Wolf Pup Weekly
Woodriver Issue #14 - 11/17/23
A WORD FROM MR. GUY
Hello Wolf Pup parents! Next week is the end of the 1st semester, and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are early release days. Students will be out of school at 2:15 so that teachers can work on finalizing report cards. Students will return to school after the holiday break on Tuesday, January 9th.
Thank you to everyone that came to our holiday concerts. We had standing room only for both the intermediate and the primary performances. I feel so lucky to have such a supportive group of parents who attend events and support Woodriver. Our kids did such an amazing job, not only with the performances, but also with their behavior during the numerous transitions between songs. A huge thank you to Mrs. Adams for organizing such a great concert. It is a tremendous amount of work to teach students the songs, movements, and musical notes. I would also like to thank our primary teachers who not only helped to decorate, but ensure smooth transitions while helping to pass out and collect supplies for the concert.
When we return from winter break we will be sending home letters about the progress students have made on their reading levels. We had a large number of students who started the year, “well below” and “below proficient” based on the state benchmarks, however, we have seen huge growth for many of our students. This means Mrs. Pilon, Mrs. Cambier and I will work to re-create our before/after school tutoring groups based on student’s need. If your student qualifies for tutoring we will be sending you a letter detailing the available tutor times, along with your students’ scores so far this year.
On an exciting note, we have a number of students who will no longer qualify for tutoring because they have moved from “well-below”, to “benchmark” or even “above benchmark”! For those parents, you will also receive a letter detailing the growth of your child and the reason why they no longer qualify for tutoring. We will continue to monitor these students, and if we see them slip back into the “below proficient” category we will offer them more before or after school tutoring.
Finally, in January, I will start sharing information about our school district’s budget, and information from Juneau and the legislative session. With Governor Dunleavy’s initial budget coming out yesterday containing no proposed increases to education funding, we will work with our legislators to find ways to support schools, and fund the required Alaska Reads Act.
WOLF PUPS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Holiday Concerts were a HUGE success! The students all worked very hard, and it showed! They did an amazing job! Thank you all for coming out and supporting your students, we had a packed house! We hope you all enjoyed the music, we sure did! :)
SAVE THE DATES
SWEET TREATS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
PTA UPDATES
FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
BECOME A SUBSTITUTE!
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Connect with your student!
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of your child's education. Why is this important? It makes your child's school life better, improves their behavior, and helps them do well academically. To promote social and emotional learning in our students, as parents and caregivers, we can ask our children questions to start meaningful conversations.
Before asking your child about their day, make sure you set your phone aside and really pay attention to what they’re saying. Sometimes, children don’t want to talk because they don’t feel heard and other times, they say more with their body language than with words. That’s why it’s important to be fully present, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Keep in mind that children, like adults, sometimes need some time to decompress before they want to chat. If your child is not very responsive after your first question, try again later.
If you’re still struggling with getting your child to open up about their day, try connecting first. Do a fun activity together that lightens the mood and creates an open environment. And then, ask any of the questions in the graphic and let the conversation flow.
BUS INFO
There has been a lot of concern over late buses and finding out when students will be home. If you have concerns you would like to share, please call Durham at 1(907)206-7789. This number can also be called for Dispatch if you would like to get an ETA on a route.
If you cannot get ahold of Durham, please call the transportation dept at (907)452-2000 ext 11351
There are a few tools available to help as well: One is to set up email notifications for late buses. Directions to set that up are below.
The other tool is a new system the district has set up that is a live bus tracking service. This allows you to see where the bus is along the route, the time it arrived at each stop, and even if the doors opened at the stop.
you can use this service at http://busroutes.k12northstar.org
Click on your school (Woodriver is WRV - Ryan is RYN), and then on the route you would like to view.
There are additional instructions on how to use it at: https://www.k12northstar.org/cms/lib/AK01901510/Centricity/Domain/1159/Bus%20Route%20Tracker_2023-09-06.pdf
Please note: Special Education buses are not listed on the live tracker. Please call Durham Dispatch or the transportation department with questions/concerns about those routes
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
LEARN AT HOME!
Want to access Classlink at home?
When your student puts in their username, please note that you will have to add the "@student.k12northstar.org". School computers do this automatically, so that is the most common problem families have at home
SCHOOL LUNCH MENU
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES
CLUBS
AM Fitness
Grades K-5
Rom: Gym | Mon-Fri 8:45-9:15
Handwork CLub
Grades 3-5
Rm: 6 | Tues/Thurs 8:30-9:15
There are only 12 spots in this club. First come first serve, and spot must be paid for to reserve.
Game Club
Grades 2-5
Rm: 16 | Tuesdays 8-9:15
3rd Grade math tutor
3rd grade only
Room 16 | Thursdays 8:30-9:15
Band Club
5th grade
Band Room | Wed or Fri
STEM Club
$25/Quarter
Grades 3-5
Room 16 | Wednesdays 8:00-9:15am
There are only 25 spots in this club. Lottery is held to determine selection. Those not selected will be placed on a waitlist.
DISTRICT SCHOOL CALENDAR
IMPORTANT DATES
December and January
Dec 20-22 - Early Dismissal
Dec 25-Jan 5 - Winter Break | No School
Jan 8 - teacher work day | No School
Jan 15 - Holiday | No School
Welcome to Woodriver Elementary School
OFFICE HOURS: 8:45-4:15
SCHOOL HOURS 9:15 - 3:45
Email: nicole.wells@k12northstar.org
Website: www.k12northstar.org/woodriver
Location: 5000 Palo Verde Ave
Phone: 907-479-4211