Mr. Burns's Sunday Message

I can't remember an October weekend where the weather was absolutely perfect. Hopefully, your family was able to enjoy the weather:)

Topics in this Issue

Fall Festival/Halloween

Spirit Week

Holiday Giving Project

MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week

November Open House

Attendance Information

ParentVue Accounts

Important Information from our PTA

Date: October 31, 2024

Parade: 2:00 p.m. (back of school)

Parties: Teachers will lead students with a Fall Festival themed-party

Costumes: Students can wear costumes to school. Also, we are encouraging students who don't want to wear a costume to wear Wims gear or join in the activity for Spirit Week.

Snacks: PTA will provide snacks/goodies for all students. No additional snacks are needed.

Families: Families can join us outside for the parade. Unfortunately, we are not having families in the building during the parties.

Be on the lookout in the next Sunday message for all of our Spirit Week Fun!

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and human service professionals refer families in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available.

If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form to provide the required information. This information will be sent directly to our School Counselor, Mrs. Ioli, who will then enter it into the Holiday Giving Database on your behalf. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. Please complete this form no later than WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Ioli at Lauren_A_Ioli@mcpsmd.org.

Holiday Giving Project Referral (English)

Holiday Giving Project Referral (Spanish)

Please find out more information here.

MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host Mental Health Awareness Week Oct. 21–26 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on a variety of issues. A Mental Health Resource Fair and Student Forum will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. The event is open to students, families and staff and will include MCPS and community partners sharing information about mental health and wellness, as well as a student-lead forum focused on issues impacting Montgomery County youth. Students may earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for participating in the resource fair. For more information, visit the Mental Health Awareness Week website.

October is National Bully Prevention Month. Throughout the month of October students have been participating in different activities to learn more about the meaning of bullying, the impact it has on others, and how we can all be upstanders if we feel it is taking place. The theme we have used this month is, “Don’t stand by! Stand up, stand strong, and stand together against bullying!” We will be having a spirit week this week to culminate our month-long theme, and to celebrate & show our commitment to making safe and kind decisions. We look forward to seeing all of the school spirit! The spirit week schedule can be found HERE.

We will have our annual Open House from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Feel free to stay as little or as much as you want within the timeframe:)

The school must be notified any day your child will be absent. You may call the school office at 240-406-1670 or email the classroom teacher and the Attendance secretary Mrs. Norton; christine_e_norton@mcpsmd.org

When reporting the absence please include the following:

• Child’s first and last name

• Grade Level

• Teacher’s name

• The reason for the absence

If we do not receive a call from a parent, the absence or tardiness will be considered unexcused. A written explanation of each absence is required from the parent/guardian within three days of the student’s return to school (email is acceptable)

Please click on the follow link for directions on activating your ParentVue account.

ParentVue Directions

Greetings, Wildcats!

We hope you enjoyed the beautiful, long fall weekend!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Studies show that 1 out of every 5 students report being bullied by their peers at school, after school in their neighborhood, and even while at home through social media and texts. By making a commitment to be kind, accepting, and inclusive, as well as by learning to become an upstander (someone who takes action when they witness bullying) instead of a bystander, together we can make our community a better place for our children. An upstander is. Please visit stopbullying.gov to learn more about safely becoming an upstander and helping to stop bullying. Our Fun Run funds are already at work this month to support this important mission. On October 28th, the PTA is proud to present “A Window in My Heart: A Story About Bullying.” This assembly comes to Wims from Arts for Learning, Maryland. Through music, singing, and storytelling, Alden Phelps will share the tale of a child who experiences bullying at school and how he stops it with help from other students and adults. A Window in My Heart is narrated by a man who has the unique job of school custodian on an intergalactic spaceship and all of the children in the story are blue aliens, also emphasizing that no matter what we look like on the outside, we are all the same on the inside. Stand with us this month and every month to stomp out bullying!

Relatedly, MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host Mental Health Awareness Week October 21-26. More information is available below.

Have a Wonderful Wildcat Week!

~ Ashley Zuraf, President

2024-25 School Year

We are pleased to announce two more opportunities for the fall of 2024:

● Back by popular demand, drawing with Young Rembrandts will start on Friday, October 25- December 20 (8 weeks) with no class on 11/29. Register here!

● Also, new to Wims this year, You Too Can Sew offers a 3-week Holiday Sew. This is for grades 3-5 only and classes will be held on 12/6, 12/13, and 12/20. Please contact sewgeniusnow@gmail.com to register. The cost is $80 and all supplies are included. For those interested in sewing for a younger student, please also reach out to sewgeniusnow@gmail.com for her "in studio" intro to sewing opportunities.

If you have any questions about after-school programming, please reach out to Danni.

MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host Mental Health Awareness Week Oct. 21-26 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on a variety of issues. A Mental Health Resource Fair and Student Forum will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10am-2pm at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown. The event is free and is open to students, families, and staff, and will include MCPS and community partners sharing information about mental health and wellness, as well as a student-led forum focused on issues impacting our youth. Students may earn SSL hours for participating in the resource fair. Keynote speaker Charles A. Barrett, Ph.D., NCSP, is a district-level administrator in Virginia who practiced as a school psychologist for 13 years at the elementary and secondary level. He now serves as an adjunct lecturer at several universities where he trains future school psychologists. Transportation is available from several high schools. For more information, please visit the Mental Health Awareness Week website or contact ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org.

The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence (BBC) invites you to an important Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 6-8pm (doors open at 5:30) in the Wheaton HS auditorium (12401 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring). This event will feature special guest MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor, who will discuss key issues affecting our community and schools. This Town Hall will introduce our community to Dr. Taylor and provide an opportunity to hear his plans for:

• Improving reading data for all students, including a focus on Black and Brown students

• Enhancing school safety and security

• Implementing an equity plan that includes resources to support MCPS students

• Strengthening community engagement and support services, including counseling, mentorship programs, and academic assistance for students

Your presence and participation are crucial as we strive to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for our children. Childcare (for up to 80 students, K-2nd grade) as well as a catered meal will be provided. Spanish, Amharic, and ASL interpretation will be available. Shuttle Bus service will be available from local Elementary Schools. Please RSVP here by Friday, October 18.

CALLING ALL GRANDPARENTS! Save the date for Monday, November 25 from 8:00 to 9:30 AM for the return of this beloved event. Our committee is hard at work to plan an amazing morning for our students and their grandparents. More details will be provided, as well as a link to RSVP, in next Sunday’s message.

MCPS provides a school year calendar that allows for effective use of time for teaching and learning, for professional growth opportunities, and planning instructional strategies focused on improving student achievement, while maintaining a lens of equity for all students and commitment to community engagement.

Please click this link to participate in the survey on the MCPS School Calendar for 2025-2026. This feedback represents one component of the development process incorporating feedback from our school community, including students, staff, and families. Please limit to one response per person.

We will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, contingencies for inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, alignment with assessment schedules, etc.

Calling all non-5th grade families: The PTA is looking for a CO-CHAIR for 5th Grade Promotion. 5th Grade Promotion is a special event for our outgoing Wildcats and we need a team to help make this an unforgettable evening as these students head off to Middle School. This is what we refer to as our “pay it forward” event, as when your student enters the 5th grade, the hope is that there are families willing to make their night unforgettable, too. Promotion Night has a lot of moving parts and is the perfect event for team collaboration. Our chairs from last year are on hand and ready to guide you and volunteer that evening. Committee Chairs are fully supported by the PTA Board throughout the duration of these roles. Please contact us at pta@wwespta.org if interested!

Did you know that you can earn for our school simply by shopping at Harris Teeter? HT has donated over $32.8 million to Together in Education schools since 1998. By simply visiting the website & linking your Harris Teeter VIC card, a percentage of your purchase is automatically donated to Wims (TIE #2814)! Our school relies on these funds and we hope to increase participation! Visit the TIE website today to start earning for Wims. Returning Families: Please note VIC cards must be re-linked annually!

We want to hear from you and be sure you are hearing from us!

Stay connected to the PTA and other families by joining our *new* WhatsApp Community (https://bit.ly/WWESPTAchat) and by following us on Facebook (@wilsonwimspta).

If you have any questions regarding the PTA or our supported activities, please reach out to us at pta@wwespta.org and you are also welcome to contact the PTA President, Ashley Zuraf, at president@wwespta.org.