October 2008 Archives

OCTOBER
Two Hour Early Dismissal
Wednesday, Oct. 29

NOVEMBER
Monday Mixer with Principal Espania
Monday, Nov. 3
Library
9:15 am

Scrip Orders Due
Thursday, Nov. 6

Veterans Day Assembly
Monday, Nov. 10

Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, Nov. 11

PTA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Library
7 pm

Used Book Sale
Monday, Nov. 17 to Friday, Nov. 21

Picture Retake Day and Class Photos
Wednesday, Nov. 19

Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 24, 25 & 26

Thanksgiving Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 27 & 28

Hello Wedgwood Families,

This past Friday evening the Wedgwood cafeteria was transformed into pumpkin carving central. Adults and children created a stage full of pumpkin art while others enjoyed coloring, treats, games, and socializing. It was another full filled community event put on by the Wedgwood PTA. As an additional bonus I was able to visit the Script table and purchase my gift cards to PCC, the movies, and Javasti. Script is a great way to go shopping as well as support our school.

I have been visiting classrooms and will continue to visit classrooms reading a story recommended to me by a parent who attended the Monday Mixer. We talked about how they could take initiative to be super “scoopers”- from helping to pick up trash, to ensuring all friends at recess are involved in a game, to standing up for their friends and especially themselves in doing the right thing. This is a great opportunity to talk to your child about the meaning of initiative as well as examples of ways that they can take initiative in your family and our community.

Denise Espania

It is the policy of Wedgwood Elementary to encourage and support family involvement in education, at home, in our schools and communities, and in school governance. We recognize the diversity of family structures, circumstances and cultural backgrounds and respect families as important decision makers for their children’s education. We are committed to the creation and implementation of culturally inclusive and effective school-family partnerships throughout the school, and we believe these partnerships to be critical to the success of every student.

**Giving Tree Drawing Winner**

Congratulations to the Bender-Kokx Family for being the first Giving Tree drawing winner! They won a $25 gift card to Café Javasti!!

Our next Pledge Drive drawing will be for 4 movie theater tickets. Drawing will be on November 7th so submit your pledge soon to be entered to win. Our Giving Tree is really starting to bear fruit. Every donation helps it grow bigger!

Why donate? To support PTA-sponsored events. Example:

• PTA Funded Item #61 – Stay N Plays! Our kids enjoy sharing Popsicles on the playground with friends.

Support our school and watch our Giving Tree grow. Get your pledge in now.

Please help the Wedgwood Assembly Committee to put together a slideshow to honor Veterans during our next assembly on Nov. 10, 2008 by submitting pictures of veterans and family members or friends currently serving in the military.  You can send in pictures via kidmail addressed to Mrs. Williams (Room 10).  If your pictures are digital, you can also send them to iawilliams@seattleschools.org.  Please include the person's name as well as their military branch and the years in which they served.  If you send in pictures, please also remember to attach your name so they can be returned.  All pictures should be submitted by Nov. 5, 2008.

Hi … Once again, the music curriculum needs you!!! Please me know if you’re interested and can donate some time. I’m looking for:

• Piano Accompanist


• Bass Accompanist


• Guitar Accompanist


• Chinese Language Interpreter

I can be reached at cmbecker@seattleschools.org or 206-252-5677. Thanks for your time!!! --Carla Becker

Wedgwood’s Used Book Sale is going to be held Monday November 17 to Friday November 21.  We will take books off your hands from almost every category! We need:

• Children’s Books


• Chapter Books


• Cookbooks


• Gardening Books


• How-to Books


• Biographies


• Novels


• Poetry


• Paperbacks


• Hardbacks (no textbooks please)

We will also take CD’s and DVD’s.  So go through your bookshelves and donate today!  Donation boxes are located across from the office in the main hallway.  If you are interested in helping out with the sale, contact Julie Stevens at bryceandjulie@comcast.net or 206-963-3725.

Vision and Hearing screening for all students has been scheduled for Friday Nov. 14th and Friday Dec. 5th, from 9am to 3pm. I need parents willing to work all or part (at least half day) of the time. Training will be on Friday Nov. 7th from 9 to 10 am in the Nurses office for all who can help. If you can help, call Nurse Anita at 206-252-5712 or e-mail at ahuntley@seattleschools.org.

Special thanks to Gloria Cheshier for organizing and ordering all the food needed to create comfort kits for every student in our school.  Homemade kits, as well as the ones we made, are now safely inside the emergency container - just in case!  We hope to never use these but if we should, you can feel confident as a parent that the school is ready for any emergency. Gloria did all the organizing and ordering but her team included, Julie Stevens, Terina McQuade, and Catherine and Dawson Stine, whom she relied on to make delivery day possible. THANK YOU!

The Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza last Friday night was a spooktacular good time! We were overwhelmed with the great turn out. Pumpkins were carved, candy was washed down with hot cider and games were played. All the jack-o-lanterns looked awesome at the end of the night. This great evening could not have happened with out the many, many Wedgwood volunteers. A huge thanks goes out to all of them, there were too many to name here! The addition this year of the $3 per family fee not only allowed for us to expand this event, it even left the PTA with a little extra which will go directly towards making the future events even more special.

OCTOBER
Individual School Photos
Wednesday, Oct. 22

Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party
Friday, Oct. 24
Cafeteria
6:45 pm

Two Hour Early Dismissal
Wednesday, Oct. 29

NOVEMBER
Monday Mixer with Principal Espania
Monday, Nov. 3
Library
9:15 am

Scrip Orders Due
Thursday, Nov. 6

Veterans’ Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, Nov. 11

PTA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Library
7 pm

Picture Retake Day and Class Photos
Wednesday, Nov. 19

Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 24, 25 & 26

Thanksgiving Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 27 & 28

Hello Wedgwood Families,

We ended last week with a focus on friendship. Our Friday assembly was a beautiful portrayal of different classes’ expressions of friendship. Student performances ranged from singing Puff the Magic Dragon to intermediate students sharing what friendship means to them. Thank you to our teachers and students who worked hard across classrooms to make this assembly a success!

Our community will continue to work at encouraging our students to not only understand what it means to be friends, but enact what it means to be friends both in and out of the classroom. In order to challenge our students to be global citizens and effectively engage our learners in rigorous higher level thinking, we know that they must be able to interact and learn with and from their peers. You can only learn so much in isolation, so learning to get along is essential in our mission and vision to creating a Wedgwood community of global citizens.

In Friendship,
Denise Espania

The Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza is Here!

The Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party is this Friday, October 24th at 6:45 pm.  This is your chance to show off your Halloween costume and your carving skills. There will be treats galore, contests for best pumpkin carving, and games for the whole family. Please remember, clean out your pumpkins prior to the party, the school trash cannot handle the innards of all your scary and silly jack-o-lanterns. As always, knives are not allowed at school, but small carving tools are ok. If your costume includes any type of weapon, please leave the weapon at home. So, grab your costume and your pumpkin and come join the party! It’s only $3 per family for a great time!

All families that submit their pledge by noon Friday, 10/24, will be entered into a drawing at the Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party for a $25 Café Javasti Scrip Card, need not be present to win.  Our Giving Tree is already bearing fruit! Take a stroll by the board outside the Library and watch it bloom with your donations.

Students who sold at least 25 items during the fall fundraiser (not including Chinook Books) will get to play Deal or No Deal on Tuesday, October 28th, at 2:30 pm.  Each student will choose one of three briefcases and will get to keep everything inside.  One briefcase will be filled with money only; the others will be filled with prizes and money.  Students will receive a confirmation by email or kidmail this week if they are eligible to play.  If you do not receive a confirmation and you believe your child is eligible, please contact Brenda Waldrop at waldrop_watrous@msn.com or 365-8881.

If you are volunteering at Wedgwood or plan to volunteer in the future, we need you to fill out a Seattle Public Schools Screening Form. If you plan to chaperone an event (field trips, 5th grade camp, etc.), come to school to help a teacher, participate as a Sound Partner Tutor, or are thinking about coming in once in a while to help out, please come to the front office to fill out this quick screening sheet.  Thank you!

The date has been set!  The annual Wedgwood Used Book Sale will be held Monday November 17 to Friday November 21.  Wedgwood's PTA counts on profits from the used book sale to help fund many of our terrific programs.  Donations of books are needed to make this annual event a success.  Please drop off your used books, DVD's and CD's in the boxes in the hallway across from the office (no textbooks please).  If you are interested in volunteering by sorting books prior to the sale, set up for the sale, working at the sale or tear down please contact Julie Stevens at 206-963-3725 or bryceandjulie@comcast.net.

Vision and Hearing screening for all students has been scheduled for Friday Nov. 14th and Friday Dec. 5th, from 9am to 3pm.  I will need parents willing to work all or part (at least half day) of the time.  There will be training on Friday Nov. 7th from 9 to 10 am in the Nurses office for everyone who can help.

If you can help, please call Nurse Anita at 206.252.5712 or e-mail at ahuntley@seattleschools.org

Fifth grade families, please note that middle tour dates are as follows:

Hamilton International Middle School Tour Dates:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 8:30 – 10:00 am
Wednesday, January 28, 2008, 8:30 – 10:00 am
Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 8:30 – 10:00 am
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 8:30 – 10:00 am
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 12:30 – 2:00pm Spanish & Japanese Immersion Program Tour

Eckstein Middle School Tour Dates:
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 9:00 – 10:45 am
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 9:00 – 10:45 am
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 12, 2009, 9:00 – 10:45 am
No reservations needed; just report to the cafeteria.

OCTOBER
Friendship Assembly
Friday, Oct. 17
Cafeteria
9:30 am – 10:15 am

Individual School Photos
Wednesday, Oct. 22

Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party
Friday, Oct. 24
Cafeteria
6:45 pm

Two Hour Early Dismissal
Wednesday, Oct. 29

NOVEMBER
Scrip Orders Due
Thursday, Nov. 6

Veterans’ Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, Nov. 11

Picture Retake Day and Class Photos
Wednesday, Nov. 19

Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 24, 25 & 26

Thanksgiving Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Nov. 27 & 28

Hello Wedgwood Families,

What a productive week! We started last week with the first Monday Mixer, then I had a great time with 5th and 1st graders, the PTA board met on Wednesday, the teachers had a great day of collaboration and learning on Friday, and we ended our week with a brisk fall morning doing gardening to beautify our school!

I really appreciated the constructive comments and ideas that were brought up by the 30+ parents in attendance at our first Monday Mixer. Here is what we have been working on.

• We discussed the idea of doing recess first and then lunch. I have spoken to a number of staff and have looked at our schedule. Due to the lack of space (we use the cafeteria and stage as classroom space), immediate implementation is not an option, but it is an idea that we will continue to explore.
• The staff decided that we will be doing fall colors in celebration of the season; however we WILL NOT be doing costumes on the 31st.
• Parents wanted to get more information on volunteering. Event chairs will be contacting you soon and if you have other questions please feel free to contact Julie Stevens, the volunteer coordinator.
• Acquiring a Head Teacher as well as starting an after school homework club/additional childcare at Wedgwood were brought up. If you are interested contact me and/or the PTA presidents.
• We talked about anti-bullying and positive discipline. The staff has been discussing ideas on how to enhance our programs. Please continue to have conversations about how we are ALL responsible to recognize, refuse, and report.
• We brainstormed about playground renovations that are more sustainable and environmentally aware as well as looking into service learning projects.

I had fun talking with so many of our parents and students and neighbors last week. The best way to build community is to eat/drink together and to work hard and get dirty together!

Thank you for a wonderful week!
Denise Espania

Mahalo to Rachael Weissman, Sandra Kaestle, Julia Wooten, Patty Hagen, Carina Senter, Laura Lindhe, Luke Hillman, Lynn Nelson, Michelle Moore, Emma Grigg, Sage Alvar, Heidi Anush and Jill Biondolillo for supporting the 1st and 5th graders.
Mahalo to Pura Vita Coffee for the generous coffee donation for our Mixers.
Mahalo to Pam Ivezic for coordinating and organizing all the work that was done at our garden party. Wedgwood looks BEAUTIFUL!

Support Your School and Watch Our Giving Tree Grow!!!

October 12th kicks off the 2008 Wedgwood Elementary “Giving Tree” Pledge Drive. Each donation helps us plant a seed, resulting in the positive future growth of our children. The seeds may be new library books, our enhanced art program, school assemblies, family and community events like Multicultural Night, specialized curriculum and teacher support or exciting field trips like an afternoon at the Children’s Theater.

The seeds are made possible by parent donations. This Pledge Drive alone is responsible for 80 percent of this year’s PTA budget which was approved by the general membership last month. That is $60,000 we need to raise to ensure that we can enhance our children’s experiences at Wedgwood and nurture their growth.

We are aiming for 100 percent participation, regardless of amount. Donors between now and noon, Friday, October 24th, will be entered to win a $25 Café Javasti SCRIP card. The drawing will be held at that night’s Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party (need not be present to win).

Watch our Giving Tree grow, literally. Our progress will be visual on the bulletin board outside the library. We’ll keep you posted there and in The Weekly, so stayed tuned. And thank you for your support!

Scrip is off to a great start. September sales were low compared with last year, but the October order had 6 new families ordering and we increased sales over last October by 22 percent. Wow! Look at what just 6 more families ordering can do! Adding eScrip funds, PCC recharges and scrip sales together, we have already profited $1,000 this school year.

While this sounds like a lot, we need a big November and December to meet this year’s goal of an $8,000 profit. Start planning holiday gift giving now – scrip cards (also known as gift cards) are a perfect gift, especially in these hard economic times. You can buy scrip for practical items everyone needs, like groceries, drug stores and gas. There are also scrip for restaurants, clothes, coffee, movies and much more. And if you have to ship holiday gifts, scrip is small and light, saving money at the post office. Scrip cards can be used just like cash at retailers across the county.

I’d also like to welcome a new member to the Scrip Committee, Antonyia Kranz! She will be giving the order form a well needed make-over, watch for the new form coming in November. If you have any questions about scrip, need help on the website, or just want to chat to see how it all works, give me a call at 522-6342. Thanks to all who are participating! --Julie Wilcox

Thank you, Wedgwood Community! We want to thank all the parents, teachers, staff and members of the Wedgwood community who have already joined the PTA this year. We could not offer so many fantastic programs and events without your valuable support. Joining the PTA gives you a voice in determining the programs and activities that will build a better environment for learning at Wedgwood. As of now, we have 360 members, with our goal being 474 members. If you have not sent in your membership form, please do so soon with the form included with the Weekly. Please note more membership forms are also available in the school hallway on the PTA bulletin board if needed. --John Cahill, VP - PTA Membership

The Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza is Coming! Come join us for our new and improved Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Party on October 24th at 6:45 pm. This is your chance to show off your Halloween costume and your carving skills. There will be treats galore, contests for best pumpkin carving, and games for the whole family. Please remember, clean out your pumpkins prior to bringing them to the party, the school trash cannot handle the innards of all your scary and silly jack-o-lanterns. As always, knives are not allowed at school, but small carving tools are ok. Grab your costume and join the fun! Only $3 per family for a night of fun.

Please help support Wedgwood by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products like cereal, diapers, storage bags, and paper products. For a complete list of products, go to http://www.boxtops4education.com. A list will also be on its way home with your child via Kidmail. Wedgwood receives 10 cents for each Box Tops coupon, and this adds up quickly. This is a great "free money" fundraising opportunity. Clipped Box Tops can be deposited in the collection "school house" in the office -- or they can be sent via Kidmail in a ziploc sandwich bag or envelope. Our goal this year is $500, which is 5000 Box Tops! Please contact Linda Glas at brian.glas@comcast.net or (206) 985-6645 if you have any further questions. Happy clipping!

Individual School Picture Day Wednesday, October 22
Yuen Lui photographers will be here next Wednesday to take pictures of all our students. If you are ordering a picture package, please remember to return your order form to your child's teacher no later than Tuesday, October 21st. If you've misplaced your form there are extras in the office. This is a good time to start thinking about hairstyles and what to wear!

Fall Fundraiser Orders to be Delivered 10/16/08
Great job on the fall fundraiser! Our gross receipts were just over $16,000, meaning we’ve earned about $8,000 for our school. Items will be delivered on Thursday, October 16th. If your child sold several items and takes the bus home, you may want to make other arrangements that day. Contact Brenda Waldrop with questions at 365-8881 or waldrop_watrous@msn.com.

A BIG Thank You to all our Gardeners!!

Thank you to everyone who came out Saturday to clean, weed, plant, mulch and sweep the garden areas surrounding our school. Your efforts certainly made a difference and we could not have done it without you! A special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, Ms. Espania, and our fabulous Seattle Works Volunteers as their efforts made the project possible. If you have time, please visit the gardens, especially the Kindergarten Garden as it is amazing! Way to go Kindergarteners!!!!!