Weekly Hoots

Dear Wise Owls Family,

I hope you are safe and warm following our recent snow week! While it was an unexpected break from our routine, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of continuing to support our students’ learning, even when the weather disrupts our plans.

Snow days are a wonderful chance to enjoy family time, but they can also be a great opportunity to reinforce learning at home. Reading together, practicing math skills through games, or even exploring the science behind snow are just a few ways to keep young minds active and engaged.

Please also encourage your children to stay consistent with any assignments or activities that were assigned while home. We will work to ensure a smooth transition back into the classroom.

We appreciate your partnership in supporting your child’s education and helping them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our students’ success. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school and diving into learning together.

B. Gantt

#AllforONE!

Our mission is to cultivate a caring community that utilizes a multitude of teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for their next adventure.

1. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and appreciated.
2. We believe that all children deserve a high quality education.
3. We believe in collaboration and making connections.

Staying Safe

Owning Your Actions

Acting Responsibly

Respecting Everyone & Everything

“South Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law requires that a parent or guardian shall require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools and Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education f rom the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.”

Please also submit any medical or additional excuses to the front office. We process our attendance forms once per week so you may not immediately see that the note has been accepted.

Friday, January 31st (change from Jan 24th)

Tags of Honor Celebration for grades 1, 4, & 5

• 1st Grade - 7:45 - 8:45
• 4th Grade - 9:00 - 10:00
• 5th Grade - 10:15 - 11:15

Monday, February 3rd (change from Jan 27th)

Tags of Honor Celebration for grades K, 3, & 2

• Kindergarten - 7:45 - 8:45
• 3rd Grade - 9:00 - 10:00
• 2nd Grade - 10:15 - 11:15

Friday, February 7th

Early Dismissal for Students (7:20 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.)

Saturday, February 8th

Sweetheart Dance @ WES (6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.)

Friday, February 14th

Staff Development Day

Monday, February 17th

President's Day (School & Offices Closed)

Monday, February 24th

Monday Morning Parliament

Thursday, February 27th

Boosterthon Kick-Off

Purpose of Tags of Honor Celebration:

The purpose of the Tags of Honor Celebration is to celebrate our Wise Owls for their accomplishments which include attendance, academic growth, academic achievement, and aWESome character.

Tags of Honor Criteria:

• Wise Owls Tag: Awarded to all Wise Owls at the first Tags of Honor or to new Wise Owls.
• Outstanding Attendance: Awarded to all Wise Owls who received perfect attendance during the second quarter.
• Most Growth: Awarded to Wise Owls in each class who are recognized as showing exceptional growth (behaviorally, academically, or based on attendance).
• Reading & Math Awards: Awarded based on grade level
• Kindergarten: Reading - all 26 letter sounds masterd; Math - read, write, represent, and count objects to 20
• First Grade: Reading 3's or 4's in reading foundation or i-Ready growth; Math - 3's or 4's on math report card or i-Ready growth
• Second Grade: Reading & Math: 50% or more growth towards Typical growth (i-Ready)
• Third Grade: Reading & Math: 50% or more growth towards Typical growth (i-Ready)
• Fourth Grade: Reading & Math: Quarter 2 average for students being an 80% or higher in i-Ready lessons.
• Fifth Grade: Reading & Math: 50% or more growth towards Typical growth (i-Ready)
• Additional Tags awarded:
• Kindergarten can award "Count to 100 tags"
• Grades 3-5 will award Honor Roll tags
• Related Arts Tags (awarded in the classrooms)

Parent Invitations:

Everyone is invited to help us celebrate our Wise Owls; however, we recognize the the inconvenience of taking a day off of work only to realize that your child did not receive any tags. To minimize this from happening, teachers have sent specific invitations to families of Wise Owls who will be receiving a tag.

We have noticed that there have been a number of families parking in front of the building (Front Car Rider Drop Off Line) to enter the school. If you need to park and come into the building, please be sure to park in one of our visitor parking spots or in one of the open parking spots in front of the school to allow the lane to continue moving for drop off.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Our primary goal is to ensure every child receives the support they need to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. From time to time, we may recommend retention—having a child repeat a grade—as a strategy to provide them with the additional time and resources they need to thrive.

Retention is not a decision we take lightly. It is carefully considered with input from teachers, counselors, and most importantly, you—the family. Here are some key points to help you understand the process:

• Skill Development: If your child is significantly behind in foundational skills such as reading, math, or social-emotional development, repeating a grade can offer a chance to build a stronger foundation.
• Maturity Considerations: Sometimes, a child’s developmental readiness for the next grade level may not align with their current age group.
• Long-Term Success: Retention can provide your child the opportunity to gain confidence and master essential skills to better prepare them for future challenges.

• Ongoing Monitoring: We closely monitor your child’s progress throughout the year. Concerns about potential gaps are addressed early.
• Collaborative Meetings: Teachers, specialists, and I will meet with you to discuss your child’s progress and concerns, reviewing evidence such as assessments, classroom performance, and observations.
• Family Input: We value your perspective and will work together to make the best decision for your child.
• Tailored Support: Whether retention occurs or not, we create a plan to meet your child’s unique needs.

Some of our Wise Owls received their child's i-Ready information this past week and a part of that information shared that students were at risk of being retained. If a student is truly at risk for retention at this point in the school year, parents have been contacted regarding concerns.

This is not the case with third grade due to Read to Succeed legislation that requires students scoring Not Met on SCReady (indicated by a score <489 on i-Ready) be retained. (please read Read to Succeed information below for more information)

The ACCESS for ML students testing window opens January 21 and closes March 7. Students will be tested at various times throughout that window. Families can reach out to Ms. Gallagher for more specific dates and times for their individual children.

If there is a change of transportation, a note with a parent/guardian's signature MUST be provided. Any student that tells staff that his or her parent/guardian told them to go home by another means will not be honored. For the safety of our students, a change in transportation must be submitted in writing to the student's teacher AND to the Front Office.

To ensure that our students remain safe while off-campus, we are asking families to purchase a WES School Spirit Shirt. Students will be able to wear their School Spirit Shirt on all of their Field Studies which has our 2024-25 AllforONE! logo and our school's contact information (on the front of the shirt). Also, 100% of the proceeds will go back in our field trip budget to ensure that we can keep costs down for families.

Shirts cost $10

Order your shirt using the link below

*shirts will come white with the blue logo or blue with the white logo

Show your school spirit and support our students by grabbing your WES Car Magnet! Every purchase helps fund exciting programs and activities, enriching your child's school experience. Plus, you are showcasing your WES pride in your community. Join us in making a difference—buy now and roll with school pride!

Car Magnets cost $10.

Friday, March 7th - Boosterthon Fun Run

Thursday, April 10th - Spring Fling (a part of STEAM Night)

Friday, May 23rd - 5th Grade Celebration

Box Tops is ALL DIGITAL and is still one of the easiest ways to earn money for your school on things you already buy! It’s easy: Simply download the app, select Whitesville Elementary and start scanning your receipts today. As a BONUS, connect your Walmart account in the app and earn automatically without scanning

Breakfast and lunch will be served on every day. If your student wants to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive to school between 6:50 a.m. - 7:18 a.m. Breakfast will no longer be served after 7:45 a.m.

• Our school's website is found at https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/wes
• WES Facebook page is Whitesville Elementary School Wise Owls
• The Weekly Hoots newsletter will be emailed & texted to families every Sunday evening. Please be sure to have your updated information in PowerSchool.
• Our PTO's website is wiseowlspto.com.
• Our PTO's Facebook page is Whitesville Wise Owls PTO.
• Schoology: Teachers will update their grades weekly.
• Rooms: Our two-way form of communication at WES. Every teacher at WES will use Rooms as a tool for communication.