Notes from the WGIS Principal

Dear WGIS Families,

This week we returned from break, ready to take on the next 7 weeks before we have Spring Break and the sprint to the end of the school year begins. The weather has made its best attempt at turning the corner towards spring and before we know it, we will be returning outside for some fresh air during our PE classes and recess times.

March is a busy time of the year here at WGIS! We have several events happening over the course of the month including our St. Baldricks "Brave the Shave" event, Genny Palooza and a new 3v3 Basketball Tournament at the end of March sponsored by our student council. This week, we had our annual WGIS Science Fair which showcased some fantastic projects and impressive young minds. Great job Wildcats! Please take a look at our entire E-News for more specifics on upcoming events as well as a look back at this past week.

Thank you for your continued support for all students at WGIS. As always, please reach out if you need anything.

Be Kind-Work Hard-Think BIG!

It's a great day to be a wildcat!

Mr. MacCollum

Our clubs are up and running! Below please find the schedule for when each club will be meeting. As a reminder, we offer late buses on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:15pm.

Monday March 3rd:

Battle of the Books, Drama Club, Gold Steam Group

Wednesday March 5th:

Changemakers, Chess Club, Drama Club, Interact Club, Wildcat Steam Group

Click here for Club Descriptions

This week Mr. Strumlocks class learned about Ancient Greece and their famous phalanx formation.

We had a great showing with 8 different Science Presentations, developed and presented by 10 of our WGIS students. Jackson R, Greyson G, Jackson M, Noah W, Giovanna P, Kathleen G, Madeline W, Zander O, Rachael S, and Evelyn S. all did a fantastic job!

Here were the Top 3 results:

3rd Place: Giovanna P. with her "Dissolving the Rainbow" experiment.

2nd Place: Noah W. with his "Teeth vs. Drink" experiment.

1st Place: Kate G. with her "Foil the Oil" experiment.

All of these students are now eligible to participate in the Central New York Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the MOST in March 20, 2025.

Great Job Wildcats!!!!

St. Baldrick's at West Genesee Intermediate is back! We will be hosting our event on Friday, March 14th. Our St. Baldrick's event at WGIS took off in 2014 as a result of our students looking for a way to support and stand with fellow students and members of our community who have been impacted by childhood cancer. A conversation became an idea and that idea has now become an event. Through our efforts as a school community we have raised over $140,000 and are determined to continue to raise awareness, raise some money and have some fun all in an effort to help fight childhood cancer. Please support our “Brave the Shave” event in any way that you can and help us make a difference in the lives of children across the country. It's all about "The Power of WE!" Here is a LINK to volunteer, donate, or "brave the shave"

Student Council is excited to announce that they raised for Griffin's Guardians Annual "Change for Hope" campaign in the month of February.

The change raised will help families in New York with children who have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Griffin's Guardians is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to support families with children battling pediatric cancer throughout their entire journey. For more information, visit Griffin's Guardians.

Please consider donating a new book to the WGIS Book Swap by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2A66UYPKZMAGZ?ref_=wl_share

The 2025 WGIS Book Swap will take place in the spring, and so far, we have collected over 1,200 used books. Thank you to those who have donated! To ensure it's a successful event, we need 800 more so we can offer a variety of titles for all 700+ children to look through. If you don't have any used books to donate, please consider purchasing one using the link above, and it will be shipped directly to the school.

The names of everyone who donates a new book will be featured at the Book Swap and will be shared on social media during the week of the swap as a way to express our gratitude for supporting the event. If you don't see any titles you would like to purchase, you are welcome to purchase books you think the children will enjoy and ship them to school, or you can have your child drop them off in the front lobby.

Thank you for supporting the WGIS Book Swap. Each year, we have only a few bins of books left over, and the inclusion this event offers is meaningful. Some children have said it's the first time they have been able to bring home a book from a book sale, just like all the other kids. We also have students return to the swap after it is over to select another title, and they are so excited about the opportunity. Your support makes this possible. Thank you!

This week, we recognized students who were demonstrating forgiveness throughout the week. Congratulations to Joey, Landon, Muayad and Hailey , our Positivity Paw winners !

Every Friday, Student Council has developed a "Theme" day. This is a great way to celebrate the end of the week and spread some positivity and joy at WGIS!

This week was: Hat Day!

Next week we will have: Blue and Gold Day!

This is an annual event held after immediately after school for all students. This is a well-loved event

with games in the gym, a movie room, Bingo, and a DJ/dance area. There will be a quiet area in the

library for students as well. Snacks, pizza, water available for $1. Please feel free to contact Carla at

cboverton@gmail.com with any questions.

6 th grade Gennypalooza will take place on Thursday, 3/20/25 from 2:40-4:15 pm. If you’d like to help

with this event, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C45A9A728A0FB6-55432878-6thgrade

5 th grade Gennypalooza will take place on Friday, 3/21/25 from 2:40-4:15 pm. If you’d like to help with

this event, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C45A9A728A0FB6-55433456-5thgrade

Amazon Wishlists

Each year, we invite the teachers to submit an Amazon Wishlist that will be shared with the school community. These items are used to support and enhance instruction for our children throughout the year. The teachers and staff are so appreciative of the support. This is a way to show our gratitude for their efforts each day with our children. The links to the wishlists can be found here: https://2cde.edulnk.com/e/3z0w8/k8Kfdj?__$u__

Join the PTA

Lastly, the PTA would love your support! There is no commitment to participate in any meetings or events, but your $10 membership helps us ensure that we have the funds to continue the events that support our school community. You can join here: https://2cde.edulnk.com/e/3z0w8/faYJmN?__$u__

• March 1, 2025: WGCSD Culture Celebration (WGHS 12-3pm)
• March 13, 2025 - 6th Grade Orchestra Trip to perform at Hancock Airport
• March 14, 2025 - St. Baldrick's “Brave the Shave”
• March 19. 2025 - WGCSD BOE Meeting @WGIS
• March 20, 2025 - 6th Grade Genny Palooza (2:40-4:15)
• March 21, 2025 - 5th Grade Genny Palooza (2:40-4:15)
• March 25 & 27, 2025 - WGIS 3v3 Tournament (2:30-4pm)