Dear Wise Owls Family,

As we approach the final month before winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you for your ongoing partnership in your child’s education. This time of year is always bustling with energy and excitement, and it provides us with a valuable opportunity to reflect, refocus, and finish the semester strong.

At school, our teachers and staff are committed to maintaining high levels of engagement and ensuring that every student continues to make meaningful progress. This is a wonderful time for students to demonstrate their growth, both academically and socially, as they prepare for upcoming assessments, projects, and events.

To help us make the most of these next few weeks, we kindly ask for your support in the following ways:

1. Encourage Consistent Attendance: Every day in the classroom counts. Please ensure your child is attending school regularly and arrives on time, ready to learn.
2. Set Routines for Success: As schedules get busy, maintaining consistent routines at home can help your child stay focused. Setting aside time for homework, reading, and rest is key.
3. Communicate with Teachers: If your child is facing challenges or needs additional support, don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher. We’re here to work together.
4. Celebrate Efforts and Achievements: Encourage your child to give their best effort and celebrate their progress. Positive reinforcement can make a world of difference!

We’re also looking forward to several exciting events this month, including our Fluency Bee Championship, Moncks Corner Lighting on Main, Corn Hole Tournament Holiday Market and Chorus Holiday Performance. These moments highlight the vibrant community we share and the diverse talents of our students.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide a nurturing and enriching environment for all students. Together, we can ensure that the next few weeks are productive, joyful, and fulfilling for everyone.

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy holiday season ahead.

B. Gantt

#AllforONE!

Our mission is to cultivate a caring community that utilizes a multitude of teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for their next adventure.

1. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and appreciated.
2. We believe that all children deserve a high quality education.
3. We believe in collaboration and making connections.

Staying Safe

Owning Your Actions

Acting Responsibly

Respecting Everyone & Everything

“South Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law requires that a parent or guardian shall require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools and Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education f rom the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.”

Please also submit any medical or additional excuses to the front office. We process our attendance forms once per week so you may not immediately see that the note has been accepted.

Friday, December 6th

Moncks Corner Tree Lighting on Main (Our Chorus will perform a few songs)

Tuesday, December 10th

Winter i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment (Reading)

Wednesday, December 11th

Winter i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment (Math)

Saturday, December 14th

Corn Hole Tournament

Monday, December 16th - Friday, December 20th

WES Holiday Market (at school)

Tuesday, December 17th

WES Chorus Holiday Performance / PTO Meeting / Evening Holiday Market

Friday, December 20th

Early Release Day

Monday, December 23rd - January 6th

Winter Break for Students

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will be pitted against each other to determine which class is #1.

The Challenge:

We are seeking to determine which of our classes (3rd, 4th, and 5th grades) is the most efficient in terms of their multiplication skills (10x10 / 10x12).

Help your Wise Owl remember to review their multiplication and division facts so they are ready for the competition!

i-Ready is an online program for reading and/or mathematics that will help your student’s teacher(s) determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows your teacher(s) to meet your student exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning gains.

Our students (Kindergarten - 5th) will be taking their Winter i-Ready Diagnostic (assessment) December 9th through December 13th. We will use those scores to help guide instruction throughout the 3rd quarter.

Here are some testing tips for parents to ensure that students have the best experience:

• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest the night before the test.
• On the morning of the test, your child needs to get up in plenty of time so he/she won't feel rushed.
• Feed your child a good breakfast. Research shows that children do better on tests if they have had a good breakfast.
• Do as much as you can to make your child feel comfortable. Try not to say things to make him/her feel more nervous.
• Reassure your child that no matter the outcome of the test, you will still love him/her. Encourage them to simply do their best.
• Take an active role in your child's education throughout the school year. Let your child know you are interested in his/her learning by taking part in the entire process.
• When the scores are sent to you, talk to your child's teacher. This will help you understand them more clearly.
• Give your child praise even if he or she didn't do well on the test.

We moved the dates for i-Ready testing to allow students to get a week to prepare following Fall Break, and so that we can manage some logistical areas to ensure the best testing environment.

Students will be able to get some holiday shopping done at school. Natalie's Elf Shelf Holiday Shop will have some great, affordable gifts students will be able to buy for family members and loved ones.

If there is a change of transportation, a note with a parent/guardian's signature MUST be provided. Any student that tells staff that his or her parent/guardian told them to go home by another means will not be honored. For the safety of our students, a change in transportation must be submitted in writing to the student's teacher AND to the Front Office.

To ensure that our students remain safe while off-campus, we are asking families to purchase a WES School Spirit Shirt. Students will be able to wear their School Spirit Shirt on all of their Field Studies which has our 2024-25 AllforONE! logo and our school's contact information (on the front of the shirt). Also, 100% of the proceeds will go back in our field trip budget to ensure that we can keep costs down for families.

Shirts cost $10

Order your shirt using the link below

*shirts will come white with the blue logo or blue with the white logo

Show your school spirit and support our students by grabbing your WES Car Magnet! Every purchase helps fund exciting programs and activities, enriching your child's school experience. Plus, you are showcasing your WES pride in your community. Join us in making a difference—buy now and roll with school pride!

Car Magnets cost $10.

Ms. Reagin is returning to WES after spending two years at FBE as an interventionist. Ms. Reagin supports her Mighty Owls alongside Ms. Thurman and Ms. Crawford. Ms. Reagin is always a breath of positivity. She likes to think outside the box and though she can be viewed as a bit eclectic, she'd like it no other way. Give her a chance to be involved, to have a good time, or to dress up, and she'll be front and center!

Mrs. Maynard is a veteran teacher, teaching 3rd grade at WES for the past two years with prior experience teaching in Florida, Maryland and California. She and her husband, Josh, have 3 girls, they love fishing, watching college football (Go Florida State), serving in their church, and eating desserts 🧁. She is also a collegiate softball player!!

Mrs. Brown has been a part of the tag team duo with Mrs. Gorski for a number of years, positively influencing students and the community of Whitesville! She also can be found in our Owls Nest greeting families and helping students. Mrs. Brown is an outgoing person (sometimes) and a shy person (sometimes) 😂. She loves smiling, giving hugs and believes hugs are essential becaus you never know what they can do for a person or for children. She loves coming to WES knowing that she is making a difference every day!

Coach Felkel is in his fourth year at WES, where he has served as our aWESome PE Teacher. Coach Felkel builds extraordinary relationships with students and staff and is always willing to go above and beyond to make WES a better place. Alongside Coach Bullard and Coach Reese, Coach Felkel promotes children being active and having fun. Along with WES, Coach Felkel coaches the defensive line unit at Cane Bay High School #GoCobras!

Mrs. Cate has served the WES community for a number of years, earning honors such as the teacher of the year and countless more. She has served as a teacher, interventionist, coach, and is now the Math Coach at WES. She uses her position to support our teachers in the areas of mathematics; however, she also helps WES promote our STEAM inititative, providing opportunitites for teachers and for students to become scientists, engineers, artists, and problem solvers. Mrs. Cate is extremely excited to have a focus on STEAM and loves working with everyone! 👩🏻‍🔬

Saturday, February 8th - Sweetheart Dance

Friday, March 7th - Boosterthon Fun Run

Thursday, April 10th - Spring Fling (a part of STEAM Night)

Friday, May 23rd - 5th Grade Celebration

Breakfast and lunch will be served on every day. If your student wants to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive to school between 6:50 a.m. - 7:18 a.m. Breakfast will no longer be served after 7:45 a.m.

• Our school's website is found at https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/wes
• WES Facebook page is Whitesville Elementary School Wise Owls
• The Weekly Hoots newsletter will be emailed & texted to families every Sunday evening. Please be sure to have your updated information in PowerSchool.
• Our PTO's website is wiseowlspto.com.
• Our PTO's Facebook page is Whitesville Wise Owls PTO.
• Schoology: Teachers will update their grades weekly.
• Rooms: Our two-way form of communication at WES. Every teacher at WES will use Rooms as a tool for communication.