November News

It's hard to believe we're already wrapping up the first quarter of the school year! Reflecting on the last several months, it's been nice to settle back into what feels like a more "normal" school year, and that's a great feeling. Our spaces are beginning to feel like home, construction projects are starting to wrap up, and our teachers are focused on the individual needs of students after completing fall screenings and building strong relationships in their classrooms.

We've also continued our monthly assemblies celebrating our character traits, giving students opportunities to recognize and celebrate the positive qualities we want to see throughout our school. Another exciting development is that construction is underway on our new playground for older students! A HUGE shout-out to our PTO for the fundraising, planning, and organizing they've put in over the past several years to help make this happen. We are grateful for their time and commitment to our students.

As we look ahead, we're excited to continue building on this momentum throughout the second quarter. I'm proud and honored to work alongside our students, staff, and families, and I appreciate the many ways our school community contributes to making W-K a great place to learn and grow.

Dan Murtha
Elementary Principal

Last year, Wabasha-Kellogg Elementary was recognized as a Minnesota School of Excellence. This recognition is maintained for eight years and is based on a school community self-study and an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

An important part of this process is hearing from our families. Parent voice helps us better understand what we're doing well and identify areas where we can continue to grow. As we continue our self-evaluation and improvement efforts, we'd appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete our School of Excellence survey.

Your feedback matters, and we appreciate your time and willingness to share your perspective. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by November 30.

We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to learn from your perspective.

During November, our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons will focus on leadership! Students at each grade level will explore important skills that help them become positive leaders, including starting conversations, being a role model, seeking positive attention, using positive self-talk, asking for help, and demonstrating good sportsmanship. We will also emphasize the importance of treating others with kindness, respect, and compassion.

On Friday, November 13, 2026, we will celebrate World Kindness Day with a school-wide initiative to continue cultivating a culture of kindness throughout our W-K community! World Kindness Day encourages good deeds, empathy, and compassion, reminding us that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. Watch your email for more information!

Families, we encourage you to talk with your children about the importance of kindness! Remind them that a kind word, a friendly smile, an invitation to join a group, or simply being there for someone can make a meaningful difference in another person's day. We may never know what someone else is going through, but we can always choose to be kind.

Together, we can empower our students to become positive leaders who build others up, create meaningful connections, and help make W-K a place where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and respected!

(pictured below - some of our elementary students and staff dressed in orange on Unity Day.)

Our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders have been busy exploring the Makey Makey system while building their understanding of open and closed circuits. This past month, students took their learning a step further by using conductive pencils to draw instruments and connect them to Makey Makey apps to create sound and music!

They are now sharpening their coding skills using Scratch, a program they'll eventually use to create action scenes on their Chromebooks that can be controlled through Makey Makey.

The excitement for hands-on learning is felt in the STEM room every day!

Elementary students and staff gathered to celebrate another month of living out The Falcon Way on Friday, October 30. This month’s character trait was Accepting. Students played a fun game of “Would You Rather?” with Halloween-themed questions and discussed how people can celebrate the same holiday in different ways. We were reminded that being accepting means respecting and appreciating our differences.

We also recognized our Golden Award classroom winners from specials, clean room and lunch, our character trait winners, and extra red-ticket prize winners! The group wrapped up the assembly by singing the W-K school song together. Keep showing your Falcon pride by being Respectful, Responsible and Safe!

Dear Families,

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to W-K Elementary! This is a wonderful opportunity to build your child’s home library with books that inspire a love of reading while also supporting our school.

Book Fair Details:

Dates: November 16–20
Location: Elementary IMC
Shopping Hours: Monday–Friday

• Before School: 7:30–8:00 a.m.

• After School: 3:00–3:30 p.m.

Rolls with Role Models: The Book Fair will also be open for shopping on Friday, November 20, from 7:30–9:00 a.m.

Make Shopping Easy with eWallet!

Want your child to shop independently? Set up a Scholastic Book Fair eWallet through our school's Book Fair homepage. It's quick and easy, and family and friends can contribute funds, too!

Visit Our Scholastic Book Fair Homepage

Through eWallet, you can also contribute to Share the Fair™, a giving program that helps ensure every student has the opportunity to purchase a book. Consider making a contribution so no child leaves the Fair empty-handed! You can also visit our Book Fair homepage to preview upcoming titles, take a 360° virtual tour, watch book trailers, and more.

We can't wait to see you at the Fair and help every student discover a book they'll love!

Happy Reading,
Lisa Kennedy
Book Fair Coordinator

W-K Community Education is now accepting registrations for Youth Basketball and Youth Wrestling. Click on the images below to register.

W-K Drama Club is excited to present its 20th annual Elementary Play, The Road Trip Runaway by Naomi Knox! Students in grades 3–6 are invited to participate, with Drama Club students serving as directors. Everyone who auditions will receive a part!

Important Dates:

• Register here - by November 9

• Auditions: November 10 | 3–5 p.m.

• Rehearsals Begin: November 11

• Performances: December 1 | 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Participation Fee: $30 (includes two adult performance tickets). Scholarships are available.

For questions, contact Bridget Hoffman at bhoffman@wkfalcons.org or Cris Medina at cmedina@wkfalcons.org.

Come join W-K Community Education & Sunshine & Roses Traveling Art Studio for a fun and creative painting experience! Our instructor will provide step-by-step guidance, so you’ll feel comfortable creating your own masterpiece. No painting experience is needed and all supplies are included.

3:00-4:00 p.m. - Winter Starry Night
4:00-5:00 p.m. - Snowy Snowman
Cost: $30 per painter
Register here

On October 7, the Wabasha Fire Department visited W-K Elementary to teach students about fire safety. Students learned important tips to help keep themselves and their families safe. Thank you to our local firefighters for taking the time to share their knowledge with our students!

Box Tops for Education is a FREE fundraising program that helps schools earn money by collecting participating products. Each Box Top is worth 10¢ for our students, and these earnings add up quickly. All you need to do is download the Box Tops app, pick Wabasha-Kellogg for your school, and follow the instructions below.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Ashley Scheel

Physical Education/DAPE Teacher

IT’S ALMOST COMPLETE! 🎉 After more than two years in the making, W-K’s new playground is finally becoming a reality! Installation is underway, and the school is getting closer to providing older elementary students with an engaging, accessible and ADA-compliant space to play. The excitement is building as the finish line gets closer!

🎄Elementary Holiday Concert (K-3) - Tuesday, December 15

🎭Fall Play - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - November 6, 7, 8 (see flier below for details)

November 6 - No School/Teacher Workshop
November 18 - Early Dismissal at 12:15 p.m.

November 26-27 - No School/Thanksgiving Break