December News...

Highlights of the past 2 weeks include...

4K - Students have been busy learning to group and sequence numbers.  They have also learned the letters "T" and "S".  Celebration:  Children are becoming more independent putting on their coats, as the colder weather is upon us!

5K - Children are studying new word families, as well as new strategies in reading.  They are creating books in writer's workshop, and learning about holiday traditions around the world.

Grade 1 - Students are working on retelling stories with details.  They are also wrapping up their science unit on light and sound.

Grade 2 - Lots and lots of learning, but the highlight for this grade level would have to be their television debut on Channel 12, as "Morning Shout Out Classrooms"!

Grade 3 - Children are learning how to be informational writers.  They have researched animals and have applied their new learning to create non-fiction books.  


Tuesday, December 22 children will participate in an all-school sing-a-long.  Holiday joy is everywhere at Willow Glen!

Enjoy winter break!

Week of December 7

A HUGE thank you to all the parents that joined us on December 3 for our annual Holiday Program!  The theme was "Light up the Night".  The students dazzled us with a wide variety of seasonal songs.  Mrs. Neuman, Music Teacher,  led the children in a spectacular evening of music and dancing lights!

Willow Glen in the news...
Each of our second grade classes will be featured on WISN Channel 12's School Shout Out, in the coming weeks!
Mrs. Michalski's class will be on TV December 9.
Ms. Skenadore's class will be on December 11.
Mr. Groth's class will be on later in December (date will be provided shortly).

Additionally, Second Grader Hana Nahib, showed tremendous generosity and compassion for the less fortunate, by organizing a shoe drive for the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Her goal was to collect 100 pairs of shoes for the homeless, and she far exceeded her goal by collecting over 300 pairs of shoes!  Channel 4 will be airing a story on Hana's act of giving.  I will share the link to this newscast, as soon as I am able.  Way to go, Hana!!!!!

Week of November16

A HUGE thank you to all the parents who supported the Willow Glen Book Fair!

We sold over $2000 worth of literacy materials (books, bookmarks, pens, posters, etc.).  Our school receives a good portion of that money, which means your children will benefit from new books in their classrooms!

CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Boening for being recognized as WISN, Channel 12's Teacher of the Month!  Sally Severson, WISN Meteorologist, and her news crew surprised Mrs. Boening on Thursday with the very special award.  The video from this event will air on November 30.  Tune in!

Week of November 2

Our annual Fall Harvest Parade was enjoyed by all!  In the event you were unable to join us last Friday afternoon, please follow me on Twitter...I posted several pictures of the students!

Classroom Highlights

K4 - The children are learning about numbers 0-5.  This includes counting groups of these amounts and sequencing the numbers.  The students are also learning the following letters: Bb, Li, Tt.  Learning about fall and Thanksgiving are also highlights in K4!

K5 - The students are finishing up on their science unit about trees and leaves.  In Social Studies, they are discussing communities, community helpers, and where they live.

Grade 1 - In math class, the children are learning about visual patterns and number patterns.  They are also continuing to develop their time-telling and money-counting skills. During Writer's Workshop, first graders are publishing small moment stories, and they are looking forward to their upcoming writer's celebration.  The children are using Chrome Books during Gator Time, in which they are have the opportunity to engage with Compass Learning.

Grade 2 - The second graders are practicing collecting data.  They are using tallies to record their findings, and then creating picture and bar graphs to display the information. In writing, students are learning a variety of technology skills as they type their stories using Google Docs.  They have been writing small moment stories, and are practicing important keyboarding skills to publish their documents, including how to import pictures and making drawings on the finished piece.  This adds a fun visual effect to their completed work!

Grade 3 - Third grades celebrated their small moment stories last week.  They are looking forward to researching animals for their upcoming non-fiction books that they will be publishing.  In science, the students are excited about hands on experiments, in which they are learning about water and climate.

Week of October 19

We are all looking forward to our Annual Fall Harvest Day Parade to be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, October 29!

Hope to see you there!

Pictures will be Tweeted!

Week of October 12

Time for some...

Classroom Happenings...

K4:  Our youngest Gators are learning Mother Goose rhymes and working with shapes and patterns in math class.

K5:  Kindergartners are busy learning about trees and leaves.  They enjoyed a visit from the St. Francis Fire Department, as they learned about fire safety.

Grade 1:  First grade students are learning about sound and  light.  In writer's workshop, they are writing personal narratives. They are also gaining confidence and skill in selecting their "good fit books" for independent reading time.

Grade 2:  We have geologists in second grade! Students are studying the properties of rocks, and learning about their composition and history...Every rock has a story!  In writer's workshop, children are stretching their wonderful moments into narratives.  They will be publishing these narratives using Google Docs.

Grade 3:  Third graders are completing their personal narratives.  They are learning about the revision process and adding various types of "author's craft techniques" to their stories.  In reading, they are connecting deeply with the characters in their fiction books by asking questions, and examining character traits.

Week of September 28

Happy October!

Last week we enjoyed our first PTO meeting.  Visitors learned about current events at Willow Glen and Deer Creek, as well as participated in making decisions regarding classroom financial requests.  The group was also introduced to our new Superintendent, Blake Peuse. Everyone was treated to pizza, compliments of Palermo's!

Please consider joining us for the next gathering.  Watch the weekly folders for the next opportunity!

The month of October brings many fall activities, sprinkled into learning.  I will capture some of the highlights and Tweet them out.  What a fun time of year!

Week of September 14

Parent Advisory Committee Updates

The purpose of the Willow Glen PAC is to share information regarding educational opportunities, and areas of high interest.  It is also an opportunity for me to gain valuable parent insight required to inform decisions and programming related to instruction and culture.

The first PAC meeting of the year was scheduled for September 17.  The agenda included the following:

• District Communication Guidelines
• School Goals
• Literacy and Math Framework

In the event that you missed this gathering, but would like information on any or all of the topics mentioned above, please feel free to give me a call.  I'd be happy to meet with you.

Our next PAC meeting is scheduled for November 12.  All are welcome to attend!  Watch for more information in our school newsletter.

Fall Assessments

This is the time of year that teachers spend getting to know your students, as learners. Children in grades K5-3 are engaging in literacy, math and writing assessments, during the month of September.  Staff will use this data to plan for instruction, as well as to identify students who may be in need of additional support or of extensions.  The results of these assessments will be discussed at parent-teacher conferences.  

Spirit Days

Fridays are designated as spirit wear days.  Students are invited to wear school/sport/activity spirit wear.  These are enjoyable days to show pride in particular interests!

Week of September 7

Thank you to all our parents who attended Open House last week!  The teachers enjoyed the opportunity to share classroom information with you, and answer any questions that you may have.  Please do not hesitate to contact the school if there is anything that we can help you with!

Here are some highlights from the week...

Open House - "How to Help Your Child Succeed in School"

Our first Early Release Day was a success!  Students were released one hour early, as teachers engaged in professional development.  The staff spent time learning more about the online features of our new science program.  They also collaborated on the integration of technology standards into their instruction.  The time was well spent, and the students are benefiting from the new learning by adults!

Second Grade students engaged with Chromebooks

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Welcome Back to School!

The 2015-2016 School Year is off to a great start!  

You may chose to follow me on Twitter, as I often post pictures of our amazing Willow Glen students.  I can be found at Laurie Pogorzelski@wg-principal.

Here are a few highlights from our first week:

Open House - Sept. 3, 5:00-7:30
     Our Annual Open House also includes a Literacy Meeting.  This is an opportunity for parents, in all grade levels, to learn how to best support their young readers at home.  In the event you are unable to attend, the presentation will be posted on our district website.

PBIS All-School Assembly/Kick-off  -  Sept. 3, 2:30pm (Students and Staff)
     This is a special event planned to renew the excitement around PBIS.  All schools in our district were awarded, "School/s of Merit" for our successful implementation of this program. We will revisit behavior expectations, and discuss celebrations for making good choices.

Newsletter - The first Wednesday of each month, you will find a "Principal's Corner" newsletter.  This piece of communication will provide you with school information on the coming month.  The newsletter also offers articles in Reading and/or Math.  These articles give parents and caregivers suggestions on how to extend learning into the homes. Partnering with one another, contributes to high achieving boys and girls!

Please stop back to this blog weekly.  I update it on Fridays, and you will frequently find the most current updates on the wonderful things happening at Willow Glen!

Week of May 25

While the halls are looking a little more bare, there is still much going on in the classrooms!

K5 students are learning about bee's;  First Graders are writing opinion pieces; Second Graders are studying Life Cycles; and Third Graders are discussing social issues. 

This is also the time of year that students are engaged in end-of-the-year assessments.  It is rewarding for the students to see how far they have come since September!

Week of May 18

 

A Few Tidbits to Share...

 

A special thank you to all the families that joined us for Fine Arts Night.  The artwork decorating our hallways was beautiful (Shout-out to Mrs. Marsh!), and the musical performance by our K5 and 1st graders was very enjoyable (High-five to Mr. Shanafelt!).

 

Please remember that Deer Creek will be hosting their annual Science Night on May 28.  This is always an evening filled with excitement and new learning!

 

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

                 
                     Thank you, PTO

              For a wonderful, delicious

                Teacher Appreciation

                          luncheon!

              We are grateful to have such

                  a supportive group of

                             parents!

Week of April 27

Congratulations to entire St. Francis School District community for receiving District Accreditation from AdvancEd!

Willow Glen Family Movie Night, held last week Friday, was a success!  Families enjoyed watching Despicable Me in the gym, all snuggled up in pj's and blankets.  Thank you to our school PBIS Team for leading this event.

Please join us next Thursday evening, May 7th, for Willow Glen's annual Fine Arts Night and K5-Grade 1 Concert.  The doors will open at 5:30pm.

Week of April 20

You are invited to Willow Glen's

                              First FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!

                                              Please come and enjoy watching Despicable Me
 
                                                                 with family and friends!!!!     Don't forget to

                                                                               bring a blanket and a pillow....PJ's are a

                                                                                            great choice, as well!!!!!!!


                                       Where:  WG Gym     When:  April 24 at 6:30pm

Week of March 30

B I N G O  !!!

Today we celebrated achieving our all-school goal, with PBIS.  This goal was to use appropriate hallway behavior, when moving about the building. 

Background:  Classes were awarded "snowflakes" every time they were identified as following our school Gator Expectations for hallway behavior.  Snowflakes were put on a large tree in the main hall of Willow Glen...Once the tree was filled, we were ready to celebrate!

This morning, we engaged in playing all-school Bingo.  Our oldest students paired up with youngest students, in an effort to support them when completing their Bingo cards.  This was a great exercise in mentoring and showing leadership for our "big kids"!  The students at Willow Glen thoroughly enjoyed this special acknowledgement, for making good choices over the past few months.  Prizes and excitement were recognized in every classroom!

PBIS continues to have a positive impact on the culture at our school.  Students understand and have been taught behavior expectations, and as a result, they are ready to learn every day!

Week of March 23, 2015

I'd like to share some classroom highlights with you.  Wonderful learning experiences are occurring at all grade levels!


K5 - Students just finished opinion writing and will be moving on to "how to" and "all about" books after break.  They have been talking about weather and it's changes.  In math children are working on number stories and simple addition problems.
1st Grade - Children are immersed in reading and writing.  They are leaning more about how words work, through the Words Their Way Program. 

2nd Grade - Second grade started a new writing unit. Students are writing opinion letters about books with strong characters. Students are writing to convince others to read the book and agree with their opinions. Everyday math brings us the world of fractions and measuring with a variety of tools.

3rd Grade - Third graders have been working hard in Writer's Workshop learning about editorial biographies.  They have been researching a famous person and writing about his/her contributions to society.  Students have been drawing conclusions about the lessons they themselves have learned from these famous people.  In math, third graders have just started learning about fractions.  They are learning to shade in parts of a whole, equivalent fractions, as well as working to find mixed fractions.  The Smarter Balanced Assessment/Badger Exam is quickly approaching, so third graders have been completing various practice tests and reviewing important math and reading strategies that will help them to be successful with this important test.

Week of March 2

Our annual "Green Eggs and Ham" breakfast was a HUGE success!

 

Willow Glen served almost 500 students, parents and community members a Seussful feast.  Thank you to everyone who made this special event such a wonderful success!

 

Please take a look at the Twitter page for some pictures.

 

 

In other news...

Our third grade students are preparing for the new state assessment, called the Badger Exam.  Information on this assessment was in the last school newsletter.  If you have a third grade student, and would like additional information, please feel free to contact either myself, or your child's teacher.  We'd be happy to chat about it!

 

Second grade children have been enjoying learning about animal habitats and creating Google slides to represent their learning.

 

First graders completed their non-fiction writing unit and are moving into writing reviews and opinions.  They are continuing to gain competence in counting combinations of coins.  And much like Grade 2, first graders are also learning about animal habitats!

 

Kindergarteners have been having fun with Dr. Seuss books and exploring the wonderful world of rhyming!

 

4K children have become paleontologists.  All their activities have focused on dinosaurs!

Additionally, they have learned all about dental health and keeping their teeth healthy.



 

Week of February 9

During this week filled with sentiment and "love",  I'd like to share two
POINTS
     OF
         PRIDE
with the Willow Glen School community...

1)  Among the 10 area elementary schools in our area, including South Milwaukee and Cudahy, Willow Glen scored the highest on the Wisconsin Accountability School Report Card.  We have the highest performing school... We are Exceeding Expectations, per the Department of Public Instruction!

2)  Since implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), we have acknowledged students for showing great behavior and making good choices, over 5000 times!  We keep data on how many Gator Gotcha's that we give out, and are extremely pleased with the outcomes.

We have a wonderful school...Pass it on!

Week of February 2, 2015

Students celebrated the 100th day of school on Friday!

Below, you will find an interview with a first grader, regarding this special day.

Principal:  "What does it mean to celebrate 100 days of school?"
Student:  "I think that it means that it is our last day of school."
Principal:  "Hmmm....Can it mean anything else?"
Student:  "Oh yeah!  It means that we have been here for 100 days!"
                (insert child giggling)
Principal:  "What are you doing to celebrate?"
Student:  "We are doing lots of fun activities."
Principal:  "Can you tell me more about the activities?"
Student:   "This morning we wrote numbers up to 100.  It was kind of easy because I know
                  how to write my numbers up to 1000.  After that, we went to the gym and used
                  our bodies to make the number 100.  Our class was the 1, Mrs. Coplan's class
                  was a 0, and Mrs. Cogburn's class was a 0.  We got the best number!  The
                  teacher's took pictures of us.  We wore really silly glasses that were shaped like
                  the number 100."
Principal:  "That sounds like a great morning!  Are there things planned for the afternoon?"
Student:   "Well, we were supposed to bring in a collection of 100 things to eat.  Lots of kids
                 brought bags of cereal with 100 pieces in it.  They will get to eat this later today. 
                 My dad thought that we were supposed to bring in a collection of 100 things, not
                 food.  So I brought in 100 rocks."
Principal:  "Oh my!  Those aren't going to taste very good, are they? (more giggling)  Maybe
                 a friend will share with you."
Student:  "That's ok. Someone brought a birthday treat in today, so I will just eat that,
                 instead."

Happy 100 day to everyone!  Thank you for sharing your child/ren with us, these past 100 days!

Week of January 23

MAP testing is nearly complete in grades K5-3.  Parents can expect reports to be sent home mid-February.  We look forward to seeing how our students have grown in reading and math, since September!

Please take an opportunity to access our school's website and learn more about the proposed calendar for the 2015-2016 school year.  We are in the process of developing a school calendar that will meet the needs of our students, teachers and families.  We are interested in your feedback, as we move through this process.  

Week of January 12, 2015

Children are busy learning at Willow Glen!
Here are some classroom highlights:

K5 - Kindergartners are learning about word families, vowel sounds, winter animal adaptations, and they are writing "All About Animals" books.

Grade 1 - First graders are learning about biographies and autobiographies.  In math, they are adding and subtracting, and they just completed a unit on food chains in science class.

Grade 2 - Second graders are writing "gripping fictional stories"!  They are learning to describe characters, and are beginning a new unit on food chains/predator/prey.

Grade 3 - Third graders are learning how to blog.  They are also working on their Native American projects and building displays.

All grade levels will be participating in MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) testing this month.  We assess students 3X per year in the areas of reading and math, using this online assessment tool.  Teachers use the data to plan for instruction, in an effort to meet the needs of all their children.  If you would like more information on this, please visit our school website, or contact your child's teacher..

Also, please know that we are very focused on safety at Willow Glen.  Just a friendly reminder to stop in the office and get a visitor pass, if you would like to walk your child to his/her classroom (or pick them up).  We have precious children in our building, and want o ensure safe visiting practices for all!

Our next PTO meeting will be held on January 21.  Watch for more information in your take-home folders!

Week of January 5, 2015

Welcome to 2015!

While it has been a chilly start to the new year, Willow Glen students have been busy in the classrooms.  This week has involved all the regular instructional routines, including readers workshop, writing, math, social studies, science and health.  We all look forward to continued daily learning opportunities in all of these areas!

Over winter break, our computer lab was updated with Chromeboxes.  This will allow the lab to run more efficiently, and respond to common programs/learning and assessment websites, that are a part of our curriculum.  Staff will be trained on this new system on January 14, and students will be using the lab beginning January 15 with the start of winter MAP testing. 

Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports (PBIS) continues to have a positive impact on the culture within the building.  The staff acknowledged students, with Gator Gotchas, nearly 3000 times during the month of November (We are still calculating December data.)!  It is clear that children understand the expectations at Willow Glen, and are living up to being awesome students and friends to others!