Wade King Elementary
December 2018 Newsletter
A Note from the Principal
Dear Wade King Families,
This fall, Wade King and several other Bellingham elementary schools began implementing Caring School Communities. This is a social-emotional curriculum that, "is designed to help students become caring, responsible members of their school communities, and ultimately grow into humane, principled, and skilled citizens of a democratic society." (Caring School Community Teacher Manual). This curriculum focuses on developing caring relationships between staff and students, as well as amongst students. It also explicitly teaches social skills and develops self-discipline. It is a tool that supports staff in carrying out the vision of our school, which is to develop knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate, principled, and action-oriented young people through a rigorous program of inquiry. King students become internationally-minded individuals who help create a better world.
One component of Caring School Communities is a daily classroom meeting and frequent closing circles. These are opportunities for students to get to know one another and practice social skills they have learned.
Another component of Caring School Communities is cross-age buddies. A few weeks ago, your child began working with his/her buddy. Buddies have been learning about ways they are similar and different from another, while engaging in fun activities. Several third graders shared their thinking about their kindergarten buddies. Alana added, "I like meeting someone new" and Katie Beth said that it is fun to play with her buddy and teach her buddy new things. For these third graders, it is the first time they have been the older buddy. Jake talked about how important it was for his class to be very responsible because they were working with younger students. Quincey said that her younger buddy is really nice and gives her hugs. Kian has realized that he likes many of the same things his younger buddy likes. Seeing the excitement that buddies have when they see each other in different places around the school is evidence of the relationships they are developing. If your child hasn't already told you about his/her buddy, be sure to ask!
Adding the Caring School Communities curriculum has been a great support as our staff continues to incorporate social-emotional learning into our school day.
Stephanie Johnson
Principal, Wade King Elementary
Important Dates
- November 29th - Scholastic Book Sale Starts through December 6th -(PTA sponsored)
- December 6th - Kings Winter Night from 6-8pm in the WK Cafeteria (PTA sponsored)
- December 7th - King Consort Performs at the Holiday Port Festival (Ferry Terminal) in Fairhaven from 5-5:30pm
- December 10th - Jingle Bells School Meeting at 8:10am - You are invited to join us!
- December 11th - 1st Grade Winter Music Program: Wermus 10am/ Niva 1:05/ McColl 1:50
- December 12th - Winter After School Activities Catalog comes out on-line
- December 13th - PTA Meeting from 6-8 pm in the Library
- December 17th to January 1st - NO SCHOOL for Winter Break
- January 2nd - Welcome back!
King's Winter Night - December 6th from 6-8pm in the Wade King Cafeteria
Our PTA is a planning an evening of music, crafts, and family fun. There will even be a snow themed selfie photo booth, apple cider, and cookie decorating. Our Scholastic Book Fair will also be open during this event. We hope your family can come!
This is a PTA sponsored event!
Snowflake Giving - Spreading hope and love in our community!
Our Snowflake Giving has begun! If your family is looking for a way to support other families in our community, you might choose to take a snowflake from our wall. This is something that you could do when you visit the Book Fair or during the King Winter Night. Each snowflake has an item that a family is in need of or something that a child is wishing for. You can find the Snowflake Giving board in our school entryway. If you have questions, please contact the school office or Jaymie Wakefield, our school counselor.
King Consort Winter Concert at the Alaska Ferry Terminal - Friday, Dec. 7th at 5:00 pm
Jingle Bells School Meeting - Monday, December 10th at 8:10 am
- Everyone: Chinese
- Kindergarten: Spanish
- Grade 1: Korean
- Grade 2: Arabic
- Grade 3: French
- Grade 4: Japanese
- Grade 5: Greek
- Everyone: English
Join the fun--- Come sing along with us!
Next PTA Meeting - Thursday, December 13th from 6pm in the Wade King Library
The Wade King PTA will be meeting at 6pm on December 13th
Each meeting we have a few new families join us and they are typically glad they came! Attending PTA meetings is a way to learn about things that are happening at our school and to have a voice in planning and prioritizing upcoming events. We hope you can join us this month!
Veteran's Day Celebration
Stories and Stuffies at Village Books - We Raised $154.35!
Teachers and families from Wade King and Alderwood schools gathered at Village Books on November 7 to share favorite stories. Some friends came in pajamas, many came with stuffies, and teachers came prepared with favorites pictures books to read aloud. Village Books agreed to share 20% of the profits from book sales that night with Wade King and Alderwood, which turned out to be $154.35 for each school to spend on books for our school libraries. Many thanks to Wade King teacher Molly Lynch who worked with Village Books coordinator Claire McElroy-Chesson to organize this event.
After School Change of Plans
Winter Weather Information
Emergency and Weather Procedures
It’s that time of year to think about snow and our procedures and impact of weather-related school cancellations. Depending on conditions (which could include snow, flooding, power outages, etc.), school could:
- close for the day
- open two hours late with regular bus routes or snow bus routes
- open on time with snow bus routes.
How can I get weather/emergency information?
Changes to the school schedule are usually announced by 6 a.m., and we use a variety of methods to keep families informed:
- Sign up for alerts: To receive email, phone, and/or text alerts, set your communication preferences on the Skylert tab within Skyward Family Access. (Need help? go here for step-by-step directions or contact 360-676-6520.)
Please note: You may select a phone call “early a.m.” option, but we do not plan to use the call feature for this school year to increase the speed of our communications.
· Tune to local media: 790 AM, 96.5 FM, 104.1 FM or Seattle media.
· Check bellinghamschools.org
· Check social media: @BhamSD on Twitter or @bellinghamschools on Facebook.
· Call 360-676-6400 for a recorded message.
· Call 360-647-6815 for a message translated in Español, русский, tính từ and Punjabi.
Please familiarize yourself with our weather procedures at bellinghamschools.org/weather.
Snow routes for buses
Last school year we modified our snow bus routes to run on main roads with flatter and more accessible loading areas. These new routes increase the chances that we can hold school and help reduce the number of make-up snow days. If we can safely keep our schools open, it means less impact for students, less disruption for families, more consistent access to services/meals for students in need and fewer make-up days in June.
You can find our snow routes here: www.bellinghamschools.org/snow-routes
Free Family Fun During Winter Break
Watch Bald Eagles - at the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport on Hwy 20 every weekend Dec through Jan (dress in layers and prepare for rain, bring binoculars or a camera - come see one of the largest gatherings of our national bird in the lower 48 states!)
Holiday Port Festival at the Ferry Terminal - Dec 6-8 (Come hear wonderful live concerts and view the amazing gingerbread creations on display)
Gift Making and Winter Craft Workshops for Kids at all Whatcom County Libraries - happening throughout December (search Bellingham Public Libraries and look under 'events' for dates and times)
Winterfest in Fairhaven - Saturdays in December (horse drawn carriage rides, a holiday market, and entertainment by the Bellingham Circus Guild and more: details: fairhavenwinterfest.com)
Thank You Note Workshops for Kids - Dec 27 from 10:30-12:30 at the Bellingham Public Library (craft a card or message expressing gratitude for gifts received over the holidays or for any occasion)
Winterfest in Fairhaven will offer horse drawn carriage rides on Saturdays.
Write thank you notes or notes of appreciation to family and friends.
Dozens of creative gingerbread houses will be on display at the Holiday Port Festival at the Ferry Terminal
Winter Break Reading Fun!
The Winter Break is a great time to catch up on your pleasure reading!
Kindergarteners and 1st grade friends could take a look at the new Mo Willems "I Can Read" series, Unlimited Squirrels, and the Elephant & Piggie I Like Reading series by various authors. Here's the list:
- The Cookies Fiasco by Dan Santat and Mo Willems
- It's Shoe Time by Laurie Keller and Mo Willems
- The Itchy Book by Bryan Collier and Mo Willems
- The Good for Nothing Button by LeUyen Pham and Mo Willems
Students in 2nd and 3rd grade should take a look at the 2019 nominees for the Otter Award. You may find a new favorite series! Here's the list:
- Catstronauts: mission moon by Drew Brockington
- Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras) by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay
- Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! (Press Start!) by Thomas Flintham
- Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic
- March of the Mini-Beasts (The D.A.T.A. Set) by Ada Hopper
- Dolphin Rescue (Animal Planet Adventures) by Catherine Nichols , illustrated by James Burks
Students in 4th and 5th grade could choose books on our 2019 YETI list. (Go Library on our school website for summaries and book trailers.) Here's the list:
- Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
- Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks
- Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen by Debbie Mochiko Florence
- Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
- A Night Divided by Jannifer A. Nielsen
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
- It Ain't so Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
- Catstronauts: Mission Moon -by Drew Brockington
- The Tapper Twins Go to War by Geoff Rodkey
- Ghost by Jason Reynolds
- Fuzzy - Tom Angleberger
- The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez - Robin Yardi
Promise Kindergarten is Coming
Promise K is a free, full-day early entrance kindergarten for children who are scheduled to enter kindergarten in the upcoming fall. The program focuses on basic academic and social skills to help qualifying students get a jump start towards success in school. In order to be eligible, students must demonstrate financial, academic and social/emotional needs and cannot be currently enrolled in another early learning program.
Recruiting students and selecting school sites occurs in November and December. Screening students for eligibility will occur in January and schools sites will be finalized based on enrollment.
The first day of Promise K generally falls on the first day of our second semester in early February and runs until the end of the school year. For the 2019 school year, the first day will be Monday, January 28 .
Applications will be accepted beginning November 1, 2018.
Click here to apply! Spanish Version!
Click this link to watch our Promise Kindergarten video!
For more information, contact Kris Newberry at 360-676-6488.
Box Tops - An Easy Way To Earn Money For Wade King PTA
Do you want to help out the school, but don’t have the time?
Did you know you earn $.10 per BoxTop and can easily earn 2-5 times more just by using the BoxTop app? Yes, there’s an app for that too, and it’s EASY! Check it out:
https://www.boxtops4education.com/bonusapp/how-it-works
Here’s the quick run down on how it works!
Check out all the products you get Box Tops for.
Buy the products you want.
Take a picture of your receipt.
Earn extra money for the school!
Seriously, it’s that easy!
Then, turn in the BoxTop to school and our PTA can collect even more!
Here's another tip... Trim your box tops well! BoxTops have to be trimmed before mailing them in so they can be bundled and to save on shipping costs.
Link Your Fred Meyers Rewards Card & Use Amazon Smile - Easy Ways To Support Wade King PTA
If you link your Fred Meyer Reward Card to Wade King PTA, every time you shop a portion of your purchase will be rewarded back to our school. It’s simple, takes only a moment, and has a positive impact on our fundraising efforts.
If you linked your card last year, you will need to re-link it again this year!
To link your Fred Meyer Reward card...
- Go to Fred Meyer Community Rewards: www.fredmeyer.com
- Follow the links to COMMUNITY REWARDS and link your card to Wade King
If you shop Amazon.com, you can also earn money for our PTA.
- Go to Amazon Smile: www.smile.amazon.com
- Search for Wade King PTA
- Start shopping... and 0.5% of your purchase will come back to the PTA!
Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about these programs.
They can link their cards to Wade King too!
Winter Break - Monday, December 17th - Tuesday, January 1st
We will see you on Wednesday, January 2nd!
Wishing your family a fantastic winter break!
Wade King Elementary School
Email: Stephanie.Johnson@bellinghamschools.org
Website: http://wadeking.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2155 Yew Street Road, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 647-6840
Facebook: facebook.com/WadeKingElementary
Twitter: @WadeKingElem