Spook-tacular!
Greetings Webber Elementary Students and Parents,
Let me extend our collective gratitude to the Webber PTO for putting together a terrific Trunk or Treat event. It was a big undertaking! A sincere thank you to the families who decorated their vehicles, dished out the goodies, and organized games for our students. I also personally appreciate all of the parents and staff who invested the time, brought the kids, and engaged with the fun and festivities. The connection of school and community is strong and was on full display Thursday evening. I very much enjoyed it, and I hope you did too. Those are memories that can last a lifetime - count on it! The votes have been counted! Our Trunk or Treat decoration contest winners from each category are as follows. Congratulations!
- Webber's Choice Award: Inside Out
- Creepiest Creation Award: Harry Potter
- Wickedly Original Award: Elf on a Shelf
Next week, on October 31, we have a half day and dismissal is at 12:05 p.m. We will also be hosting our Halloween Parade. It's a short, compact event, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and weaving through the Webber playground. Extensive details are provided below regarding student costumes and the parade itself. With Halloween, I wish all of our students the best as they attempt to collect that record haul of candy. Just a reminder that Halloween trick-or-treating involves a variety of safety considerations including supervision, traveling in groups, and reflective clothing. There's no school for students the day after Halloween, Friday November 1. Our teachers have a professional development day.
Recently, we recognized America's Safe Schools Week and today we are finishing School Bus Safety Week. Since the beginning of school, Webber has completed five safety drills. I'm pleased to report that our staff and students have done a tremendous job with our district safety protocols. Big shout out to our bus drivers and transportation folks. They really are unsung heroes.
Once we get past Halloween, we'll be into Parent-Teacher Conference week. Our staff have provided their sign-up information, and I've also consolidated registration links here in our newsletter for your convenience. The Webber Scholastic Book Fair will run during the week of conferences. Please review information in this week's newsletter if you are interested in volunteering.
On the afternoon of Friday, October 25, you likely received STAR benchmark reports (parent letters). Although I encourage you to review them, it is important to keep in mind that the beginning of the year screener represents a single data point. It should not be interpreted as "passing" or "failing". Rather, it provides everyone - teacher, student, and parent - with a frame of reference. We expect all students to grow tremendously during the academic year.
We all know what to do when the Lions notch another W on Sunday 🙂. Have a wonderful weekend!
Tony Palmeri
Principal, Webber Elementary
Halloween Parade and Parties October 31 (Half Day)
Halloween parties and celebrations take place on Thursday October 31st. Individual teachers have shared opportunities to sign up or assist with classroom celebrations. The Halloween Parade will take place at 9:30 a.m. While these are exciting for Webber and our students, I would like to take a moment to remind everyone of the parameters and protocol for costumes to ensure safety and fun:
- Masks are allowed; however, anything that is 'scary or gory' may not be worn. A good rule of thumb is if you question the mask as a parent, please do not allow your child to bring the mask to school.
- Pretend weapons and sharp objects of any kind are not allowed.
- Costumes may be worn to school or students may change into their costume prior to the parade and/or classroom party (unless otherwise directed by your child's classroom teacher).
- For the safety of our students, parents who decide to join in the costume fun at the parade should make sure their face can be seen at all times (no masks).
- Parents who have undergone iChat procedures and are volunteering must check-in at the front desk / main office for a visitor badge.
- Our costume parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the Webber playground. Families are welcome to join us outside for the costume parade (see map below).
- All students will be returning to their classrooms at the conclusion of the parade.
Parents wishing to attend the Halloween parade are asked to line up outside starting no earlier than 9:15 a.m. The parade is a compact event, short and sweet, approximately 10 - 15 minutes in duration. Access to the playground will be via the gate on the west side of campus. The parade begins at 9:30 a.m. inside the school and we will transition outside and travel along the playground route to allow for parent viewing. Parking is available in the lower lot and in the bus loop. The map below illustrates the approximate path. Half day, students are being dismissed at 12:05 p.m.
Webber Scholastic Book Fair
Our Scholastic Book Fair is approaching quickly! Ms. Fleming, our Webber Media Specialist, is seeking volunteers that are interested in helping with either the setup or sales activities. Assistance is needed beginning October 28. If you would like to provide a helping hand, please visit the following link:
Webber Scholastic Book Fair Volunteer Sign-Up
Actual book fair shopping for students will begin on November 4. Please see the attached letter for more detailed information.
Parent Teacher Conferences - November 4 - 8
Teachers have communicated their conference sign-up forms in their newsletters. Parents have the opportunity to schedule an in-person meeting or opt for a virtual Zoom meeting. November 6 and 7 will be designated for evening, in-person conferences, but some additional opportunities are also possible.
A consolidation of grade-level teacher conference sign-up links are provided in the attachment below. Specials Teachers and Ancillary Staff will reach out to parents if they have any critical concerns and are not included in the provided document. Specials teachers - who are shared between buildings - may be in the building and available for informal drop-in conversations. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
Holiday Support - Deadline 11/1/2024
PSA - Garden Club / Webber Beautification Program!
Hello Webber Families:
Mrs. Burks, Mrs. Mucci, PTO members, and Webber families will clean up Webber on Saturday, November 2nd from 10 am - 12pm. Bring your clippers, gloves, blowers, trimmers, and rakes. We will be pulling weeds, trimming trees and bushes, blowing woodchips off the sidewalks, and raking A LOT of leaves. Please sign up using the link below.
Staff Recognition - Distinguished Dragon
Throughout the school year, if you would like to recognize a staff member from Webber, we encourage you to submit a Distinguished Dragon nomination. The intent of the Distinguished Dragon program is to ensure that staff members who go above and beyond their regular duties are appreciated. The additional effort or support can range from helping an individual to helping a group or any effort that seems worthy of praise.
The staff member can be nominated by a student, parent, community member or a colleague by completing the form at LakeOrionSchools.org/DistinguishedDragon. We ask for the submitter's name and contact information to follow up with specific questions if necessary. Please make sure to select the appropriate school/department form so the message is routed in the proper direction.
Please complete the form entirely so the individual can be appropriately honored for their contributions.