4th graders share their "I Have A Dream" poems inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
CELEBRATING THE MESSAGE BY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Teachers and students participated in learning activities that celebrated the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His message is a big part of our philosophy of character education in our school. His famous quote emphasizing the need to develop both intelligence and character echoes daily throughout our school.
Here are several activities that Wass students participated in throughout our school and district.
3rd & 4th grade Wolves selected their favorite MLK quote and explained what it means and why it is important to them and our world. 2nd & 5th grade Wolves will get this opportunity next week.
World Class Video of the TSD MLK Day of Service 2019 on Monday at Athens HS.
We kicked off this year's Kindness campaign within our school during Wolf Packs on Thursday. The main objective was to learn about Intentional Acts of Kindness. Staff led discussion within Wolf Packs about the difference between being nice and being kind. They also discussed the difference between random acts of kindness and intentional acts of kindness. Students learned that nice is more of a feeling, while being kind is an action you take. They also realized that events or actions can randomly happen to us, but any way that we or others respond is intentional. We make conscious and intentional decisions on how to respond with kindness, regardless if our actions are small or big.
We launched our school-wide Kindness Board in the front lobby following Wolf Packs. Each grade level has their own color for kindness cards. Students can list an act of kindness that they have observed or intentionally completed for others. After two short days, it's amazing how many Intentional Acts of Kindness have taken place. Looking forward to seeing kindness rain throughout our school community. If your child or someone you know does something kind, post it on Twitter using @WassWolves, #BeWassKind, #WassKindness.
#BeWassKind
ROBOT GARAGE COMES TO WASS
The third grade teachers planned a great in-school field trip for our students by bringing the Robot Garage to Wass. Our third graders had the opportunity to participate in a Lego Robot Challenge practicing creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. The students did a remarkable job designing and constructing robots for a Sumo Battle Bot Challenge. This was a great STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) learning extension for our Wolves. I'm not sure who had more fun, the student or the parent volunteers.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS. VERGAUWEN
Miss Cornelissen is now Mrs. Vergauwen. I had the honor to attend her wedding this past weekend. She was a beautiful bride and she picked out a GREAT guy. They will make a great team. Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Vergauwen!
MUSIC ADDS UKULELES
Mr. McNurlen is a very talented music teacher. He is sharing his love of music through ukulele instruction with our Wolves. Thank you to the Wass PTO for purchasing ukuleles for this great experience and musical opportunity. One of the many great opportunities at Wass for students to receive a well-rounded education academically and in the fine arts. Let's rock!
Our next All Pro Dad meeting will be on Thursday, January 31. The January topic is LOYALTY. Relationships are built on loyalty. It is the same with our family and our friends. Loyalty means standing with someone in the good and bad times. I've got your back, you've got mine. If you don't have loyalty, you stand alone.
Please RSVP at the link below.
Chris Fritzsching - Team Captain - Wass Elementary
Here is a list of important dates for school programs and activities that you might consider placing on your calendar.
- Jan. 28 - 1st Grade Informance for Miss Naugle's Class @ 2:45 PM
- Jan. 29 - 1st Grade Informance for Mrs. Dipzinski's Class @ 2:45 PM
- Jan. 29 - 5th Grade Musical @ 7:00 PM
- Jan. 31 - 1st Grade Informance for Miss Pickelhaupt's Class @ 2:45 PM
- Feb. 4 - 5th Grade Band & Orchestra Concert
- Feb. 6 - Early Release Day
- Feb. 7 - Wass Family Bingo Night
- Feb. 11-15 - Box Top Contest / Collection
- Feb. 13 - K-2 Reading & Writing Parent Night @ Morse Elementary (6:30-7:45)
- Feb. 18-19 - Mid-Winter Recess - No School
- Feb. 27 - Early Release Day
- Feb. 28 - Parent - Son Banquet
- March 7 - End of the 2nd Marking Period
- March 8 - Teacher Work Day - No School for Students
- March 14 - 3rd Grade Vocal Music Concert
- March 27 - Early Release Day
- March 29 - April 5 - Spring Break
- April 10 - Kindergarten Information Night
PARENT-SON BANQUET
The 2019 Parent / Son Banquet will be held this year on Thursday, February 28th from 6:30 PM to 8 PM. Volunteers are needed to help set up, decorate, serve food, assist at craft, photo, and sundae stations, and clean up after. If you have any questions, please contact Porsche Fischer at porsche.fischer@icloud.com. Please consider volunteering for one of the wide varieties of volunteers that are needed by clicking the sign-up genius link below:
PREDICT, PREPARE, AND PRACTICE FOR THE MOST EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE
No parent would wait until their child burned down the house to talk about the danger of playing with matches. Yet when it comes to discipline, parents often wait until after a problem arises to take action. Preventing problems in the first place is much more effective.Follow these steps:
- Predict. Think about a behavior you would like to change. Perhaps your child gets up so late in the morning that he often misses the bus.
- Prepare. Since you can predict the behavior, you can also think about ways to prevent it. Instead of waiting until your child straggles down to the breakfast table, think of ways to avoid the late start. Is he tired in the morning because he’s been up too late at night? An earlier bedtime could change that. Is he rushing around trying to get organized for school? Spending time the night before could save precious minutes in the morning.
- Practice. Help your child practice the prevention strategies until they become habits.
If you predict, prepare and practice, you can also prevent many behavior problems from recurring.
Reprinted with permission from the January 2019 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2019 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
BOX TOP COLLECTION
WASS PARENT BOOK CLUB - GROWTH MINDSET FOR PARENTING
We will be hosting a Parent Book Club on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 PM. Please join us for a book study on Mindsets for Parents: Strategies to Encourage Growth Mindsets in Kids. You can purchase this book on Amazon at the link below.
If you are able to attend the Wass Parent Book Club on Mindsets for Parents: Strategies to Encourage Growth Mindsets in Kids, please sign up so we can plan intelligently. Several Wass staff will lead our conversations on Tuesday, Mar. 5, 2019 from 7:00-8:00 PM.
Come join Mr. Cavataio and start your morning off with some family exercise on Tuesdays. Waking Up with the Wolves takes place on the Wass Indoor Track from 8:00-8:30 a.m. during the winter months.
KROGER REWARDS & AMAZON SMILE
The Wass PTO raises significant funds every year through your normal purchases at Kroger and Amazon! These funds go right back into the classroom, directly impacting all Wass students. If you have not registered yet (especially at Kroger and Amazon), simply click on the link to find out how. Please consider asking family and friends to sign up for this FREE benefit for our Wolves. Thank you for supporting the Wass PTO.