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The Avery Pulse
April 7th, 2024
Upcoming Dates
- April 8th - Late Start
- April 8th - Eclipse Information
- April 11th - PTO Meeting (7pm in the Avery Library)
- April 12th - Avery Play at Givens Auditorium at 7pm
- April 13th - Avery Play at Givens Auditorium at 4pm
- April 22nd - Late Start
- April 22nd - Avery Night @ the Ball Park!
- April 26th - Outdoor Movie Night (more information to come)
- April 29th - May 10th - MAP Testing
- May 1st - 5th Grade Art Show (5pm - 7pm @ Hixson)
- May 3rd - Field Day! (more information soon)
- May 3rd - Half Day (dismissal @ 11:45am)
- May 6th - May 10th - Staff Appreciation Week
- May 13th - Late Start
- May 24th - 5th Grade Celebration @ 9am (Avery Gym)
- May 24th - Last Day of School (1/2 Day | Dismissal @ 11:45am)
Add our calendar to your device!
Eclipse Information - April 8th
The eclipse is tomorrow, April 8th! Please read below regarding important notes and information regarding the viewing experience:
The peak viewing time frame will be from 1:51pm - 2:09pm. Students and staff will make their way to their blacktop and playground viewing locations beginning at 1:45pm.
If you RSVP'd - we were having an issue with our badge printing machine this afternoon, so unfortunately not all badges went home with students. If you RSVP'd and did not receive your badge - please head to the office as we will have it pre-printed for you there.
If you are taking your child home following the eclipse event, please sign them out with their classroom teacher.
Please note, there will not be safety glasses for parents - we advise you to bring your own if you plan to attend.
Here is a brief timeline of the eclipse event:
Partial Solar Eclipse Begins: 12:42:41 pm
Maximum Eclipse at 98.6% totality: 2:00:33 pm
Partial Solar Eclipse Ends: 3:17:09 pm
It’s important to note that our school dismissal occurs before the partial eclipse ends. To ensure the safety of our students - we are moving to an "indoor dismissal" - students will be located in the gym and parents will be invited to come in through our secure entrance as well as the gym doors to sign their child out with the classroom teacher beginning at 2:45pm.
- If your child participates in Adventure Club, they will dismiss to Adventure Club staff.
- If your child is a walker or bike rider - please send an email to your child's teacher giving them permission to do this on Monday.
Please reach out should you have any questions.
Thank you!
The Avery Play
The Avery Play is back with a mash-up of swashbuckling adventure and video game action! Get your Mario and Luigi mustaches ready for The Three Plumbsketeers! This 75 yr old Avery tradition is an event for the whole family. You don't want to miss it!
Show times are Friday, April 12 at 7pm and Saturday, April 13 at 4pm at the Givens Auditorium.
Tickets are $5, cash, check, or card at the door or online here: https://averypto.square.site/shop/Avery-Play/2
The Avery Play is an Avery PTO Fundraiser. We need help selling tickets and concessions. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u_Kea0TEa595u3wfK2HgSHgL1AfMLQjvf3cf-rLNuXY/edit?usp=sharing
PTO Meeting - April 11th
Come Join Us!
PTO Meeting 4/11 @ Avery Library 7pm - 8pm
We will be voting on the use of funds raised through All-Star Game Night, learning from Mrs. Wallace on the topic of bullying and also answering any questions for interested parents who want to get involved with PTO.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://wgsdstl.zoom.us/j/97917141754?pwd=UldEQm5IY2t0R3B5eE1vZVg1Smh1dz09
Meeting ID: 979 1714 1754
Passcode: 664521
Adventure Club Enrollment
Adventure Club
Dear Families,
Please note that for the 2024-25 school year, families will be able to register for Adventure Club online and students will be selected via lottery. This is to provide all families with a more equitable opportunity to utilize this in-demand program.
What will the application process be?
From April 1 to April 15 families who wish to be considered for the initial lottery can register here. Families will enter their names on the waitlist to be considered for enrollment.
On April 24, we will begin to notify all families whether their student has been selected in the lottery.
Selected families will receive enrollment paperwork and be charged a $50 processing fee, all to be completed online via Brightwheel.
Students will be considered officially enrolled once the enrollment paperwork and processing fee have been received.
While it is our goal to offer care to as many families as possible, enrollment is contingent upon available staffing. We appreciate your continued understanding in this regard.
Kelley Jones Amanda Reading
Program Coordinator AFC Director
5th Grade Art Show
Family and friends of fifth grade Avery artists please join us for the district wide Fifth Grade Art Show at Hixson Middle School on Wednesday May 1st from 5:00-7:00. The show will be located in the hallway outside of the Auditorium.
You may enter the school from the front or the back entrance. I recommend the back entrance because that will lead you right to the show. If you enter from the front entrance there will be signs that lead you down the hallway to the art show.
All 5th grade students from the district will be participating in the show and it will be fun to see the creative work the artists have been making this year. Students created a choice based artwork for the show. They spent a lot of time and effort creating their work and did an amazing job! You can visit anytime between 5:00-7:00 to see the show. I look forward to seeing you there!
Class Placement Information
March 26th, 2024
Dear Avery Families-
We will soon begin the process of developing class placements for next school year. The placement of students in classrooms is an important decision. We consider several factors in developing class lists.
The following criteria will be considered as a whole before placements are made:
Input from current teachers and staff throughout the building
Input from parents
Social relationships of a student to his/her peers
Achievement data
Special needs
A child’s learning style
For the sake of equity, we cannot and will not accept requests for specific teachers or peers. We do, however, want to know about students that your child might not have success with. Please know we do value your input. You are welcome to share pertinent information to aid us in making the best placement for your child.
Please communicate with your child’s current teacher about learning styles, environments, etc. that you believe would be most conducive to meeting your child’s needs. All input is due to classroom teachers on or before April 14th.
The information you give might include your view of how your child learns best, the environment that seems to suit them and any other pertinent information you would like to share. Such information will be considered as a component to our process.
We appreciate your understanding and support of the placement process.
Thank you in advance for your input and contributions.
Sincerely,
Hannah Peterson, Ed.D.
Aaron Winkler, PhD
One Book One School
Dear Parents and Guardians-
Today classrooms introduced the book A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold.This afternoon, each family should receive a bag with the book, a bookmark, a bingo board, and a chapter guide inside.
Teachers will begin reading this book aloud throughout the month of April. We invite you to read the book too so that you can have discussions with your child(ren).
When an entire school community reads a book together, there is a lot we can talk about! With this one book one school project, we will have Town Hall Meetings, classroom discussions, and other activities for students and families to engage in.
We sincerely hope that your family enjoys reading this book alongside us and that we can take away the powerful themes of relationships, connection, and perspectives.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership,
Hannah Peterson, Ed.D
Principal, Avery Elementary
Don't forget to sign up for these fun events!
Repeated Information Below
Whether you attended All-Star Game Night or not - WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
Legislative Updates
District families who would be interested in learning more about legislation being proposed that would impact public education, including our district, we’re providing you with two opportunities to do so.
First, we are hosting three in-person meetings on the following Fridays from 8-9 a.m. at our district service center (3232 S. Brentwood Blvd): March 8, April 5, and May 10. Participants will learn about bills that have been proposed and/or are working their way through the legislative process. If you plan to attend, please make sure to bring a drivers license or MO ID so that you can be checked in through our visitor management system.
Next, we’re going to be sending out a regular email which will allow you to get updates on education-related bills being presented and discussed in Jefferson City. In order to not overwhelm our readers, it’s our intent for this communication to be no more than 1-2 pages in length. For this reason, we will limit the number of bills included in the weekly update.
In addition to the weekly communication, we will also provide readers with special legislative “alerts” so that one can be informed when significant action has been taken with a bill. In order to receive these updates, you must sign up here. Only those who join will receive the weekly updates and alerts.
Arrival Reminder
As a friendly reminder, the car lanes on both Bompart and Atalanta are drop off only lanes. This means:
- please do not park and wait until the front doors open
- please do not park and get out with your child
If you are using Bompart or Atalanta, it is for drop and go only.
Thank you!
Equity in Action Committee Community Recognition
The Webster Groves School District's Equity in Action Committee values and encourages peer-to-peer recognition for equity work. Last year, the EIA just developed and launched a Community Recognition initiative, which provides an opportunity for members of the community to recognize individuals (i.e. students, teachers, parents, friends, community members, etc.), schools, businesses, and organizations who make everyday contributions towards creating and cultivating a culture of dignity that values all human beings within the WGSD. To learn more about this opportunity and to make a recognition, please go to Community Recognition. The deadline is November 17, 2023 and April 19, 2024.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Arrival from 7:40-7:50 AM
Bompart Avenue
Carpool drop-off only in front of school – parents to remain in vehicles with staff members assisting students
Families walking students to school will say goodbye at the external doors
No parking during arrival
Staff members will supervise at the curb
Marshall Avenue
This entrance will be utilized for bus arrival
- Atalanta Avenue
We strongly encourage families to travel only from Bompart towards Glen to alleviate congestion and increase safety
No parking on sidewalks
Staff members will supervise at the curb
Dismissal 2:50pm-3:00pm
Bompart Avenue
Kindergarten and First grades will dismiss out front
Atalanta Avenue
Third and Fourth grades will dismiss along the side
Secure Vestibule Entrance (located on Bompart)
Second and Fifth grades will dismiss out front
Back Parking Lot
Staff parking only
No entrance or exit from 2:20-2:50
Want to make a submission to The Avery Pulse?
To qualify for direct distribution to students and families, the
information must be:
- district-sponsored information
- something from a group affiliated* with the district.
- curriculum-related, as determined by the principal, including programs, events, contests and other activities.
*Affiliated is defined as a group recognized by the Board of Education and working
group created soley to work with district staff, students and parents
to raise fund for district activities (PTOs, booster clubs, the
Foundation)
Regarding signs, only signs for school or district groups (sponsored
or affiliated) can be placed on school grounds.
You can read the board policy here
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=448&revid=6VcjbAkBf4Ls3Fs6CyIxFA==&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ==&secid=1QSfUuz8WRJ5slsh0xnyVwukQ==&PG=6&IRP=0
If you are a non-profit organization that doesn't qualify for direct distribution to students and families, you can contact Derek Duncan (duncan.derek@wgmail.org) who is our Director of Communication and he will ensure that your flyer is posted on the community electronic bulletin.
If your information fits the above criteria, you can make a submission to theaverypulse@gmail.com
Submissions are due on Thursdays at 5pm
Avery Elementary
Location: 909 North Bompart Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Twitter: @avery_allstars