Next week is a great time to read for fun and enjoyment. Take a picture and share the life of a Wass Reader on our Twitter feed by including #WassReaders in your @WassWolves Twitter post. Wherever your spring break takes you, share your reading adventures with the Wass Wolf Pack. As Dr. Seuss states, “Oh the places you’ll go…”

Our Running with the Wolves event is our BIG FUNDRAISER of the year to fund all of the extra programs, resources, and opportunities that enrich the education for ALL of our students. We are asking each student and family to consider a minimum donation of $20 to the Wass PTO. We would like to emphasize the Wass Wolves' Character Trait of Responsibility with our students. As they display responsibility on their chore calendar, they can earn money to benefit our school. Please view the examples below of how our PTO benefits your child at Wass.

Download your child's Running with the Wolves Chore Calendar here.

WASS M-STEP SCHEDULE

Parents in grades 3-5, the M-STEP Assessment begins when we return from Spring Break. To view the schedule and information about this state mandated test, please read the letter linked below.

Wass Parent M-STEP Letter

Everyone wins when parents volunteer and get involved!

Have you ever thought about volunteering at school? National Volunteer Week, which begins April 23, is the perfect time to give it a try. Here are five reasons to get involved:

1. Your child will benefit. Even if you’re not in his classroom, your child will know you’re at school. He’ll feel important and he’ll know you think learning is important, too.
2. You’ll get to know your child’s teachers and other school staff. That makes it easier to ask for help when your child needs it.
3. The school will benefit. Whether you read to a class, help in the cafeteria or tutor students in the library, you’ll be freeing school staff to spend more time with kids who need it. And that leads to more learning.
4. Volunteering is easy. Many schools offer training to volunteers. And there are volunteer jobs that can be done at home, at night or on weekends. So every parent can get involved.
5. Volunteering is fun. You’ll meet other parents in your neighborhood. You may learn new skills. And you’ll get a good feeling from knowing you’ve done something worthwhile.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2017 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

WARM WEATHER DRESS CODE POLICY

We want students to be as comfortable as possible while attending school, yet we request that their clothing be appropriate for a school environment. Please follow these guidelines in helping your child dress appropriately for school.

• Students should not wear short shorts, cutoffs, or high-cut athletic shorts.
• Students (boys and girls) should not wear halter tops or midriff tops. Spaghetti-strap tops should also not be worn.
• Clothing that advertises alcohol, cigarettes, or that have inappropriate sayings or language are not to be worn to school.
• Sandals, slides, flip flops, clogs, roller shoes, and high heels are discouraged since they do not offer sufficient protection for the feet while children are playing at recess. Tennis shoes are required for gym. These should have white or light colored soles since dark soles mar the surface of the gym floor (even the so-called scuff proof shoes).

FOR OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH & SAFETY

We all love our furry friends, but for our Wass students’ safety, security and allergy concerns, please help us by keeping your dog at home or from “following” you to school. We have a policy of no dogs on school property while school is in session – this includes drop-off and dismissal. Thank you for your help!

Join Mr. Cavataio and the Wolf Pack on Tuesdays for an Early Bird Trot on the Wass Track (Indoor or Outdoor Track) from 8:00-8:30 a.m. This is a great way to actively start your day as a family.

Motivate your child to achieve by setting high expectations

Expect your child to succeed, and her chances for success improve greatly. Expect her to come up short, and the odds are that she will.

Children are usually keenly aware of how their parents view them, and they often tailor their actions to those views. So it’s very important to have high expectations—and to express them to your child. To set effective expectations:

• Make sure what you expect is within your child’s abilities. If you set expectations that are either too high or too low, your child may do poorly.
• Let your child know what you expect of her. Make a list of expectations. Cover places and situations such as home, school, homework, etc.
• Be consistent. Don’t lower your expectations to make your child happy. Don’t raise them because you’ve had a rough day.
• Set your child up for success. Give her the ways and means to meet your expectations. For example, provide a well-lit study space and necessary school supplies.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2017 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

RESTAURANT NIGHT

Our school will be hosting another restaurant night at Noodles and Oberweis on Rochester Road on April 20. We made over $1500 at our fall event. Noodles again is donating 50% of the sales from the evening to our PTO. Oberweis is donating 30% of their sales to Wass. Let's pack the house again!

Wass Weekly Link for April 10 - 14

April Lunch Menu Link

Have a great Spring Break! Every Student! Every Day! #BeWassKind #WassReaders

Matt Jansen - Principal - Wass Elementary