mental or physical illnesses, observance of religious holidays, bereavement, suspensions, court summons, school sponsored/school sanctioned activities, hazardous weather conditions, pre-approved parent requested absences (as outlined in the Administrative Regulations) and activities approved or sponsored by the school, the Board, the NMPED, accepted by the Superintendent or the school principal, or their designees as a reason for excusing the student.

Students who are on transfers to WG sign a contract that they will adhere to our attendance policy. As stated in the contract, failure to adhere to the policy and go over 10 days absent for the year could result in a revocation of the transfer.

Please plan vacations or fun days for your student during planned school breaks (Fall and Spring Breaks, Holidays). As per the Board policy, “Parent Requested Absences for Educational Travel: Opportunities may be designated as an excused absence if approved by the principal and the assigned schoolwork is completed within two weeks of return to school or another agreed upon timeline.” Therefore, if you have an upcoming educational travel experience that you would like to be excused, you must send Principal Lindeen (klindeen@sfps.k12.nm.us) an email with detailed information stating the purpose of the trip, the dates, and what kinds of educational experiences will be undertaken. The request and approval must occur PRIOR to travel for it to be excused.

Excused vs. Unexcused Absence Determinations

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Bereavement

Short-Term Illnesses (fewer than 3 consecutive days)

Long-Term Illnesses (more than 3 consecutive days; must have a doctor’s note at 3 or more)

Hazardous weather conditions

Late bus arrivals

School sponsored/sanctioned activities

Other emergencies or set of circumstances

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Woke up late

Doesn’t want to come to school

Vacation or Travel

At 10 or more absences, Administration will meet with the family to make an attendance improvement plan. As absences increase, our SFPS Social Engagement Officer will be involved and possible outside agencies contacted.

Absences are sometimes unavoidable. Please either call the front office 467-4800 to notify our secretary of the reason your student is not at school. If you get the voicemail, please leave a message as we check our voicemail regularly throughout our day. You can also email our secretary, Shannon Cordova, at shcordova@sfps.k12.nm.us.

Our school system has an attendance monitoring program called Attention to Attendance, or A2A. Our school’s attendance support team looks at student attendance data from A2A every week; letters of concern regarding attendance are generated by the A2A program. You will receive a printed letter at 4, 7, 12 and 18 absences. On the letter, it says to contact us. You do not need to contact us or justify the absences/excuses in the letter. The letters state a total amount of absences, both excused and unexcused. We have those marked accurately in our powerschool program. The letters are to inform you of the total of absences. Ms. Lindeen or the Attendance Team will contact you if we need to discuss attendance. You can find more information about student attendance outlined on the district website, www.sfps.info .

On the first day of school, staff will greet your student at the door and walk them to their classrooms. After the first day, the following procedure is in place:

For all grades: If you arrive from 7:35-7:45, you may only enter the school from the front doors on E. Booth St. Students stay in cafeteria for this 10 minutes. At 7:45, 5th and 6th will go to the gym. 1st -4th stay in the cafeteria. Kinder will go to their classrooms at 7:45.

Kinder: Go straight to their classrooms at the time they arrive (after 7:45)

1st-2nd: Students enter the building on Webber St. (East side), students walk to the cafeteria. They will wait there until their teacher picks them up at 8:00.

3rd-4th: Students enter the building from the front doors on E. Booth St. They will wait in the cafeteria until their teacher picks them up at 8:00.

5th-6th: Students enter the building from the front doors on E. Booth St. They wait in the cafeteria until 7:45. They then move to the gym from 7:45-8:00. Their teacher picks them up from the gym at 8:00.

Soon, you can look at Powerschool to see your child's teacher for grades 1-6. An additional notification will be sent once our Kindergarten teachers have been assigned.

If you don't have access to a Parent Powerschool account, follow the directions below to make sure you are able to access Powerschool throughout the year to check on your student's progress!

PARENT POWERSCHOOL ACCOUNT

• Go to SFPS.info

• Click on the Menu

• Scroll down to the bottom of the page and under QuickLinks, click on PowerSchool

If you need to add another student to your parent PowerSchool account, please email

studentdataoffice@sfps.k12.nm.us

**If you do not have a parent account - Si no tiene una cuenta de padres Click here: Parent PowerSchool Link.

Call/Llame al 505-467-4111 from 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday-Friday

Password reset / Recuperación de contraseña

Parents & Students Call 505-467-4111 from 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday-Friday