Weirton Elementary School
Summer 2023
SUMMER FAMILY NEWSLETTER
*Updated dates and information below for the 2023-2024 school year.
Read the entire newsletter. Lots of updates and information included as you scroll down the newsletter.
Dear Families,
Words cannot describe how proud we are of ALL of our Weirton Elementary School students during the 2022-2023 school year.
We hope you are having an amazing summer!! We are working hard to prepare for an incredible 2023-2024 school year!
We love seeing the W.E.S. Edu-Gators on our Facebook page. Please keep the pictures coming this summer!
We have been updating our W.E.S. website. The link to access the website is below. We will be adding updates to this newsletter, Facebook, and our website during the summer.
Weirton Elementary | Home (k12.wv.us)
Summer Reading Challenge:
WES Summer Reading Challenge Theme
Boost your reading power… How high can you make your book tower?
Students at WES have a summer opportunity to increase their independent reading. The student’s goal is to build a tower by reading books over the summer. Students can turn in their towers upon returning to school. More information to come! Get to stackin’! Sponsored by our Title Teachers.
2023-2024 Registration:
Any parent that missed Kindergarten or Preschool registration, please call the main office to make an appointment on August 9. Ask for Ms. Kristin 304-748-8370.
Summer Opportunities:
WVU Extension in Hancock County and around West Virginia will be hosting many local and state events for youth. Refer to schedule of events below.
2023-2024 Suggested Supply Lists below.
2023-2024 School Calendar below.
WTRF News:
Our students participated in the daily pledge with WTRF News. Refer to schedule below to watch our students on WTRF. Starting May 23.
Read the entire newsletter. Lots of updates and information included as you scroll down the newsletter.
Summer Dates:
June 6 - June 23: Summer School (no summer school on Monday, June 19 or Tuesday, June 20)
Friday, June 9: Last day to enroll for the 2023-2024 school year until school reopens in August. Enrollment secretary's last day (Mrs. Kristin Bowman-Cross). No secretaries will be in the building after June 9.
Monday, June 19: No summer school (Juneteenth State holiday)
Tuesday, June 20: No summer school (WV Day)
Mary H. Weir Library Summer Reading Program (refer to flyer)
June 26-August 2
Preschool: Mondays @ 11:00am
Elementary: Wednesdays @ 1:00pm
Summer 2023 Hancock County Schools Tomlinson Run State Park:
June 27-July 26 (Every Wednesday) Tomlinson Run State Park 2:00pm to 4:15pm (refer to attached flyer)
Summer 2023 Hancock County Schools Starvaggi Park & Marland Heights:
June 27-July 27 (Every Tuesday) Starvaggi Park 2:00pm to 4:15
June 27-July 27 (Every Thursday) Marland Heights Park 2:00pm to 4:15
(Refer to attached flyer)
June 21 - July 28: Energy Express
Saturday, July 1: WES will participate in the July 4th parade. Parade starts at 10:00 am. More information will be posted on Facebook. We’re going to wear red and black and show lots of school spirit! The parade will be JULY 1st at 10am! We will add additional info when we find out more!
Thank you!!
Saturday, August 5: Brooke and Hancock County Backpack and Resource Fair. Refer to flyer below.
Wednesday, August 10: W.E.S. office will open for enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year. Call the school to make an appointment on August 10.
Sunday, August 20: Popsicles with Principals 10:00am - 2:00pm. All students entering 1st through 4th grade can pick up informational packets for the 2023-2024 school year. **Date has been changed to August 20 instead of August 19.
Wednesday, August 23: First day of school grades 1-4.
Kindergarten Orientation TBA. Kindergarten teachers will contact families after August 17 with orientation dates. Check back to newsletter for updates.
Tuesday, August 29: PreK Orientations. PreK teachers will call families to set up orientation times.
Wednesday/Thursday August 30 & 31: First week of kindergarten. Teachers will be calling families to schedule first day. First day for kindergarten will either be on August 30 or 31. It will be a staggered start. Teachers do not return back to school until August 17.
Week of September 5: First week of PreK. PreK students will have a staggered start. PreK teachers will call families to notify them of first day of PreK for the week of September 5.
Keep checking back to this newsletter for more updated dates as we receive them.
School Calendar 2023-2024
W.E.S. Suggested Supply List 2023-2024
Summer Reading Challenge Information
Below is the letter regarding the W.E.S. Reading Challenge.
Summer Reading Challenge:
WES Summer Reading Challenge Theme
Boost your reading power… How high can you make your book tower?
Students at WES have a summer opportunity to increase their independent reading. The student’s goal is to build a tower by reading books over the summer. Students can turn in their towers upon returning to school. Get to stackin’! Sponsored by our Title Teachers.
Get to Stackin' those books!
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFjqDKeqLQ/B4DW0lDJSi5XmZrOBm_V-Q/watch?utm_content=DAFjqDKeqLQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink
Last Day of School Video
Dear Students & WES Families,
School year 2022-2023 was awesome! Although we want all of our students to enjoy a carefree summer with family and friends, we will miss all of you! Remember to play outside, spend time with family & friends, make memories, read books, laugh, and most importantly stay safe & healthy. We love you all! We will see you in the fall.
Love,
W.E.S. Staff
https://youtu.be/t2dEsogI-0Q
Edu-GATOR
Weirton Elementary School "Edu-GATOR". Each student received their "Edu-GATOR" on the last day of school. We are going to miss our students so much over the summer. Please share pictures of your child with their "Edu-GATOR" and either post on W.E.S. messenger or email to Mrs. Martich. We will share these pictures on our W.E.S. Facebook page - so we can see all the wonderful adventures our students are experiencing this summer. Dear students, keep reading "stack those books", spend time with family, have fun, and keep safe. We will see everyone back in August. A family June newsletter will be sent out on DOJO on Friday.
4th Grade 2022-2023
W.E.S. 4th grade. We will miss our 4th grade students and their families. We are so proud of our 4th grade students. We are looking forward to watching each of you grow at WMS and WHS. Bloom where you are planted!
Welcome to W.E.S.
Welcome, Josh Weltner, Physical Education Teacher
Welcome, Megan Ost, Third Grade Teacher
Welcome, Anna Grimm, Third Grade Teacher
Welcome Miss Ferrell, Special Education Teacher
Welcome Ms. Oliver, Special Education Teacher
Welcome Ms. Burrier, Special Education Teacher
Welcome Mrs. Gottardi, PreK Special Needs
Welcome Ms. Miller, Kindergarten Teacher
Welcome Mrs. Kimberland, Special Education Teacher
WTRF- Weirton Elementary School Morning Pledge
PreK Summer News
We have a wide range of preschool skills that our kiddos can work on throughout the summer. We encourage parents to gage where your child is developmentally and use the suggestions based on their current skill level. Some suggestions that we have for our preschoolers are:
-Work on toilet training
-Fine Motor skills (zippers, buttons, etc.)
-Gross Motor skills (climbing, running, balancing, etc.)
-Self-Regulation (using breathing techniques and other coping strategies when becoming upset)
-Social/Emotional skills (interacting with other children, playing appropriately, taking turns, etc.)
-Reading with you child and discussing the story
We hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe summer, and we look forward to seeing everyone next school year!
Kindergarten Summer News
Look out first grade here we come!
Please take advantage of all the wonderful summer programs available to prevent the summer slide. Refer to the programs in this newsletter.
Reading daily is an essential part of ongoing learning. We are hopeful that the students will develop a love of continued learning all summer. Go to the library, set some summer reading goals together.
Make learning fun. Use sidewalk chalk to practice math problems, spell words, write sentences and make lists.
Turn summer vacations into learning experiences. Find books of the city or trip you’re going to visit.
Keep a journal and write about a picnic, a trip to get ice cream, playing in the sprinkler, or fireflies you caught. It’s the perfect way to capture summertime memories and write about all the simple things of summer; ladybugs, flowers, baseball games, fireworks and playing outside.
If you’re taking a road trip, use the time in the car to make lists, write what you see out the window, or play math games.
Happy Summer!
First Grade Summer News
How lucky are we to have loved this school year so much that saying goodbye is extremely hard. Unfortunately, the time has come to say our farewells to the 22-23 school year and HELLO “Sweet” SUMMERTIME! With that being said, every teacher's worst fear is the dreaded summer slide. Here are a few easy tips to help your child avoid the summer slide without doing workbooks and extensive amounts of screen time.
Encourage your child to READ Daily. Help your child avoid the summer slide by having them complete simple daily reading tasks that can easily be integrated into their day. A few examples would be having them read a list of daily activities, read a favorite saying, read a small list of sight words, read signs when shopping, read signs or menus while on vacation, etc. Keep it simple! That’s the key! For first graders who may avoid reading, keeping the tasks short, simple, and integrating them into each and every day will help ease their frustration.
Participate in the WES Tower of Books Challenge. Did you know that research shows that reading just six books during the summertime can help students avoid the summer slide. WES has introduced the Tower of Books Challenge to every student at WES. Information was sent home in May with every student. Don’t forget to “praise” them along the way. Keep the tower of books visible for others to see. First graders love to hear verbal praise for a job well done!
Spend Some Time in the Kitchen Cooking and Baking might seem like a simple activity, but it is a quite an educational experience for children. Integrating children into the cooking process by measuring ingredients, reading recipes, watching the stove timer or dividing up portions for dinner. This reinforces both math and reading skills without making children feel frustrated or intimidated.
Get your craft and game on. A daily craft activity promotes fine motor and language skills. Students who like to draw can write their own with original text and draw their own illustrations to create book or comic. Flash card games, such as concentration or math war, help with computation and memory skills. If you play a few times a week it will feel like play time and give students an esteem boost of a solved problem. Families can play cards or have a regular board game night to enhance strategy and problem-solving skills.
Second Grade Summer News
Welcome Summer! We would love to congratulate all of our students on a great year! You are now off to 3rd grade. We are so excited to see how much more you will grow over these next few years here at WES. The 2nd grade teachers and staff would like to give some advice to help to keep building on the skills you have gained throughout this school year. We want you to be in tip top shape for the upstairs classrooms next August.
To prepare for 3rd grade, here are our “Tips for keeping our minds bright all summer long.”
- READ!!! Remember our “Tower of Books Challenge”. Take every opportunity to read. Students can read while at home, riding in the car (you can make it a sign reading game), explore different genres of books fiction, magazines, graphic novels, and more. Reading every day is most important!
- Math fun:
- Practice basic Addition and Subtraction Facts.
- If you are out and about, have them count money when paying for a small cool summer treat!
- Play board games! This is a good way to build on strategizing skills and Mental stimulation. It is also a fun way to spend time together.
3. Writing Fun:
- Have your child keep a journal, write letters, write to do lists, or write recipes.
4. Stay Active: Keep on moving and stay active by going on a hike, riding a bike, or any other summer activities you may like to do.
We know that summer is an exciting time of year. Everyone loves spending time with family and friends, taking time to relax, and soaking in the summer sun! Enjoy and look for adventures each and every day! Learning is all around us!
Third Grade Summer News
As your child moves from third grade to fourth grade, there are some very important things you can do to help them succeed. Engage in meaningful conversations with your child every day. Read daily. Ask questions, make predictions, and make life to text connections as you read. Practice those multiplication and divisions facts as a way to really be ready for fourth grade math. Help your child develop a sense of working and solving problems independently. Talk about ways and start practicing getting and staying organized. Encourage your child to write often! Writing stories, letters, journal entries, etc. are great ways to get thoughts organized and put onto paper. These little things will lead to big successes next year.
Fourth Grade Summer News
Happy summer! We will miss you all next year but know you will all do fabulous in 5th grade.
This summer to impress your middle school teacher's even more be sure to practice your multiplication facts! They are the key to other concepts in math! You can also use recipes to practice fractions and reading 🙂
Take adventures with a good book and write about it or create your own and keep them in a notebook with your thoughts and share your stories!
WES SCHOOL COUNSELORS
WES School Counselors
Ms. Mary Ann Petrelle: Grades PreK & K
Mrs. Stacy Cullinan: Grades 1 & 2
Mrs. Sarah Aspenleiter: Grades 3 & 4
WES Health Center offers Social Emotional/Behavioral Therapy
http://www.changeinc.org/health/weirton-elementary-health-center/
(304) 797-5299
PTA NEWS for Summer
WES PTA News
July 1: WES will be participating in the July 4 parade. More details to come on Facebook.
Kindergarten Registration Packet 2023-2024 call for an appointment 304-748-8370
Next Year's Kindergarten and Second Grade Students:
Dear Parents of Next Year's Kindergarten and Second Grade Students:
Any Hancock County student entering Preschool, Kindergarten, and Second grade (2023-2024 school year) are required to provide proof of a health examination or physical and proof of a dental examination by a licensed dentist.
All students must complete the West Virginia State Requirements for school entry. Please make an appointment with your child's doctor and dentist as soon as possible. Once the exams are complete, provide copies of the exam records to Mrs. DeCaria or fax it to Weirton Elementary School at 304-748-8383. Oral Health Exams and Physical Exams completed between March 2023 and the first day of school will be accepted.
Attached are blank copies of the WV Oral Health Assessment Form and West Virginia DHHR Health Exam or Physical Form which you make take to the appointments. (Choose the Physical Form for your child's age - all ages are attached.) Please call Nurse DeCaria if you would like a hard copy of the Physical or Dental form sent home with your child.
Please contact the Weirton Elementary School Nurse, Mrs. DeCaria, with any questions.
Sincerely,
Denise Miller
Principal
PreK Registration Link 2023-2024
GOING BANANAS for ATTENDANCE
Ms. Stephanie, Attendance Secretary (304-748-8370)
Attendance Reminders:
Going Bananas for Attendance:
Going Bananas for Attendance video:
Go Bananas for Attendance: https://youtu.be/bYiR6YPKCao
Please remember to call the office or email Ms. Stephanie for any missed days.
304-748-8370
or
Mr. Arneault (PreK & K) Mrs. Martich (3rd & 4th) Mrs. Carinci-Bell (1st & 2nd) Ms. Miller (Head Principal)
WES Title Services
Meet our WES Title Teachers:
Mrs. Orwasky
Ms. Paull
Mrs. Donna Carnes
Mrs. Davidson
WES Related Arts
WES HEALTH CENTER
WEIRTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HEALTH CENTER
Our licensed healthcare staff is on site in a safe, child-friendly environment. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child. We closely work with the school nurse and faculty to provide convenient care to your child.
We provide the following services:
Well check exams, sick visits, injury treatment, immunizations, allergy shots, ADHD evaluation and treatment, sports physicals, behavioral health, dental care, chronic health care maintenance - like being on site to assist with Diabetes, Seizures, and Asthma. Just think of us as a doctor's office inside the school.
Please contact the WES Health Center at 304-797-5299 if you have any questions or medical needs.
WES SPEECH THERAPISTS
WES Speech Therapists
If you questions regarding speech screenings or speech services, please contact one of our speech therapists.
Mrs. Lockerbie (Kindergarten)
Mrs. Gianvito (First Grade)
Mrs. Hinzman (PreK & 4th)
Mrs. Burdette (2nd & 3rd)
Mrs. Edie (Special Education Classes)
Special Education Staff
Bank at School
Our Partners in Education, First Choice America, will be setting up a program called "Bank at School". Families were able to sign-up at Open House. Students will be able to do banking at school during breakfast once a week on Tuesdays. More details to come.
Bus Safety
Please remind your child about good behaviors on the bus.
- Students are to stay seated the whole time.
- Students are not to walk in the aisles or jump seat to seat.
- Students are to refrain from touching each other.
- Students are not to yell or argue.
- Bottom to bottom, Back-to-Back, Bookbag on lap.
Students are to refrain from creating any type of safety issues for anybody on the bus.
Contact Mrs. Carinci-Bell if you have any bus concerns or questions.
November Lunch and Breakfast Menus 2022
STUDENT PUBLICATION RELEASE
During participation in activities related to the education programs at WES/Hancock County, students and student products may be photographed for the purpose of showcasing student work and participation. They may be published in order to positively recognize students and share learning experiences. These materials may be posted online, television, and print media outlets including names and photographs. Please contact the school IN WRITING within 10 calendar days of receiving this statement if you DO NOT want your child’s picture or name to ever appear online, in the newspaper, or TV.