Western Primary School News

Hello Western Primary Families,

With November here, we’re embracing the season of gratitude and giving. This month brings wonderful opportunities for our students to learn about community, kindness, and the importance of helping others. Here’s what to look forward to:

First Grade Music Program

Thursday, November 19, our WPS Music Program proudly presents “We Are Thankful”. Students are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue as we honor our Veterans and community helpers.

Performance Times:

• 5:30 PM: Mrs. Hall, Miss Richardson, Miss Cox, Mrs. Myers' classes.

• 6:15 PM:Mrs. Fiscus, Mrs. Bolen, Mrs. Durkes, and Mrs. Crume's classes.

Performances will be held in the Western High School Auditorium. Doors open 15 minutes before each show, and students should arrive 20 minutes prior to their performance time. A free-will donation will be collected to support future music programs and classroom needs.

2nd Grade Balloons Over Broadway Parade

Our second graders are bringing the story Balloons Over Broadway to life by creating their own parade floats in STREAM class! Inspired by the true story of Tony Sarg, students are designing imaginative “balloons” for our very own parade on Tuesday, November 24.

Families are invited to watch the parade outside from the south side of the primary building (look for cones marking the route). Please park in the football field lot and line up by 10:30 AM to enjoy the show. Bundle up—it’s going to be a fun and festive celebration!

Upcoming Events

• Scheduled E-Learning Day: (November 11): Lessons will be posted for students to complete at home
• Thanksgiving Break (November 25-27): We wish all our families a joyful Thanksgiving filled with warmth and gratitude. Classes will resume on Monday, November 30th.

Health & Safety Reminders

As we enter colder weather and flu season, please ensure students come to school dressed warmly each day. Classes will go outside as much as possible for recess so dress your child for the cooler temperatures. Students, especially those of primary ages, need physical activity each day to enhance their development. If your child is in need of a coat, hat, or gloves, please reach out to me or Mrs. Leap. If your child shows symptoms of illness, we ask that you keep them home to help maintain a healthy school environment.

Thank You, Families!

We are so grateful for the support and encouragement from our Western Primary community. Thank you for helping us make our school a place where students can grow, learn, and thrive.

All the best,

Melissa DeWeese

WPS Principal

• November 6th - Helping Hands Parent Volunteers 9am
• November 6th - First Friday - Wear Class T-Shirts
• November 11th - Scheduled E-Learning Day
• November 16th-20th - PTO Santa Shop
• November 19th - 1st Grade Music Program
• November 19th & 20th - 2nd Grade Field Trip
• November 24th - 2nd Grade Balloons Over Broadway Parade
• November 25th-27th - Thanksgiving Break; No School
• December 1st - Family Night Dodgeball
• December 11th - Kindergarten Field Trip
• December 17th - 2nd Grade Music Program

This Month's Focus: Building Strong Hands for Writing and Math

This month, our second graders are bringing engineering to life with their Balloons Over Broadway parade, while our younger Panthers are working hard on their writing grip. In the classroom, building fine motor skills and spatial awareness is crucial. Strong hand muscles prevent fingers from getting tired during writing, and manipulating objects helps children visualize math concepts and patterns.

You can give their hand muscles and brain a fantastic workout at home this November with The Recycled Builder Challenge.

Instead of tossing out your clean holiday recycling, challenge your child to become an architect using cardboard boxes, empty plastic bottles, paper towel rolls, and tape or play-dough.

• The Goal: Ask them to build a specific structure, like a bridge for a toy car, a tower that stands on its own, or even their own mini "parade float."

• The Brain Workout: Tearing tape, squeezing play-dough, and squeezing glue bottles builds the exact hand stamina needed for a proper pencil grip. Figuring out how to balance objects builds excellent spatial problem-solving skills!

It’s a wonderful, screen-free way to spend a chilly November afternoon while building essential school readiness skills!

Pre-Arranged Absences & Extended Illness

With holiday travel and winter flu season just around the corner, we want to remind families about how the school handles planned trips and consecutive days out due to illness. To ensure your child's absences are properly coded and their schoolwork stays on track, please keep these handbook policies in mind:

• Pre-Arranged Absences: If your family has a planned trip or an upcoming event where your student will miss school, a parent must submit a written request to the principal at least 5 school days before the absence begins.

• Extended Illness Policy: If your student is absent for 3 or more consecutive school days due to illness, a doctor's note or medical excuse is required upon their return to school for those days to be officially marked as excused.

• Making Up Work: Students are given one school day for every day they were absent to turn in missed assignments. For example, if your child misses 2 days of school, they will have 2 school days upon their return to complete and submit their makeup work.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students on track academically, even when life takes them away from the classroom!

Email: mdeweese@western.k12.in.us
Website: wps.western.k12.in.us
Location: 2671 South 600 West, Russiaville, IN, USA
Phone: 765-883-5528