WES Weekly Update

October 31 - Halloween Parade, 2:00pm & Class Parties (throughout the day)

November 1 - School Picture Re-Take Day

November 5 - NO SCHOOL (Election Day)

November 6 - WES Veterans Day Assembly (3rd grade)

November 6 - PTO Math Night, 6:00pm

November 12-15 - Fall Book Fair

November 12 - PTO Meeting, 6:00pm

November 13 - Reveal Mathematics Information Night, 7:00pm

November 21-22 - Kindergarten Conferences (during the school day)

November 25-26 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Teacher Conferences)

November 27-29 - NO SCHOOL (Holiday)

Dear WES Families,

Happy Monday! We have a fun and “spooktacular” week planned ahead at WES with our Thursday Halloween parade and classroom parties! The Halloween Parade is scheduled to begin at 2:00, and individual classroom parties are occurring both before and after the parade depending on the designated grade level times. This follows a great weekend event, as the WES PTO Halloween Carnival, Haunted Hallway, and Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser were a HUGE success on Saturday! So many students, families, and staff members came out to support this great event, and it was a delight to see the costumes, trick or treaters, and our 5th graders get into the roles of “spooksters” in the Haunted Hallway!

Note: The AM Kindergarten parade is scheduled to occur at 9:30 AM,. Parents can line up in the bus loop circle.

In addition to it being Halloween, Thursday evening into Friday morning is also Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. These are general themes that we can all value and reflect on, and Happy Diwali to those who celebrate!

We will also conduct a short Treats for Troops candy collection drive with collection days on Friday, November 1st and Monday, November 4th.

Have a great week everyone! Don’t eat too much candy!

Mr. Stephen Krall

Acting Principal

Wallingford Elementary

skrall@wssd.org

We are excited to welcome families to this year’s WES Halloween Parade! Weather permitting, the parade will be held outside on Tuesday, October 31 at 2:00 pm. Classes will parade around the back parking lot area. Families are invited to view the parade along the outdoor route.

We ask that parents use your best judgment about your child’s choice of costume. However, as always, NO GUNS OR OTHER TOY WEAPONS may be carried. PM kindergartners will parade at 2:00 pm and AM kindergartners will parade at 9:30am. Specifics about the parade schedule for kindergartners were sent home with students. We are crossing our fingers for good weather and looking forward to a fun parade!

Welcome to WES Wednesdays! On the first Wednesday of each month, we will celebrate our wonderful WES spirit! Show your school spirit by wearing your blue WES CARES t-shirt, any WES spirit wear or our school colors. Our first WES Wednesday will be November 6th!

Cold and flu season is upon us. In order to protect the health of our students and staff, we ask that you use the guidance available on our website to determine when to keep your child home.

We have recently experienced an influx of students arriving very early to school. Please note that our school day begins at 8:45 am with drop off beginning at 8:20 am. We do not have adequate staffing in the building in the early morning to accommodate drop off earlier than 8:20am. This applies to students arriving for the regular school day, not those participating in early morning programs such as orchestra, band, chorus, student council, etc. Thank you!

October is Pedestrian Safety Month! We want to remind everyone to stay alert, follow traffic rules, and always use crosswalks. Whether walking, biking, or driving, let’s work together to create safe routes for everyone. Let’s make this month—and every month—safe for our community.

Please feel free to reach out to Kate Rittler, Director of Food and Nutrition, with any questions! krittler@wssd.org, 610-892-3470 ext. 2151 or visit the WSSD Food Services website.

We are urging parents/guardians to complete the process for clearances if you have not already done so. Clearances are mandatory, are good for 5 years, and are kept at the district level. Volunteer clearances are required for anyone volunteering to work with our students or be present in our school; whether that is in school, on a field trip, or at an athletic event/practice, etc. Essentially, everyone who is volunteering with our students or in a school is required to obtain volunteer clearances.

You will not be permitted to volunteer without valid clearances on file with the district.

The WES community is rallying around St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield after a devastating fire destroyed the lower school’s building. We are collecting new art supplies now through Wednesday October 30th. Collection bins are in the front lobby and see the flier for needed supplies. Let’s show our neighbors that WES cares. Thank you!

This fun WES tradition should not be missed! Students will arrive with parents (siblings welcome too, of course!) and spend the evening visiting engaging math-related stations. Families will take part in each math-related station with the volunteer station facilitator‘s guidance. You and your children won’t want to miss shopping at the WES Mart, building marshmallow toothpick structures, making origami, playing dice and coin games, and so much more! Students will receive a passport and after they travel with their families to 6-8 stations, they will earn a homework pass. Families will travel together, play together and have fun doing math together. We hope you can make it!

We need your help to staff over 25 math-related stations to make math night a success! No prep work needed and you must have your volunteer clearances submitted with the district. Please click on this sign-up for more information. We are 100% sure you will have fun!

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Hosted by our PTO, this event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school. Here’s what you need to know about the Book Fair, which will take place from Tuesday, November 12th - Friday, November 15th during your child’s Library special day and time:

• Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet.
• Cash, cards and checks (made payable to WES PTO) are also accepted.
• If your child can’t make it to the Fair, they can also shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
• Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping.
• Come and shop after school in the library on Wednesday, November 13th from 4:30-6:00pm.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Book Fair during your child’s class time, sign-up here. *Please note that all volunteers need their clearances already on file with the school district. No exceptions!

Girls on the Run is coming to WES this spring! If you’re looking to support a program that fosters physical activity within a positive, educational and inclusive environment for our 3rd-5th grade girls, join our coaching team! No running experience is necessary - just a desire to provide an empowering and inspiring experience for our girls at WES! The season will begin the last week in February, and run until the first week in May. Coaches would need to be available for practices twice a week (3:30-5pm) for 8 weeks and must have clearances on file with WSSD. Volunteers can sign-up here or reach out to Christine Greco for more information!

If you are ready to part with your new student "Welcome to WES" lawn sign, please consider recycling it in the collection bin at WES. The collection bin will be in the WES front entrance from October 21st - November 4th and will be available at the Halloween Carnival on October 26th and the Halloween Parade on October 31st. The Sustainability Committee and the New Parent Committee are working together in an effort to reduce waste and cost. If we can return 50% of signs this year, we may not need to purchase new signs next year, which helps save the PTO budget and the earth! Thank you for helping in this effort!

Print copies were sent home in backpacks for families who purchased the WES Student Directory. A limited quantity is still available to order here! Access to the app version has been sent by Directory Spot to the email(s) provided when purchased. Please reach out to Jen Griffin with any questions about App access. Thank you for supporting the WES PTO!