Wolf Pup Weekly

Hello Wolf Pup parents!

I want to thank everyone for a wonderful school year! I had a blast sending out our 5th graders in style during our graduation, and during our end of year BBQ!

I have received a lot of congratulations, and many have expressed sadness at my moving to North Pole High School, and so I want to clear up a misunderstanding. I am going to North Pole, but just for one year. Our district was unable to find a suitable candidate for North Pole through the normal hiring process. I am providing leadership for North Pole, for a year, to allow our district to find an excellent candidate to lead North Pole High School into the future. I will be returning to continue my leadership of Woodriver the following year.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped the PTA reach our goal of raising money for Ms. Gail. The kids loved to see Ms. Sonnenberg and I get our heads shaved, and I think I’m going to have some bruises from all of those water balloons! Thank you to staff members who volunteered to get pies in the face, and especially to our PTA for doing all of the work to organize and set up this event. The support you as a school community provided was phenomenal, and you are a big reason Woodriver is such an amazing school!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful summer and I will see you in just over a year.

So long, farewell,
Auf Wiedersehen, adieu.

This week's been fun,

now summer starts for you!!

Students had a blast at Field Day this week! Thanks for putting together such a fun day outside Mr. Armstrong!

Congratulations to our Kindergarteners! We are so proud of you for surviving, and thriving, through your first year as Wolf Pups! We so look forward to seeing you back next year, we can't wait to watch you grow through your time here with us!

These past few weeks, our Wolf Pups have had the privilege to attend all sorts of fun field trips! From Calypso Farm, to UAF, to Lulu's Bagels, students got to get off campus and have all sorts of unique, educational, and most of all, fun experiences! Thanks to all our teachers who provided these wonderful opportunities for our pups!

It was a bittersweet graduation celebration today as we said goodbye to our Fifth Grade Wolf Pups and sent them on the way to their next adventure. We sure will miss our students, but we send them on to middle school with best wishes and much love for a bright and promising future! Congratulations Wolf Pups, you will always be a special part of our Woodriver family!

What a send off!!! Our Woodriver family rallied this week around our beloved kindergarten aid Gail Spear. In just a week, we have raised over $12,300!!!!! With all of our goals met, our end of year picnic was especially fun with students pelting Mr. Guy with water balloons, pie-ing multiple teachers and staff in the face, and shaving Mr. Guy and Ms. Sonnenberg's heads! What a perfect end to the year! Have a great summer Wolf Pups, we'll see you in the fall!

In an age dominated by technology, letter writing (that’s right—a handwritten note) is the perfect way to foster your child's learning at home. Letter writing facilitates handwriting and reading practice, and helps with spelling, grammer, and letter formation. While writing letters has an obvious connection to literacy, it can also help with developing social and emotional skills.

It provides lessons on etiquette and manners, gives an introduction on how the postal service works, and can bring the joy one experiences from sending or receiving a letter! Also, if students struggle with regulating their emotions and communicating effectively, letter writing offers a helpful avenue for conveying their thoughts without having to verbalize them on demand. It’s a practical way to teach students that their words have meaning and value and, consequently, must be chosen carefully.

Letter writing may be a lost art, but it doesn't have to be. Toddlers can dictate a note to a family member or a friend (enhanced with drawings, of course), attach the stamp, and drop it into a mailbox. Older children can pen their own letters and address envelopes. You can also take the opportunity to teach them the five parts of a letter: date, greeting, body, closing, and signature, as well as the different parts of an address, and how an envelope should be laid out.

Most importantly, it is an opportunity to sit down and connect with your child without screens or electronics. Remember, the beauty of a letter is that is doesn't have to be perfect, so keep it light and fun! I guarantee that whoever the recipient is, they will love that your child thought of them and took the time to write!

August 13 | Back to school orientation - Pop in for a Popsicle

August 15 | FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

September 2 | Labor Day - NO SCHOOL

September 26 | Early dismissal - SCHOOL OUT AT 2:15

September 27 | Teacher Professional Development - NO 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