Principal's Message
Greetings Panthers!!
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Thank you SO much to everyone who joined us for Open House 2024! I hope that you enjoyed visiting your scholar's teacher and classroom, were able to get valuable information, and learned more about the ways that you can support your scholars at home as we all work together to Build Brighter Futures!
This week, scholars in Kindergarten through 2nd grade will take the STAR assessment for ELA and Math. Testing will begin on Tuesday, September 17th, and continue through Friday, September 20th. We cannot stress enough the importance of our scholars being in attendance and on time during testing. This will help them perform at their best ability in an optimal testing environment. Parents, we are asking that you ensure that your scholar has a good night's rest, breakfast, and is at school by 8:00am.
We are excited to announce our upcoming “Start with Hello Week” beginning this Monday, September 16th. This fantastic initiative, brought to you by Sandy Hook Promise, is all about spreading inclusivity and preventing social isolation among our amazing students.Throughout this week, we’re encouraging our scholars to take those small yet incredible steps saying “hello”, sharing a warm smile, and reaching out to their peers with kindness. These simple gestures have the incredible power to brighten someone’s day and contribute to a more positive and welcoming environment for everyone in our school community. Let’s come together and make “Start with Hello Week” an incredible success!
This Wednesday, September 18th, the Phillis Wheatley PTA will be hosting this year's first Dollar Dance from 2:30PM-4:00PM. All permission slips and a $1.00 admission fee will be due no later than Tuesday, September 17th by the end of the school day. No permission slips will be accepted on the day of the dance.
Calling all fathers and father figures! Please join us on Thursday, September 19th from 7:30am - 8:00am as the Phillis Wheatley PTA hosts Donuts with Dad and The Dads Take Your Child to School Day initiative that serves to highlight and support fatherhood engagement in education by helping schools foster this important connection with fathers and father figures.
Are you interested in being a part of the School Advisory Council?
The School Advisory Council is responsible for final decision making at the school relating to the implementation of the provisions of the annual School Improvement Plan. Parents, we need you! If you are interested, please join us on Thursday, September 19th, at 5:00pm to be nominated and elected. We encourage all staff, parents and community members to also join our Phillis Wheatley PTA. Membership is $8 per person. Our first official PTA meeting will be held on Thursday, September 19th, at 6:00pm immediately following the SAC meeting.
Progress reports for the first nine weeks will be sent home with our scholars this Thursday, September 19th. Please be sure to visit Skyward to monitor your scholar's academic progress and connect with their teacher(s) through Talking Points should you have any questions or concerns.
It's National Hispanic Heritage Month! From September 15th through October 15th, Orange County Public Schools recognize this national celebration in order to appreciate and validate the diversity and character of our students, parents, teachers, and staff. Please be on the lookout for information on the upcoming Hispanic Heritage celebrations here at Phillis Wheatley Elementary in our next newsletter.
As always, thank you so much for your support and for all that you do for the scholars at Phillis Wheatley ES. We look forward to seeing our scholars bright and early tomorrow morning by 8:15am.
Sincerely,
Tabitha Brown
Principal
Resiliency Traits for September
SELF-AWARENESS
Definition: Understanding how and why I think and act, including my impact on others.
Quote:
“Emotional self-awareness is the building block of the next fundamental emotional intelligence: being able to shake off a bad mood.” - Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Strategies:
- Make a list of the things you like about yourself.
- Talk to and share your thoughts and feelings with safe adults (for example, a parent, family member, teacher, school counselor, or school staff member) and safe friends.
- List two of your strengths and two values. Your strengths may include a special skill such as playing a sport or musical instrument. Your values are what you find most important like family, honesty, and kindness.
- Make a list of things you like to do and how they make you feel.
Reflection Questions:
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- What do I wish your friends and family knew about me?
- Would my family be proud of my actions online? Why or why not?
SELF MANAGEMENT
Definition:
Governing how I think and act, including my impact on others.
Quote:
“When in doubt if an action is good or bad, refrain.” - Voltaire
Strategies:
- Name it to Tame it: Name your feelings to work on managing them.
- When you are feeling angry or stressed, try this breathing exercise called 4:7:8.
- Inhale through your nose to a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of 8.
- Repeat.
- When in doubt, pause before you act.
Reflection Questions:
- During times of sadness or stress, what coping strategies can I utilize?
- How can I better manage the amount of time that I am spending on devices?
Phillis Wheatley Elementary
Email: Wheatley_es@ocps.net
Website: https://wheatleyes.ocps.net/
Location: 1475 Marvin C. Zanders Avenue, Apopka, FL, USA
Phone: 407-884-2250
Twitter: @Wheatley_OCPS
Instagram: ocps_wheatleyes