OCTOBER
Monday Mixer with Principal Espania
Monday, Oct. 6
9:15 am
Library
Advanced Learning Forms Due
Wednesday, Oct. 8
PTA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Library
Scrip Orders Due
Thursday, Oct. 9
No School -- Professional Development Day
Friday, Oct. 10
Garden Party -- School Grounds Cleanup
Saturday, Oct. 11
10 am to 3 pm
Pumpkin Party
Friday, Oct. 24
Early Dismissal -- Professional Development
Wednesday, Oct. 29
Hello Wedgwood Families!
It was great to see so many of you at curriculum night on Thursday. Our mission and vision is to create learning communities that promote global citizens. Teachers and students have been working diligently to establish an understanding of the responsibilities necessary in constructing positive learning communities. Through this hard work we have a Wedgwood community that is not only prepared to engage in a rigorous year of teaching and learning, but understand and practice the importance of supporting and enhancing a respectful, caring and considerate community.
In addition to community building, teachers have been gathering data through various assessments in order to best meet the needs of all of our children. This entails a great deal of work on the part of the children as well as a tremendous amount of work both in and out of class for our teachers. I hope you will join me in both praising the work of our children and thanking our teachers for all of their efforts that extend far above and beyond their contract hours.
I look forward to our continued work together!
Denise Espania
Friday, September 26, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Howdy y’all. Grab your partner, dig out those overalls, bandanas and cowboy boots and head on over to the Grand Ole Wedgwood Cafeteria for an evening of “do si dos” and “promenades.” Come and give it a try.
For snacks we will be having a dessert bar. Admission is free to the dance if you bring a dessert to share, otherwise admission is $3 per person or $10 per family.
Volunteers are needed to help set up decorations. Meet in the cafeteria at 3:10 pm. Children are welcome to help too.
Wedgwood t-shirts will be on sale during the dance too! Don’t miss out!
This Thursday is the day that kindergartners get to host their Special Guest for lunch. Guests, please meet your kindergartener in the lunchroom at 11:30 am and bring $4 exact change to buy your lunch if you preordered it last week. After enjoying playtime and popsicles on the playground, please say good-bye at the 12:10pm bell ( no escorts back to class; the teachers can take it from there). HAVE FUN!
It’s not too late to register your 4th or 5th grader for the Wedgwood Instrumental Music program … but time is running out! Our new music teacher, Katrina Sibicky, will begin classes towards the end of September. If you’ve misplaced your WIM registration form, don’t despair. Simply send a check for $200* payable to the Wedgwood PTA along with your child’s name, grade and your name and address to WIM via Kid Mail or by US mail to Howard Muntz, Attn: WIM, 8222 Fairway Drive NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Contact Howard Muntz at howard.muntz@nwhsea.org with questions.
* Scholarships are available for families unable to afford the WIM tuition, courtesy of a generous grant from the Windermere Foundation and our PTA. Simply request that assistance when you send in your paperwork – we want all interested children to learn to play an instrument!
Congratulations to Gwen Malone! Gwen received the 2008 Golden Acorn Award for her dedication to Wedgwood. Besides the many ways she has volunteered at Wedgwood over the years, being PTA President for two years, would have been be enough to merit the award. But she has done more than volunteer on the PTA Board. She attends all the after school events and helps at almost all of them. She helped in the classroom in many different ways and has been an art docent. As PTA President, Gwen went above and beyond. She was involved in every aspect of PTA and always did her job with a cheerful and fun attitude. Not many people know that she revitalized our after-school programs, or realize how many hours she put in every week to make our school a better place for all of our children, families, and teachers. Thanks, Gwen!
The annual Fall Used Book Sale is just around the corner in October. This event raises thousands of dollars for the PTA, but in order for this year’s fundraiser to be a success, we need your help now to start collecting books. Take some time to do some “fall cleaning” of your bookshelves and donate to the used book sale. All items should be in good condition and free of mold and or water damage. We need:
Hello Wedgwood Families!
Did you know that one of our classes has a goal to read 1,555 books by the end of the year? This ambitious goal reminds me of the importance of encouraging reading outside of the classroom. For all of our students, those who have found a genre they love and for those still searching for their favorite, it is important that we set aside time for reading as well as listening to stories and talking about what we are reading. We are never too old to have books read to us.
Opportunities to read aloud to our children or opportunities for children to follow along with books on tape encourages exposure to different genre as well as more challenging text that can extend their learning. Making time to talk to our children about the reading they are doing is a great way to support and extend their learning as well as an excuse to reconnect with our children, no matter what age they are.
So, if you have a kindergartener, 4th grader or 8th grader, I encourage you to read aloud with them and talk about what they are reading. I have read aloud to the teachers during our professional development time and Adonis, Apollo, and I read chapter books before bed.
Happy Reading!
Denise Espania
ART DOCENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
If you have a child in room 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18, or P3, please consider being an Art Docent Volunteer. This PTA program is a fine art appreciation curriculum, taught in the classrooms by parent volunteers -- experience not required! Once a month, (one hour in the classroom plus preparation time) the Art Docent presents a print of a famous painting and leads the class in a discussion of the art elements and artist, followed by an art project related to the elements/concepts of your discussion. There are many great prints and art supplies for the volunteers to use for their presentations and art projects! This program is a favorite of the Wedgwood students -- so please volunteer and inspire students at our school! If you are interested, e-mail your name, phone number, child’s name and classroom number to Kyra Mitchell at kyra@ottava.com, Art Docent Coordinator.
Reminders from the Transportation Office to keep our buses running on time:
1) Keep conversations with driver to a minimum. If issues arise, contact the transportation office at 252-0900.
2) Be at the stop 5 minutes prior to the assigned pick up and/or drop off time.
3) Correct emergency contact numbers and addresses.
4) Communicate with Transportation and the school about changes to the pick up schedule.
5) Discuss safe bus riding rules with your student.
Come one, come all to the first of our monthly Monday Mixers on October 6th, at 9:15 am in the Library. Join us for this special opportunity to mingle with other parents and Principal Espania for coffee, conversation and questions. Bring your bright ideas and we'll supply the rest. Children are welcome.
Dear Wedgwood Families,
Thank you for a wonderful first week! Many of you have contacted me about your enthusiasm around our vision of global citizenship. Please continue to send your ideas. The more support we have, the more successful our children will be.
I wanted to share the wonderful things that have been going on. The superintendent came to visit us on the first day and was thrilled to be a part of our learning community. She enjoyed learning with our 4th graders and looking at the garden our Kindergartners. As I walked through the school I noticed a 4th grade class and their K buddies taking a tour of the school together, a 3rd grade class engaged in a prediction activity around a piece of literature, our friends in rooms 19 and 21 were writing and enjoying story time and all of our classrooms were deeply engaged in their learning and community building. On Friday, I was impressed with the spirit and energy of our Wedgwood community during our first assembly. We had many visitors and we were complimented on what a wonderful learning community they felt at Wedgwood, even within the first days school!
There were some bumps this past week and for those whose week was less than ideal, thank you for your patience and cooperation in working together to ensure that every child and family has a great school experience. I look forward to a very productive year with staff, students and our families. I know that together we will accomplish amazing things!
With deep appreciation,
Denise Espania
Our annual fall fund-raiser kicked off last Friday, Sept 5th. Your child should have brought home a catalog and order forms for gift wrap, holiday items, and flower bulbs. Please take a look and return your order form to school by Friday, September 19th. Wedgwood receives 50 percent of all money collected, which helps support our teachers and pay for some of our great programs here at school.
New this year, we’re also offering the Chinook Book for sale. The Chinook Book has over 300 coupons for local businesses and attractions and is a directory for exploring our community and supporting local, sustainable businesses. There are many coupons for “money off” of businesses in our neighborhood like PCC, Bartell Drugs, Third Place Books and Caffe Ladro. For a complete list of businesses represented in the book, please visit www.ecometro.com. The books are sold for $20 and Wedgwood receives $10 per book. A sample of the book can be found in the office. Checks and cash for orders can be sealed into the envelope your child brings home and returned through KidMail addressed to Dan Mayer or the Office. For any questions about the Chinook Book program please email Dan Mayer at dymayer@yahoo.com.
If you have any other questions, contact Brenda Waldrop at waldrop_watrous@msn.com or 365-8881.
Stay ‘n Play this Friday, Sept. 12th at 3:15 – 4:00 pm
Bring your bikes, scooter, balls, jump ropes and lawn chairs and let’s celebrate the start of the school year with our first Stay ‘n Play! Wedgwood’s own all-school playdate!
The PTA provides the ice cream sandwiches and popsicles while parents provide the playground supervision for their children and get a chance to mix and mingle. Ice cream will be provided to all children, siblings, parents and teachers. It is guaranteed to be a fun and delicious event!
Do you love books? Do you love kids? Do you want to make new friends? Do you love the Dewey Decimal System? Then come volunteer in the LIBRARY!!! It’s a great place to meet our students, make friends and learn about our school.
Here’s how it works:
1. Choose a book your child would like to donate to the library.
2. Contact Mrs. Miller (ajmiller@seattleschools.org) to make sure that it is appropriate for the collection!
3. Purchase the book and drop it off in the library with the name of your child and his or her birth-date (or special celebration date)
4. Best of all, your child will be the first to check out the new book!
Summer birthdays can be celebrated in September, June, or on the child’s half birthday. Thank you in advance for helping to make Wedgwood School a place where reading is celebrated.
Library Books
Students will be checking out books this week. Please help your child take care of our library books and create a routine for bringing their books back on time. Students in kindergarten and first grades may start the year by keeping their books in the classroom. Thanks!!
We want to respect the learning that is going on from the start of the day until the bell rings at the end of the day. In order to keep our school safe and to respect the learning that is occurring, please wait in appropriate areas until the bell rings at 3:05 pm. If you need to pick up your child earlier please seek assistance in the office.
If you will be changing your daily pick up routine please let your child’s teacher and the office know of the changes at the start of the day.
Due to the overcrowding of schools in the NE Cluster, the Seattle Public Schools is having a Community Engagement Meeting on Capacity Management on Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30 pm at Roosevelt High School Commons, 1410 NE 66th Street. This is the ONLY meeting you can attend to have an impact on the decisions made for the 2009 - 2010 school year. For more information on the capacity crisis go to www.neclustercoalition.org.
JOIN IN! Chairpersons and volunteers still needed for a variety of events and committees. For information or questions, contact Julie Stevens at bryceandjulie@comcast.net or 963-3725.
YEE HAW!! It’s an all-school Square Dance.
Friday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Dig out those overalls, bandanas and cowboy boots and head on over to the Grand Ole Wedgwood Cafeteria for an evening of “do si dos” and “promenades.” No prior square dance experience needed. Our caller and her jolly band will teach you everything you need to know. Fun for the whole family!
If you’d like to help, contact Julie Stevens at bryceandjulie@comcast.net.
Kindergarten Curriculum Night
Thursday, Sept. 4
7:00 pm
PTA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 10
7:00 pm
Childcare available -- please RSVP to Jennifer Bucher, rjmlbucher AT comcast DOT net
Stay ‘n Play
Friday, Sept. 12
3:05 pm
Anti-Bullying Assembly
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Curriculum Night: Grades 1-5 & PTA General Membership Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 18
Grades 1-3: 6:15 pm
PTA Mtg: 6:45 pm
Grades 4-5: 7:15 pm
Kindergarten Pizza Lunch Bunch
Thursday, Sept. 25
11:30 am – 12:05 pm
Fall Square Dance
Friday, September 26
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Hello Wedgwood Families!
Welcome to the 2008-09 school year. We have been busy this summer getting ready for the start of the year. We have new classrooms, new teachers, two new PTA presidents, and a new principal! All of these additions have brought a renewed energy and excitement to our community.
In order to welcome more students, the district and our teachers have been hard at work to ready two new and exciting learning environments for our incoming first grade classes. Ms. Denney will be in Portable 3 and one of our new teachers-Ms. Wolfe, will be in Portable 1.
I would also like to welcome Ms. Rudisill our new Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Cox, our new 5th grade teacher, Ms. Sokolow our new enrichment teacher, Mr. Cooper our new special education teacher, Ms Harmeling who will be with us while Ms Tice is on maternity leave and Ms. Amar-Strugo our counselor. Our new teachers bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching, learning and our students.
We know that enhancing teacher learning positively impacts the learning that goes on in our classrooms. Thanks to the generosity of the PTA and the generous monetary support that our families provide to Wedgwood, our teachers were able to have an educationally enriching summer filled with learning and professional growth. For example, a cohort of four Wedgwood teachers were able to attend professional development on literacy instruction and had the opportunity to collaborate with each other about extending the literacy practice in and across their classrooms. Another teacher went to New York to study writing instruction at Columbia Teachers College, which is one of the nations leading institutions for the study of writing instruction. Another teacher received a full scholarship to attend the University of Washington for a summer science institute. Other teachers took classes on integrating theater and the arts into classroom, integrating yoga techniques to assist with focus, and one of our teachers spent time learning about how integrating Chess into the curriculum can extend instruction around literacy, math and critical thinking, as well as social skills and sportsmanship.
Our teachers are refreshed, renewed and ready to begin this year of learning with our children. Through PTA support the staff was able to go to the Center for Wooden Boats to learn about enhancing our curriculum and instruction to encompass environmental and experiential education. This week we worked intensely to strengthen our programs to focus on supporting the learning necessary to produce high academic achievement as well as rigorous instruction that will prepare our students to be global citizens. Our growing population means that we have the opportunity to meet and learn from a larger group of people. We know that this increase will have its logistic adjustments, but we teachers, students, staff and families will be working together as community to ensure that each and every child continues to have the high quality education that a Wedgwood student has always had. We know that all of this would not be possible if not for the generosity of the PTA and we are extremely grateful for such supportive families.
I would like to invite each of you to learn more about what is going on at Wedgwood by attending our monthly “Mocha Mondays.” The first dates of these informal, once a month meetings, to “talk story” with the principal will be on September 3rd and then on October 6th.
I am looking forward to meeting each of you soon!
Denise Espania
Principal of Wedgwood Elementary
It’s a new year at Wedgwood, and there is a lot of new at Wedgwood. Starting with us, you have two new PTA Co-Presidents. We join the community in welcoming out new Principal, Denise Espania, and new staff members Jennifer Rudisill, Stephanie Wolfe, Ashley Cox, Becky Sokolov, Jeremy Cooper, Lily Amar-Strugo and Marlene Harmeling. We even have a lot of new students as our cluster expands. But while “new” can accompany feelings of apprehensiveness, instead, we find “renewal.” After all, new brings new ideas, new perspectives and new energy. As your PTA, we hope to tap into this new enthusiasm and put it to good use supporting our students, families and staff the best we can.
It is with this spirit that we directly ask you to JOIN IN! at Wedgwood. We have a lot of family events and programs, which are instrumental in building our community and enriching the experiences of our children, but none of them can happen without your support. This is not a new message, but think about how much we can accomplish together if we all took part and JOINed IN!
Looking forward to working together,
Emily Maher and Rachael Weissman
2008-09 PTA Co-Presidents
A big thanks goes out to all the volunteers who helped make the barbecue last night such a success. It was great to see so many new and returning families at this annual event.
Just a reminder, the School Board approved a $.50 increase in meal prices. The prices are now
as follows: