Wildcat Family Newsletter

This month, our Capturing Kids' Hearts character word is kindness, and there’s no better time to shine a spotlight on this essential trait. Kindness is the foundation of a caring, supportive, and respectful community. It’s about showing empathy, being thoughtful, and making a positive difference in someone else’s day.

At school, kindness can be as simple as inviting a classmate to join your group, offering a helping hand when someone drops their books, or using encouraging words when a friend feels unsure. Small acts like these help build a sense of belonging and make our classrooms a safe and happy place to learn and grow.

In our community, kindness could look like greeting a neighbor with a smile, helping a younger sibling with their homework, or writing a thank-you note to someone who inspires you. These moments of thoughtfulness ripple outward and strengthen the bonds that connect us all.

At home, kindness starts with listening to one another, using kind words even during disagreements, and taking the time to show gratitude for the little things—like saying “thank you” when someone sets the table or sharing a hug at the end of the day.

When we all practice kindness, we create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. Let’s challenge ourselves to make kindness contagious this month and watch the wonderful ways it can transform our school, homes, and community.

Together, we can make a difference, one kind act at a time!

Dear Washington Families,

At Washington, safety is one of our top priorities. Throughout the year, we dedicate time to teaching and practicing safety drills to ensure that our students and staff are prepared for any potential safety situation. During these drills, we carefully evaluate our protocols to ensure they are the best possible measures to protect everyone in our school. As part of this commitment, the week of February 3-7 has been designated as our K-6 Safety Week, with a focus on preparing for situations involving an intruder.

Here are some things to remember regarding Safety Week.

• We understand that talking about an armed intruder can be unsettling, particularly for children. That’s why our team is intentional about communicating these policies in age-appropriate and sensitive ways. During Safety Week, we will teach students about their choices in an emergency, tailored to their age group, and conduct a school-wide intruder drill to practice these procedures. Our goal is to help students feel confident and prepared without unnecessary stress.
  
  

• We encourage all families to remember the importance of "See Something, Say Something"—a key principle in maintaining safety. Reporting suspicious behavior or potential threats helps us take preventative action and protect our community. We encourages students to report suspicious behaviors to a trusted adult, however additional avenues to report may be found here: https://district.fayar.net/o/fps/page/seesomething-saysomething
  
  

• For more details about our safety protocols and resources, please visit the Fayetteville Public Schools Safety Website at https://district.fayar.net/page/safety. This site provides additional information about our commitment to keeping students and staff safe.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you for your continued partnership in creating a safe environment for all students.

Sincerely,
Tim Miller - School Safety Coordinator

tim.miller@fayar.net

479-973-8604

Our school is participating in a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. We’re joining the fight against our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

From Feb. 3-Feb. 21, Washington Elementary will participate in the Kids Heart Challenge event during your child’s regular physical education class. These events are held at schools nationwide and not only help students learn about the benefits of regular physical activity and heart health, but also raise funds to support vital heart and stroke research as well as educational programs.

The American Heart Association is dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier lives. The money we raise helps people in our community learn how to avoid heart disease and stroke and also helps our local patient care. Our school will qualify for gift certificates for free physical education equipment based on the amount we raise, and students will qualify for individual thank-you gifts based on the donations they collect.

Family and friends can support your child’s participation by making contributions. However, we ask that children not go door-to-door or ask strangers for donations. If your child receives any cash donations, please convert those to a check prior to turning in the collection envelope. All checks should be made payable to the American Heart Association. The deadline for your student’s collection envelope to be turned in is Feb. 21.

To help your child raise money the fun and easy way, you are encouraged to use our online fund-raising tool found at www.heart.org/KHC and search for Washington Elementary. Your child can personalize his or her own Web page and include a message about why he or she is participating in Kids Heart Challenge. Next, send e-mails to friends and family to ask for support. After you have completed raising money online, print your child’s online donation report and include it inside the collection envelope. Refer to the collection envelope for more detailed instructions on how fun and easy online fundraising really is.

Kids Heart Challenge is a fun event that helps our children understand the importance of community service and physical activity while helping to save lives. Our efforts truly make a difference! Please sign the Permission Slip on the collection envelope or at the bottom of this letter so your child can take part in Kids Heart Challenge.

Sincerely,

Kevin Thomas

Washington Elementary

Physical Education Teacher

• Feb. 1 - FPS Job Fair
• Feb. 1 - Kids Heart Challenge begins
• Feb. 3-7 - National School Counselor Week
• Feb. 10 - Progress reports go home in Monday Folders
• Feb. 13 - Valentine Parties
• Feb. 13 - Family Connection Night - WIZE Computer Coding
• Feb. 14 - Inservice for teachers - NO SCHOOL
• Feb. 17 - President's Day - NO SCHOOL
• Feb. 18 - 1st grade field trip to Shiloh Museum
• Feb. 20 - PTO Spirit Night at Big Box Karaoke
• Feb. 22 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• Feb. 25 - 3rd & 4th grade ATLAS Interim - Math
• Feb. 28 - Character Award Assembly - Kindness

Kindergarten - 12:20-1:20

1st Grade - 1:40-2:40

2nd Grade - 1:00-2:00

3rd Grade - 1:45-2:45

4th Grade - 1:45-2:45

Please park in the Auto Zone parking lot (avoid the blacktop) or in the Methodist Church parking deck. We like to keep the front of the school clear of vehicles so that our school busses can line up for dismissal.

Also, please remember that all food brought to parties should be store-bought. This helps us take care of our Wildcats with food allergies. Thanks for your help with this!

National School Counseling Week 2025 is Feb. 3-7, 2025, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. The theme is: School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive. National School Counseling Week, presented by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

https://www.experiencefayetteville.com/calendar?date=2025-02-01