How Sweet It Is at Wylie Elementary

Happy November, Wylie Families!

As we enter the month of November, I want to take a moment to reflect on just how thankful I am for our Wylie Elementary family! We are blessed with amazing students, dedicated staff, and supportive families who work together each day to make Wylie such a special place to learn and grow.

This month, we are excited to kick off New Start November! We will be revisiting our Campus ROCKS expectations and encouraging our students to make positive choices, show kindness, and take pride in their school. Through fun classroom challenges and positive behavior incentives, we hope to reinforce the importance of being respectful, responsible, and safe throughout our campus. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home!

November is also a wonderful time to focus on gratitude. I want to personally thank our families for the trust you place in us each day. Your partnership, encouragement, and support make a tremendous difference in the success of our students.

As we approach Thanksgiving Break, I encourage everyone to slow down, enjoy time with loved ones, and reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for.

Let's make November a month filled with kindness, gratitude, growth, and great choices!

Thank you for being part of our Wylie family. Together, we are making a difference for KIDS!

Angela Crow

Principal

Wylie Elementary School

acrow@hendersonisd.org

903-655-5200

Mission Statement

Preparing each student to reach their full potential by providing a safe place where students' needs are acknowledged, accepted, and met.

Vision

Every Decision, Every Day, Doing what is best for KIDS!

Motto

#BEST@WES

11/10- Muffins with Military & 3rd Grade Veterans Day Program

11/17- 3rd Grade SPARK students traveling to Naranjo Museum

11/23-11/27- Thanksgiving Break

12/1- 3rd Grade Piney Park Trip

The safety and security of our students and staff remain a top priority at Wylie Elementary. During the week of November 16–20, our campus will participate in a Reunification Drill to help ensure we are prepared to respond effectively in the event of an emergency.

This type of drill is required by state law, and our district conducts one at a different campus each year. Our staff have also spent several hours preparing for this year's drill to ensure the process is as organized, safe, and efficient as possible.

As part of the drill, students and staff will evacuate the campus and be transported by school buses to an off-campus reunification location. Please know that this is only a drill, and there is no emergency. Parents will NOT need to pick up their children, as students will return to campus and resume their normal school day.

While we know the drill will take place during the week before Thanksgiving Break, the exact day and time will not be announced in advance.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we practice these important safety procedures. Our goal is to ensure that our students and staff are prepared, confident, and safe should an actual emergency ever occur.

We love welcoming our families to Wylie Elementary, especially when they join their children for lunch! These visits are special opportunities to spend time together, and we appreciate your involvement in our school community.

As a reminder, photography, video recording, and livestreaming are not permitted during student lunch periods or throughout the regular school day. While we understand families may want to capture special moments with their child, our campus is a shared space with many students, and we must respect and protect the privacy of all children.

We encourage families visiting during lunch to put their phones away for photos and videos and focus on enjoying this special time with their child.

Exceptions may be made for designated school programs, performances, and special events where photography is permitted.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all students!

A new month means a fresh start! Throughout November, we are putting an extra focus on our Campus ROCKS expectations: Respectful, Organized, Cooperative, Kind, and Self-Control & Safety!

Students will be reviewing and practicing expectations in our hallways, restrooms, cafeteria, and playground while participating in our New Start November Challenge! Classes will earn Compliment Tickets for demonstrating positive behavior, kindness, teamwork, and making great choices.

From November 2–19, the class in each grade level earning the most Compliment Tickets will win a Pajama & Popcorn Party! 🍿

Families, help us keep the momentum going by encouraging your Cub to ROCK each day! Together, we can make November a month of fresh starts, positive choices, and Wylie ROCKS pride!

What is Gratitude? Gratitude is choosing to notice and appreciate things in our life, things in others, and things in the world.

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and we know everyone is ready for some fall-like weather to go with our Thanksgiving meal! November is the perfect month for our character word, GRATITUDE.

Gratitude is “understanding and connecting to other people’s feelings”. Gratitude means being thankful, appreciative, and responsive to kindness, help, or gifts received from others. Gratitude involves feeling and expressing our thankfulness and is a habit that takes time and practice to develop. Fostering an attitude of gratitude, helps children become more empathetic, resilient, and content.

• You can practice gratitude at home with your child by taking time after school to ask them to share something they were grateful for today and why.

• Create a gratitude journal where family members can write down things they are grateful for and appreciate.

• At bedtime ask your child to recall three positive things that happened at school and how they felt about those things.

This month, the counselors will be going into the classrooms to encourage students to recognize and practice simple acts of gratitude such as complimenting someone, saying thank you, and treating others kindly. First grade will watch and discuss the video, The Monster Who Wanted It All by Andi Green. Second grade will watch and discuss Our Table, by Peter Reynolds and do an art project that emphasizes having gratitude for the things you have. Our third graders will read The Gratitude Tree by Sarah DeLeon and will create a gratitude tree for their classroom using Post-it notes to express what they are grateful for.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving with family and loved ones, we hope you will take some time to reflect with those you love about gratitude and the many things you are thankful for.

We wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Kelly Brown and Lindsey McMurrey, Counselors

Regular school attendance and arriving on time each day are important to your child’s success! Every school day provides valuable opportunities to learn, grow, and build friendships.

Please make sure your child arrives on time and is in the classroom by our start time of 7:45. If your child eats breakfast here at school, they should arrive no later than 7:30. Every minute counts!

Establishing consistent routines, such as laying out clothes the night befor school, and planning to leave home early enough to ensure your child arrives on time every day, can help you and your child start the day can reduce morning anxiety.

Thank you for your partnership in helping your child succeed!

Dads on Deck is a great opportunity for males in the community to get involved in the school. Male involvement from the community in an elementary school setting is incredibly valuable—not only for academic success, but for emotional development and social confidence in our students.

As we head into November, here are a few important reminders to help keep our Cubs on track!

• ⏰ Attendance Matters! Every school day counts! Instruction begins promptly at 7:45 AM. Please help your Cub arrive on time and ready to learn each day.

• 📝 Absence Notes: If your child is absent, please send a parent or doctor's note when they return to school.

• 🚗 Transportation Changes: All transportation changes must be communicated to the front office by 2:30 PM. Please email wesoffice@hendersonisd.org with any changes.

• 🦁 Wylie ROCKS! November is all about fresh starts and positive choices! Encourage your Cub to demonstrate our ROCKS expectations at school and at home.

• 🧥 Cooler Weather: As temperatures begin to drop, please send your child with a jacket or coat labeled with their name. Our Lost & Found fills up quickly!