Sunday Message from Mr. Burns

Hi Wims Families,

I hope we are in for an uninterrupted week free of snow:) A huge than you to our building services team who came in everyday last week to clear the sidewalks and grounds so we were prepared for the students and staff to return. We have the best team in MCPS!

January is a busy month of testing for us. Our K-2 students will be taking the MAP-P (math) and DIBELS (reading) assessments. In Grades 3-5, our students will take the MAP-M (math) and MAP-R (reading) assessments, All these assessments are provided three times a year (Fall, WInter, Spring) and help us to better support your child. Once the testing window ends (early February), we will provide families a summary of your child's assessment results. It is important to know that these assessments are one moment in time and do not directly align with what they are currently learning in class. However, we use a variety of other assessments to measure your child's response to instruction. Please feel to reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions.

-Mr. Burns

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Well, that was certainly an interesting way to wrap-up Winter Break! I hope all our young Wildcats enjoyed the laughter and pure joy that comes from playing in the snow (at seemingly any age) and that our Wildcat parents… survived! The full week of school this week will surely be an adjustment.

Speaking of adjustment - reminder that our January PTA Meeting was rescheduled for this coming Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30pm in the Media Center. We hope to see many of you there!

Registration has closed to host a table at Multicultural Night - thank you to all of the families who signed up. We can’t wait to see your beautiful displays! For the rest of our Wims Community, please mark your calendars for Multicultural Night on Friday, January 24 from 6-8pm in the APR. This is a wonderful event and an opportunity to experience the rich and diverse culture we are proud of at Wilson Wims.

There is another deadline approaching: registration for the Wims Spelling Bee closes on January 19, so if you have a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader who would like to participate, please be sure to sign up here. The bee will take place on February 19 during school hours. More information will be shared with registered families before the 19th.

Finally, we are pleased to announce that the Wims S.T.E.A.M. Expo will take place on Friday, March 14 in the APR! Registration is now open to all grade levels here. The Wims S.T.E.A.M. team is also looking for folks willing to serve on the planning committee. If you are interested, please reach out to steamexpo@wwespta.org. Additional details on the S.T.E.A.M. Expo is shared below.

Have a Wonderful Wildcat Week!

~ Ashley Zuraf, President

2024-25 School Year

Please join us for our January PTA Meeting at 6:30pm in the Media Center. In-person attendance is encouraged, but you can join us virtually on Zoom. Please use this link or enter Meeting ID 896 3994 8217; Passcode 117945. Dial-in +1 301 715 8592 (Washington DC). Free childcare is available through Global for the meeting (potty-trained children only).

Multicultural Night is a special evening where we celebrate our diverse Wildcat Community through cultural enlightenment including foods, art, artifacts, and a fabulous fashion show! Please join us in the APR from 6-8 pm for a wonderful, around-the-world experience. Attendance is free and there is no RSVP required. The PTA will host a concession stand with candy, snacks, and drinks. Cash and credit cards are accepted. Volunteers are still needed for this event, particularly to help coordinate the students participating in the fashion show. Please sign up here to volunteer! If you have any questions, please contact Natalia Winffel.

Calling all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders interested in participating in our Wilson Wims Spelling Bee! The bee takes place during the school day and a schedule will be provided to the families of registered students closer to the event. The 5th grade winner will move on to compete in the Regional Bee, scheduled for March 6 at 6:00pm at The Landon School. If your student is interested in participating, please complete this interest form no later than January 19 (one form per student, please). The word list will be sent via email after the 19th. Please don’t delay in registering - due to bee logistics, we are unable to accept late submissions once the deadline has passed.

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.