Sunday Message from Mr. Burns

Hi Wims Families,

February is here! Although Punxsutawney Phil is calling for 6 more weeks of winter, I hope that the snow has moved out of the area for the season:)

On Friday, we had MCPS executive leadership team visit to hear about the amazing work our staff and students are accomplishing at Wims. It is always exciting when the outcomes and work of our school is recognized by MCPS.

-Mr. Burns

The second-grade students are in the middle of an exciting cross-curricular unit called "Insects." In order to make real life connections, we are looking for an entomologist within the Wims community who may be able to speak briefly to the classes about their career. Please reach out to Mrs. Steben (Jessica_C_Steben@mcpsmd.org) for details.

It’s time for the 2025 Kids Heart Challenge! This is a fundraiser through the American Heart Association. By participating, you can help kids with sick hearts and get some fun thank you gifts along the way! Our goal is to raise $11,000 as a school. If we reach our goal, Mr. Smith will sleep on the roof of Wilson Wims Elementary for the whole night! New this year is the Principal’s Challenge! Mr. Burns is challenging everyone to sign up. Signing up only takes a few minutes and is completely free. You will get a cool wristband just for signing up! If half of our school signs up, we will get $500 for brand new recess equipment! All donations will be made online, and all thank you gits will be handed out during PE class. Use the link below to sign up or download the AHA Schools App. If you are in grades 3-5 please sign up using your block 2 teacher. This fundraiser will run through February 21st. Email Mr. Smith if you have any questions!

http://www2.heart.org/goto/wilsonwims

On Wednesday, January 22nd the resource counselor from Hallie Wells Middle School, Mrs. Reddington, came to speak with our 5th grade students. She shared a presentation giving an overview of the many exciting opportunities they will have when they go to Middle School next year. She also discussed the different elective courses they get to choose for their schedule. Please find the presentation linked below for your reference. The last few slides have the link to a Google Form where you and your student should click to register for their electives. This registration is due by Friday, February 7th. Please reach out to Mrs. Reddington if you have any questions.

Student Presentation (with registration link)

Catherine_M_Reddington@mcpsmd.org

The art room is in need of the brown middle part of your paper towel rolls for a super fun art project! Please start collecting them and feel free to drop them off at the office for Mrs. Daniell. Thank you for your help!

Please click on the follow link for directions on activating your ParentVue account.

ParentVue Directions

Click to Join:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/767544047325701/

Have a great week!

The PTA is proud to once again be able to support our teacher-led Valentine’s Day festivities with a special treat! Volunteers are needed to stuff over 450 goodie bags on February 5th at the school. We still need 5 adult volunteers to oversee and help stuff the bags! The goodie bags will be handed out in the classrooms on the 14th. Please sign up here to volunteer. If you have any questions, please reach out to June Tiet, Chair.

Attention 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders! Show your artistic abilities with a chance for your art to be featured on the front or back cover of the 2024-25 Wims yearbook! Submissions should be bright and colorful, demonstrating our Wims P.R.I.D.E. or school motto “Together We Will,” and incorporate our school colors (navy blue/ lime green/ white). Original art only will be accepted - no photos or stock files - on an 8.5 x 11 sheet in “portrait” orientation. Submissions are due in the front office by March 1 to be considered. All submissions will be displayed in the yearbook. Please be sure to check spelling and grammar. Please contact the Yearbook Committee at yearbook@wwespta.org with any questions.

To pre-order your 2024-25 Wilson Wims yearbook, please use this link. The Yearbook ID for Wims is 14701525. Yearbooks are sent home at the very end of the school year. Photos are still needed for many events, especially Movie Night, as well as general school day photos. Please see below for how to submit your photos for the yearbook!

Our Yearbook Committee needs your help! Please share your photos from our events - Movie Night, Fun Run, PRIDE Assemblies, and more. We would also love your first day of school photos, photos of our patrols, and getting to & from school each day. Our Lifetouch upload link is now live. Simply go to this link to upload and you just might see your photos featured in the yearbook! Please remember to TAG when uploading photos, as this will make it easier for our committee to sort. If you are not sure which tag to use, just label the picture with the student’s grade level/ teacher. Thank you in advance for contributing to our Wims yearbook!

Save-the-date for the S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Expo! Sixty-five percent of today’s students will find themselves working in careers that do not exist yet. We believe in providing students with opportunities through STEAM to see themselves as innovators and changemakers who can design solutions for issues they care about. Our STEAM Expo is a way for our students to follow their curiosity and learn about the world around them through STEAM. If your student is interested in participating, please register here. Space is limited with at least 25 reserved slots for grades K-2. Early registration is encouraged. Volunteers are needed to make the Expo a success - please sign up here to volunteer. Committee members are also needed, so if you would like to play a larger role in this important event, please reach out to the S.T.E.A.M. Committee.

Did you know that you can earn for our school simply by shopping at Harris Teeter? HT has donated over $32.8 million to Together in Education schools since 1998. By simply visiting the website & linking your Harris Teeter VIC card, a percentage of your purchase is automatically donated to Wims (TIE #2814)! Our school relies on these funds and we hope to increase participation! Visit the TIE website today to start earning for Wims. Returning Families: Please note VIC cards must be re-linked annually!

We want to hear from you and be sure you are hearing from us!

Stay connected to the PTA and other families by joining our *new* WhatsApp Community (https://bit.ly/WWESPTAchat) and by following us on Facebook (@wilsonwimspta). If you have any questions regarding the PTA or our supported activities, please reach out to us at pta@wwespta.org and you are also welcome to contact the PTA President, Ashley Zuraf, at president@wwespta.org.