Wellington Family Newsletter

Wow! We have had a very busy month of April and start to May! Thanks to our PTA and all of our families for making last week so much fun!! Our PTA hosted a Welcome May & KSA Spirit Week filled with fun dress up themes! Our staff and students really loved participating and coming to school in various themes! Our students have had so many amazing events and fun activities during the month of April! Bluey welcomed us into Spring Break, our 4th and 5th graders amazed us once again with the Frozen musical, 1st and 5th grades each had a field trip to Cincinnati, we had Arty Party again thanks to Mrs. Lester and the MANY family volunteers, a 2nd/3rd grade chorus concert, a spirit week with Kona Ice, and a forthcoming Teacher/Staff Appreciation week! Whew! I have added pictures to an April/May 2025 photo album for you to view!

I am very thankful for the many family volunteers who have either donated items or given of their time to support these amazing activities! Family engagement opportunities are important and will remain a focus for us. The 2025- Family Survey was very positive, indicating agreement percentages ranging from 91-97% in the four categories. More information can be viewed here. An area of growth is increased and differentiated opportunities for Family Engagement. A common theme was the need for increasing feelings of connectedness to other families and school, so I am excited to share that we will host an Open Space meeting on Tuesday, May 13th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. facilitated by our FCPS Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team! I hope you will come to share ideas for increasing opportunities for connectedness in this venue so that we can continue to grow and improve for our students and YOU!

We will kick off state testing with our annual KSA parade on Tuesday before testing begins on Wednesday. This is a long-time tradition that is a quick and easy way to make everyone aware of the importance of KSA while also pumping up the kids! Huge THANK YOU to Caryn Ray for ordering a new banner and and some other special enhancements that will make the 2025 parade really pop!

I am very, very thankful for the support our students receive both at home and at school. We CAN, HAVE, and WILL continue to Do Hard Things! They feel a lot easier and not so hard when we have each other to support along the way!

Let's have a wonderful week at Wellington!

💓 Mrs. Strange

Our PTA has planned an outstanding Teacher/Staff Appreciation week! Beginning Monday, May 5th teachers and staff will receive a variety of special treats by way of written notes, snacks, flowers, and more! The Minecraft theme will no doubt be popular with our students! Please take a look at each of the graphics with information and participate however you are able! A kind note or email to a staff member makes their heart full!

Please Note: This is not a comprehensive list of events! Please review classroom newsletters and communications regarding field trips and class/grade specific activities.

Upcoming:

• Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week: May 5-9th
• Kentucky Summative Assessment Window is May 7-28th - Wellington will test May 7-23rd
• Wellington Open Space Meeting - Focus: Family Engagement - May 13th 6:00-7:30 p.m.
• PTA Family Event - Sliding Into Summer - Saturday, May 17th 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Rain date is Sunday, May 18th noon-4:00 p.m.
• K, 1st, and 2nd End of Year Programs/Awards - May 23rd
• 2nd annual Graduate Walk - May 23rd
• 3rd, 4th, and 5th End of Year Awards - May 28th
• Last Day of School - May 28th

KSA Information:

State testing begins this week with 3rd grade starting on Wednesday, May 7th!! We will be testing one grade level at a time with 4th grade beginning on May 12th and 5th grade beginning May 15th.

This testing is required by the Kentucky Department of Education for various grade levels and subjects including:

• 3rd grade - Reading, Math, Climate/Culture Survey
• 4th grade - Reading, Math, Climate/Culture Survey, Science
• 5th grade - Reading, Math, Climate/Culture Survey, Social Studies, Editing Mechanics, and On Demand Writing

Attendance and on-time arrival to school are very important as are getting adequate sleep and adhering to routines that support learning. Please read the attached letter for more information.

We did it!!! All of our K-5 Explorers made a friendship bracelet...and it was magic! Not one tear was shed or disappointment shown by our youngest students, they were genuinely excited to make something for their "buddy"! Our oldest students picked positive, kind messages to motivate themselves and LOVED hearing about how their buddy made a bracelet for them too. This is one of my favorite Wellington traditions, because it highlights one of my favorite parts of friendship. We are in it together!! 💙💚

We will have exchanging days coming soon, allowing our K, 1st, and 2nd grade classes to give the bracelet they made to their 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom buddy!

We will kick off KSA testing with our annual parade on Tuesday! Music, banners, signs, and cheering forthcoming!

It is always so rewarding to see our former Explorers thriving! Lafayette Senior, Jordan Woods, has been involved in extracurriculars and positive leadership opportunities since he left us several years ago. He is Senior Class President, came back to Ms. Pickens classroom for EBCE, and is the recipient of the 2025 Manny Caulk Scholarship, awarded by the Fayette Foundation! The work we do together every day is paving the way for these young men and women to thrive! We will look forward to seeing our many graduates back with us on May 23 for our graduation walk!