Eagle Connection #15

Hello Wilkesboro families! We hope that your family had a good weekend. We are calling tonight with updates for the week of December 11-15. You can learn more on our EAGLE CONNECTION page. https://www.smore.com/f9rvy0

We are grateful for your generous support of the “Caring for our Community” food drive, and the class competition is tight with 2nd and 5th grades vying for the top spot. We will accept donations through Wednesday, so please send in your non-perishable food items and monetary donations this week. All donations will stay in our local community.

Our fourth graders are headed to the nursing home on Monday to sing for the residents. They’ve been showing great heart by leading our entire school in making holiday greeting cards to send to all of the nursing home residents in Wilkes. It’s quite an undertaking, and we are proud of our students and teachers for organizing this caring project.

Our PTO has some last minute gift ideas available at their online store. See our Eagle Connection page for more details.

On Friday, we will enjoy our annual holiday singalong, and we invite students to wear festive hats or headgear and socks for that. We wanted to remind you that we will dismiss school at 12:30 on Friday. Please be prepared to receive students early from the bus, and please let your teacher know about your child’s transportation plans. School will be closed for winter holiday break from December 18 through January 2, 2024. We will welcome students back on January 3.

We hope that your family enjoys this time together and stays safe. We wish your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Our WES PTO has an online store where you can buy WES shirts, sweatshirts, and products. Recently, they've added toboggans and vintage WES gear.

This store will run continuously through the rest of the school year. Orders will be pulled each month on the second Monday of the month. Depending on when the order is placed it may take up to 4 - 5 weeks to receive your order. Once orders are pulled they will be processed within 10 - 12 business days. PTO members will deliver products directly to your child's classroom.

You can find the online store at the link below.

https://theraggcompany-printavo-com.printavo.com/merch/wespto2023

We are excited to welcome our new secretary and bookkeeper Mrs. Rebekah Lisk to the Wilkesboro family. Mrs. Rebekah began working with us last week.

Please make time to stop by our office, talk with her, and introduce yourself to Mrs. Rebekah. She has a long history of working with children and families, and we are thrilled to have her with us. If you're picking up or checking out a child, please be sure to bring your photo ID/car tag as she is learning our students and families while making sure we follow our safety policies.

Ms. Rebekah shares this information as part of a brief introduction.

“Hello!! I'm Mrs. Rebekah and I am so incredibly thrilled to join the WES family! I was born and raised in Charlotte. I earned my BA from Greensboro College and an MDiv from Duke Divinity. My husband, Bradley and I moved to Wilkes County about a year and a half ago from Franklin, NC. There, I was a PE teacher, computer teacher, after school care coordinator, and summer camp coordinator. Since moving to Wilkes, I've been a long term substitute over at C.C. Wright.

Bradley is a pastor here in Wilkes County. When we aren't working we love to spend time together with our dog, Tara. We travel when we can, especially to Disney World but end up traveling to be with family most often. Between both sides of the family we have 10 neices and nephews!.I enjoy reading, drinking coffee, crocheting, baking, and playing board/card games.

I can't wait to meet and get to know each of you!”

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