Bear Necessities Vol. 8

As we head into the holiday break, I want to wish all of our West Broad Street families a happy, healthy, and restful time with loved ones. Thank you for your continued partnership and support throughout the year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready to learn.

In our January newsletters, I will share new photos of our renovated classroom spaces. We have made wonderful progress and I am so excited to share our new updates!

Happy Holidays, and see you in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Susan Hadfield, Principal

Our fifth graders in Mrs. Wuelfing’s class turned into researchers, writers, and persuasive experts as they studied natural disasters and argued which one is the most destructive. With thoughtful writing, strong opinions, and a cozy cup of hot cocoa in hand, students shared ideas, backed up their claims, and celebrated the power of their words. 🌪️🌋☕️

Amazing performances by the WBS Chorus, Orchestra, and Band! Thanks Mrs. Stover, Mr. McGinnis, and Mr. Helmer for great shows for our students as well as families later that evening!

Souderton Area School District winter concerts are now available to watch and share! Congratulations to all the teachers and students on their performances.

You can watch the winter concerts online anytime at SASD Winter Concerts.

To order a copy of your favorite winter concert, visit the SATV Video Requests page.

Our 3rd graders rehearsed, made props, got into character, and said ACTION! Check out some pictures of their performances for parents throughout the day!

Wow! The tree is FULL! Our students will be treated to some Holiday Trivia fun during lunches! Keep up the great work, Bears!

Mrs. Harp's class collected new socks to donate to The Bean Bag Program as part of our December Kindness Challenge. The kids really rose to the challenge, and donated a HUGE box of socks.

🎄Our holiday shop was a success! Thank you to all the parent volunteers who made this event possible! We appreciate you.

That's all for now; enjoy your holiday break!

Hello! We're so glad you're part of the school community. As a parent or guardian, you are a big part of your child’s education. There are lots of ways for you to participate. When you do, you help your child learn and thrive! Here are a few things to know.

Winter break is here and we know this time of year can feel very big for students.

Routines change.
There’s less daylight.
Students are home more, on screens more, and navigating new family dynamics.

For many children, emotions can feel bigger during the winter, even when break is something they’ve been looking forward to.

To support students and families during this transition, we’ve created two free Winter Wellness Activity Books designed specifically for elementary learners:

• Winter Wellness Activity Book (K–2)
• Winter Wellness Activity Book (Grades 3–5)

These screen-free activity books are developmentally aligned and DBT-informed, helping students:

• understand why feelings can feel heavier in winter
• learn simple, age-appropriate coping skills
• practice noticing emotions and choosing helpful responses
• explore gratitude in a healthy, non-forced way
• build skills they can use at home during winter break

For older elementary students, the activities gently introduce Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in a way that is factual, reassuring, and empowering. We emphasize that winter mood changes are common, not a personal failure, and that skills can help.

Each workbook is designed to be:

• easy to use independently or with a caregiver
• engaging and reflective (not checklist-heavy)
• supportive of emotional regulation without requiring screens
• appropriate to send home as a winter break resource

We encourage you to download the activity books and share them with families so students have access to meaningful, skill-building activities while school is out.

Giving students tools to understand their emotions, especially during seasonal transitions, is one of the most meaningful gifts we can offer.

Thank you for continuing to support students’ emotional well-being, not just during the school year, but through every season.