Wolf Cub Press

This newsletter comes a bit later than usual, but please take time to review the upcoming events and see what has been happening at WES this month. Although the weather is getting warmer, we still have plenty of snow. Please continue to send snow gear with your child. Also, as snow starts to melt, recess gets very wet! Please consider sending an extra change of clothes and socks in case they get wet. Waterproof gloves/mittens are helpful as well.

I hope you all had a great and restful February break!

I have waited 14 years to have the opportunity to snowshoe with our youngest explorers! I am so thankful for grant funds that allowed us to purchase these snowshoes. The students did an amazing job!

Each year, students in Grades 3-5 participate in the NH Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS). Students in grades 3-5 are tested in math and ELA, and 5th graders have an additional test in science. This testing will occur in mid-May (exact dates to be determined by the end of the month), but please look over the notification letter and reach out with any questions. An email will be sent directly to grades 3-5 families with an attachment of the letter next week. Thank you!

Please review the handbook (link below). In the Powerschool School Year Registration Verification, there is a box to check that you have read this and gone over it with your child under the "Permissions/Agreements" section.

Changes from previous years are in blue on the table of contents. Please make sure to review those sections.

Annual Meeting provides you with an opportunity to learn more about our school budget and to ask questions about the budget. In recent years, attendance at this meeting has declined, resulting in only a small number of our community members voting for your budget. While this small group is extremely supportive (and we appreciate that!), we would love more participation from our school families. Please see the attachment below for the budget presentation. We hope to see you there!

March 8th - Washington School District Annual Meeting 9:00am in the gym - Please join us for the Annual Meeting to learn how your tax dollars support our school. In recent years, we have had declining participation during this meeting, and the board would love for more families and community members to attend. We understand that it can be difficult to attend with children at home but we welcome anyone who is able to join. Thank you!

March 8th - Regular School Board Meeting in the art room - This will be directly following the annual meeting

March 11th - Family/Teacher Conferences - No School for students - Conferences will occur 11:00am-7:00pm - Forms were sent home with scheduled times before vacation. Please send these back as soon as possible. If you cannot attend, please provide a time that would work for you and we will do our best to reschedule. Please keep in mind, that we do account for siblings when making our schedule so it can be difficult to rearrange. Thank you!

March 18th - 4th Graders at Kroka *Tentative* - Please reach out to Ms. Engle with any questions

March 21st - Early Release for Students - Dismissal starts at 1:05pm with buses

March 24th-28th - Circus Residency - Troy Wunderle will be back to host an amazing circus residency! There will be a family night again this year which is an interactive night in which families get to learn skills together. This will be either on Tues or Wed (it still needs to be confirmed but I am hoping for Wednesday). There will also be an afternoon performance on Friday, March 28th at 1:30pm.

This month's habit: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood

• I listen with my eyes, ears, and heart.
• I see things from others’ viewpoints.
• I listen without interrupting.
• I diagnose before I prescribe.
• I look people in the eye when talking.
• I voice my ideas with confidence.

School lunches can be purchased this year for the following prices:

Breakfast: $1.75

Lunch: $2.75

Milk: $0.40

Reduced Breakfast: $0.00

Reduced Lunch: $0.40

We encourage ALL families to fill out the free and reduced lunch application whether or not you will use the program or not. This application helps our school obtain federal grant money which funds our Early Learning program, special programs for students, and training for teachers. Without this funding, these programs would not be possible with our current budget. If you do not think you would qualify or you do not want to use the free/reduced lunch service, we understand but still ask that you fill out the application.

You can apply online here: https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ApplicationScreen.aspx

**While we are technically a separate district from Hillsboro-Deering, when it asks for District Name, for this form, please use Hillsboro-Deering.

**You only need to fill out one form per family, so if you have MS/HS students, you only have to complete the form once.

A paper application will be sent home on the first day of school.

How to Pay for Lunch:

Please pay in advance for each week's meals. Each Friday, Dawn Bilski will send home envelopes with your child's balance written on it. Please return the envelope with cash or check payable to Washington School District with enough money for that week's meals. Please see the handbook for more information. Thank you!

Bus routes are posted on the sau34.org website. Bus #73 and Bus #74 are the Washington busses. Please be sure to be at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time. In the afternoon, please wait outside for your child so the bus driver knows that someone is at the stop or home. Students in kindergarten through grade 2 may not be dropped off without someone over the age of 18 to greet them, unless we have written permission that an older sibling will be getting off the bus with them.

If you need to reach the school for any reason, please call the main office at 495-3463. If someone does not answer, please leave a message. We check messages frequently throughout the day, but there is not always someone at the front desk, as we all wear many hats!

If there are changes to your child's dismissal routine, please make sure to leave a message on the office phone before 2:00pm, as opposed to emailing Dawn or the teacher. Our teachers often do not have time to check their emails throughout the day and may miss the message, so a phone call is best. Please do not leave messages about dismissal or absences on the school Facebook page or any staff member's personal Facebook page.

In the event that internet is down, our phones are also down. We do have one emergency phone to use if this happens. The number for that phone is 603-495-0187. There is no way to leave a message on this line. Please only use this number if you try the main line and it does not ring or gives you a busy signal.

If there's ever anything we can do to improve our communication, please let us know!

If you ever have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I typically get to school by 7:45am, and I stay until about 4:30 (sometimes later!). On days I teach specials, you may not reach me right away, but if you leave a message, I will give you a call when I am available. Email is also a great way to get a hold of me.

Email: kcolarusso@hdsd.org
Website: https://wes.sau34.org/en-us
Phone: 603-495-3463
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Washington-Elementary-School-110720773888378