Eagle Connection #13

Hello Wilkesboro families! Here are updates for the week of November 27 - December 1. You can learn more by clicking on your child's teacher below.

We hope that your family had a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving holiday. We are excited to welcome all students back to school tomorrow for three busy weeks leading up to the winter holiday. Car lines will begin at 7:25, and buses will run their usual routes. We have been planning for you return, and we will make the most of three uninterrupted instructional weeks. If your child has been working on their gratitude calendar, we invite them to return it to school on Thursday.

We want to share a few seasonal reminders. After lots of illness in November, we want to remind you to send in written notes when students return. Also, please remember we follow strict protocols regarding pick ups from the school office, so please remind visitors to bring a car tag or ID when picking up students. We have new office staff who may not yet know your family. Please note the weather has also turned colder, so make sure to write your child’s name in their jackets or hoodies. We have lots remaining in the lost and found if your child has missing gear.

During December, we are hoping to help give back to the community that has been so supportive of our school. Food insecurity in our community is a real concern. We will be participating for the fifth year in a row with the “Caring for our Community” food drive. This food drive, which is a partnership between the IGA Marketplace and Wilkes County Schools, combines our efforts to help feed families in the Wilkes community. We are collecting non-perishable food items like canned or boxed food through December 13. Please do not send glass items. You can also make monetary donations, where every dollar is used to buy 2 lb. of food. All donations will go to the Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission and will stay in our local community. Because our students love a good competition, the grade level that brings in the most food donations will win a special playground party at school.

We want to thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement and cooperation. We are grateful to our Wilkesboro Elementary family, and we look forward to another great week!

The YMCA will be operating an after-school childcare program on our campus each day. You can learn full program details on the YMCA website: https://ymcanwnc.org/children-and-teens/before-and-after-school-academy.

You can also sign up for the YMCA after school care using this link for the Wilkesboro Elementary site. Once you are signed up, please communicate with your teacher to let them know your plans.

Also, this year the YMCA classroom will be in building 2. Please park in our back parking lot beside the MEGA Toy playground when coming to pick up your children. Thank you!

We welcome volunteers to help with school events. WCS uses Volunteer Tracker to help organize this process, and we use Sign Up Genius (shared via email and ClassDojo) to make signing up easy and convenient. To get signed up, follow steps below.

1. Go to www.wilkescountyschools.org

2. Go to the PARENTS tab at the top (or VOLUNTEER at the bottom).

3. Click on VOLUNTEERS.

4. Click on VOLUNTEER TRACKER.

5. Go to the green NEW REGISTRATION and follow instructions from there.

Level 1 volunteers can help in many ways. Level 1 volunteers can sign up to help with book fairs, school events, class parties and projects, Field Day, Fall Festival, and proctoring for tests.

Level 2 volunteers can do all level 1 tasks but can also help chaperone field trips and work more closely with students in small groups. Level 2 volunteers can also sign up for classroom tutoring and assistance, reading buddy program, tutoring, leading after school activities, and chaperoning school events field trips.

We ask that all parents/guardians who plan to attend field trips sign up to be Level 2 volunteers at the start of the year. It takes a few weeks to verify volunteers, and signing up early will make sure that you are approved in time for this year’s events and field trips.

We are looking for friend, positive people to help on morning carline. If you're interested, please complete this form and we will be in touch. Thanks for considering this volunteer opportunity!

Fill out the form below to sign up.

Do you have questions about your child's health or ? Our school nurse Kimberly Sluder is here to help you. You can find her at school at 336-838-4261 or on ClassDojo. You can also reach her by email -- Nurse Sluder at sluderk@wilkes.k12.nc.us

Do you need to make a transportation change or have questions about your child's records? Our office manager Vanessa Simmons is here to help. Please CALL or DOJO by 2:00 with any transportation changes. Also, to maintain safety as we learn new families, please make sure to show the office staff your WES car tag or photo ID when you come to the office to pick up your child. You can find her at school at 336-838-4261 or on ClassDojo. You can also reach her by email -- Vanessa Simmons at simmonsv@wilkes.k12.nc.us

Our talented team of school nurse, school social worker, and school counselor are here to help your family. School nurse Kim Sluder (sluderk@wilkes.k12.nc.us), school social worker Brandy Walsh (walshb@wilkes.k12.nc.us AND link to SSW Page), and school counselor Rachel Minick (minickr@wilkes.k12.nc.us) can help your family access information and resources for your child's health and overall well being. They can also provide referrals for school-based therapy provided by Jodi Province Counseling. You can contact this team on ClassDojo, by email, or by calling the office at 336-838-4261.

School starts at 7:50 each day. Students who are participating will be marked PRESENT or ABSENT. If your child is not in school, you will need to send in absence notes the next day and it will be coded as excused or unexcused. Written notes are required and can come directly from the parent/guardian or a medical office. Also note that ClassDojo messages are great for communicating an absence, but they do NOT serve as legal documentation of absences. Please send a written note. Thanks in advance for your help!

Email: spearsr@wilkes.k12.nc.us
Phone: 336-838-4261

Email: spearsr@wilkes.k12.nc.us
Website: wes.wilkescountyschools.org
Location: 1248 School Street, Wilkesboro, NC, USA
Phone: (336) 838-4261
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wilkesboroelementary/
Twitter: @WilkesboroElem1