Wilder Elementary School

And just like that, we are into October. These first few weeks have flown by, and yet, we have accomplished so much at school. Teachers and students have established school routines, which are important in laying the foundation for all future learning. The routines you set at home are just as important! Thanks for helping your child get into “school mode” by setting an early bedtime, honoring the start of the school day by having your child here on time, limiting TV viewing and video games on school nights, and encouraging 20 minutes of reading each night. The month of September can be exhausting for students, staff, and parents as we all get used to our school routine. October brings new challenges and new excitement.

The new "House System" at Wilder has generated much excitement, enthusiasm, and energy as we involve all staff and students in an inclusive, relationship-building, character learning environment! Each student and staff member belongs to a "house" centered on one of the following character themes: Trustworthiness, Respect, Fairness, Responsibility, Citizenship, and Caring. Each week they meet for 30 minutes to engage in a lesson focussed on one of these traits. Monthly assemblies are also devoted to teaching a lesson while students sit with their "houses" . Staff members award points to students, for their house, when examples of good character are observed throughout the week. Adults can also earn house points. Each week a "house leader" is announced. There are so many ways that the house system positively impacts our school experience! We hope your children are sharing some of the excitement with you at home.

Red Events are scheduled for one Monday each month. Please plan to attend if at all possible. Our students LOVE it when a parent or family member is able to come and read with them during that time. Thanks for making it a priority.

We look forward to seeing our families at Parent Teacher Conferences this week!

Sincerely,

Leslie Wiegandt

Principal

Please take note of these important upcoming dates!

OCTOBER

Tuesday, October 1 - Picture Day

Tuesday, October 1 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:00-7:00 pm

Thursday, October 3 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:00-7:00 pm

Friday, October 4 - Early Release at 11:20 am

Friday, October 4 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:20-4:00 pm

Wednesday, October 9 - Early Dismissal - SCHOOL OUT at 1:30 pm

Monday, October 14 - RED Event - Come and read with your child at 2:30 pm

Thursday, October 17 - Administrator Convention Day - NO SCHOOL

Friday, October 18 - Administrator Convention Day - NO SCHOOL

Monday, October 21 - 5th Grade Parents' Lunch Day - 12:30 pm (More info to come)

Tuesday, October 22-- Parents Night 6:00 PM

Monday, October 28-- School Board Meeting at Wilder 5:45PM

Wednesday, October 30 - Early Dismissal - SCHOOL OUT at 1:30 pm

NOVEMBER
Tuesday, November 5 - PTO Meeting in the Library, 6:00-7:00 pm

Friday, November 8- Veteran's Day Program in the Gym - 2:00 pm

Monday, November 11 - Veteran's Day - NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, November 13 - Early Dismissal - SCHOOL OUT at 1:30 pm

Monday, November 18 - RED Event - Come and read with your child at 2:30 pm

Thursday, November 21 - Turkey Bingo at Central HS

Wednesday, November 27 - Early Dismissal - SCHOOL OUT at 1:30 pm

Thursday, November 28 - Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL

Friday, November 29 - Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL

Wilder Gear Orders are due October 4.

Order Online at:
https://wwspiritwear19.itemorder.com

Parents are welcome to join their child for lunch anytime. We, however, are setting aside a special day each month for one grade level to host a Parents' Lunch Day. Thanks to Linda Courtney, our cook manager, who will make this possible each month. Our first Parents' Lunch Day is for 5th Graders and their parents or guardians. It will be on Monday, October 21 at 12:30. More information will be sent home to 5th grade families soon. Other dates (TBD) will be held during the following months:

October- 5th Grade

November-4th Grade

January- 3rd Grade

February- 2nd Grade

March- 1st grade

April- Kindergarten

Dear Parent/Guardian,

North Dakota has launched a new dashboard designed to help communities across the state access important information about K-12 districts and schools. Insights features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including:

· Test Scores

· Graduation Rates

· English Learner Progress

· Student Engagement

· State Accountability

Transparency to the Public

North Dakota is committed to informing communities about how well our schools are doing. North Dakota’s future success depends on tapping into the potential of all students, so they graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful.

State education departments are required to annually create an accountability report for every public school in the state. The school accountability reports outline how schools are performing on the accountability elements North Dakota selected within its ESSA plan.

How is our School Doing?

To find out more information about our School Accountability Report, visit the dashboard at Insights.nd.gov, select “Find My School”, and search alphabetically for our school. The school accountability report is posted under the Dashboard heading. There is a link available on Wilder's website.

Please note, the data made available to the public masks or hides data for groups with 10 or fewer students to protect confidential information about individual students. Therefore, if data is not available to less than 10 students, it will say “no data available”.

Family Engagement

We have strong plans for working to improve the educational programs at our school. We would like you and your child(ren) to continue to be active participants in our educational system.

Please help support our high expectations for student achievement by participating in the school educational initiatives, offering input and support in our endeavors to raise student achievement, or volunteering at the school. Meeting our school’s goals will take a united effort, and I look forward to working with our families to ensure success for each student.

Continuous Improvement

All schools engage in continuous improvement for general support; therefore, our school has completed a continuous improvement plan through Cognia (formerly AdvancED).

As part of the overall school improvement plan, a strategy map is generated for each school. Our strategy map, outlining our key school improvement initiatives, is available on the Insights Dashboard.

Wilder is a participating Title I school, with a student membership count of 150.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Leslie Wiegandt

Principal

Wilder Elementary School

1009 N. 3rd St.

Grand Forks, ND 58203

lwiegandt250@mygfschools.org

701-746-2320

Families,

Statistics consistently show that schools are among the safest places to be due to the strong commitment of educators, families, and our community to our students and schools. We strive to be proactive rather than reactive.

Despite these proactive measures, there may be times when your student struggles socially, academically, or otherwise at school. There may be a time you/your student sees, hears, or is made aware of something that causes concern. In these circumstances, we would like you to remember the phrase, “See Something, Say Something.”

• Please directly contact your student’s teacher, counselor, or administrator when a school-related concern arises that requires intervention or assistance. The phone number to our school office is 701-746-2320.

• If there is a safety concern after school hours, on the weekend, or when school is not in session (ex: holiday break, summer break), contact the Grand Forks Police Department (GFPD) at 701-787-8000. To text an anonymous tip to the GFPD, text GFPD to 847-411.

• If it is an immediate concern, call 911.

• Please do not use social media (ex: Facebook, Instagram, etc.) as a forum to share these concerns. Individual privacy settings may inhibit emergency responders and school administrators from seeing these messages, making them unable to assist.

We care about each of our students and work hard each day to support their needs. Thank you for your efforts in keeping our students, employees, and community safe.

Sincerely,

Leslie Wiegandt

Principal

Cold Weather Gear for Your Student

Snow will be falling sooner rather than later - which means that it is now time to gather your winter gear and make sure your child has everything that they need for the cold weather. If they do not and you are needing assistance with gathering items, please contact Sara Munson at 701.746.2320 or 701.213.7839. The Salvation Army will have their annual Winter Coat Distribution on October 14th, 2019 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. Wilder will have minimal supplies on hand this year - plan now so that we can make sure your child has everything he/she needs.

Thanksgiving

The Salvation Army Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held on November 24, 2019 starting at 4 pm. Information regarding Turkey Baskets provided by The University of North Dakota Mortar Board will be sent home as soon as we are notified.

Christmas Assistance

The Salvation Army Christmas Assistance Sign-up will be November 4-8, 2019 from 1-3 pm. All other Christmas and Christmas Tree Programs will be communicated as we are notified. If you are aware at this time that your family will need assistance, please notify Sara Munson @ smunson190@mygfschools.org or 701.213.7839.

Purposity

With cooler temperatures ahead, we have seen an increased need for winter weather gear for some of our students. Thanks to our social workers, these needs will be sent via text, posted on the Purposity website, and our community members will be able to assist with the few clicks of a button.

If you want to lend a hand to these students, visit https://www.purposity.com/users/sign_up and sign up for a Purposity account today. You will receive a text message once a week with a need for one of our students/their families. Once an item is purchased, it is sent directly to a school social worker, who distributes the item to the student/their family. It's just that easy.

Vision screening will be taking place for all 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders in Grand Forks Elementary Schools in October. Please see the attached flyer regarding vision screenings.

Also, this is the time of the year when we may begin seeing cases of head lice. Please see the attached flyer to learn more about recognizing symptoms, diagnosing, and preventing the spread of head lice.

Grand Forks Public Schools Child Nutrition is seeking cooks and substitute cooks.

Hours vary from 4-6 hours per day.

Call 746-2436 or apply online at the Grand Forks Public Schools Website.

Email: afiala210@mygfschools.org
Website: https://www.gfschools.org/Domain/1087
Location: 1009 North 3rd Street
Phone: (701) 746-2320