WES Weekly Update

November 19 - Student Council, 8:00am

November 19-21 - Mrs. Gaur's Milk & Cookie Stand (during lunches)

November 21-22 - Kindergarten Conferences (during the school day)

November 25-26 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Teacher Conferences)

November 27-29 - NO SCHOOL (Holiday)

December 2-6 - Hour of Code Activities

December 3 - Student Council, 8:00am

December 11 - WES Winter Concert, 7:00pm

December 17 - Student Council, 8:00am

December 20 - 12:30pm Dismissal (modified schedule for Kindergarten)

December 23-January 1 - NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

Dear WES Families,

As the last week of school approaches before parent teacher conferences and the Thanksgiving break, it is a good time to reflect on what we are thankful for. Many of our teachers and students will be spending time engaging in activities this week that center on our gratitude and recognition of the friends and family in our lives, our health, the opportunities we are afforded, and the community inside and outside of the walls of our school.

That community is helping support another community, as Mrs. Gaur’s 2nd grade milk and cookie sale this week is going to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Milk and cookies or not, if you would like to make any donation at all (single cookie and milk is a dollar), I’m sure the students would be so glad to accept it as they learn the value of looking out for and doing for others.

A reminder about fall conferences: the Sign Up Genius links are now closed and you should reach out to your child’s teacher about scheduling your conference time if you have not been able to do so already.

And lastly, a reminder about car drop-off in the morning: it is most efficient to pull up as far in the drop off loop as possible, and parents should remain in the car so as to not hold the line up when students are exiting the car. Please arrive early enough knowing that the car drop-off line can be busy from 8:20 to 8:50. If you need assistance in getting your child out of the car and there is no staff or parent present to assist, please pull beyond the loop out of the way of other cars so the drop-off line can continue efficiently.

Thank you and have a great week!

Mr. Stephen Krall

Acting Principal

Wallingford Elementary

skrall@wssd.org

Questions concerning online registration should be directed to Derrick L. Clements at dclements@wssd.org or 610-892-3470 ext. 1203. If you are unable to register online, please call the Educational Data and Registration Office at 610-892-3470 ext. 1304 to schedule an appointment to complete the registration online at the Administration Office.

Lice are always in season. Please see below attachment from the nurse for basic information on lice. Please be sure to notify the school nurse if your child has lice prior to returning to school. As winter approaches, also talk to your child about NOT sharing hats. Thank you!

We have recently experienced an influx of students arriving very early to school. Please note that our school day begins at 8:45 am with drop off beginning at 8:20 am. We do not have adequate staffing in the building in the early morning to accommodate drop off earlier than 8:20am. This applies to students arriving for the regular school day, not those participating in early morning programs such as orchestra, band, chorus, student council, etc. Thank you!

All the children in the WES Land,

Come to Mrs. Gaur’s Milk Stand.

Cookies and Milk make a healthy snack,

Bring a $1.00 in your backpack.

People in need will get all your cash,

Don’t forget to put on a milk moo-stache.

When: November 19, 20, 21

Time: During Lunches

Where: WES Cafeteria

Don’t forget to check the lost & found in the front lobby when you are in the building for teacher conferences. Items not claimed will be donated to charity after the Thanksgiving holiday.

We are encouraging families to please label your child's things. It will be easier to return lost items to students, if we have an idea of who they belong to. Please also remind your children to be responsible by bringing their items home. Thank you for your support!

Food service is exited to announce that our website has been updated. We now have an ala carte drop down that includes all snacks for sale in the cafeteria, as well as how to set up restrictions for your students. This information can be found at https://www.wssd.org/Page/1049.

Please feel free to reach out to Kate Rittler, Director of Food and Nutrition, with any questions! krittler@wssd.org, 610-892-3470 ext. 2151 or visit the WSSD Food Services website.

We are urging parents/guardians to complete the process for clearances if you have not already done so. Clearances are mandatory, are good for 5 years, and are kept at the district level. Volunteer clearances are required for anyone volunteering to work with our students or be present in our school; whether that is in school, on a field trip, or at an athletic event/practice, etc. Essentially, everyone who is volunteering with our students or in a school is required to obtain volunteer clearances.

You will not be permitted to volunteer without valid clearances on file with the district.

As part of Wallingford Elementary School’s ongoing citizenship project, the PTO is collecting non-perishable food items to help provide holiday meals for families in need. We will be working with City Team – Chester and the Media Food Bank. Your donations will help to offer much needed support to local families this holiday season. For questions contact Ashley Drane or Danielle Nicholson

When: Collection will run Thursday, November 14 to Friday, November 22

Where: Collection bins are located in the front lobby of WES

Please support our effort by donating according to the following list of suggested non-perishable items as shown by grade level: (No glass containers, please)

Kindergarten: Powdered drink mixes: Iced Tea, Lemonade, etc.
Grade 1: Cranberry Sauce, Applesauce, Packaged Gravy
Grade 2: Canned Vegetables, Canned Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Olives, etc.
Grade 3: Potatoes in a box: Mashed, Scalloped, etc.
Grade 4: Stuffing Mix, Bread and Roll Mixes: Cornbread, Nut Breads, Muffins, etc.
Grade 5: Dessert: Pie Filling, Pie Crusts, Canned Fruit, Jello, Pudding
All Grades: Frozen turkey drop off Friday November 22nd 9am-3pm outside of the front office.

The Hour of Code is coming to WES during the week of December 2-6! Please consider volunteering for an hour to help with this exciting event. No programming experience is necessary. You can sign up here to volunteer. We will need two volunteers for each classroom who will help facilitate Hour of Code activities. Tutorials of what to do and what to expect will be provided. As a reminder, all volunteers must already have valid clearances on file with WSSD. There are no exceptions to this requirement. If you have any questions, please contact Bobby Griffin or Marisa Ciarrocki. Thank you!

Save the Date! Dine-in, takeout, or order online from Chipotle in Springfield on Wednesday, December 4 from 4pm-8pm. Present a printed or digital Flyer and Chipotle will donate 25% from your bill towards the WES PTO. Thank you for your support!

Hoodies, sweats, beanies, oh my!

Just in time for Holiday gifts, the WES Spirit Wear store is open! Bring good cheer to the WES PTO by supporting the store and sporting WES merch. The store will be open from November 18 to December 6 and orders will arrive by December 19. Highlights include the new Gothic hoodie, cozy joggers, and zippered fleece. Any questions or concerns, please contact Kristina Dechter and Suzanna Seltzer.

From December 2 through December 13, the WES PTO Sustainability Committee will be collecting like-new and gently used small toys and trinkets in the front hall of WES. This year we are also collecting pre-used plain or holiday gift bags. These items will be given new life in our Holiday Shop on Sunday, December 15th. Please see the attached information sheet *here* for full donation guidelines before contributing. Questions? Please reach out to Erin Stancill, Amanda Hemmer, Christina Forwood, Shannon Swierczek or Danielle Grugan.

Save the date! On Sunday, December 15 from 1 to 4 pm, the WES Sustainability Committee is hosting a secret holiday shop where kids can purchase small gifts for family and friends. All products are sourced from the school Re-Prize Drive. Items will be priced 3 for $1. More details to come!

Girls on the Run is coming to WES this spring! If you’re looking to support a program that fosters physical activity within a positive, educational and inclusive environment for our 3rd-5th grade girls, join our coaching team! No running experience is necessary - just a desire to provide an empowering and inspiring experience for our girls at WES! The season will begin the last week in February, and run until the first week in May. Coaches would need to be available for practices twice a week (3:30-5pm) for 8 weeks and must have clearances on file with WSSD. Volunteers can sign-up here or reach out to Christine Greco for more information!