Hello Wildcat families,

First Quarter is nearly over! We have had a busy 9 weeks of teaching and learning. The kids have been patient as we work through these excessive heat warning days, which means no outdoor recess or PE classes. The first few days are a novelty, but that wears off and the kids just want to go run and play. Hopefully the weather will break after fall break, and we can return to safe outdoor playtime.

For parent/teacher conferences that are scheduled while students are on campus, please go to the front office to be buzzed in. This includes middle school hours, since our campuses are connected (7:30am-3:30pm Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 7:30-2:15pm on Thurs). If your parent/teacher conference is scheduled after that time, we will open the gate on the parking lot side until most conferences are completed. If you have a late conference scheduled and you see the gate isn't open, please message the teacher on Dojo, and they can let you onto campus. Thank you for your cooperation with this as well.

The PTO will be sponsoring a dinner for the teachers who are staying late for parent/teacher conferences this week. If you are able to donate $5 to go toward the dinner, we appreciate it! Sign up here, or if you prefer to drop off a donation at the front office, we appreciate that as well!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EAAA929A5FDC70-51726505-conference#/

Have a great day!

Jennifer Quirk

At WVE, we guide learners to reflect, communicate, and grow, to strengthen ourselves and our community.

WVE engages learners in a growth mindset to reach their potential while being accountable to their role within the community.

WVE is a place where everyone believes students can learn and grow as individuals. Effort is valued, teaching is intentional, progress is shared, and ideas are welcomed.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for trusting our staff to be responsible for educating your children. Our focus remains on educating the whole child in engaging and safe school environments. You have likely become aware of the continued use of social media to disrupt schools nationwide. FESD takes all threats seriously. We work with the Phoenix Police Department, which works with federal government agencies to investigate school threats. Our students have done a terrific job reporting social media threats against schools to their teachers and administrators. We need you to share the responsibility of reporting any inappropriate posts. When we become aware of a dangerous social media post, we immediately report it to the Phoenix Police. We encourage you to do the same. Please contact the Phoenix Police Department to report any information about school threats. If it is an emergency, call 911; otherwise, use the non-emergency number (602)262-6151.

Speak to your child(ren) about the seriousness of these posts. Instruct your child NOT to forward or comment on threatening posts. This continued sharing of violent posts increases panic and fear for our students and school community. It also contributes to draining police resources as multiple reports are made because the same post continues to be shared. We, the adults in our children's lives, must educate our students about the potential dangers of social media. It is easy for our children to spend excessive time viewing social media.

Please take a few minutes to consider implementing one or more of the following suggestions.

• Frequently monitor your child's use of technology (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.). Look at their devices and review what sites they visit and who they are messaging. Being informed about what they are doing on their devices is necessary to keep your children safe.

• Consider establishing no electronics times in your home during the evenings and weekends.

• Spend time engaging in non-technology activities such as reading, writing, physical activity, games, puzzles, and conversation.

• Model good habits for your children by limiting your use of electronic devices and minimizing your attachment to your devices during family time. Focus on the task you are engaged in and check electronics periodically rather than continually.

• Engage in physical activity, such as walking, walking dogs, bike riding, playing at the local park or green space, or having family games/playtime.

Encourage your children to participate in at least one non-technological activity at school, community, or home.

Children should not bring cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, or other electronic devices not issued by the school. A staff member may confiscate them if students have them and they are visible. A parent or guardian will then be required to pick them up at the school. School staff do not have the time or resources to investigate lost or damaged cell phones or other devices.

Your involvement in your child’s education is crucial. Your active participation in school events enriches your child's learning experience and strengthens our school community. Whether it's a PTO meeting, Coffee with a Principal, or any other school event, your presence is invaluable. School administrators work hard to keep you informed and offer opportunities for you to be involved in school. Take the time to review the information shared with you and make it a point to participate in at least one monthly or quarterly event, as your schedule permits.

In closing, I want to reiterate the importance of strong attendance. We understand there will be days when your child(ren) cannot attend school. If they are sick, keep them home. We know that it is sometimes unavoidable for students to miss school. However, please remember that regular attendance is a key to academic success. It allows students to engage with their peers, fosters critical social connections, and helps them feel a sense of belonging and connection crucial to their self-confidence and, ultimately, to their success.

Respectfully,

Nora Ulloa

Superintendent

If you've been on campus recently, you have noticed the new security measures we have in place. The exterior lobby doors are now locked at all times, and there is a video doorbell feature that you press, and tell the office what you need (bringing in a tardy student, dropping off a water bottle or lunch for a child, picking up a student early for an appointment, volunteering at the cafeteria, etc.).

Upon being buzzed in, there is also a new ID scanner we are beginning to implement. Visitors sign in at the tablet on the counter, and you scan your ID. The scanner will then print out a visitor sticker for you with your picture, first and last name, date and time you signed in. This security measure helps us to better track who is on campus, and to verify that their ID was checked at the office. A benefit to this new ID scanner also, is that once your ID is scanned, you can quickly create an account that will store your ID in the tablet, so you do not have to present your ID each time (you just enter a unique password that you create). If you choose not to have your ID stored, that's fine too, you will just need to present your ID every time you come to campus, without exception.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we implement more safety & security measures to ensure we are doing all that we can to keep our children and staff safe while we are at school.

Water refill stations are all around campus when they run out. Sending your child with a water bottle ensures they are never without a quick drink of water! We do not have disposable cups for water, and the drinking fountains are mostly in classrooms, so their own water bottle is best!

And don't forget to write their name on their water bottle!

Did you know that every 4th grade student in the US is eligible for the "Every Kid Outdoors" pass? This pass gives free admission the 4th grader and their family to National Parks and other landmarks around the country. It's a great way to explore different parts of our beautiful country. While you're at a National Park, ask about the Junior Ranger program. It's a fun way for kids to get involved and learn a little more about our natural resources.

Fourth grade teachers will have paper copies of the pass available at Curriculum Night, or parents can sign up on their own on the website.

https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm

We had some parent volunteers last year for making copies, Book Fair, field trips, and in the cafeteria to help students open packaging and keeping tables clean. It was a HUGE help! We would like to extend the invitation again this year. If you are interested in volunteering at school,

please fill out this form. We will begin with volunteers by mid-August.

https://forms.gle/dwDkf4kz3My2vBV19

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Our students will all receive free lunch this year (no lunch applications needed), but we do need families to please complete the income eligibility form as well- this helps to pay for our Reading Intervention services, after school tutoring and clubs, summer school, Instructional Assistants, and so much more!

https://linqconnect.com/public/income-form/new?identifier=TARLF2

Our arrival and dismissal procedure will be similar this school year. For the safety of your children, please only use the parking lot and 63rd Ave to park and walk WITH YOUR CHILD to the crosswalk. Children may not be dropped off in the parking lot or along 63rd Ave to walk by themselves. It is simply not safe for them.

As a reminder, the drop-off area is along the fire lane curb, and the parking lot is ONLY for families who want to park and walk up their student. Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the parking lot. This creates an unsafe situation for children, which of course, no one wants. We will have signs up as reminders, but please be safe, and drop off children only in the designated areas.

**For the parent pick-up area, we will have grade levels wait under the shade structure (as best as will safely fit). A change this year is with older siblings meeting younger kids. They will NOT meet them in the classroom this year. Instead, upper grade siblings will meet their younger siblings outside, and will wait with them under the shade structure. This allows students to exit more quickly, and to meet up with the parent or guardian who is picking them up.

Use your Dashboard card for a faster Parent Pick Up! Ask your teacher or the front office for one.

Kids get breakfast in the classroom starting at 7:55, and we are into the start of instruction by 8:10 every day, so arrival any later than that means students are missing important learning time. And it adds up!

Students may now wear a WVE Spirit Shirt on Thursdays with uniform pants.

Order your Spirit Shirt now! You can pay cash or Zelle to jreeser@fesd.org

Dollar Dress Down Day (formerly known as Buck-a-Jeans Day) = Hosted once a month as a PTO fundraiser, students may pay $1 and wear a non-uniform outfit. You can purchase the Annual Pass for this for $10, and you don't have to dig around for $1 each of these days.

Spirit Shirt Thursday (new this year) = Every Thursday, students may wear a WVE Spirit Shirt and uniform bottoms. This free event is to drum up our Wildcat spirit, and to be a fun way to show our school pride!

Free Dress Down Days (these are for special occasions) = Fall Picture Day, a pass earned by a grown-up when they attend a PTO meeting, Curriculum Night, or other school event that we advertise parents coming to campus.

All students who ride the bus have been issued a bus ID, and those IDs have been zip tied to their backpacks to prevent loss. They will scan on and off the bus each time. The first bus ID is free, broken or lost replacements will cost $5.

If your child will need to take medication at school, please bring it (in the prescription bottle/box) to the Health Office. Children may not bring medication to school themselves. This includes even cough drops. When in doubt, DO NOT send medicine to school with your child!

Also, if your child has a Chronic Illness, and may miss school often due to an illness or condition, ask the office or Mrs Reyes about a Chronic Health Form.

Learn a new skill, or continue to grow in a field you've worked in before! Keep the same work schedule as your kids!

Check out some other openings around the district here- https://fowler.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

Our office is open 7:30am-4pm Mon-Fri.

Our administration & office staff are happy to help!

*9/24- 10/2 Scholastic Fall Book Fair

*10/2 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV (10:30-12 for WVM, 12:30-2:30 for WVE)

*10/3 & 10/4 Early release @ 1:15pm for Fall Conferences

*10/4 September Student of the Month Breakfast

*10/7-10/11 Fall Break, No School

*10/16 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*10/25 Dollar Dress Down Day & PTO Meeting

*10/30 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*10/31 Book Character Wellness Walk (parents & families invited to walk with us!)

*11/1 Western Valley's 20th Birthday Celebration! (Volunteers needed!)

*11/1 October Student of the Month Breakfast

*11/8 Teacher In-Service Day, No School

*11/11 Veterans Day, No School

*11/12 FESD Governing Board Meeting 4pm

*11/13 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*11/20 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*11/22 Dollar Dress Down Day & PTO Meeting

*11/22 Aja Calhoun Thanksgiving Dinner

*11/25-11/29 Thanksgiving Break, No School

*12/4 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*12/18 Phoenix Public Library Bookmobile at WV

*12/23-1/3 Winter Break, No School