April Tidbits

April

1. Get schooled in math 
   April is Math Awareness Month. Check out the WSE website for math videos, lessons, and online activities. Have your child complete math lessons in iReady. Another resource: Check out the website of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: nctm.org/resources/families.aspx.
2. Go a little greener 
   Commemorate Earth Day on April 22 by planning an outdoor activity for your entire family.
3. Share your career  
   Teach your child about your job. Offer online research and talk about your career.
4. Thank your school staff 
   These overlooked helpers are often the ones who keep things working smoothly for your children, so take time to recognize school staff during the week of April 22 to 28, which is Administrative Professionals Week.

Covid 19 Update

WSE Parents and Families,

We want to let you know we are doing everything we can to keep you informed on district and school based information. Please check the SCS and WSE website daily for updated information. The WSE website houses all district information as well as the link for our WSE Remote Learning Website. There are links for grade level resources and activities. 

WSE encourages you to print or pick up the SCS learning packets each week. Teachers are working to create lessons that align with the district packets and skills as well as other engaging activities. Teachers will communicate with parents via their classroom communication methods and will upload lessons on their school websites. Please reach out to your child's teacher or the admin team. We will be here to support you every step of the way. 

We wish you all safety and health during this time.

March Parent 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. WSE will take our Spring Screener March 23-April 3. TCAP will begin the week of April 13.
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.
4. Plant a garden 
   Kids learn firsthand about weather, plant life cycles, and nutrition when they help grow their own garden.
   
   More information can be found on US Department of Education website. 

Helpful Tips for Staying Healthy During the Flu Season

Helpful Tips for Staying Healthy During the Flu Season:

As we work our way through the flu season, we wanted to provide you with some useful tips to help your students, families, and school teams finish the school year healthy and strong.  To guard against flu, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:

• The first and most important step is to get a flu vaccination each year.
• If you get sick with flu, take prescription antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them. Early treatment is especially important for the elderly, the very young, people with certain chronic health conditions, and pregnant women.
• Everyday, take preventive actions that may slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like flu, such as avoiding contact with sick people, touching your eyes, nose, and mouths, covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and washing your hands with soap and water.

Additionally, below are resources for you to share with your students, families, and staff:

• CDC Fight-the-Flu Poster
• CDC Flu Guide for Parents 2018
• CDC Everyday Preventative Actions
• CDC Sick with the Flu Information

Please familiarize yourself with this information and review it with your team.  As always, support is available if you encounter serious health situations at your school.  If you have questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact health services at (901) 416-6700.

February 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 checkin 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.
   
   dept of education countdown to success

January Tidbits

Hello Parents,

We will have our Winter Illuminate FastBridge Screener and iReady Diagnostic assessments for Reading and Math this month. Talk with your children about the importance of taking their time and listening to directions. These assessments give teachers and parents valuable insight on how students are performing, areas of strength and areas of need. Here are a few more tidbits from the Department of Education for the month of January:

1. Make a winter-weather plan 
   Have an advance plan for snow days or sick days. Can another family member or neighbor care for your kids while you work? Make sure you have a safety kit in case of power outages; have your children help assemble it so they get a lesson in emergency preparation, too. Get more tips at ready.gov.
2. Be a meteorologist 
   Winter months are a great time to introduce budding minds to the science behind weather patterns and how to predict them. You'll find plenty of weather resources for kids in the “ Earth Sciences” section of free.ed.gov.
3. Dream big 
   Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 16 by encouraging your kids to complete the sentence “I have a dream that…,” and then e-mail, tweet, or post on Facebook their own hopes for the future.
   
    

WSE January Activities

Jan 6	Students and Teachers Return
Jan 8	Report Cards Issued
Jan 10	College and Career Day Parent Meeting (8:00)
Jan 14	Kindergarten Open House
Jan 15	Club Pictures
Jan 15	Bridge to 1st Grade
Jan 17	Honors Program KK -5th 1/2 Day Theme: Superhero Day
Jan 20	MLK Jr Day No School
Jan 21	TNReady Practice Test Week
Jan 28	Science Fair
Jan 30	Parent Data Night/ Family STEAM Night
Jan 31	Math Hall of Fame, Science Bowl, WordSmith