Cub Corner
September 18, 2026
Good evening Parents/Guardians,
Thanks to PTA and WMES Volunteers for a great Mother-Son Dance.
Thank you to the Grandparents and Granola Team for a wonderful event! You made over 300 Grandparents feel special!
Have a great weekend!
SB
Translate the Cub Corner into another Language! 🗣️
Important Dates 📅
September 28, 2026 - Field Day (K-2nd, PreK)
September 29, 2026 - Field Day (3rd-5th Grade)
October 12-16, 2026 - Fall Break
Click here for the WMES Parent Calendar
Click here for the GCPS 2026-2027 school calendar.
Field Day Update
Thank you so much to those of you who have already signed up to volunteer at our Field Day stations for this year's Field Day event! The sign-up to volunteer is officially full! However, you are welcome to show your support as a visitor outside on our Field Days!
Reminder: Parents/Guardians will not be able to stay for lunch with your child unless you are signed up to volunteer with our Field Days. Visitors attending as spectators are asked to step off campus during lunch, but we warmly welcome you back outside once your child’s class resumes their Field Day stations! 🙂
Family Literacy Night
PTA Reflections
PTA Reflections has opened! This year's theme is "What My Culture Means to Me." Culture can include your family, traditions, food, language, music, celebrations, community, or anything else that helps make you who you are. You may express your ideas through visual arts, photography, literature, music composition and/or dance choreography. The deadline for submission is October 19, 2026.
Student Spotlight
As we focus on the character trait of kindness this month, we want to highlight Samaya. Samaya greets her principal, Dr. Brown, with a smile and asks her how she is doing.
She is such a kind individual. Every single morning, she greets not only me, but her classmates with the most vibrant smile. She is a helpful friend! In math, Samaya loves to help out friends who may be stuck on an equation, and she always encourages them and cheers them on! We are so happy to have Samaya be a part of our class family.
Thank you, Samaya, for modeling genuine kindness and care for others each day. You make a positive impact on our school community.
PBIS at WMES: Paw Points & Celebrating Positive Choices!
WMES is proud to continue and expand our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program, fostering a welcoming and encouraging environment across our entire campus. Throughout the day, students are recognized for showing our core expectations—being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe—in the classroom and all schoolwide spaces.
How Paw Points Work
Earning Points: Any adult in the building can reward students with Paw Points whenever they catch them demonstrating positive behaviors.
Tracking Progress: All earned points are logged and saved digitally in the PBIS Rewards app, making it easy to celebrate student achievements.
Exciting Reward Stores
Classroom Stores: Teachers maintain individual classroom stores stocked with fun incentives and experiences that students can redeem directly using their PBIS Rewards points.
School Experience Store (Launching Next Week!): We are excited to announce the launch of our schoolwide Experience Store! Starting next week, students can use their Paw Points to purchase admission to exclusive, high-energy positive experiences and special campus events.
Running Club
Who can join Running Club?
There are 15 spots available for students from each grade level (3rd, 4th, and 5th).
Registration is "First Come First Serve" and spots will fill up FAST!
Dates:
October 22, 2026
November 5, 12, 19, 2026
February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2027
March 11, 18, 25, 2027
Time: 3:20pm to 4:10pm
Location: Outside on the playground
When can I sign my child up?
Registration OPENS: 9/21 @ 8AM and CLOSES: 10/9 @ 11:59PM
OR
When all spots are filled!
Register on MyPaymentsPlus.com
Note: A club T-Shirt will be included in your fee! It is $20 to join!
Birthday Packages on Sale!
Ice Cream
Transportation Changes and Early Checkouts 26/27
Transportation Changes
- All transportation changes must go through the Front Office.
- Teachers CANNOT make transportation changes.
- Email 520.transportation@gcpsk12.org by 12:00pm on the day of the change.
Early Checkouts
- Must be completed by 2:15pm.
- Parent/Guardian must bring a photo ID.
- Parent/Guardian must be listed as a "Release To" contact.
Dropping Off Items
Library Media Center
Every WMES student gets a chance to come to the library every week. Please check your teacher’s newsletter for your library day and help students return books on time so that all Cubs have access to books every week!
If a student loses a book or damages it beyond repair, the replacement costs are $5 for paperbacks and $15 for hardcover books. All fines must be paid on MyPayments Plus. We cannot accept cash or checks - sorry!
Questions? Please email sarah.mann@gcpsk12.org Happy reading!
Beanstack Update
Our monthly BEANSTACK challenges are up and running! Our September challenge is called FALL INTO READING. Students who log 300 or more reading minutes during September will earn a trip to the library prize cart. Keep reading, Cubs!
Log your reading minutes on Beanstack and earn prizes! Beanstack is even easier to access this year! What's New? All students and staff will now access Beanstack directly through the GCPS Portal then LaunchPad. There will be no need to remember a separate Beanstack username or password.
Literacy Tip of the Week
Word of the Week
Literacy Tip: Introduce a “Word of the Week” at home! Choose one new word as a family and use it in conversations throughout the week. Hearing and using new words in everyday situations helps children expand their vocabulary and become stronger reader and writers.
Try this at home: Pick a word that is interesting and useful, such as curious, generous, or enormous. Write the word on a sticky note and place it on the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or another spot everyone will see. Encourage family members to use the word whenever they can during the day.
Remember: Children learn vocabulary best when words are used naturally and repeatedly. The more children hear, say, read, and understand new words, the more likely they are to remember and use them on their own.
Family Challenge: Choose a Word of the Week and see who can use it the most in conversations. Keep a tally throughout the week, and celebrate everyone’s efforts at the end of the week. Bonus challenge: Have each family member create a sentence or draw a picture that shows the meaning of the word!
Building vocabulary one word at a time can make a big difference in your child’s reading success!
School Lunches 🍎
September 21-25, 2026
Monday - Quesadillas, corn dogs, PB&J basket
Tuesday - Chicken and rice bowl, calzonette, PB&J sandwich
Wednesday - Chicken drumsticks, lasagna
Thursday - Chicken mega minis, grilled cheese sandwich, PB&J basket
Friday - Pizza, veggie burger, yogurt basket
* Please note that all menu items for both breakfast and lunch are subject to change due to supply shortages.
Play 2 Learn
Community Events
Get ready to BOOOOk it for the bus, everyone! The Book Mobile 5K raises the funds that support the GCPS Book Mobile program all year round. The school with the most registrations earns a free visit from the Book Mobile! This year’s race is on Halloween! For more information or to register, click here:
MVHS Basketball Camp Thanks!
What a fun two days we had!
A huge thank you to all the parents who trusted us with their kids for our basketball camp! We had two days filled with basketball, teamwork, learning new skills, plenty of laughs, and LOTS of fun!
I'm so proud of all our campers and the effort, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship they brought to the gym.
Thank you for letting us spend these two days with your kids - we loved every minute of it! We hope to do it again in the spring, stay tuned!
Go Bears!
Jen Jones (PE)
Whiz Learning After School Tech Club
Give your child the gift of creativity with early access to technology and fun learning. We offer age-appropriate programs, including Video Game Design, Robotics & AI, Dash Robots, Scratch AI & teachable machines, Web Development, Python Programming, Minecraft Education, and many more.
Grades: 1 - 5
Time: 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Spaces are limited. Please register your child at: https://whizlearningkids.com/after-school-registration.html
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us at Info@whizlearningkids.com or 678-665-1818.
Business Partners
Woodward Mill would like to thank our Business Partners for their support.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Core Elite Entertainment
Smiles Forever
Whiz Learning Kids
The Piedmont Group
Chick Fil A
Ponko Chicken
Planet Smoothie
Premier Healthcare and Concierge Services
World Champion Taekwondo Martial Arts
Woodward Mill Elementary School
Website: https://woodwardmilles.gcpsk12.org/
Location: 2020 Buford Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Phone: 678-407-7590
"Expect Excellence in Everything"
"Family, Community, Achievement"