Welcome Back!

 Hey WSE Students and Families!

We are getting ready for the start of the 2023-2024 school year and are excited to have you back in the building. WSE is planning fun and exciting things for the upcoming year and will see you Monday, August 7.

Dates to Remember:

Gear up day: August 1

Meet Teacher 9-12: August 4

Here are a few tips for parents to get ready for the year from the Dept of Education:

1. Reach out to your kids' teachers: Attend meet-the teacher night, orientation, or other welcome events, but don't stop there. Make a point of introducing yourself and learning about class activities and expectations for the year. Find out how each teacher prefers to communicate.

   Many use e-mail as the main form of contact, but phone calls and conferences (make an appointment first) are usually welcome, too. For more advice on building a parent-teacher relationship that will last the entire year, as well as links to all the websites featured in this guide, go to parenting.com/success.

2. Get in the groove Establish healthy at-home routines for school days, such as consistent waking times and getting-ready patterns. Decide on a regular homework time, and create a comfortable, quiet work space. Set bedtimes that allow elementary-age kids to get 10 to 12 hours of sleep; teens should get 8½ to 9½ hours.

3. Time things right Stay on top of everyone's school, activity, and work schedules with a free online calendar or a smartphone app.

4. Pack smart Make sure your child's backpack never weighs more than 10 to 20 percent of his body weight; heavy packs can strain developing muscles and joints. Encourage your child to use both straps, and tighten them so the pack hangs close to the body, about two inches above your child's waist.

5. Commit to volunteering With help from parents like you, your school can offer many more programs and services for your kids. Join your school's PTO and ask about volunteer opportunities in the school community and your children's classrooms. National PTA's “Three for Me” campaign encourages parents to pledge to volunteer at least three hours during the school year. Go to three4me.com for more information.

March Tidbits

 

March

1. Get ready for test day Many schools will begin standardized testing this month or next. Make a note of the schedule on your family calendar so you can be sure your children get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on test days.

2. Read some more National Read Across America Day is March 2. Take time at home to read aloud on this day with your kids, and have them take turns reading to you. Encourage older children to read on their own and to their younger siblings. Anything that interests them—from comic books to the classics—counts! And if you haven't taken the pledge to have your kids read at least 20 minutes a day, go to parenting.com/pledge and make the promise now!

3. Get art smart Exposure to art and music can help your children excel in math, problem solving, and reading, and help them develop teamwork skills and self-esteem. Check out the resources on free.ed.gov, and then do your part at home. Replenish your arts-and crafts supplies. Let your kids experiment with inexpensive music-makers like a harmonica, a recorder, or an old guitar. Check out child-friendly music CDs and art books from your library. Urge older siblings to join their school's choir, band, or drama program. 

    

   dept of ed countdown to school success
   

WSE upcoming events

 

February Parent Tidbits

 

February

1. Connect with other families National PTA's Take Your Family to School Week is February 12 to 18. Help out at events such as family reading night, parenting workshops, or educational family activities. National PTA offers grants to help fund especially deserving school programs. Help your school apply for next year at pta.org/familytoschool.

2. Celebrate African American History Month Your school, local museums, and libraries will have special events. You and your children can also go to africanamerican historymonth.gov for online exhibits and activities.

3. Honor Presidents' Day Search online for activities you can do with your kids, such as matching presidential portraits with their names or doing word searches about them. Older students will enjoy learning about the four presidents carved into Mount Rushmore at nps.gov/moru.

4. Schedule a midyear check in with the teacher Discuss your children's progress and how homework is going. And always reach out to teachers when important changes are happening in your family's life, such as the death of a relative, a move to a new home, or anything that might affect your children's behavior or performance at school—so the school staff can offer support as well.

   Parent Teacher Conferences are February 15 4-7pm. Teachers will send out sign up information. 

   
   

   Dept of Education Countdown to Success
   

PreK-3 Home Engagement Literacy Incentive Program

 

The Home Engagement Incentive Program launched on Monday! PreK-3^rd grade students can access video content through the Literacy At Home app on the desktop of their district issued devices or through any device at http://www.scsk12.org/literacyathome/. The program is targeted for at-home use, to support student gains in literacy beyond the classroom.

 

 

 

Here’s a few reminders and key points of information:

 

• Students can access the content through the Literacy At Home app on the desktop of their district issued device or through any device at http://www.scsk12.org/literacyathome/. If a student’s district device does not have the icon on their desktop, they’ll need to make sure that the device is powered on and connected to a wifi network to receive the app.
• Students may be asked to log into the platform via SharePoint. Students should use their SCS email address and password to log-in. 
• Only engagement between 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. counts toward incentives for time watched during the week. Time watched on weekends, during breaks, and on holidays also count toward incentives.
• Students who watch 100 minutes of content a week or more will be entered into a weekly drawing. A winner will be randomly selected, per grade band. Weekly winners will be announced on 88.5 on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m.