Friday, May 30, 2014
Week of June 2
There are many awesome things happening at Willow Glen, as we wind down the school year...Culminating field trips, celebrations of learning, and excitement to be prepared for the next grade level!
Remember the Hot Dog lunch on June 12th. This is always a great event for parents, caregivers and students! If you'd like more information on this, please contact the school office.
In an effort to stay connected with families, WG now has a Twitter account. Please access the link on our home page and start to follow us. I will post pictures and highlights, as they unfold.
Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Week of May 26
I hope that everyone has/had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend with family and friends! All students and staff continue to work hard and are focused on finishing strong...
Classroom Highlights:
K4 - The children recently visited the farm. They are making books on baby farm animals.
K5 - The caterpillars hatched and turned into beautiful butterflies! The students learned about metamorphosis and incorporated this experience into reading and writing.
Grade 1 - The first graders are immersed in poetry and are ready to publish their masterpieces.
Grade 2 - The children are wrapping up a year-long study of animals and their habitats. They will be enjoying a trip to the Zoo, this week!
Grade 3 - Third graders are engaged in collaborative work on social issues, such as divorce, loss, bullying, self-esteem, homelessness, poverty and child labor.
The signs of summer are everywhere...Bask in the beautiful weather!
I hope that everyone has/had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend with family and friends! All students and staff continue to work hard and are focused on finishing strong...
Classroom Highlights:
K4 - The children recently visited the farm. They are making books on baby farm animals.
K5 - The caterpillars hatched and turned into beautiful butterflies! The students learned about metamorphosis and incorporated this experience into reading and writing.
Grade 1 - The first graders are immersed in poetry and are ready to publish their masterpieces.
Grade 2 - The children are wrapping up a year-long study of animals and their habitats. They will be enjoying a trip to the Zoo, this week!
Grade 3 - Third graders are engaged in collaborative work on social issues, such as divorce, loss, bullying, self-esteem, homelessness, poverty and child labor.
The signs of summer are everywhere...Bask in the beautiful weather!
Friday, May 16, 2014
Week of May 19
PBIS is coming to Willow Glen!
This past week, a team of teachers spent time learning about the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS).
What is the purpose of PBIS?
PBIS creates a more positive environment for students and staff by establishing clear expectations for students and taking active steps in teaching, modeling and reinforcing appropriate behaviors school wide. Wisconsin schools have been implementing PBIS since the Fall of 2006, with rapid growth in the number of trained PBIS schools in Wisconsin occurring within the last two years. As of January 15, 2012, over 872 schools in 192 districts in Wisconsin have attended PBIS training.
The WG PBIS Team is developing a structure that meets the needs of our students. We are identifying areas/environments in our school where the most behavior challenges arise, and then planning lessons to use with the students in the fall, as a means of teaching appropriate behavior. The focus will be on rewarding positive behavior, that stems from the experience of being explicitly taught the school expectations. Feel free to visit the PBIS Wisconsin Network, for more information. We will be talking a lot more about this, next year!
New Staff ...
As mentioned in the May/June newsletter, we have begun the search for teachers at the second grade level. Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Payment are both retiring, and will be dearly missed.
In just 2 weeks time, we received 150 applicants for these vacancies. Interviews will occur next week, with a recommendation to the Board of Education at the beginning of June. I have no doubt that with the applicant pool as strong as it is, we will be bringing forth exceptional candidates.
Please remember that May 22 is a half-day for students!
This past week, a team of teachers spent time learning about the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS).
What is the purpose of PBIS?
PBIS creates a more positive environment for students and staff by establishing clear expectations for students and taking active steps in teaching, modeling and reinforcing appropriate behaviors school wide. Wisconsin schools have been implementing PBIS since the Fall of 2006, with rapid growth in the number of trained PBIS schools in Wisconsin occurring within the last two years. As of January 15, 2012, over 872 schools in 192 districts in Wisconsin have attended PBIS training.
The WG PBIS Team is developing a structure that meets the needs of our students. We are identifying areas/environments in our school where the most behavior challenges arise, and then planning lessons to use with the students in the fall, as a means of teaching appropriate behavior. The focus will be on rewarding positive behavior, that stems from the experience of being explicitly taught the school expectations. Feel free to visit the PBIS Wisconsin Network, for more information. We will be talking a lot more about this, next year!
New Staff ...
As mentioned in the May/June newsletter, we have begun the search for teachers at the second grade level. Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Payment are both retiring, and will be dearly missed.
In just 2 weeks time, we received 150 applicants for these vacancies. Interviews will occur next week, with a recommendation to the Board of Education at the beginning of June. I have no doubt that with the applicant pool as strong as it is, we will be bringing forth exceptional candidates.
Please remember that May 22 is a half-day for students!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Week of May 12
Thank you so
much to all who attended our Fine Arts Night!
It was a huge success, with “standing room only” for the musical portion
of the evening. Mrs. Marsh, Art Teacher,
and Mr. Shanafelt, Music Teacher, do amazing things with our children every
day…This was a culminating celebration of learning for students in grades
K5/1. Additionally, a special note of
appreciation to our Music Boosters for sponsoring the hot dog dinner. This group supports our music program in many
ways!
Classroom
highlights are similar to what was described in my previous blog. Students are working hard to finish the
school year strong!
Lastly, a
warm thank you to our PTO for showing the staff how much they are
appreciated. The luncheon was enjoyed by
all. Our staff works tirelessly to meet
the needs of all students at Willow Glen.
They love what they do each day, and this is clearly evident in the
relationships that they build with students.
Willow Glen has AMAZING teachers…And students!
Enjoy the
lovely weather and Happy Mother’s Day!
Friday, May 2, 2014
PREVIEW
Week of May 5-9
Happy Month
of May!
As we enjoy
some of the warmth of the springtime air, students are engaged in assessments
that are utilized to capture academic growth from fall to spring. Students in K5-3 will be participating in MAP
assessments, benchmark reading assessments, writing and math assessments. This data provides the teachers with valuable
information that will assist them in identifying students’ needs for the remainder of the
school year, as well as for next year.
It also serves as a tool for our school to evaluate the effectiveness of
our programs and instruction.
Classroom
Highlights…
K4 – The
children will be busy making Mother’s Day gifts (sh…), and waiting for their
seeds to grow. They will also be
learning about the farm, in preparation for an upcoming field trip.
K5 –
Students are completing their “Write for a Reason” unit. They are producing opinion pieces on movies,
books and restaurant reviews. IN math,
they are learning about time, and engaging in story problems. They are also learning about Earth Day and
springtime!
Grade 1 –
First graders are busy learning about fractions, as well as reviewing
previously taught material. They are
enjoying writing poetry!
Grade 2 – The
children were involved in a field trip to The Milwaukee Art Museum. They are learning about the arts and writing
reflections on their experience. In
math, they are learning about fractions and measurement. Their Health unit is covering how germs make
people sick. Lots going on in Grade 2!!!
Grade 3 –
Students continue to be involved in reading, math and writing activities that
will prepare them to be successful in 4th grade. They enjoyed their visit to Deer Creek, and
had an opportunity to meet Mr. Powell and some of the staff!
Please
remember that if you haven’t taken the school survey, there is still time! The window ends at 11:00pm tonight. Your feedback is very important to us!
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