Mr. Burns's Sunday Message

We had such a beautiful day on Friday for the Fun Run! Thank you to our PTA, families, students, and Wims staff for making it a great success. It is the collective effort of our WIms community that makes events like the Fun Run so successful. Through your fundraising efforts, we are able to offer all the great events our PTA puts on throughout the school year. We look forward to celebrating the fundraising efforts with the students over the next few weeks:)

Topics in this Issue

Holiday Giving Project

MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week

November Open House

Attendance Information

ParentVue Accounts

Important Information from our PTA

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and human service professionals refer families in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available.

If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form to provide the required information. This information will be sent directly to our School Counselor, Mrs. Ioli, who will then enter it into the Holiday Giving Database on your behalf. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. Please complete this form no later than WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Ioli at Lauren_A_Ioli@mcpsmd.org.

Holiday Giving Project Referral (English)

Holiday Giving Project Referral (Spanish)

MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host Mental Health Awareness Week Oct. 21–26 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on a variety of issues. A Mental Health Resource Fair and Student Forum will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. The event is open to students, families and staff and will include MCPS and community partners sharing information about mental health and wellness, as well as a student-lead forum focused on issues impacting Montgomery County youth. Students may earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for participating in the resource fair. For more information, visit the Mental Health Awareness Week website.

We will have our annual Open House from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Feel free to stay as little or as much as you want within the timeframe:)

The school must be notified any day your child will be absent. You may call the school office at 240-406-1670 or email the classroom teacher and the Attendance secretary Mrs. Norton; christine_e_norton@mcpsmd.org

When reporting the absence please include the following:

• Child’s first and last name

• Grade Level

• Teacher’s name

• The reason for the absence

If we do not receive a call from a parent, the absence or tardiness will be considered unexcused. A written explanation of each absence is required from the parent/guardian within three days of the student’s return to school (email is acceptable)

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

ParentVue Directions

Greetings, Wildcats!

WE HAD FUN AND WE RAN!

On behalf of our entire PTA, but especially me as Fun Run Chair, I am humbled. We have reached $19,000 with one more week for any last-minute donations as well as the "per lap" donations to be generated (these counted when pledged, for weekly incentives, but aren’t “finalized” until the lap counts get entered - as Booster estimates low, that is going to increase). Our Wildcats wanted a dance party and a dance party they will get!

What you need to understand is that we did this with significantly less students this year. Mr. Burns warned me, but I didn’t listen and kept our goal the same as last year. This is the number we needed & I believed we could do it.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your donations and for showing up to cheer on the FUN RUN! Thank you to my PTA executive board for always pitching in. While I carry the weight of this event, they carry the weight of my anxiety and that's no small feat.

Thank you to the VOLUNTEERS! You showed up for us. You spent hours on your feet and your enthusiasm didn’t waver. I was thrilled to hear you say how much fun you had volunteering at this event. Special thanks to the dads who answered my call for set-up help. Fun Run set-up is hard, and you worked tirelessly to save my back. I hope you enjoyed it, because you will be back next year (I know who you are and will find you if you try to run).

And finally, thank you to our administration and teachers. Our partnership is paramount to the success of Fun Run.

The smiles on our children’s faces, especially when we placed their medals around their necks, made every inch of the hard work worth it.

Congratulations to our Week 3 and final incentive winners (PEP- Mrs. Keller, K - Mrs. Knight, 1st - Mrs. Panchura, 2nd - Mrs. Benco, 3rd - Mrs. Shapot, 4th - Mrs. Oakes, and 5th - Mrs. Spitzberg.) 3rd Grade took the prize for the most funds raised by grade level. And congratulations to the students in Mr. Walker’s class for having the highest percentage of registered AND pledged students, earning each of them a squishy Wimsy!

Each year I wonder if Fun Run has extinguished itself - if it's run its course (no pun intended). I wonder if I've run MY course. But also, each year, after it's over and I've had time to decompress, I find myself looking forward to doing it all again next year, for our PTA, but especially for our students. I am so grateful to be part of this community.

~ Ashley Zuraf, President, 2024-25 School Year

We are pleased to announce two more opportunities for the fall of 2024:

● Back by popular demand, drawing with Young Rembrandts will start on Friday, October 25- December 20 (8 weeks) with no class on 11/29. Register here!

● Also, new to Wims this year, You Too Can Sew offers a 3-week Holiday Sew. This is for grades 3-5 only and classes will be held on 12/6, 12/13, and 12/20. Please contact sewgeniusnow@gmail.com to register. The cost is $80 and all supplies are included. For those interested in sewing for a younger student, please also reach out to sewgeniusnow@gmail.com for her "in studio" intro to sewing opportunities.

If you have any questions about after-school programming, please reach out to Danni.

The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence (BBC) invites you to an important Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 6-8pm (doors open at 5:30) in the Wheaton HS auditorium (12401 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring). This event will feature special guest MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor, who will discuss key issues affecting our community and schools. This Town Hall will introduce our community to Dr. Taylor and provide an opportunity to hear his plans for:

• Improving reading data for all students, including a focus on Black and Brown students

• Enhancing school safety and security

• Implementing an equity plan that includes resources to support MCPS students

• Strengthening community engagement and support services, including counseling, mentorship programs, and academic assistance for students

Your presence and participation are crucial as we strive to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for our children. Childcare (for up to 80 students, K-2nd grade) as well as a catered meal will be provided. Spanish, Amharic, and ASL interpretation will be available. Shuttle Bus service will be available from local Elementary Schools. Please RSVP here by Friday, October 18.

CALLING ALL GRANDPARENTS! Save the date for Monday, November 25 from 8:00 to 9:30 AM for the return of this beloved event. Our committee is hard at work to plan an amazing morning for our students and their grandparents. More details will be provided, as well as a link to RSVP, soon.

MCPS provides a school year calendar that allows for effective use of time for teaching and learning, for professional growth opportunities, and planning instructional strategies focused on improving student achievement, while maintaining a lens of equity for all students and commitment to community engagement.

Please click this link to participate in the survey on the MCPS School Calendar for 2025-2026. This feedback represents one component of the development process incorporating feedback from our school community, including students, staff, and families. Please limit to one response per person.

We will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, contingencies for inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, alignment with assessment schedules, etc.

Calling all non-5th grade families: The PTA is looking for a CO-CHAIR for 5th Grade Promotion. 5th Grade Promotion is a special event for our outgoing Wildcats and we need a team to help make this an unforgettable evening as these students head off to Middle School. This is what we refer to as our “pay it forward” event, as when your student enters the 5th grade, the hope is that there are families willing to make their night unforgettable, too. Promotion Night has a lot of moving parts and is the perfect event for team collaboration. Our chairs from last year are on hand and ready to guide you and volunteer that evening. Committee Chairs are fully supported by the PTA Board throughout the duration of these roles. Please contact us at pta@wwespta.org if interested!

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.