Wednesday Note

Greetings WPA Families,

Fall Festival Thank You

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Fall Festival and our many volunteers who made this event possible. Thank you to our PTO for the countless hours that go into making this event a success.

Halloween – Events and Costume Considerations

We will celebrate Halloween on October 31st with our annual Parade, Costumes, and class parties. We will host our annual Halloween parade at 8:15. Parents are welcome to join us in the gym. The parade will pass through the gym once, so please plan accordingly. Students are welcome to wear costumes for this event. We ask that costumes be in keeping with our dress-down day dress code, be appropriate content for an elementary school, have no weapons, no masks, minimal make-up, be considerate of other cultures, and no excessive blood or gore. The Halloween parade usually takes about an hour and needs to move quickly through multiple classroom doors. For this reason, costumes that are wide, very delicate, or have long trails struggle to fit through doorways, making the experience less fun for the students wearing them and are not advised. We will be ending the day with our Halloween class parties. If you are interested in helping with class parties, please contact your student's teacher or class captain. November 1st will be a professional development day, and there will be no school for students.

Reminders (Or previously shared information)

CogAT Assessments and Gifted and Talented Programs

We have worked for the past few years to improve the programs we offer to all students at WPA, including the advanced and accelerated students. Offering high-quality programs for students at all levels is a cornerstone of growth for all students. A critical part of this process is offering the CogAT (an assessment used nationally to help identify gifted students). This assessment is one component of the G&T identification process. We have always set the bar high at Wasatch Peak Academy, which extends to how we offer this assessment. Universal screening for students is the standard in gifted education. In November, we will assess all students in 3rd and 5th grade. In the spring, we will offer the CogAT to 6th-grade students interested in taking accelerated math 7/8 next year (as this is a requirement from most Davis School District schools.) We plan to help support smooth transitions into Jr high for students wanting to take this path. If you have any questions about these assessments, don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Pilkington.

Dress Code Reminders

This is a friendly reminder that the WPA dress code does not permit clothing with non-school logos, sweatpants, shoes that light up, shoes with wheels, Shoes with no heels (crocks), or open toes. Tops must be Red, Navy, or White, and sweaters must be Red or Navy.

Carpool Reminders

Please use the crosswalks to cross traffic lanes. (If you are not dropping off in the front carpool lane, please have students cross onto the school property using the crosswalk on the west side of the school near the garden.)

Please pull all the way forward when possible to pick up or drop off; it is the number one thing parents can do to help the carpool move smoothly.

Please save the center parking area for staff and individuals needing to access the permitted wheelchair and accessible parking.

Start of Year Testing

In the coming weeks, we will be assessing a variety of different topics to provide students with the highest quality of education possible. These assessments will include Acadience Reading Assessments (formally DIBELS Reading), WIDA, Acadience Math, and curriculum-based assessments. Later in the fall, we will administer the CogAT (grades 3 & 5) and begin Interim RISE assessments. If you have any questions regarding these assessments, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Class Placement and Beginning of Year Assessments

Placing students in the right classroom environment is vital to ensure their individual needs are met. We are proud to be a leading school in South Davis County for student growth. A combination of classroom placement, robust support programs, and a strong intervention model are a cornerstone of this success. We use a variety of assessments and careful thought and consideration in class placements each year. Still, we recognize that it is expected for students to grow and develop at different rates. One summer can impact the growth of a student as well. With that in mind, we start each school year by reassessing students (and again in January) to ensure that our program meets the needs of ALL students. While we often get the placement right, there are occasions when we need to change a student’s classroom. We are always happy to give additional information about class placement. If you have questions regarding your student’s class placement now or throughout the year, please get in touch with Mrs. Pilkington.